How Can We Instill Deeper Meaning? - Year 4, Week 8
This week our learners worked hard to finalize their contract of promises to each other before next weeks ceremony! Work continues for exhibitions that are coming up fast!
spark studio
The Spark Studio is in the midst of so many hands- on experiences. Everyday brings something new. We live in the moment and are truly embracing all that comes our way.
PE is always a hit to learn something new about what foods are good for us and the positive effects of exercising … not just for our bodies but our brains. Can you say endorphins? Thank you Coach Austin and Coach Fantasia for always pushing us to ask questions and think about our health. Maybe one of us will take our Hero’s Journey to the next fitness level.
Art is so colorful. Could it be your love language? Thank you Miss Shelly and Miss Renee for bringing color into our lives. We have been rehearsing non stop for our upcoming exhibition. You are in for a treat on Thursday, October 8th. We can’t wait to entertain you. Have you ever been to the jungle? We have a “tail” to tell!
A very special expert joined us this week, Miss Jackie and her son Simone. Miss Jackie is from Kenya which is located in East Africa. She speaks 9 languages and shared beautiful traditions from her home land. Her input and expertise about life in the Safari amongst the animals was captivating.
There is something to be said about mastery. First we are introduced to something new and then we practice, practice, and practice some more! The next thing you know comes mastery. We may fail somewhere in between all of the practice runs but we never give up. It’s okay to fail for that is where we learn the most.
Lines for the upcoming puppet show are being sent home today for your learners to memorize. Have fun practicing and make sure to return the lines on Tuesday.
Each animal group has been assigned a color. The paper their lines are on represent the color to wear at Exhibition. Exhibition is Thursday, October 8th from 8:30-9:30 by the lake at Trilith. Please bring a chair.
elementary studio
“Words Mean More than What is Set Down on Paper. It Takes the Human Voice to Infuse Them with Deeper Meaning.” – Maya Angelou
This week Elementary heroes have used their voices and are understanding that their words have POWER. We finalized our contracts to make sure all heroes' voices were heard, understood, and felt as an imprint on our studio. Each hero had the opportunity to add ideas, subtract or combine ideas, and vote on what our final contract looked like. Next Monday, heroes will have the opportunity to make those contracts known and sign their names as a commitment to those goals.
As we moved through the week, heroes raised their voices again in Storytelling as they filmed a short 30 second video about losing something, then finding it. This challenge has been done with college students, and our heroes are taking part in learning how to show binary tensions (conflict) through metaphors, camera shots and collaboration. Finally, during Quest, heroes used their voices as they prepared Public Service Announcements for their exhibition and decided what “Call to Action” will entice their viewers most.
Our young heroes are learning the power of their voice, how their words have meaning, and how to use those words to change the world! We are excited about what they are creating and the confidence they are finding behind those words!
middle school studio
Our week in the Middle School Studio was a kaleidoscope. In our Biomimicry Quest, learners pivoted from an exploration of biological systems to considering what lessons on design nature might teach us. Their goal is to study nature and present a pitch to the team building the new school building on how the design of the new school can emulate natural forms and processes. So for this Quest, learners are asking themselves, "How can I use my knowledge of biology to design better systems?" That's way different than plodding through a biology textbook.
In Civilization, learners explored Ancient Egypt — primarily through reflecting on the Nile River, puzzling on the engineering mysteries of the pyramids, and diving into the often-looked-over kingdoms of Nubia and Kush.
In Storytelling, learners wrote scripts for 3-5 minute short films and worked in small crews to begin filming. Next week, their films will move into post-production and we'll host a screening in the Studio.
We capped the week with our first Badge Ceremony of the year. We celebrated and were inspired by the learners who earned badges so far this year. We look forward to next week, when we will sign our Studio Contract at Camp Southern Ground and host our Biomimicry Exhibition. It'll be an exciting way to end the session!
high school studio
Who constitutes as an artist?
By definition… Anyone can be an artist. This is true for our heroes this session! Heroes continue to work and build out a variety of different art pieces that will for sure astound you next week!
This week and the High School Studio Heroes work towards using descriptive language to add to their short stories. It’s a continuous effort to enhance our storytelling abilities so that we can create not only great writers but overall great storytellers. For civilization we cover the topic of conspiracy theories! Heroes dissected conspiracy theories that they’ve heard of and looked at the current topics and decided what may be considered conspiracy theories in the future.
Looking forward to next week, don’t forget that Tuesday, October 5th beginning at noon high school will be beginning at Camp Southern Ground. During this time heroes will sign their name as they commit to the contract that they have all developed together. In addition, exhibition will take place Thursday from 6:00 to 7:10 PM.
-Onward
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