Summer: An Opportune Time for Learning and Growth
With summer just around the corner, thoughts turn to sleepy mornings and lazy days, running, playing, swimming, family vacations, travel, and learning.
What, learning in the summer? Some may think that is heresy, but honestly, summer is an opportune time to enhance and reinforce all the learning that takes place during the school year.
Along with all these fun summer activities, summer enrichment programs and camps provide students the opportunity to continue to engage in academic pursuits all while having fun with friends in a relaxed atmosphere. These fun and engaging activities can help prevent the “summer slide,” a term coined by researchers to describe the loss of academic progress over the summer months.
Additionally, summer programs help students stretch academically and socially as they try new things, solve challenging problems, and work with students of different ages. Whether it’s digging into exciting science concepts, coding robots, or adventuring in a local stream, these opportunities help students build self-confidence, teamwork, and communication, all essential skills for personal and academic success.
Fortunately this year, Morganton Day is offering multiple weeks of summer opportunities for K-8 MDS and non-MDS students. Mrs. Feamster along with other MDS teachers kick off summer programming with the “Splash into Summer,” camp June 9-13. Students will engage in environmental studies as they participate in Kids in the Creek, work with weights and measures during a cooking class, and enjoy water play to round out the week. Fun and learning will continue through the summer with Dr. Posner’s two one-week sessions, June 16-20 and July 21-26 of STEAM Camps for rising 4-8 students. During STEAM Camp students will use the engineering design process to tackle engineering challenges and apply mathematical concepts. MDS summer offerings close with STEAM JR. camp for younger students, K-4, July 21-21. During the camp, students will engage in activities like building a catapult, creating a magnetic maze, or building a balloon-powered car, all while incorporating art and design elements.
MDS summer camps, along with many others offered in Burke and surrounding counties, are valuable investments in your child’s academic growth. They not only enhance skills learned during the school year but also build essential life skills and provide unforgettable experiences.
Come join us this summer at MDS as we have fun learning and growing together.
Ready for summer fun and learning,
Dr. Mikusa
Head of School