Pingry's Blueprint for Summer Academic Success

This summer at The Pingry School, we provide a variety of academic opportunities on nearly every level. Whether your child is entering kindergarten and would like help transitioning into his or her first academic experience or is a rising senior with an eye on college, we have outstanding programs to meet their needs and interests. Our teachers specialize in providing excellent, age-appropriate instruction in a personal and encouraging environment.

Join us on Tuesday evening, March 5, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at our Basking Ridge Campus as we showcase the diversity and scope of new summer academic opportunities Pingry is offering this June.

Pingry Summer Academic Programs have been divided into four distinct categories to meet the needs of students: Core Classes, Enrichment, Competitive Edge and the Career Academy. Faculty members at Tuesday’s open house will preview classes in many of these concentrations in 15-minute mini-class sessions. All summer academic offerings are open to Pingry and non-Pingry students in the community. 

Pingry’s core class offerings will focus on algebra, geometry and financial literacy this summer. Each six-week class will provide middle school and high school students with outstanding daily instruction; with approval from their sending school districts, public school students will be able to earn credit for these courses. The financial literacy course is a new offering this summer and offers public high school students an opportunity to meet the new state mandate.

For elementary and middle school students seeking enrichment in programming and robotics, Pingry Hi-Tech camps provide four weekly opportunities to foster skills in computer science and engineering. In a supportive, age appropriate environment, students in the programming camps will embrace the challenges of distinct programming languages developed by the MIT Media lab and by Carnegie Mellon. 

In the Robotics camp, campers will use Lego NXT Mindstorms and work with structurally sound building techniques, different types of sensors, motors and elementary robotics programing using the NXT software. Students will leave the Pingry Hi-Tech camps with the skills to analyze, plan and solve various problems along with a strong portfolio of programming and engineering projects that will give them a great head start for age-appropriate technology competitions.

Additionally, Pingry will be offering several enrichment classes to enhance summer learning for middle and high school students. Each one-week course will provide a three-hour forum to learn more about such topics and interests as debate, lobbying and environmental art.

Pingry’s two- and three-week Competitive Edge workshops are designed to give middle and high school students an advantage for their upcoming academic year. Competitive Edge workshops are offered in the following areas: writing, reading, mathematics, research and study skills. 

A new signature Competitive Edge offering is the REACH program. Under the direction of Tim Lear, director of college counseling for The Pingry School, and David Blobaum, director of business development for Method Test Prep, the REACH Program debuts this summer at Pingry with the goal of helping high school juniors and seniors jumpstart the college application process and prepare for the SAT. The REACH program was carefully designed as a complement to, not a replacement for, a high school student’s current college counseling system.  

The Career Academy also premieres at Pingry this summer with its mission to provide students in grades 9 through 12, and recent graduates, with a practical introduction to a broad array of professions. Participants will have the unique opportunity to meet and hear professionals in 10 targeted fields, including Finance, Law, Health Care, Entrepreneurship, Sustainability, The Arts, Media, Publishing & Advertising and more. Students will gain in-depth, relevant information about these respective industries, engage in case study analyses and interact directly with experts. As part of the daily Career Development Skills Sessions, students will also have the unique opportunity to focus on building their own personal brand, utilizing proper social media etiquette, creating an effective resume and plotting steps in their future career path. 

Pingry’s Big Blue Summer goal is to ensure a wonderful experience for your children beyond the traditional school year. Pingry has always prided itself on providing an exceptional education for its students. Now we have new offerings to help students gain confidence, finesse talent and perhaps even discover a passion for something they never knew existed. Pingry has been working with a variety of partners to share their expertise that will engage and inspire students while making sure they are having fun.

To register and learn more about any of these Summer Academic Opportunities, please visit Pingry’s Big Blue Summer web page at pingry.org/bigbluesummer.   Program descriptions, dates, location, times and tuition for all classes, workshops and programs are listed on the website.

For questions about Pingry Summer Academic Sessions, please contact Mark Facciani, Director of Summer & Auxiliary Programs, at 908-647-5555, extension 1463 or at mfacciani@pingry.org.