In the summer of 2022, the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center Academy opened a Summer School activity for children aging from 5 years and 6 months to 12 years old, as the academy receives them during the summer vacation during the months of June, July and August, in order for them to spend a fruitful time receiving education, playing, entertaining and being creative.
In the first year (summer of 2022), the academy received 50 children, divided into 3 classes, according to their age group and academic years.
The Summer School Academy of the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center is distinguished by providing a different set of activities to serve and develop children on all levels, whether academically, culturally, psychologically, socially, or behaviorally.
The Academic Side
Summer School cared about allocating daily time for school subjects according to the age groups of children to review and revise what was studied and qualify them for what will be studied. Games, plays and handicrafts were introduced as an essential part of the study.
The Cultural Side
In order to raise different and distinguished children and youth, we had to take care of the cultural aspect and nourish their minds with general information and the history of our beautiful country, Egypt.
The Social Side
In an unprecedented step, we dedicated a section on teaching sign language, which is the language of the deaf and hard of hearing, so that children can know, accept and communicate with others who are different in society.
Sign language
Inculcating the spirit of belonging and citizenship
Behavioral activities
Etiquette activities
The Spiritual Side
“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matthew 7:24).
The summer school shall not pass without growing in our spiritual life, so we began to study the difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament, we got acquainted with the books of the two Testaments, learning many stories from which we received lessons and applied them in our lives, in addition to the Psalms.
Visits and Short Trips
We also cared to visit the Patriarchal Museum and the shrine of modern-day martyrs in the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center. Besides, we also visited the Cathedral and took photos there. We took the blessing of St. Mark the Apostle’s shrine and chanted a praising hymn for him. We also entered the shrine of Anba Rewis and heard his story. We were happy and took many photos and chanted praises. We visited the shrines of Pope Athanasius, the protector of the faith, and the shrine of our father Mikhail Ibrahim.
Psychological and Behavioral Sides
“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” (3 John 1: 2)
In order to produce psychologically intact children and youth who are successful and beneficial to society, we had to take care of their psyche and their problems. In Summer School, we cared about the psychological and behavioral aspects in more than one way through:
Weekly visit to a psychologist and behavioral doctor in the classroom
Meditation sessions
Seminars for parents to discuss the behavioral problems they face with their children.
Carnival about accepting myself and the other.
Development of Skills and Talents:
Through the section of developing skills with games and activities aimed at increasing thinking, concentration, and ways to problem solving, in which the children showed great creativity, and also through the paragraphs of drawing, coloring, and artistic and handmade works.
Artwork section.
Developing skills section.
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Scientific experiments to develop their discovering spirit.
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The Entertainment Side:
Children of this age are distinguished by energy and activity, and if we do not know how to properly use this energy, it can cause harm to them.
So we dedicated a basic daily entertainment section for children in which they can properly express their energy, which varied between playing in the garden or playing in the classrooms, and sports days in the Anba Rewis Club.
Playing in the garden
Playing in the classrooms
Sports days in Anba Rewis Club