Middle School Catalog

Documentary Filmmaking introduces campers to documentary short films and explores the genre through visual storytelling. Campers will research and develop a documentary short on a topic of their choosing over the course of the week. Students will watch short documentaries to get a sense of different subject and narrative styles. Topics may include anything nonfictional - science, history, social issues, sports, food, art, or everyday life. Campers will learn filming and editing techniques from pre-production to production to post-production. The camp will end with a documentary short film festival, where campers share their work with each other.

Please note that this camp runs for four days from Tuesday, June 20 to Friday, June 23.

Step into the world of a real litigation! Part law class and part theater, mock trial will open a window into the complex world of law. We will choose a case together at the first meeting and assign roles, then spend the rest of the camp investigating and preparing the trial. Participants will learn the basic mechanics of a trial, including rules of evidence, the responsibilities of attorneys, how to ask good questions, how to testify, and how to make objections. Justice will be served!

Please note that this camp runs for four days from Tuesday, June 30 to Friday, June 23.

Welcome to the Wonderful World of Harry Potter! After being sorted into houses we will create origin stories for our house founders, make our wands, play a rousing game of Quidditch, brew potions, identify magical plants, and even create a magical creature for future witches and wizards to learn about! Points will be awarded to houses based on excellent behavior, creativity, teamwork, and general trivia knowledge! The final day of camp, houses will share their origin stories while we partake in scrumptious butterbeer and snacks.

Please note that this camp runs for four days from Tuesday, June 20 through Friday, June 23.

This camp explores the history of human civilization through board games. Each day focuses on a broad historical period, using a board game to explore how societies functioned in each of those periods. Each day will include a brief history lesson, an explanation of how the games work, and extensive time for game-playing. At the end of each day, students will reflect on how the game shapes a deeper understanding of how societies have operated, including the ways in which hierarchies are built within a society and on a global scale.

Please note that this camp runs for 4 days from Tuesday, June 20 to Friday, June 23.

Improvisation stretches the imagination and builds confidence and presentation skills. Through theatre exercises, games, and spontaneous improvisational forms, campers will develop ways to help them think on their feet. In this safe environment, you can expect to get outside your comfort zone and learn to express yourself through various scenarios and settings. At the end of the week, we will invite friends and family so campers can demonstrate what they’ve learned with an audience!

Please note that this camp runs for four days from Tuesday, June 20 to Friday, June 23.

Action and art collide! Comics and graphic novels are an innovative and exciting format for telling stories. Authors of these kinds of texts have to rely on great narrative along with detailed and clever artwork that is a language all its own! Learn how to storyboard a plot with setting, character development, and dialogue in a unique format, and experiment with visual techniques like zoom, imagery, speech balloons, silhouette, and specialized lettering. Participants will leave with a completed, published comic book.

Please note that this camp runs for 4 days from Tuesday, June 20 to Friday, June 23.

In this course, campers will learn the basics of the debate format. We will focus on research skills, building an argument with evidence, rebutting an opponent’s argument, and strengthening public speaking skills. Students will have an opportunity to test out their newly acquired skills in large and small debates held over the session.

This camp will explore different forms of nonfiction writing, including biography, memoir, op-ed, and journalism. Students will be exposed to different types of nonfiction writing in the first three days. After looking at some samples of nonfiction writing, students will draft their own nonfiction piece in that day's genre. On the final day, students will learn about the editing process and select and pick which of the four pieces they want to refine and share with the group.

Ready to find your voice and share some powerful music? Join us to learn some of your favorite show tunes from musical theater in our Broadway Showcase camp. Each day we will work on a variety of repertoire, from solos and duets to larger group numbers, complete with a little choreography, too! Our focus will be on learning new skills, creating character, working together, and supporting one another. Learn how to tell the story of your song, how to sing healthily, and how to share your own personal flair on the stage. At the end of the week, we’ll have a fantastic performance to present for family and friends. So bring your enthusiasm, courage, and teamwork, and let’s create something special!

Guinness book of world records is a fun, exciting, and challenging opportunity for campers to try new and unique activities. Campers will learn what the process of setting a world record is and how records are measured and recorded. The people who have set world records and the records themselves are unique and interesting. We will learn about the people who broke world records and the history of the records. Throughout the week, campers will attempt as many world records as they can. They will also have the opportunity to attempt a world record that they create. Our culminating project will be to attempt several records, competing with fellow campers, for the Overlake Summer Program Records Champion.

Please note that this camp runs for three days from Wednesday, July 5 through Friday, July 7.

This camp will introduce campers to the basics of Ultimate Frisbee and provide ample opportunity to get outside and play. Throughout the week campers will develop their agility, stamina, and razor-sharp throwing skills. They will also increase game IQ through drills, scrimmages, and fun team games. No experience necessary—come join the fun!

Please note that this camp runs for three days from Wednesday, July 5 to Friday, July 7.

Do you know how many stories of us are hidden in the trees?  Can you imagine what these campus trees have seen in their hundreds of years of collecting information about humans?  Lost in Literature is perfect for discovering how there are really only 5 main themes of stories that exist wrapped in literary technique and character archetypes. We will borrow themes and storylines from great works of literature and under the canopy of our evergreen guardians, create a fun new list of “must reads” in a variety of genres to be determined by each student.

If we just heed our trees and their whispers…

Please note that this camp runs for three days from Wednesday, July 5 through Friday, July 7.

Summer program’s greatest hits takes a little something from some of the great camps we have at Overlake to create one exciting week! From building fires, collaborating on a design challenge, to playing group games and eating smores this week is filled with a variety of activities meant for kids to try something new and have fun. 

This week we will be creating art that makes the page come to life! We will be focusing on flat pieces created by using a variety of materials such as: ink, paint, collage, pastels and more. Projects will include structured drawing exercises, open ended painting explorations, with a little bit of everything sprinkled in between. Students will be encouraged to take risks and try new materials as they discover or build upon their unique artistic voice. Artists of all skill levels are welcome as we discover and develop our knowledge of how to make a blank piece of paper sing.

This camp is a great opportunity for participants to enhance their leadership skills. Through experiential activities, games, and simulations (including Overlake’s Challenge Course!), students will learn more about leadership styles. By participating in the camp, students will develop a better understanding and higher level of trust when working with a team. In addition, they will discover personal strengths and how to use them to bring out the best in others. Come grow your leadership skills at Overlake’s leadership camp!

Step into the world of a real litigation! Part law class and part theater, mock trial will open a window into the complex world of law. We will choose a case together at the first meeting and assign roles, then spend the rest of the camp investigating and preparing the trial. Participants will learn the basic mechanics of a trial, including rules of evidence, the responsibilities of attorneys, how to ask good questions, how to testify, and how to make objections. Justice will be served!

Multi-Sport Camp introduces students to a wide range of sports, encouraging students to become well-rounded athletes. Students will learn the fundamentals of these sports that are popular at Overlake. There will also be a focus on strategies and game play concepts that overlap within these sports. This course is geared to increase students comfort level with a variety of sports. Games like soccer, basketball, ultimate, lacrosse, volleyball, and baseball/softball will be played during this camp.

In this course, campers will learn the basics of the debate format. We will focus on research skills, building an argument with evidence, rebutting an opponent’s argument, and strengthening public speaking skills. Students will have an opportunity to test out their newly acquired skills in large and small debates held over the session.

This active bonanza is a fun and challenging way to stay active during the summertime. Campers may be walking along a balance beam and leaping onto the bouldering wall or using quick feet to pass under a low space. The week will be filled with a variety of activities meant to challenge everyone at their own pace and comfort level. Campers will conquer obstacle courses and participate in group games that are active, cooperative, and FUN! By the end of the week, everyone will be creating and designing obstacle courses to challenge one another.

The Non-Traditional Sports Camp is an activity- and movement-based program. The emphasis is less on competition and focuses more on participating, learning, and having fun. Each day, campers have the opportunity to play a variety of activities. They will play badminton, archery, table tennis, floor hockey, circus arts, fistball, four square, GOLA, international games and gym games. Campers learn through a demonstration and explanation of the activities and then get to try out the equipment as they move and explore throughout our space.

Welcome to the Wonderful World of Harry Potter! After being sorted into houses we will create origin stories for our house founders, make our wands, play a rousing game of Quidditch, brew potions, identify magical plants, and even create a magical creature for future witches and wizards to learn about! Points will be awarded to houses based on excellent behavior, creativity, teamwork, and general trivia knowledge! The final day of camp, houses will share their origin stories while we partake in scrumptious butterbeer and snacks.

This week is all about getting creative and making some 3-dimensional art! We will be thinking about different perspectives as we create pieces that can be viewed from any angle. Students will practice artistic skills such as modeling, risk taking, planning, and experimentation in order to create their own pieces where their unique artistic voice shines! We will be making things such as sculptures, vessels, mobiles, and more. Materials will often be messy and will include but are not limited to: clay, paper mache, recycled materials, paint, and found objects. Projects will be structured but open to individual interpretations: there are no limits as to what you can create!  

Engineer Design Challenge provides students the opportunity to problem-solve, collaborate, and search for a creative way to solve an engineering challenge. There will be ten different challenges where students will explore the design process. Students will be given materials and asked to accomplish a goal. All these challenges will be inspired by Seattle. Students will build a bridge similar to 520, build a tall structure like the space needle, make something that glides in the air similar to what happens at Boeing, and build a craft that can hold a certain amount of weight and floats in water. 

Looking for a way to have fun this summer? Join us for a week full of games, activities, and challenges! Explore Overlake’s 75-acre campus through games such as capture the flag, sharks and minnows, and hide and seek. There will also be group games like spikeball, disc golf, bocce, GOLA, quidditch, and so much more. These games are a great way to get outside, exercise, and make new friends. No experience required!

Students will learn about Rube Goldberg, an engineer artist tinkerer who always was trying to invent a better "mouse trap." The idea behind this project is for students to use their vivid imaginations and come up with a way to move one object to another or to cause an object to do something by a series of events. Throughout the week, we’ll brainstorm ideas, tackle different challenges, and see what kinds of tasks we can accomplish at Overlake!!

Do you like to build, code, and solve complex problems? If so, this camp is for you! In this camp, students will learn how to collaborate and tackle fun problems with a variety of tasks and challenges. Throughout the week, we will work together to solve different building challenges using a variety of materials and strategies.

Do you LOVE LEGOs! Join us for a week of fun and engineering as we use LEGOs to build and create structures of all capacities. You will receive challenges throughout the week such as designing a building or bridge that can withstand a load, or a structure that can move or be adjusted. Options are unlimited with where we can take our creativity. Join us with an open mind and a desire to build with all sorts of bricks!

Wilderness survival focuses on essential skills and tools you need to survive in the wild. Have you ever wanted to learn how to make a fire? Do you have any desire to cook over a fire? Want to learn how to make structures in the woods? If you are lost in the woods, can you navigate yourself using a map and compass? If any of this sparks your interest, then wilderness survival is for you!

Looking for a way to have fun this summer? Join us for a week full of games, activities, and challenges! Explore Overlake’s 75-acre campus through games such as capture the flag, sharks and minnows, and hide and seek. There will also be group games like spikeball, disc golf, bocce, GOLA, quidditch, and so much more. These games are a great way to get outside, exercise, and make new friends. No experience required!

This camp is an opportunity for students to explore areas on campus and in our local community, developing their photography skills along the way. Students will walk easy trails and snap photos on their phone as they go. At the end of the weeklong session, students will have created a photo blog of their trips and sights. Students will get outdoors with an eye for perspective, lighting, and effects. Each day students will be at a new location and will focus on capturing a new element for their photographs. Students who do not have phones can borrow a school iPad to capture and edit photos.