Online Summer Camp

Online Summer Camp

Summer camp is our flagship program that we have been developing and growing since we opened in 2009. Creating spaces for students to feel confident and have fun while learning French is something we excel at and this year we’re bringing that same enthusiasm and quality programming online!

Our curriculum, which has been developed by certified French teachers focuses on:

Vocabulary Development
Fluency of speech
Improving writing skills
Aural comprehension
Increasing confidence in French while having fun!

This year as students practice social distancing, we were inspired by the opportunity to purposefully create more instances of joy, connection and positivity for our students and have updated our camp theme to: A Spark of Joy! -Une Étincelle De Joie! Each day we will practice French with daily topics like: The Joy of Colours (La Joie des Couleurs) The Joy of Space Exploration (La Joie d’Exploration d’Espace) The Joy of Fairy Tales (La Joie Des Contes De Fées)

View Sample Schedule

During the camp, teachers will have many activities for the students to work through including writing ones. In our confirmation form we email out a few days before the camp, you can print out the writing worksheets if possible, however students will be able to complete all the activities with simply some blank paper, pencils, and makers or pencil crayons. Initially we were sending out physical workbooks however we found that too many families were not receiving them in time due to COVID-19 delays so we have updated to make sure everyone has the best possible experience and isn’t missing any essential items.

Full Day registrations also come with an LPP T-shirt.

Though our sessions are in one week increments, our teachers have two weeks of different lessons planned for each day. If you would like your child to participate for more than a week in either an AM, PM or full week session, let us know so we can make sure they are not in a week they have already completed.

We can’t wait to help our students feel confident and succeed in French this summer!

Update: We found that throughout July, too many families were not receiving the physical packages in time and so we have updated our program so that it can be completed with simply a blank paper and a pencil.

Online STEM Camp

Kids are naturally curious about the world around them and we want to help our students build a positive attitude towards STEM. We believe at Les Petites Pommes that we can all work together to raise children who appreciate science, believe in themselves, applaud the contribution of others, reach for the stars, and maybe change the world in the process.

Everyday our teacher Dr. Sihem Boujabi will present different science experiments for the students to participate in. This program will be offered from August 17-21 for ages 8-10 in the AM Session (9 AM-12 PM) and ages 11-13 in the PM session (1 PM-4 PM). Students only need to come equipped with a pencil and a paper for note taking and a curious mind for learning!

We were pleasantly surprised at how much she loved the online version…we were all a bit skeptical. I was pleased with the addition of the more academic aspects of the online program especially the conjugation of verbs and learning the future tense.

-Parent of camper from July 2020

“My daughter loved the camp and she feels comfortable to speak french and try new words and isn’t shy anymore

-Parent of camper from July 2020

I thought it was well organized, the teacher (thanks, Olivia) was engaging, fun, funny and also kept the kids in line with the planned programming and expected behaviour. My son said “it’s like school but better and the time goes fast”. That’s a good review from a 10 year old!

-Parent of camper from July 2020

Frequently Asked Questions

What level of French do students usually have?

The majority of our students come from a French immersion background, followed by core, private and then homeschool. Students are broken into 3 age categories: 5-6, 7-9 and then 10-13. In our youngest age group of ages 5-6, many children have not yet started French immersion or are considering it while some have maybe had 1 year experience. In our older groups there are mostly french immersion students, however we do often have enthusiastic core, private and homeschool students and this is awesome too!

Do you speak French 100% of the time?

NO, we do not speak French 100% of the time. At Les Petites Pommes, whether it is during our in-person or online programming, we have chosen to use a bilingual approach to language learning. This means that while we will speak French the majority of the time (and our teachers are fluent in both French and English), we will use English to support the teaching of new concepts and not penalize children for not being able to communicate 100% in French. We find that this creates an inclusive, accessible and supportive environment for language learning as students are not constantly called out for being at different levels of their development and language learning journey. We can quickly identify students levels and if we notice for example, they are not communicating in French to their potential, we will encourage and motivate them positively to try again en français.

Data shows that students using a bilingual method of language acquisition score just as well on tests but more importantly to us, as we consider that language learning is a practice that takes years of study and self motivation on the students part outside of their time with us, a bilingual approach leaves a student feelings more confident by increasing their instances of positive interactions and ultimately more satisfied with their learning experience. This will increase their success as they go on to other stages of their language learning like back to school in September, exchanges in Quebec or France, high-school, post-secondary etc. We have practiced this method for the past 11 years and have seen the positive.

How do you manage multiple levels?

The bilingual approach mentioned above is one of the key ways how we manage and address multiple levels in one classroom in terms of ensuring understanding, participation and a positive learning experience for our campers. Another way we manage this is by specifically creating activities that have different tiers and paths towards completion. For example, a writing activity which may ask about what a child’s favourite part of the day was maybe completed with a single sentence, varying lengths of a paragraph or simply a picture depending on age and ability. This allows students to work at their own levels and not compare themselves to each other. When students are not constrained by expectations and fearful that their work is not good enough, they simply start to take joy and pride in their accomplishments and improvement naturally occurs. This is the opportunity that summer camp provides us and what makes our program a place for students to flourish and keeps them coming back every year. You’d be surprised how often we hear, “At first my child didn’t want to go to French camp, but now it is their favourite camp!”

Can my child be an absolute beginner?

YES! Many of our students in our 5-6 group have not started French immersion yet. It is our honour to be your child’s first experience with learning and hearing French and our main goal is to leave them feeling excited, confident and motivated to start at school!

What is your refund policy for online summer camp?

At Les Petites Pommes, we have always tried to lead with kindness and generosity and now more than ever, we believe it is what is going to get us through the pandemic. If you sign up for camp and after the first day your child decides they do not like it for whatever reason, we are happy to refund you for the days you did not use. You will only be charged for the day that was used plus the cost of shipping the workbook to your house.

If my child is very shy, how will you support them?

We have had many shy children attend our camps over the years and this is no different in our online programs. In the case of online, if the child is very nervous, we usually recommend them participating with their camera off for the first little bit as they get used to the new people and get comfortable with us. We still include them in conversations and we wait until they want to participate by choice. This is just one scenario, we are happy to work with families and come up with different solutions together.

Should I have concerns about too much screen time, eye strain, and that my child will be sitting for too long?

As teachers running this program all summer, we also share these concerns and will address them with you:

1. Too much screen time: An increasing number of paediatricians and researchers are beginning to believe that it is not exactly the amount of time spent on screens but the kind of screen time that really matters. Online camp is “Active Screen time” where your child will be engaging both mentally and physically with us as oppose to “passive screen time” where the child is simply watching YouTube or Netflix. Active Screen Time with our camp will allow your child to boost their French skills and connect with children across Canada creating a sense of community and belonging.

2. Eye-Strain: To battle this, we are implementing the 20-20-20 rule. Developed by an optometrist in California, this rules says that for every 20 minutes spent looking at a screen, a person should look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. We will watch the clock and prompt this for our students and teachers as well (of course, we will make it into a fun game).

3. Sitting too long: As teachers who will be running 6 hours of online teaching this summer, we also share the concern of sitting for too long which is why we built into both our AM and PM sessions’ curriculums movement components including stretching, yoga and dancing en français!

Who are the online summer camp teachers?

Our teachers for our online summer camp are native French and FSL post-secondary students who are currently completing their French degrees in pursuant of a teaching degree and also current teacher’s college students who are on route to becoming French teachers. They are youthful, enthusiastic and motivated to help your child succeed in French.

Can we participate even if we don’t live in Ontario?

While we are based in Hamilton, Ontario, we welcome students from all over Canada to come and participate in online summer camp with us. Please note that our sessions 9:00am-12:00pm and 1:00pm-4:00pm are listed in Eastern Standard Time and the time difference will have to be taken into account for your participation.

Sessions & Prices

Online Summer Camp

Full Day (9 AM-4 PM)
$250/week

Morning (9 AM-12 PM)
$145/week

Afternoon (1 PM-4 PM)
$145/week

Online STEM Camp

AM Session (9 AM-12 PM)
PM Session (1-4 PM)
$150/week

Dates

Online Summer Camp

Jun 29-Jul 3, 2020*
Jul 6-10, 2020
Jul 13-17, 2020
Jul 20-24, 2020
Jul 27-31, 2020
Aug 4-7, 2020*
Aug 10-14, 2020
Aug 17-21, 2020
Aug 24-28, 2020
Aug 31-Sep 4, 2020

Online STEM Camp

Aug 17-21, 2020

*There will be no camps on Canada Day and on civic holidays.

Times

Full Day (9 AM-4 PM)
Morning (9 AM-12 PM)
Afternoon (1-4 PM)

All times are in Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).

Ages

5–13 (Online Summer Camp)
8-13 (Online STEM Camp)

Frequently Asked Questions

Sessions & Prices

Dates

Times

Ages

Questions?

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