Avenues New York Explorers

Grades 3-5

Avenues 3rd through 5th graders are continuing to develop their identities through the formation of strong social connections, trying new and challenging activities and deepening their passions to problem-solve challenges that are outside of their individual sphere.

This year, we're excited to introduce new classes tailored for both 3rd and 4th grades, as well as exclusive offerings for 5th grade. Explore our schedule for further details.

Specialty classes begin directly after school and go until 4:30 pm (after care is available until 5:15 pm)
Stay & Play, our after care program, begins directly after school and goes until 5:15 pm.
All classes include snacks.
Our team will handle all logistics to ensure a smooth transition to after-school activities.

Registration is for the Winter/Spring season, and you can learn more about the fees by simply clicking on the registration button below. The cost of each class is based on the number of days it will run. Space is limited, and waitlists will be established when the program is full.

Important Dates:

WINTER/SPRING 2025

Registration for the Winter/Spring season opens Tuesday, November 12, at noon!
Stay & Play: First day of School (January 6) - June 12
Specialty Classes: January 13 - June 12

Register Now

Ready to register? Click on the green button below.

Program	Action
Grades 3-4 Class Registration	Register here
Grade 5 Class Registration	Register here
LD Stay and Play Registration	Register here

Want to learn more? Click on the class titles below for a drop-down description.

Monday

Robotics and Engineering (Grades 3-4)

Students will use the foundational robotics and engineering knowledge they’ve gained to creatively solve problems and design robotic inventions for others - inspired by empathy. Students have already explored engineering basics like circuitry, motor types, and more. This semester, they’ll build on these skills through purposeful projects, developing robotic solutions that address real-world needs. With increased independence, campers will take on open-ended challenges, where they’ll make “awesome mistakes” and learn to create solutions on their own. Our goal is to inspire each camper to think critically, embrace problem-solving, and build confidence as they bring their unique, innovative ideas to life!

Chess Tactics (Grades 3-5)

Tactics are an integral part of chess and occur throughout all phases of the game. This dynamic class focuses on common tactics such as Pins, Forks, Skewers, Double Attacks, Deflections, Discovered Checks, and Mating attacks. Each week we prepare a variety of puzzles and chess brainteasers, so students of all playing levels will be challenged and engaged. This class encourages imaginative chess play, and is ideal for a student who has mastered piece movement and the basic rules, may have tournament experience and who enjoys working on puzzles and exercising creativity.

Tuesday

Special Effects Movie Making (Grades 3-4)

Become a special effects pro! Learn how to create amazing visual effects, awesome make-up looks, prosthetics, props, and costumes to use in an original sci-fi, fantasy, or adventure film. Kids will get creative as they try their hand at various special effects techniques: building prosthetics and masks, combining claymation and live-action videos, experimenting with the potential of green screens, practicing various camera tricks, utilizing stock videos, video filters, and much more! Participants will learn how to make movies from start to finish as they plan, write, film, and edit one awesome SFX-inspired project, utilizing professional software for post-production.

Circle Sing (Grades 1-5)

Welcome to our casual singing group for 1st-5th graders who want to sing with their friends. In Circle Sing, we meet weekly to practice vocal warmups, work on understanding our breath, play vocal games, learn how to harmonize, and, most importantly, sing (and sometimes move!) as a group, with feeling. Repertoire will be mostly selected from the pop and rock canon, with some musical theatre thrown in. This semester we will be learning about group vocal improvisation and collaborative songwriting. This project is open to anyone who wants to sing.

Wednesday

Speech & Debate (Grades 3-4)

Learn the art of public speaking and persuasion! Students work in rotating groups and practice their debating skills in a supportive environment, including developing arguments, issuing rebuttals, providing examples, rebuilding their case and summarizing points of view. Participants also prepare and deliver individual speeches using the TED Talk format. Students learn to think on their feet and enhance their public-speaking skills, gaining self-confidence in the process!

Parkour (Grades 3-4)

In the second semester of Parkour, we will explore linking movements together to create longer “lines” of movement, build stamina, and learn new games. Children have begun to build strength, develop coordination, and increase their awareness of themselves and others as they engage in movement activities. Their confidence in trying something new has grown and they’ve learned tons of new games. Students are ready to engage in more complex activities and can begin to modify existing games and create new ones. As always, we place an emphasis on safe, fun movement progressions and techniques are scaled to participants’ ages and individual skill levels. New students are welcome to join; Semester I is not a prerequisite. Parkour skills are integrated into collaborative games that foster a sense of community and build social and problem-solving skills.

Coding and Computing (Grade 5)

Our 5th graders are ready for a challenge! This spring our oldest coders will dive deeper into text-based languages that they’ve already seen, including HTML, learning more advanced concepts like Javascript integration and styling with CSS. We will try new text-based languages to build resilience and comfortability with new coding tools, like using Python to create their own games or using C++ to program microcontroller boards that can power various outputs like motors. Last but not least, our coders will come up with original ways to leverage physical computing tools invented by NORY in regularly scheduled in-class hackathons!

Thursday

Coding and Computing (Grades 3-4)

Our 3rd-4th grade coders will combine engineering with coding to drive original product design & inventing sessions… whether it’s engineering a button to increase a “count” variable every time you press it or setting up an IR sensor to trigger an animation or sound when you throw something at it. We will also learn about the anatomy of a microcontroller: how can we link sensors to code that we’ve written on our laptops? What is an input? What is an output? Last but not least, we will use new microcontroller boards developed by NORY to build fully functioning “products” - like a physical basketball game that tracks your score on-screen or a story-telling robot that waits for you to give it a high five before launching a story.

Photography (Grade 5)

Explore the world around you through the lens of a camera! In this interactive course, children will learn to utilize both automatic and manual DSLR cameras, while practicing various still photography techniques. Each class focuses on a specific fun activity or challenge, which may include: exploring outdoor photography, diving into the fundamentals of composition, accomplishing the daily color challenge, experimenting with long exposure and glow sticks, making a doppelganger with double exposure, or taking portraits of their friends, and building miniature sets for small-scale photography. Creativity and technology come together in this class for a truly fun learning experience - the class will culminate in a photography show to celebrate!

Producing a Beat (Grades 3-5)

‘Beat’ has become a colloquial term to describe the background music for hip-hop and rap music. This deceptively simple phrase is the key to making most famous songs in this genre popular or memorable. Understanding how to craft something like this requires a plethora of skills, including understanding music theory, composing, arranging and how to use and record samples. This class will also explore using tools like GarageBand, Logic Pro X, Ableton Live Lite, or FL Studio to create our own Beats, from start to finish.

Friday

Painting, Drawing, and Sculpting (Grades 1-4)

Our artists will begin to explore a range of classic painting methods in this fun twist on traditional art techniques. Each week, we'll delve into a variety of mediums, such as charcoal, watercolors, colored pencils, acrylics, gouache, and more. Ideal for children eager to expand their knowledge of drawing and painting. This unique class will focus on traditional, and non-traditional, techniques, getting inspiration from old masters and contemporary artists. Some activities include, Orly Genger-inspired pipe cleaner and wire sculptures, Louise Bourgeois-inspired assemblages, Sol Lewitt-inspired rainbow sculptures, Clay slab cake slices, Christa David-inspired collages, and mixed media self portrait boxes!

Program	Action
Grades 3-4 Class Registration	Register here
Grade 5 Class Registration	Register here
LD Stay and Play Registration	Register here