Enrichment Classes for Gifted and Talented Middle School Students

Arcade Game Design

In this creative and fun-filled course, students will learn how to design and build their own 2D arcade-style games using MakeCode Arcade. Through guided tutorials and original projects, they’ll explore programming concepts like variables, loops, conditional logic, and game mechanics, all while customizing sprites, scenes, and gameplay. By the end of the course, students will have a playable game they can share—and the skills to keep building more on their own. All sessions are online, via Zoom. To register, complete the form below. Limit 8. Instructor, Maria DiGiovanni.

  • Fridays

  • July 25 - August 22

  • 4pm PST

  • $250 (5 sessions)

 
“Your classes have helped me improve greatly on how I speak my views on or talk about certain topics. You have exposed me to persuasive speeches and expository speeches, and have helped me succeed in giving both.”
 

Advanced Grammar Instruction

Join us for an engaging and interactive course designed for language enthusiasts and reluctant scholars. Participants will explore complex sentence structures (phrases and clauses), the intricacies of punctuation, and the subtleties of style and tone. All sessions are online, via Zoom. Limit 8. Instructor: Robin Russell

This is a multi-age course for middle and high school students.

  • August 25 - August 29

  • 2pm PST

  • $250

 

Reading Comprehension

Engage in discussion and activities that strengthen your critical thinking and reading comprehension skills. Through short stories, articles, writing exercises and discussion, we'll explore how authors convey deeper meaning for greater understanding. Preparatory work and homework provided. All sessions are online, via Zoom. To register, complete the form below. Limit 8. Instructor: Robin Russell

Reading Comprehension: Non-Fiction

  • July 28 - August 1

  • 1pm PST

  • $250

Reading Comprehension: Fiction

  • August 18 - August 22

  • 2pm PST

  • $250

 

Passionate Writers

Engage in activities that hone your skills and foster your love of writing as storytelling. Areas of focus are Sentence Fluency and Word Choice with the goal of cultivating descriptive language, specifically in employing similes, metaphors and other literary devices. Optional homework activities are provided. All sessions are online, via Zoom. To register, complete the form below. Limit 8. Instructor: Robin Russell

Passionate Writers: Plots & Characters incorporates big-picture concepts related to world-building, character development, as well as structuring plots and sub-plots to build suspense and engage the reader.

  • August 11 - August 15

  • 1pm PST

  • $250

Passionate Writers: Descriptive Writing focuses on the details - including literary devices to paint a picture in the mind of the reader and how to implement dialogue in a way that propels the story forward or deepens the readers’ understanding of the characters.

  • August 25 - August 29

  • 5pm PST

  • $250

 

Essay Writing: Personal Narratives

Read sample essays and identify effective/ineffective elements. Learn techniques for brainstorming and structuring your essay within time constraints, such as on standardized tests. Receive feedback and revise your essays. All sessions are online, via Zoom. To register, complete the form below. Limit 8. Instructor: Robin Russell

  • August 4 - August 8

  • 2pm PST

  • $250

 

Public Speaking Salons

Being comfortable in front of an audience and able to express your ideas concisely are valuable skills to possess. Being able to capture the undivided attention of your audience and keep them in the palm of your hand as you rally them to action are skills that can transform both the audience and the speaker. Learn how to project your voice, gesticulate effectively, end your sentences definitively and engage your audience. All sessions are online, via Zoom. Limit 8. Instructor: Robin Russell

Public Speaking: Informative

  • August 18 - 22

  • 5pm PST

  • $250

 

Diagramming Sentences

Unlock the secrets of syntax and enhance your writing skills through our engaging course on sentence diagramming. This course will introduce participants to the fundamentals of diagramming sentences, providing a visual framework to understand the relationships between words and phrases. Through interactive exercises and real-world examples, learners will develop the ability to dissect complex sentences, identify parts of speech, and improve their grammar proficiency. This course will make sentence structure more clear and accessible. All sessions are online, via Zoom. Limit 8. Instructor: Robin Russell

  • August 11 - August 15

  • 2pm PST

  • $250

 
“You gave very nice feedback and were very encouraging. I also liked how you gave us examples and made sure the classroom was relaxed.”
 

Summer 2025 Registration

Note: If you do not receive a confirmation email, please check your Junk Mail.

all times are pacific standard time (PST). All classes are online, via zoom. Limit 8.

all times are pacific standard time (PST). All classes are online, via zoom. Limit 8.