Summer Camp

At Pierrepont, we seek students who are academically motivated, engaged and who can participate successfully in a demanding curriculum. Students will have an array of robust summer class options with teachers who are specialists in their disciplines.

For an overview of our sample summer program, please see below. Please email summercamp@pierrepontschool.org with any registration questions.

Pierrepont Summer Sample Program: Dates, Rates, and Ages

Ages: Open to all students ages 9-13 before the first day of camp (campers need not be current Pierrepont students)
Dates: PROGRAM NOT OFFERED SUMMER 2020
Rates: $700/week, $75/before care, $75 after care

Daily Schedule: On Campus – $700/week

We have a variety of offerings in three different categories: Arts, Academics, and Health and Wellness. Each student will be able to select two program options in order to create their week at camp.

Sample Schedule Monday – Thursday
8:30 – 9:30 Before care
9:30 – 11:00 1st Program Option
11:05 – 12:05 Athletics
12:10 – 12:30 Lunch
12:30 – 1:00 Recess
1:05 – 2:35 2nd Program Option
2:40 – 3:00 Dismissal
3:10 – 4:10 After care

Sample Schedule Field Trip Friday
8:30 – 9:30 Before care
9:30 – 2:00 Field Trip
2:00 – 3:00 All Camp Activity – Capture the flag, Trivia, Water balloon toss, and more
3:00 – 3:10 Dismissal
3:10 – 4:10 After care

Academic Program Choices

X-Marks the Spot: History of Mapping (Weeks 1 and 2)

The greatest adventures often begin with a single map. From pirate treasure to charting voyages across the sea, history and mythology are filled with maps that help us imagine whole new worlds and ideas. This class will take us on a variety of mapping adventures, from imaginary realms to historical journeys and modern tools of navigation and way-finding. Through making, using, and exploring maps and mapping, we will come to a better understanding about how and why we ever know where we are in the world. Possible topics and activities will include: scavenger and treasure hunts, geocaching, mapping imaginary landscapes, the development of online mapping technology, and data visualization techniques that help us map and illustrate information in new and exciting ways.

Staff: Sofia Gans

The Art of Problem Solving (Weeks 1 and 2)

In our math classes, the students will work on multi-step open-ended problem-solving in order to develop the foundations of mathematical thinking. By being exposed to questions that are different from the ones the students meet in their general curricula, the students will have to put together their logical and mathematical thinking and knowledge with a fantasy and creativity. These are the elements that are at the base of rigorous and creative methods of proof in mathematics. The students will work in different groups according to their fit so as to have proper and meaningful access to the material. In the process, we will cover multiple topics in various fields of mathematics such as algebra, geometry and number theory. The students will have the chance to work with other students that share the same passion for mathematics and problem solving in an environment that combines fun, rigorous thinking and creativity.

The Art of Problem Solving sections will be broken up into 2 groups by age to ensure appropriate levels of content: 9-11 and 12-13. For each class, 45 minutes of math study is accompanied by 45 minutes of physical education math movement games outside.

Staff: Federica La Nave, Annabelle Wilson, Dudley LaPorte

Programming with Robot Cozmo (Weeks 1 and 2)

Requirements: Laptop computer 

The Anki Vector is a flexible, well-developed consumer robot with AI abilities, including speech recognition, face recognition, and a rich sensor array that allow it to map and navigate its environment.With a Python-based Standard Development Kit, students are introduced to the Python programming language as they learn to program the Vector’s hardware, and create new ways for the Vector to engage its environment. Both beginner and already competent programmers are invited to participate and explore this world of fun programming.

Staff: Taiwo Togun

Philosophical Puzzles (Weeks 1 and 2)

Campers will learn about some central ideas in the history of philosophy through some challenging puzzles and paradoxes! This class focuses on thinking of philosophical positions as attempts to solve problems or resolve paradoxes.We start with some classic issues in epistemology, discussing external-world skepticism through Descartes’ “Evil Demon” thought experiment and uncertainty of empirical knowledge through Hume’s “Problem of Induction.” We then will discuss the possible solutions to these various challenges and the nature of epistemological investigation more generally. After our section on epistemology, we will turn to philosophical ethics. We start with the now-classic “Trolley Problem” and its (many, many) variations as a way to think about the appeal and downsides of consequentialist ethics. We will then turn to a related philosophical puzzle–Robert Nozick’s “Utility Monster” thought experiment. As in the case of the first section, we will use these short, engaging arguments as springboards for thinking more seriously about the nature and content of moral philosophy more generally.

Staff: Mark Berger

Arts Program Choices

Modern Dance and Composition (Weeks 1 and 2)

Develop artistry in dance through dynamic movement and performance! Pierrepont summer dance offers dancers the chance to expand their learning and love of dance through exploration. Our week-long program supports dancers in strengthening their technique, coordination, flexibility and musicality. Dancers will explore new ways to move with methods of improvisation used in multiple schools of modern dance study. Modern dance classes incorporate center work and choreography building. This course is designed to provide the camper who is interested in choreography the time to experiment and collaborate.

Staff: Dana Thomas

In Plein Air Painting (Week 2 morning only)

Students will take our canvases, brushes and paints outside of our regular studio space and make some work outdoors (weather permitting; if it rains, we will work in the garage space or by looking out the windows). The students will mix their acrylic paints and make their work entirely onsite in the style of the French Impressionists; the students will learn how to accommodate, and take advantage of, unexpected problems that arise inevitably through painting plein air, such as the sun, bugs, and changing weather conditions. Alongside our painting outside, we will look at famous artists who worked or work plein air, such as John Constable, Claude Monet, and Josephine Halvorson, and read excerpts of journals by artists such as Vincent Van Gogh to develop our language around colors and color interactions to inform our own color and compositional choices.

Staff: Téa Beer

Video Game Puppetry (Weeks 1 and 2)

Requirements: Laptop computer, Minecraft account

Participants will be introduced to the video game puppetry techniques used by professional theater company EK Theater (www.ektheater.com.) EK Theater is made up of students, and the group has performed in theaters, festivals, and conferences in the United States and abroad including at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, MA; MozFest in London; and Minefaire in Houston, TX. The New York Times has called their work “an impressive feat of engineering, coordination, and storytelling.” The camp will be led by director Eddie Kim and student members of the team.

Staff: Eddie Kim

What is an Artbook? (Week 1 only)

The students will each develop their own book over the course of the week, whether it is a photo album or a retelling of a myth or a wordless comic strip, ending up with a beautiful, handmade art object that can exist on the bookshelf as opposed to behind glass or on a pedestal. Alongside the making, we will discuss the “availability,” or lack thereof, of art in a museum format, and discuss how small, handmade, affordable art books might be a more expansive and inclusive way of both sharing art and telling our own histories, especially if we do not find ourselves in the institutions which hold most of our art and histories.

Staff: Téa Beer

Theater and Song (Weeks 1 and 2)

Does your child love acting, singing and improvisation but can’t choose just one? This class will provide a unique opportunity to explore all three in a fun and creative environment! Classes will help promote self-esteem, build a sense of community and empower young people to be their true, authentic selves!

Staff: Jesse van Buren and Susan Owen

Health and Wellness Program Choices

In the Zone: Mindfulness (Weeks 1 and 2)

Have you ever sat down to take an important test? Or stood on the free-throw line to take a foul shot? If you have, you already know how important it is to be able to put yourself in a calm and focused state of awareness. This kind of “flow” state or the state of “being in the zone” can help us perform to the best of our intellectual, emotional, and physical abilities. It can also help us feel happier and more relaxed when we are stressed or anxious, or when we are in high-pressure situations. In this class, we will explore several different mindfulness practices. We will also do some reading about the ways in which athletes, musicians, poets, and even surgeons have used mindfulness practices to immerse themselves in their work and to improve their skills. No prior experience with meditation or mindfulness practices is necessary, but students should wear clothing suitable for stretching!

Staff: Amelia Greene

Athletics (Every day, 11:05 – 12:05)

Students will learn and take part in a variety of sports including : Disc golf, basketball, soccer, badminton, ping pong and more. This daily athletics program offers students a chance to practice and enhance their skills in a variety of sports. Fundamental drills cover all aspects of the sports, from individual techniques to team cooperation and strategy. Activities will be tailored to the needs of individual players at all levels, from beginner to advanced. 

Staff: Dudley LaPorte, Isaiah Rutherford

FAQ – On Campus

Will lunch be provided?

Students should bring their own lunches to camp. We are a nut free camp.

Do you have to attend Pierrepont to go?

No, we are welcoming all students from all over to sign up and join our program. 

Do we sign up for Athletics? 

No, each day every camper will have an hour of athletics.

What is your refund policy? 

We ask for a $250 non refundable downpayment and full payment by June 15th. If we need to move online, a refund of $300 will be issued if you paid in full to meet the online price of $400. 

Do I need to sign up for both weeks of camp?

No you don’t. Each week is a different experience. 

How are the kids grouped?

Campers are grouped by age in math only. In all our courses, the teachers differentiate to meet the needs of each student.