The Adventure Begins: Studio Life in Full Swing

spark studio

What a Wonderful Week!
Our week has been filled with curiosity, wonder, movement, discovery, and so much more. We’ve been building strong connections through fun team-building games, engaging work cycles, and even experiencing our very first fire alarm. This led to each learner earning their very first badge: “I Am Brave.”
It was a new and emotional experience for some, and we're proud of how everyone handled it with courage. We encourage you to have a conversation at home and create a fire safety plan together—it’s a great way to reinforce what we’re learning.
The adventure continues, and we’re excited to discover more badges we can earn throughout the year!

This week, we also dove into PE and Art, learning the Rules of Engagement while exploring collaboration, movement, and music.

We celebrated our first birthday of the year, and it was absolutely beautiful. We love honoring each other! If your learner's special day is coming up, please email us ahead of time so we can schedule a celebration.

Here’s what we ask you to bring for birthday celebrations:

One photo for each year of your learner’s life
A box of Outshine or Johnny Pops popsicles to share as a special treat

During the celebration, your learner (and you, if attending!) will share one fun fact about each picture, and we’ll sing a special birthday song as your learner walks around the sun.

Celebration Time: 12:00–12:30
Number of Learners: 29
Families are welcome to attend!

REMINDER: If you haven’t already, please send in an extra set of clothes for your learner. Accidents and spills happen, and having extras on hand helps keep everyone comfortable.

Thank you for sharing your amazing learners with us—we can’t wait for more discovery, growth, and celebration ahead!

lower elementary studio

Wow—what an incredible first week it’s been!
We kicked off the 2025–2026 school year with curiosity, creativity, and a whole lot of teamwork.

This week was all about building our Studio community. We focused on getting to know one another, learning routines, and creating a space where everyone feels safe, seen, and supported. Through games, group challenges, class meetings, and story-sharing, students practiced listening, encouraging others, and problem-solving together. We learned the most about conflict and how learning to handle tension can teach us—and even make us—stronger and more interesting!

We began constructing our Contract of Promises, written by the learners, about how we want to treat each other this year. Their words showed wisdom, kindness, and a strong sense of fairness. We are excited to watch it develop!

We’re thrilled to announce our Studio Council members for Session 1! These students will help lead Studio meetings, support studiomates, and share ideas to make our learning community even stronger. Congratulations to Caelyn, Tyus, Siro, Cash, and Halle! We’re proud of your leadership and can’t wait to see you shine.

Learners were sorted into their squads. These squads will serve as “learning teams,” and learners will travel with their squad each day through language rotations and each week in Inventure Lab. Make sure to ask your learner to tell you their squad’s Latin name and its meaning!

A Quick Reminder: If you haven’t already, please send in your child’s binder. We’ll be using it to organize and track their work, store weekly plans, and help them stay on top of their goals. It will be an important tool as we continue building independence and ownership of learning.

upper elementary studio

Welcome to Upper Elementary!
Mr. Hadrian and Mr. K are thrilled for the upcoming school year in Upper Elementary. Mr. K, our returning apprentice Guide and Forest School veteran, brings a steady, grounded presence to the Studio. With a background in social work, he excels at building strong, respectful relationships with all learners and fostering a culture rooted in kindness.

Hadrian Pollard, our lead UE Guide, is new to Forest School but couldn’t be more excited to join the journey. He brings over a decade of experience teaching 4th and 5th grade in traditional settings and most recently served as teacher coach and Director of Sekolah Bina Cita Utama in Indonesia. He’s grateful for the warm welcome and energized by the creativity and purpose in this dynamic learning space.

Get to Know You
We’ve spent the first few days intentionally building Studio culture. We started with a community favorite: Who’s 5? In this game, learners partnered up to share ten facts (five each), and the rest of the Studio guessed whose fact belonged to whom. We learned surprising things—like that Mr. K has been to Greece and Dubai, and that Autumn’s family moved to Georgia at her suggestion!

We also began “Building the Tribe” through daily team-building games, including a Blindfold Walk challenge where learners guided each other through a maze of “mines” (crumpled paper) using only verbal cues.

Our themed daily activities have included:

Tuesday: Engineering & STEAM challenges
Wednesday: Tabletop Games
Thursday: Talent Show
Friday: Competition Challenges

The Talent Show was a highlight—our learners shared a wide range of gifts, including singing, martial arts, cup-stacking, and reading aloud. Mr. Hadrian even joined the fun with a special performance of a Civil Wars song alongside his wife, Mahallia.

Self-Direction in Action
Though it’s only the first week, many learners are already diving into self-directed projects. A team of heroes took on the challenge of repairing the Studio sofa, learning to use a drill and iterating their design four times to strengthen it using two-by-fours.

Another group reorganized the classroom library, creating a color-coded system and dreaming up a full catalog of titles by location—stay tuned to see the completed library in action! Elsewhere in the Studio, learners are writing stories, filming a short movie, and leading launches. Uraiah led our first learner-driven launch of the year on summer vacation.

We’re excited to see how these early sparks of initiative might evolve into badge-worthy projects in the weeks ahead.

Quest, Civilization, and Story Arts
This week has been a soft launch for our Signature Learning Experiences. Learners have been getting set up on their core platforms—Zearn, Lexia, and Prodigy Math—and practicing DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) and writing routines in preparation for next week’s deeper work.

We introduced this session’s Quest by exploring the real-life story of six Tongan high school boys who survived together on a deserted island in 1965. Learners brainstormed what’s truly needed for a group to survive—and thrive—as a society.

In Civilization, we launched with a games day to spark curiosity and collaboration as learners prepare to create their own tabletop games. On Friday, we begin Story Arts with an introduction to sketch comedy and the structure of short performance pieces.

Mr. Hadrian led a launch on the Hero’s Journey and how learners can develop their own views on emerging technologies like AI. Mr. K led a powerful conversation on growth mindset and trusting the process—drawing inspiration from Kobe Bryant.

Looking Ahead
We feel incredibly lucky to be working with such a creative, curious, and courageous group of learners—and to have two Guides with complementary strengths and deep care for this community. It’s already shaping up to be a rich and meaningful year.

middle school studio

Kicking Off the Year in Middle School: Teamwork, Taste Tests, and Taking the Lead
Our first week in the Middle School Studio was full of energy, creativity, and connection. From the very first day, learners—whom we call “heroes”—stepped into the new year with curiosity and courage, diving headfirst into activities that challenged them to think critically, collaborate effectively, and reflect deeply.

We opened the week with a strong focus on team building. Heroes took part in a variety of activities designed to stretch their communication skills, build trust, and lay the foundation for a positive Studio culture. These moments reminded us that learning isn’t just about academics—it’s about growing together as a community.

One major milestone of the week was the moment each hero earned their Chromebook—but not until at least day four. Rather than being handed out automatically, Chromebooks were unlocked by learners caring for individual, delicate eggs. This emphasized responsibility and intentionality. Heroes demonstrated their readiness by caring for the eggs and returning them uncracked and whole. This ceremony not only raised the bar for tech use but also sent a clear message: tools are powerful when used with purpose.

In Quest time, the Studio came alive with the sights, smells, and excitement of The Bake Lab, a hands-on science and culinary adventure. Over three days, heroes became food scientists and bakers-in-training, working in teams to adapt traditional recipes into gluten-free creations—without any screens. Each team faced time constraints, resource limitations, and a challenge to innovate while staying true to the principles of chemistry. With a game-show-style countdown in the background, the competition brought out a mix of intensity, creativity, and joy. And of course, taste-testing was part of the fun—with reflections on what worked, what didn’t, and why.

To prepare for writing their own Studio Contract, heroes studied six different contracts from years past. They analyzed each one closely and identified promises worth keeping to help us build a culture that is positive, respectful, and motivating. Heroes wrote down commitments they believe are worth carrying forward and are now using those insights as the foundation for a contract that reflects who they are and who they want to become this year.

Leadership took center stage as we held our first Council elections. Heroes bravely stepped forward to share their visions for how they could serve and support the Studio. Through speeches, voting, and respectful dialogue, the group selected a new Council to help guide our community through the weeks ahead. It was a powerful example of civic engagement, self-governance, and how leadership skills are valuable for their actual lives and futures.

We also introduced Circles, an important rhythm in our Studio. In these Circles, heroes gather to check in, speak honestly, and share how they’re feeling in the Studio. Circle time offered a space for listening, reflection, and growth.

As we close out Week One, the tone has been set: this is a place where learning is active, leadership is shared, and challenges are welcomed. We can’t wait to see where the next week takes us.

high school studio

Launching into a New Year of Growth!
We’re off to a strong start this school year! As our Heroes returned to campus, we focused on building a foundation of trust, purpose, and clarity for the journey ahead.

To kick things off, we began each morning with a Launch from Guides (a meaningful discussion designed to spark curiosity). These conversations help Heroes think deeply about what it means to grow, lead, and express thoughts and opinions in a civil manner—setting the tone for the day.

Throughout the week, we engaged in several Build-A-Tribes, which are creative, fun icebreakers that allow Heroes to connect and get to know one another on a more personal level. These moments not only build relationships but also set the stage for strong collaboration throughout the year.

We also covered essential housekeeping items, including:

Studio procedures and safety expectations
Badge plan requirements for academic progress
Rules of engagement for mini discussions and team challenges

A quick reminder for families: Off-campus lunch forms were distributed this week. If you haven’t already, please check in with your Hero and return the form to let us know whether they have your permission to leave campus for lunch.

To top it all off, we launched our first Signature Learning Experience of the year: Civilization!

We’re so excited for the year ahead and grateful to partner with each of you. Here’s to a year full of curiosity, courage, and character!

Session 1: Year 8, WeeK 1 In Review