Week 1: June 20-24

Tuition: 365

Course: Water, water, everywhere! Activities will revolve around exploration with water, science experiments, and adventures in small pools and our on-campus creek. Children create beaches, relax, and have fun!

For the first three Early Learners sessions, we've engaged two instructors instead of the usual one in order to give more children the opportunity to enjoy CFS Summer Programs.

Instructor: Kathleen McNeil has been a First Day School teacher at Chapel Hill Friends Meeting for 16 years and enjoys engaging with children of all ages. She worked in higher education for 23 years and is currently studying to become a play therapist while also teaching in CFS’ Campus Early School. Kathleen enjoys comedy, puppies, books, classical music, and just about any activity with her son (a former CFS Summer Programs Extended Day staffer). She is thrilled to lead summer camp for our youngest students this year!

Instructor: Williette Zigbuo graduated in 1997 from Berea College in Berea, Kentucky with a bachelor’s degree in Child and Family Studies with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education. She received her Master’s degree in Special Education from Bay Path College in Burlington, Massachusetts and has over 15 years of teaching experience with children in Liberia, West Africa and in the United States, including now at the CFS Campus Early School. She especially enjoys working with pre-k to second grade.

In addition to her passion for teaching, she finds personal fulfillment by helping educational programs in Liberia; Williette has been instrumental in mobilizing others to help obtain donations and school supplies for orphanages and schools in Liberia. Whenever she returns from Africa, she finds that sharing her pictures and discussing her trip is rewarding for herself and also for her students, to help them understand and see the world outside their community, neighborhoods, and the United States.

Tuition: 335

Course: From building air-propelled model boats and printing paper designs with vegetables to baking treats using our own recipe and erecting a miniature village, we’ll be busy making all kinds of things in this class. Be ready for designing, baking, folding, playing, stamping, experimenting, mapping, storytelling, molding, drawing, tasting, engineering, writing, printing, taping, weaving, gluing, laughing, and much more!

Instructor: Bo Newsome is a musician (an oboist, composer, and educator), teaching students at his home (or on Zoom) and at Duke. He frequently creates and presents programs and residencies for young people, and attended workshops presented by Kennedy Center’s program for teaching artists. He developed a general music program and created original operas with children in a remote public school on an island in Maine. 

To satisfy his sweet tooth in a house with few sweets, Bo started baking pies, cakes, and cookies when he was little. Though he’s really never met a pie he didn’t like, he especially likes lemon, lime, and peach. In addition to cooking, Bo’s been a lover of animals, architecture, and art, and a collector of treasures as long as he can remember.

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week One / June 20-24
Week Two / June 27-July 1

Tuition: 335

Course: Help ignite a lasting interest in the most beautiful things our planet has to offer. During this exciting week-long program of activities we’ll see, hear and feel nature first hand. Fresh discovery awaits our young explorers through games, art, observation and adventuring. This introductory course is based on the Scandinavian Forest School model where direct outdoor experiences help to foster social skills, confidence, creativity, problem solving and much more.

Program Sessions Days

Nature’s Playground
Students participate in ecologically themed games that help build interpersonal relationships, collaborative skills and curiosity of the natural world.

Wildlife Detectives
On this fun day out, participants will learn some of the basics field skills needed for experiencing nature. We’ll learn how to use camouflage, stealth and listening skills to get up close and personal with those woodland creatures.We’ll look at tracks and signs and undertake the bird olympics challenge.

Creative Creatures
Through a variety of artistic methods, this arts-based day will use nature to inspire and encourage students to explore and celebrate their unique sense of creativity.

Micro-adventures
Students set out on a small adventure designed to cultivate basic outdoor skills (shelter building etc) and to encourage local nature exploration and a continued curiosity in the natural world.

Life aquatic
We will explore the creeks around school and use nets and tanks to catch amphibians, crustaceans, insects and other aquatic life.

Instructor: Mike Werndly (or Ranger to his friends) introduced our popular Nature Lab environmental education classes in Summer 2017. He is a lifelong birder and practiced field biologist and outdoor educator with a passion for sharing environmental experiences that promote awareness and respect of the natural world. Working and traveling in remote areas around the globe has given Mike a wide knowledge of the Earth’s habitats and ecosystems.

He’s been hooked on wildlife since a chance encounter with an owl when he was eight and hasn't looked back. He studied Ecology and Outdoor Environmental Education at university and has worked for numerous conservation organisations, including the Aigas Field Centre, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, and Scottish Natural Heritage. Mike’s wildlife encounters have been numerous, but some memorable ones include being followed home one night by two otters and being covered head to foot in smelly seabird guano!

He moved from Scotland in 2016 and now lives in Hillsborough with his wife and two young children and their friendly food-crazy labrador, Fogo :0)

Tuition: 335

Course: Dragons. Centaurs. Fairies. Mermaids. Unicorns. There are SO MANY magical creatures in the stories we love! In this camp we will explore those creatures and where they live, what they eat, and what they like to do all day. We will craft. We will tell stories. We will make up games and we will PLAY those games. We will make treats and we will EAT those treats.

Instructor: Carly Campbell (she/her) is a former Carolina Friends Middle School teacher and is thrilled to be returning to CFS for summer camps this year! She has spent the last decade working with young people around social justice, Spanish, imaginative storytelling, and music. Carly has a B.A. in Community Education from Goddard College and a certificate in Community Spanish Facilitation from Durham Tech. She is an avid reader of scifi and fantasy books and she has read the entire Harry Potter series more than 30 times! 

Carly’s activism work includes supporting young people challenging the school to prison pipeline, LGBTQ+ activism, Black Lives Matter, and Immigrant and Language Justice. She has had the opportunity to participate in three Civil Rights Movement bus tours and is particularly passionate about the role of young people in social movements throughout history and the world.

Tuition: 335

Course: Get ready to dive into the magical world of Pixar! By exploring a new Pixar film every day, we'll come together to learn about the characters, songs, and adventures of the movies we all know and love. We'll play games, create our own characters, and make crafts that are truly magical!

Instructor: Alex Durham (she/her) is a senior at UNC Chapel Hill studying global studies, political science, and Spanish. She first came to CFS last summer as the APPLES intern and CIT/Intern Coordinator on our Leadership Team. Alex has worked with children for the past eight years as a camp counselor, nanny, and tutor. She hopes to attend graduate school in international affairs and go on to work with children's rights. Outside of school, Alex loves baking, hiking, cheering on the Heels, and hanging out with her 19-pound cat Lola.

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week One / June 20-24, Markeith Gary
Week Two / June 27-July 1, Achiri Acha
Week Three / July 4-8, A.J. Valero
Week Four / July 11-15, A.J. Valero
Week Five / July 18-22, Tony Arias Sorto
Week Six / July 25-29, Markeith Gary
Week Seven / August 1-5, Markeith Gary
Week Eight / August 8-12, Achiri Acha

Tuition: 335

Course: An active, fun-filled week of sports adventure just for you! We learn how to play a variety of sports, focusing on skills and learning the rules. We work on team building and create some crafts that go along with our new indoor and outdoor games! We concentrate on learning how to play, building confidence, keeping in shape, and receiving guidance and encouragement from our coach. An excellent class for the active or wannabe active camper!

Instructor: Markeith Gary joined CFS in 2016 and has served as varsity basketball coach for the Upper School. He helped co-found a non-profit travel basketball program called the NC Wildcats serving the Chapel Hill-Durham area. A graduate of Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia, and a school-year educator, Markeith has served as mentor to many in his community and volunteers at the local community center teaching life skills. He enjoys spending time with his wife Marsha and their three children (Nina, Myles, and Laila).

Tuition: 335

Course: In this camp, we will spend the week exploring the countries, music, and art featured in Disney's Encanto, Coco, and Elena of Avalor, all while building our confidence in understanding and using the Spanish language! Participants are encouraged to have watched the two movies and one TV series, since that's what we'll be talking about all week! We will be watching scenes from the movies side by side with real world examples of the culture being referenced. We will dance, sing, do crafts pertaining to the relevant cultures, and practice our Spanish. Participants do not need to know the language, but should be willing and ready to learn some! 

Instructor: Julia loves working with 3rd and 4th year students as an Assistant Teacher in Fountain Class at the Lower School. The 2021-22 school year was her first at CFS, after teaching 7th grade Spanish at French Broad River Academy in Asheville while she completed her B.A. in Spanish Language and Literature from UNC Asheville with a minor in Latin American and Transatlantic Studies. Her senior capstone project sought to answer two questions: 1) "How can we improve the remote language learning experience and form a sense of community in virtual classes?" and 2) “How can we include in our Spanish classes, the histories and cultures of indigenous people and people of African heritage?” 

Julia grew up attending High Point Friends School and Meeting, and joined Asheville Friends Meeting while in college. Her professional experience includes two years as the university’s official Spanish peer tutor, and a semester as a YMCA Afterschool Site Director at Haw Creek Elementary. During her four summers on staff at YMCA Camp Seafarer, she loved teaching drawing, painting, sculpture, and art history lessons in the Creative Arts program. Julia enjoys belting the Encanto soundtrack on her drives to and from school. When she’s not at school, she can be found making art, cuddling with her cat, working on jigsaw puzzles and LEGO builds, researching her family history, or visiting aquariums and museums. If she were not a classroom teacher, she might want to be a school librarian!
 

Tuition: 335

Course: Come on down, you’re the next contestant in… Games Galore! We’ll spend our time playing favorite game show games, board games, card games, and outdoor games. If playing Wheel of Fortune, Candyland, Go Fish, and freeze tag all in one day sounds awesome, then this is the camp for you! We’ll play lots of games, stretch our teamwork skills, find confidence in ourselves no matter the outcome of a game, and maybe even create our own brand new game together. Let’s get gaming!

Instructor: Ruthie Allen (she/her) is a lover of puzzles, cooking, crafting, and education. She began working in Summer Programs in 2018 as the Extended Day Coordinator, then in 2019 as the Assistant Director, and in 2020 and 2021 as the full-time Summer Programs Coordinator. Ruthie loves Summer Programs, and she’s excited to return this year as an Instructor. She has her degree in education and public policy from UNC Chapel Hill, has earned her Early Childhood Education accreditation, has worked as a math teacher in the CFS Middle School, and has worked with Peaceful Schools NC, a CFS-based non-profit focused on Restorative Practices in education.

Ruthie is half of Pain & Panic, where she collaborates with a friend to create original clothing and accessories she sells in local art markets. She’s also the founder of the “Triangle Tennis Alliance,” a local group for queer tennis players and loves to play with them every week. Ruthie has also directed many plays and musicals, including with local children’s theaters. She looks forward to another awesome summer with CFS!

Tuition: 335

Course: In this course, campers will learn all about how money works. First you earn it, then what? Save it? Spend it? How much money do I need to buy lunch and the candy I want at the store? Campers will play games, enjoy engaging, hands-on activities, maybe even take a field trip, and learn all about the thing that "makes the world go 'round." This "Wall Street for kids" is the place to be this summer!

Instructor: Cort Bennett, a CFS Lower School parent, spends much of his free time with his wife, Lindsey, and two children, Janie and Henry, which brings him great joy. They spend a lot of time outdoors and have a fondness for the mountains, family, their dog Paisley, and playing board games.

Cort says, “Growing up in a family of psychotherapists, naturally, my parents emphasized developing “human capital” – our unique skills, knowledge, talents, and values that combine to make each family strong. They probably thought my siblings and I would figure out on our own how to become economic beings. Now as an adult and parent, I understand the importance for our children to have not only the financial wherewithal, but also develop values to manage money with mindfulness and integrity. Thus, a dual approach to financial education.”

During the day, Cort’s professional life has him working with families and individuals helping them navigate their financial lives, plan for their future and their legacy. A lot of the time this stewardship has him working with multiple generations building a connection and meaning to the resources that pass through the family. Due to a love for community and outdoors, he has taken an interest in sustainable, responsible and impact investments.

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week One / June 20-24
Week Four / July 11-15

Tuition: 335

Course: Calling all Pokémon trainers who just gotta catch ‘em all! Come enjoy a weeklong exploration and appreciation of the world of Pokémon. In this course, we’ll dive into the Pokémon Trading Card Game to learn how the game is played, understand different cards’ values, and improve strategy. During the week of fun, we will learn how to make Pokémon decks as well as how to become better Pokémon trainers. By the end of the session, everyone will be well on their way to becoming a Pokémon master. All levels of experience with the Pokémon Trading Card Game are welcome. Participants are invited to bring their own cards, but decks, play mats, and other game supplies will be provided for everyone.

Instructor: Owen Bauer-Lepofsky has been at CFS for 13 years, starting in Campus Early School and rising to 12th grade in the fall. He has created and led LEGO camps for 4-8 years olds, helped at his mother’s preschool, and served as a Teaching Assistant for several years in the CFS dance program. He is an avid Pokémon Trading Card Game player, and earned his invitation to 2019 and 2020 World Championships during his first two seasons of competitive play. Owen created and has co-led the Pokémon camp in CFS’ Summer Programs since its inception in 2019.

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week One / June 20-24
Week Six / July 25-29

Tuition: 350

Course Description: Ever wanted to learn how to write your name in frosting, dust cakes with chocolate powder patterns, create strawberry flowers, use fondant, and create fancy cupcakes and chocolate-dipped strawberries that look like tuxedos, or mold your own chocolate? It is an art form! We'll do all of that and more, starting with easy designs on cardboard before making our own frosting, cakes, cupcakes, and chocolates to decorate. Design your own theme or go wild with abandon and have fun creating edible works of art. Please bring a small notebook for recipes, ideas, and ingredients lists.

Please note that, unfortunately, we may not be able to accommodate dietary restrictions in this class.

Instructor: Karen Clark is a science teacher at Immaculata Catholic School in Durham. She teaches middle school, so enjoys working with other age groups during the summer. She has three wonderful kids and an overprotective mini schnauzer named Heidi that keep her active. In her spare time (yeah, right) she enjoys playing the flute, reading mysteries, and doing puzzles.

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week One / June 20-24
Week Two / June 27-July 1
Week Three / July 4-8 (Advanced)
Week Four / July 11-15
Week Five / July 18-22
Week Six / July 25-29
Week Seven / Aug 1-5 (Advanced)

Tuition: 335

Course: Addicted to comics? Doodle in class? Come create your own comic book characters and stories. Bring creativity, imagination, and motivation along with your pencil. Exchange ideas, receive input, and work on technique with a professional comic artist. There’s also time for Four Square, games, and Capture the Flag. Oftentimes, campers take multiple sessions. Please bring pencils, erasers, and favorite drawing pens. (Two Advanced Comic Design sessions are available for those who want to expand their skills.)

Instructor: Jamie Charles, a working illustrator, graduated from UNC-G in Fine Arts. Besides exhibiting his own work, Jamie works at CFS as an art instructor for Middle School students. He is also a champion Capture the Flag leader, having coached his workshop groups to many victories (not that he is bragging). Jamie offers private lessons in drawing and art.

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week One / June 20-24, Achiri Acha
Week Three / July 19-23, , Achiri Acha
Week Seven / Aug 9-13, Achiri Acha
Week Nine / Aug 15-19, Achiri Acha

Tuition: 365

Course: Anyone ever told you to “get lost?” If so, there’s no better way to take their advice than to delve into the amazingly expansive and immersive world of Minecraft. For a moment, let’s step away from the term “video-game” and substitute “wildly-versatile-open-ended-world-manipulating-art machine.” Minecraft’s critically acclaimed, sandbox-style gameplay is a constant exercise in collaborative exploration, goal-setting, and boundless “Imagineering”—whether hunting and gathering to build agrarian homesteads across various landscapes or configuring an automated railway/refinement system that acquires, transports, and processes raw materials the player can use to create their own scaled recreation of the Taj Mahal.

The objective of Minecraft Community is to “get lost, together,” building community. With a little direction and a lot of improv, students will enter into Minecraft’s Survival Mode, banding together to outlive the Mobs and Elements, within a democratic community. With inventive jobs (e.g. Hunters, Explorers, Architects, Artisans, etc.) and responsibilities and a community lot-casting system, students will forge ahead to establish a lasting society amidst wiles of Mobs and the unforgiving wildernesses.

We will be using Minecraft: Education Edition on Chromebooks.

Instructor: Achiri Acha has been at CFS since he was six years old! He mentored with Jordan Shamp in Sports camp, became a Counselor-In-Training, and then moved on to become a camp assistant and instructor for the past seven summers. Achiri has worked in Extended Day at Lerner School and School’s Out Camps at the Jewish Community Center and currently works at USA Ninja Challenge during the school year. Achiri's goal is to be an elementary school physical education instructor and coach.

Tuition: 335

Course: Come learn the techniques of creating looks for all kinds of characters for the stage! We will start with a base face and learn aging as well as other styles like animals and magical creatures. We will also learn how to create illusions of injuries and bruising!!! Each camper will create a picture portfolio and receive their own makeup kit to use for camp and take with them!

Instructor: Sarah Woody is a recent graduate of Warren Wilson College with a B.A. in History. This school year she worked as an Assistant Teacher at Hillsborough's Grady Brown Elementary. She is currently enrolled in an Educator Preparation Program through the state of North Carolina and is working to get her teaching license. Sarah loves to travel and has done semesters abroad in Mexico, Ecuador, and Costa Rica! She enjoys movies, video games, and lazy Sundays with her dog, Griffin, and fiancé, Zach. Sarah attended CFS Summer Programs when she was in Elementary and Middle School and is excited to be back!

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week One / June 20-24, Jochen Wachter (European Handball)
Week Two / June 27-July 1, Chloe Gillespie
Week Three / July 4-8, Katie Thomas
Week Four / July 11-15, Jordan Shamp
Week Five / July 18-22, Achiri Acha
Week Six / July 25-29, Jochen Wachter, AM; Will Anderson, PM (Soccer)
Week Seven / Aug 1-5, Jochen Wachter (Soccer)
Week Eight / Aug 8-12, Mariah Jackson

Tuition: 335

Course: This summer Jochen would like to introduce students to a sport that is very popular in his home country of Germany: Handball! Handball is a fast paced sport in which seven players (six on the field, one in goal) try to throw a ball into the goal of the opposing team.

During their time together Jochen will work with students on handling the little ball: dribbling, catching, and throwing. They will do this with little games and challenges before they move on to play the game itself. Besides handball, Jochen might introduce the class to some other fun ball games, mainly games that are played with your hands, including Brennball (sort of baseball played with hands) and Voelkerball (a game that is slightly similar to dodgeball (but more team oriented). Let's have some fun this summer!

Instructor: Jochen Wachter is a sports enthusiast. He has coached soccer for the past 20 years in different places - high schools (CFS and Sanderson High in Raleigh), a middle school (CFS), Rainbow Soccer, Triangle United, and even at the Y. He is more interested in coaching than in trophies and great successes. For him, success is when players get the main idea: sports are fun, team sports can be art, and team sports teach you for life.

When Jochen is not coaching soccer, he teaches German and Latin at Sanderson High School in Raleigh or spends time with his family. His son, a junior at CFS, takes part in the soccer and the basketball teams here. He loves to watch the games and therefore spends a lot of time on campus. Jochen’s daughter graduated two years ago. Coaching her in her younger years and then watching her compete in many school games in basketball, soccer, and tennis has been a big part of his past 15 years. On top of this Jochen likes to travel with his wife and kids, often visiting Germany and France or spending time at the beaches and lakes of North Carolina.

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week One / June 20-24, Tony Arias Sorto
Week Three / July 4-8, Kate Pendergrass
Week Four / July 11-15, Tony Arias Sorto

Tuition: 335

Course: What makes you a more effective leader and team player? Let us show you some tools. Using group building games, art, theater, movement, discussion, and individual reflection we learn and practice leadership techniques. We will work as individuals and as a group to enhance confidence, cooperation, and communication. The workshop is an excellent exercise in developing leadership skills for jobs and community roles. 

If you're interested in being a Counselor-In-Training (ages 13-15) in CFS Summer Programs, this course is a prerequisite. We work through some basic “how to deal with” situations, focusing on conflict resolution and effective ways of listening and responding. And no, we do not sit in chairs throughout the day listening to lectures! This is an active course culminating in a "shadow day" as a CIT and a certificate of successful leadership training completion.

Instructor: Tony Arias Sorto is from Honduras and moved to Massachusetts in 2014. He relocated to North Carolina in 2018 and before coming to CFS was the Before and After Care Program Coordinator at Leesville Elementary in Raleigh; Tony is now a teacher in the CFS Lower School. He earned his A.A. in Education, his B.A. in English, and a master's degree in Leadership for Sustainability, and is currently pursuing a doctorate degree in Leadership for Sustainability. Tony believes in creating spaces for children to fill with laughter and he’s very excited to join the CFS team for a second summer!

He was raised playing soccer but enjoys anything from volleyball and basketball to slacklining and trail running. Tony lives in Pittsboro where he loves running with his two dogs and exploring the woods.