Welcome to Nueva Summer!
We hope that you are all staying safe.
The Nueva Summer team is currently working to determine the scope and structure of our 2021 program.
Please check back in late-January for updates.
Thank you!
Our Expedition programs are designed to spark student creativity and inspire learners from all over the San Francisco Bay Area.
Join us to deeply explore literature, art, debate, design thinking and engineering, and math! Nueva Summer’s Expedition program is a fun, multidisciplinary camp experience designed for high-ability learners entering grades 1–12. It is led by Nueva teachers and visiting educators and incorporates Nueva’s teaching practices developed through more than 50 years of experience.
Enroll in one week of enriching, hands-on activities, games, and learning, or join us for the entire program! Our extensive selection of classes allows you to have a new experience each week.
If you have questions, please visit our FAQ page for more information.
The 2020 Nueva Summer Expedition Line-Up
Registration Information
Registration Information
The application process for our 2021 program will be updated by the end of February 2021.
Thank you so much for your interest in Nueva Summer! We hope that you are well and staying safe.
2021 Nueva Summer Pricing:
Lower School Expedition: $540 per week
Middle and Upper School Expedition: $675 per week
2021 Application and Registration Guidelines
All families are invited to apply for Nueva Summer! If you are new to Nueva Summer, and are applying from a school outside of Nueva, you must upload the following documentation at the time of application:
Option #1: Recent standardized test score *We do not consider WISC-V, or other IQ test scores, for Nueva Summer. |
or |
Option #2: Recent school report card |
Financial Awards
Financial awards are available for families who qualify. To apply for financial award, please complete the Nueva Summer Financial Award form for each child you wish you enroll. You may submit the completed forms to fasummer@nuevaschool.org.
Questions?
Visit our FAQ page for more information.
Lower School
Lower School Expedition (Grades 1-4)
In the summer of 2021, Lower School Expedition will be entering its fourth year!
Each week, a team of Nueva educators will learn alongside our campers as we embark on thematic, interdisciplinary study designed to be immersive and fun while providing skills that campers can add to their life-long learning toolbox.
The program consists of four unique weeks of content, rooted in Literature Club, Community Building, Dance and Movement, Ecology, Scientific Deep Dives, Design Thinking, and Mathematical Exploration.
In 2020, campers in Lower School Expedition participated in four individual hour-long classes each day, including:
· Humanities (Lit Club/Writing/Comic Book Arts)
· Theater/Movement
· STEM Sessions (Math/Design Thinking)
· Physical Education Class
If you have questions, please email our team at summer@nuevaschool.org.
Meet the 2020 Lower School Expedition Team
- Christina Braun (Shop Manager & I-Lab Engineer, The Nueva School)
- Emma T. Capps (Nueva Alum, Graphic Artist)
- Sasha Knight (Lower School Teacher, The Nueva School)
- Zubin Mobedshahi (Lower School PE Teacher, The Nueva School)
- Lori Mustille (Fourth Grade Teacher, The Nueva School)
- Nikolas Strubbe (Nueva Alum, Educator, and Circus Guru)
- Helen Wicks (Dance Instructor, Nueva Summer Veteran Teacher)
Week 1: July 6–10
The Magic of Summer
For many of us, summer is the season of joy, play, and exploration a time full of quintessential experiences that one will recall fondly for a lifetime. Join us as we enter the adventure land that is Nueva. Students will get the opportunity to experience multi-subject deep dives into wizardry studies and fantasy stories, as our focus during this week will be an interdisciplinary celebration of summer. Campers will use all of their senses to gain new cultural, scientific, and experiential perspectives inspired by the Magic of Summer. Students will be able to infuse their love of nature and literature into superpower activities and group projects.
Week 2: July 13–17
The Wonders of Ecology
– What is “wilderness”?
– Why are animal species ascribed personalities?
– Who names these trees, and why?
– What left these strange footprints on the trail?
– How can I help preserve nature for others?
Embracing Ecology is about exploring and participating in hands-on learning and experiences, and therefore feeling a little more at home in the woods. Campers will experiment in and move throughout some of the known and hidden areas of Nueva’s 33 acres of foothills, trails, and creeks, beholding the beauty and learning about the complex web of life. They will also complete deep research dives into environmental centered literature and current events research connected to global warming or climate change. Throughout this week, our interdisciplinary studies will be tied the natural world as we reflect upon our connection to the environment and study the interdependent systems that surround us.
Week 3: July 20–24
Friendship and Endurance
This week at Nueva Summer is all about the power of our connections, relationships, and friendships. Through conversations and activities inspired by literature, our own personal experiences, and a continual unpacking and examination of our SEL-toolbox, campers will explore themes related to empathy, kindness, and friendship. Students will research and study social justice issues, while completing hands-on learning projects on possible topics such as ableism, racism, and ageism. Students will grow in their ability to communicate their own passions and hopes for the future of the world.
Week 4: July 27–31
Champions Week!
Join us as we champion the spirit of growth and endeavoring side by side. During the final week of Nueva Summer, we will redefine what it means to be a champion – a game-changer – as we study the lives of athletes, individuals, and characters who have pushed themselves to great heights. By immersing themselves in research, projects, and activities centered on those who pushed themselves to achieve, campers will gain a better understanding of the human mind, body and spirit while experiencing the magic of clowning and humor.
2020 Nueva Summer Pricing:
Lower School Expedition: $540 per week
Middle and Upper School Expedition: $675 per week
Middle School
2020 Middle School Expedition (Grades 5–8)
Our Middle School Expedition program is designed to be rigorous and engaging, showcasing the best of Nueva's "learn by doing" philosophy. Each offering aims to provide campers unique opportunities to explore academic passions in greater depth while working with Nueva teachers, students, and visiting college professors. Campers will experience Nueva's constructivist, project- and inquiry-based learning environment, and cultivate new skills and interests.
If you have questions, please email our team at summer@nuevaschool.org.
Week 1: June 29–July 3
Helen Wicks
• Grades 5-6 (Mornings)
• Grades 7-8 (Afternoons)
Lee Ryan Miller
• Grades 5-6 (Mornings) A Few Spots Remaining
• Grades 7-8 (Afternoons)
Jennifer Perry
• Grades 5-6 (Mornings) Class is Full – Waitlist Only
• Grades 7-8 (Afternoons)
Emma T. Capps
• Grades 5-6 (Afternoons) Class is Full – Waitlist Only
• Grades 7-8 (Mornings)
Michelle Grau
• Grades 5-6 (Afternoons) - Class is Full – Waitlist Only
• Grades 7-8 (Mornings)
Reenie Charriere
• Grades 5-6 (Afternoons)
• Grades 7-8 (Mornings)
Week 2: July 6–10
Jennifer Perry
• Grades 5-6 (Mornings) A Few Spots Remain
• Grades 7-8 (Afternoons)
Lee Ryan Miller
• Grades 5-6 (Afternoons) Class is Full
• Grades 7-8 (Mornings)
Veena Krishnan
• Grades 5-6 (Afternoons) - Class is Full
• Grades 7-8 (Mornings)
Les Phillips
• Grades 5-6 (Mornings) - Class is Full – Waitlist Only
• Grades 7-8 (Afternoons)
Jana Comstock
• Grades 5-6 (Afternoons)
• Grades 7-8 (Mornings)
Rachel Dawson
• Grades 5-6 (Mornings) Few Spots Remaining
• Grades 7-8 (Afternoons)
Week 3: July 13–17
Rachel Dawson
• Grades 5-6 (Afternoons) Few Spots Remaining
• Grades 7-8 (Mornings)
Lee Ryan Miller
• Grades 5-6 (Mornings) Class is Full
• Grades 7-8 (Afternoons) A Few Spots Remaining
Katie Saylor
• Grades 7-8 (Mornings)
Alexa Hart
• Grades 5-6 (Mornings) - Class is Full – Waitlist Only
• Grades 7-8 (Afternoons)
Joshua Das
• Grades 5-6 (Mornings) Few Spots Remaining
• Grades 7-8 (Afternoons)
Matthew Hesby
• Grades 5-6 (Afternoons) A Few Spots Remaining
• Grades 7-8 (Mornings)
Jana Comstock
• Grades 5-6 (Afternoons) - Class is Full – Waitlist Only
Week 4: July 20–24
Katie Saylor
• Grades 5-6 (Mornings)
Lee Ryan Miller
• Grades 5-6 (Afternoons) - Few Spots Remaining
• Grades 7-8 (Mornings)
Alexa Hart
• Grades 5-6 (Mornings)
May Wilson
• Grades 5-6 (Afternoons)
• Grades 7-8 (Mornings)
Judith Worrall
• Grades 5-6 (Afternoons)
• Grades 7-8 (Mornings) Few Spots Remaining
Jana Comstock
• Grades 7-8 (Afternoons)
Matthew Hesby
• Grades 5-6 (Mornings) Class is Full – Waitlist Only
• Grades 7-8 (Afternoons)
Alexa Hart
• Grades 7-8 (Afternoons)
Week 5: July 27–31
Cody Alan
• Grades 5-6 (Afternoons)
• Grades 7-8 (Mornings)
Matthew Hesby
• Grades 5-6 (Afternoon) - A Few Spots Remaining
• Grades 7-8 (Mornings)
Judith Worrall
• Grades 5-6 (Afternoons)
• Grades 7-8 (Mornings)
May Wilson
• Grades 5-6 (Mornings)
• Grades 7-8 (Afternoons)
Lee Ryan Miller
• Grades 5-6 (Mornings)
• Grades 7-8 (Afternoons)
Steven Chanan
• Grades 5-6 (Mornings) - A Few Spots Remaining
• Grades 7-8 (Afternoons)
2020 Nueva Summer Pricing:
Lower School Expedition: $540 per week
Middle and Upper School Expedition: $675 per week
Upper School
2020 Upper School Expedition (Grades 8-12)
In this third year of Upper School Expedition, we are thrilled to offer two weeks of our Parliamentary Debate camp. The course will be held July 13–24.
Participants can join either offering for one or two weeks. Our Upper School Expedition classes provide students entering grades 8–12 with an opportunity to take an immersive deep-dive inspired by Nueva’s mission to instill life-long learning skills in our all of our learners and community members.
July 13–24
Upper School Parliamentary Debate Camp
Sam Timinsky & Les Philips
What does our program offer?
Our Upper School Parliamentary Debate Camp is designed for high school students (rising ninth through twelfth grade) who are interested in competitive parliamentary debate. We welcome beginners — we delight in introducing debate to new students, and we give them our very best attention. We also welcome strong, experienced students who are ready to extend themselves and move to the next level, guided by our deeply experienced coaching staff.
Nueva has developed a sophisticated remote learning system currently being used to support daily instruction of our 940 PreK–12 students. Debate staff and coaches have been teaching daily classes remotely, including judging online parliamentary debate rounds. And we are supported by Nueva’s superb seven-person Tech Office, which has supported one of the earliest one-to-one laptop technology programs in the country (now in our second decade).
We’ll provide rigorous training in debate research, the use of philosophical arguments in debate, debate theory, case writing, strategic thinking, and speaking tailored to both professional and lay judges. Newer debaters will spend more time developing foundational skills. This track involves a series of workshops, lectures, and practice sessions to drill specific skills, such as locating evidence and ad-libbing refutation. More advanced debaters will spend more time in sophisticated reading groups, writing sessions, and mini-debates. They will also take part in mini-topic lectures and practice debates that emphasize strategy development.
Ideally, students will attend for the full two weeks. However, the course is divided into two week-long blocks (five days of instruction), and students are welcome to sign up for either or both weeks.
Here is the schedule for Upper School Expedition:
· All morning sessions will meet via Zoom for hour-long classes at 9 and 11.
· All afternoon session will meet via Zoom for hour-long classes at 1 and 3.
· In addition to our previously scheduled classes, we will host a half-hour PE class each day at 12:30.
The hour-long breaks in our morning and afternoon classes will be programmed with asynchronous content and break times.
If you have questions, please email our team at summer@nuevaschool.org.
Les Phillips, a seven-diamond NSDA coach, has been the director of debate at The Nueva School since 2014. He has coached national champions in policy debate, Lincoln-Douglas debate, and public forum debate. Les has taught at more than twenty summer workshops; in 2008, he became the founding director of Stanford’s Public Forum Institute, a post he held through 2015. Les is also the author of two well-regarded books, BASIC DEBATE (1995), and A DICTIONARY OF DEBATE AND PUBLIC SPEAKING (2015). He has described debate teaching as “the very best way to model critical thinking.” Under his direction, Nueva’s parliamentary debaters have distinguished themselves at major invitationals, including NPDI and the Parli TOC.
Sam Timinsky teaches history and directs parliamentary debate at The Nueva School. He will soon receive his PhD in East Asian history from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He specializes in teaching research, writing, public presentation, and modern political and cultural history. Sam has taught debate and argumentation for nearly a decade and is formerly head coach of parliamentary debate at the University of Washington, where he coached several students to the National Parliamentary Tournament of Excellence. Sam also taught debate at the University of Washington’s Robinson Center for Young Scholars. He frequently serves on topic committees, and has become one of the most preferred judges in high school parliamentary debate.
Gia Karpouzis (Guest Lecturer) breadth and depth of experience in debate is phenomenal. She has won over 100 high school and college championship awards in both speech and debate. In college, Gia competed in both worlds and NPDA parliamentary debate. As a freshman, she reached the semifinal round at USUDC Nationals. In 2015 she was ranked 15th at the Worlds Universities Debating Championships in Malaysia, and was the first woman in her University's 100-year debate history to be named Debater of the Year. Gia is nationally recognized as a teacher of public forum and parliamentary debate. Her work as a senior faculty member at the Stanford National Forensic Institute drew rave reviews, and her teams from Westridge and Nueva have consistently placed in late elimination rounds at regional and national tournaments.
Zach Moss is the director of debate at Bishop O'Dowd High School and has been a senior instructor at the POI Institute for parliamentary debaters. He is a graduate of Concordia University, Irvine (BA, history) and the University of Wyoming (MA, rhetoric). Zach has been coaching parliamentary debate at the college and high school level since 2006. Zach’s philosophy of coaching rests on the understanding that students are holistic individuals who must be enriched mentally, supported emotionally, and given outlets for physical engagement. Their coaching methods insure that students at alevels of experience are “met where they are,” but are also given the tools for success beyond their comfort zone. Zach’s students have advanced to late elimination rounds at all of the major high school parli invitationals, and he is one of the most consistently preferred judges at competitive events.
2020 Nueva Summer Pricing:
Lower School Expedition: $540 per week
Middle and Upper School Expedition: $675 per week