From Strong Roots to Greater Independence

spark studio

Our Week in Spark: Establishing Roots

This week in Spark, we began by exploring the beginning of time. As we listened and talked together, learners explored different theories and shared their thoughts and ideas. This led us to think about how we learn, grow, and build our understanding of the world around us.

We also practiced being proactive, one of the 7 Habits of Happy Kids. Several learners took on the D.R.I.P. Challenge, showing that they have the Desire to learn, are Resourceful when they get stuck, take the Initiative to do what needs to be done, and Persist until they get it done.

As we continue building these habits, we also introduced our new coin system. Each learner has the opportunity to earn coins for building a strong foundation in:

learning to be
learning to live together
learning to learn
learning to do

We are establishing roots!

To make the system even more exciting, learners created lists of things they would like to purchase with their coins. For example, a special lunch outside—with a Guide present—costs 5 coins. Each week, learners will collect coins and decide whether to spend them or save for something bigger. Through it all, we are learning that strong roots, positive habits, and persistence can help us grow!

lower elementary studio

Overview: We’re flowing like sound waves and building momentum! This week, Heroes grew in independence during Core Skills, took more initiative in choosing meaningful work, and practiced leading and holding one another accountable with kindness. Across the Studio, they are learning that strong communities are built when we know ourselves, use our voices well, and take responsibility for how we contribute.

Quest: Heroes used what they have learned about sound to solve real Studio problems. They designed a Quiet Corner, Better Presentation Spot, or Sound Fix Prototype to address challenges like noise, echo, or difficulty hearing, then explained how their design could improve the Studio.

Civilization: Is something unknown just because it is unknown to you? This week, learners dove into the Age of Discovery and Exploration. They sought to learn about “The Known World,” grappling with big and important questions about what it means to discover and why people would be willing to leave what they know and risk it all to discover something new.

Story Arts: Heroes began exploring their Dream Team—the people who can help them know themselves, grow, and reach their goals. They reflected on who knows them well, cheers them on, can teach them something, and will tell them the truth when it is hard. Heroes then created a visual Dream Team map showing the people who can support their growth.

Question of the Week:
Think about who you are and who you want to become. Who are 2–5 people you would choose for your Dream Team, and how can each person help you grow?

Heroes who share the 2–5 people they chose for their Dream Team with a Guide before Morning Launch will earn 25 bonus Work Plan points. Heroes who also bring proof that they invited their Dream Team members to Exhibition will earn an additional 25 points.

That’s up to 50 bonus points to start the week! Come Monday ready to share!

upper elementary studio

This week, Upper Elementary really started to feel like a Studio in motion. Learners are moving beyond learning the systems and routines and beginning to take more ownership over their work, their projects, and their ideas.

Quest: Inside Trilith Live
Our Quest took us out of the Studio and into Trilith Live for an incredible field trip! Our tour Guides specifically tailored the experience to our Fire Safety Quest, giving learners a chance to see the building through the eyes of an emergency responder.

They explored FDC hookups, fire control panels, fire extinguishers, ingress and egress, and other important features of the building—all while getting an incredible behind-the-scenes look at the theater and sound stages.

On Thursday, learners began using what they learned to create their Emergency Response Pre-Plans in their groups. They are now working as consultants, thinking through how firefighters and other emergency responders could safely and effectively respond to an emergency in a large, complex building.

Story Arts: From Ideas to Launches
In Story Arts, learners have moved from planning their stories and developing Socratic questions to actually building their launches.

They've begun turning their ideas into slideshows and thinking about how to teach, entertain, and engage an audience. We're excited to see these launches continue to take shape in the coming weeks.

Civ: The Enlightenment
In Civ, we explored the Enlightenment, focusing on three big ideas: reason, argumentation, and the scientific method.

One important idea we're emphasizing is that the Enlightenment didn't simply appear out of nowhere. European thinkers were building on much older traditions of knowledge and inquiry, including those developed in Ancient Greece, the Islamic Empires, India, and elsewhere.

This week is laying the groundwork for our next big Civ questions: Who should have power? What makes a government legitimate? And what happens when people begin challenging monarchy?

Launch Topics
Mr. Hadrian also challenged learners to think about something much closer to our own time: the future of AI.

We read primary-source quotes from AI leaders expressing both optimism and serious concern about where artificial intelligence could take humanity. Learners had to consider different possible futures and ask themselves: Which future would be a "good life"?

That led to an important conversation: If we don't make choices about the future, someone else will make those choices for us.

We also continued our Session 1 focus on "Know Yourself." Learners completed self-reflections and interviewed one another to uncover their talents, interests, and possible callings. The goal isn't necessarily to figure out a career right now—it's to begin noticing what makes each learner them.

Special Guest: Pac the Goat!
Friday brought a very special visitor to the Studio: Pac the goat!

Ella brought Pac in for a launch, giving everyone a memorable opportunity to learn from something completely outside the usual classroom experience. Pac was definitely a popular guest!

Check-In Emails Are Starting
This week, we also began our full learner check-ins. These conversations give us a chance to sit down individually with each learner and talk about Studio culture, math, reading, platforms, badges, practicals, goals, and interests.

Families can expect an individual check-in email each week with an update on their learner's progress.

Studio Supply Needs
We're looking for a few sponges for the sink. If you have extras at home and would like to send some in, we'd appreciate it!

Another great week in Upper Elementary!

middle school studio

This week in Middle School was all about ownership, community, and putting our plans into action.

One of the biggest milestones of the week was the launch of Freedom Levels. Heroes began by looking honestly at their progress and self-assessing whether they are ahead, on track, or behind on their Badge Plans so far this year. From there, three Council members conducted a Freedom Level audit to verify each assessment before Heroes were officially placed. This process gave Heroes an early opportunity to practice one of our most important Studio thoughts: freedom is earned through responsibility and evidence.

Our growing system of self-governance was also on display during Town Hall. Heroes discussed Studio topics, including lockers, Contract violations, and other issues affecting the community. Rather than adults simply making every decision, Heroes are learning how to raise concerns, listen to one another, and help shape a Studio that works for everyone.

We also spent time strengthening our culture in other ways. During D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything and Read), Heroes co-created expectations for what focused, productive reading time should look and sound like in the Studio. We also hosted separate girls’ and guys’ circles, creating space for Heroes to share how they are feeling about the Studio so far this year, what is going well, and what they may need from their community.

Academically, Heroes continued making progress across several areas. In Quest, they moved further into their Future Me Financial work by researching realistic housing and transportation options and beginning to explore monthly budgeting. Each new decision is pushing them to consider the trade-offs involved in building an independent adult life.

In Civilization, Heroes designed interactive maps online, pinning locations of historical significance and completing extended writing connected to their research. In Story Arts, teams moved from planning into production as Heroes filmed footage for their PSAs about issues they care about.

Finally, Heroes completed an IXL Math Diagnostic, giving us—and them—another useful snapshot of current strengths and opportunities for growth.

It was a full week of learning, reflection, creativity, and increasing ownership of the Studio. As our systems become more established, Heroes are being challenged not only to complete strong work but also to become the kind of community members who can be trusted with greater freedom.

high school studio

This week, our Heroes moved from settling into routines to putting their skills into action. We saw focused academic work, intentional goal-setting, and the launch of a Quest that puts our Heroes in the driver’s seat as creators and problem-solvers.

Check-Ins: Time to Reflect & Reset
Our one-on-one check-ins with Ms. Brittney are becoming a valuable part of the weekly rhythm. These conversations give Heroes space to pause, reflect on how things are going, talk through any challenges, and identify where they want to focus next. It’s exciting to see Heroes becoming more comfortable taking ownership of these conversations and their own progress.

Math Lab: Testing Week!
Math Lab was especially focused this week as IXL testing got underway—and is now complete! Heroes brought serious focus to their testing and worked to demonstrate what they know.

With testing wrapped up, we now have a clearer picture of each Hero’s current skill level and the areas where they can continue to stretch and grow. The hard work doesn’t stop here—the data gives us a roadmap for what comes next!

Running Partners: Turning Goals Into Action
This week, Running Partners focused on two powerful goal-setting tools: SMART Goals and WOOP Goals.

Heroes practiced making their goals specific and measurable, but they also went one step further. With WOOP, they identified potential obstacles before those obstacles could derail them and created an If–Then plan for handling them.

Quest Launch: There’s an App for That!
Our biggest shift this week was the launch of There’s an App for That!

Heroes are officially becoming app creators and real-world problem-solvers. Their mission is to find a real person with a real need, investigate the problem, and develop an app that could provide a meaningful solution.

This Quest is challenging Heroes to think like designers, developers, researchers, and entrepreneurs. They’ll interview users, uncover the real problem behind the problem, brainstorm possibilities, build prototypes, test their ideas, and improve their products based on feedback.

And there’s an important twist: the user comes first. Heroes aren't simply creating an app they think is interesting. They're creating something that is meant to help a real person.

Looking Ahead
It was a week full of forward momentum! Heroes completed IXL testing, strengthened their goal-setting muscles, and launched into a Quest that connects learning to the real world.

Next week, the focus shifts from understanding the problem to building the solution as our Heroes begin turning their ideas into their first app prototypes.

Math Lab

“Are Those Fractions on Your Face?” was the title of our first Math Lab of the week. Learners related their knowledge of fractions and proportions to facial features. Everyone created a human face using a circle and lines to mark common fractional relationships for the placement of features. This involved measuring in centimeters using a ruler and multiplying a fraction by a decimal or mixed number. Definitely, we all need more practice with reading a ruler, understanding fractional parts of an inch or centimeter, and multiplying fractions.

Our second Math Lab of the week was spent taking the IXL Diagnostic Benchmark so that we have a baseline to show how these amazing learners grow over the course of the year, fill in gaps, or progress to higher levels of math knowledge beyond their current coursework. Learners will take a similar Diagnostic Benchmark on IXL quarterly to check progress over time. Session 2 Math Lab will focus on fraction concepts and operations.

Growth in fluency, as well as understanding, is important for math learners to become comfortable and confident when solving problems that involve logic, patterns, data analysis, and calculations of all kinds in life. I cannot wait to see our growth in ability and confidence!

Session 1: Year 8, Week 3 In Review