MD Campus: Strathmore Session 1

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A Note from the Director of Camp Levine

Dear Camp Levine Families,

We’ve had such an awesome time at Camp Levine this session! We’re thankful for you sharing your camper with us this summer. 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 the support of our Camp Levine community is what has made it all possible.

Whether this is your camper’s first or third summer at Camp Levine, we hope that through our theme “Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall: Harmony in All Seasons,” we have provided a fun and engaging artistic experience.

We hope to see you next year!

Best,

Jazmin Goodson, Director of Camp Levine

A Note from the Site Director

Dear Families,

Thank you so much for trusting your children to us these past three weeks.  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.  I was particularly impressed by the number of songs they were able to sing, and the pages and pages of lyrics they memorized.  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.  

Jason McFeaters

Site Director, Camp Levine 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.

Pre-K has been a blast! Each day, campers have circle time, outdoor play, lunch, dance & movement, quiet time, drama, and story telling. Our music staff also rotate each day to give a mini lesson and performance to campers. It has been amazing to watch the campers enjoy music, art, and dance together and it has been a terrific session. 

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)

This has been a great session of getting to know each other.  The campers are having a great time playing a variety of name games and songs.  We have worked on: 

“Time to Play” 

“Autumn Leaves are Falling” 

“The Seasons” 

We also learned to play a variety of patterns on the xylophones!  We are off to a super summer start! 

Games & Sports

In Sports & Games we are having a blast getting to know each other with fun games both new and classic, like sharks & minnows and “Gaga ball,” as well as silly ice-breakers like “Rock Paper Scissors Trains!” We learn how to play fair, engage in friendly competition, and ensure everyone is included. Here’s hoping for more great weather outside this summer!

Violin

This session has been a busy session at Camp Levine for our young campers! The Pre-K and K campers who receive visiting, instrumental teachers who share all the beauties of their (beloved) instrument and offer the opportunity for each camper to touch and play on real, small violins (in our case) for a few minutes! I wish you could all see their smiles!  

Focus and Sampler violin campers focused on posture, sound production, bow hold and started learning how to read a few notes on the staves (corresponding to the violin strings G, D, A, E). Some even invented their own composition! In addition, Focus campers were also introduced to 3 types of rythms (whole, half and quarter notes) as well as bow directions (down and up bows). In week 2, we will explored the 1st finger (on the fingerboard!) and start playing in duet with piano, ho, ho! Week 3, we are preparing for the performances.

I have been extremely pleased by your children’s attentiveness and responsiveness!

Annabelle Berthomé-Reynolds

Art

In Art, campers have worked on a variety of art projects, including painting, water colors, drawing, and using 3D paper shapes. Art has been a great time for campers to get to know one another while exploring their creative side! 

Trumpet

This session campers worked on the following skills:

  • How to hold the trumpet 
  • Learning first 5 notes (C, D, E, F, G) 
  • Difference between whole and half notes 
  • How to form embouchure  

The most rewarding part for me and your camper was when they made their first sound! 

Flute

Our flute students have learned the fundamentals of playing a woodwind instrument, including wind, embouchure, and tonguing. Moving into the third week, students have been refining their technique and working on the season-themed songs for the final performance! 

Piano

Piano Focus students have been working on pieces to get familiar with white keys and black keys. Our favorites so far have been Old MacDonald and Ode to Joy.  Piano Sampler students have been exploring the entire keyboard and playing fun pieces on the black keys. We all love playing duets together! 

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: 

During drama, students have been exploring their creative side through acting out various scripts written for this camp session. After deciding which roles they prefer, students rehearsed entire plays together. For the final few days of camp, students have been practicing on the big stage to prepare for Friday’s performance. 

Dance:

In dance, campers first learned the basics of dance and stage production, including stage directions, timing, and basic dance patterns. In the second and third weeks, campers worked on coreography for the dances for the final performance. Dance has been a great way for campers to move around and learn more about the visual and performing arts! 

Choral:

So far, I have really enjoyed getting to know your kids and making music with them. This session in camp, we did some physical exercises and a little bit of vocal exploration. We also learned several songs, such as “You’ve Got a Friend”, “Here Comes The Sun”, and “Leaves are Falling”. The kids have great musical skills and love having fun. I am looking forward to seeing what is to come in the following weeks!

 

Check out photos of our campers from Session 1! They had an awesome time exploring the seasons through music and the arts.