Summer 2024 at Gordon
Since 1910, Gordon’s progressive academic program has put children, and their voices, at the center of learning. For nine weeks this summer, we once again look beyond the school year to expand our mission-driven, child-centered programming. The result is a diverse offering of camps that are playful, thoughtful, creative, and fun. Our nurturing and compassionate staff (including Gordon faculty) are ready to engage your child, encouraging them to venture safely outside their comfort zone, as they create new memories, forge friendships and explore Gordon’s twelve-acre campus.
A great place to grow
Gordon's scenic twelve-acre campus features over 70% open space and is filled with inspiring, age-appropriate, and flexible spaces both indoors and out:
- Two light-filled art studios
- Field house with climbing wall and courts for basketball and volleyball
- Theater with state of the art sound and lighting system
- Spacious dining hall
- Three playgrounds
- A stream and a pond
- Four outdoor classrooms
- Two athletic fields
- A nature trail around the edge of campus
Indoor spaces are all air conditioned, and shade is plentiful in outdoor spaces across campus.
Nine weeks of fun
Summer at Gordon will include nine one-week sessions for all families from June 24th to August 23rd.
Morning and afternoon options give families more flexibility—choose half day or full day! And families who send a camper to two half-day camps (morning and afternoon) during the same week get $30 off their full-day price.
Our youngest campers (entering Nursery and Preschool) will have days filled with adventure and exploration at Day Camp. Rising Kindergarteners and first graders can spend their mornings at Day Camp and choose from specialty camp options to customize their afternoons.
Specialty camps for athletics, art, engineering and more are available for campers entering second through eighth grade.
Campers will spend time indoors and outdoors (weather permitting) each day. Water play is also included as a weekly activity.
Scheduled recess and break times for all camps give campers an opportunity to recharge and reset. Throughout their time at Summer at Gordon, campers of all ages can practice social skills as they play and learn together.
New this summer!
There are lots of new additions to our camp experience this summer!
- Extended care until 4:30pm for weeks one through eight
- Tons of new specialty camps
- New, bigger water slides and other water play activities
- Gordon Community Garden specialty camps (including programming designed by Gordon’s Green Dean, Cush Gillen)
- Even more outdoor play time
- New “Quest for the Cup” program July 1st-3rd!
- New off-campus program for week nine at Mother of Hope Camp
Not as new, but still exciting...
- A 10% sibling discount! See below for more details.
JUMP TO REGISTER NOW
Or read on for camp schedules, descriptions and policies!
Summer at Gordon is back on the road!
During the week of August 19th, campers and Summer at Gordon’s staff will have exclusive use of the 125+ acres at Mother of Hope Camp in Chepachet, RI. Daily schedules will be built around amazing outdoor amenities that include a private lake and beach, hiking trails, playground, a low ropes course, an archery field, sports fields, outdoor pavilions, a basketball court, amphitheater, and more. This will be an unforgettable experience you won’t want to miss!
Transportation between Gordon and Mother of Hope will be provided for all campers.
Camp offerings by date
Camp themes for 2024
| Classic Day Camp | |
| Visual Art and Design | |
| Engineering and Math | |
| Science and Sustainability | |
| Food and Cooking | |
| Athletics |
| Spanish | |
| Games | |
| Storytelling and Books | |
| Performing Arts | |
| Imaginative Play | |
| Outdoor Adventure | |
| Business and Leadership |
Look for the theme icons as part of the camp descriptions below!
Camp offerings by grade (entering in fall 2024)
Details to know (A-Z)
After care
Don’t want the camp day to end at 4pm? Join us for after care until 4:30pm! Campers who are enrolled in this program will be placed into small groups by age at 3:30pm to extend their playtime on the playgrounds and fields, and inside for games, projects, arts and crafts, and more. Registration fee is $40/week. Campers must be signed up to participate. To assure proper staffing and supervision, we cannot accommodate daily drop-ins to after care. After care is not available during the off-site week nine at Mother of Hope.
Age requirements
Summer at Gordon is open to campers who are entering nursery (age three) to eighth grade in fall 2024.
All campers must be potty-trained. Fully potty-trained children must be able to do the following without adult assistance and minimal adult prompting:
- Be accident-free in regular underwear (i.e., not training pants or disposable pull-ups) while at camp (though we are understanding that accidents can happen)
- Recognize and be able to tell a teacher in words or nonverbal signals that they must use the bathroom before they have to go
- Flush the toilet
- Wash/dry their hands
Contact
If you have questions or would like to learn more about Summer at Gordon, feel free to contact us.
Main number: 401-434-3833
Taylor Motta, Camp Director: tmotta@gordonschool.org or ext. 106
Jenny Alario, Auxiliary Programs Director: jalario@gordonschool.org or ext. 142
Deposits and registration
Camp deposits are non-refundable. Camp fees will be refunded for cancellations before June 1st. After June 1st, refunds will only be issued in the event that Summer at Gordon cancels a program. Camp fees will not be prorated or refunded due to missed days, including absences due to illness.
Registration for specific camps will come offline two weeks prior to their scheduled dates. This allows us to staff all camps properly and make decisions about any cancellations that may need to be made due to low enrollment.
Discounts!
There is a 10% discount for siblings. The sibling discount will be applied no matter which weeks siblings attend as long as registration is completed at the same time. If siblings are registered separately, please contact Jenny Alario, Auxiliary Programs Director, to apply the sibling discount.
Families who register a camper for two half-day camps (morning and afternoon) during the same week will get $30 off their full-day price. (Discount does not apply to full-day camps or off-campus programs.)
Health and wellness
Gordon’s mission asks that community members take care of one another, and our individual health and safety choices are a key part of that practice. We expect that anyone entering Gordon’s campus is aware of the importance of vaccinations and is making informed choices to help keep this community safe from contagion. All campers must have up-to-date physical forms and immunization records on file prior to the start of camp.
Holidays
Camp is closed on Thursday, July 4th and Friday, July 5th in observance of the Independence Day holiday. Be sure to check out our Quest for the Cup program running the first three days of that holiday week!
Hours
Morning and afternoon camp programs run from 8am to 4pm each day. The day will begin and end with a half hour of free play and student-driven choice time, with scheduled activities running from 8:30am to 3:30pm. There are no earlier drop off times available. See "After care" to learn about extending afternoons to 4:30pm.
Lunch and snack
Campers pack their own snacks and lunch for each day of camp. Summer at Gordon is a nut-free program.
Morning session campers staying for an afternoon camp will have lunch from 12-12:30pm. Campers coming for just an afternoon session can be dropped off between 12 and 12:30pm. Please notify the camp office if your afternoon-only camper will have lunch on campus. Snack time is built into both morning and afternoon programs.
Week nine
For the past two years, Summer at Gordon's final week has been an off campus adventure at Aldersgate Camp in North Scituate. That site is not available this summer, so we are excited to spend the week at Mother of Hope Camp in Chepachet for this special summer tradition.