Salem Summer Camp

Really good stories and grammar: Children who like to read stories, write essays and improve their spelling and grammar at the same time will find what they are looking for here. Under the expert guidance of a Lower School German teacher, they can put their own ideas on paper. In the process, they expand their vocabulary, improve their writing style, and experience a creative, hands-on approach to the German language.

Experience & Exercise: This course is designed for children who are interested in the English language, have had at least one year of English classes in school, and are not English native speakers. The focus is on free speech and vocabulary development. For example, the students conduct interviews with English-speaking Summer Camp participants and write articles for the Summer Camp newspaper. In addition, grammatical topics are dealt with and the children's listening comprehension is trained.
 

For Beginners
This is a class for participants with no previous knowledge of German who want to learn the language for the first time. In addition to the usual learning content for beginners, special emphasis is placed on learning the vocabulary that characterizes boarding school life: The children learn how to introduce themselves, how to conduct simple everyday conversations, and how to write small texts in the new language.
 

For Advanced Learners
Here, those participants who have already learned some German at school or at home can deepen their knowledge. We deal with topics in which the children are particularly interested and for which they can already do independent research. In this way, they learn in an exciting and entertaining way how to speak and write better. They also write short articles for the Summer Camp newspaper, which all participants can take home at the end. At the same time, the children work individually on grammatical topics and practice their listening comprehension.

Journey into the past: The participants will experience Salem Castle and its surroundings during the Middle Ages in theory and practice. Good German language skills are a prerequisite for participation in this group. In case of low enrollment, we may combine the courses of Summer Camp & Summer School.

Math in a different way: Participants learn about mathematics in a practical way. With many games and learning aids, the course teaches mathematical rules and laws.

Taster studies: Here, the young "students" learn interesting facts from the fields of natural science and technology. Under the guidance of experts, they learn about amazing phenomena in practice-oriented "lectures".

Let the imagination flow freely: Using a wide variety of materials such as plaster, soapstone, oil paint and ink, the children can paint, design and craft in many different ways. We look forward to many young artists who will be inspired by Salem Castle and its picturesque surroundings.

Close to the water: The sailing course is mainly intended for beginners. After a theoretical lesson in the morning, participants head to the school's own harbor near Überlingen on Lake Constance. There, the participants can directly apply what they have learned on board of optimists. Boat care is also part of the sailing practice. In order to avoid boredom even when the wind is calm, the counselors organize cross-country games, competitions in paddling on surfboards or in knot tying, and much more.

At the end of the camp, after passing the exam, the sailors receive the "Salem Summer Camp Opti-Diploma"!

Prerequisites for the course are a good knowledge of German and confident swimming skills.

The stage is set for young talents: Music, theater and musicals - here, Summer Camp participants can gain their first experience of independent speaking, singing and acting. They also write and stage their own short plays and try out different roles.

The highlight is the performance on the final day, when the participants present what they have practiced live "on stage" in front of their parents.
 

Exploring flora & fauna: Forest, water, meadow - in the beautiful and varied surroundings, the children explore these areas of nature by experiencing, playing and creating in a variety of ways. Supervised by experienced educators, they walk barefoot or blind, feel and touch, draw sound maps or create a mini national park. In the theoretical part - also with the help of experiments - the basics for a better understanding of the processes in nature are developed.

The circus is open for young artists: The circus in the lower school can look back on a long tradition. The flair of the circus world has always fascinated children. At Summer Camp, they can learn ring arts such as unicycling, juggling, handling the diabolo or devilstick, acrobatics, tightrope walking or ball running from circus instructors with many years of experience.

Diligent practice pays off, because on the final day of the Summer Camp there is the big performance in front of the parents!