Summer At The Grayson School

An Introduction to Genetic Engineering

Grades 6-8

June 19-June 30 | 9:00 am – 3:00 pm  | $1,100

Is your rising 6-8th grader fascinated by biology and science and looking for an intensive academic enrichment program this summer? During this course, your intellectually curious student will become a genome genius and dive deep into understanding cells, the genome, and inheritance traits. They will also explore more advanced topics and practices in the field of genetic engineering. Lessons on cells, heredity, genetics, and genetic engineering will accompany fun interactive activities, such as cheek-cell labs, pineapple and milk experiments, and class review games. At the end of this 2-week course, students will complete their own genetic engineering CRISPR/Cas 9 experiment by growing their own genetically modified bacteria!

Scholarships are available for gifted students who might otherwise not be able to attend our camp — apply at the registration link!

Around the World in 5 Playful Days

Grades K-2

July 10-July 14 | 9:00 am – 12:00 noon  | $300

Join us to learn about the timeless games that are staples of different cultures and regions around the world. Campers will travel to Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and North America, and Latin America and the Caribbean as they learn about their own worlds, and the worlds of others, through gameplay and the joys of childhood.

Survive and Thrive Outdoor Adventure

Grades 3-5

July 10-July 14 | 9:00 am – 12:00 noon  | $300

Embark on a journey of outdoor adventure and discovery. This camp is designed to introduce young people to surviving and thriving in the great outdoors. Campers will learn the basics of orienteering and wilderness safety while also exploring the wonders of nature. Through activities such as identification and classification of flora and fauna, nature journaling, building shelters, and purifying water, this camp is a perfect opportunity for young adventurers and naturalists to engage their minds and bodies in the great outdoors. 

Storm-e Weather Simulation Camp

Grades 3-5

July 10-July 14 | 12:45 pm – 3:45 pm  | $300

Is your child fascinated by the weather? This simulation camp allows them to be a part of a team of meteorologists examining the conditions of a real-world nor’easter affecting the East Coast of the United States. We’ll predict the course of the storm by analyzing air pressure, fronts, temperature, dew point, winds, and clouds. On the last day of camp, the young weatherpeople will have an online conference with experts at the Challenger Learning Center at Wheeling Jesuit University. Together, they will use their maps, graphs, and charts to make a recommendation to NYC officials who have asked for a timely and accurate weather forecast for the annual New Year’s celebration in Times Square. This camp will draw upon content knowledge of science and math as campers converge to make powerful brain–and rain—storms!

The Art of Jewelry

Grades 6-8

July 10-July 14 | 9:00 am – 12:00 noon  | $300

Aspiring jewelry designers will learn fabrication techniques such as wire wrapping, bead making, and the manipulation of metals as they create their own unique pieces. Your child will also learn decorative art techniques using 3D printing, resin casting, and hand-sculpted polymer clay. Each camper will be mentored in designing individual projects with personal meaning and intention, while the whole class will discover the symbolism and culture found in personal adornment dating back thousands of years.

Theatre Workshop

Grades 6-8

July 10-July 14 | 12:45 pm – 3:45 pm  | $300

Is your child interested in acting and theatre? This fun and interactive course focuses on the main tools an actor has: body, voice, and creativity. Your child will develop their performance and acting skills through a variety of techniques, build confidence and poise in public speaking, and practice collaboration and teamwork skills that will benefit them on stage and in life.

Musical Improvisation Workshop

Grades 6-12 (Requires at least two years musical training)

July 10-July 14 | 9:00 am – 12:00 noon | $300

Are you tired of watching other students in your jazz band get the solos? Are you afraid to take a solo because you don’t know how to improvise? This camp is designed to help any middle or high school musician learn how to improvise in all musical styles, ranging from jazz to blues to electronic and everything in between. Students must have a minimum of 2 years of musical training, be familiar with the basics of their instrument, and be able to read music in order to learn how to improve their musical improvisation skills!

Songwriting Workshop

Grades 6-12 (Requires at least one year experience on guitar, piano, or ukulele)

July 10-July 14 | 12:45 pm – 3:45 pm  | $300

What makes a great song? Why does one song resonate with us or stick in our minds longer than another? In this workshop, we will explore these questions by both analyzing hit songs and workshopping our own. Particular focus will be given to constructing a memorable melody, developing a hook, creating interesting rhyme schemes, and probing the intersection of lyrics and melody. As a prerequisite, students should possess the ability to play some basic chords on either the guitar, piano, or ukulele.

Introduction to Painting

Grades K-2

July 17-July 21 | 9:00 am – 12:00 noon  | $300

Your young artist will explore various painting techniques and discover the magic of color in this introductory painting course. Campers will express their creativity and imagination in watercolor, tempera, puffy paints, paint pens and more to create a new masterpiece each day. Please pack an oversized shirt or smock to protect clothing.

Tink Tank

Grades K-2

July 17-July 21 | 12:45 pm – 3:45 pm  | $300

Does your child love to build, design, engineer, reverse-engineer, and/or understand how things work? Tink Tank campers will explore and consider the properties of interesting materials while cultivating their skills in design-thinking. We’ll make cool things with electronics and electrical engineering but also create electric-free contraptions like super-sized marble runs and Rube Goldberg-style machines. Come join the Tink Tank for a week of inventive fun! 

Animation Station

Grades 3-5

July 17-July 21 | 9:00 am – 12:00 noon  | $300

Do you have an artist at home who would love to bring their drawings to life? In this session, we’ll create Disney-style character drawings each day while also exploring the many historical animation techniques, from pottery to paper and ocular toys to film, video, and CGI. Studio time throughout the week will culminate in a flip book of your child’s drawings and a short stop-motion animation video created with FlipaClip software.

Percy’s Greek Mythology

Grades 3-5

July 17-July 21 | 12:45 pm – 3:45 pm  | $300

Welcome to Camp Half-Blood, where campers will explore the world of Greek mythology through the eyes of Percy Jackson. New and existing fans of Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson & The Olympiains series will delight in this week of mythological creatures and heroic adventures. As we take a deep dive into the books, we’ll use them as inspiration to create mythology of our own. 

Ërdos Camp: Odd Adventures in Discrete Mathematics

Grades 4-6

July 17-July 21 | 12:45 pm- 3:45 pm  | $350

Calling all math enthusiasts! Walk in the footsteps of prolific Hungarian mathematician and problem solver Paul Erdös. Devoted to discrete mathematics, Erdös lived such an eccentric life that the New York Times called him “the oddball’s oddball.” Despite his reputation, he collaborated with more mathematicians than anyone in history to publish research papers. He had a particular gift for looking at mathematics through a lens of curiosity that allowed him to ask questions no one had yet dreamt of. In this course, your child will take a journey through discrete mathematics, exploring four fields of math not often introduced to students until college (or ever!): graph theory, combinatorics, number theory, and game theory. We will also do Erdös proud by discovering mathematical properties in real world contexts, working collaboratively to generalize solutions, and using manipulatives and games to explore advanced topics.

We ask that all campers complete a Registration Activity that is intended to be fun for your child, and to help us see and understand their mathematical thought process.  Please download here. Scan your child’s work sample to Meghan Vetter at mvetter@thegraysonschool.org no later than July 10, 2023.

Operation Montserrat

Grades 6-8

July 17-July 21 | 9:00 am – 12:00 noon  | $300

Join us for this high-stakes simulation in which the Soufriere Hills volcano on the small island of Montserrat is set to erupt at the same time a Category 3 hurricane approaches the island from the east. Campers will be part of a team of meteorologists, volcanologists, and government officials who will respond to this catastrophe by calculating rock fall and volcanic tectonic data, and analyzing meteorological data, population maps, and transportation sources to move residents to shelter. The week will culminate in a real-time simulation with a scientist from the Challenger Learning Center at Wheeling Jesuit University, during which campers will use their new skills to make timely and important decisions for the safety of all island residents.

Theatre Workshop

Grades 6-8

July 17-July 21 | 12:45 pm – 3:45 pm  | $300

Is your child interested in acting and theatre? This fun and interactive course focuses on the main tools an actor has: body, voice, and creativity. Your child will develop their performance and acting skills through a variety of techniques, build confidence and poise in public speaking, and practice collaboration and teamwork skills that will benefit them on stage and in life.

Ërdos Camp: Odd Adventures in Discrete Mathematics

Grades 7-8

July 17-July 21 | 9:00 am – 12:00 noon  | $350

Calling all math enthusiasts! Walk in the footsteps of prolific Hungarian mathematician and problem solver Paul Erdös. Devoted to discrete mathematics, Erdös lived such an eccentric life that the New York Times called him “the oddball’s oddball.” Despite his reputation, he collaborated with more mathematicians than anyone in history to publish research papers. He had a particular gift for looking at mathematics through a lens of curiosity that allowed him to ask questions no one had yet dreamt of. In this course, your child will take a journey through discrete mathematics, exploring four fields of math not often introduced to students until college (or ever!): graph theory, combinatorics, number theory, and game theory. We will also do Erdös proud by discovering mathematical properties in real world contexts, working collaboratively to generalize solutions, and using manipulatives and games to explore advanced topics.

We ask that all campers complete a Registration Activity that is intended to be fun for your child, and to help us see and understand their mathematical thought process.  Please download here. Scan your child’s work sample to Meghan Vetter at mvetter@thegraysonschool.org no later than July 10, 2023.

Musical String Theory

Grades 6-9

July 17-July 21 | 9:00 am – 3:45 pm  | $550

Hundreds of years ago, the study of music was regarded as an academic discipline alongside math and science. Join us for some “good vibrations” as we explore music through mathematical principles and the naturally occurring and fundamental laws of physics. From generating sound waves until it “hertz so good,” we’ll explore pattern recognition, interference, amplitude, and frequency. Working collaboratively, we’ll design and build a musical instrument that captures our exploration into the physics of sound. For this full-day program, an interest in music and physics is all that is required!

Imagine That!

Grades K-2

July 24-July 28 | 9:00 am – 12 noon   | $300

For the young child whose imagination likes to run wild, this course is an introduction to the world of creative problem solving as a team sport. Campers will brainstorm and collaboratively generate creative solutions to interesting and wacky problems while working within the confines of specific parameters (for example, solutions must incorporate an animal) and/or limited resources (for example, you may only use materials that are blue). This week is guaranteed to energize and delight!

Inner Workings

Grades K-2

July 24-July 28 | 12 :45 pm – 3:45 pm  | $300

Does the idea of taking something apart to see what’s inside delight you? Join us to explore the inner components of many common items and discover how they work. From simple things like a golf ball or a can opener, to a bound book, small musical instruments, a remote control, or a battery-powered toothbrush, campers will be invited to take things apart and put them back together again in a safe manner under the guidance of experienced teachers. 

Reverse Engineering

Grades 3-5

July 24-July 28 | 9:00 am – 12:00 noon  | $300

Does the idea of taking something apart to see how it works delight you? Join us to explore the components and functionality of machines. From simple machines like a retractable pen to more complex items, such as appliances, household objects, or old computers, campers will be invited to take things apart and put them back together again in a safe manner under the guidance of experienced teachers. 

Imagine That!

Grades 3-5

July 24-July 28 | 12:45 pm – 3:45 pm   | $300

For the young child whose imagination likes to run wild, this course is an introduction to the world of creative problem solving as a team sport. Campers will brainstorm and collaboratively generate creative solutions to interesting and wacky problems while working within the confines of specific parameters (for example, solutions must incorporate an animal) and/or limited resources (for example, you may only use materials that are blue). This week is guaranteed to energize and delight!

Decoding Secrets

Grades 6-12 (Requires the successful completion of Algebra I)

July 24-July 28 | 9:00 am – 12:00 noon  | $300

In Decoding Secrets, your child will delve into the fascinating world of codes. This course is designed for students with a passion for mathematics, logic, and problem-solving, and it provides a comprehensive introduction to the field of cryptography. Students will learn about historical and modern methods of encoding messages, including substitution and transposition ciphers, and be introduced to advanced topics such as number theory, modular arithmetic, and the basics of computer cryptography.  Whether you are a budding mathematician or simply fascinated by the world of codes and ciphers, this course is sure to challenge and fascinate you. 

Worldbuilding Writers’ Workshop

Grades 6-8

July 24-July 28 | 12:45 pm – 3:45 pm  | $300

Are you an aspiring writer, role-playing enthusiast, or budding video game designer? Immerse yourself in the creative process of worldbuilding, in which you will create the elements of a fictional world rich with history, geography, culture, politics, and, of course, people. We’ll work on crafting maps, developing cultures and languages, creating a timeline of events, and building a complete and cohesive setting for a story of your choosing. If you build it, they will come!

Composition for Film and Media

Grades 6-12

July 24-July 28 | 12:45 pm – 3:45 pm  | $300

It’s impossible to imagine a movie, television show, or video game without music, which brings stories to life by communicating what we otherwise lack the words to express. Using Logic Pro or Garageband, students will compose music to a short film by exploring marking cues, building motifs and themes, choosing instruments and orchestration, understanding software workflow, and more. At the end of the week, students will come away with skills that can be applied to making music for a variety of media. 

Advanced Music Theory and Analysis

Grades 9-12 (Requires at least four years of musical training)

July 24-July 28 | 9:00 am – 12:00 noon  | $300

For aspiring young composers, this workshop will focus on developing the skills necessary to create advanced artistic works. Students will engage in directed and timed compositional challenges using notation software, with the primary goal of developing compositional cohesion. Why are all these notes here? Why are we composing this? Who is our audience? How does the work affect and change us? How can we push predefined compositional boundaries? Music composition is so much more than putting a series of notes on a page because they sound good, and we will devote time in this session to analyzing some existing works alongside composing our own. Students should be able to read music fluently and possess a strong foundational understanding of basic music theory.

Illustration

Grades 9-12

July 24-July 28 | 9:00 am – 12:00 noon  | $300

Sharpen your pencils! Your student will enhance their drawing abilities with an understanding of character design by taking a deep dive into storytelling, visual narratives, and various styles of illustration including manga, fashion drawing, and cartooning.