Grades 6-8

Rising Grades 6-8 Camps

16 Camps Await Girls and Boys Entering Grades 6-8

Broadway Kids Camp Presents Seussical Kids! • Exploring Art & Nature • Girls with Bikes & Books • Urban Adventure/City Science • Adventure Camp • Girls Only Adventure Camp & Campout • Overnight Adventure Camp 4 Girls • Introduction to Middle School Speech & Debate • Eco-Leaders • Broadway Bound! • Gator Game Plan • Creative Writing English Language Arts Skills • English Language Arts Skills • Algebra Review & Refresher • Geometry for Credit • Gutsy Girls & Wise Women

Broadway Kids Camp Presents "Seussical Kids!" *New for 2023*

Ages: Girls & boys entering Grades 1-7
Format: One, two-week session; culminating in a performance 
Location: Laurel’s Lyman Campus in Shaker Heights
Dates: July 10-July 21 - $800
Time: 9:00 am-4:00 pm

Broadway Kids Camp is a two-week musical theater intensive program for rising First-Seventh Graders. In the mornings, campers take music, dance, improv, and acting classes, and in the afternoons they rehearse their full-scale production of Seussical Kids! This magical journey features all our favorite Dr. Seuss characters and teaches the power of being unique, and the importance of fighting for your beliefs. At Broadway Kids Camp, kids of all ages and backgrounds are offered a structured opportunity for growth. This enriched program is designed for campers to promote independence and self-confidence all while making new friends and learning exciting new skills. Book by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty; Music by Stephen Flaherty; Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens; Conceived by Lynn Ahrens, Stephen Flaherty and Eric Idle. Based on the works of Dr. Seuss. Music supervised, adapted and produced by Bryan Louiselle. Suessical Kids is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.MTIShows.com.

Exploring Art & Nature

Ages: Girls entering Grades 4-6 
Format: One week-long session
Location: Laurel’s Butler Campus in Russell Township*
Dates: June 26-30 - $460
Time: 9:00 am-4:00 pm

Spend a week of summer exploring art in nature! Using the texts Maker Camp, Girls Garage, and Wool Pets, girls will explore the natural environment at the Butler Campus and use it as inspiration to explore new mediums in art. During the week, girls will have opportunities to create felt animals and other creatures, plant fairy gardens with natural materials, and use tools to build a wooden trellis that will be added to our Butler Community gardens. Much of each day will be spent sketching and painting in nature and playing games together in the woods, with plenty of time to explore new art concepts, make and create! 

*Shuttle service from Laurel’s Lyman Campus to the Butler Campus is available for an additional fee.

Girls with Books & Bikes: Exciting Adventures for the Brain & Body!

Ages: Girls entering Grades 4-6
Format: One two-week session
Location: Laurel’s Lyman Campus in Shaker Heights
Dates: June 12-June 23 (no camp June 19) - $720
Time: 9:00 am-4:00 pm

In this exciting girls-only, two-week camp campers will exercise their brains and bodies! Girls will spend part of their day on biking adventures through Shaker Heights near Laurel’s Lyman Campus. Days will be rounded out by two Laurel School faculty members leading girls in book club discussions of a book chosen by the group, as well as providing support to girls reading individually selected books or summer reading books.

*Campers must bring their own bike and helmet, and be comfortable riding a bike. Bikes will be stored at Lyman Campus for the duration of camp.

Urban Adventure/City Science

Ages: Girls & boys entering Grades 5-8
Format: One two-week session
Location: Laurel’s Lyman Campus in Shaker Heights
Dates: June 26-July 7 (no camp July 3 & 4) - $640
Time: 9:00 am-4:00 pm
 
Calling all 5th-8th Grade girls and boys! Come with us to explore Cleveland’s urban environment and learn about the science behind how a city functions. During this two-week-long experience, campers will take field trips to multiple places within Cleveland and investigate key aspects of urban life with a scientific lens and interact with experts in the field. Participants will also spend time at the Butler Campus in Russell Township adventuring in nature. If your camper loves hands-on science and engineering, they are sure to enjoy this action packed Urban Adventure Camp!

Adventure Camp

Ages: Girls & boys entering Grades 5-8*
Format: Two two-week sessions designed around challenging activities; campers are encouraged to sign up for multiple sessions. 
Location: Laurel’s Butler Campus in Russell Township**
Session 1: June 12-June 23 (no camp June 19) - $740
Session 2: June 26-July 7 (no camp July 3 & 4) - $660
Time: 9:00 am-4:00 pm

Campers will explore mountain biking, rock climbing, paddle boarding, sailing and backpacking. Daily experiences will introduce new and exciting adventures on our 150-acre Butler Campus and will be enhanced by customized field trips focused on specific skills. This camp will enable pre-teens to challenge themselves individually and in group situations. Time will be spent on the 15 high- and low-rope elements offered on Laurel’s Project Adventure Ropes Course to help foster creative problem solving, promote leadership and build self-confidence through improved communication skills and teamwork. Campers will need to come prepared with an adventurous spirit and a desire to have lots of fun!

*Campers must be comfortable riding a bike and swimming. New this year, bicycles will be provided to all campers, for use during camp, from our Butler Bike Fleet of 80+ Giant mountain bikes. Campers will be assigned a bike at the beginning of their session, but each camper must provide her/his own helmet.

**Shuttle service from Laurel’s Lyman Campus to the Butler Campus is available for an additional fee.

Girls-Only Adventure Camp & Campout

Ages: Girls entering Grades 5-8*
Format: One week-long session with a Thursday night campout. While not required, this camp is the perfect introduction to our Overnight Adventure Camp 4 Girls.
Location: Laurel’s Butler Campus in Russell Township**
Dates: July 10-14 - $600
Time: 9:00 am-4:00 pm, with a Thursday overnight

Laurel School knows girls best! Backed by research from Laurel’s Center for Research on Girls, this unique day camp experience (with one overnight) is designed so that pre-teen girls will reach outside their comfort zones, build resilience and outdoor survival skills, and embrace new challenges—individually and in group situations. Daily experiences will introduce new and exciting adventures on our 150-acre Butler Campus, which features biking and hiking trails and an exciting Project Adventure Ropes Course that fosters creative problem solving, encourages girls to use their voice and builds self-confidence through improved communication skills. Exciting field trips focused on specific skills, like rock climbing, bike riding on trails and kayaking will enhance the week and provide enough risk and challenge for girls to learn to handle a healthy amount of stress and discomfort in controlled situations. Campers should be ready to spend Thursday night in a group tent in the woods on Laurel’s breathtaking Butler Campus. Texts that inspired this incredible opportunity: Untangled and Under Pressure by Lisa Damour, Gutsy Girl by Caroline Paul and Wolfpack: How Young People Will Find Their Voice, Unite Their Pack, and Change the World by Abby Wambach. 

*Campers must be comfortable riding a bike and swimming.  New this year, bicycles will be provided to all campers, for use during camp, from our Butler Bike Fleet of 80+ Giant mountain bikes. Campers will be assigned a bike at the beginning of their session, but each camper must provide her own helmet. Each camper will also need to bring her own sleeping bag and sleeping pad.

**Shuttle service from Laurel’s Lyman Campus to the Butler Campus is available for an additional fee.

Overnight Adventure Camp 4 Girls

Ages: Girls entering Grades 5-8*
Format: One week-long overnight session designed around building resilience through challenging activities. Campers are encouraged (although not required) to register for the Girls-Only Adventure Camp the week of July 10 - 14 as a preliminary overnight adventure camp experience and to familiarize themselves with biking skills and the Butler Campus.
Location: Laurel’s Butler Campus in Russell Township** 
Dates: July 17-21 - $750
Time: 9:00 am Monday through 4:00 pm Friday

Laurel School knows girls best! This all-girls adventure camp is the only one of its kind in Northeast Ohio! Backed by research from Laurel’s Center for Research on Girls, this amazing camp experience is specifically designed to help pre-teen girls step outside their comfort zones, build resilience, leadership and outdoor survival skills, and embrace new challenges—individually and in group situations. Daily experiences will introduce new and thrilling adventures on our 150-acre Butler Campus, which features biking and hiking trails and a Project Adventure Ropes Course that fosters creative problem solving, encourages girls to use their voice and builds self-confidence through improved communication skills. Plus, it has a zip line! Exciting field trips focused on specific skills, like rock climbing, bike riding on trails, and stand-up paddle boarding will enhance the week and call on girls to take risks and to manage a healthy dose of discomfort in controlled situations.

Evening activities will include art, astronomy, journaling, music, drama and stories! Campers should come prepared with an adventurous spirit and a desire to have lots of fun! Be ready to spend four nights in a group tent on Laurel’s breathtaking Butler Campus. Texts that inspired this incredible opportunity: Untangled and Under Pressure by Lisa Damour, Gutsy Girl by Caroline Paul and Wolfpack: How Young People Will Find Their Voice, Unite Their Pack, and Change The World by Abby Wambach and the journaling text, Questions for Rebel Girls.

*Campers must be comfortable riding a bike and swimming.  New this year, bicycles will be provided to all campers, for use during camp, from our Butler Bike Fleet of 80+ Giant mountain bikes. Campers will be assigned a bike at the beginning of their session, but each camper must provide her own helmet. Each camper will also need to bring her own sleeping bag and sleeping pad.

**No shuttle service is available. All campers must be dropped off and picked up at the Butler Campus in Russell Township.

Introduction to Middle School Speech & Debate *New for 2023*

Ages: Girls entering Grades 6-8
Format: One week-long session
Location: Laurel’s Lyman Campus in Shaker Heights
Dates: July 10-14 - $400
Time: 9:00 am-4:00 pm
 
Calling all future public speakers and debaters! Do you love engaging in spirited debates? Do you have great ideas you want to share? Or, perhaps, you might want to step out of your comfort zone and practice your public-speaking skills? This camp is designed for rising 6th through 8th Grade girls who are interested in getting to know more about and competing in the competitive world of Speech and Debate. Students learn about the different competitive Speech and Debate events before selecting one they'd like to prepare for competing in. At the end of the week, family members are welcomed to spectate a mock tournament.

Eco-Leaders *New for 2023*

Ages: Girls entering Grades 6-8
Format: One week-long session
Location: Laurel’s Butler Campus in Russell Township*
Dates: July 17-21 - $400
Time:  9:00 am-4:00 pm
 
Are you a girl who wants to take the lead on protecting nature? Eco-Leaders is for you! You will have a chance to learn from some of Northeast Ohio’s leading change-making organizations that are focused on regenerative agriculture, green engineering, forest restoration, and other sustainable causes. Eco-Leaders will learn about how climate change impacts our planet and local ecosystems through a lens of solutions. Activities include hiking and biking the Butler Campus, helping the forest ecosystem, contributing to citizen science initiatives, and creating nature-focused art. Eco-Leaders will finish their week inspired, hopeful, and full of great ideas for how to use their voices and actions to make the world a more sustainable place!
 
*Shuttle service from Laurel’s Lyman Campus to the Butler Campus is available for an additional fee.

Broadway Bound! *New for 2023*

Ages: Girls & boys entering Grades 8-12    
Format: One, two-week session; culminating in a performance 
Location: Laurel’s Lyman Campus in Shaker Heights
Dates: July 10-July 21 - $575        
Time: 9:00 am-4:00 pm 

Broadway Bound! is a program for students entering Grades 8-12 interested in serving as junior counselors and collaborating on a Broadway revue-style performance. Mornings are spent with Broadway Kids Camp campers and afternoons are spent in rehearsals for their showcase! 

Gator Game Plan *New for 2023*

Ages:  Girls entering Grades 4-10
Format: One one-week session
Location: Laurel’s Lyman Campus in Shaker Heights
Dates: July 24-July 28 - $500
Time: 9:00 am-4:00 pm   
 
Get Organized, Gator!  Summer work got you down? Pack it up and head to camp! This week-long camp will provide students opportunities to fine tune their executive functioning skills and get ready for the upcoming school year. We'll work with students to develop the strategies and habits necessary to improve their organization, planning, time management, attention regulation, and overall metacognition. We'll use examples from daily life as well as academic domains in their assigned summer work. Between lessons, campers will play games, get active in and around the Lyman Campus, enjoy some special cold summer treats all while reconnecting with old friends and making new ones.

Creative Writing *New for 2023*

Ages: Girls & Boys entering Grades 6-8
Format: One two-week session; half day
Location: Laurel’s Lyman Campus in Shaker Heights
Dates: June 12-June 23 (no camp June 19) - $500 
Time: 9:00 am-12:00 pm   

Are you interested in expanding your creative writing skills and experience? Are you hoping to begin to build a portfolio of your creative writing pieces? Taught by a Laurel Middle School English teacher, this year’s Creative Writing Camp for students entering Grades 6, 7, and 8  will challenge you to write pieces in a variety of genres (including poetry, short fiction, and creative nonfiction), share your work with your peers, and explore the possibility of submitting your work to local and national contests and publications! 
 
For lunch and a full-day camp experience, add English Language Arts Skills Camp for an additional $450 (a $50 dollar savings).

English Language Arts Skills

Ages: Girls & Boys entering Grades 6-8
Format: One two-week session; half day
Location:  Laurel’s Lyman Campus in Shaker Heights
Dates: June 12-June 23 (no camp June 19) - $500
Time: 1:00-4:00 pm   

Students entering Grades 6, 7, and 8 will have the chance to deepen their critical reading and writing abilities in this two-week skill-building camp. Students will have the opportunity to improve their reading comprehension by exploring topics that are relevant to their own lives, and they will practice writing arguments and supporting their ideas with textual evidence. This camp will also equip students with a set of Middle School-level tools in grammar and mechanics.
 
For lunch and a full day camp experience, add Creative Writing Camp for an additional $450 (a $50 dollar savings).

Algebra Review and Refresher

Ages: Students taking Algebra 1 in the fall and those wanting to review material 
Dates: July 11-28 - $900
Format: One three-week session; half-day
Location: Laurel’s Lyman Campus in Shaker Heights
Time: 9:00 am-12:30 pm (Tuesday - Friday) 
Instructor: Dr. Matthew Kennedy
 
This three-week preparation and review class is intended for students taking Algebra 1 in the fall, or for those students who may have already taken Algebra 1 but would like to shore up their understanding and skills for the upcoming school year. This program serves as a reinforcement of key concepts and foundational skills that will help students find success in the classes at Laurel.
 
There will be opportunities to practice pre-algebraic concepts such as: operations involving numbers with the same/different signs; an understanding of the number line and number sense;   how to use/look for patterns in sense-making and estimation; the meaning of fractions and operations involving fractions; how to solve multi-step single-variable equations; secure understanding of the coordinate plane; develop an understanding of expressions and functions; independent and dependent variables; slope-intercept form of equations; systems of equations; solving inequalities using addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division; understanding the relationship between fractions, decimals, and ratios; solving proportions, ratios, rates, and percentages; factoring and finding the equation of a line; how to read and interpret a graph; the difference between perimeter and area; exponents and order of operations; practicing math facts; and how to take math notes.

Geometry (For Credit)

Ages: Open to Laurel students who have completed Algebra 1
Format: One six-week session, half-day; for credit
Location: Laurel’s Lyman Campus in Shaker Heights
Dates: June 20-July 28 - $1650
Time: 8:30 am-12:00 pm (Tuesday-Friday) 
Instructor: Gina Palmer
 
This course emphasizes traditional geometry topics such as lines, angles, polygons and circles. Students explore concepts directly through their own inquiry-based exploration, make and test conjectures about what they observe and apply these conjectures to solve problems. In addition to the discovery of geometric relationships, students’ investigations also develop cooperative learning and problem-solving skills.
 
Students will be asked to complete some amount of independent study outside of the class sessions in order to use class time for exploration. A typical class session may include group explorations, presentations of new material, individual and small-group practice and/or assessments. A passing grade on a final, end-of-course exam is required to earn high school credit. Students completing this course are prepared for Algebra II. 

Please email Dr. Matthew Kennedy, Mathematics Department Chair, at mKennedy@LaurelSchool.org prior to enrolling in this course to ensure it is a good fit for your student. 

Financial Aid is available for those Laurel students who qualify.  Please contact aSteinberg@LaurelSchool.org for information.

Gutsy Girls and Wise Women: A Resilience-Building Workshop for Mothers and Daughters *Back by Popular Demand!*

Ages: Girls entering Grades 5-8 and their mothers
Format: One weekend session
Location: Laurel School’s Butler Campus
Dates: August 5 & 6 (Saturday and Sunday) - $1000 for a daughter and her mother. A second daughter and/or mother in the same household can be added for an additional fee of $465 each.
Time: 10:00 am-4:00 pm on Saturday & 9:00 am-12:00 pm on Sunday

Join us for a two-day retreat that will foster confidence and resilience in girls, build their mothers’ understanding of how best to support adolescent girls, and reinforce the critical mother-daughter bond. The retreat will take place at Laurel’s beautiful 150-acre Butler Campus, where girls will participate in confidence-boosting activities with faculty who are experts in social and emotional development in girls. Presented by Laurel's Center for Research on Girls (LCRG).

Facilitators & Presenters:
  • ANN V. KLOTZ, Head of Laurel School and Founder, Laurel’s Center for Research on Girls
  • DR. TORI CORDIANO, Director of Research, Laurel School’s Center for Research on Girls
  • DR. RACHEL HERLEIN, Assistant Head, Laurel School
  • SHANNON LUKZ, Laurel faculty member and Creator of Laurel’s Adventure Girls
  • Special guest, DR. LISA DAMOUR, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Laurel’s Center for Research on Girls
See the Gutsy Girls page on our LCRG website for more details and registration.