Summer Programs: Enrichment Programs

Our enrichment programming proved to be quite a success last summer.  All campers enroll in Adventure Camp and attend morning meeting, lunch, recess, and afternoon activities as a whole group! Campers have the option to enroll in one Enrichment Program as part of their own individual morning schedule.  Jr. Adventurers, Adventurers, and Jr. Counselors can decide whether to attend an Enrichment Program in the morning or attend camp for the whole day. Here is what we have offered in previous summers. Please note that there are both minimum and maximum enrollments. Also check back to our website for updates and additions to our Enrichment Program offerings.

 

Soccer

Instructor: Alex Bartlett

Sessions: 1 and 2

Ages 8-15

 

Come out for two weeks of soccer with Coach Bartlett. Days will consist of drills, scrimmaging and the occasional run through the sprinkler! This is a great introduction for kids who will soon be playing on a team, or a chance for more experienced players to sharpen their skills before the start of the upcoming season.

 

Hands On Candy-Making and Basic Baking

Instructor: Ann Caloon

Sessions: 1, 2 and 4

          

Enjoy two weeks of candy-making and baking with Bement's own baker right in The Bement School kitchen! Your child will learn many safety tips for cooking in the kitchen. They will have hands-on experience working with several candy and baking ingredients and materials. This is an experience that your child will be able to use in years to come! We will create many different types of candy and baking treats to bring home each day.

 

Biking and Mountain Biking

Instructor: Bob Perry

Sessions 1, 2, 3, 4

Ages 8-15

 

Director, Bob Perry of Bicycles Unlimited, teaches bike safety and maintenance and leads trips to many area locations. Participants must have biking experience and the appropriate equipment for area distance rides. This program does require the ability to accomplish distant, hilly rides. Group will be determined based on skill levels of registered bikers. A minimum number of bikers are required. Please note that your bike must be tuned up and ready to ride! You are required to have your bike inspected by Bob Perry of Bicycles Unlimited PRIOR to the session of camp that you will ride. Plan to have an appropriate snack for a break during the ride. Should it rain, biking will be cancelled for that day and your camper will attend adventure camp. Don't forget your helmet! (Bike rentals are available through Bicycles Unlimited in Greenfield.)

 

Digging into Nature

Instructor: Louise Smith

Session 3 full day (ages 8 and older)

Session  2 mornings (ages 5-8)

 

This camp offering, limited to six children per session, is all about experiencing nature first-hand.  We spend our days in a variety of ways--exploring trails, dipping into ponds, playing and swimming at a safe bend in the Sawmill River in Montague.  Children fill buckets, collect stones, dig clay out of a river bank and catch and release minnows, frogs and red-spotted newts.  When we hike on trails, we stop to play in the shallow brooks, floating sticks downstream and creating miniature dams and little pools.  These are the classic things children discover when they're given time to play in a natural setting. Projects such as making small boats out of scraps of wood and making clay pots and "ancient" shards of pottery, change from year to year and grow out of the children's time in nature.

 

I believe that through developmentally appropriate, direct experiences in nature, children learn to love spending time in the out of doors, gain knowledge of the natural world in an integrated way, and become invested in taking good care of the earth.  They also have a lot of fun! (The fee for full day Noticing Nature is $475.)

 

Yoga

Instructor: Jessie Chalmers

Session: 1

 

Cooperative games, theme activities, storytelling, music, and art engage the natural energy and enthusiasm of the child age 5-10 year's old.  Classes explore yoga poses, breathing exercises, visual imagery, and relaxation techniques while teaching lessons in self-expression, positive body image and thinking, and environmental awareness.  Jessie is a registered Kripalu trained yoga instructor with experience teaching to diverse populations with classes such as; prenatal and postnatal yoga, Mommy and me yoga, kids yoga, vinyasa flow, and restorative.  She delights in sharing the many joys and benefits of yoga with others!

 

A Taste of India

Instructor: June Caloon

Sessions 3 and 4

Ages: 8-15

 

June comes to us from Greenfield. She is a mother, avid cook, and teacher. She taught for years in India and wanted to combine her skills as a teacher and cook here at Bement! She has developed Indian cooking with the twist of American style! Her cooking includes simple to complex flavors. Dishes will be made with simple to complex flavors. This cooking class promises to be fun, enjoyable, healthy, and delicious. Kids will learn the fundamental skills of cooking like cutting, sauteing, and of course, tasting!

 

CPR/First Aid/Babysitting

Instructor: Jeff Hamilton

Sessions: 1, 2, 3, 4

Ages: 13-15

 

CPR:

This course teaches easy-to-learn emergency procedures that prepare individuals to respond to breathing and cardiac emergencies in infants, children (birth to age 8) and adults. Participants will learn how to perform abdominal thrusts, rescue breathing, as well as CPR and care for an unconscious choking victim.

 

First Aid:

Topics included are recognizing and responding to an emergency; caring for soft-tissue injuries such as bleeding and burns; muscle, bone and joint injuries, sudden illnesses; and environmental injuries. Participants must pass a written and skills test to receive certification.

 

Babysitting:

This class covers the responsibilities of babysitting to include: interviewing, safe play, age appropriate play, being a good role model, responding to emergencies, adult, child

and infant CPR, first aid and much more.

 

Create an Original Play

Instructor: Amy Gordon

Sessions 1, 2, and 4

Ages 8-15

 

Through brainstorming and improvisation, the group will work together to write an original play and then pull it together for a performance. Led by former drama teacher at Bement and children's book author, Amy Gordon. 

 

Coach Coop's Lacrosse Rats

Instructor: Cooper Magoon

Sessions: 2, 3, and 4

Ages: 5-15

 

Back by popular demand! By definition, a Lax Rat is a lacrosse player who plays far too much lacrosse for their own good. Your child will hopefully not be turned into a lacrosse monster, but will learn the basics of lacrosse; not only how to pass and catch, but how to play, live and treat the sport as something special. Working on playing with your off hand is one thing, but learning how to work and play with other people is certainly another.