Session 2: Year 7, WeeK 7 In Review
Debates, Creativity, and Community Building
Check out this week’s updates…
spark studio
The Little Learners’ League
In a vibrant town called Knowledgeville, learners aged three to seven gathered each day at a special place called The Forest School. Here, learning was an adventure filled with laughter, discovery, and plenty of imagination.
One sunny morning, Ms. D, their enthusiastic guide, announced a new challenge: “Today, we’re going to explore the world and discover how we can make it better!” The learners’ eyes sparkled with excitement as they hopped off their colorful cushions and formed a circle around her.
“First up,” Ms. D continued, “we’ll learn about our wonderful planet. Who can tell me what makes the Earth special?” Little Mecca, with her big glasses slipping down her nose, shouted, “It’s our home! And it has mountains, oceans, and trees!”
“That’s right, Mecca!” cheered Ms. D. “Now let’s create a big map together.” They gathered crayons and paper, each child contributing a piece to their dream world. Liam James drew a park with swings that touched the clouds, while Sloane illustrated a giant rainbow waterfall. Soon, the Studio walls were alive with color and creativity.
After a lively geography session, it was time for math. “Who wants to help me bake some cookies?” asked Ms. M, holding up a mixing bowl. The learners squealed with delight. “We’ll use math to measure our ingredients!” They lined up, each taking turns to pour and count—two cups of flour, one cup of sugar, and a sprinkle of magic.
As the cookies baked, Amani led a science experiment. “Let’s make our own volcano!” The learners mixed peroxide, dish soap, and yeast, watching in awe as their creation erupted in bubbly colors. “This is just like how mountains form!” exclaimed Leo, his eyes wide with wonder.
With each challenge, the learners grew bolder, their imaginations expanding. They began to dream of their futures—what they would become when they grew up. “I want to be the President!” declared Siro, puffing out his chest. “I’ll make sure everyone has books to read!” His friends cheered, inspired by the idea.
“I want to be a campaign manager!” said Claira, her pigtails bouncing as she jumped up. “I’ll help our team share all our ideas!”
As the school year passed, the learners worked together, supporting each other’s dreams. They formed the Little Learners’ League, where every meeting sparked new ideas. They practiced public speaking, organized debates, and even wrote letters to their town’s leaders about changes they wanted to see.
One day, years later, the children grew up, and their dreams became reality. Mecca became an environmental scientist, Ezra a famous chef, and Leo a world-renowned geographer. Auggie and Hannah stood on a stage, ready to give their campaign speeches. “Together, we learned to dream big!” Auggie announced, his heart racing with excitement.
As the crowd erupted in cheers, they realized it wasn’t just their own futures they had built; they had crafted a better world for everyone, one filled with knowledge, kindness, and cooperation.
Thus, the Little Learners’ League, the bright stars of The Forest School, took their place as leaders, proving that even the smallest dreamers can change the world.
lower elementary studio
In the Lower Elementary Studio, we are diving deep into our “Making of a Politician” Quest, learning what it means to take a stand for what we care about and how to share that with others. We are exploring the differences between a discussion, a disagreement, a debate/argument, and a fight. It’s fascinating to unpack these, and our learners are becoming quite adept at telling the difference between them!
As we grow and learn, we are also discussing and applying the first two of our seven habits: Be proactive and Begin with the end in mind. To support this, we encourage all of our learners to take these self-directed strengths and skills and put them into practice at home as well.
May we suggest that each learner helps with—or is in charge of—packing their own water, lunches, and snacks? If you have other tangible ways your learner is using these self-directed skills and strengths at home, we would love to hear about it! Please feel free to share any pictures or stories that we can shout out and celebrate as a Studio!
upper elementary studio
This week in Upper Elementary, our learners have been delving deeply into political issues that are important to them. They have learned how the U.S. government works and how policies help bring about change. The policies they chose to focus on include taxes, crime, inflation, national debt, racial inequality, and border security. Be sure to take a moment to talk with your learner about their understanding of these issues and why they chose them.
In Civilizations, they are stepping into the rustic shoes of early humans as they transition from being hunter-gatherers to living in permanent agrarian settlements. Be sure to ask them about their roles as ancient farmers domesticating crops and animals!
Also, if you haven't already, please be sure to fill out the Jekyll Island field study survey here. We will soon be releasing details for an information meeting. If you have any specific questions in the meantime, feel free to reach out to Gage and Amber.
middle school studio
This week at our Studio, we witnessed incredible growth and creativity in our heroes as they engaged in a variety of hands-on experiences and activities that challenged their thinking, creativity, and collaboration.
In our "Making of a Politician" Quest, aspiring candidates had the opportunity to showcase their leadership skills by delivering 30-second speeches. Each candidate was then interviewed by a “reporter” and received valuable feedback on their delivery, performance, and platform. This exercise provided a glimpse into the pressure and excitement of public speaking while honing their ability to communicate with purpose.
On the creative front, our Art session this week marked the beginning stages of an exciting project—sketching ideas for our very own children’s books. This is a chance for each hero to express themselves both visually and through storytelling, and we can't wait to see these books come to life!
In Civilization, we stepped back in time and researched the beginnings of agriculture during the Prehistoric era. This exploration helped us understand the monumental shift from hunting and gathering to farming, and how this transition shaped the development of civilizations as we know them.
We also held a Town Hall meeting where the entire Studio came together to discuss important topics and decisions about our learning environment. These meetings are essential for helping heroes practice leadership, listen to their peers, and make collective decisions that impact our community.
Tricia Boschert introduced a new opportunity for our heroes this week: a book club focused on The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens. Signing up for this book club allows heroes to earn not only a Deep Book Badge but also a Servant Leader Badge. It’s a chance to explore practical, life-changing habits while working towards meaningful badges that recognize personal growth and leadership.
Looking ahead, we’re excited to announce an "Offline Day" on September 24th from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM. We’ll be completely off screens. This day is designed to help us reconnect with each other and ourselves, learn to be present, and engage in non-digital forms of learning, team-building, play, and collaboration.
Lastly, a quick reminder that our Exhibition is coming up on October 9th! Our heroes have been hard at work preparing for this event, where they’ll have the chance to showcase their candidacies, learning journeys, and more. Mark your calendars, as this is an event you won’t want to miss!
It’s been an action-packed week, and we’re proud of the growth and dedication our heroes continue to show. Stay tuned for more exciting updates as we move forward in our learning journey!
high school studio
What a week it has been! Though it was an exciting and fulfilling few days, it was also a bit exhausting with our packed schedule and numerous activities. Each day seemed to fly by with so much happening in every corner of our Studios.
In Quest, we dove deep into the world of debate. The heroes spent significant time researching various debate styles and techniques, really honing in on what makes a strong argument. Then came the real challenge—putting those techniques into practice. The debates touched on some pretty heavy topics, but I have to commend our heroes; they handled each discussion with grace, respect, and maturity. It’s impressive to see their growth as they tackle difficult subjects and navigate complex conversations with such thoughtfulness.
Over in Story Arts, we took a forward-thinking approach by "starting with the end in mind." This week, the focus was on writing, critiquing, and presenting acceptance speeches for prestigious film awards. The creativity and passion the heroes poured into their speeches were both inspiring and fun to witness. It gave us all a little wink-wink glimpse into the future as they imagined themselves winning big!
On a logistical note, per the Studio's request, we dedicated a whole day to Core Skills this week. Many heroes completed their check-ins, which gave them a clearer vision of how they plan to achieve their goals. These goals were then shared during running partner times on both Monday and Wednesday, allowing everyone to reflect and receive valuable feedback from their peers.
Finally, I’m happy to report that we’ve been doing an excellent job maintaining consistency with our reflections during shout-out time. The habit of pausing to recognize each other’s achievements and growth has really fostered a strong sense of community among our heroes.
All in all, it was a busy but productive week, and we're proud of the progress being made. Have a wonderful and restful weekend!