Register your child for The Altamont School experience this summer including music, art, tech, ACT prep and more
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The Altamont School’s director of summer programs, Dr. Josh Barnard, describes summer learning loss – the loss of academic skills and knowledge over the course of summer break – as “every teacher’s bane.”
And it is his job to prevent it.
Every summer, The Altamont School offers a full menu of non-credit courses and camps to Birmingham-area students from rising 1st-12th grades.
The Altamont School Experience
Unlike programs that rely on college students or volunteers, all Altamont summer classes are taught by Altamont faculty.
“Every single class is taught by an Altamont teacher, said Barnard. “It is what makes us different from a lot of summer programs. We make it a priority for the kids who enroll in our summer programs to have that Altamont experience.”
Registration for summer at The Altamont School is now open.
Here are the details:
Academic Enrichment Classes
The perfect classes to prevent summer learning loss are Altamont’s math and English enrichment courses. There are slots available for rising 3rd graders up to rising 8th graders.
To keep knowledge fresh, Altamont’s summer academic classes give students the “big picture” in a low-stakes environment. It’s not about tests or grades; it is about them garnering a better understanding of math and English.
“Teachers tailor their courses to the students,” said Barnard. “So, no matter where you are in math, science or English, we will keep your mind sharp over the summer, increase your skill and confidence, and prepare you for academic success in the fall.”
Classes available:
- English and Math Enrichment: Grades 3-8
- Essay Writing: Grades 8-10
- Astronomy: Grades 3-6
Music and Art Appreciation – and Yes, Cooking!
Are your children creative? Altamont offers a number of summer activities. Working with our drama teacher, orchestra director and art teacher, your children’s artistic talent will blossom, whether they want to try acting, a musical instrument or painting.
Altamont’s cooking camp is special. Working with the school’s director of food service, students dive right in. They “graduate” from cooking camp knowing how to create full, nutritious meals for the family and bring home a binder of recipes for at least five complete meals.
Classes available:
- Music and Art Appreciation: Grades 3-5 and Grades 5-8
- Drama Camp: Grades 3-4 and Grades 5-8
- Cooking Camp: Grades 7-8
Technology and Computer Programming
According to Barnard, this is the first year the summer program has had such a wide range of computer programming. Courses range from introductory to AP Prep.
“We have two teachers who are both absolute computer gurus, and our students love them both,” said Barnard.
Here are the available classes:
- Website Design: Grades 7-12
- 3D Printing: Grades 7-12
- Building Web Apps: Grades 7-12
- Making Games with Python: Grades 7-12
- Object Oriented Programming: Grades 7-12
- AP Computer Science A Prep: Grades 9-12
ACT Prep/Drivers Education
Summer is the perfect time to prepare your high school student for the ACT. ACT Prep at Altamont is taught by a history teacher who has been running ACT prep classes for 10+ years and who tutors privately during the school year.
Another popular high school summer course is Drivers Ed. John Fletcher from the Mountain Brook School System teaches this class.
Pro tip: Enroll your child in Drivers Ed., complete two hours of driving with Mr. Fletcher and you will receive what parents call the golden ticket. Why is that important? If you are given a golden ticket, your child doesn’t have to take the driving test to receive his/her license.
“My daughter went down to the DMV, filled out the form, gave them the golden ticket and they said, ‘OK, here is your license.’ We didn’t have to wait in the huge line to take the test,” said Barnard.
Classes:
- ACT Prep for high school students
- Drivers Ed – Must be 15 years old
Sports Camps – Basketball and Soccer
Altamont basketball and soccer camps offer athletes a chance to measurably improve their fundamentals. Open to rising 1st-12th graders, campers are divided into groups based on age and ability to appropriately challenge their skills. Campers are also placed in competitive 3v3 and 5v5 competitions to use their fundamentals in a game-type setting.
The cost
To many this all sounds too good to be true, an opportunity to spend the summer at The Altamont School, one of the most academically successful institutions in the Birmingham area. What are the costs?
According to Barnard, “We’ve tried to keep the cost as low as possible. We want our programs to be available everyone. As a parent myself, I know how difficult it is to keep children occupied all summer and how expensive it can be, so we want it to be an option for everyone. The costs are comparable to or lower than most summer programs.”
Register today
Visit the Summer at Altamont registration page today. Don’t miss The Altamont School experience for your child.
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