Week 3: July 5 - 9

Tuition: 345

Course: The warm weather provides opportunities for ice and water play, sun art, observations about the seasons and make-believe summer adventures. See how long it takes for different sized and shaped ice to melt, use water to paint the ground, watch shadows, and use them to trace and draw. This camp will celebrate all things sun and summer (even if it rains!).

Instructor: Marit Nelson (she/her) grew up in Maine, but has lived in Chapel Hill since 2002. She graduated from UNC Chapel Hill in 2012 with a B.A. in Elementary Education and worked at the Chapel Hill Early School as the Extended Day Teacher in 2015 and 2016 until the birth of her daughter. She is now enjoying being a parent of a CFS early schooler! She is excited to get a chance to step back into the classroom this summer. When she’s not hanging out at CFS Summer Programs she works as a hairdresser, and spends time with her little family and two very old dogs.

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week Three / July 5-9
Week Six / July 26-30

Tuition: 350

Course: Prepare to enter a world of endless creativity and exploration. For nearly a decade Minecraft has soared in popularity across the world and has developed a massive fan base with both children and adults, including at CFS Summer Programs. In this offering, younger students will be introduced to the limitless artistic and creative possibilities that Minecraft has to offer.

Starting with an introduction in the basics of the platform, every student will be granted the opportunity to learn, grow, and create at their own pace. Beginning with things such as a simple brick house and working their way upwards and outwards to build and show off their own personal masterpieces.

We will be using Minecraft: Education Edition on Chromebooks. We’ll also spend time away from screens with other indoor and outdoor activities.

Instructor: Marshall Wilfong was born and raised in Durham. An Eagle Scout from Troop 400, he’s been volunteering and working as a summer camp counselor since the age of 12. When he was 15 he got his first job as a merit badge counselor at Camp Raven Knob instructing First Aid, Search and Rescue, Safety, Camping, and Wilderness Survival. His time in the Scouts gave him a massive amount of respect for the outdoors as well as for the youth he instructs. Marshall has also been an after-school counselor at the Orange County Sportsplex and Aldersgate UMC.

He now works as the Extended Day Teacher for the Carolina Friends Middle School as well as a substitute for the Middle and Upper Schools.

Tuition: 320

Course: We root for them and we love them with all our hearts. Live your Disney Hero fantasy through this fun and interactive class! Learn the songs of heroes like Mulan, Hercules, Rapunzel, Ariel, Aladdin, Elsa, and many more! Students will also create their very own Disney Hero! Travel to Fantasyland with your friends and live your Disney dreams with this fun class! 

(This camp pairs nicely with Week 9's Disney Villain Workshop!)

Instructor: Jesse Farmer is a recent Musical Theatre graduate from William Peace University. He has performed in many theatrical productions around the Raleigh area and he has a great passion for singing, dancing, acting, and music! Jesse is very excited to share his passion with young artists at Carolina Friends! He loves to collaborate, have fun, and make discoveries through theatre and storytelling. 

Tuition: 320

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.

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week One / June 21-25
Week Three / July 5-9

Tuition: 320

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 daughter, and their friendly food-crazy labrador, Fogo :0)

Tuition: 335

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).

Instructor: Tom Latimer has been running camps at CFS for 13 years. He has been teaching for 23 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, watching sports (mainly the Tar Heels and the New York Jets), collecting vinyl records, and working with kids.

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week Three / July 5-9
Week Five / July 19-23

Tuition: 320

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.

Seven years ago Cyrise joined the CFS family as the Extended Day (AfterHours) Director, substitute teacher, and Summer Programs instructor. Currently, Cyrise is the CFS art teacher for Fountain class (3rd and 4th years) while working with teachers and students throughout the school day. 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.

Course: Come relax and draw ANIMALS with me! I will be using the Monart method to teach students with step-by-step instruction: giving enough structure to ensure success and enough freedom for independent creativity. In a nurturing, peaceful environment students will learn that there is no right or wrong way to draw and that “the magic is in the coloring.” In this class, we will increase our skills as an artist by creating animal masterpieces using markers and watercolors.

Instructor: Polly Clark grew up in California and then traveled cross-country to Connecticut College, where she got her B.A. in English. Following that, she got her M.A. in Counseling Psychology at Santa Clara University, but after 9/11, reevaluated her career goals and decided to pursue what she had always wanted to do, which was TEACH! She earned her teaching credential and then taught for 14 years as a third grade teacher at Jensen Elementary School in Castro Valley, California.

In 2018, with her three kids starting their own journeys into adulthood, Polly and her husband, Kevin, decided to leave the increasingly frenetic pace of the Bay Area and move to beautiful Chapel Hill. She taught 4th grade for one year at Carrboro Elementary School and has taught the past two years at Carolina Friends School Middle School where she’s also an advisor. She loves teaching at CFS for many reasons; one of which is she is able to pursue her passion for drawing and painting by teaching art electives during the school year, and art camps in the summer!

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week Three / July 5-9
Week Five / July 19-23

Tuition: 320

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 12 years, starting in Campus Early School and is now rising to 11th 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. 

Jon Lepofsky is a current CFS parent and former CFS staff member. He has been an educator for over 20 years, including time as a CFS Summer Programs instructor. He also founded and served as the Academic Director of the Duke Neuro Camp through Duke University’s Youth Programs. Jon has a Ph.D. in Geography from UNC, where he now teaches. Originally from the Boston area, Jon enjoys cheering on the Red Sox (as well as his adopted Durham Bulls), spending time with his kids while driving them to Pokémon competitions, and reading. Jon has co-led the Pokémon class in CFS’ Summer Programs since its inception in 2019.

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week Two / June 28-July 2
Week Three / July 5-9

Karen also offers Muffin Tin Magic Week 5 (July 19-23).

Tuition: 335

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 21-25
Week Two / June 28-July 2
Week Three / July 5-9 (Advanced)
Week Four / July 12-16
Week Five / July 19-23
Week Six / July 26-30
Week Seven / August 2-6 (Advanced)

Tuition: 320

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.

Tuition: 320

Course: In this course we will be turning lumps of clay into fantastic and functional forms- wall plaques, vessels and so much more. We’ll spend the week learning basics of handbuilding as we get creative, play games and work hard to bring our visions to life. At week’s end we’ll glaze and fire our creations. There’s a lot to learn about working with clay, so make the most of our time student work will need to be picked up the following week to accommodate the firing process. All skill levels are welcome, come with your minds open and be ready to get your hands (and clothes) dirty!

Instructor: A CFS alum and Durham native, Jack Crowley (he/him/his) is an educator, activist, and working artist currently pursuing his degree in Art Education. After studying at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Jack has lived throughout the US, where he has worked variously as an educator, community organizer, and disability advocate. Besides his studio sculpture and drawing practice, Jack is also an avid athlete and adventurer, hoping to help bring creativity, vision, and fun to the CFS summer program.

Tuition: 320

Course: Here's a secret: I got my start in filmmaking by making music videos when I was back in high school. Thank goodness none of those videos have survived, but what has is the joy, laughter, and liberation my friends and I felt back then. Learning to play with light, camera movement, visual symbolism, transitions, and really cool lyrics. How does music make you feel? What do you see? This stuff is crazy fun when we let it be. Let’s see what magic you can create in one week with your own polished music video! Who knows, it could be the start of your film career, too!

Instructor: Ahmed F. Selim joined the CFS Upper School as Language Arts and Film Teacher in 2017, but taught previously with the School as a guest teacher and led the first Summer Programs Film Studio. He is an Egyptian-American educator and filmmaker now based in North Carolina.

Before his return to the Triangle, Ahmed spent 15 years teaching and filming in the Middle East. He has a keen interest in using documentary projects to bridge the East-West divide by using film to “turn conflict into discovery.” To that aim, he founded FiLMS for World Peace, where he partners with nonprofits, educational institutions, and social justice activists to empower the will for change. Ahmed has also taught courses at the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University.

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week One / June 21-25, Adam B
Week Two / June 28-July 2, Achiri Acha
Week Three / July 5-9, Achiri Acha
Week Four / July 12-16, Adam B
Week Five / July 19-23, Adam B
Week Six / July 26-30, Tony Arias Sorto
Week Eight / August 16-21, Tony Arias Sorto

Tuition: 320

Course: Can’t get enough of sports? We totally understand. Some of our students take sports all summer. So we get it. We introduce basic rules, strategy, and techniques of basketball, soccer, and some indoor gym games (as well as Capture the Flag!) for the fun of playing. We focus on technique, skill development, and team building. All activities take place on our outdoor playing fields (using cooler morning temperatures) and in our two air-conditioned gym facilities. Sports experience is absolutely not necessary. Our goal is for you to learn how to play so you’ll feel comfortable knowing the rules, understanding the strategy, and practicing good teamwork. We don’t stress competition. We're here to help you improve your game and have fun.

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.