Child 1 Age 9 - 12 (Male)
Program(s) focused in Dungeons and Dragons, Filmmaking, Robotics
(5) Overall experience
Our child started in the Summer Camp Program at Appleby College at age 9, and our family remembers vividly how excited we all were to reunite at pick-up after the first day of camp and hear all the happenings and embrace all the feelings our camper experienced. Our child entered the car and simply said: ''I want to live here.'' What this experience means to us is that he actually will ''live here''; based on the amazing years of summer camp experiences, we decided to enroll in the School. We noticed the child returning from camp each day and week was happy, confident, and conveniently positively exhausted. We parents enjoy knowing there is safety and fun in each moment at camp; the lunch program is convenient, and our friendly social camper craves to hang out with other children. The camps have a great mix of ages and backgrounds too to accommodate an incredibly inclusive social experience. We parents are well informed; we receive notes before camp week starts, easy to navigate and prep; and we enjoy showcases on Friday when the camp week provides for it so that we can witness firsthand all the work the campers did during the week. This current summer is our 4th summer where we sign up, on average, for 6 various camp weeks each year. Strongly recommend.
(5) Reason for choosing the camp
The campus location that can provide for many indoor and outdoor activities and the wide range of various camp programs and themes attracted us to discover the camp options. Our camper enjoys learning and doing new things and meeting new people. We chose this camp over others (for 4 years in a row) as it was very easy to mix and match camp themes: a week or two spent in Media and Arts, another week or two spent in Science, and another week or two spent in Sports. There are so many programs offered that each year our camper could attend at least four programs that were new. We also entertained the idea that the program is split into age groups. The lunch program being included in the fees and the swim hours included as well are a beautiful bonus. Convenient parking, no fees at pick up and drop off or at showcase times. We can purchase photos of camp week, and that is our favorite thing to do on Fridays when we browse through the well-organized and structured photo gallery.
(5) Program quality and activities
This review is on: Adventures in Filmmaking, Dungeons and Dragons, and Robotics. We parents promote teamwork and collaboration, and these programs were certainly group-driven learning. While having the most fun, our camper learned about voice and action in Filmmaking camp, enjoyed the story script writing, and we parents, to this day, often re-watch the short movie that impressed us very much- a big bonus that the outcome of the camp is shared with families! In Robotics, we parents were expecting some computer time, and it aligned with our expectations on practicing coding; our camper enjoyed the group work on building. We found the most value in the showcase when Science camps allow visitors on Fridays and walk through the various activities and outputs the campers did during the week. Dungeons and Dragons is a true favorite, attending camp twice in a row this year during the same summer. We parents are satisfied with the creativity the program brought on and fostering teamwork; our camper enjoyed the fantasy world and the character-making. This camp inspired us to take the learning home and play as a family; we purchased books, maps, dice, and all.
(5) Social dynamics and experience
New friendships formed each week, and old friendships were cherished each week as well. Our camper felt comfortable joining any new group, as the instructors are welcoming and provide clear guidance each week on the first day, so campers can get ready to understand the dynamics that are fostered and encouraged. Only once did we read an email about one camp in one week having a bad language issue somewhere, and the camp reminded parents and participants about the Code of Conduct; the communication was amazing and clear, and we witnessed how seriously Appleby College takes inclusivity. (Another feature of the community that eventually attracted us to enroll in the School.)
(5) Skills and growth
In Filmmaking, our camper learned editing, sound, and sequence media. We parents enjoyed seeing him actively pushing himself outside of his comfort zone and often being in front of the camera instead of being behind it. The instructor teams and the social dynamics encouraged in these camps provide a great risk-taking experience where each camper grows. In Robotics, our camper enhanced his skills in coding, and the group had to restart the activity a couple of times to troubleshoot; we noticed our camper is learning to manage failure and setbacks better and is back on his feet quicker, taking the mistake into learning when building the robots. In Dungeons and Dragons, the game is indeed complicated and requires an open mind and imagination, and it was important for us that our fact-minded child learns to enjoy the world of fantasy. It worked very well; we are returning campers to this particular camp.
(5) Staff/Instructors/Counsellors
Communication stands out for us, most of all. There can be issues with technology at sign up, there can be issues with the enrollment platform when changing camps, all sorts of things outside of the camp management team's comfort and we enjoyed seeing how precise, how honest, and how frequent the communication is when there is an issue. They are problem solvers, guidance givers, smile makers, and their mastery is in consistently great customer service, from program directors to camp instructors. Responses are very quick, concerns are solved and attended to, and fun and comfort are provided authentically. There is a great deal of prep work that is communicated before camp, along with what to pack each day, a map for pick-ups and drop-offs, and a description of what camp activities will be provided. We are a family that enjoys no-surprise calm summers, and we certainly have it here at Appleby Camp Summer Programs. During camp, we can view photos, we receive notifications on showcases, on the favorite Wacky Wednesday, and more. The administration team takes feedback seriously and each week provides an opportunity for easy-to-do online surveys.
(5) Advice and tips
Would your family consider attending Appleby College Summer Camp programs, we strongly recommend to print out the well organized week by week activity by activity brochure, give a highlighter pen to your child and let them dream away. (Our first summer, the whole brochure was colored but there is only a few weeks in the summer - our camper wanted to do it all.) I suggest to pay the most of attention on the videos shared on how to register and sign up and create an account, so enrollment day and the enrollment experience is smooth.
