Week 4: July 6-10

Tuition: 430

Course: Cryptids are interesting creatures that may or may not exist, like Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, fairies, and more! We will spend this week reading about these creatures and making crafts inspired by them. We may even make some cryptid discoveries of our own!

This camp takes place at Campus Early School, 4809 Friends School Rd, Durham, NC 27715. 

Instructor:  Adelaide Zahren is the 5/6 Campus Early School teacher at CFS and has taught in Early Childhood for over 14 years.  Adelaide received her undergraduate degree, teacher’s license, and Masters in Education from UNC Chapel Hill.  Adelaide is an avid hiker who loves teaching children about the wonders of nature!  When not teaching, Adelaide can be found exploring the Eno River with her two children and one enormous dog.

Tuition: 395

Course: In this camp, we will read a variety of meaningful and engaging stories, bringing them to life through hands-on activities and real world connections. Campers will explore the wonderful world of books by talking about characters and big ideas, and by making connections to their own lives. Through creative art projects, crafts, movement, and play inspired by the stories we read, campers will deepen their understanding while expressing their creativity and having fun. This camp encourages imagination and developing a love of reading in a fun environment.

Instructor: Elyse Cole is a student at the University of Ottawa in Canada! She is studying psychology with a focus in child development. This will be Elyse’s 6th summer working at Carolina Friends School summer programs. She started as a CIT, then became an intern, and is excited to be an instructor this summer! Elyse grew up going to CFS summer camp and was inspired by the variety of camps opening up doors to new passions every summer! She rows for her university, but when she's not practicing or studying, she loves to crochet, read, paint, run, go to the gym, and craft. Elyse has been a swim instructor, nanny, soccer and volleyball coach, and her love and passion for working with kids has grown so much through her time at CFS. 

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week Two / June 22-26, Adelaide
Week Three / June 29-July 3, Shannon
Week Four / July 6-10, Natanaele
Week Five / July 13-17, Cheryl
Week Six / July 20-24, Adelaide 
Week Seven / July 27-31, Natanaele

Tuition: 395

Course: LEGO camp is just around “the block!” We will have a fun-filled week of building with our extensive LEGO sets. Students are invited to create structures, vehicles, animals, cities, and fantastical scenes while they explore the fundamental principles of engineering! New sets appear each year–from Minecraft and Ninjago to Star Wars and the LEGO movie. Come dive into thousands of LEGO blocks and see where the adventure takes us! 

Instructor: Natanaele served as an Extended Day teacher in our Campus Early School program. He brings a calm, thoughtful presence to his projects and to the people he works with. He focuses on being present, listening, and encouraging curiosity, reflection, and confidence in a gentle, supportive way. 

Natanaele is a multimedia producer and visual creator from Switzerland, now living in Durham, North Carolina. He studied multimedia production at the University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons. His work includes film, photography, and digital design. He values simplicity, care, and thoughtfulness in his work. He enjoys supporting learning through creativity and time spent in nature, helping others explore and enjoy everyday moments.

Tuition: 395

Course: Come and learn about the magical world of fairies! We’ll learn about fairies and make our own fairy gardens, wands, and fairy trinkets to welcome our enchanted friends! Create special treats, potions, and crafts to add to our fairy collection. Enjoy tea parties in the fairy garden and read stories about fairies and their garden friends!

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.

Tuition: 395

Course: Dive into the SUPER world of heroes and villains as you create your own original superhero-inspired character. Together, we’ll use improvisation, games, and guided explorations to combine these new characters into a short original play to share with friends and family.

Instructor: Blair (she/her) is a theatre-maker and teaching artist who is thrilled to share her love of theatre and art with CFS this summer! She holds a B.A. in theatre from Wofford College and an M.F.A. in directing from Boston University. Blair is originally from Charleston, South Carolina, where she was the co-founding Artistic Director of the theatre company 5th Wall Productions. She’s taught theatre to students of all ages at Lexington Children's Theatre, Spartanburg Youth Theatre, Boston University, Duke University, and–currently–McDougle Middle School in Carrboro. 

When she’s not making or teaching theatre, you can find Blair cuddling with her dogs Moe and Dottie, hiking, baking cupcakes, or struggling through beginner crochet projects.

This course is offered in multiple weeks:

Week Three / June 29-July 3
Week Four / July 6-10
Week Six / July 20 - 24

Tuition: 395

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. 

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: Creating tiny urban gardens as a child and crewing on the Hudson River educational sloop Clearwater as a teenager planted seeds of love and caring for nature which led to helping start and serve on river basin, conservation and urban agriculture organizations, an urban community and foodbank garden, and a native plant conservation garden. A long-time educator from pre-K to college and adult, Susanna McIlwaine has a graduate degree in environmental conflict and decision-making and worked with communities and NGOs in the US and Europe. She has worked with practical applications of natural systems in sewage treatment. A Virginia Master Naturalist, Susanna is working on her NC environmental education professional certification and joining my local Master Naturalist program. She is deeply appreciative of the opportunity to serve as a substitute and Extended Day/Learning teacher at CFS. Teaching children is a deep calling at this time of her life.

Tuition: 395

Course: Chain Reaction Creators helps bring imaginative engineering to life! Campers use everyday materials—ramps, marbles, pulleys, dominoes, and more—to invent whimsical Rube Goldberg machines that perform simple tasks in the most over-the-top ways possible. They’ll experiment with cause-and-effect, test ideas, troubleshoot problems, and celebrate when everything finally works. Campers can build individual machines or even connect their creations into one giant chain reaction. It’s hands-on building, creative engineering, and satisfying chain reactions—all rolled into one!

Instructor: Elizabeth, or Liz (she/her), is a third grade teacher at Lyons Farm Elementary in Durham. She teaches all subjects, and is proud to be identified as a highly qualified beginning teacher from the state of North Carolina, a Teaching Fellow, and a graduate of NCSU. Liz joined CFS summer programs last year, after being referred by her Aunt Julia (who just so happens to be the Upper School librarian here at CFS!). Her teaching philosophy focuses on embracing students’ individuality and fostering authentic growth, mainly through encouraging her students’ creative minds. 

In her free time, Liz enjoys playing games with her family, cuddling with her cat Squirrel, reading, doing pilates, watching theatre productions, and spending time with loved ones. She is also a published author, having authorship on conference papers and research papers on science education.

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week Four / July 6-10, ages 7-12 AND ages 11-16
Week Six / July 20-24, ages 7-12 AND ages 11-16
Week Eight / Aug 3-7, ages 7-12 AND ages 11-16

Tuition: 395

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!

Instructor: 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! 

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week Four / July 6-10
Week Six / July 20-24

Tuition: 410 

Course: Time to make your dinner experience complete! Join us as we learn how to make delicious cookies that will become lifelong favorites! We’ll get into the kitchen and start with some simple recipes, then do some research to find more unusual or enticing ones, then put on our aprons, get out the oven mitts, locate the mixing bowls, and get started. YUMMMMM! Students are asked to wear full foot coverings (so, no sandals or flip-flops).

Certain dietary restrictions and allergies may not be able to be accommodated in this particular camp. If you have questions about possible accommodation possibilities, please feel free to email extendedLearning@cfsnc.org before signing up.

Instructor: Tom Latimer has been running camps at CFS for 17 years. He has been teaching for 30 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.

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Weeks One and Two/ June 15-26
Weeks Three and Four / June 29-July 10

Please register under the Summer Programs Week Three drop-down in your CampInTouch account.

Tuition: 780 (covering both weeks)

Course: The spotlight is on you! Calling all actors to help put on a play! In this two-week theater camp we will write and stage an original play. In the first week we will develop acting skills, play theater games, do warm-ups, and practice vocal and movement exercises. We will also create characters and write our play. In the second week, we will design props, sets, costumes, and make-up, all while perfecting our roles. Then we will invite family, friends, and other campers to attend a special performance on Thursday evening and Friday morning.

Instructor: Susan Kincaid began teaching at CFS Summer Programs in 1992! Besides being a writer, playwright, and actress, Susan headed the theater program in the Upper School at Carolina Friends for twenty years, directing and producing plays two times a year. In the fall of 2023, she had the pleasure of directing the Upper School production of “Radium Girls.” Collaborating with younger students as well over the years has been a real joy for Susan.  She is eager to meet a new generation of young artists this summer.

Tuition: 425

Course: Codemoji’s Code It program’s mission is simple: teach students to enjoy all things related to coding and the web while building problem-solving and creative thinking skills. Our teachers deliver clear and entertaining instruction to ensure students have fun while learning complex coding skills using emojis that represent HTML text, which lowers the barriers to new coders and increases their excitement and understanding of computer science. Students build animations, websites, and games; explore multiple coding languages; program robots; create STEM-based projects both on and offline, and are encouraged to share their projects when they get home. 

Instructor: Codemoji's computer science curriculum for schools allows first-eighth grade students to learn the basics of web development and coding, including HTML, CSS, and Javascript, in a fun and easy way, allowing them to create their own websites, animations and much more with our unique and adaptable learning platform.  Learn more about Codemoji here. 

Tuition: 395

Course: If being outside or running around isn’t quite your vibe, come be cozy for the summer! We’ll learn how to finger knit and weave on cardboard looms, read books, complete puzzles, write stories, create art, and more. We’ll craft together and complete guided projects. You’ll also have unstructured time each day to create on your own, and just chill. Imagine warm lighting, afternoon tea, and lowkey time spent with friends doing some of your favorite crafty activities.

Instructor: Husnaa (she/her) is an Upper School social studies teacher at Carolina Friends School excited to cultivate camper creative expression this summer. She received her B.A. in Africana Studies with a creative writing minor and her M.S.Ed. in Secondary Education from the University of Pennsylvania. Husnaa has extensive experience facilitating poetry workshops for all ages in third spaces. A Philadelphia Youth Poet Laureate (2017-2018), she is the author of the chapbook Honey Sequence (The Head & The Hand, 2018). Husnaa is proud of her West Philadelphia roots. She enjoys writing poetry, crafting (knitting, sewing, collaging), running, cooking, and building community.

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week Four / July 7-11
Week Seven / July 28-August 1

Tuition: 395

Course: Beginners and experienced musicians alike will learn the fundamentals of writing lyrics and melodies. We will explore songwriting using guitar, bass, ukulele, keys, percussion, and/or electronic music to make original songs as individuals or in a collaboration with other campers. We will explore your favorite songs to see how they were written. You will have the opportunity to perform your original works on the last day of camp! 

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 three children at Carolina Friends. 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 from CFS or anywhere else). He helps beginners 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.

Tuition: 410

Course: Ever wanted to learn how to write your name in frosting, dust cakes with chocolate powder patterns, create meringues, use fondant, create fancy cupcakes, 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, as well as a container to bring home your creations each day.

Certain dietary restrictions and allergies may not be able to be accommodated in this particular camp. If you have questions about possible accommodation possibilities, please feel free to email extendedLearning@cfsnc.org before signing up.

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 a crazy dog named Ralphie that keeps her active. In her spare time (yeah, right) she enjoys playing the flute, reading mysteries, exercising, and doing puzzles.

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week Four / July 6-10, ages 7-12 AND ages 11-16
Week Six / July 20-24, ages 7-12 AND ages 11-16
Week Eight / Aug 3-7, ages 7-12 AND ages 11-16

Tuition: 395

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!

Instructor: 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! 

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week One / June 15-19, Tracy Schledorn
Week Two / June 22-26, Kate Pendergrass
Week Four / July 6-10, Kate Pendergrass

Tuition: 395

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 in CFS Summer Programs this year or next, this course is a prerequisite. If you are interested in being an Intern, this course is recommended.  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: Kate Pendergrass joined the CFS Middle School staff in 2009. She has a B.A. in Middle Grades Education with concentrations in math and social studies from Elon University, and a Masters Degree in Math Education from UNC-CH. Kate teaches a range of math classes as well as an Identity class in the Middle School. She is actively engaged in work on diversity and inclusion, including as co-clerk of the staff Diversity and Inclusivity Committee and as Diversity Coordinator in the Middle School.

Tuition: 395

Course: Calling young crafters to join us in a beginner-friendly crochet course where we’ll learn stitches and work our way up to making simple, fun projects! Perfect for the camper who loves adding color to their life by creating cute accessories. Sit back, relax, and create with us.

Instructor: Dan Hill is an early school support teacher at CFS who holds a B.A. in mathematics as well as a B.A. in creative writing. They have worked in education as a tutor in various subjects for learners ages 4-35, taught high school math, and now have found a calling for working in early education. 

They spend their free time crocheting, reading, and making spreadsheets for fun!

Tuition: 395

Course: Did you know that math can improve your card game skills? In this camp we will work on key skills with an emphasis on statistical analysis to improve our abilities at the popular card game "Magic the Gathering." We will learn why and how math is important in card games, formulas that will help us succeed, how to use online calculators and tools to assist us, and, of course, we’ll play lots and lots of Magic.

Students are free to bring their own cards but do so at their own risk! We will provide physical cards and use electronic tools to simulate card games as well. We won't limit ourselves just to Magic either; in this course we will also learn to apply our math skills to a broad range of standard 52-card deck games such as Texas Hold 'em. Get ready for a week of learning, collaboration, and intense competition!

Instructor: Achiri Acha has been at Carolina Friends School 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 eight 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.