Summer Programs

Explore Extraordinary! this summer at Ashbrook

Summer Programs are open to ALL students,
including those not currently enrolled at Ashbrook.

July 10 – August 18, 2023

Young Explorers Day Camp     $425/week ($11.33/hour)

July 10 – August 18, 8:30 am – 4 pm

Our Young Explorers Day Camp is for students age 3 up to grade 1 (as of the 22-23 school year). The camp is covered under our Certified Child Care licensing, so the student teacher ratio is never more than 10:1. The program is offered as individual weeks or a student can take the entire 6-week program for the price of only 5 weeks!

Week 1 – Entomology Week
Week 2 – Plant Exploration Week
Week 3 – Creepy, Crawly, Slimy Creatures Week
Week 4 – Discover the woodlands of the Pacific Northwest Week
Week 5 – Dive deep into the Ocean Week
Week 6 – Dinosaur Adventure Week

Cold lunch from the First Alternative Co-op will be available to pre-purchase for $4.50/day. We will confirm lunch orders and payment in June.

There is one specialty class the week of August 14, and it can be combined with the Day Camp for a full day program.

Kinder Readiness with Sara Moore, AM Session

This is a week-long camp for students who are going into Kindergarten for the 23/24 school year. Kinder Readiness is a fun and educational program to help students refresh/maintain their skills and to help gear up for the transition into kindergarten! Each day students will review math and reading concepts, practice writing, play on the playground, and enjoy exploring a kindergarten classroom with Ashbrook’s kindergarten teacher!

NEW! Pathfinders Day Camp     $425/week ($11.33/hour)

July 10 – August 18, 8:30 am – 4 pm

Our Pathfinders Day Camp is for students in grades 2-4 (as of the 22-23 school year). The camp is covered under our Certified Child Care licensing, so the student teacher ratio is never more than 10:1. The program is offered as individual weeks or a student can take the entire 6-week program for the price of only 5 weeks!

Cold lunch from the First Alternative Co-op will be available to pre-purchase for $4.50/day. We will confirm lunch orders and payment in June.

There is one week of specialty class choices the week of July 24, and they can be combined together or combined with the Day Camp for a full day program.

Arts and Crafts with Lexie Elliott, AM Session (8:30 am – 12 noon)

Students will learn about and practice a variety of art techniques in skills such as drawing and painting. They will also have the opportunity to do many crafts throughout the week. The time will mostly be structured art activities with some free creation time.

Fun and Games with Lexie Elliott, PM Session (12:30 pm – 4 pm)

Who doesn’t like to play? In this camp, students will have the opportunity to practice good sportsmanship and play with friends as we play indoor games (including: board games, card games, and dice games) and outdoor games (including: PE type games and yard games).

Pioneer Enrichment Classes

Full Day, 8:30 am – 4 pm, $425/week ($11.33/hour)
AM ONLY, 8:30 am – 12 noon / PM ONLY, 12:30 pm – 4 pm, $225/week ($12.86/hour)

This program offers a variety of classes in July and August for students in grades 5-8 (as of the 22-23 school year). Some Pioneer classes are 8:30 am – 4 pm and cost $425/week; others are half-day classes for $225/week. Almost all of the half-day Pioneer classes are scheduled so you can combine 2 half-day options into a full day.

The Summer Science Series is offered as individual weeks or students can take the entire 6-week program for the price of only 5 weeks!

Cold lunch from the First Alternative Co-op will be available to pre-purchase for $4.50/day. We will confirm lunch orders and payment in June.

Week of July 10 – 14

Writing about Fiction by Doc Schoberl, AM ONLY
Bring your summer fiction reading, assigned by your school or chosen by you as pleasure reading. If you don’t have any reading, we will supply it! If you have writing assignments to complete for the summer, bring those too! During this week we will focus on writing about the author’s intention in writing the story, the ways setting supports the theme of the story, and the author’s approval or disapproval of the actions of the main character.

Intro to Zoology by Nikkole Duitsman, FULL DAY
In this session we will consider what zoology is and how it is used by scientists. Students will learn concepts such as classification of animals as well as their phylogeny. This interactive camp will be full of games, fun, and learning about animals.

Week of July 17-21

Let’s Put on a Show I! with Samantha Shaub, AM ONLY
Join us for a fun-filled week of acting basics, theater games, and production pointers culminating in a scene or short one act play to be performed in front of an audience. Families are welcome to attend the Friday show. No prior experience with theater required or necessary. Students can choose to enroll in one or both weeks of this course; each week will present a unique theatrical experience!

Applied Zoology by Nikkole Duitsman, FULL DAY
In this class we will practice being zoologists in the lab and field. Students will learn about dichotomous keys, population biology, and perform a dissection. Like the others this interactive camp will be full of games, fun, and no previous knowledge is required.

Project Garden by Julia Svedin, FULL DAY
Students will use their creativity and imagination to create projects that are useful in the garden. Activities will include painting rocks, decorating stepping stones, making drinking stations for bees and birds, decorating garden pots, and creating wind spinners and wind chimes.

Week of July 24-28

Let’s Put on a Show II! with Samantha Shaub, AM ONLY
Join us for a fun-filled week of acting basics, theater games, and production pointers culminating in a scene or short one act play to be performed in front of an audience. Families are welcome to attend the Friday show. No prior experience with theater required or necessary. Students can choose to enroll in one or both weeks of this course; each week will present a unique theatrical experience!

Mountain Biking with Peter Puettmann, PM ONLY
Wanting to take your mountain-biking level up another notch? We will spend time on campus AND in the MacDonald-Dunn forest working on the skills you need to be confident on any trail! Additionally, we will practice trail-etiquette and learn about how to repair your bike on the go. Experience mountain biking, helmets and a bike with off-pavement capabilities required.

Kitchen Chemistry with Nikkole Duitsman, FULL DAY
In this session, students will learn the art of chemistry through ingredients you can find inside your kitchen. We will learn about chemical processes through hands-on activities such as making cheese, soap, and ice cream. This interactive session will be full of games, fun, and no previous knowledge is required.

Cooking Through Europe with Julia Svedin, FULL DAY
Each day there will be a focus on a specific European country. In the morning, the students will learn about the country and its culture, and after lunch, they will get the opportunity to make/cook/bake food that is typical for that country. Students will gain knowledge of European geography, culture (art, language, food, music, etc.), traditions, and landmarks.

Week of July 31-August 4

Learn to Crochet with Julia Svedin, AM ONLY
Students will learn the basics of crocheting and then will be given time to complete small crafts, perhaps progressing to bigger crafts by the end of the week. For example, on the first day, they may be able to crochet a bookmark, and by the end of the week, they may be able to crochet multiple coasters or fingerless mittens. My aim is that the students will be able to bring a finished craft home every other day.

Applied Chemistry with Nikkole Duitsman, FULL DAY
In this class, students will learn about the world of chemistry and how chemistry is applied out of the classroom. Class activities will include a biofuel challenge, soda bottle rockets, and plenty of lab time. Like the others, this interactive class will be full of games, fun, and no previous knowledge is required.

Week of August 7-12

MathCounts Boot Camp with Paul Hunt, AM ONLY
This course focuses on warm-ups and workouts, Mathcounts School Round and Chapter Round Competitions, and AMC 8 problems. The goal is to improve students’ ability to qualify for their respective school’s Mathcounts teams. Students will play Ultimate Frisbee or Poker during breaks, depending on weather.

Well-Being and Mindfulness with Julia Svedin, AM ONLY
Students will get the opportunity to practice yoga, meditation, mindfulness and breathing exercises, ¨regular¨ exercises, and journaling. Students will gain knowledge and tools that could help them to stay focused and engaged, as well as to cope better with stress and pressure. Furthermore, the program will allow students to better understand and handle their emotions.

Paper-Mache Masks with Erik Olson, PM ONLY
Mr. Olson makes cool paper mache masks every year but those are the easier designs. You want to try the hardest, most detailed, and amazing masks with Mr. Olson to guide you. This one-week class will have every student make a fantastic mask that will amaze even the most experienced paper mache artists.

Entertainment Engineering with Nikkole Duitsman, FULL DAY
In this session, students will learn to think like an engineer and apply those thoughts to action. They will build their own pinball machine as well as other fun engineering activities such as jousting with gravity. This interactive session will be full of games, fun, and no previous knowledge is required.

Summer Winds Music Camp with Dante Hoge, FULL DAY
Summer Winds is open to all students entering grades 6-9 in the fall with at least one year of playing experience. Summer Winds is a music camp for winds, brass and percussion featuring daily ensemble and sectional playing. We will also have instrument specialists to provide individualized instruction for each student. Lastly, we will cover some basic instrument repair/maintenance tips to keep your horn clean and in great working order. Our week-long rehearsal culminates in a concert on Friday at 2pm in the Ashbrook theater. Need-based scholarships are available.

Week of August 14-18

Competitive Pastels with Erik Olson, AM ONLY
Many people like to win art contests, but they do not know the 10 tricks that give them a significant advantage for the judges attention. Come and spend a week soaking up the tricks painters and drawers use to make the most memorable and eye catching works of art. We will be using different pastel materials so there is no drying time, it’s easy to clean up, and it’s not very expensive.

Transportation Engineering with Nikkole Duitsman, FULL DAY
In this class, students will practice hands-on engineering by building and racing their own Air-Powered Dragster. Students will also have the opportunity to practice programming and flying a drone in order to accomplish specific tasks regardless of their programming experience. This interactive class will be full of games, fun, and no previous knowledge is required.