Conferences, Quest Work, and Meaningful Progress

spark studio

This week in Spark, we continued to deepen our understanding of what it means to be a self-directed learner. Learners practiced setting intentions, making choices about their work, and reflecting on their progress. A big focus was preparing for Learner-Led Conferences, thinking about how to confidently share their growth, challenges, and goals. We’ve been asking learners: How will you lead your conference? What are you most proud of? What are you still working toward?

In celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, we explored the history of St. Patrick and the positive impact he made in his lifetime, leading to a reflection on how we can make a difference in our own community. On Wednesday, learners enjoyed a fun Studio tradition as gold coins were hidden throughout the space. Those who chose to take on more challenging work sometimes discovered a special green coin tucked inside—a playful way to reinforce that challenge often leads to reward.

We also had some wonderful learner-led launches this week centered around taking ownership and reframing mistakes as opportunities for growth. Learners are beginning to see that mistakes are not something to avoid, but something to learn from.

In Art, learners wrapped up their Matisse- and Picasso-inspired pieces, using bold colors and pastels to create bright, expressive work. Their creativity truly filled the Studio with energy and joy.

Our Candle Making Lab continued as more learners suited up and stepped into the lab to practice their skills. It has been exciting to watch their confidence grow as they engage in hands-on, real-world experiences.

With Exhibition just two weeks away, learners were divided into teams and began brainstorming what each section of our Wellness Spa will look like. Collaboration, creativity, and ownership are already shining through as they plan and design their spaces.

Looking ahead, our letter for next week’s shares will be “D.”

lower elementary studio

Learners have been locked in and highly focused as we approach the end of Session 6, showing increased ownership of their goals and a strong commitment to finishing well. Their ability to stay on task, push through challenges, and follow through on responsibilities has been especially noticeable this week.

This week was all about preparing for Exhibition as learners began making key decisions about their final products and presentations. In Quest, learners explored the similarities and differences between ice cream and sorbet, including taste, texture, and ingredients. They compared handcrafted ice cream with store-bought options and participated in a sorbet tasting, choosing between flavors like strawberry and mango. This exploration helped learners decide whether they will create a soda paired with ice cream or sorbet.

In Story Arts, learners formed six teams to begin developing their Shark Tank-style persuasive pitches. The focus this week was on team formation, defining roles, beginning their pitches, and practicing how to clearly communicate their ideas.

Looking ahead, in Quest, learners will plan their mixers, write step-by-step recipes, and develop scientific explanations while testing and refining their creations. In Story Arts, learners will strengthen their pitches by gathering real evidence, improving how they appeal to their audience, and revising based on feedback to finalize their presentations.

Question of the Week:
When you are working on a team, what does it look like to take full responsibility for your role while also helping the group succeed?

We are excited to see all of their hard work come together at Exhibition as learners step forward to confidently share, explain, and stand behind their ideas.

upper elementary studio

Thank you all for joining us for conferences this week! It was a full and meaningful few days of connecting about learner progress. If you were unable to meet this week, we will be reaching out soon to reschedule.

It was also an exciting week on campus as we welcomed visitors from the Georgia Department of Education. Several learners had the opportunity to meet with school leaders and share about their experience at Forest, helping others think about how to bring similar models into their own communities.

Quest

Learners continued making strong progress on their designs this week. While our visiting expert was unable to join due to a scheduling conflict, she is planning to visit next week to review work and provide feedback.

Designs are nearing completion, and learners will soon transition into creating final posters that showcase:

their design iterations
the scientific thinking behind their product
key improvements made along the way

Story Arts

Rehearsals are in full swing as we continue refining our play. The soundboards are now about 90% complete, and both props and set pieces are coming together.

A big thank you to Ms. Amanda, who helped repair two periaktoi panels that were damaged by rain on the screen porch—a huge save for our set!

We are still gathering a few final items for the production. Learners have volunteered to bring specific materials—please check your email for reminders if your learner signed up to contribute.

Civ

This week, learners explored the travels of Ibn Battuta, a 21-year-old from Morocco who journeyed across much of the known world. From there, we zoomed out to study the Silk Road, one of the most important trade networks in history—and part of the world he traveled through.

To bring this to life, learners participated in a Silk Road trading simulation:

Some learners represented cities along the route.
Others acted as traveling caravans.
Each group started with a set of goods.
Through trading across cities, they built their wealth.

At the end, we revealed the value of each good, and learners calculated their total wealth in gold. It was a fun and strategic way to understand trade, geography, and economic decision-making.

Looking Ahead

Next week will be a big one as we push toward completion in both Quest and Story Arts. We’ll be doubling our time in these areas to ensure everything is ready.

We are also entering Tech Week for the play:

Friday: Dress Rehearsal
All heroes are responsible for their own costumes.
Some may choose to purchase items.
Others may create their own.
Either approach is great!
We will provide gray face paint for all alien characters.

It’s an exciting moment in the session—there’s a lot of momentum building, and learners are stepping up in big ways across academics, creativity, and collaboration.

Please reach out with any questions, and we’re looking forward to a fantastic week ahead!

middle school studio

This week in Quest, heroes continued round three of their candy experiments as they worked to refine their recipes for saltwater taffy and caramel apples. With each round, they have been learning that great results rarely happen on the first try. Instead, they come through testing, observing, revising, and trying again. Heroes paid close attention to texture, consistency, and overall results as they made thoughtful adjustments to improve their products. It has been exciting to watch them apply both creativity and problem-solving as they move closer to recipes they can confidently stand behind.

Alongside their hands-on experiments, heroes also spent time revising their chemistry explanations. This has challenged them to go beyond simply making candy and instead explain the science behind what is happening in each recipe. By strengthening their explanations, heroes are practicing how to connect their work to real scientific ideas and communicate their thinking more clearly. This combination of experimentation and reflection is helping them grow not only as makers but also as analytical thinkers.

Looking ahead, we are excited for next Friday, March 27, when learners involved in this Quest will head out on a field trip to visit our two Quest users. This will be a valuable opportunity for them to see the real-world connection behind their work and gather insight from the people they are designing for. Heroes who are not involved in this particular Quest will have a normal day at school.

We also launched Hero-led Conferences on Tuesday, March 17. Conferences will continue through next Wednesday, March 25. These conferences are an important opportunity for heroes to reflect on their progress, share their learning, and take ownership of their growth with their families. Sign-up links can be found in Monday’s all-school email.

It has been a full and meaningful week of experimenting, revising, and preparing for important moments ahead. We are proud of the persistence heroes are showing as they continue to grow through authentic work.

high school studio

This week in the Studio, we are right in the heart of Quest—and the energy is building.

Our current Quest, The Biology of Hair, continues to come alive in powerful ways. Heroes are diving deep into understanding hair patterns, texture, and head surface follicles, exploring not just the science behind hair, but how it connects to real-world application. What’s been especially exciting is seeing learning move beyond theory. A few of our heroes have volunteered to get their hair cut in different styles as a way to demonstrate patterns, texture, and curl types in real time. These moments are turning our Studio into a living lab—where curiosity, courage, and creativity are on full display.

In addition to Quest, we successfully completed Student-Led Conferences this week. This is always a meaningful milestone. Each hero had the opportunity to reflect on their progress, share their goals, and take ownership of their learning journey. Now comes the most important part: execution.

As we move forward, our focus shifts to supporting heroes in following through on the goals and plans they set. Through consistent check-ins, accountability with running partners, and protected time for core skills, we are committed to ensuring every hero stays on track and continues to grow.

We’re excited for what’s ahead and proud of the ownership our heroes are taking in their learning.

Session 6: Year 8, WeeK 27 In Review