I confess… I am not a sleep-in-a-tent kind of camper. I have been known to joke that camping is when the hotel forgets to put a mint on my pillow. Since my budget rarely affords staying at such higher-end hotels, it is safe to say that I am a camping novice.

The camps that I do enjoy are the ones offered by St. Mary on the Hill Catholic School. St. Mary’s just wrapped up its summer camp season. I had an opportunity to check in on the camps. They were all fun, high-energy, educational, and climate controlled.

Our summer camp season started with a Seashore Music Camp for pre-K4 through 2^nd grade students. Dr. Kathleen Haley, St. Mary’s music teacher, designed the camp around movement, singing, and musical instruments. Some of the campers also chose to take an Irish dance elective as part of their camp experience. Dr. Haley’s daughter, Maura, taught the Irish dance class. Maura is a St. Mary’s alumna and Augusta’s only champion-level Irish dancer. Thank you, Maura!

Just as our Seashore Music Camp ended, it was time for CyberCamp. St. Mary’s was honored to be selected to participate in the Air Force Association’s (AFA) CyberCamp Program. Karmen Lowery, St. Mary’s computer teacher, and Dave Besel, Director of Information Operations for Chiron Technology Services, Inc., teamed up to offer this intensive camp at Chiron’s state-of-the-art training center.

On the heels of a successful AFA CyberPatriot Competition during this past school year, Mrs. Lowery and Mr. Besel wanted to continue to build on what our CyberPatriot students have already learned and introduce new students to the program. Similar to the CyberPatriot Competition, the camp focused on cyber security and taught 22 campers how to secure networks and harden operating systems. Our campers had fun, learned a lot, and are looking forward to another successful AFA CyberPatriot Competition season beginning in the fall.

Our longest-running summer camp is the highly popular Art Camp. Art Camp welcomed more than 50 campers who produced an impressive total of eight pieces of art each. Parents were invited to an art show and reception on the last day of camp. Thank you to Mrs. Jenny Storer, St. Mary’s art teacher, Mrs. Alice Hagler, and Mrs. Leigh McCormack, for all you do to make Art Camp such a wonderful experience for all.

When Art Camp ended each day, some Art Camp students and other campers participated in an afternoon Basketball Camp in the St. Mary’s gym. Campers learned about and improved on basic skills and had opportunities to scrimmage. Thank you to Jay Hagler and Maura Lammers, St. Mary’s alumni, for organizing and running the camp.

And, thank you to all of our campers. We loved having you at our summer camps and hope you continue to enjoy your summer break. You earned it!