From the Studio to the Ranch: A Week of Hands-On Growth

spark studio

Wood Wizards:

The design process for our Lost & Found cabinet is officially underway! This week, we welcomed our first expert, who is guiding us through an inspiring journey of creativity and innovation. Heroes brainstormed ideas and created their first sketches, each sharing their vision for what the cabinet could look like. Our next step is to break into teams, combine ideas, and decide on a team design to turn into a cardboard prototype before we vote on the final prototype and begin bringing it to life.

Earth Day was full of hands-on learning—centered around garbage and composting! Heroes worked together to clean up areas around the school and collected leaves to begin our compost bin. Next, we’ll be searching for worms to help enrich our compost. You may have already heard requests at home to dig for worms—heroes are welcome to bring in any they find to add to our bin!

Our garden is now cleaned, prepped, and ready for planting. We’re excited to transfer our seedlings and watch them grow. We also have a fun surprise: a pumpkin from October that we placed in a container to decompose has started sprouting a new plant! We’re hopeful it continues to thrive.

Learning impulse control is all about practicing little pauses—like waiting your turn, keeping your hands to yourself, or taking a breath instead of hitting, grabbing, or shouting. It’s a big (and very normal!) part of the work we do with this age group, and with lots of gentle launches and practice, heroes are gradually getting the hang of making calmer, more thoughtful choices.

We witnessed some meaningful moments centered on taking ownership and practicing honesty. One especially powerful example came when a learner was recognized for working hard and staying focused. In that moment, he chose to be honest and shared that he had actually been a bit off-task during Core Skills. It was refreshing and encouraging to see such integrity—it’s clear that heroes are learning that being honest and taking responsibility for their actions is not only okay, but valued.

The letter for the week is “G” as in garbage.

lower elementary studio

The Studio has been lit up with creative energy and scientific thinking as learners continue their Super Science Heroes exploration. This week, Heroes mixed imagination with evidence, turning chemistry concepts into engaging content and hands-on discoveries.

In Story Arts, learners continued developing their Super Science Heroes content by creating catchy hooks and other creative choices like hand motions, props, sound effects, rhythm, or visuals. They then combined their ideas into one complete script with a strong opening, real science explanation, audience-friendly teaching line, slogan, and strong ending. Before moving on, learners received Spinach feedback from both peers and Guides and made a clear plan for revision.

In Civilization, learners explored the beauty and design of Angkor Wat by choosing between two hands-on projects. Some built small models inspired by the temple’s towers, steps, and architecture, while others created bas-relief art with clay based on the intricate carved designs found at Angkor Wat. This work deepened their understanding of Khmer art, architecture, and craftsmanship.

In Quest, learners worked with their Exhibition Partner to research and choose a chemistry experiment or concept to study more deeply. Together, they discussed what they already knew, recorded new learning, identified important science vocabulary, and came up with one question they are still wondering about. This helped teams begin planning their experiments with curiosity, collaboration, and scientific thinking.

Question of the Week:
What is one challenge in your life right now that could help you grow stronger, wiser, or more responsible if you choose to keep going through it?

Each Hero who shares what their family discussed with their Guides on Monday will earn 100 points toward next week’s Work Plan.

upper elementary studio

This week was full of creativity, challenge, and momentum as heroes continued diving into our final session of the year. Across Quest, Story Arts, and Civ, learners practiced new skills, worked in teams, and kept pushing forward through difficult tasks. Our Question of the Year focus for this session is especially fitting right now: Keep going when it’s hard. Whether resizing 3D-printed shoes, writing podcasts, or building historical game cards, heroes are learning that real growth often happens when work becomes challenging.

In Quest, learners continued becoming familiar with the 3D modeling software TinkerCAD. Heroes learned about scale and proportional resizing in Launch and then practiced by resizing a pair of premade shoes twice within the software. They also explored the difference between Polylactic Acid (PLA) and Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU), two materials commonly used in 3D printing. Throughout the Quest, learners will continue studying polymers and how different materials behave. On Friday, heroes had the challenge of attempting to resize and recolor Akhari’s real shoe files. Akhari will review the designs and choose the most accurate and strongest submissions to use in his actual product designs.

In Story Arts, learners continued their work on podcasting. On Monday, we were fortunate to host a panel of three Forest School podcasters: Jen Hoverstad, Eric Smith, and Jamal (our P.E. Coach). Each shared inspiring examples of podcasts designed to help people through difficult times and to gather wisdom from others’ life experiences. They answered learner questions thoughtfully and enthusiastically. Heroes then continued writing their own podcasts based on the specific structure and style they selected.

In Civ, learners were placed into their regional groups for our Story of the World board game project, based on the areas of the medieval world they chose to study. Each learner is responsible for creating a historical character card and event card, while each group will collaborate to create a 3D-printed game piece and finalize their card designs. Several groups made tremendous progress right away.

We also had a Guide-Free Day on Thursday, led by Elin and Wyatt as our learner Guides. The prize is still on the line: if heroes successfully complete Guide-Free Day expectations, the reward will be a rap battle between Mr. K and Mr. Hadrian.

Our upcoming field trip to the Music Garden will take place on Tuesday, May 5th, with two time slots: 9:45 AM and 12:45 PM. If you are available to drive or chaperone, we would greatly appreciate your help.

Heroes have many submissions and requirements to complete during this final session, so please continue checking check-in emails and helping learners stay organized at home.

Thank you for your partnership and support as we finish the year strong.

middle school studio

This week in the Studio was full of leadership, ownership, and meaningful progress.

One of the biggest highlights was our third Guides Not Here Day. On these special days, Council helps run the Studio while Guides step back and observe. Once again, our heroes showed just how much they are capable of when given real responsibility. The Studio hummed along with focus and productivity, and it was exciting to watch learners lead themselves and one another so well. At the end of the day, heroes reflected by scoring our Studio in intentionality, civility, energy, and excellence, and Guides gave shout-outs to heroes who stood out through their leadership, effort, and character.

In Quest, learners continued their redesign project by interviewing our second user this week and visiting the real space in person. Seeing the space up close and taking actual measurements raised the level of the work and helped teams move from ideas to more realistic planning. This kind of hands-on research is a big part of learner-driven work because it pushes heroes to think like real designers solving a real problem for real people.

In Story Arts, our filmmakers took another exciting step forward. Groups created location plans and cast roles for their short films, bringing their projects to life in new ways. Some teams have chosen to film on campus, while others are planning to film off campus on weekends. We love seeing this level of investment, initiative, and creative ownership as learners make decisions that help their stories become stronger and more authentic.

Heroes also followed up on invitations to their Dream Teams for the upcoming Dream Team Lunch on May 8. The energy around this has continued to build, especially after we raised the stakes by announcing that the top 2–3 Dream Teams will receive gift cards. Learners are practicing communication, follow-through, and professionalism as they connect with the people they most want to learn from.

Finally, we spent time this week talking about Practicals, which are coming later this spring. Three high school heroes joined us to share about their own high school Practical experiences and answer questions. Their insight helped make the process feel more real and more attainable. Our middle school heroes will now have 30 minutes to 1 hour each week to prepare during the final stretch of the school year. This year’s Practicals will focus on goal setting, reflection, and empathy—important skills for growing not just as learners, but as thoughtful human beings.

It was a week full of leadership, creativity, and preparation for what’s ahead. We’re proud of the way our heroes continue to rise to the challenge.

high school studio

“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” — Vincent van Gogh

This week, our High School heroes took their learning beyond the Studio and onto the land at Cloverland Ranch. In preparation for Exhibition, learners stepped into real-world work designed to serve a real user with excellence.

Heroes worked across several project areas: reorganizing and restructuring the barn, maintaining the garden through pest control and weeding, building a chicken coop, beginning benches from scratch, and restructuring the laser tag course. Each task required planning, research, teamwork, and a willingness to get their hands dirty.

This week brought an important lesson: there is a difference between mental work and physical work, and both require discipline. Learners faced heat, environmental factors, and the kind of in-person adversity that cannot be solved from behind a screen. They had to communicate, adjust, problem-solve, and keep going even when the work was uncomfortable.

Through sweat, dirt, teamwork, and persistence, heroes practiced what it means to serve a user well. They are not just preparing for an Exhibition; they are learning how to take ownership of meaningful work in the real world.

We hope you will join us for Exhibition next Thursday, April 30, from 5:00–6:15 PM at Cloverland Ranch, where heroes will showcase their work and impact.

-Onward.

Session 7: Year 8, WeeK 31 In Review