Archive
Writing camps at Margaret Mitchell House start next week
For those who didn’t see the Margaret Mitchell House writing camps listed on the summer programs page, there are still openings in some of these week-long camps for kids ages 10-14.
I love the idea of sending young writers to writing camps, because–from my experience–being with other writers is so confirming and rewarding. What’s nice about these particular camps is they aren’t all just “butt in seat” writing camps. A couple of them take the kids out on adventures in the morning, then have them write in the afternoons. For those kids who’d rather be indoors in the summer heat, there are weeks that appear to be all workshop oriented.
Themes run the gamut from mysteries to critique to comics.
Fun science projects to do at home
Thanks to my friend, Jamie F., for pointing me to the “Geek Dad Day” article in Wired magazine with ideas for science projects you can do with your kids at home. Sample projects include:
- Build a motorized, drawing “art bot”
- Build a working hovercraft
- Measure the speed of light with chocolate
Just be sure to read the experiments carefully and provide adult supervision as necessary. Doesn’t seem like you’re going to want your middle-schooler building, say, a steam engine solo.
Upcoming events and savings at Tellus Museum
Looking for something to do with the kids when school lets out? Tellus Museum is offering a coupon for $2 off admission through the end of May.
The museum, located just off I-75 in Cartersville, includes a large rock and mineral gallery, a fossil gallery, and interactive exhibits. The museum’s newest exhibit features images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, to be on display through the summer and into fall.
Also new are the two current planetarium shows. “Planetary Thrill Rides” simulates roller coasters on other planets (expressly not recommended for anyone who’s prone to motion sickness); “When Venus Transits the Sun” looks at a celestial phenomenon that will take place June 5.
And if your child loves rocks and minerals, mark your calendar for Rockfest 2012, taking place at Tellus June 9-10.
The coupon is available through the Tellus Facebook page.
Free, hands-on computer programming event this Saturday
This Saturday, May 19, people from Seattle to Senegal to Sydney will take part in Scratch Day, with events focused on Scratch, a beginner’s computer programming environment developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Locally, Scratch Day will be celebrated at Start:Code Learning Labs in the Toco Hill area of DeKalb County. From 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., guests can experiment with Scratch and see student projects developed using Scratch. Bring a laptop with you to participate in activities.
Open season for school transfers in Atlanta Public Schools
Atlanta Public Schools has posted the application for school transfers for the 2012-13 school year. Under the general administrative transfer program, students can attend any school in the APS system that has available spaces.
Schools that will be accepting transfers next year include four elementary schools that teach the highly acclaimed International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme: Deerwood, Garden Hills, Beecher Hills, and Jackson elementary schools. (Although Jackson has spaces only for incoming kindergarten students.)
Applications must be submitted in person at the APS offices on Trinity Avenue, beginning this Saturday, May 19, and continuing through June 15. Open spaces are assigned by lottery, not first-come, first-served, so there’s no need to panic.
For complete information, visit the APS Student Transfers page.
Stargazing at Georgia Perimeter College this Saturday
Georgia Perimeter College welcomes visitors to view the night sky in its Dunwoody campus observatory this Saturday, May 12, from 9 p.m. to 10:45 p.m. Arrive before 10 p.m. for viewing.
Can’t make it this weekend? Not a problem. The observatory holds open house hours on the second Saturday night of every month. The hours vary seasonally, based on when the skies become dark. GPC also allows visitors to use the observatory telescope at other times, by appointment.
UGA’s 2012 Summer Academy offers day and overnight camps in arts, sciences, and more
Still looking for summer camps for your student? The University of Georgia offers dozens of options for middle-school and high-school students through its Summer Academy. Camps for 2012 include aviation camp, digital film school, mini-medical school, engineering academy, mock trial, public speaking, video game design, robotics and more. Most camps offer the option for students to live on the UGA campus, but some are day camps only.
GSU Saturday School’s 2012 summer day camp will focus on broadcast journalism
Kids rising to grades K-8 can register now to attend a one-week camp at Georgia State University. This year’s Saturday School day camp will focus on broadcast news, with kids learning how to conduct interviews and produce newscasts and documentaries. (The exact curriculum varies by age group.) Saturday School camp will be held May 29-June 2. The cost is $299 per child.
GSU will also offer a summer session of its Saturday morning classes. Classes begin on Saturday, June 30, and meet for four consecutive Saturdays.
Saturday School day camp and classes are open to students who have been gifted identified by their school, or who have qualifying scores on standardized tests such as the CogAT, ITBS, CRCT, etc. Students who don’t have the supporting documentation can enroll in Saturday school on a provisional basis for one year.
2012 Serendipity camp for gifted students registration open through May 11
Registration for the 2012 Serendipity summer camp for DeKalb County gifted-identified students is due to the gifted office by next Friday, May 11. To be eligible, students must have participated in the gifted program in a DeKalb County public school this school year. The camp is open to current 1st-7th graders (rising 2nd-8th graders).
Camp for students in grades 1-3 (rising 2-4) will be held June 4-8; students in grades 4-7 (rising 5-8) will have camp June 11-15. Both sessions meet from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily at Midvale Elementary School. Cost is just $100 for the week, including breakfast and lunch daily. Courses are determined by the child’s grade level.
If your child is eligible to attend Serendipity, he or she should have brought home a registration form already. Unfortunately, DeKalb doesn’t post the form online, so if your child didn’t hand the form over to you (as in my case), the best way to get one is to ask the gifted teacher at your school. If that fails, contact the county’s gifted office at (678) 676-0718.
Atlanta Public Schools 2012 Xanadu and Summer Academy applications now available
Atlanta Public Schools has now posted the complete information and applications for its 2012 Xanadu and Summer Academy for the Arts and Sciences summer programs.
The process of applying for both programs is essentially the same. You can register online now, which allows you to select classes, but you won’t be confirmed in those classes until you’ve submitted the required documents and paid your fees. You must do that in person at the APS Office of Gifted and Talented, beginning this Friday, May 4. A complete schedule shows other dates when forms and payment will be accepted. Bear in mind that classes are filled on a first-paid, first-served basis. In other words, registering online does not hold you a space in the classes you want. Only completing the payment process guarantees your spot.
Good luck!
Gifted Atlanta 