RENO — Proper etiquette says it’s impolite to sip a cup of tea with one's pinkie finger extended.

For Fashion Camp coordinator Isha Casagrande, it was pleasing to know many of the 9- to 12-year-old girls in her class last week already knew that.

About 15 young girls sitting in on Fashion Camp Etiquette Week at The Summit mall on Wednesday learned the art of setting up for and hosting a tea party with their own special touch.

Within the Personal Shopper Lounge at the mall, local girls learned a variety of things from Casagrande, who said the biggest lesson for the youth is building self-confidence.

“The younger they are, the better,” Casagrande said. “It is fun to see them become young ladies. They like having ownership. It’s so cute to watch them get excited.”

Fashion Camp offers four weeks of lessons in self-discovery about how to dress, developing a personal style, proper manners and how to shop on a budget. Casagrande takes girls ages 5 to 16, divided into appropriate age groups, and meets with them once or twice a week and tours with them around The Summit’s various shops, such as Sephora or Justice, to have make-up put on, find deals on clothes shopping, learn how to model in a fashion show and balance a checkbook.

Most of the girls are frequent visitors to the camp from previous years.

Kathrine McConnell, 10, a Caughlin Ranch Elementary School student, said it’s important to learn proper etiquette, even at her young age. She said she hopes to become an actress, so developing that self-confidence early is a positive experience for her.

“You can’t go somewhere and be non-mannered,” Kathrine said. “It’s super fun. I enjoy it.”

Her friend, Parker Buddy, 10, who also attends Caughlin Ranch, said one never knows when they may need to set up for a tea party. She also has dreams of becoming a fashion designer.

“(Casagrande) taught me how to design outfits and match shirts and patterns,” Parker said. “If you want to be a designer, it’s a good class.”

Unlike the past, this year’s Fashion Camp offers themed weeks. In June and July, girls learned about model behavior to present themselves at a casting call and write thank-you notes and get fitted for a fashion show. They spent a week as “design divas,” learning how to dress themselves with flair.

Last week was about how to be an etiquette entrepreneur. Girls frosted cupcakes and learned how to serve tea, all the while taking pride in their appearance before hosting a gathering. Then they applied what they learned into a real tea party of their own with their parents.

“I feel very passionate about this,” Casagrande said. “You can never start too young. They put a lot of work into their centerpieces and to create a theme. Fashion Camp is really about them expressing themselves through a theme and then running with it, but also learning along the way how to put together place mats and invitations. … I get to know the girls and watch them grow up.”

There is one week left of the camp, for which there are still some spots open if anyone wanted to join. The remaining week is called “Savvy Shopper,” which teaches campers to shop on a budget and create their wardrobe effectively and economically.

While mostly mothers came to their daughters’ tea party, one father joined in the social fun as well. Bernard Venneman took his older daughter, Kaitlin, 9, her second year of Fashion Camp and his younger daughter, Olivia, 4, for her first time. The Vennemans are from Holland and Bernard said he enjoys having the girls learn American etiquette, such as using all the silverware set out on a table with multiple spoons and forks or how to dress for themselves.

“They learn certain aspects of shopping,” Bernard said. “It never gets old. They learn to do their own spending.”

The camp gets positive feedback from parents because they watch their daughters become young women.

Kathrine’s mother, Sara McConnell, said she’s noticed a definite mark of maturity.

“What I love the most is Isha … teaches them self-confidence, self-esteem and to love who (they) are,” Sara said. “I also love that she teaches them they’re beautiful on the outside, but more importantly, they’re beautiful on the inside.”

Anyone interested in enrolling a child for “Savvy Shopper” from Aug. 9 to 13 can call 853-7800 or go online to www.thesummitonline.com. The cost of camp is $60. Camp days run from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Children ages 5 to 8 will meet Aug. 9 and 10, ages 9 to 12 on Aug. 11 and 12 and ages 13 to 16 on Aug. 13.

Camp sessions include lunch, a $25 gift card to the Summit, a special gift and a graduation certificate.