Laser tag is beneficial for our rising 6th graders

There are a ton of benefits to introducing our kids to laser tag. First, it teaches them some integral life skills and they won’t even know it’s happening – kind of like hiding vegetables in cookies.

Christy Counts, a Nathan Hale Middle School 8th Grade teacher of Language Arts and House Leader, and the Director of our B.A.R.K. After-school Program and our 6th Grade Summer Transition Program, shared these images of her students attending the Summer Transition Program there playing Laser Tag in the school gymnasium.

Develop Teamwork Skills

A key component to success is working as part of a team. Players need to be able to recognize their team members and work together towards a common goal, winning (or trying their best).

Encourages Socialization

It can be nerve-wracking for some kids to play on a team where they may not know everyone well. Playing in these situations is actually hugely beneficial because being a part of a team means communication is central to success. It’s hard to be nervous when you’re busy focusing on locating members of the opposite team and working with members of your team to launch a successful attack.

Promotes Physical Activity

When the weather isn’t cooperating such as when it’s raining or too hot to spend much time outdoors, Laser Tag is a winner. Our students stay moving as you navigate the course, trying to avoid being tagged by opponents.

Communication Skills

Varying levels of play means that communication is key! Sharing tips and tricks with team members is a vital way to win. Everyone who enters the course is at a different skill level which means communication is central to success.

Rising 6th graders attending our Summer Transition Program at Ponus Ridge Middle School visit the Lockwood-Matthews Mansion Museum

Joseph J. Giandurco, a 6th Grade Social Studies & Science Teacher at Ponus Ridge Middle School, is Carver’s longtime Lead Program Coordinator there. Here, Mr. Giandurco and his rising 6th graders attending our Summer Transition Program visit the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum.

The Mansion is regarded as one of the earliest and most significant Second Empire Style country houses in the United States. Built by renowned financier and railroad tycoon LeGrand Lockwood from 1864-1868, the Mansion, with its unparalleled architecture and interiors, illustrates magnificently the beauty and splendor of the Victorian Era.

Lockwood’s financial reversal in 1869, and his untimely death in 1872, resulted in the loss of the estate then known as “Elm Park,” through foreclosure, in 1874.  In 1876, the property was sold to Charles D. Mathews and his wife Rebecca. Mathews, a prominent importer from New York, and his family, resided in the Mansion until 1938. In 1941, the estate was sold to the City of Norwalk and designated a public park.

The Mansion was a technological marvel of its time: it had indoor hot and cold plumbing, gas lighting, ventilation, and a central heating system that burned a ton of coal a day. Indeed, there is no comparable mansion museum in our state. Built during the Civil War and still inhabited during the Great Depression, there is no institution in Connecticut that is better able to bring to life these significant events in American history.

When the building was threatened with demolition in the 1960s, concerned citizens galvanized to save the Mansion in one the most important and hard-fought preservation battles in Connecticut’s history. These local preservationists succeeded in saving the Mansion in 1965, and later formed the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum of Norwalk, Inc., a 501(c)(3), which was designated a National Historic Landmark, in 1971.

Carver's rising 6th graders learn that jumping for joy is good exercise and that the only way to keep your balance is to keep moving!

If Carver kids ever watched the Olympics and thought "I could totally do that," they had their chance! Our rising 6th graders enjoyed all of the fun when they tried their Olympic moves out at Sky Zone in Norwalk.

Michael Richards, a Social Studies Teacher at West Rocks Middle School, and his colleague Joe Giandurco at Ponus Ridge Middle School, are each Carver’s longtime Lead Program Coordinators for our after-school and summer transition programs at those two middle schools.

Sky Zone is the originator of wall-to-wall aerial action, and they never stand still. They’re always working to invent epic new ways to play, gather, and compete. The only way to understand it is to come to experience it.

And that is just what our rising 6th-grade summer students entering West Rocks and Ponus Ridge Middle Schools in the fall experienced.

Our students let go of gravity and grabbed some air on the sprawling wall-to-wall trampoline courts. They challenged each other to show off their inner acrobat.

The Foam Zone is all about big air and soft landings. This is the ideal area to practice their most daring stunts safely into a pool of huge foam squares. Part trampolining, part parkour, part skating vert ramp,

The Wall added an entirely new dimension to the aerial experience, offering a canvas for a different type of expression—no harness necessary. Carver kids put their strength and stamina to the test as they hang over the pit, free climbing this challenging bouldering wall.

Carver kids reached new heights while flipping and jumping and climbing!

Sky Zone is part of CircusTrix, the world’s largest developer, operator, and franchisor of trampoline and active entertainment parks with a network of more than 300 global locations.

Images of After the Bell at Ponus Middle School this summer!

Volunteer Max Kim introduces the challenges and joys of Lacrosse to our summer campers

Max Kim (left) and his friend Jake Mclane (back left) teach Carver summer campers how to play lacrosse

Volunteer Max Kim organized and leads a lacrosse clinic for our summer campers at the Carver Community Center. Max attends Greens Farms Academy (GFA) and is a member of the GFA lacrosse team. Max also donated the equipment for our campers to use.

Max’s friends Josh Kitt (GFA), Alex Barbagallo (GFA), Jake Davis (Staples High School in Westport), and Jake Mclane (also Staples) are assisting Max in bringing the lacrosse clinic to our summer campers.

Max also plays for CT Wolves Lacrosse. CT Wolves Lacrosse recruits, mentors, and develops exceptional student-athletes who want to compete academically and athletically at the highest youth, high school, and collegiate levels. Founded by John Mathews, the club was established at the end of the tournament season in 2018. Mathews is also the Lacrosse Head Coach for GFA.

Recreation Director Shannon Bates has been expanding Carver’s sports programming through the years to include Basketball, Soccer, Tennis, Dance, and more. Adding Lacrosse and Volleyball programs are next. Community members like Max and his friends, along with volunteer coaches from the Norwalk Lacrosse Association, are enthusiastic partners in helping introduce the sport to our kids this summer and beyond.

Lacrosse is a fast-paced game. It is the modern version of the North American Indian game in which two teams of players use long-handled, racket-like implements (crosses) to catch, carry, or throw a ball down the field or into the opponents' goal. It’s demanding physically and has the hardest conditioning of any sport. Players are always running if they are not sprinting. It’s constant movement — and constant fun!

Stay tuned for news about additional Lacrosse programming during the school year. Thank you, GFA and Staples Lacrosse Boys!

Carver campers challenge their limits and collect over-the-top memories at Quassy Amusement & Waterpark!

Our After the Bell summer campers enjoyed the day at Quassy Amusement & Watrerpark! Founded as an amusement park in 1908, Quassy is located in Middlebury. It sits on the south shore of Lake Quassapaug. Quassy is one of only 11 remaining “trolley parks” in the United States today, according to the National Amusement Park Historical Association.

Bowling is right up the students' alley for rising 6th graders at at West Rocks Middle School!

Michael Richards, a certified teacher for Grade 6 at West Rocks Middle School and our longtime Lead Program Coordinator for our after-school and summer programs there, took his rising 6th graders bowling for a joyous time at Bowlero Norwalk.

Bowlero is a blacklight bowling, retro-inspired hangout powered by a menu of Oversized Shareables, arcade games, and nostalgia. Our students experienced epic fun.

Bowling is a great activity for our summer students because it's something everyone can do. Whether they need bumpers to make the experience more enjoyable for less experienced bowlers, bowling is a good time for everyone and a great way to build friendships.

Wondering what’s biting in Long Island Sound? Just ask Carver summer campers!

This summer, our campers at the Carver Community Center and Columbus Magnet School are fishing again with our years-long partner Pelagic Beast Fishing Charters.

Our 10 to 13-year-old boys and girls go on scheduled trips of five campers and one Carver staff on each trip.

The boat Captain has a U.S. Coast Guard boating license and a deckhand who helps the campers with the techniques of fishing. The crew prepares the fish caught by the children for home cooking.

Based out of Norwalk, Pelagic Beast offers unforgettable fishing adventures using tried and tested fishing techniques that work for our summer campers. 

The Pelagic Beast is a 32 ft Downeast-style boat that offers a secure ride in almost any weather. Cruising at 20 knots, this boat gives the Carver kids more time fishing and less time traveling.

Wondering what’s biting in Long Island Sound? Just ask Carver students!

"A Community Gathering" with 30 of the area's leading interior designers is being organized by Carver's steadfast friend, The Community Fund of Darien!

Joy, Belonging, Friendship are the heart of Side by Side Charter School’s summer camp!

Stephanie Palmer is the lead coordinator of our summer program at Side by Side Charter School

Of our 11 summer programs underway this year, this is the second year we are producing a summer program at Side by Side Charter School.

The curriculum-based learning is coupled with enrichment activities that make up more than 50 percent of structured programming. Children are able to choose their activities with time each day for physical activity, unstructured play, and to connect socially both through play and trip experiences, but also through high quality enrichment activities and life skills development such as robotics, coding, the arts, sports, cooking, and Wellness activities such as Yoga, meditation, Wellfit, and Zumba. Classes and enrichment activities take place at SBS and are taught by SBS teachers and other support staff.

But mostly, as these images depict, Joy, Belonging, and Friendship are more than just words at Side by Side Charter School’s summer camp; they're at the center of the experience.