Curriculum Guide

During the Summer Enrichment Program, we do our best to take learning out of the classroom and put it into action. Here is what we offer:

Adventure Ropes Course & Trust Games
Summers are about making new friends. In this course, students will participate in group challenges in which communication and trust are of utmost importance. Can a group of 10 cross through a web of rope without touching a single strand? Activities like these bring shy children out of their shells and quiet children into vocal positions of leadership.

Beach Days
There is nothing like an afternoon spent among friends at the lake! Beach Day afternoons are made for relaxing and enjoying the company of others. Sunny days provide the motivation for our group to travel down to Starnberger See to take in the sun, swim along the shore in Percha, and play movable water polo. Transportation will be provided, but in the spirit of relaxing, it just may be by foot that we leisurely make our way down. Cloudy days will be split between swimming at the Starnberg Wasserpark and enjoying good books at the school library.

Circus Arts
Have you ever wanted to learn to juggle? How about choreographing your own center stage performance? Students in circus arts learn to balance gymnastics, athleticism, coordination, teamwork and performance. (Lion taming not included)

Drama and Puppetry
Combining practice with English and creative writing, students in this class will learn to plan, write, and perform short skits using both actors and puppets. For beginners or pros, this class also focuses on the fundamentals of theater: movement, voice, and props. Full of fun skits and improvisation, this course is an outlet for creative expression.

Forest Ecology Study
What lives in the woods behind school? Why do weeds grow more by the sides of the roads through the forest? What happens when a tree falls down? These questions and more are the subject of our summer, in-depth study of the ecology of our local forests. Students will learn about the transfer of energy in this important ecosystem, the roles of producers and decomposers in sustaining life in the forest, and the steps we must all take to make sure the forest remains healthy.

Lake Ecology Study
How does the beautiful Starnberger See stay so clear? Who eats whom? Don't the legs of the swans get cold in the winter? These questions and more are the subject of our summer, in-depth study of the ecology of our world-famous local lake. Students will learn about food chains, seasonal changes, and conservation strategies.

Math Challenge
This challenging course invites all sleuths and problem-solvers to put their reasoning skills to the test. Mysteries, logic games, number manipulation, data interpretation and experiments all contribute to their real-world investigation of the world in mathematical terms. Unlocking the secrets of sports, and predicting the best money maker in the business are just two of the projects.

Movie Making
A crowd favorite, movie making brings Hollywood into the classroom. Students learn to plan, shoot, and edit digital video on an array of subjects ranging from commercials for their favorite foods to documentaries on the mystery of the campus Wolpertinger.

Nature Science Discovery
Carefully blending learning and outdoor fun, this course teaches students about the living world around them. Campers explore the beautiful MIS campus in search of organisms and their habitats.

Science Mysteries
Beginning by making observations of their surroundings, students in this class learn about their world in a scientific manner. Through hands-on experiments students make predictions, collect data, and learn how to explanation everyday phenomena in their world. Students will discover, for example, just how much water a cloud can hold before it starts to rain.

Sports Medley
Don't get tired of doing the same old thing! Our sports medley activity gives you the chance to play five different sports in one week. We spend the first half of the afternoon on teamwork and skill practice, and the second half is game time! Sports include: soccer, badminton, basketball, track and field, and moonball.

Things that Fly
How does a 70,000 kg airplane fly? Why do some plants make seeds with wings? Why do birds have hollow bones? These questions and more are the focal points of this hands-on class. Students gain a basic understanding of the roles of aerodynamics, body design, and gravity on the feat of flying.

Typing and IT Skills
Learn to create a collage from your digital photos, make your own business cards, or sketch a new arrangement for your bedroom furniture. The IT Skills class aims to increase students' computer savvy through participation in these and other enjoyable projects. Through guided practice and a variety of typing games and challenges, students learn the very important skill of keyboarding. With this skill, students will be more efficient in their school work, leaving more time to pursue their hobbies when their homework is done. For students already somewhat proficient in typing, there will be additional instruction in shortcuts for use in Windows.

Write On! Publishing
Through written exercises in persuasive, explanatory, narrative and informational writing, students become more fluent in the construction of excellent writing. Implementation of literary devices such as simile, metaphor and personification is increased in poetry studies. Sentence stretching, paragraph formation, sequencing, editing and personal voice are covered in daily lessons. Final projects include a class newsletter and an essay competition.