Last Friday, Bishop Montgomery concluded its second annual Summer Academy, after welcoming almost 200 middle school students on campus for academic classes and athletic camps. After a few days in the program, most students were settled in and enjoying classes that included Creative Writing; Digital Download: Intro to Photography and Graphic Design; Harry Potter for Muggles; Mythology; Comic Book-Making; Math-Magicians; and, Mad Science. Many of the students chose a program that combined academics and athletics, spending part of their mornings on the BMHS fields or in the gym participating in the sports camps offered.
With over 20 classes and 8 camps to choose from, the sixth, seventh, and eighth graders had the opportunity to create their own curriculum. Ms. Dione Dierks, Bishop's Director of Outreach and Public Relations, and also the Director of the Summer Academy, explained that a variety of options is what makes the summer program unique. "The Academy is designed to allow students to tailor their academy experience to their own interests. Some students, and parents, too, want a more intensive experience as a bridge for summer academic learning and athletic skill development. Others, though, see the program as an opportunity for enrichment and the chance to explore new areas of interest. The benefit of the Summer Academy is that it's designed to appeal to both of these options. The students have a great experience either way."
And, the students weren’t the only ones who enjoyed at this year’s Summer Academy. The Bishop faculty members enjoyed the opportunity to teach younger students. Mr. Long Nguyen and Ms. Lisa Walle, both BMHS science department faculty, used their Mad Science class “to do a lot of fun experiments and activities that usually can’t be incorporated into the curriculum with high schoolers,” says Walle. She, along with Nguyen, helped the students explore a variety of science genres including chemistry, physics, and biology while keeping the topics both exciting and educational. Highlights from Mad Science included making s’mores using sunlight, constructing catapults and hovercrafts, and dissecting frogs.
For Mr. Andy Marafino, Bishop's Director of Development, the Academy's Paragraph Power class allowed him a return to the classroom to teach nine days of grammar and writing-- an opportunity he welcomed. "In my current position, I miss the day-to-day classroom interactions with students," explains Marafino. "The Academy was a great way for the English teacher in me to connect with kids and, hopefully, help them strengthen and sharpen their skills for the upcoming school year."
Dierks notes that the Academy's appeal was far-reaching this year-- junior high students represented over 25 schools from the South Bay and Los Angeles area, including schools as far north as St. Jerome in Westchester and St. Augustine in Culver City. Many of the students in attendance came from local middle and elementary schools including St. James, St. Catherine Laboure, and First Lutheran in Torrance, American Martyrs in Manhattan Beach, and St. Lawrence Martyr and Parras Middle School, both in Redondo Beach.
Photos:
(Top) Mr. Hong helps a student with Photoshop during the Digital Download class.
(Middle) An Academy student tries his hand at comic book-making with help from a Google Chromebook.
(Bottom) The Soccer Goalkeepers' camp helped players hone their defense.