kids
and
family
Growth
mindset
Campers explore gardening, cooking, sports and more in Montessori School of Durham’s summer programs B Y REN EE AMB ROSO P HOTO GR APHY B Y J OHN MICHAEL SIMPSON
othing quite matches the thrill that summer brings to young children, as rising temps and longer days offer the promise of unencumbered freedom and play. Summer, too, is a chance to discover new interests, says Montessori
School of Durham’s Director of Auxiliary Programs Eliza Hudson.
In addition to MSD’s performing and visual arts, crafts, nature exploration, gardening, business and STEM-focused camps, partnerships with nonprofit Frisbee organization Triangle Ultimate and Little Medical School offer a sports and a wilderness medicine camp option, respectively. Two weeklong camps will also be led by Rainbow Collective for Change staff – namely,
founder and Director
Anne Sutkowi-Hemstreet
Breadmaking, gardening, robotics, and Program Coordinator sewing and geology are just a few of Kaliq Alexander. Rainbow the topics kids can choose to learn summer camps include about during the school’s nine weeks developmentally appropriate Arjun Gakhar, 5, paints using watercolors during an early childhood of programs for kids ages 3 years old to books and activities summer program taught by Lisa Tate. rising seventh graders. to support discussions This Montessori-inspired camp is a “[Children] can have a camp around gender diversity, continuation of the practices and themes taught during the year at experience that’s going to be really race, LGBTQIA+ MSD and is open to students who different from anything they’ve [been families, disability, justice, have completed at least one year of through] before, and it’s a good way to intersectionality and education with the school. try out different programs of interest allyship, plus a group for them,” Eliza says. She encourages activism project. parents to keep an open mind when it comes to choosing a camp. While these specialty camps depart from the Montessori Some camps – toddler, early childhood and one elementary curriculum, “they’re all Montessori inspired,” Eliza says. If they are session – are only available to kids who have attended the school not already full-time teachers at the school, “the instructors … are for a minimum of one year, but others – specialty camps focused on trained in using the language that we want to use with children, a particular subject – have open enrollment. with positive redirection and in general respect for the child.” 82
|
durhammag.com
|
f e b r ua ry/ m a r c h 2 0 2 3