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Summer Adventures

2024 REGISTRATION IS OPEN! 

Programs for children who are 6-10 years old and Teen Leadership opportunities for youth 11-14 years old.

Cost:
June & August Programs: $320 per week or $70 per day

PROGRAM INFORMATION

Morning Activities: Children will be involved in active exploration as they learn, invent and build, and/or use technology and art materials to design solutions to various problems.

Lunch and Recess: Children bring their own lunches and drinks for each course. We ask that you pack a nutritious lunch and save sweets and soda for home.

Afternoon Activities: Because of the rich content of our courses, activities will continue into the afternoon following a break for lunch/recess.  Swimming is an option at select locations when weather permits under the supervision of a certified lifeguard.

Locations: The Phoenix School, Winter Island, Forest River Park, and Salem State University’s Conservation Land and Salem Willows will be the locations for the programs this year. Not all locations are used each week; See weekly descriptions for locations.

Staff: Experienced Phoenix teachers, past and present, lead each Summer Adventure program; Full staff bios are below program descriptions.

 

PROGRAMS:

Element Explorers 
June 17-21, 2024
8:30 am-3:00 pm
Ages 6 to 10 * $320 per week or $70 per day

Use the elements to investigate our world.  Harness the element of wind as you experiment with designs to make your own original kite.  Employ the element of water by using hydraulics to make an invention.  Explore the earth element as you find and identify rock types and then paint them to make characters for a stop motion video.  Experiment with the sun’s heat while creating a solar updraft tower.  Combine your element information to work in teams to design and put together a Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) out of PVC and mini-motors to test drive in the ocean.  Four days will be spent at the Salem Willows and one day at Forest River Park.  Weather permitting, swimming will be an option.  Register online 

 

Creativity City
June 24 – June 28, 2024
8:30 am-3:00 pm 
Ages 6 to 10 * $320 per week or $70 per day

Use nature to gather ideas for the future!  Design an amusement park based on nature and build some prototypes of some of the rides, use Garageband to compose a musical composition with the help of nature, design an eco-tourism business, and build a new form of transportation that can travel in the air, water, and on land. Then, create a city of the future based on your exploration from the week.  Four days will be spent at the Salem Willows and one day at Lynn Woods.  Weather permitting, swimming will be an option.  Register online

 

Engineering Extremes
August 19-23, 2024
8:30 am-3:00 pm 
Ages 6 to 10 * $320 per week or $70 per day

Design new structures that can withstand the extremes of mother nature.  Use simulations to test your structure designs and their abilities to withstand earthquakes, floods, and hurricanes.  Use the field of biomimicry to look at nature to see how plants and animals withstand the extremes.  Design new ways to prevent forces like wind and water from affecting a local area.  Four days will be spent at the Salem Willows and one day at Forest River Park.  Weather permitting, swimming will be an option. Register online

 

Micro World
August 26 – 30, 2024
8:30 am-3:00 pm 
Ages 6 to 10 * $320 per week or $70 per day

Shrink your perspective as you look at the world in new micro ways.  Grow bacteria, film a video pretending you are the size of an ant, and find specimens while exploring and use microscopes to get a closer look.  Dissect an owl pellet and identify the tiny bones and then compare them to a human skeleton, and create a safe experiment to investigate insects.  Four days will be spent at the Salem Willows and one day at Winter Island.  Weather permitting, swimming will be an option.  Register online

 

Teen Leadership Program
11 – 14 year-olds
Hours: 8:30 to 3:15
Fee: $125 per week
Offered both June and August

The Teen Leadership Program is for young people who are too young to have a job, but are interested in spending a week assisting our course teachers in the field, mentoring younger children, helping out with the activities for the day, supervising recess or play at the park. Teen Leaders (TL) will be given special assignments by their directing teacher and be responsible for various odd jobs that make the course run smoothly. Interest in science, animals, inventing and building with art materials, and using technology (Mac based) to create presentations — a plus.

TLs should have had previous experience working successfully with younger children, be able to work as a member of a team and have a basic understanding of how children learn through active exploration. 1-2 applicants will be accepted for each course.

Along with their Registration Form, interested TL applicants should send a list of their experiences working with young children and a letter that explains their interest in the program. On your Registration Form rank the courses in order of preference and submit your application by June 1st. You will then be invited for an interview and further clarification of our expectations.

Accepted applicants will meet with the course teacher before each session begins. They will work closely with course teachers and be given feedback on their performance. A final evaluation will be written that may be used as a recommendation for future summer employment with young children.

Questions: Call The Phoenix School at 978-741-0870 or email [email protected]

 

Refund Policy: 

  • between the registration date and up to 2 months (60 days) from the first date of the session – full refund less the $10 non-refundable administrative fee.
  • between 59 days and 1 month (30 days) out from the first date of the session – refund 75%
  • between 29 days and 2 weeks (14 days) out from the first date of the session – refund 50%
  • less than 2 weeks from the session start date – refund 35%
  • no advance notice – withdrawn or non-attendance on or after the start date of the session – no refund.

 

Register Online Today

 

Staff Bios:

Mike Smith: Current Phoenix teacher, a past program director at New England Science & Sailing, a kayak guide in the San Juan Islands, a marine science naturalist on whale-watching vessels in New Jersey, a sailing and science instructor aboard Tall Ships in California, and teaching math, reading, and writing in a K-3 school in Nicaragua. He is also a director of Common Tides, a non-profit that provides free marine science and sailing programs to children from underserved communities. Mike is a Red Cross Lifeguard Instructor, NAUI Rescue Diver, ACA Coastal Kayak Certified, NSSIA SUP/Surf Instructor, and a USCG Master 100GT Captain.

Dave Morrill: Dave joined TPS in September 2022. Coming with experience in both private and public school settings, teaching those with behavioral, academic, or social challenges in inclusionary and sub-separate settings. Dave received his license in Special Education, Moderate Disabilities K-8, from Bridgewater State University as a part of his Masters’s program in 2021. He graduated from Endicott College in 2016 with a BA in Psychology and Education and began his M.Ed. S.P.E. in 2017.