Growing up, my wonderfully organized mom transitioned directly from our school year into a “summer schedule”. The first few days of this were always painful to me. Even though this schedule allowed for plenty of much needed down time and relaxation to “just be a kid”, I felt like I had worked hard all year long and deserved an entire summer of no responsibility! Making my bed? Practicing the piano?! Doing chores?!? There were just so many things to do! I had no time for these joy-killing activities!

However, my mother knew that within a few weeks, she would begin to hear complaints of boredom, of “nothing to do”. Beyond giving us a schedule, my mom also signed me up for summer camps. As a child who liked to move as little as possible, I was rather skeptical of such offerings as Track Camp, Softball Camp, and Tennis Camp. To my surprise, I actually enjoyed them! Drama Camp became the highlight of my life, and I wished I could do it every week.

Looking back now, I see the many benefits of participating in these camps. Summer camps are great opportunities for kids to grow. They learn new skills, discover activities that they enjoy, and make new friends. They keep their minds and bodies active and are refreshed by a change of scene and by having a schedule. In the end, rather than taking away from the enjoyment of summer vacation, these camps can play an important role in a relaxing and fun yet healthy and structured summer.

Our camp leaders at Veritas Academy are passionate about the topics of their camps, and they are committed not only to exploring fun areas of interest but also to bringing God’s Word to light on these interests. They are teachers and professionals who dedicate their time and energy each summer to bringing great topics to life. Students will engage in a fun week of camp, but take away many tools that they will carry with them into the school year as well. The activities done in these camps may even lead to long term interests for the students! Anyone can attend our Veritas summer camps, even if they are not Veritas students.

I can’t say that lying in the grass on the far side of the track desperately hoping that someone would come carry me to water inspired me to take up running on my own immediately. However, when I began to consider running a few years ago as an adult, I thought back to those summer weeks at Track Camp and was encouraged to remember that I had run before, which meant that I could run again.

I look forward to helping many students grow, learn, and have a great time at Veritas camps this summer!

For more details on our summer camps, click here.

Have summer camp questions? Call our school office at 717-556-0690 or email Katie Zappitella at kzappitella@veritasacademy.com.