Week 6: July 25-29

Tuition: 365

Course: This week, we will explore the relationship between nature and art! As a group, we will go on nature walks and collect materials for our art projects. The art projects will be process art! I am excited to see what the campers will create with the materials that they find. We will learn about nature not only through art but also through books by authors like Eric Carle.

Instructor: Olivia Wroth was born and raised in North Carolina and grew up going to Carolina Friends Summer Camps! Her home away from home is the mountains and she has spent the last couple of years exploring the Boone area of North Carolina. When Olivia is not in the mountains, she loves to do art projects. She is passionate about child-led learning and helping children to develop connections with their community. She loves working with children and currently teaches Pre-K students at Lerner School in Durham.

Tuition: 335

Course: Ready, set, go for a week of lots of fun playing outdoor and indoor games from South America and around the world. Playing outside keeps kids active, entertained, and socializing. It also helps to build essential skills that go with us as we grow older. In this course students will build their own shelter and play “sapo,” sack race, ring toss, water games (bring your swimwear), and more. We’ll also make crafts every day to play indoors. We’ll end our week with an Outdoor Game Extravaganza. It will be a lot of fun!

Instructor: Kelly Yupanqui is from Perú and moved to the United States in 2005. She earned her B.S. in Elementary Education and her M.Ed. in Educational Administration at Universidad Nacional de Trujillo, Perú. Kelly got her certification as a Montessori Teacher from the American Montessori Society.

She has taught different levels of students for 25 years in public and private settings in her native country and in the USA (including now at Carolina Friends School). Kelly loves to dance, sing, play the guitar, cook, do arts and crafts, and be outside and she enjoys sharing all her talents and her native Spanish Language during Summer Programs.

Tuition: 335

Course: Alas, Poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio, a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy. William Shakespeare, Hamlet 

A whole week dedicated to the truest, realest, most grounded and inspired form of  live, stage production there is... Naturally I am speaking of Sock Puppet Theater. Spend your week designing characters, building sets, practicing your range of emotions and learning about some of the world's most famous puppeteers and how they do what they do. We will craft sock versions of ourselves as well any other characters we come up with along the way. Throughout the week we will practice and rehearse a play of everyone's choosing, wrapping up with a full performance Friday afternoon.

Tuition: 335

Course: The Hungry Caterpillar, Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, Dragons Love Tacos... so many great picture books out there that we know and love! How would you like to write and illustrate your very own picture book? During this camp, students will create a story and learn how to share it from start to finish using words and pictures. Larissa has published her own children’s book and can’t wait to help students create their very own masterpiece to bring home and show off to friends and family!

Instructor: Larissa Wood joined Carolina Friends School in 2021 to teach Ceramics, Environmental Science, and Geology. She has also taught science at Northwood High School in Chatham County and art summer camps at the Arts Center in Carrboro. She received her B.A. in Biology from UNC Chapel Hill in 2018, where she also pursued a North Carolina teaching licensure and a creative writing minor. Larissa recently published her very own children’s book, There’s Wondrous Fungus Among Us! She is thrilled to combine her passions for education, science, and art here at the Carolina Friends School. 

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).

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week Six / July 25-29
Week Eight / Aug 8-12

Tuition: 335

Course: Spin and dye wool yarn. Make your own felt. Weave cotton cloth. By trying your hand at it yourself, discover how humans made everyday clothing and shelter items from local plant and animal fibers.

Instructor: Jan French is a fiber artist and weaving educator/advocate, demonstrator, and collaborator weaving on location at schools, arts councils, museums, festivals, and Scrap Exchange events. She is a member of the Triangle Weavers Guild’s Education Committee and has instructed hundreds of folks of all ages how to build and weave delightful and useful items on a simple handmade loom.

Before coming to CFS in 2008, Jan worked in environmental and open space planning and lived for two years in Geneva, Switzerland. She has Masters degrees in Environmental Management from Duke University and in Landscape Architecture from North Carolina State University’s School of Design.

At CFS Jan has served students as Middle School substitute teacher, art project coordinator for three Martin Luther, King, Jr. Day celebrations, Science Day guest speaker, and Extended Day (AfterHours) staff. She’s also a former CFS parent!

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week Six / July 25-29, Tom Latimer
Week Two / Aug 1-5, Madison Mundy

Tuition: 350

Course: Do you want to travel the world AND eat your way through it? If you said yes, this camp is the one for you! Each day, we will explore a different part of the world by cooking up delicious meals and learning about different cultures. Along the way, we’ll learn some unique cooking techniques, explore new recipes, learn about different parts of the world, and, best of all, taste our many creations!

Instructor: Tom Latimer has been running camps at CFS for 14 years. He has been teaching for 25 years and has a Masters degree in elementary education. He currently teaches 2nd grade at Immaculata Catholic School in Durham and plays guitar in Chapel Hill band Zoltar’s Fortune. 

Tom lives in Chapel Hill with his wife Alison and their two cats Nora and Lionel. He enjoys seeing and playing music, eating at our local restaurants, collecting vinyl records, and working with kids.

Tuition: 335

Course: Let's learn about ecosystems! Together we'll explore the wide web of animals, their habitats, and how they interact to create a beautiful natural system of life. We'll investigate systems big and small in nature and bring our learning back into the classroom for scientific study, crafts, and more. 

Instructor: Kelsie is a Ph.D. student at North Carolina State University in the Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis program. She was a second grade teacher in Wake County Public Schools for five years before heading back into the classroom as a learner. Kelsie lives in Raleigh, NC with her spouse (Hunter), their two dogs (Pepper and Harley), and gecko (Henry). When she's not buried beneath academic journals, she enjoys reading, knitting, and playing video games.

Tuition: 335

Course: Ever wonder where those veggies you eat at dinner come from? What about the flowers in that vase on your kitchen table? Join us for a week of hands-on activities and outdoor exploration as we plant vegetables and flowers and learn all about plant science!

Instructor: Shannon Neu joined the CFS Summer Programs staff in 2021 and is excited to be back for another fun summer! She earned her Bachelor of Music in Music Education from UNC-Greensboro in 2016 and has been a music teacher in the Wake County Public School System ever since. For fun, Shannon plays the oboe in the Raleigh Civic Symphony Orchestra and enjoys reading, hiking, gardening, and cooking. She lives in Raleigh with her husband (Logan), her two cats (Jasper and Ruby), and a lot of plants.

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week Two / June 27-July 1, Cyrise Davis
Week Three / July 4-8, Carly Campbell
Week Six / July 25-29, Cyrise Davis

Tuition: 335

Course: Celebrate your love of all things Harry Potter as you create themed crafts, play wizard games, and whip up tasty snacks. During camp you will be sorted into a house so that you can mix and mingle with Gryffindors, Slytherins, Hufflepuffs, and Ravenclaws. Then, you'll spend your time immersing yourself into the world of Harry by making memorabilia and creating memories that you can enjoy for years to come. Activities include creating your own wand, making "potions," and enjoying playing the game of Quidditch!

Note: Previous knowledge of the Harry Potter series is helpful when participating in this course.

Instructor: Cyrise Davis holds a B.A. in Art Education K-12 and a B.S. in Commercial Art and Photography. In addition to her freelance photography, she worked for 10 years as an art and photography teacher at The Hawbridge School in Saxapahaw, as a site coordinator and lead teacher for a middle school after-hours program, and as a YMCA summer camp counselor.

For eight years, Cyrise served the CFS family as the Extended Day (AfterHours) Director, substitute teacher, and Summer Programs instructor. Cyrise employs her child-centered style of teaching (and passion for art, engineering, and science) to help CFS summer students and Lower and Middle Schoolers learn to explore and create.

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week Two / June 27-July 1
Week Six / July 25-29

Abby teaches Improv 201 in Week 7! 

Tuition: 335

Course: Love acting? Love comedy? Sign up for Improv 101 to learn the basics of improvisational theatre! Throughout the week, students will learn improv games, character development, and other acting techniques, and will apply those skills in an improv show on Friday. Campers will also learn skills such as team-building and trusting one’s scene partner that can be applied on or off stage. Register for Improv 101 to become a better performer, make friends, and make people laugh! No experience necessary.

Instructor: Abby Kameny has been involved in Carolina Friends School Summer Programs for 18 years. She started out as a camper, served as a Counselor-In-Training, was hired to work in the Extended Day program, and then became an instructor! She received her B.A. in Linguistics from the University of Maryland, took a gap year to teach English in Spain, and is now back at UMD for her Master’s in teaching English to speakers of other languages. She has also been involved in theatre, improv, and singing throughout high school and college.

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 Three / July 4-8
Week Six / July 25-29

Tuition: 335

Course Description: Discover the magic behind your favorite songs! In this course students will look at the structure of famous songs and learn how to craft songs on their own. We will explore song structure and the techniques of the various instruments used to create the mood, with skill levels ranging from beginner to advanced. Students will experience the joy of creative expression through guitar, ukulele, or other instruments and share their work with a performance on the last day.

All skill levels are welcome: beginning, intermediate, and advanced.

Instructor: Leites Chiong has been playing guitar for almost 30 years and teaching guitar for over a decade, with stints in various bands along the way. He's a father of four, including two children at CFS.

Leites teaches all styles of music for acoustic and electric guitar, as well as bass guitar and Ukulele (including in CFS’ after-school music program for children AND adults). He helps beginner through advanced students learn how to play and how to write songs. Leites enjoys working with children and seeing the love of music grow within them.

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week One / June 20-24, Jochen Wachter (European Handball)
Week Two / June 27-July 1, Tony Arias Sorto
Week Three / July 4-8, Tony Arias Sorto
Week Four / July 11-15, Tony Arias Sorto
Week Five / July 18-22, Achiri Acha
Week Six / July 25-29, Will Anderson, AM; Jochen Wachter, PM (Soccer)
Week Seven / Aug 1-5, Jochen Wachter (Soccer)
Week Eight / Aug 8-12, instructor pending

Tuition: 335

Course: This week's camp will be focused on improving Soccer skills for the low to medium experienced player. We'll be working on technical skills improvement through drills, rondos, and scrimmaging while having lots of fun. We'll also focus on teamwork and the excitement that playing Soccer brings. We will utilize our two large outdoor sports fields as well as our air-conditioned indoor gym facilities. The great Pele reminds that Soccer is "The Beautiful Game." Let's play Soccer!

Instructor (PM): 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.

Instructor (AM): Will Anderson is a Carolina Friends alum and the current Middle School Boys Soccer Head Coach. He has been coaching at CFS for five seasons and coached soccer for Chapel Hill United this past Spring season. His two sons attend CFS (Middle School and Upper School) and both play for the Soccer teams. In addition, Will has been an active volunteer coach within the Orange County Community for well over 20+ years. He is a certified ICA, AIC, and CIC Soccer Coach through the NFHS. He is in the process of obtaining his D coaching license from the USSF and is American Red Cross AED/CPR Certified.

Tuition: 335

Course: Do you love puzzles? We’ll work together to solve all sorts of fun puzzles: jigsaw puzzles, logic puzzles, spatial puzzles, escape room puzzles, and beyond. Ever heard of the famous stomachion puzzle developed by Archimedes? You’ll be a master of it by the end of this week! If you’re up for the challenge, you can even create your very own original puzzle. Come have fun with us, solve some puzzles, and make some new friends along the way!

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!

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week Two / June 27-July 1
Week Four / July 11-14
Week Six / July 25-29, Tony Arias Sorto

Tuition: 335

Course Description: Here's a chance to build up your wilderness survival skills! Learn how to (safely) build and cook over a campfire, put up a tent or build a shelter, recognize local trees, plants, and animals. We’ll develop an understanding of intense survival situations and how to get out of them. And put our abilities to the test. For the hardy, the adventurous, the nature lover, and the fun-seeker. Prepare to get wet!

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 an assistant teacher in the CFS Lower School. Tony earned his A.A. in Education, his B.A. in English, 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.

Tuition: 335

Course: Join us for a weeklong celebration and exploration of queer identities, communities, joy, resilience, resistance, and creativity. Make some new friends and invite the ones you already have to enjoy LGBTQIA+ fashion, visual and performing arts, pride cookies, games and activities, swimming and nature walks, talking circles, guest speakers, and a field trip.🌈

Instructor: Rinah Rachel Galper is the founder and director of Our Sacred Circles and the sole proprietor of Joyoushout, working for change at the intersection of justice, creativity, healing, and spirituality. Throughout the year, Rinah supports youth and adult change makers with enrichment programs, gatherings, JEDI consulting and professional development, and broad spectrum life coaching. She is a licensed teacher, expressive artist, clergy members, activist, group facilitator, nature guide, and healing practitioner. Rinah has been providing summer camp adventures at CFS and throughout the Triangle since 2006 to nurture young people’s love and need for magic, mystery, mindfulness, creativity, connection, confidence, and joy.

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week Four / July 11-15 (ages 7-10)
Week Six / July 25-29 (ages 11-16)
Week Nine / Aug 15-19 (ages 7-10 & 11-16)

Tuition: 335

Course: It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a... Frisbee! Ultimate Frisbee is one of the fastest growing youth sports in the US, and we want to teach you how to play! Ultimate combines the continuous play of soccer, the end-zones of football, and the pivoting of basketball all with a frisbee to create a fast-paced, exciting game! This camp will teach the fundamentals of the sport, going over different types of throws and the basic strategies of offense and defense. Participants will learn about Spirit of the Game, a fundamental part of Ultimate that focuses on sportsmanship and respect for all players. Each camper will receive an Ultimate Frisbee disc with registration!

About Triangle Ultimate: Triangle Ultimate is a local nonprofit whose mission is to collaboratively build a community emphasizing accessibility, relationships, and engagement through learning, playing, and teaching the sport of Ultimate in the Triangle region of North Carolina. Triangle Ultimate is excited to strengthen our relationship with the Carolina Friends School community through great summer camp experiences. The camp will be led by some of the top leaders in the Triangle's Ultimate Frisbee community!

Tuition: 335

Course: Narratives! They move the soul and exist in all walks of life. Often the joy of narratives is lost in the trees of a normal educational career. In this workshop we'll approach the study of narrative from a new direction: Japanese Animation. Using Anime we will explore learning objectives from the North Carolina Grade 9-10 English Language Arts curriculum. Class activities will include watching anime, writing analysis, discussion, graphic and chart creation, and educational games. Some of the materials will be Rated TV-14 in the US and we will be following a high school level curriculum, however, the content will still be accessible for students under this age.

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.