SUMMER@CARROLL FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- What are the qualifications of the teaching staff?
- Is the enrollment in the summer mostly Carroll School winter students?
- Is there a full-time nurse in the summer?
- Is there an open house for Summer@Carroll?
- Do the children get to pick their summer afternoon activities?
- Is Summer@Carroll accredited or recognized by the state?
- Do all students receive 1:1 language tutoring in the summer?
- Is there swimming in the summer?
- What is the admission criterion for Summer@Carroll?
- Do you have a waiting list for Summer@Carroll?
- What if my child only wants to go to Summer@Carroll in the morning?
- How can we get testing for our child in order to complete the application for Summer@Carroll?
- Do you offer field trips in the summer?
- Is there homework for the students during the summer?
- What is the dress code for the Summer Programs?
- How does the morning program differ from the afternoon program in the summer?
1. What are the qualifications of the teaching staff?
The academic staff of Summer@Carroll is made up of experienced teachers from The Carroll School and other local schools. All language tutors are Orton-Gillingham trained. The teaching staff are all trained and experienced in their educational fields. The majority of the academic staff are veterans of previous Summer@Carroll programs.
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2. Is the enrollment in the summer mostly Carroll School winter students?
Most of the students enrolled in Summer@Carroll are not enrolled at The Carroll School in the winter. Many students return for more than one summer of academic strengthening and day camp fun.
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3. Is there a full-time nurse in the summer?
Summer@Carroll has a full-time nurse on duty all day who acts as the Health Care Supervisor for the program. In addition, supervisors and counselors are certified in first aid and CPR. Summer@Carroll has a doctor who acts as Health Care Consultant for the summer. Emerson Hospital in Concord is used in case of emergencies.
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4. Is there an open house for Summer@Carroll?
The Carroll School holds Open Houses during the months of November and January. At these events, Summer@Carroll staff will be on hand to answer questions and show the video from the previous year's summer.
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5. Do the children get to pick their summer afternoon activities?
There are three activity periods each afternoon for Elementary/Middle School students. Beginning Readers who have a shorter day have two activity periods.
During these blocks, activity directors plan the activities for the camp groups they have scheduled.
Each camper is exposed to many different games, crafts and activities in the course of the week.
High School Readiness students have a more flexible afternoon schedule. One day they may be involved with activities at Carroll while another day may have them traveling into Boston for an event or to visit a museum.
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6. Is Summer@Carroll accredited or recognized by the state?
Summer@Carroll is not accredited by the Massachusetts Department of Education. Summer@Carroll is considered a recreational day camp program and complies with all Massachusetts Department of Public Health regulations and is licensed by the Lincoln Board of Health.
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7. Do all students receive 1:1 language tutoring in the summer?
All Summer@Carroll students entering Grades 1-7 receive individualized language tutoring using the Orton-Gillingham approach each day of the program. The High School Readiness students (entering Grades 8-9) do not have language tutorials. Instead, the older students focus on writing, research and study skills during their morning academic blocks.
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8. Is there swimming in the summer?
Summer@Carroll utilizes Walden Pond for swimming. Every week, children go with their camp groups to Walden Pond. We employ certified life guards to supervise all our swimmers each day. All Summer@Carroll camp staff are certified in first aid.
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9. What is the admission criterion for Summer@Carroll?
Summer@Carroll serves students entering Grades 1-7 who have a primary diagnosis of a language-based learning disability, such as dyslexia. Our approach to reading remediation is cognitive in nature so students must fall within the average range of intellectual ability and be motivated to learn. The High School Readiness program addresses the academic needs of students entering Grades 8-9, including research and organizational skills required to write papers. Summer@Carroll is not designed to meet the needs of children with primary emotional or behavioral difficulties.
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10. Do you have a waiting list for Summer@Carroll?
When Summer@Carroll has filled all the programs, we start forming a waiting list. Preference on the waiting list is given to present Carroll School winter students, students accepted for fall admissions to The Carroll School and returning Summer@Carroll students in that order.
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11. What if my child only wants to go to Summer@Carroll in the morning?
Summer@Carroll is a full-day program. We feel that the combination of the academics and camp activities along with a conscious effort to develop social skills and self-confidence creates unique programs that are both academically and socially beneficial. During the afternoon activities, children form friendships with other campers that contribute to a positive social environment.
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12. How can we get testing for our child in order to complete the application for Summer@Carroll?
If you need to get the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC IV) test for your child, we would suggest contacting:
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Dr. Chris Connelly
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Dr. Lynn Meltzer, ILD
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33 Bedford Street, Suite 10
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126 Hartwell Avenue
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Lexington, MA 02420
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Lexington, MA 02421
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781-863-0033
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781-861-3711
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Both evaluators will administer a rather quick WISC test without the interviews that usually are part of the longer version. This will be sufficient for the purposes of completing the application process for the five-week Summer@Carroll. It should be noted that this quick WISC test is not sufficient for the admission process to The Carroll School regular school program.
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13. Do you offer field trips in the summer?
Field trips are a popular feature of the afternoon day camp program. The Beginning Readers usually participate in local field trips to venues such as Davis Farmland in Sterling. In addition to canoeing on the Charles River and picking blueberries in Stow, the Elementary/Middle School Program spends one afternoon at a local beach, like Salisbury Beach. An integral part of the High School Readiness experience are overnight camping trips as well as local field trips to Boston during which the students are exposed to techniques and strategies designed to boost their self-esteem as they transition to high school.
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14. Is there homework for the students during the summer?
There is no homework assigned during the five-week Summer@Carroll program. We feel the students work hard enough each morning during their four 50-minute academic blocks.
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15. What is the dress code for the Summer Programs?
In the summer, we want the children to be comfortable. T-shirts and shorts are the usual attire during the summer. Each camper and staff member is given a Summer@Carroll t-shirt which is required attire when traveling off-campus on field trips. For safety reasons, campers should wear sneakers every day rather than flip flops or crocs.
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16. How does the morning program differ from the afternoon program in the summer?
Mornings are devoted to academic intervention using The Carroll School's direct, multisensory and systematic approaches to helping students with learning disabilities. Every student has four academic blocks each morning. Afternoons are structured like a traditional day camp with a variety of activities here at The Carroll School as well as off-campus. Each student is assigned by age to a camp group. The camp groups consist of 10 children assigned to one counselor and one junior counselor. Carroll counselors are current college students or recent college graduates with experience working with children. Junior counselors are high school seniors or college freshmen. The majority of the camp staff have prior experience at Summer@Carroll.
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This camp complies with regulations of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health
and is licensed by the local board of health.
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