Celebrating Growth, Grit, and Greatness

spark studio

What a Festive and Fun-Filled Week We Had in Spark!

We kicked things off on Music Monday with the release of our Spark Recorders! The rhythms and melodies were flowing as we explored our musical talents.

On Tuesday, the delicious aroma of freshly baked rolls filled the air as we stepped into the kitchen and got hands-on with baking—a warm and tasty highlight of the week!

Wednesday was especially memorable. We celebrated a beautiful birthday and took a deep dive into Australian culture! We discovered unique animals, foods, and Aussie slang—and yes, we even tried Fairy Bread, a colorful and classic Australian treat that brought lots of smiles.

In Art, we were officially knighted and received handmade swords to complete our medieval attire, continuing our journey back in time with flair and imagination.

Throughout the week, Guild Work remained in full swing as learners focused on final touches for their projects, getting ready to proudly share their experiences at next week’s Exhibition.

Our Character Trait focus this week was Respect. We had thoughtful conversations about how our words affect others. We learned that while bumper cars may be fun, bumper words can hurt—and we’re working on keeping our language kind and respectful.

Mark your calendars!
The Spark Exhibition is scheduled for Tuesday at 4:00 PM in the TFS courtyard. We can't wait to celebrate the creativity and hard work of all our learners with you. Stay tuned for any weather-related updates!

lower elementary studio

This week our Studios have been alive with color, fabric, and imagination as learners bring their Renaissance characters to life. Costumes are taking shape thanks to the steady hand of our fearless Art Guide, Ms. Amanda, and her faithful helpers. We are grateful beyond measure for their creativity and care.

Alongside sewing, painting, and crafting, learners are strengthening another essential skill: feedback. Running Partners meet daily to reflect on goals, celebrate wins, and name struggles. In our handwriting challenge, peers offer encouragement and critique—several learners have even earned their own erasable pen license! And as the Renaissance Fair draws near, young heroes are sharing characters, practicing speeches, and checking their work for historical accuracy.

One of the most inspiring sights has been watching learners offer each other “spinach and strawberry” feedback—naming both what helps them grow and what already shines. These moments of courage and kindness remind us how powerful it is to learn in community.

Exhibition is almost here. This Tri-Studio Exhibition will bring together Spark, Lower, and Upper Elementary in a celebration of Civilization and Storytelling. Heroes will remain after school to prepare the Festival, and doors will open at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 7. We can’t wait to share this adventure with you—come see the magic happen!

Inventure Lab Announcement!
If your child would like to take part in the regional competition at Georgia Tech, you will need to provide consent. You can do so by creating an account and filling out the required forms here:

By filling out the forms, you consent to your child participating in any event where representatives from Georgia Tech come to The Forest School. Giving consent also grants permission for your child to participate in the competition on-site at Georgia Tech, as well as continue to the regional and national levels if they advance.

Learn more about Georgia Tech's K12 Inventure Prize here:
https://inventureprize.gatech.edu/
https://youtu.be/JjQRk-JEsE8?si=lTXU_ALek4Z9Iqqk

upper elementary studio

Stepping Into the Renaissance
This week, our Studio dug into the big question: What is the Renaissance? During launch, we unpacked what makes this era such a turning point in history, and learners got to know their characters on a deeper level as they prepared for Exhibition.

To get ready for the big day, they took on several challenges:

Pitch Practice: Each learner pitched their medieval character’s big idea—whether it was finding a route to Asia, inventing the printing press, or stopping the Ottoman Empire. They shared these pitches with a Guide, with each other, and finally with a high school learner who gave both numerical and verbal feedback on three areas: the accuracy of their character’s background, how convincing their argument was, and their acting ability.
The Betrayal Scene: Learner directors Autumn and Saint stepped up to lead rehearsals, calling the shots and offering feedback. Autumn even delivered a few rousing motivational speeches that kept the cast inspired and energized.
Costume Workshop: Fabric flew as learners worked on hats, tunics, cloaks, crowns, swords, shields, paintbrushes, and even a few corsets and pieces of body armor! Art Guide Amanda joined us for an extra day to help with costumes and set pieces, lending her expertise and creativity.
Set Design: With support from Mahallia, an interior designer (and my wife), learners sketched their visions and then dove into painting and prepping the set pieces that will bring the Renaissance to life on stage.
Potion-Making: Learners finalized their aromatherapy “potion” recipes and bottled them up, adding a magical touch for Exhibition night.
Festival Games: To complete the experience, learners invented creative games that parents can play during the festival to earn potions.

As we put on the finishing touches, we’re also workshopping a potential rain plan in case we need to move the festival indoors. It will be fun and memorable no matter what, but we’re keeping our fingers crossed for clear skies!

It was a full and inspired week of preparation—history, art, performance, and creativity all coming together as our learners step into the world of the Renaissance.

middle school studio

Our heroes continue to amaze us with their persistence, creativity, and growth. This week, three highlights stand out that we can’t wait to share with you.

A Conversation with Dan Cathy

Five learners showed extraordinary initiative by persistently reaching out to Dan Cathy of Chick-fil-A—and their persistence paid off! They earned an Apprenticeship and had the opportunity to sit down with him this morning.

The heroes came prepared with thoughtful questions, strong eye contact, and attentiveness that impressed Mr. Cathy. He complimented them on their professionalism, attentiveness, preparedness, and eye contact. Even more exciting, he has given them real-world projects to work on—including planning for the World Cup 2026, exploring new bike paths, and contributing ideas for the opening of Trilith Live. These authentic opportunities will challenge our heroes to apply their creativity and problem-solving skills in meaningful ways.

Gaming for Good Quest Preparations

Our Gaming for Good Quest is right around the corner, and excitement is building. For this Exhibition, heroes are designing educational video games and will receive either a “green light” or “yellow light” based on feedback from the Studio and Guides.

The heroes themselves designed the rubric for what earns a game a green light. Criteria include:

Visual Excellence
Educational Value
Clear Objective
Fun Factor for the Target Audience

Green-lit games will be demoed at the Exhibition, while yellow-lit games will showcase their process, highlighting lessons learned, iterations, and even failures. Either way, every hero will walk away with meaningful growth and reflection on their work.

Growing Through Feedback 360

Midway through the session, heroes engaged in a Feedback 360 exercise with their Running Partners. They gave and received thoughtful feedback on cross-cultural competence, collaboration, trust, and empathy.

This wasn’t just surface-level feedback—it was a deep process where learners asked clarifying questions, reflected on comments, and reflected on personal growth. These moments help shape not only stronger learners but stronger leaders, friends, and collaborators.

At The Forest School, persistence, creativity, and reflection are at the heart of the journey. This week’s stories are reminders of what’s possible when learners are given ownership of their growth. We can’t wait to share more as these journeys unfold!

high school studio

This week at The Forest School: Balancing Learning and Building Magic
Even in the midst of haunted house preparations, our learners have been finding meaningful moments of growth and learning. While Core Skills time has been limited this week, our heroes still carved out opportunities for practice and engagement. Math Lab continues to be a bright spot, with students leaning into problem-solving and celebrating those lightbulb learning moments together.

Our Practicals have also kept momentum, happening twice a week despite shifting schedules. Learners stayed flexible, adapting to new times and still showing up ready to pitch their ideas and practice real-world skills. In Civilization, the focus this week was on magic in the medieval era—sparking curiosity, debate, and connections to culture, history, and imagination. And of course, Quest remained central, challenging our heroes to think critically, collaborate, and create.

All of this is happening alongside intense preparation for our upcoming Haunted House—an event our learners are determined to make unforgettable. They are working diligently across departments to design, build, and bring to life an extraordinary experience for our community.

How you can support
As part of this effort, we’re hosting a Haunted House Supply Drive during carpools. If you have items to contribute, we’d love your support! Here are the specific areas we’re collecting for:

Paint Drive
Makeup Drive
Clothes Drive
Wood & Raw Materials Drive
Tools Drive
Haunted House Items (decor, props, or anything spooky!)

Your donations will directly fuel student creativity and help bring their vision to life.

Looking ahead
Next week is Exhibition Week! Our heroes are excited to showcase their hard work, share their learning journeys, and invite you into the world they’ve been building. Thank you for walking alongside us, encouraging our learners, and helping them dream big.

Session 2: Year 8, WeeK 8 In Review