Summer learning opportunities abound in Voorheesville

June 11, 2009—With less than a few weeks left in the school year, it's time to start thinking about summer!

Students interesting in continuing their studies are invited to apply for the Cole Writers Institute or the Math Science Technology Engineering/Robotics Workshop. Courses will also be offered on Mandarin Chinese, Video News Streaming and keyboarding.

To learn more about these enrichment opportunities, please review the descriptions below or download the course brochure. Applications are now available online. They may also be picked up in school offices. 

Cole Writers Institute

With funding underwritten by the Karen Cole Foundation, this is the fourth year the district will be providing a writers workshop for students entering seventh- through twelfth grade. During the one week workshop, students will participate in a variety of writing activities, including a one-day session with guest speaker and novelist Hollis Seamon. To culminate the students’ efforts, their completed work will be published inThe Blackbird Review—the district’s literary magazine.

Fee: $50.
Course Offered: July 6 -10; 8:30 – 11:30 a.m.

Keyboarding

Because there is limited time during the school year to provide basic introductory keyboarding skills to elementary school students, this course is being offered to students entering third, fourth and fifth grade students.

Fee: $50
Course Offered: July 27-31 & August 3-7; 9:00-10:00 a.m.

Mandarin Chinese

This is a continuation of the language program for students entering sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth grade that began in February at the middle school. The summer session will be taught two days per week and will include an introductory course as well as one for second time students.

Fee: $50
Course Offered: July 21, 23, 28, 30, August 4, 6; 1:00-2:30 p.m.

Math Science Technology Engineering/Robotics Workshop

The Summer Math Science Technology (MST) Camp is a week-long camp designed for students entering seventh, eighth and ninth grade, and who have an interest in math, science and technology. Featuring real-world or near-future dilemmas, the students will be required to engage in activities including:

• Problem solving

• Applying the scientific method

• Video data collection and analysis

• Plotting data and extrapolating from trends

• Logical thinking and programming

• Robotic design and construction

Campers will work cooperatively in teams to create independent solutions for the task at hand. At the end of each day of camp, all teams will meet and share problems encountered and innovations. This will allow each team to consider alternative approaches and incorporate new design strategies into their own.

Fee: $100
Course Offered: July 13-17; 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Video News Streaming

This is a pilot program that will train middle school students entering sixth, seventh and eighth grades in the production of video morning news announcements. Trained teams would be producing video web casts of daily and weekly events at the district's middle and high schools. 

Fee: $50
Course Offered: August 3-7; 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.