Summer Fun by Times Colonist

INSIDE: A selection of day camps featured to help create some great summer memories!

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2 | THURSDAY, JUNE 3, 2021

Theatre SKAM’s summer performing arts camps

ith summer around the corner, kids are excited to get into their creative side with peers, be active and have fun! Theatre SKAM’s summer performing arts camps, for different age groups between 5-15, are the perfect option for giving your child a memorable and meaningful experience this summer. For the first time ever, Theatre SKAM is now offering summer camps for ages 12-15. During the creative week, the preteens will explore character creation,

expression in movement and voice, group bonding and creating simple costumes. In a supportive environment, they will be encouraged to express themselves and cultivate their sense of fun and creativity with their peers. We see every day how the Performing Arts has a positive impact on mental health, strengthens the communities we live in, and builds creators and leaders. Nestled in the Rockland neighbourhood, our summer

Drama camps, outdoor festival, Pop-Up theatre

SUMMER IS FOR PLAY!

SKAM.CA

camps take place at Langham Court Theatre, full of large studio spaces and a main stage that can seat up to 175. Campers loved this space last year, as it gave them the real experience of being on stage and lots of room to move around safely. Theatre SKAM has been part of the Victoria community for 26 years. We believe in supporting

and creating emerging artists, starting at the school level. We produce the family-friendly outdoor performance SKAMpede festival every year (coming up in July), are pioneers of the innovative Pop-Up Theatre Home Delivery which was featured in news outlets nationally, and we develop several independent productions each

year. Our theatre offers unique opportunities for students of all ages: camps and classes for ages 5+, audition opportunities for our teen performing artist SKAM Young Company, and more. To register for our camps and find out more about upcoming summer events, please visit skam.ca.

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NEATPICTURE.COM

Vikes camps offer something for everyone

t’s been a long school year, and with summer just around the corner, it’s time to round out the holiday calendar with activities to keep kids and teens of all ages entertained. With a variety of half-day and fullday camps ranging from fun, recreational, outdoor and high performance, Vikes Summer Camps offer something for everyone. Vikes Athletics and Recreation is proud to provide youth camps for children ages 5 to 17 years old. Utilizing both indoor and outdoor recreation facilities and fields on the University of Victoria campus,

experienced leaders will guide campers through a variety of games and activities for all ages. While high-performance sports camps are what the Vikes are known best for, various other camps include sports development, archery, judo,

Standard in a fun and exciting environment. The University of Victoria is the perfect location to spend the summer months, boasting amazing facilities, beautiful landscapes, and enough space for everyone to spread out and remain safe. Join us for an unforgettable summer. For details and to register visit: Vikescamps.com

SUMMER CAMPS TENNIS • VIKES SPORTS • SWIMMING • ARCHERY • MINI VIKES • JUDO • and more!

LIMITED SPACES!

PETER OSHKAI

NEATPICTURE.COM

cheer, yoga, and even mini Vikes camps for our youngest participants and future Vikes. Campers will develop new skills, meet new friends, explore creativity, and experience exciting activities in a fun, safe, and positive environment. Have a little fish on your hands? Vikes Swim, Under the Sea and the new Mer-Peeps camps provide the Swim to Survive

Develop skills, meet new friends, explore creativity and experience exciting activities in a fun, safe and positive environment. RECREATION SPORT DEVELOPMENT HIGH PERFORMANCE CLIMBING & OUTDOOR

Presented by

Supported by

See complete camps listings online:

vikescamps.com

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4 | THURSDAY, JUNE 3, 2021

Summer Day Camps are back at Camp Qwanoes!

es - summer CAN still happen! Why stay home when there’s a world of adventure just around the corner? Rain or shine, everyday will be action-packed and friend-filled! All with an amazing staff in a spectacular setting. All we need is you!

more options await! Qwanoes Beach, our Challenge Course, and Land Activities are ready and waiting.

LOOK FORWARD TO TONNES OF ACTIVITIES! Choose from our giant floating Aqua Park, Airwalk Village, the Triple Biscuit, Screamer zip lines, archery, outdoor laser tag… and many

AND LOTS MORE! Enjoy our band in “Q-Town,” counselors, the Tuck Shop, Ice cream Island, Shave Ice Palace, hanging out at Carpetball, your day will be filled with fun and discovery.’

ALL STAR GAMES! Everyday is something wild and new… and everyone’s a star. Prepare for action and a bit of summer craziness!

RETURN BUS TRANSPORTATION FROM VICTORIA! Let us make getting to camp super easy and safe! During Day Camp #2, #4, #6 and #8 we will have a bus depot at Saanich Baptist Church in Victoria. We tried this at the end of last summer and it worked great! Day camps go from Monday to Friday throughout the summer. For more info call 250-246-3014 or qwanoes.ca. Watch our video! qwanoes.ca/summer/media/ (By the way, if overnight camps become allowed for this summer we will be ready!)

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How to keep kids engaged over school breaks

hildren in North America will spend, on average, more than 900 hours attending school in a given year. The average school year in the United States lasts 1,016 hours, the equivalent of 42 continuous days. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, many developed countries begin their academic years in September and end them in June. Some, like Australia, feature four terms with two-week breaks in between each term. Others go to school for most of the year — with various holiday breaks in between — and then get the bulk of their time off during the summer. As much time as kids spend in school, there will be times when they are left to their own devices, and during these times it’s easy for them to forget classroom lessons. Sometimes called “summer learning loss” or “summer slide,” this forgetfulness sees many students fail to retain all of their lessons over prolonged breaks from school. Studies indicate that students score lower on standardized tests at the end of the summer compared to their performance on the same tests at the beginning of summer. Anywhere from between one to three month’s worth of educational achievement can dissipate during prolonged breaks from the classroom. To help ensure that those hard-earned lessons are not so easily forgotten, parents can help children remain intellectually engaged in various ways over school breaks. • Stick to a schedule. Try to maintain a schedule similar to school, with children waking at the same time each day and going to bed at similar hours. This will make it much easier to get back into a routine when a new school year begins.

• Encourage reading. Set aside time for reading each day. All it generally takes is 15 to 30 minutes of reading per day for kids to remember their vocabulary lessons and maintain their fluency and comprehension skills. Children may enjoy picking their own books rather than having a required reading list. • Keep a math book handy. On long car trips or rainy days, children can do a few math problems to keep their skills sharp. This will help keep learning loss to a minimum. Math workbooks may be available at bookstores, or parents can look online or ask a teacher for a summer to-do packet. • Plan educational trips. Vacations and day trips can be fun, entertaining and educational all at the same time. Science centers, museums, and living history locations can bring to life information learned in the classroom, even on family vacations. • Learn at camp. Many children attend camp for a portion of their school breaks. Look for camps that do not simply babysit children, but engage them through enrichment activities. • Take a class. Children and families can learn together by exploring new skills. Enroll in something educational and enjoyable, such as a music or dance class, a STEM seminar, or something else that engages the mind and body. This gives everyone a chance to learn something new and have a great time together as a family. Parents and educators can reduce lesson loss over school breaks by encouraging families to remain intellectually engaged in any way they can. –MC

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watch o ur new sumMer video at qwan oes.ca/ sumMer /media

Qwanoes.ca 66 1-888-997-92

Featuring : Qwanoes Beach, Challenge Course, land activities, All Star Games, Q-Town and more!

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Creatures from our blue lagoon. Colwood is calling. Explore the lagoon. It’s something to chirp about. colwood.ca/colwoodiscalling

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Making plans for the kids this summer? How about a SMUS Camp?

t. Michaels University School (SMUS) invites you to join our fun, engaging, skill based camps that offer a variety of enriching programs designed to inspire young minds ages 5 to 17 years old. With something to choose from in areas such as Science & Technology, Sports & Outdoors, Leadership, Music & Arts, there is certainly something for everyone. Learn about the workings of the universe in our Quantum Physic camps, or about the world of sound in our Digital Fabrication camp. Want to learn about robotics, animation, coding or laser cutting? No problem, we have camps for that too! Discover the great outdoors in our Wilderness Survival, Hiking, and Nature & Survival camps or your favourite sport in our Squash, Soccer, Basketball and Volleyball camps! Create music with industry professionals in our week long

Music Camp or artistic and written masterpieces in our Art and Creative Nonfiction Writing programs! SMUS Camps are led by friendly professionals who have a real passion for working with kids. Each instructor brings their own unique expertise, personality, and teaching style to their respective program and strives to provide a safe and positive learning experience for their participants. It’s no wonder our high quality programs are so much fun! And of course the beautiful campus (which rests in the heart of the Straits Salish Territory of the Esquimalt, Songhees, and WSÁNEĆ peoples) makes it a pretty great place to be. Let us help you plan a great summer, visit smus.ca/ summercamps for more information and to register for a SMUS Camp today!

Summer Music Camp JULY 26 – 30 9:00AM – 3:30PM 11–17 years $420

Our newly designed Music Camp offers: • Professional musicians and educators • Masterclasses in Strings, Woodwinds, Brass and Rhythm

Contact: externalprograms@smus.ca

• Electives and workshops to introduce a variety of musical topics for both jazz and classical players • Combos & Ensembles

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A standup seaside community. Colwood is calling. Beaches, Beaches, paddles paddles and and parks. parks. What What a a great great place place to to live. live. colwood.ca/colwoodiscalling colwood.ca colwood.ca/colwoodiscalling colwood.ca //c c olwoodiscalling olwoodiscalling

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