Celebrating a Session of Hard Work and Big Milestones

spark studio

Final Week in Review

Only the best spa experience ever!

We hope you had a wonderfully relaxing time—whether you were enjoying yoga on the lawn, indulging in a deep tissue massage, or experiencing the calming effects of reflexology. The braids and extensions turned out beautifully, and those nail colors? Absolutely fantastic choices!

Some of you explored a few… creative juice concoctions—but rest assured, they were packed with goodness for your body!

We especially hope you continue to enjoy your handmade sugar scrubs, tallow lotions, balms, and candles—perfect for bringing a little relaxation into your week ahead.

Thanks to everyone’s hard work, we successfully raised enough funds for a celebratory pizza party, and we may even add some gelato to make it extra special!

Science Lab was a huge hit this session! We encourage each learner to take their lab coat home and keep exploring the world around them. Don’t be afraid to get a little messy in the kitchen—creating, experimenting, and even making mistakes are where the best learning happens. The more we try, the more we grow, and the more impact we can make.

lower elementary studio

Session 6 has come to an end, and it finished with plenty of fizz, flavor, and reflection. This week, learners went above and beyond as they prepared for Exhibition by creating merchandise, advertisements, and props to help promote their products and elevate their booths. From soda creations paired with sorbet or ice cream, learners put thoughtful effort into the presentation, pitch, and product, bringing their ideas to life in creative and tangible ways.

At Exhibition, learners facilitated a memorable experience for guests and received a helpful mix of Spinach and Strawberry feedback. Some of the Spinach feedback encouraged teams to strengthen their flow and teamwork, with one guest sharing, “The group seemed a bit unfocused, and we were trying to figure out a good flow of serving the food and doing the pitch.” Another commented, “Less arguing amongst one another would have made the experience more pleasant,” while someone else noted, “Take some time to explain more. Y’all did a lot to prepare.” Learners also received plenty of Strawberry feedback that celebrated their hard work and creativity. One guest shared, “They were confident and charismatic! Loved visiting their booth.” Another wrote, “Highly impressed with this combo. Sweet, fizzy, and tangy!” and another said, “They had great flavor, not your normal, with soursop.”

During Reflection Day, learners took time to process the many layers of feedback they received throughout the Exhibition process. Prior to Exhibition, they participated in honest but kind 360 feedback by reflecting on their own contributions and offering thoughtful feedback to each of their teammates. On Reflection Day, they read the feedback they received, journaled about what stood out, and participated in Circles to share their reflections. This gave learners the opportunity to think deeply about not only their final product, but also their teamwork, communication, preparation, and growth throughout the process.

As we head into break, we hope your family enjoys a restful and refreshing week together. Session 7 is just around the corner, and we are excited to close out the year with strong purpose, meaningful growth, and one final stretch of learning ahead.

Question of the Week:
After finishing a big project, what does it look like to take full responsibility for both your successes and your mistakes, and how can that reflection help you grow?

Each learner who returns from break and shares their family’s response will earn +100 points. Responses must be shared on Monday, April 13, before Morning Launch begins in order to earn the points.

Virtual Plans: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1irKxTP99gPfYkIwqYw4diEr-qCwzTILpHMwgbdA8tVg/edit?usp=sharing

upper elementary studio

This week was a major milestone for our Upper Elementary Studio as learners prepared for and delivered Exhibition—featuring both the premiere of their play and the culmination of their Sensory Instrument Quest.

We began the week with New Haven sessions on Monday and Tuesday. During this time, learners presented their sensory instruments to Guides as well as middle and high school apprentices. These presentations were an opportunity to receive final feedback and refine their thinking. Each learner was challenged to clearly explain the brain chemistry behind their design, walk through their iterations and improvements, describe their client (a child with specific sensory and learning needs), and showcase how their instrument meets that need. It was impressive to see the depth of understanding and ownership learners demonstrated.

At the same time, the Studio was hard at work preparing for the play. We held dress rehearsals on Monday for a small audience of middle schoolers and again on Tuesday morning for the full high school Studio. Both groups provided thoughtful, encouraging feedback—celebrating what was working while offering a few targeted suggestions to help learners sharpen their performance ahead of opening night.

By Tuesday evening, the stage was set. Our heroes took on the challenge of performing in front of a packed audience with energy and courage. We are incredibly proud of their effort, collaboration, focus, and willingness to take risks. They adapted in real time, supported one another, and rose to the moment. There is nothing quite like the experience of sharing your work with an audience, and it was powerful to see learners receive the applause and appreciation they had earned.

On Wednesday, we held Reflection Day, giving learners time to look back on their work and celebrate their growth. Learners submitted their final badges for Story Arts—demonstrating mastery of the Hero’s Journey—as well as for Quest and Civ, where they showcased their understanding of medieval Africa.

We hope everyone enjoys a restful and joyful Spring Break. We look forward to seeing our heroes back in the Studio soon, ready for the next adventure.

Way to go, Upper Elementary!

middle school studio

This week in Middle School was full of meaningful milestones, celebration, and preparation as heroes worked hard to bring several important pieces of their learning journey to fruition.

A major focus this week was preparing for our Candy Chemistry Exhibition. Heroes continued refining their work and getting ready to showcase what they have learned through experimentation, problem-solving, and product development. It has been exciting to watch them think carefully not only about the science behind their creations, but also about how to clearly communicate their process and results to others.

In Story Arts, heroes wrapped up their 3D models and shared their work through presentations. This was a strong finish to a creative process that required imagination, attention to detail, and perseverance. Presenting their models gave heroes the opportunity to reflect on their artistic choices, explain their ideas, and practice speaking about their work with confidence.

This week also brought an important deadline, as heroes submitted their Deep Books and Apprenticeships by April 2. These submissions represent a great deal of ownership and follow-through, and we are proud of the effort it took for learners to complete and turn in work connected to their personal growth and long-term goals.

We also took time to celebrate and recognize the contributions of our heroes in several ways. Heroes who achieved Soaring Status were honored with a lunch out, a well-deserved celebration of strong choices, leadership, and consistency. We also showed appreciation to Council by treating them to lunch and thanking them for their service, leadership, and the important role they play in helping strengthen our Studio community.

Another highlight of the week was our Badge Ceremony, where we recognized the badges heroes earned this session. Moments like these are important because they honor the progress, commitment, and mastery heroes have demonstrated across different areas of learning.

To round out the week, Dr. Tyler hosted a Genius Hour centered on recent developments in AI. As part of the experience, learners explored the topic of self-improving AI and engaged in persuasive writing around what level of restrictions the U.S. government should apply. It was a thoughtful and timely opportunity for heroes to wrestle with a complex issue, consider multiple perspectives, and practice building clear, evidence-based arguments.

Overall, this week reflected so much of what makes Middle School special: creative work, academic rigor, real responsibility, and meaningful celebration.

high school studio

Quest Spotlight: Innovation, Excellence, and Execution

We recently wrapped up one of the most dynamic and successful Quests of the year, and our Heroes delivered an Exhibition that truly exceeded expectations.

This session’s Quest centered on the biology of hair, framed through a real-world user challenge. Our user, a cosmetologist, presented a common but complex problem: clients consistently struggle with hair dryness, and there is no single product that effectively addresses this issue across all hair types.

With this challenge in mind, our Heroes were tasked with an ambitious mission—to create a solution. This included not only developing a product that could address hair dryness, but also building a complete brand identity, marketing strategy, and media campaign around it.

Throughout the session, Heroes engaged in deep research, exploring the science behind hair structure, moisture retention, and product formulation. They applied this knowledge to design innovative solutions, all while thinking critically about their user’s needs.

From there, the work expanded into full-scale execution:

Product development
Branding and packaging
Marketing strategy
Commercial production

Every element was thoughtfully created and cohesively aligned with each team’s vision.

The Quest was structured as a friendly competition between two teams, each taking on the challenge with creativity, focus, and determination. Both teams demonstrated an exceptional level of effort and professionalism, making the final outcome incredibly close.

In the end, Team Lavuex emerged as the winning team, but both groups proved themselves to be outstanding competitors.

This was, without a doubt, the strongest Quest of the year. The final Exhibition reflected not only the depth of learning, but also the commitment our Heroes showed to truly solving a real-world problem for their user. They surpassed expectations in both process and presentation, raising the bar for what is possible.

As Guides, we are incredibly proud—and while we’re not quite sure how we’ll top this next session, we are absolutely excited to try.

Session 6: Year 8, WeeK 29 In Review