Language Arts
WRITING, GRAMMAR, HISTORY, FRENCH, CULTURE and PSAT
Advanced French Review
Sarah Shoemaker
Your spoken and written French are good, but you still hesitate between the imparfait and the passé compose. Direct and indirect object pronouns continue to throw you off. You know the future and conditional tenses, but you need practice using them in real situations. You understand how to form the subjunctive, but you need more practice using it, especially with conjunctive phrases (pour que, avant que, bien que, pourvu que, etc.). You’d like to become more facile using the futur anterieur, gerunds and infinitives. You’d like to take more dictations or read more French literature. If any of these puzzling French grammar challenges are giving you a headache, you’ve come to the right place!
August 6-17 • 9:00–12:00
Grades 9–12 • Cost: $350
Around the World in a Week!
Caley Peterson
Join me on this whirlwind tour of the world! Spend day one in Thailand where we can try out our culinary creativity by making some Thai food. Day two we will land in Romania. Ukraine is next: Let’s look for babushkas to help teach us their secret for making borsch. We will head to Australia and learn about the land down under. The final day will be spent in Ireland. You will not only learn a bit about each culture’s diet and how to say some common words, but you will also learn some geography as you track yourself on maps as we travel to a new place each day.
June 18–22 • 9:00–12:00
Grades 2–5 • Cost: $175
Around the World in 10 Days Through Literature Cancelled
Mary Barthelemy
Children will love this new literature course designed to feature picture books from far-flung corners of the world. Students will cook, participate in drama, enjoy art projects, and have other creative experiences centered around each day's story. Where is Zimbabwe? How do Native Americans honor their ancestors? How is living in Paris like living in Portland? Are there volcanoes in Mexico and Malaysia? What does a Japanese child eat? We'll find the answers to these and many other questions as we learn about our neighbors to the south, Mexico and South America, then cross the Atlantic to find stories about Europeans, take a tour through literature in Africa, sail the Pacific with stops in Malaysia, China and Japan, and, finally, immerse ourselves in Native American tales.
July 16–27 • 9:00–12:00
Grades K–2 • Cost: $330 (2-weeks)
Bookmaking, Storytelling & Illustration
Kelly Leonard
Are you a book lover who would jump at the chance to write your own book? If you said yes, this is the workshop for you! During this workshop, you will have the opportunity to write, illustrate, and publish your own book. Make a book, create a story to go inside, and illustrate your story your own way. Your book can include anything from poetry and abstract designs to a plotted storyline and realistic illustrations. Explore a variety of easy bookmaking techniques that you can use for future stories. At the end of this workshop, we will mail your story off to a company that will print your book just like the professionals!
July 16–20 • 1:00–4:00
Grades 1–4 • Cost: $175
College Essay: Tell Your Story
Robin Schauffler
Learn and practice techniques for a stronger, more effective college essay. Increase your writing power; build the skills you need for vivid personal writing that brings out your individual voice. Read and learn from examples of great nonfiction writing, and examine sentences, paragraphs, and the big picture. The skills learned in this workshop will be applicable to a variety of writing projects, and you'll develop a draft of a college essay that helps tell your story.
July 16–20 • 9:00–12:00
Grades 10–12 • Cost: $195
Culture Crossing (pick your region)
Caley Peterson
Ever wonder what others around the world live like? Come cross cultures with us at summer camp as we explore a different region of the world each session. Learn about their way of life! Discover, experience, and try out some of the foods they eat, languages they speak, places they live, games children play, schools they go to, and much more. Create delicious dishes and beautiful art, as well as learn through sharing stories, pictures, and videos. Come have some fun and enjoy this unique global experience. Caley will share her pictures and stories from each of these regions, having just spent time in each of them last year.
Session A: Eastern Africa Cancelled
June 18–22 • 1:00–4:00
Grades 2–5 • Cost: $175
Session B: Eastern Europe Cancelled
July 9–13 • 9:00–12:00
Grades 2–5 • Cost: $175
Session C: Southeast Asia
July 30-August 3 • 9:00–12:00
Grades 2–5 • Cost: $175
Egyptology With a Spin
David Moss
Come take a trip through time and pyramids as we explore the unique history, architecture, food, art, and language of Egypt. This virtual journey to Egypt will ignite the senses as we explore what makes Egypt such a great world destination. Students will have the opportunity to learn basic Arabic and hieroglyphics, make and taste Egyptian food, experiment with Islamic art, and learn about how to travel in a land of camels, pharaohs, and traditional hospitality. Current issues will also be explored as we investigate Egypt's post-revolutionary transitions.
June 18–22 • 9:00–12:00
Grades 6–12 • Cost: $195
Global Village
Caley Peterson
In this hands-on class, students will explore the rich culture and history of native peoples while building their own replicas of different houses still used around the world. Global village projects will range from a Polynesian grass hut to a Native American teepee, to a Ugandan mud hut and more. Part of each day will be held outside collecting and gathering materials. Enjoy making food from these different cultures while learning about various clutures and construction techniques.
August 20–24 • 9:00–4:00
Grades 2–8 • Cost: $285
Grammar Matters
Art Ward
Over these nine class days, a total of 27 hours, you will learn the fundamentals of traditional English grammar: the basic structure of a sentence, the functions of words, phrases, and clauses; the various constructions that give English prose its power as well as how they are best used; and the terminology that we apply to all of the above. The course will be useful in firming the foundation of students’ sentence-writing skills in English, introducing them to the common vocabulary used for the parts of sentences with which we tinker, and helping to clarify their grammatical understanding of other languages they may be studying in high school, particularly Spanish, French, and German.
June 25–July 6 • 9:00–12:00
Grades 9–12 • Cost: $340
Grammar Toolbox: Parts of Speech Focus
Laura Strudwick
Add a deeper knowledge of the eight parts of speech to your Grammar Toolbox. Understand the underlying structure of language, thereby improving your command of English and ability to communicate in written form. Learn or review these parts of speech: nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, conjunctions, interjections, prepositions, and adverbs. We will also cover simple, compound, and complex sentence structures. Each day we will focus on one or two parts of speech using the following class structure: learn and practice the information, reinforce the memory with movement-oriented activities, learn how to identify and diagram the parts of speech in sentences, work with the information in an imaginative way through creative writing and artistic projects, play games to review the material, and then assess understanding and memory with a post-test. This course can be taken as a prerequisite to the “Grammar Toolbox: Punctuation Focus” class. Students will receive their own copies of the reference book Writer's Inc. Student Handbook.
Class A: June 25–29 • 10:00–12:00
Class B: July 9–13 • 10:00–12:00
Grades 6–9 • Cost: $160 (includes book)
Grammar Toolbox: Punctuation Focus
Laura Strudwick
Add a solid understanding of those pesky punctuation marks to your Grammar Toolbox. Be able to use punctuation with ease and sophistication. Why do we use punctuation? Where does it go? What are the rules? The class covers apostrophes, end punctuation, quotation marks, hyphens, dashes, colons, and semi-colons, but we give the most emphasis to comma usage. We also learn about structures such as independent and dependent clauses, appositives, and prepositional phrases. Each day the class follows this basic format: Learn and practice the information; memorize and apply the material through games, kinesthetic movement, creative writing, and artistic projects; review the information; and assess your understanding. A basic understanding of parts of speech and subjects and predicates is a prerequisite for this course. The material covered in my “Grammar Toolbox: Parts of Speech Focus” class fulfills the prerequisite requirement. Students will receive their own copies of the reference book Writer's Inc. Student Handbook. If taking both Grammar Toolbox courses, students will receive one copy of the reference book, and the book’s cost will be subtracted from the tuition for the second class ($20 discount).
Class A: June 25–29 • 1:00–3:00
Class B: July 9–13 • 1:00–3:00
Grades 6–9 • Cost: $160 (includes book) $140 without book
Grand Encounter
Kelly Leonard
This camp will explore the exciting “Age of Discovery” through the perspectives of both Native Americans and European Explorers. Pretend you are an Aztec, Pueblo, or Inca person living centuries ago. Wear the shoes of European explorers and experience what life was like in the New World. Make a treasure chest, journals, maps, and artifacts from around the world! Bring both perspectives together to better understand this significant time in history. If you like art, drama, music, crafts, role playing, and much more, this is the camp for you!
June 18–22 • 9:00–12:00
Grades 3–5 • Cost: $180
Introduction to Latin and Ancient Rome
Teresa Shelby
Spend a week in an amazing culture—Ancient Rome! Learn some simple Latin and Latin roots used in English. Activities are based on Roman history and daily life. Roman games, mythology, arts, and customs are featured. We will do Roman-themed activities daily and you get to wear a toga, just like ancient Romans wore. Viva Roma!
July 23–27 • 9:00–12:00
Grades 4–6 • Cost: $195
Little House on the Prairie Camp Full
Dawn Swanson
Come and live like Laura Ingalls and Almanzo Wilder for a week as we make butter, hardtack, dip candles, dye yarn, make toys, do laundry the old fashion way, build a log cabin, strain water for drinking and much, much more. Get ready to take a trip back in time and live like the pioneers! Please feel free to bring your favorite stories from the Little House series and come dressed as Laura or Almanzo.
July 16–20 • 9:00–12:00
Grades 1–5 • Cost: $175
Mythology & the Literary Analysis Essay
Laura Strudwick
Have fun reading and discussing myths from different cultures and boost your higher-level thinking and writing skills in the process. Learn about the theories of Joseph Campbell (the hero’s journey) and Carl Jung (archetypes, dreams, and the unconscious). Strengthen your literary analysis essay writing skills, including topic selection, thesis development, generation and organization of original ideas, and execution of the writing. We spend time on revision and editing to create a clean copy of your final product. During class time we read and discuss myths from different cultures and work on the writing process in close consultation with the teacher. We also identify mythological themes in excerpts from popular films and approach the material in imaginative ways, including short creative writings and collage art. Some writing homework is to be expected. The teacher, Laura Strudwick, holds a Masters in Education with over 15 years of teaching experience in middle and high school Language Arts and Social Studies. She also holds a Master of Arts degree in Mythological Studies with an Emphasis in Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute. She has completed her doctoral level coursework and is working on her PhD dissertation.
Class A: July 16–27 (2-week class) • 10:00–12:00
Class B: August 6–17
(2-week class) • 10:00–12:00
Grades 7–10 • Cost: $240
PSAT/SAT Preparation & Study Skills
Douglas Bloch
This comprehensive course will teach students the critical reading, math, and writing skills that are needed to attain high scores on the PSAT and the SAT. Students will gain hands-on experience through taking actual SATs and will learn effective score-enhancing strategies that are specific to the SAT. In addition, we will cover the psychology of test-taking as well as proven methods for overcoming test anxiety. All materials will be provided, including The Official SAT Study Guide, published by the College Board.
Class A: July 16-19 • 1:00–5:00 (Monday-Thursday)
Class B:
July 23–26 • 12:30–4:30 (Monday-Thursday) FULL
Grades 10-12 • Cost: $250 (includes book)
Refresh your French: Advanced-beginner and Intermediate French Grammar and Conversation Cancelled
Sarah Shoemaker
Are you joining OES from another school, and you want to make sure your French is up to par with the class you plan to enter? Did you miss some classes last year and so got behind in French? Are you feeling a little worried that you missed some important points that you know you’ll need to understand next year?
In this class, you will get a review of beginning and intermediate French. You’ll get used to conjugating regular and irregular verbs in the present tense, as well as how to express yourself in the past. You’ll work on object pronouns and other compound tenses. You’ll practice speaking French, and begin to understand spoken French better. Your accent will improve, as well.
As we go over these things and any other questions you may have, you will be given clues to the language that will help guide you through some things about the language that can seem difficult. You will begin to feel more confident in your speaking and writing. Class will involve work at the board, doing projects and dictations, and playing games to practice conversation and pronunciation. Students will receive helpful handouts that can be used for future reference.
July 23–August 3 • 9:00–12:00
Grades 9–12 • Cost: $350
The Dirty Dozen English Usage Errors
and How to Fix Them
Art Ward
This five-day class targets the 12 English usage errors that are made most commonly in academic writing and most hurt the clarity, economy, and grace of your writing. You will learn how to recognize them when editing your work, why they are errors, and how you can replace them with expressions that are not only “correct” but powerful. A sidelight of the class will be improving your preparation for the “writing” section of the SAT, in particular the multiple-choice questions that purport to test sentence skills. The real point of the course, however, is not scoring high on a test but improving how you look in print. In talking about the elements of your sentences, we will use the traditional terminology that is taught in the companion course, “Grammar Matters.” If you do not already have a basic command of the principles and definitions of English grammar, you are strongly urged to take that course before you take this one.
July 9–13 • 9:00–12:00
Grades 9–12 • Cost: $195
The Short Short
Joe Haferbecker
This class will be an in-depth study of grammar and sentence structure through the art of the short story. Focusing on the literary elements of plot and character development, with an emphasis on quality writing and peer review, students will craft several short stories paying careful attention to syntax in order to achieve a desired affect. Throughout the week, students will be challenged to write Short Shorts (stories of 100-200 words), following the example of Hemingway. The class culminates in publication.
Class A: July 16–20 • 1:00–4:00
Grades 6–8 • Cost: $175
Class B: July 16–20 • 9:00–12:00
Grades 9–12 • Cost: $175
The Struggle for Independence
Kelly Leonard
Bring history to life with this exciting camp on the American Revolution! Travel back in time to the late 1700s and discover how everyone, from the gentry to slaves, influenced the events that shaped our country. We will use hands-on projects to learn about the early history of the United States and how it affects us today. We will use art, drama, music, crafts, debates, poetry, and more to experience what it must have been like to live during this important time in history.
June 25–29 • 9:00–12:00
Grades 3–5 • Cost: $175
Writing Workshop: The Essay
Justin Kerr
Brush up on your essay writing skills, with emphasis on learning to express and organize your ideas more effectively. Focus on the areas of essay writing you most want to improve, whether it is introductions, conclusions, or transitions between paragraphs. You will write a narrative essay in class.
June 18–22 • 1:00–3:00
Grades 7–9 • Cost: $140
Writing Skills
Debby Schauffler
Students will work on both essays and opinion/persuasive writing in this class. Take this class if you want to: improve your writing skills and increase your vocabulary, learn to plan, organize, revise, and polish your critical writing, and practice discrete steps in the writing process. We will also review grammar and usage expectations for essay writing.
July 2–13 • 9:30–11:30 (2-weeks) No class July 4!
Grades 8–9 • Cost: $210
