We Can’t wait for summer 2024!
We have made several exciting changes to our camp program including extending our camp day! Read below for more information. Have questions? For our early childhood summer program, email dgorman@breakwaterschool.org. For rising 1st-9th grade camp and expeditions, email summer@breakwaterschool.org
Rising 1st-9th Grade Camp and Expedition Registration Timeline
Tuesday, January 23rd: Our camp catalog will be released on our website so you can see what’s coming up in the Summer of 2024
Tuesday, January 30th @ 6:45 a.m through Sunday February 4th at 11:30 pm: Registration for rising 1st-9th grade campers who attended at least one session in the Summer of 2023, current Enrichment Center families (Sessions 1-3 AfterCare, Enrichment, Vacation Camp 2023/2024), and current Breakwater School families - all qualifying families will be sent a special registration link via email.
Tuesday, February 6th @ 6:45 a.m: Public registration for rising 1st-9th grade summer camp and expeditions
Early Childhood (toddler-rising K) Summer Program Registration Timeline
Registration for non Breakwater School families will begin on January 30th. All families must complete a separate application. Please email dgorman@breakwaterschool.org for more information
“I’m always impressed with what Breakwater has to offer and most importantly, my kids are happy and excited to immerse themselves in the explorations. “
- Summer at Breakwater 2020 parent
SUMMER 2024 SESSION DATES
TODDLER/ RISING PRESCHOOL AND PRESCHOOL/ RISING KINDERGARTEN PROGRAM
Session 1: June 24-July 19 (no camp on July 4th)
Session 2: July 22 - August 16
*full or half day, 5-day schedules available
RISING 1ST-9TH GRADE CAMP AND *EXPEDITIONS
Rising 1st - 2nd grade (four week sessions)
Session 1: June 24-July 19 (no camp on July 4th)
Session 2: July 22 - August 16
Rising 3rd - 9th grades (two week sessions)*
Session 1A: June 24 - July 5 (no camp on July 4th)
Session 1B: July 8 - 19
Session 2A: July 22 - August 2
Session 2B: August 5 - 16
* One week long expeditions including overnights available for rising 5th-9th grade campers*
“[My kids] were so happy to attend and be with other children. Many thanks for providing a fun and safe space for kids to be with each other.” -Summer at Breakwater 2020 parent
ABOUT SUMMER AT BREAKWATER
We offer 2 different programs during the summer months. Our Early Childhood Education program is available for children ages 18 months - rising Kindergartners. This program is an extension of our school year program, facilitated by our lead classroom teachers. Because many of our day school families participate in these programs, teachers and our youngest learners have already established the familiarity and trust that can only result from long term relationships. This allows for our curriculum to be centered around children’s emerging interests skill development, and passions as they connect to the outside world during the summer months.
Summer Camp is available for children who are rising 1st - 9th graders*. Each session fosters a strong sense of community creating lasting bonds with new friends and our dedicated summer staff. Each session follows a progression of activities that provide stepping stones to build and strengthen a shared community experience. From first day icebreakers to mid-session special events and last day culminating events, care and thought is put into the whole experience.
Breakwater’s summer programming is fun, enriching and creates opportunities for curiosity, inquisitiveness, innovation, creativity, self-confidence, optimism, self-motivation, citizenship and stewardship. Our Early Childhood teaching team and our summer camp staff are professionals in their fields who bring their creative expertise and passion for teaching and learning to our many exciting programs.
*One week long expeditions including overnights available for rising 5th-9th grade campers
NEW Summer Hours
Early Childhood (toddler-rising K):
8:00 - 4:00 (half days also available)
Rising 1st-9th Grade Camp:
8:00-5:15* (Drop-off window is 8:00-8:30 and pick-up window is 4:30-5:15),
*schedule for 5th- 9th grade expeditions with overnights may vary
We have lengthened our camp day! Separate extended care is not available
Early Childhood (Toddler-Rising Preschool) Summer Program
(18 months - 3+ years old) Our Toddler/Rising Preschool program provides a summer of fun for our youngest friends! Sessions are taught by our highly experienced lead teaching faculty from our day school who encourage each child's creative spirit and expression through a wide variety of nature-based provocations and activities. In fact, weather permitting, the only time we are indoors is for nap! It is an optimal continuation of our academic-year toddler program, providing consistency of care and environment to support young children's development. As such, this program is only open for families enrolled in Breakwater's previous or upcoming academic-year toddler program. This program is available for five days, both full and half days registrations.
Early Childhood (Preschool & Rising Kindergarten) Summer Program
(Ages 3-5+) The Preschool/Rising K has a play-based curriculum filled with explorations in the arts, nature, water-play, and summertime activities. Like our school-year programs, our summer sessions are inspired by Reggio Emilia and other emergent curriculum approaches to education. Sessions are taught by our highly experienced lead teaching faculty from our day school who encourage each child's creative spirit and expression in a safe, nurturing environment. It is an optimal continuation of our academic-year preschool program, providing consistency of care and environment to support young children's development. As such, places a high priority on registration for families enrolled in Breakwater's previous or upcoming academic-year program. This program is available for five days, both full and half days registrations.
Rising 1st and 2nd Grade Summer Day Camp
Rising 1st & 2nd graders have the chance to sample a variety of activities during each four-week session. Visual arts, performing arts & music, recreation & movement, movement, cuisines and cultures, and special group projects are offered on a regular basis. The group travels with one teacher and counselor throughout the day as they travel between structured instructional time and open free play. We include lots of time to be outside and explore nature at our nearby ecosystems such as the Fore River Sanctuary.
All-Camp afternoons are another fun chance to explore activities and guest speakers with the “big kids”. Times for rest, reading and relaxation are also part of every day’s routine.
Rising 3rd-9th Grade Summer Day Camp
We have restructured our summer day camp program for 3rd-9th graders! During each two week day camp session, campers will choose one or two explorations to focus on and then get to partake in fun all camps during the afternoon! Learn more below
Explorations
Recreation, Visual & Mechanical Arts, Performing Arts and Cuisines & Cultures Explorations run 2 content areas that meet either MWF or TTH, on campus. Campers may choose to stay within one content area for their entire camp experience or have two different content areas: MWF Exploration and T/TH Exploration. Explorations will include but are not limited to: Recreation, including sports skills, aerials, dance and day adventures Visual & Mechanical Arts including studio arts, mechanical arts, 3D design and ceramics Performing arts including plays, filmmaking, tech and dramatic writing Cuisines and cultures including language exploration, garden-to-table experiences, gardening, cooking classes These are not exhaustive lists of the possibilities within content areas, but merely examples
All-Camp - Fun In the Sun (or rain, or wind)
Once Explorations are done for the day we still have a whole lot of the camp day ahead of us! All campers will enjoy opportunities to play and explore at stations and activities set up around the campus. Activities might include (but are not limited to):
Tea time with friends: perhaps a purposeful afternoon snack time provided by our cuisine and culture exploration group!
Special guests focused on “live well on the planet” or whole child well-being
Jessieland visits (our 21 acre nature preserve in Cumberland!)
Performances & shows
Playtime
Field day
Camp fires and “tent camping”
Archery
Campus hide-and-seek
Book groups
Flying Squirrel sports teams or “clubs”
One Week Expeditions for Rising 5th-9th Graders
The name Breakwater Learning is meant to evoke the idea of a protected harbor that shelters and nurtures young people during their formative years, preparing them for the day when they eventually set sail “beyond the breakwater” into the vast unpredictable sea that is the world at large. We strive towards this goal of creating a safe harbor, yet we have always simultaneously embraced a seemingly contradictory idea: that some essential learning and growth can only happen when you deliberately leave the comfortable and familiar behind. This is reflected in our motto “Curiosity for Life”, for to be curious is to seek out the unfamiliar, to take risks and welcome challenges. Breakwater Expeditions is a program that sits at the point of balance between providing structure and safety and fostering exploration and managed risk-taking. Each adventure we offer in the following pages was crafted with the intention of challenging participants to step outside their zone of comfort and discover new skills, build confidence and forge deep connections with peers, while also providing expert guidance and support to foster a safe and rewarding experience.
Activities like backpacking, mountain biking, camping or boating can, in the moment, feel challenging or uncomfortable to many campers. We have seen time and again, however, that participating in an expedition almost always results in increased self confidence, strong new friendships, amazing memories and a desire to push oneself further and explore more. Our expedition programs serve students from rising 5th-9th grade, a time in life often defined by testing limits, embracing new experiences and developing new interests. Our goal with expeditions is to offer a fun and safe way to metaphorically dip your toes in that bigger ocean beyond the safety of the harbor wall, and we invite you to come and join us this summer on one or more of these unforgettable journeys!
Expeditions in our camp catalog will be listed as Week One, Week Two etc with corresponding dates
Counselor-In-Training (CIT) Program | Ages 14-18
The CIT (Counselor-in-Training) program is designed for high school students with an interest in the arts, science, nature, writing, sports, or leadership who enjoy working with children in a cooperative, team environment. CITs work with the Program Directors to create an individualized schedule for the summer, assisting with teaching classes which interest them and helping to maintain the positive energy of camp. CITs assist with supervising students at attendance, lunch, and checkout. They attend weekly staff meetings, an orientation prior to camp, assist with special events, and participate in the clean-up of the camp at the end of each session. Modest stipends are awarded based on grade in school and experience. CITs are accepted after an application and interview process with the program directors. CIT applicants must be ages 14 to 18 and have completed at least one year of high school.
FINANCIAL AID
Need-based financial aid is available for any rising 1st - rising 9th grade camper. Families can register for camp, pay the deposit, sign up for a payment plan, then apply for financial aid within 7 days of registration using this attached application. If we are able to award financial aid, we will notify your family and apply the award to the account updating your payment plan accordingly. Please note that we will only consider financial aid applications for families who have already completed the registration process. If we are not able to award financial aid, and you are not able to pay the balance, we will return the deposit. To learn more about this opportunity, please email summer@breakwaterschool.org
QUESTIONS?
For questions regarding our rising 1st-9th grade camps/expeditions or general Summer at Breakwater inquiries, please email summer@breakwaterschool.org. For questions related to our early childhood (toddler-rising K) summer program, please contact EC Summer Coordinator Danielle Gorman
Our Summer at Breakwater Refund Policy
All summer programs are subject to minimum and maximum enrollment. In the event that Breakwater cancels a program, parents will be notified and provided a full refund or credit towards a new camp selection.
In the event that Breakwater cancels a program caused by events beyond Breakwater’s control (i.e. COVID), Breakwater will reimburse families 50% of their tuition of the remaining program (after initial deposit) if in session and 100% of the program if cancelled before the session began.
All cancellations made by families 21 days prior or more to the start of the camp session will be refunded in full minus the registration deposit. Any cancellations made less than 21 days to the start of camp or after camp has started are non-refundable. Breakwater will not issue refunds in the event of missed camp days due to illness/injury, forgotten registrations, or behavior concerns. In the event of a serious illness/injury or family emergency, Breakwater will evaluate the circumstances on a case-by-case basis.