All Camps will be run by The Buckley School’s full time, highly experienced and qualified teachers and coaches!
Kindergarten Adventure
New this year, Kindergarten Adventure is an educational and fun-filled half-day program, taught by Buckley’s very own lower school specialist teachers and carefully designed with the needs and developmental considerations of our youngest campers in mind. Campers will engaged in activities including: arts & crafts, storytelling, drama, games, athletics and much more.
Offered: Week 1 / Week 2 / Week 3 / Week 4 / Week 5
Entering Pre K and Kindergarten
Beginning Swimming
Jump right in! This swim program will focus on providing the beginning swimmer with the knowledge, confidence, and safety in and around the water. From these basic skills, we will take the swimmer from the beginning stages of swimming all the way to learning all 4 strokes, freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly. Most importantly, we provide fun activities that will allow them to develop a confident stroke while enjoying the water!
Offered: Week 3 / Week 4
Lead Instructor: Coach Keri Hehn, Buckley Varsity High School Coach, USA Swimmer
Grades 1-8
Dance Camp
Beginning and experienced dancers are invited to explore multiple styles of movement including hip hop, lyrical, cheer, jazz, and Broadway. To the beat of various music genres, students have the opportunity to develop technique while learning fun and fresh routines! Games, crafts, and other summer activities will be interwoven throughout the day. This program focuses on the value and joy of becoming a diverse performer. Dancers build coordination and artistry, while expressing themselves through creative movement. There will be an end-of-session performance for family and friends.
Offered: Week 1 / Week 3 / Week 4
Lead Instructor: Kylene Richards, Lower School Teacher
Grades 1-3
Griffin Soccer
This is a week of camp designed for the younger soccer players (Grades 1-3).
It will prepare the young players for AYSO / Rec / Club team opportunities, teaching fundamental skill, important team positioning and fun game play. A fantastic week for beginners or the young soccer fanatic!
Offered: Week 3
Lead Instructor: Coach Russo, Buckley Girls Varsity High School Coach
Coach Allan, Buckley Middle School Head Coach
Grades 1-3
Griffin Sports
This program is an extension of Coach Holland’s Sports Spectacular. It will cover a wide range of sports with Buckley’s finest coaches teaching motor skills and skill development alongside fun teamwork and game play. The program will provide instruction and fun learning in many sports. However, when signing up, please select your child’s favorite activity from the drop-down menu, and we will make that their main concentration for the week!
Offered: Week 4 / Week 5
Lead Instructor: Members of Buckley's formidable PE Department
Grades 1-3
Sports Spectacular
Student entering grades 1-3 will enjoy days packed with a wide variety of games and skill-based activities. The lineup is designed for maximum fun while developing age-appropriate skills, teamwork and sportsmanship. Children progress at their own rate while building fundamental skills. As they perfect the fundamentals, they experience success and are introduced to game strategies and concepts. The program also emphasizes healthy lifetime choices.
Offered: Week1 / Week 2
Lead Instructor: Coach Holland, Lower School PE Teacher
Grades 1-3
Storybook Theater
Children will enter the imaginative, dynamic, and often humorous world of Storybook Theatre, a playful approach to building reading fluency. Popular stories come to life in plays with lively dialogue and action that are scripted for the emerging reader.
Storybook Theatre is a fun way for children to develop their reading and comprehension skills while discovering their inner ham. Additional hands-on activities and games related to our reading program round out the morning. Children will enjoy a variety of outdoor games in the afternoon.
Offered: Week 1 / Week 2 / Week 3 / Week 4 / Week 5
Lead Instructor: Donna Shmidt, Lower School Teacher
Grades 1-3
Travel Camp
Get your passports and imaginations ready for a fun-filled, magical trip around the world! Students will be traveling the world, visiting and learning about different countries while navigating like real explorers! Through hands-on activities, theywill experience the life and culture of each country through the use of literature, art, geography, music, dance, language, cooking, and games. We also will have many weekly “wacky” themed days filled with scavenger hunts, competitions, face painting, dressing up, and special visitors!
$40 per week materials fee will be added to the cost of the camp on sign up.
Offered: Week1 / Week 2 / Week 3
Lead Instructor: Mrs. Romero, Kindergarten Teacher
Grades 1-3
Visual Arts
This program will allow campers, under specialized tutorage, to experiment with and develop a passion for many different art mediums. Drawing, painting and clay work are a few examples of many activities covered throughout the week. The program will provide teaching and fun learning in all the listed aspects of arts. When signing up, please select your child’s favorite activity, and we will make that the main concentration for the week!
Offered: Week1 / Week 2 / Week 3 / Week 4 / Week 5
Lead Instructor: Sarah Levitt, Lower School Teacher
Grades 1-3
Griffin Golf
Campers will practice their golf swings on Buckley’s own Gilley Field driving range. A full range of shots will be covered, including full swings with irons, chipping, putting and driving. Campers will also visit the practice facility (driving range and putting area) at Encino/Balboa Golf Course and play a real live round of golf at Little DeBell Golf Course in Burbank! Rules and etiquette will also be covered. Campers also will spend some time playing in the swimming pool! No previous experience is necessary but we do prefer that students have their own 9 irons, pitcher and putter. This camp not only offers a wonderful opportunity to be introduced to the great game of golf but also a great place to come and practice and improve one’s game in a fun and nurturing environment.
Offered: Week 1 / Week 2
Lead Instructors: Coach Klay/Coach Lotts
Grades 2-8
Martial Arts
This program is great for campers with or without martial arts experience. The emphasis is on fun in a positive environment with the goal of teaching fundamental martial arts skills and philosophy. Those with experience will have the opportunity to work on advanced techniques.
The Martial Arts curriculum includes punching, kicking, blocking, body mechanics and footwork techniques. Self-defense philosophy and technique, board breaking and basic sparring techniques (non-contact) will also be covered.
Instructor Scot Lewis has 20 years of martial arts experience and has owned SCTC Taekwondo in Sherman Oaks for the past 15 years. He has worked with students aged three years and up and taught traditional martial arts classes as well as camp programs at his school.
Offered: Week 2
Lead Instructors: Scot Lewis, Buckley Wellness Committee
Grades 2-8
Alonzo Martial Arts
Studies have shown Martial Arts training to be a fun & constructive way for kids to achieve both fitness & focus. Students will learn the basics of Tae Kwon Do blocking, kicking & punching, as well as HapKiDo self-defense techniques to go along with child safety exercises incorporated to address anti-bullying and stranger danger.
Safety is our highest priority so classes are carried out with no contact with one another and only minimal contact with soft targets, applying the self defense techniques to their instructor. At the end of each class, students repeat the mantra of "No Punching, No Kicking for Play."
The Dojo2go.com program helps kids gain self confidence as they build coordination & balance, strength & flexibility by providing a structure that playfully challenges them both mentally and physically. Students learn self-discipline and will practice social skills like respect, concentration and self-control.
Offered: Week 4 / Week 5
Lead Instructors: Richard Alonzo, Founder & Chief Instructor Alonzo Martial Arts
Grades 4-8
Advanced Club Level Premier Soccer Camp
This advanced soccer development program is designed for the serious soccer player!
Top club level, USSF National licensed coaches with a wealth of soccer knowledge and coaching experience, will intensely train the players on everything from high level individual techniques to intricate tactical team play developments.
Offered: Week 4
Lead Instructors: Coach Pearce, USSF "A" Licensed Coach & Buckley Boys Varsity High School Coach
Coach Allan, USSF "A" Licensed Coach & Buckley Middle School Head Coach
Coach Russo Buckley Girls Varsity High School Coach
Grades 2-8
Advanced Club Level Premier Swim Camp
This advanced swim development program is designed for the serious swimmer!
Top coaches with a wealth of swim knowledge and competitive swimming experience, will work on stroke analysis, speed training, technique development, turns and speed starts.
Offered: Week 5
Lead Instructors: Coach Keri Hehn, Buckley Varsity High School Coach, USA Swimmer
Grades 4-8
Basketball
Join this one-week summer session designed to teach children how to become well-rounded and team-oriented basketball players. The session will offer intense, specialized basketball instruction with an emphasis on the fundamentals of basketball including dribbling, passing, shooting, and rebounding. The camp also provides campers of all ability levels a rewarding and enjoyable experience and introduces them to college, professional and/or former NBA players as guest speakers and teachers.
Offered: Week 2 / Week 3
Lead Instructor: Coach Hamilton, Buckley Varsity High School Coach
Grades 4-8
Dance (Middle School)
Come join Mrs. Watts for a fun-filled week of dance at Buckley. Camp participants will learn dance technique and choreography in various genres of dance including Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary, Modern and Hip-Hop. This camp offers dance in a non-pressured environment that is jam packed with fun, fun, and more fun! Participants will learn new dance styles and as well as have the opportunity to explore and develop choreographic skills. Week-long activities culminate with a performance on the last day of camp.
Offered: Week 1 / Week 2 / Week 3
Lead Instructor: Mrs. Watts, Lower, Middle & Upper School Dance Teacher, Dance Team Coach
Grades 4-8
Game Design
Take your interest in gaming to the next level! This week-long camp will provide students with the knowledge and building blocks required to begin programming their very own games.
Offered: Week 3 / Week 4 / Week 5
Grades 4-8
MVP Sports
Your very own Buckley Upper School and Middle coaches will provide excellent skill development, tactical awareness and game play tuition in all the sports Buckley has to offer. This program is ideal for Middle School students who intend to improve their individual skills, have fun and play competitive sports in the next school year. Sports include: soccer, basketball, baseball/softball, tennis, volleyball, flag football, golf, track & field. Swimming will also be an option! The program will provide excellent coaching and fun learning in all of the listed sports. However, when signing up, please select your child’s favorite activity from the dropdown menu, and we will make that their main concentration for the week!
Offered: Week1 / Week 2 / Week 3 / Week 4 / Week 5
Grades 4-8
Robotics
Are you curious about Robotics? Learn how to build and program your own Mars rover! We will base our designs on NASA's Mars Science Laboratory rover, Curiosity, which is scheduled to land on Mars this summer. Students will be using LEGO MINDSTORMS for the challenge. No prior robotics experience required. Advanced students can build a model of the Sky Crane that will lower the rover to the surface of the planet! On the last day of camp, students will present their creations to their family and friends!
Offered: Week 1 / Week 2 / Week 3
Lead Instructors: Rich Edelen, Middle/Upper school Teacher & Robotics Team advisor
Grades 4-8
Soccer
Andrew Pearce and George Russo, Buckley’s Upper School Head Soccer Coaches, are bringing together Buckley’s favorite, highly certified soccer coaches to offer a summer skills camp for boys and girls entering grades 4-8. The camp is designed to take students to the next level in their soccer, developing individual technical/tactical sills and improving teamwork abilities. These attributes are vital preparation for playing at the highest level throughout Middle School and ultimately on Upper School varsity teams!
Offered: Week 1
Lead Instructors: Coach Pearce/Coach Russo/Coach Allan, Varsity Soccer Coaches
Grades 4-8
Visual Arts
Students will be able to explore, experiment, develop and appreciate many different mediums during a week of visual arts camp. Professional, full-time instructors from the Buckley School will offer classes in: drawing, painting, clay, photography, graphic design, ceramics and digital film making! The program will provide teaching and fun learning in all the listed aspects of arts. When signing up, please select your child’s favorite activity, and we will make that the main concentration for the week!
Offered: Week1 / Week 2 / Week 3 / Week 4 / Week 5
Grades 4-8