Week 7: July 29-August 2

Tuition: 395

Course: There is an unlimited amount of beauty in nature. Explore multiple art mediums while using the physical world as inspiration. We'll create leaf rubbings, collages, nature drawings, and more. Each day will bring a new nature-inspired art project. We'll spend lots of time outdoors this week! We will learn about nature not only through art but also through books by authors like Eric Carle.

Instructor: Maggie moved to North Carolina in 2022 after 13 years in Pittsburgh, PA. Before Pittsburgh Maggie grew up in Los Angeles, and as a result she loves the beach, In N Out, and the Dodgers (though her time in Pittsburgh have also made her a Pirates and Steelers fan!). She earned her Masters degree in Elementary Education from the University of Pittsburgh after serving for 5 years as a Senior Program Director at a Boys and Girls Club. She has been an educator since 2012, teaching in multiple settings and populations, including independent day schools, after-school programs, summer camps, and public schools. In her free time Maggie loves traveling, yoga, hiking, and cuddling with her cat Penny on the porch, while listening to a good podcast. 

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week Three / July 1-5
Week Seven / July 29- August 2

Tuition: 365

Course: If you’ve got a crafty camper, then you should join us for Campy Crafts! In this camp, we will  learn how to make bracelets, tie dye, draw self portraits, and more! Join us as we find connection through art and nature. 

Instructor: Dan Hill is an early school support teacher at CFS who holds a B.S. 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, learning about skin care, and making spreadsheets for fun.

Tuition: 365

Course: Are you a Disney fan? Do you love being creative? Well, lets combine the two for a week of super fun Disney-themed crafts. Each day we’ll focus on a movie and work on a craft to go with it. Classic Disney, Pixar, Disney World…let’s get magical!

Instructor: Jenna Carlson joined CFS this school year as a Fountain Purple teacher. During the school year, she loves working with the 3rd and 4th years. But in the summer, she is a crafter extraordinaire! Jewelry making, cricut projects, coloring…you name it. She also loves all things Disney and Star Wars. If you’re looking for a fun, laid back camp where you can express yourself in different ways, then these camps are just for you!

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week Two / June 22-26
Week Six / July 22-26
Week Seven / July 29 - August 2

Tuition: 365

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 organizations, 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)

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week One / June 17-21, Shannon Neu
Week Two / June 24-28, Jenna Carlson
Week Four / July 8-12, Cheryl Meyer
Week Five / July 15019, Shannon Neu
Week Six / July 22-26, Cheryl Meyer
Week Seven / July 28-Aug 2, Sarah Woody

Tuition: 365

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: Sarah Woody joins us from Grady Brown Elementary in Hillsborough. Where she was named Beginning Teacher of the Year for the 2023-2024 school year in Orange County. She loves all things history and STEAM-related and loves to talk about all the cool places to visit in North Carolina. When she's not teaching 4th graders she is watching movies, hanging out with her two dogs and husband, or playing card games with her family.

Tuition: 365

Course: This course is designed only for students who will enter CFS Lower School this fall. Let’s spend some easy days together reading great books, working on art activities, and also spending plenty of time outdoors enjoying free choice games and activities. Our books will inspire our projects. We may find ourselves working on origami, building castles, and writing stories together. It will be a fun and instructive week to enjoy some great literature along with good summer fun. For those campers who are about to enter CFS as students, this is an excellent opportunity to get acquainted with the environment as we help you "slide in."

Instructor: CFS Lower School Teacher Adrienne Flippin was born in Greensboro, North Carolina and raised in the New Garden Friends Meeting community. She earned her undergraduate degree in Literature from UNC-Asheville and her Masters of Arts in Elementary Education from UNC-Greensboro. 
She spent many summers working as a camp counselor, and later on as a camp director, at New Garden Friends School. While living in Asheville, Adrienne served as an AmeriCorps VISTA with Asheville City Schools Foundation. She enjoys teaching through the lenses of experiential education and social-emotional learning. In her spare time, Adrienne likes reading, writing, hiking, and cuddling with her four sweet pets.

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week One / June 17-21, Markeith Gary
Week Two / June 24-28, Emmanuel Oquaye
Week Three / July 1-5, Emmanuel Oquaye
Week Six / July 22-26, Markeith Gary
Week Seven / July 28-Aug 2, Robinson Earle

Tuition: 365

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: Robinson Earle is primarily a guitar teacher. He writes his own music and leads a Post-Folk trio called The River Otters. In his free time, he likes to frolic through the woods with his wife, Sara Belle, their two daughters, Lyra Belle and Maizy Lee. He also enjoys playing sports, watching movies, and reading. 

Tuition: 365

Course: Want to have fun with fashion this summer? In this camp we will be learning all sorts of ways to manipulate fabric, through sewing, draping, embroidery, appliqué, and more! Campers will have the opportunity to use fabric glue, hand sew, and machine sew. Who know? We might even hit the runway!

Instructor: Meridy Nicholson is a CFS alumni and currently earning her Bachelor’s Degree at Otis College of Art and Design in Fashion Design. She is passionate about outdoor education, working at nature camp for the past two summers. She loves to be creative and explore new ways to make art, whether that is through painting, digital art, or fashion design. In her free time, Meridy loves to go on hikes, cook, draw, listen to music, and spend time with family and friends.

Tuition: 365

Course: Come for a fun filled week of frolicking in the woods! In this camp you’ll learn to connect to nature through play! Expect to get down in the brush off trail as you try to blend into the forest. Learn about bird language and become an animal yourself using your imagination. Play in the mud and bring trees to life! Help your friends find their way home out of the woods. Take a break and cool yourself in the brook! If you’re looking to incorporate the natural world into playtime this is the camp for you! 

Be sure to dress for some outdoor adventure and prepare to get dirty and wet. Some bug spray is also recommended! 

Instructor: Ari Nicholson (they/them/theirs) is a CFS graduate and lover of nature, science, culture, and activism. They earned their undergraduate degree from Clark University in Social & Environmental Justice and their graduate degree in Geographical Information Science. They have led backpacking trips in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and the Adirondack Mountains. They are a certified Wilderness First Responder with a passion for teaching survival and nature skills. Most recently they were working for the Augsburg University Center for Global Education and Experience with study abroad students in Cuernavaca, Mexico. In their free time, they love to hike, climb, cook, learn, and play ultimate frisbee. 

Tuition: 365

Course: Are you ready to take the stage?! Over the course of just one week, we will prepare a full performance of a short scripted play. As we rehearse, you’ll explore script analysis, character-building, and how to use your body, voice, and imagination to bring our play to life. You will also venture into the basics of scenic and costume design as we work together to create the world of the play, which will be shared with friends, family, and fellow campers.

Instructor: Blair (she/her) is a theatre-maker and teaching artist who is thrilled to be sharing her love of theatre 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 her beloved dog Moe, hiking, baking cupcakes, or making very lumpy pottery. 

This course is offered in multiple weeks:

Week Four / July 8-12
Week Seven / July 29 - Aug 2

Tuition: 365

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 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 17-21
Week Two / June 24-28
Week Three / July 1-5 (Advanced)
Week Four / July 8-12
Week Five / July 15-19
Week Six / July 22-26
Week Seven / July 29-Aug 2 (Advanced)

Tuition: 365

Course: For our older students, here’s an opportunity to enhance your skills in comic drawing. Led by Jamie Charles who has been teaching Comic Design in CFS Summer Programs for many years, the workshop provides a meeting place for expanding skills and talents. You do NOT have to have taken Comic Design prior to this. This is for those students who want to work a bit intensely on their creations. Share your techniques, exchange tips, learn new skills, collaborate with a partner, and learn from the community.

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 Five / July 15-19, ages 7-11
Week Six / July 22-26, ages 10-15
Week Seven / July 29 - Aug 2, ages 10-15
Week Eight / Aug 5-9, ages 7-10
Week Eight / Aug 5-9, ages 11-15

Tuition: 365

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 Two / June 24-28, ages 7-11
Week Four / July 8-12, ages 7-11
Week Seven / July 29 - Aug 2, ages 11-14

Tuition: 365

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: Ben Allison is a Chapel Hill local who works as an Extended Day Coordinator at CFS during the school year. After being on the Summer Programs Leadership Team last summer, he is excited to return as a camp instructor! By May of 2024 he will have graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a major in Human Development and Family Studies, and he is currently intending to become an educator in the state of North Carolina. In his free time he enjoys playing video games, listening to, writing and playing music, and reading. 

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week One / June 17-21
Week Seven / July 29-Aug 2

Tuition: 380

Course: Dreaming of piles of pies and other pastry pockets? You need EASY AS PIE! We’ll make pies of all sorts--sweet, spicy, tart, savory, creamy, baked, and frozen. Any way we slice them, they’ll have our taste buds singing! There’ll be fruit pies with super-flaky pastry…but that’s just the beginning. We’ll also try our hands at making galettes, empanadas, quiche, and more. Get your taste buds ready!

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.

Tuition: 365

Course: Math, mental discipline, and subject knowledge are necessary for success in any card game. In this camp we will work on all three with an emphasis on how we can use statistical analysis to improve our skills 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 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 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. 

Tuition: 365

Course: Do you ever pick up a stick and pretend it's a magic wand? ME TOO! Do you ever wish you could have one of those epic lightsaber battles that you see in movies, but still stay safe and not really hurt anyone or get hurt yourself? ME TOO! Wow! We have so much in common. In this camp, we’ll learn about how actors and stunt people create and perform fights so that they look dangerous while actually being safe (and fun!). 

*hint* it’s all planned out and practiced slowly over and over again until the action is really more of a dance than a fight. Then, you sprinkle in some acting. We will start by learning how to move our bodies, how to move with our campmates, how to safely handle our pretend swords (or whatever fighting tool your imagination invents), and how to act/react so that it looks real. Then, we will create and perform our own staged fights!!!!!!

Hmmm…If you were in a magic wand battle, how would you react to make it look like you were just hit by a petrificus totalus spell? 

Instructor: Aaron Piepmeier has been part of the CFS community for six years (thanks to his awesome kid who is currently in Lower School) and this will be his second year in Summer Programs! He grew up in a theatrical family and spent countless hours singing, dancing, and acting in community theatre productions in Tennessee. While earning a theatre minor in college, Aaron trained to obtain certifications in Stage Combat through Dueling Arts International which led to choreographing and directing fight scenes for many local productions.

When not teaching people how to pretend to fight, Aaron also studied and taught martial arts as a 4th degree black belt in Taekwondo. Currently, he is an Assistant Professor of Exercise Science at Elon University, where he does not allow any fighting in class (fake or real).