Session 2: Year 8, WeeK 7 In Review
Imagination in Action: Medieval Markets, Scientific Minds, and Haunted Hallways
spark studio
A Medieval Week in Spark: Guilds, Goals, and Growing Together
Hear ye, hear ye! This week in Spark, our young villagers donned their tunics of purpose and divided into noble guilds — bands of craftsmen and women, each devoted to their unique callings. (Fun fact: In medieval times, guilds were groups of skilled workers who supported one another, set standards for their craft, and trained apprentices!)
Our village bustled with activity as we prepared our Homemaker Guild’s newest triumph: an outdoor laundry station. The clothesline is full, the work is plenty, and we are now hiring! Interested villagers, inquire within.
With the question “Who are we becoming as a village, and how shall we flourish?” echoing in our halls, we learned the importance of choosing work with the end in mind. Daily goal-setting and check-ins with our noble Guides have set us on the path toward independence.
Of course, no week is complete without grand expressions! In P.E. and Art, we stretched our limbs and our imaginations — running freely, painting boldly, and uncovering beauty in joyful chaos.
In celebration of International Day of Peace, we launched an “on-the-fly” challenge: to build a Peace Chain that weaves through every Studio. Each villager penned their vision of peace, linking hearts and hands across Spark. Will our chain encircle the whole school? Time shall tell.
As the sun sets on this chapter, we leave you with a question worthy of any quest: What does peace mean to you?
The adventure has only just begun.
lower elementary studio
We would like to send a huge shout-out to our Art Guide, Ms. Amanda, and to our many parent helpers! This week has been full of creativity and collaboration as heroes worked hard on props and began imagining costumes for our upcoming Renaissance Exhibition. The Studio is in full creation mode, and our learners are rising to the challenge of being both imaginative and historically accurate as they bring their characters to life.
In Quest, we explored what it means to think like scientists. Heroes learned how the scientific method isn’t just for labs — it’s a way of approaching everyday questions and challenges. We also took a closer look at matter, the stuff of life itself, and the atoms that make up everything around us.
In Civilization, our discussions focused on two major moments in history. We reflected on the courage and legacy of Joan of Arc and considered how individuals are remembered within the context of their times. We also studied the Black Plague and the profound ways it shaped the Middle Ages.
In P.E., the Studio was alive with many glorious rounds of Rock, Paper, Scissors! Beyond the fun, these games have been helping us build important skills of fairness, sportsmanship, and handling both victory and loss with grace.
Finally, throughout the week, we continued important conversations about respect and the power of keeping our promises to one another. As we grow together as a Studio, heroes are learning that trust and accountability are essential to building a strong community.
upper elementary studio
Week three is happening and our Renaissance Fair Exhibition is getting closer!
Signature Learning
This session all of our Signature Learning Experiences are aligned around our Renaissance Fair Exhibition.
Civ – Learners practiced pitching their ideas to classmates pretending to be parents, working on what makes a powerful and convincing pitch. They also researched the motivations of their historical characters and dove deeper into the Wars of the Roses, focusing on the Kingmaker’s big betrayal of the York family in favor of the Lancasters.
Quest – The alchemists continued mixing their “potions,” preparing both for Exhibition and for the Haunted House coming up in October. Excitement is brewing, mixtures are bubbling with creativity, and learners are stirring up plenty of fun!
Story Arts – This week learners evaluated one another on control, fluidity, and acting to determine who would step into the roles of the Kingmaker and Prince Richard. Congratulations to Ethan and London, who won the honors! On Friday, we’ll practice a full scene that brings together all of our characters.
Other News
A huge shout-out to our Art Guide, Amanda, for her incredible dedication in preparing costumes, swords, and shields for the learners — many of them made by hand to save time and bring authenticity to the performance.
Next week will be a huge prep week as we move into final rehearsals and finishing touches for our epic Renaissance Fair Exhibition!
middle school studio
Civilization: Rethinking “Barbarians”
In Civ, heroes challenged the classic tale that the Western Roman Empire simply fell to “barbarian” invaders. Using excerpts from Paul the Deacon’s History of the Lombards (8th century), they asked: What is the text saying—and what is it doing? After partner and small-group dialogues, heroes noticed how purpose and audience shape historical writing. They then researched two kings of Italy, Odoacer and Theodoric the Great, gathering five facts on each—how they rose to power, governed, and were remembered. Finally, heroes reflected on the word “barbarian”: Is it a label for specific tribes, or a political term Romans used for “outsiders”? Their submissions included notes from peers, ten research facts, and a written stance backed by evidence.
Story Arts: World-Class Aging
In Story Arts, we studied professional prop design, then aged items with tea, cinnamon, and a dash of dirt to achieve movie-ready realism. Heroes compared their results to world-class examples and captured notes for future builds.
Circles: Real Talk
Circles focused on practical life topics: the guys discussed hygiene; the girls discussed friendship—both with an emphasis on habits that build confidence and trust.
Studio Leadership: Heroes Take the Lead
This week also featured a “guides are not here” day. Guides stepped back to observe quietly while Council led the way. Heroes reflected, both individually and as a group, on how they showed self-direction, where Studio governance needs to grow, and how they can strengthen their own independence moving forward.
Gaming for Good: From Values to “Green Light”
Our Quest work centered on preparing for Exhibition. Teams started by aligning their games to one of five values—Health & Wellbeing, Education & Learning, Community & Empathy, Responsibility & Citizenship, or Joy & Purposeful Fun. From there, they created detailed improvement checklists, dividing tasks so that every member carried real responsibility. Each hero also researched tutorials, blogs, or videos related to their role, ensuring they could confidently build or debug their part of the game.
Together, the Studio co-designed an Exhibition scorecard to hold every group accountable. With categories like Playable, Looks Decent, Educational, and Fun for the Target Audience, heroes set the bar for what it means to be demo-ready. Teams updated their Game Design Documents with concept art, code screenshots, iteration notes, and reflections. They also practiced high-pressure defenses—role-playing how they would respond if a skeptical parent challenged the educational value of their game.
The week ended with teams rating themselves against the new checklist and asking: What do we need to do to be “green lit” by Exhibition?
At Exhibition, only games that are “green lit” by the Studio checklist will get to demo and pitch to the experts. “Yellow lit” games will present about their process, what went wrong, and what they learned.
📌 Reminder: National Honor Society applications are due September 26. The Google Form is posted on the bulletin board in JourneyTracker.
high school studio
Flow, Focus, and Frights Ahead
This week at The Forest School has been full of energy, focus, and creativity! Each morning, heroes have leaned into Core Skills time, and it’s been incredible to see so many enter a true state of flow—heads down, fully engaged, and making steady progress on their goals. Our launches have sparked meaningful discussions, and Running Partners have become more effective than ever, with heroes actively seeking one another’s feedback and approvals. The accountability and encouragement between peers is visible, and it’s strengthening our Studio culture in powerful ways.
Quest has been just as exciting. Heroes are hard at work building our haunted house experience, themed Carnival of the Cursed. The story invites guests into a once-thrilling carnival now consumed by eerie curses, where every turn reveals a new surprise. Heroes are bringing this world to life with creativity, teamwork, and a level of excitement you can feel the moment you walk into the Studio. From brainstorming scares to designing sets and characters, their collaboration is both inspiring and impressive.
It’s been a week that reminds us of the balance between deep, focused work and big, creative projects. With momentum building in both Core Skills and Quest, we can’t wait to see how our heroes continue to grow—and to experience the magic (and mystery!) of the Carnival of the Cursed.