As parents sending their children to summer camp, you already know that there is more to your children’s success than academics alone. Did you know that there’s an educational framework and advocacy centered around this very concept? It’s called The Whole Child, and we love what it stands for. The Whole Child approach shoots for children to have long-term development and success. 

Any program that focuses on the following five tenets enriches the whole child:

• Healthy
• Safe 
• Engaged 
• Supported 
• Challenged

Health is a clear goal at Summer at Sandy Spring (SaSS). We recognize that it’s not just medical health that is important, but social, emotional, and mental health as well. There are so many ways to find enrichment for a healthy child in our summer programs! Our culinary team provides both meat and vegetarian-based entrees daily for lunch, in addition to two snacks, one dry-based snack and one fruit and vegetable-based snack to keep energy up. Through activities like our theatre and dance camps, or expression of dance and visual arts, children get to explore their emotions and build their “EQ”. There are neverending opportunities for peer engagement and social interaction. A close staff-to-camper ratio ensures your children get the adult support they need, whenever they need it. 

Safety is and should be synonymous with summer camp! With your children in our care for part or most of the day, their safety is paramount. We have registered nurses on duty during all normal camp operating hours, and many of our staff are First Aid and CPR trained. When your children romp in the water, you’ll know they’re under the protection of certified lifeguards. You can read all about our safety measures here. 

Engagement is a game changer when it comes to children’s development and learning. When children are engaged, their brains activate more, and they show greater diligence and resilience in their preferred tasks. Your children have the opportunity to indulge their interests in more than ten specialty camps in a variety of stimulating topics as well as twenty-two workshops. Social interactions and the positive environment of the outdoors, give your children every opportunity to find their engagement groove at SaSS. 

Another key tenet of our practice at SaSS is having a supported student camper. As previously mentioned, we keep a close staff-to-camper ratio to best attend to and support our campers’ variety of needs. Our administrative staff is made up of highly experienced educators and specialists dedicated to fostering your child’s growth and enrichment. 

Your children will experience appropriate challenges as a SaSSer. That means that not only will their bodies have an opportunity to be pushed in exertion, but their intellects and feelings will be pushed as well. Pushing their bodies and bravery clear out former fears and build confidence, and your child will learn resilience. Intellectual pursuits such as STEM-based specialty camps and academic support stretch brain power. Finally, meeting, engaging, and learning to work with new friends and their feelings is a life-long challenge that SaSSers learn to overcome every day by the very nature of the camp’s environment of group activities. 

As you can see, with the five tenets of the “Whole Child” guiding our pedagogy and passion, children have the potential to receive extraordinary and long-term benefits in their social, emotional, intellectual, and physical growth over just a few short months. We’re here to celebrate their gains every day, every step of the way. Our bonus? When we see our repeat campers and just how far they’ve grown each year!