Woodstock Day School Summer Program

June 30 through August 8

Ages 3 and Up

9 am - 3 pm
Pre and after care available

Sessions and Fees Registration Program Description Contact Us

Yoga • Art • Swimming • Experienced staff • Drama • Music
African drumming • Sports • Wildlife experts • Gardening

Currently enrolled WDS students receive a 10% discount on all programs.
Families enrolling multiple children receive a 5% discount for each child after the first one.
Early registration discount of 10% for each child paid in full before February 15th (not combinable with the discount for multiple children).

Click here to view/print the 2008 registration form.
Click here to view/print the 2008 session information.

Note: These forms are in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format.
If you don't have Adobe Acrobat you need to download it and install it - it is free.

Bring completed form to the Woodstock Day School Main Office, or mail it to:
Summer Adventure
Woodstock Day School
PO Box 1
Woodstock, NY 12498

African Drum and Dance
For the ninth year, we are honored to present Kibola Sougei! This talented ensemble of Mimo Camara and Pam Lord Camara will be teaching the drum rhythms, dance and songs of Guinea, West Africa. Pam has taught at the Woodstock Day School for the last 20 years and is well versed in bringing her love of African culture, dance, and music to even our youngest campers. Mimo is a former member of Guinea's prestigious national ballet and an inspiring drum and dance teacher.

Creative Movement
This program will be headed up by Kristine Waterman, a beloved local dance and drama teacher. Kristine is experienced at teaching many styles of dance to children ranging from the exciting rhythms of modern, tap, and jazz to lyrical yoga dance. Kristine encourages children to express themselves and to choreograph their own pieces. She brings a sense of fun and adventure into everything she teaches and it is always a pleasure to see how her students blossom.

Singing
Joining us for a second summer, our pied piper Lillie Harden will lead children in song and accompanying movement with her cheerful spirit and guitar! Aside from the joy of singing these songs together each day, campers will enchant our larger community in bringing their music to our Friday All Camp Gatherings.

Creative Drama
This is theatre for the joy that's in it! Campers will make up skits and perform them for each other and for the larger community at our Friday afternoon gatherings. They will sing, dance, and get very silly! They will improvise, play drama games and develop acting skills in a supportive and lively atmosphere.

Swimming
Headed up by WSI Stacie Kremper, certified instructors will teach children how to swim. According to age and ability, children will have daily Red Cross Swimming instruction and Free Swim in our two filtered pools, while under constant supervision. Water games and activities will delight and challenge young swimmers. Small group swim lessons can be scheduled after hours for an additional charge.

Sports
Indoor and outdoor basketball courts provide space for friendly basketball games and instruction. Campers will also play soccer, Ultimate Frisbee, kickball, capture the flag, and Newcombe and cooperative games. Sports programs at Woodstock Day School focus on skill building, teamwork and friendly competition. This program is imbued with the spirit of healthy play.

Fitness
Campers will experience yoga and engage in original play. Our twenty-five acre campus will be available for hikes and exploration with our experienced trail guides. These activities strengthen our bodies, discipline our minds and remind us of the delight of being in our bodies at play.

Nature Exploration
Campers will explore our pond to find frogs, insects and salamanders, and use microscopes to take a closer look at the treasures uncovered. Mary Henry, our knowledgeable Lower School science teacher, will be showing us the natural world in new and exciting ways. The looseness of a summer program will allow exploration to happen for its own sake. Campers should bring all their questions and curiosity about the natural world.

Gardening
Children will plant, weed and harvest with our effervescent third grade teacher Allison Mitchell. Some of the gorgeous veggies grown will be enjoyed by campers, but most will go to Angel Food East. This is an opportunity for the wonderful energy we create here at camp to benefit people in the larger community.

Art
Draw! Paint! Sculpt! Build! Play! For the fourth year, the fabulous Inyo will be bringing her expertise to our summer program. Inyo's after school enrichment classes are in demand and the children who know her are always eager to spend time in her dynamic studio on our campus.

Broadway Bound
A musical camp for 6 to 13 year olds. Put on your dancing shoes and get ready to snap into song. Write and perform your very own musical with singing, dancing, acting and more! Design the back-drop and kick up your heels all the way to 42nd Street! The Friday Finale will culminate in a performance of the kids' original Broadway-style musical! "Music Mania!" is an arts immersion experience ideal for creative kids who love the arts and performing! Activities include: Play-writing and performance, singing, choreography/dancing, drawing and painting, face painting, karaoke, swimming, and more!

About the Director:
Cara Calabrese-Ward is a professionally trained pianist and experienced music educator who loves working with children of all ages. Cara attended the Eastman School of Music and received a Masters in Music Education from Columbia University, Teachers College where she studied as a Mellon Fellow in Teaching. Cara has taught in many places including Berlin, Germany, New York, NY, Lugano, Switzerland, and Boulder , CO. Cara is the Lower School music teacher at Woodstock Day School and the director of CCW Music Gallery, a private piano studio. Cara founded "Music Mania!" in 2001. Sometime in the very near future, Cara will release her debut CD of original children's songs, "Be Who You Be!"

To register, call the school. To contact Cara personally, email Caracalabrese@hotmail.com.

Imagine a world where heroes and villains engage in a never-ending battle between good and evil, where the laughter of faeries is echoed by the roar of dragons, where powers exist that can raise the dead, heal the wounded, and harm the living, where oracles prophesize and rogues slip quietly into the night... Now imagine yourself, within this world, able to choose where to go, who to help, who to fight, and who to save. You are the hero of your own unique story and the success of your quest depends entirely on you...

The Wayfinder Experience is a live adventure/role playing program which grew out of the Adventure Game Theatre program that has become an exciting part of the Woodstock Day School program. Combining theatre, sports, teambuilding, fine arts, play and traditional camp elements, our workshops provide one of the most exciting, fun, healthy and positive experiences available for children.

Our seasoned staff of professional actors, musicians, teachers and artists leads participants through a series of interactive programs that teach trust, leadership, community and respect. These programs take the form of side-splittingly funny improvisational theatre training, high-energy non-competitive physical games, fascinating mask and movement workshops, prop and set crafting and creative expression.

The culmination of this curriculum is the Adventure Game - an interactive story, where participants create characters and relationships and live out a story pulled from myth and legend. A participant can be a noble knight searching desperately for a holy relic, or a beautiful fairy princess magically healing wounded soldiers, or anything their imagination can create.

Wilderness Week 1 - An adventure camp for 9-14 year olds:
Do you have what it takes to survive? Can you find food and clean water in the forest or your path with only a map and compass? If you think you are rugged or want to learn how to live in the wild with only your hands and your wits, join us for Into the Wilderness this summer. Hike through the forest and discover sights few humans have shared. Learn to cook your own food and spend a night camping on our beautiful campus. Camouflage yourself to blend into your surroundings, leaving no trace of your presence to other animals or peoples. Learn wilderness safety and survival skills. Be as comfortable building your own shelter in the woods as you are in your home. Get outside and get rugged! Survive with us this summer!

Wilderness Week 2 - An adventure camp for 11-15 year olds:
Do you have what it takes to hike a mountain? There is nothing like using your own body to climb to the top of a peak and gaze over the wilderness surrounding you. If you'd like to see firsthand the wilderness in your own backyard, climb a mountain, stand beside a thundering waterfall, or test your strength and endurance against the beautiful Catskill Mountains, join us for our Catskill Adventure this year. Campers will enjoy several local hikes, learn how to camp in a safe and environmentally friendly way and spend a night in the Catskill Park. Discover the Catskills. Discover yourself this summer at WDS.

About Matthew:
During the school year Matthew Essery is the science coordinator and Upper School science teacher at WDS. He has directed many outdoor adventures including leading trips through the Adirondack Mountains, conquering all 46 of the High Peaks and many of the Catskill Mountains.

Overlook Authors Writing Workshop Week 1:
Poetry, Song Writing, Nature Writing, Journal Making
Campers will participate in outdoor and novel experiences that will spark their creativity towards writing original pieces. Each day we will read examples of the genre and engage in journal writing and discussions. Editing will center on camper-generated work. On Thursday evening campers will debut their writing at a camp cafe.

Overlook Authors Writing Workshop Week 2:
Story Writing, Storytelling, Fantasy and Science Fiction Writing
This week campers will focus on writing and telling stories, from student-generated mythologies to science-fiction short stories and fantasy adventure. Campers will engage in a number of novel and outdoor experiences that will inspire them to write and tell stories. Guest speakers and genre readings will enhance the experience. On Thursday evening campers will debut their stories at a writing campfire.

About Jon:
Jon Pelegano is the 6th grade teacher at WDS. Jon has worked as a freelance writer for Fodor's Travel Publications. He has written original music and lyrics for Bosley Theatrical Productions stagings of "Crave" by Sarah Kane and "Vicarious" by Justin Quinn Pelegano, which was featured in the New York International Fringe Festival.

About Matthew:
Matthew Essery studied fiction writing in college and has taught several writing courses on the high school level including creative writing and environmental literature courses. When he's not teaching science, Matthew enjoys writing poetry, short stories, and novels, as well as reading philosophy, science fiction, fantasy and ecological literature.

Join us for an exciting keyboard extravaganza! Become a famous composer for a day! Campers will be exploring the world of keyboard sounds and colors through creative composition projects galore! Activities will include song-writing, composing, music theory games, music history trivia and and a celebration of a variety of composers' lives. Ages 7 and up. Piano/keyboard experience required.

About Cara:
Cara Calabrese-Ward has been teaching piano for 18 years. She began studying the piano at age six and went on to study piano performance at the Eastman School of Music, CU Boulder and Columbia University. Cara adores teaching music to people of all ages and abilities. In fact, it is her passion!

The Musical Theater Intensive is a one-week workshop designed to instill confidence, knowledge, and cohesion. Students rehearse and perform an abridged workshop version of a musical (text, music, and choreography) in five days. Previous experience in the theatre as actors or singers, IS NOT necessary. A willingness to participate, and learn, in safe environment, however, is imperative. Because the workshop is only five days long, attendance for the entire session is a must. Performance will take place Friday evening.

About Edwin:
Edwin Lee Gibson is a critically acclaimed actor, writer and educator whose work has been featured in The New York Times, Village Voice (cover May, 2006), and The John Hopkins Theatre Journal. A twenty-six year veteran of the theater, Edwin is currently Musical Theater Director at Rye Arts Center in Rye, New York. He served as Assistant Theater Program Director at Harbor Conservatory for the Performing Arts in New York City for nine years. Mr. Gibson's students have performed on Broadway (The Lion King), television (Nickelodeon) and countless theater and small film projects. He teaches acting and coaches actors in Ulster County, NY and New York City.

For more information, contact the the summer office at Woodstock Day School: