MD Campus: Strathmore Session 1 Newsletter

A Note from the Directors of Camp Levine

Dear Camp Levine Families,

We can’t believe Session 1 is already wrapped! We’ve had such an awesome time creating a “Tapestry of Traditions” at Camp Levine this session! We’re thankful for you sharing your camper with us this summer. We are in awe at all that our campers have accomplished in three short weeks. It’s been a pleasure watching them explore and enjoy the creative freedom that music and arts inspire.

Our Camp Levine team is great, but it is the support of our Camp Levine community that make it all possible.

Whether this is your camper’s first or fifteenth summer at Camp Levine, we hope that through our theme “A Tapestry of Traditions,” we have provided a fun and engaging artistic experience and camp memories that will last a lifetime.

We wish you a great rest of your summer hope to see you next year!

Best,

Jazmin Goodson, Director of Camp Levine

Catherine Hammes, Co-Director of Camp Levine

A Note from the Site Director

Dear Camp Levine families,

We have had an incredibly amazing time working with your campers this summer. It has been so rewarding for our teachers and staff to get to observe the surprising amount of progress they made in such a short time.

Your children were amazing in their final camp performances, where they danced, played and sung songs and pieces representing traditions from many different cultures and regions around the world. I was particularly impressed by number of lyrics they were able to memorize, particularly those in foreign languages. The dancing, art and drama were also quite spectacular! I observed many new friendships blossom, as well as several teary-eyed goodbyes.

I hope to see your camper again next year, and am excited to see what our new camp theme will be!

Best,

Jason McFeaters, Site Director at Strathmore

PreK/Kindergarten Class

Our PreK/K campers are assigned to one teacher and camper group for the entire 3-week session. They explore music and the arts through singing, storytelling, arts and crafts, creative movement, and imaginative play.

Barbara Gesumaria & Margot Cohen

The Camp Levine koalas and kangaroos have had an amazing three weeks! We sang, we danced, we read a lot of books, and we had a ton of fun. We also did a few art projects that you may have seen being brought home by our campers, like our watercolor oceans or some cuddly teddy bears. We had a wonderful performance of “Going over the sea”, that the campers have been preparing, and we can’t wait for you to see them shine!

Morning Classes

Morning classes at Camp Levine are music an instrument focused. During the morning classes our campers grades 1-6 experience Instrumental Music introductions and instruction, General Music, Art, and Games & Sports. Read below to hear from our teachers about what your campers did during Session 1!

Music+ (General Music)

Paula Zabel:

The three weeks have flown by and the campers have gotten a chance to share in many varied music tranditions. They even had the opportunity to share about their own family culture and traditions! I’ve been so impressed by the campers’ musicality, quick learning, but most of all their teamwork in music making! It’s been super fun singing, playing music games, and playing the Orff instruments – I look forward to seeing them all again next year!

Games & Sports

Jade Russo:

In Games & Sports with Jade, we get up and get active with many different kinds of games – both old and new, goofy and competitive. We learn how to play fair and ensure everyone is included as we use our imagination to make all kinds of silliness come to life. Whether we’re being chased by sharks or foxes, trying to be the last one standing in Gaga Ball, or using the Mystery Box of props to tell stories about how potatoes are the meaning of life, we’re always having fun! (That is, until Chicken-Zilla comes back for revenge!!!

Violin

Avner Finberg:

Our violin focus group is playing “cripple creek”, a traditional Appalachian fiddle tune. It is so much fun! The campers get a chance to improvise, stomp their feet and play in two parts!

Flute

Ceylon Mitchell:

In the flute classes this session, we’ve:

Listened to flute recordings and live demonstrations.

Engaged in VAK learning styles (visual, auditory and kinesthetic)

Worked on breathing with exercises and aid devices (Paper Balls)

Worked on air direction (Pneumo Pro)

Worked on flute assembly and sounds on the headjoint

Learned our first notes (G, A, B, C, D) and melodies (Hot Cross Buns, Mary Hand a Little Lamb, Cuckoo, Al Cintrón, Ode to Joy)

Art

Allyson Ger:

In art the groups learned about Folk Art and created projects inspired by different cultures and communities around the world. They looked at pictures of fabric molas from Panama and created their own paper cut Molas. We talked about Native American dream catchers and many of the children had their own. They made theirs out of plates, string, beads and feathers and some added native american symbols. They learned about Thailand’s spirit animal, the elephant, and collaged 3D elephants and designed an environment for them. They really enjoyed etching designs into styrofoam and block printing them. And finally, they illustrated the story, “How the Raven Stole the Sun.” The children were very engaged and their projects looked amazing!

Trumpet

Nathan Wolfe:

I can’t believe that session 1 has almost come to a close! All of the campers have shown great commitment to the trumpet and I have seen incredible growth over the course of 3 weeks. In our focus instrument class, we have been working on producing a pleasant tone on the horn, and learning the typical first five notes, C D E F and G. We then took these ideas and used them to get songs ready for our final performance. In the Beavers group, we are playing De Colores and Aiken Drum, and in our Eagles group we are playing Clair De Lune. Something that I have been very impressed by is all the campers’ willingness to collaborate and put personal twists on these classic folk songs.

In our sampler groups, we have been working on basic tone production and learning different finger combinations. We then get to put those finger combinations together and play short melodies, like Hot Cross Buns. The amount of comments I have been getting from young students about excited they are for trumpet class and how they want to learn more is truly heartening and makes me excited for the next generation of trumpet players.

Piano

Alexandra Jones:

The Piano Campers had a blast this session exploring what makes the piano such a unique and special instrument. The campers in the focus class were introduced to basic piano technique, notation, and music theory. They got to see the many ways the piano is used in music, from a solo instrument to a member of the band. We were introduced to reading music on the staff as well as tips and tricks for confidently playing by ear. The best part of each class? Getting to make music with your friends!

The campers in the sampler are coming away as experts at creating and identifying the many sounds of the piano. No class was complete without an ear-training challenge, followed by a jam-band performance of Boogie Along on Two Black Keys. Each sampler class composed their own Boogies as a group as well as individually. Our favorite part was sharing our composition or a special song for each other in our recitals held at the end of each class. We’re ready for center stage!

From the Teen Apprentices

Pandas:

In the Pandas group, each class was fun-filled and exciting. The kids were very creative, especially in their art and dances classes, where they did many projects. We had a lot of fun with them, and they were an amazing group to work with. As mentioned before, art was definitely a group favorite, as the kids could express their creativity without bounds! As usual sports and Games were also a favorite, from four corners to sharks and minnows, the bamboo-loving animals had a fantastic time!

Beavers:

The beavers had an amazing time at Camp Levine this session! They got to explore new skills, like art and xylophone, as well as their focus instrument. They worked so hard to learn and put together their final performances for the end of camp! The beavers especially loved learning the dance to “Tell Me Ma” which is a traditional Irish folk song!

Eagles:

Our group was tremendous throughout these past three weeks. There were many different personalities in our group: some loved to draw and others to sing. However, we all got together within minutes. The Eagles enjoyed Focus, where they learned a new instrument, and Drama, where they learned about acting. Overall, our group thoroughly enjoyed the past three weeks, and every activity was a blast.

Elephants:

The first session of Camp Levine was fun, smooth, and organized. The elephants (second grade campers) had a total of five TA’s, with two that were with the kids for the whole day. Our TA’s were Soumili, Ruby, Zahra, Aban, and Dalia.

The first week of camp was mainly icebreakers and get-to-know you games, which were helpful for the teachers, TA’s and campers. Songs, dances, and acts for the final performance were introduced, and the campers were eager to continue.

All the content learned was relevant to the theme “A Tapestry of Traditions,” and the campers understood all those words and concepts by the end of the session. We shared our own cultures and so did the kids by filling out a paper provided by the Music+ teacher, Ms. Paula. The final week prepared the kids for the performance, and they knew every song, dance, and line by heart. Overall, it was an amazing session for the Elephants, and we are looking forward to next year!

Afternoon Classes

Afternoon classes at Camp Levine are musical theater focused. During the afternoon classes our campers grades 1-6 experience Dance, Drama, and Choral music classes. These 3 classes collaborate to produce a musical theater performance at the end of the session. Read below to hear from our teachers about what your campers did during Session 1!

Drama- Tory Shaw:

Our campers have had an AWESOME time exploring the world of Theater this session! In addition to learning their lines and staging for our “Tapestry of Traditions” show, campers have been learned the importance of developing Stage Presence, the power of Projecting their voices on stage, and how to develop characters and play people that are different from themselves. They have also learned a bunch of new theater games that are teaching them about Improvisation and how much fun it can be when one has to “think on their feet.” We have enjoyed our time together and hope you will enjoy our show!

Dance-Alfreda Davis:

Nurturing the spirit of Camp Levine, our campers are hard at work on their Camp Levine production – A Tapestry of Tradition. Our campers are so creative! Many of our campers have shared ideas about choreography and music for the show. They have done an amazing job learning dance fundamentals such as: passe, plie, port de bra, tendu, degage, battement, lunge and so much more. They have transferred these basic skills to the choreography. They are hard at work and they can’t wait for you to see the show!

Choral-Amanda Silverstein

Campers in Vocal/Choral have been working on, developing their singing technique through breathwork, toungue twisters, and canon singing. They have worked so hard to learn their songs for the final performance and sing them with expression and meaning, highlighting different cultures from around the world.