SUMMER - MIDDLE SCHOOL CAMP
For students entering grades 6-8, O’Dowd’s Middle School Camp offers a fun and enriching experience on the O’Dowd campus. Our holistic program encourages self-exploration – creating opportunities for students to grow academically, creatively, socio-emotionally, and physically, through hands-on learning, engaging activities, small group work, and sports (basketball, football, soccer, running, and more.) See our sample list of courses below! Most classes average about 15 students, and families can choose to enroll students in as many or as few classes as they like!
Session Dates and Schedule
This summer we are offering two Middle School sessions:
Session 1: June 12-23, 2023 (no classes June 19)
Session 2: June 26 - July 7 (no classes July 3 & 4)
Daily Schedule
Block One. 8:30-9:30am
Dragon Community Time. 9:40-10:40am
Block Two 10:50-11:50am
Lunch
Block Three 12:30-1:50pm
Block Four 2:00-3:20pm
Block Five 3:30-4:30pm
Dragon Community Time
Students who choose to take a morning class also participate in Dragon Community Time guided by trained teen camp counselors and supervised by adult staff. In Dragon Community Time, students participate in various fun social and camp activities.
Lunch
Middle School Camp provides a daily lunch option made with organic produce, some sourced from O’Dowd’s on-site Living Lab. For students who enroll in 3 or more courses, daily lunch is included!
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9th Grade - Discover and ExploreWhen students enter O’Dowd, our counselors help them adjust to high school, begin goal setting, and become self-advocates. Students also begin the important process of resume building: recording the narrative journey of their experience which they update through all four year at O’Dowd.
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10th Grade - Explore and EngageCounselors guide students in a self-reflective process that asks: Who do I want to be? What do I want to explore? To support future planning, students attend our “Getting Ready for College'' and “College Fair” events. In addition, students learn time management and stress reduction strategies, and prepare for the PSAT.
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11th Grade - Engage, Research, and PlanAs students enter their junior year, our counselors lead them through still deeper futures planning. Students in this phase start to differentiate themselves, asking: Who AM I? Who do I want to become? Throughout the year, our counselors support students to understand the college admissions process (including financial aid), begin to research colleges of interest, attend “Career Day,” and also engage in other key preparation, including taking the PSAT and creating a comprehensive high school resume.
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12th Grade - Plan, Apply, Choose and CelebrateWhen they reach their senior year, students work closely with their counselors to discern which next steps are right for them, which could range from traditional college to alternative pathways, including a gap year. Counselors guide students in their college applications, including advising on essays, financial aid, gathering letters of recommendation, and NCAA registration. In addition, the Counseling Department hosts a series of programs just for seniors, including a series of required College Flex Supports, our Essay Writing Workshop, Senior and Family College Night, and drop-in Flex Supports.