At The New Century School, learning is not confined to the school year—in fact, it’s lifelong! That includes the summer months, during which TNCS educators join together to ensure that campers avoid the dreaded “summer slide” as well as have boatloads of fun.
TNCS music director Martellies Warren dons another hat (visor?) as summer camp director for the second year, although he has been involved with the summer program for several years. In this role, Mr. Warren manages everything from daily operations to curriculum planning for each week’s theme. For example, during this week’s “Healthy Me” program, he shopped for fruits and vegetables for smoothies, all while ensuring that teachers have the necessary curriculum packets and overseeing daily operations like scheduling drop-offs, pickups, and aftercare. His dedication to creating a structured, engaging summer program makes for a fun and educational experience for campers and a supportive environment for staff.
This year, the planning process aimed to tighten and structure the program more effectively. Mr. Warren emphasized the importance of having a clear plan that anyone could follow. To streamline operations, the camp switched to using CampDoc, a system specifically for summer camps, to distinguish it from the school’s regular year system. Many of these associated tasks (helping set up CampDoc; proofing the website; distributing general marketing materials; and facilitating communication between admin, parents, and teachers) were overseen by Karin Cintron and Rob Brosius, whose combined planning ability Mr. Warren calls “phenomenal”! “Mr. B.” additionally helped with staffing, correspondence, and initial planning meetings, laying a solid foundation that allowed Mr. Warren to step in and take charge seamlessly.
Recruitment efforts paid off significantly. TNCS summer camp attracts many students from their school and makes efforts to bring in campers from other schools by being open on holidays and offering a multilingual environment.
During the summer, the focus shifts from immersion to exposure. While the school year emphasizes immersion with teachers speaking in the target language and interactive learning, the summer program aims to expose students to new concepts through songs, cultural talks, and activities. This approach balances learning with fun, ensuring an engaging experience for the students. “We want it to feel like summer,” said Mr. Warren.
Exploration is a key component of the summer program, in fact, explained Mr. Warren, it’s the throughline. Unlike the structured learning during the school year, the summer camp encourages curiosity and hands-on activities. Teachers are encouraged to view things from the kids’ perspective, creating an environment where learning feels like an adventure. “Imagine what kinds of questions campers will be asking,” said Mr. Warren, “then keep probing—exploring.” That’s how learning stays fun.
Despite his many administrative responsibilities, Mr. Warren makes time to interact with campers. He is involved in day-to-day activities, supporting teachers and ensuring everything runs smoothly. For instance, he helped soothe some anxious kids to allow teachers to set up for naptime, highlighting his commitment to supporting both students and staff.
Outside of his role as summer camp director, Mr. Warren’s musical career as a member of Anthony Brown and group therAPy is currently “off the charts.” Their 2015 single “Worth” recently went platinum, a very rare achievement in gospel music. Mr. Warren expresses fulfillment in balancing both his passions for education and music, feeling rewarded by the impact he has had in both fields:
I have lived such a full life, and all of my childhood dreams have been activated because of what my mom, my dad, my grandmother poured into me and sacrificed for me. I always wanted to be an educator because I had such great educators growing up. I also always wanted to be a musician, and I have my high school choir director, Henry Terry, to thank for seeing something in me and training me and taking me to competitions. He told me make it the best—to feed it and to nurture it. He also insisted that I learn to read music, a very important skill that not all musicians have. I’m so blessed to be able to do what I’m doing and to do it at the level right that I’m doing it.
This week marks the last date of Anthony Brown and group therAPy’s current leg of their current 32-city tour. One clear highlight stands out: the group performed in Washington, D.C. to a crowd of 5,000 or more, including many friends and loved ones. They were on their feet the whole show, and it was a smash. As the group started to walk off stage, Mr. Warren says they were asked to return. Bewildered, they turned back and saw members of their label standing there. . . holding a giant platinum record. That was the moment they discovered that “Worth” had sold 1 million records (can’t resist: “Worth” is worth its weight in platinum!), and Mr. Warren said he “had no words.”
As if leading summer camp and TNCS’s music department plus being on tour with Anthony Brown aren’t enough to keep one person busy, Mr. Warren is also Minister of Music at his own church. He’s in a leadership role wherever he goes, which might daunt a less grateful person. “It’s definitely worth it.” (There’s that beautiful word again!) “It’s worth it to do what I’m doing, and it feels really good to know that I’m having an impact on students the way my mentors had on me.”
Looking for next week’s camps? It’s not too late to register!
