Summer Camps - Descriptions
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Theater Arts Camp
Theater and music are inseparable at Aurora School. This year's camp includes the return of Nick, Regina, Alex, Heidi, Jackie, Margy, Katy, and Katie. We welcome back Eve as our music director and newcomer Noel. The tradition continues!
Aurora Theater Arts Camp is proud to present this year's musical adaptation of "The Lion King".
Campers are broken into age groups with age appropriate activities. Older campers help design costumes, build sets and assist in directing younger campers. Children are introduced to a variety of theater activities, including playing instruments, singing, dancing and movement, all in the context of the acting experience. All campers have the opportunity to be in the performance.
As is the tradition of Aurora's Theater Arts Camp, our performance is adapted to be age appropriate and accommodate all attending campers. We accomplish this by simplifying some of the characters' lines, as well as having multiple actors playing the same character. For example, we might have three ? and a whole bunch of animals. These actor changes make the performance and camp so much fun!
A very popular part of camp is our fabulous musical instrument-building with Alex Vittum, which all campers participate in, set and costume design with Regina Gilligan, choreography, acting and singing with Nick and Eve and time for special projects.
Every child will have a role in the play. If a child is not comfortable performing in front of people, we offer behind-the-scenes parts, such as set changers, curtain managers or sound effects specialists.
This camp runs in one-week sessions. Campers must sign up for a minimum of 3 weeks, and must be able to participate in the last two weeks. This brings consistency for all participants and a much better Theater Arts experience for all.
Dates to Remember
Dress Rehearsal:
Wednesday afternoon, July 28, 2010
Main Performance:
Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 7pm.
Half-Day Camps
Discover the Environment Through Writing Poetry and Art
(7-12 years old)
Taught by Noel Musgnung/Sophie Leininger
Children will be introduced to environmental poetry and create natural art pieces. Children will spend a part of their time in the garden area to relax, reflect, and to work with rhyme or written pattern. Children will utilize the outdoors for inspiration for their drawings, watercolors, and all aspects of this fun class culminating in a publication compiled by the students' works.
Broken Tile Mosaics and More!
(7-12 years old)
Taught by Noel Musgnung
Students will learn different techniques of mosaics. Each day will be spent learning and focusing on a different technique and will culminate in creating their own mosaic masterpiece to take home. They will be working with paper and cardboard, cut painted paper, and broken tiles.
Gardening
(5-7 years old and 7-12 years old)
Taught by Olivia Sanders
In this camp, we will learn the many aspects of gardening. We will learn how to prepare raised beds, start seedlings, and how to compost. We will be planting flowers, vegetables, and herbs. We will also learn about the different planting seasons. We will have a great time planning our own small take home gardens. We will also be planning and cooking menus with our homegrown veggies and herbs.
Introduction to Tennis
(5-7 years old and 7-12 years old)
This camp is designed for children with little or no tennis experience, as well as those with a bit more experience. Tennis camp uses modified equipment to work hand-eye coordination, skill development and allows children to succeed at tennis more quickly. We use smaller courts, shorter rackets and a variety of tennis balls. We begin with a foam-type ball, transition to a non-pressurized ball and finish by using a traditional tennis ball. We incorporate drills and work toward a real game situation. This technique of learning tennis fosters fun and success. This camp is not designed for those with more advanced skills.
Silkscreen
(5-7 years old and 7-12 years)
Taught by Sophie Leininger
Campers will tell a story about an imaginary creature while creating a one of a kind silkscreen design. They will discover printing techniques as well as complete basic textile design projects.
Artistic Wall Hanging with a twist!
(5-7 years old and 7-12 years)
Taught by Noel Musgnung/Sophie Leininger
Each day will bring a new technique such as silk painting, tie die, resist, and marbling! Students will learn the basic textile techniques while sewing and creating a small wall hanging quilt!
Time Travel and Time Capsules
(5-7 years old and 7-12 years old)
Taught by Sophie Leininger
What would you want to tell someone far into the future about your life now? If you could time travel, what would you see in the place you are now at a past or future date? Students will engage in mixed-media art technique to represent themselves and their lives to imaginary citizens of the future as well as learn about the past inhabitants of the Oakland Hills.
Aurora Je T'aime!
(5-7 and 7-12 years old)
Taught by Sophie Leininger
Discovering the art, culture, food, and language of France is what this camp is all about. Students will be led through various regions and cultural traditions of France to discover the French language, cuisine, rich history, and art forms as well as cultural songs. All this from the setting of a "Paris Café!" Get out your beret, it's time to party like you live in Paris!
Me Gusta Central America!
(5-7 and 7-12 years old)
Taught by Noel Musgnung
Discovering the art, culture, food, and language of Central America. Students will be led through various countries and cultural traditions of Central America. On their journey they will discover the language, cuisine, rich history, and art forms of Central America, as well as learn about the blending of African and Caribbean cultures.
Mini Musical Theater
(5-7 and 7-12 years old)
Taught by Eve Decker
In this camp, children will create a short play using make believe, musical games, singing, and dancing. Possible themes/stories include the Jungle, 101 Dalmatians, or the Emperor's New Clothes. The week will culminate in a short performance.
Camps with Regina Gilligan
Mosaics
(5-7 and 7-12 years)
In this camp we will learn how to mosaic an object (a flowerpot, picture frame, or something from home). We'll look and learn about Roman and Greek mosaics and make an outdoor ground mosaic with natural materials, collage with paper, fabrics, trinkets, and more...
Need a House, Call Ms. Mouse
(7-12 years old)
In this camp, just like Ms. Mouse in the book, who is an architect, we will design and make the perfect house for an animal friend, an insect, ourselves or some other worldly being.
Art in the Making
(5-7 and 7-12 years)
We will explore drawing and painting using our imagination, from stories we'll read, nature walks we'll take, and while using various media such as pencils, pens, paint, and colored chalks. We will explore techniques from other cultures such as Huichol yarn paintings and Indian kilams (colored flour designs on the ground). We'll also make some games and play them too!
Puppets and other Creatures
(5-7 and 7-12 years)
In this camp we will take a classic story or script, such as Anansi the Spider, Coyote tales, Alice in Wonderland, and create puppets from socks, bamboo & paper, Sculpey and fabric. We'll then put on puppet shows for ourselves and other campers.
Camps with Linda Lemon
3-D Art
(5-7 years old and 7-12 years old)
Campers will use plaster, both as a molding, and as a casting material. We will also make various sculptures out of a treasure trove of "junk"
Fiber Arts
(5-7 years old and 7-12 years old)
This camp will include paper-making and tie dyeing. We will make apple sauce and make art out of the remaining fibers, making books, butterflies and more.
Crafts with a Twist
(5-7 years old and 7-12 years old)
In this camp we will incorporate a variety of fun medias: we'll make Art to Wear - including combining polymer clay (Sculpey III) with traditional jewelry bits & findings to make wearable sculpture. We will create a mixed media t-shirt using dye, fabric paints, fringe, buttons, studs & who knows what else. We'll also make Paper People - mixed media 3-D figures out of paper (handmade & otherwise) and a variety of other materials. With Crazy Candle we'll explore non-traditional techniques of making water balloon, tie-dye & foam candles.
Teaching Engineering to Kids with LEGO TM (TEK with LEGOS)
Green Engineering
(7-12 years old)
Design and build machines powered by alternative energy sources. Race solar cars, build a wind-powered electrical generation facility, enter the human powered vehicle competition and invent a machine powered by stored elastic strain energy.
Junkyard Challenge
(7-12 years old)
Your team will compete in designing and building the fastest, strongest, smallest, largest, lightest, heaviest, most maneuverable and coolest machines and structures to accomplish a variety of tasks. Success in the competition will require campers to build trucks, bridges, elevators, bulldozers, conveyor belts, and other motorized and alternatively powered contraptions that will help them overcome obstacles.
Bash-n-Bots
(7-12 years old)
Create a wrestling robot to compete in a ring. Then re-engineer it to be a battling "bot" and take on another challenge.
Pre-Engineering
(5-7 years old)
Create, play and learn. Build a town, city or star base with houses, tall buildings, pyramids, bridges, tunnels, towers and more. Build motorized cars, trains and trucks; race them, crash them and repair them.
Engineering Fundamentals
(7-12 years old)
Design and build motorized machines, catapults, pyramids, demolition derby cars, truss and suspension bridges, buildings and other constructions. Explore concepts in physics, mechanical engineering and architecture, while playing with your favorite creations. Returning students will work on new projects and challenges.
Camps with Mark Hall
Animation and Film Making
(7-12 years old)
Learn how to use a computer to create stop motion animations and short films. We will study animation and then create our own plot ideas, storyboards, and set designs, so that we can use our creative and technical skills to create animation characters and props using modeling clay and armature wire and making them move using iStopMotion animation creation software. We will also use digital video cameras to capture footage and create a short film using iMovie.
Web 2.0 Tools and Computer Skills
(7-12 years old)
Learn to use the latest tools on the internet to create documents, store your personal calendar and communicate your ideas with others using blogs, wikis and other collaborative tools. We will write and produce a Podcast, and even incorporate touch-typing practice into the camp. We will also focus on the tools used to search the internet for information and the criteria used to evaluate the validity of a resource. Both cyber-safety and cyber-bullying will be discussed, so campers are aware of the issues and take steps to protect themselves. The instructor will take all necessary steps to ensure campers' online safety, security and anonymity during this online camp experience.
Chess Camp
(5-7 and 7-12 years old)
Taught by the Berkeley Chess School
Chess is fun and can be learned quickly and easily. Studies have found that chess improves test results in reading, science, and math, and encourages growth in critical cognitive skills. Beyond academia, chess influences social behavior, including self esteem, respect for others, patience, and good manners. Students at all levels of skill are welcome!
Camps with Judy Richardson
Secrets of Mummies
(8-12 years old)
This camp will focus on amazing things from Ancient Egypt: We will make life-sized mummies with removable organs, death masks of the queens and pharaohs that can be painted and decorated, and clay figures of gods and goddesses. You can even learn how to read and write hieroglyphics.
Tree of Life
(7-12 years old)
In this camp each child will create a Tree of Life, a tree from the ancient history of many cultures. The trees will be sculpted, decorated, and painted. Each Tree will include different leaves, birds, and animals that children will sculpt, paint, and sew.
Town
(5-7 years old)
Make your own town by painting and building! You will decide on the kind of town you want, including roads, paths, train tracks, ponds, pools, and lakes. If your town needs cars, boats, trains, people and animals, you will make all of these things out of wood, foam, clay, cloth, and cardboard.
Heads and Bodies
(5-7 years old)
This is a drawing, painting, collage, and sculpture workshop. You will make the real Mr. Potato Head, animal heads, superheroes or aliens out of clay, and masks and headdresses that you can paint and decorate. By the end of the week you'll have a whole family of different sized, crazy, colorful characters to take home.
Camps with Aliea Wallace
Cartoons and Comics
(5-7 and 712 years old)
Learn how to draw characters from Pokémon, the movie UP and other popular cartoons and comics, then learn to create your own. Explore techniques to help your characters convey expression and movement.
Technique Week
(5-7 and 7-12 years old)
Want a sampling of everything for your art palette? Try a week of techniques where we will draw, paint, smudge, scrape, and cut and paste. You will learn how to draw in different pencils, inks, pastels and paint, make mosaics and sculptures in both abstract and realistic styles. Learn some techniques from master artists in a simple way.
Furry Friends
(5-7 and 7-12 years old)
From the large and powerful tiger to the zippy little squirrel, you will learn the art of drawing and making crafts with furry creatures from all over the world.
Across Asia
(5-7 and 7-12 years old)
Develop your eye for detail, composition and balance as we create pieces inspired by the cultures from various countries in our world's largest continent.
Books to the Big Screen
(5-7 and 7-12 years old)
Some books are so magical that they make it BIG. They are made into a movie masterpiece. Come create pieces of art and learn about the illustrations in "Where the Wild Things Are" "Harry Potter" "Dr. Seuss" and much more.
Camps with Jon Hoffman
Math Demystified
These are basic descriptions for each grade level. More complete descriptions are available by contacting Jon Hoffman at 510-333-4083 or emailing him at
(Entering 1st grade)
The week will be spent strengthening number sense. Understanding quantities and the numeric representation of those quantities will be the focus. We will work on comparing, sets of numbers and quantities, and recording those numbers in the ones and tens place up to 30. Students will be shown concrete representations of numbers using manipulatives. Students will also use concrete objects to determine answers to addition and subtraction of two numbers less than 10.
(Entering 2nd grade)
This week we will develop number sense to 100. We will extend our knowledge of number sense to develop an understanding of the meaning of addition and subtraction. The focus of this week will be to develop automaticity with addition facts to 20. Students will be introduced to "addition clubs" a tool which will provide them with multi-sensory method for retaining these important facts. We will show the meaning of addition (putting together, increasing) and subtraction (taking away, comparing, finding the difference) and the symbols +, -, and =.
(Entering 3rd grade)
This week we will extend our understanding of number sense up to 1000. We will explore regrouping with addition and subtraction using base-ten manipulatives, color coding, and charts. We will explore subtraction through the difference model and discuss why subtraction means "taking away" We will explore multiplication using physical models and an introduction to the Math Demystified 9-lines technique for learning and retaining multiplication and division facts. This week will focus on working with the "2's" and "5's" Division will also be introduced.
(Entering 4th grade week 1)
The main focus of this week will be to reinforce students' understanding of the concepts of multiplication and division. We will use the MMR 9-lines technique to help learn and retain multiplication and division facts from the 2's through the 6's. We will solve simple problems involving multiplication of multi-digit numbers by one digit numbers. We will also extend our understanding of number sense up to 10,000. We will also strengthen understanding of place value by practicing finding the sum or difference between two numbers between 0 and 10,000 with emphasis on regrouping with addition and subtraction.
(Entering 4th grade week 2)
This week will be similar to the first week and we will continue to use the 9-line method to learn our multiplication and division math facts through the "9's" and develop a deeper understanding of multiplication and division. We will discuss multiplying by the power of ten, and how this relates to our number system and place value. Simple word problems will be introduced to help strengthen math reasoning. Strategies using diagrams and charts to help understand word problems will be introduced.
(Entering 5th grade week 1)
The main focus of this week will be multiplying multi-digit numbers by two-digit multipliers and long division. We will also discuss factors and the difference between prime and composite numbers to 81. We will use mathematical reasoning to explore word problem strategies. We will extend our understanding of number sense up to the millions with an emphasis on the understanding of place value. Different interpretations of fractions will be presented and compared to decimals. We will continue to use the 9-lines as a key part of the math enrichment program.
(Entering 5th grade week 2)
This week will be similar to week 1 and we will continue reviewing the algorithm for multiplying a multi-digit number by a two-digit multiplier, and will focus on developing a deeper understanding of the long division algorithm. We will continue to learn strategies for working with word problems and will focus on word problems that need parentheses in the mathematical expression to indicate the order of operations.
(Entering 6th grade week 1)
This week we will develop a deeper understanding of fractions. We will practice using the Greatest Common Factor (GCF) to simplify an equivalent fraction to its lowest term (simplest form). Students will learn how use of the 9-lines will make working with fractions easier. We will explore the Lowest Common Denominator (LCD) to add and subtract fractions. We will look at decimal equivalents of fractions and review the relationship and similarities of fractions, decimals, and per cents. We will also review number sense to very large (e.g., millions) and very small numbers (e.g., thousandths). We will discuss Prime Factorization and Exponents.
(Entering 6th grade week 2)
This week will be similar to week 1 and we will continue developing a deeper understanding of fractions and use of the GCF and the LCD. This week we will also review mixed-numbers and improper fractions and look at the relationship of fractions, decimals, and per cents. Students will continue to use the 9-lines to make working with fractions easier. We will continue to factor composite numbers into their prime factors and express these factors using exponents where appropriate.