How Our Learners Are Growing in Mind, Heart, and Purpose

spark studio

It Just Takes a Spark to Start a Fire

Oh, the weather outside may be frightful, but the “fire” inside our Studio is truly delightful! While there may not have been any snow, the brisk chill this week couldn’t cool our spirits because “It just takes a Spark to start a fire!”

This week, our learners took a big step forward with the Contract Signing at Camp Southern Ground, and what an amazing experience it was! During reflection time, learners eagerly shared their thoughts and discoveries. Returning to the Studio, we brought with us a fresh outlook on what our Contract of Promises truly means — the importance of following through, staying true to our word, and practicing what we preach.

As we continue earning our coins for Character Development, we’re now adding coins for each time we put our promises into practice. Do we get it right every time? Maybe not — but we persevere, give our best effort, and grow stronger together.

We are filled with gratitude for this journey and for the volunteers who help make it possible. Thank you for creating a safe, supportive space where we can continue our mission of “Learning to Be.”

Now, we’re ready for our next great adventure — “Learning to Live Together.”

We’re kicking off our series with a special Friendsgiving celebration just for our learners on Thursday, November 18th, from 11:30–12:30. This gathering gives us a wonderful opportunity to practice grace and courtesy while enjoying quality time together as one united Studio.

To make this event a success, we’re seeking volunteers to lend a hand. Our learners have thoughtfully planned a menu and will be preparing some of the dishes themselves — but we could use extra help to bring everything together. If you’re willing and able to contribute a special dish, drink, or treat, we’d be so grateful!

Please sign up here to let us know what you’d like to share. Items can be dropped off the morning of the event. Thank you in advance for your generosity and support — we can’t wait to celebrate each other!

Last but not least, we are thrilled to announce the launch of our Spark Family Heritage Series!

Each family will have the opportunity to join us in the Spark Studio to share your unique story — who you are and where you come from. Together, we’ll celebrate our roots, build empathy, and strengthen the bonds that unite us as a whole.

From now until the end of 2025, we invite you to help us build the next great pillar that The Forest School proudly stands upon: Learning to Live Together. What does it truly take to “Learn to Live Together”? We’d love to explore that question with you.

Join us on this journey — and let’s get this adventure started! Together, we’ll discover more about one another, grow in understanding, and strengthen our community as we learn how to grow up in it.

At the end of this journey, we’ll all come together to celebrate and share what we’ve learned — about ourselves, each other, and what it really means to live and learn side by side.

Let’s keep the fire of curiosity, compassion, and connection burning bright no matter how cold it gets outside. After all — “the cold never bothered us anyway.”

lower elementary studio

Our learners have been busy discovering new ideas, expressing their creativity, and making meaningful connections between art, language, and innovation. Here’s a look at what we accomplished this week:

A Visit from Mrs. Ivana – The Power of Language
We were thrilled to welcome Mrs. Ivana, who joined us to share her passion for languages and teach about the benefits of learning a second language. Our learners explored how being bilingual can strengthen memory, problem-solving, and cultural understanding. Her stories and activities encouraged everyone to see language learning as a bridge to new perspectives and opportunities.

This week, our learners also participated in a meaningful contract-signing activity. Together, we discussed expectations, respect, and accountability — and then each learner signed their learning contract as a symbol of commitment to their growth and participation in our Studio community.

Our exploration of Leonardo da Vinci led to fascinating discussions about how art and engineering come together to express ideas tangibly and clearly. Learners discovered how da Vinci used creativity and design to bring his ideas to life, and we reflected on how innovation often grows from curiosity and imagination — just like our own projects in the Studio!

To wrap up the week, learners finalized their logos for our bath and body product line! It was wonderful to see their creativity, design thinking, and attention to detail. Each logo showcases their unique ideas and the thoughtful connections they’re making between art, entrepreneurship, and presentation.

upper elementary studio

This week marked an exciting step forward as we began preparations for Exhibition! Quest groups are now hard at work designing presentations for Forest that explain why learners aren’t drinking enough water and offer creative filtration solutions to inspire change. Each group assigned roles and began practicing their parent activities so they’ll be ready to share their work next Tuesday.

Of course, one of the biggest highlights of the week was our contract-signing ceremony at Camp Southern Ground. Despite below-freezing temperatures that morning, every Upper Elementary hero showed up with courage and enthusiasm. We played games, hiked together, and walked in silence toward the final signing — a powerful and reflective moment marking each learner’s renewed commitment to their growth journey.

In Civilization, we explored the spread of the Islamic Empires and their many contributions to science, medicine, music, and architecture. We also discussed the similarities between Arabic and Aramaic, sparking curiosity about how languages influence one another.

In Story Arts, heroes continued developing their comics, shaping storylines around leadership and courage. Meanwhile, our growing number of fantasy novelists has sparked conversations about forming an Upper Writing Group, where learners can share drafts and give one another feedback — just like professional authors do!

It was a week full of creativity, courage, and preparation for sharing meaningful work with others. Next week, we can’t wait to see everything come together for Exhibition!

middle school studio

This Week in the Middle School Studio: Iteration, Inquiry & Community

This week blended hands-on science, thoughtful iteration, historical analysis, and meaningful community-building. Heroes pushed their work forward in Quest and Story Arts, deepened their understanding of political rights in Civilization, and invested time in strengthening Studio culture.

Quest: Chemistry Meets Entrepreneurship
In addition to completing their third round of product, marketing, and financial iterations, heroes conducted another official chemistry lab to inform their product development.

This lab focused on how essential oils are affected by heat and airflow — a critical factor as heroes finalize formulas for the Children’s Business Fair. They tested volatility, scent strength at different distances, and visual changes in their samples. Each hero wrote an individual lab report analyzing:

How temperature and airflow changed scent intensity
What this means for product shelf life
Whether products need special storage or safety instructions
What warnings or directions should be included on final labels

This scientific work directly supports real-world decision-making as heroes prepare packaging, pricing, and labeling for their Exhibition next Wednesday at 4:15 p.m.

Alongside the lab, heroes:

Completed third prototypes
Polished third unit economics sheets and financial plans
Refined logos and labels
Received targeted feedback to prepare for Exhibition

Their confidence and craftsmanship grow with every iteration.

Story Arts: Expert Logo Feedback
Our Art Guide, Amanda, held focused critique sessions with each individual or team. She offered rich, specific feedback on clarity, composition, story, and market appeal. After reviewing all submissions, she selected two winning logos, which will be highlighted during Exhibition. Heroes left with upgraded designs and a better understanding of visual communication.

Civilization: Rights, Power & the Magna Carta
This week’s Civilization challenge centered on the Magna Carta (1215) — one of the earliest documents to limit a ruler’s power and guarantee rights. Using annotated sources and contextual readings, heroes analyzed:

Rights granted to the barons
Why some rights seemed oddly specific
What incentives pushed King John to sign

This challenge helped heroes connect historical power struggles to ideas of justice and governance that still shape society today.

Studio Culture: Kindness, Accountability & Clearing the Air
We held an all-Studio Circle focused on what true kindness looks like in our community. Heroes reflected on:

Taking ownership for both intention and outcome
What makes a sincere apology
How to repair harm
How our words shape the environment we create together

We also opened the floor for heroes to work through real conflicts and misunderstandings. The conversation was honest, insightful, and productive — giving heroes the chance to clear the air and reset expectations as a community.

Contracts & AI Guardrails
Heroes finalized and signed this year’s Studio Contract after more than ten drafts, demonstrating real ownership of their shared commitments. We also finalized and posted AI guardrails, clarifying how AI supports learning without replacing deep thinking or creativity.

high school studio

A Week of Global Perspectives, Growth, and Grit

This week in the Studio was nothing short of powerful — a blend of global understanding, emotional intelligence, and focused academic momentum.

A Civilization Finale That Moved Us All
We concluded our Civilization theme with an unforgettable panel of guest speakers whose stories expanded our worldview in incredible ways.

One speaker shared firsthand experiences from living in Dubai, highlighting cultural contrasts and daily life in a rapidly developing global hub.

Another speaker, with deep Hong Kong heritage, offered a meaningful perspective on identity, tradition, and the city’s political history.

And a third speaker, a Jewish community member with family roots in Israel, helped our heroes explore history, conflict, and culture through a deeply personal lens.

It was an explosive learning experience — one that brought history to life, built empathy, and sparked powerful discussions. Our heroes walked away with a richer understanding of the world and the people in it.

Contract Signing at Fun Spot
Midweek, we took our contract-signing ceremony to Fun Spot, and let’s just say… it really lived up to the name!

But underneath the rides and laughter was serious work.
Our heroes collaboratively built this year’s contract with a focus on:

Emotional Intelligence
Collaboration
Ethical Leadership
Accountability

They debated, drafted, discussed, and finally signed — publicly committing to the kind of culture and character they want to build together this session.

A fun environment, yes, but also an unforgettable setting for such an important moment.

Core Skills: A Return to Academic Rhythm
The rest of the week was intentionally structured to give heroes a deep reset in Core Skills.

After weeks of intense Haunted House preparation — which demanded creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving — we carved out long, focused blocks for heroes to dive back into:

Reading & Writing
Khan
Math practice
Research
Independent work

It was refreshing to watch learners settle back into academic flow, pacing themselves, setting goals, and rebuilding momentum.

A Week That Balanced Heart, Mind, and Purpose
From global stories to personal commitments to academic discipline, this week carried a beautiful balance of what learning at The Forest School is all about.

We can’t wait to see how heroes carry these lessons into next week and beyond.

Session 3: Year 8, WeeK 13 In Review