Summer School 2024
June 24 – July 26, 2024
Middle School
for students entering grades 7–8
The Middle School provides a balanced array of academic and enrichment courses for students, both Hopkins and non-Hopkins, who will enter grades 7–8 in the fall.
Five weeks in length, the summer session runs from June 24 through July 26, and is held on the tranquil 104-acre Hopkins School campus overlooking the city of New Haven.
Five weeks in length, the summer session runs from June 24 through July 26, and is held on the tranquil 104-acre Hopkins School campus overlooking the city of New Haven.
Two core courses are offered to the Middle School: Pre-Algebra in the morning which can be paired with Expository & Creative Writing in the afternoon. In addition, Squash programs are also available. Classes are kept small, typically averaging between 8 and 10 students. The Summer School reserves the right to cancel a class that does not reach the minimum enrollment of four students. The academic day begins at 8:00 am and ends at 1:15 pm. In honor of July 4th, we will not have school on Thursday, July 4.
Middle School Courses
List of 2 items.
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Pre-Algebra
Open to students entering grades 7–8.
Class meets 9:00–11:00 AM, June 24 through July 26.The pre-algebra review course is designed to offer students an introduction to elementary algebra, while at the same time broadening their understanding of the inter-relationships among different mathematical disciplines. Three content themes—applied arithmetic, basic algebra, geometry and measurement—are interwoven in this course. An emphasis is given to real world applications and operations. This class caps at 10 students.This class serves as a preview of the full-year Prealgebra course.Cost: $1,200 (code #130)If taken in combination with Expository & Creative Writing, Cost: $2,000.
Financial aid is not offered for Pre-algebra class. -
Expository & Creative Writing
Open to students entering grades 7–8.
Class meets 11:15 AM–1:15 PM, June 24 through July 26.This course builds upon fundamental skills and seeks to improve the quality of writing through the composition and revision of essays and other short pieces of written work. Based upon our belief that clear writing comes from clear thinking, the writing course emphasizes various approaches to the logical development of ideas and to methods of organizing ideas. Sentence structure, paragraph coherence, and common writing errors will be examined and discussed. Assignments will cover various types of expository writing, allowing as much latitude for creativity and originality as possible. This class caps at 10 students.Cost: $1,200 (code #102)If taken in combination with Pre-algebra: Cost: $2,000.
Financial aid is not offered for Expository & Creative Writing class.
Squash Program
The Hopkins Squash Camp is a co-educational instruction program which offers students an opportunity to strengthen foundation skills while acquiring the techniques necessary to improve or excel. Our instruction occurs in a positive, age-appropriate atmosphere conducive to both learning and fun.
Participants are grouped according to their age and ability and enrollment is limited to ensure that individual and small group instruction provide a superior experience. Expert coaching, always a hallmark of Hopkins athletics, focuses on honing existing skills and individual strengths. In addition, concepts and tactics are taught through game or match situations.
Financial aid is not offered for Squash Camp.
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Squash: Beginner and Intermediate, Levels I and II
Forbes magazine named squash as the world’s healthiest game for its excellent physical and mental demands, low risk of injury, and lifetime availability. US Squash Level II coach, Brad Czepiel, and his staff of trained coaches and advanced players teach proper stroke mechanics, graceful court movement, and effective match strategy for new and intermediate players. Individual and group coaching, and a variety of on- and off-court activities inspire the budding squash player. A mid-practice video break allows campers a time to refresh for the final hour’s action.
Equipment: Players are welcome to borrow Hopkins’ racquets, glasses, and shoes.Week 1: June 24–28, Cost: $300 (code #307)Week 2: July 1–3, 5, Cost: $240 (code #308)Week 3: July 8–12, Cost: $300 (code #309)Some court space is open to campers and supervised by coaches 11:00 am – 1:30 pm for extra play. -
Squash: Advanced, Level III
Squash Level III builds experienced players’ fundamentals to help them get even more power, finesse, and success from their game. Each week focuses on central, critical skills, though other related on- and off-court elements will be addressed. Throughout, the camp makes an asset of Hopkins’ hot courts; the pace is high, and outright winners are very difficult, a combination that acclimatizes players to the long, creative points of advanced junior squash. Camp limited to 12 players.Squash Level III Coaches:
June 24–28 & July 1–3, 5
Scott Brown - Head Coach of the Connecticut College men's and women's squash, Scott is also a former coach at Yale University and St. George’s School in Newport, R.I. He has coached throughout Fairfield County and is a 2019 Connecticut College graduate who captained the varsity squash and tennis teams.
July 8–12
John DeWitt, Assistant Coach of the Connecticut College men's and women's squash teams, John worked as Director of Squash at Squash Haven from 2009-2023; over 40 of his students went on to play collegiately. John graduated from Hamilton College in 2009 where he captained the squash team, played in the #1 position, was a first-team all-NESCAC selection, and holds the program record for most individual wins.We select coaches based on their ability to communicate with and inspire junior players. We have had coaches from Trinity College, Yale College, and the PSA tour. We have found great success with coaches from A-level prep schools and private clubs.
We maintain a 3:1 (or better) player:coach ratio, which is extraordinarily low.Week 1: Building points- Shot placements and sequences; accuracy work- Drills working on technical constructs of the gameJune 24–28Cost: $395 (code #310)Week 2: Strategies- Setting up points- Understanding and deploying tacticsJuly 1–3, 5Cost: $320 (code #311)Week 3: Matchplay- Implementing tactics across a match- Assessing and adaptingJuly 8–12Cost: $395 (code #312)All squash camps meet in Hopkins’ six-court Kneisel Squash Center located at the top of the quad and most easily accessed via the 94 Knollwood Drive entrance.
Inspirit AI Returns for Summer 2024
Artificial Intelligence Program by Stanford Graduates
Hopkins School is offering an in-person, pre-college, project-based artificial intelligence program through Inspirit AI, an AI education program developed and taught by Stanford and MIT graduates this summer. The program will run for 10 sessions of 3 hours each in summer 2024. Inspirit’s team of Stanford alumni visited our campus to lead an immersive AI project-building program in summer 2023, and we are excited for them to return.
Students from grades 8-12 will learn the fundamental concepts of AI and gain a deeper understanding of how AI is used to build ChatGPT and generative AI, fight the COVID-19 pandemic, power self-driving cars, and more. Students will learn to program AI using Python, discuss ethics and bias within AI, and complete a group project applying AI to a discipline like healthcare, astronomy, finance, among others. No prior computer science experience is required to participate.
Inspirit’s curriculum features the most cutting-edge applications of AI and new projects to address pressing social concerns, from ethical chatbot engineering to mass layoffs analysis and more. A more advanced program will be available for students who participated in 2023, and we will contact last year’s families about that opportunity separately.
If you are interested in participating in this unique opportunity, please fill out this short interest form. The program fee will be $1600 USD for 30 hours of hands-on learning with AI practitioners and graduate students from Stanford and MIT who will travel to New Haven to teach this pre-college program. Feel free to peruse the program brochure for more information about curriculum, schedule, projects, teaching team, and more!
