Sharpening Debate Skills: Critical Thinking in Action

Check out this week’s updates…

spark studio

The Future Presidents: Election Day Fun

Imagine a world where our youngest heroes form their own presidential teams, gearing up for an exciting classroom election. Well, that's exactly what’s happening! In this activity, heroes are stepping into the roles of Presidential Nominee, Vice President, Campaign Manager, and Secret Service. The energy is high as each team works together to prepare speeches, design posters, and tackle fun challenges in their Quest for votes. Let’s dive into what makes this election-themed activity such a fun and educational experience for these little leaders in the making.

Meet the Team: Roles & Responsibilities
Each team has four key roles:

The Presidential Nominee: The leader of the team, responsible for giving the most important speech. This child practices their public speaking skills and shares what they stand for, like “More playtime!” or “Ice cream Fridays!”
The Vice President: The supportive second-in-command, who helps the nominee, gives speeches, and takes over when the Presidential candidate needs a break. Teamwork is key here!
Campaign Managers: The creative masterminds! These children help come up with the team’s slogan, design posters, and plan out how they’ll win over the other learners. They’re also in charge of organizing the campaign, making sure everything is ready.
Secret Service: These little agents have a fun role in protecting the Presidential nominee. With sunglasses and serious faces, they ensure the “safety” of their candidate, making this role as entertaining as it is important.

Upcoming Event: Spark Field Trip
Date: October 25, 2024
We’re excited about the upcoming Spark field trip to Southernbell Farm and need at least 8 parent volunteers to chaperone!
Important Details:

The cost for parent volunteers will be the same as for the children.
Please make sure to pay for yourself as a volunteer when you pay for your child’s trip.
Please sign up here
Make your Payment here

If you have any questions or concerns at anytime during the year please email spark@theforest.school and cc amber@theforest.school.
Thank you for your love and support!

lower elementary studio

Keep a lookout for updates on our upcoming field trip in November!! We hope to see you there!!

upper elementary studio

This week, our Upper Elementary learners have been hard at work practicing their debate skills in preparation for their upcoming exhibition. They’ve been exploring all sides of the key issues they selected, including crime, taxes, inflation, and national debt. It’s been amazing to see them dive into these topics and get ready to share their views. We’re excited to hear their debates soon!

For those who missed the parent meeting about the upcoming Jekyll Island Field Study, don’t worry! A recording of the meeting will be sent out via email. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Amber or Gage—we’re happy to help!

As a quick reminder, conferences are coming up in October. In the meantime, it’s a great opportunity to check in with your learner about their progress and goals.

With the harsh weather expected this weekend, we hope everyone stays safe and cozy. Have a wonderful weekend!

middle school studio

This past week has been filled with engaging, hands-on activities that sparked curiosity, creativity, and collaboration among our learners!

First, we hosted small group mock debates, giving learners the chance to sharpen their debating skills in preparation for our upcoming Exhibition. The debate was a valuable learning experience for everyone involved as they practiced presenting arguments, countering opposing points, and using persuasive language.

In Civ, learners played a group game on artificial selection. They drew a place, a crop, and an animal and had to roll with the punches as natural disasters "hit" their crops, animals, and land. Competition and energy coursed through the room as they unpacked this prehistoric phase of civilization.

We also hosted an "offline day," which was a refreshing break from screens and technology. We dubbed it “Reconnect Cafe.” Instead of using our usual digital tools, learners spent the day immersed in a variety of hands-on activities. We experienced a book "tasting," where learners had the opportunity to explore and rate different books and genres they might not typically reach for. This gave them a chance to step outside their comfort zones and dive into new literary adventures. As a reward for completing the book "tasting" challenge, learners were treated to hot chocolate—a cozy and delicious incentive to keep the reading spirit alive.

Throughout the day, learners also enjoyed playing board games and tapping into their creative sides by illustrating for their children’s books. Offline day was a hit, with learners fully embracing the activities, connecting with their peers, and engaging in new ways of learning. It reminded us all of the value of stepping away from screens and focusing on more tactile, interpersonal experiences.

Lastly, we were thrilled to welcome an expert from Cartoon Network to help guide our learners as they embark on the process of illustrating their children’s books. This was an extraordinary opportunity for learners to gain insight into the world of professional illustration and to understand how they can visually bring their stories to life. Our guest from Cartoon Network shared invaluable tips and inspiration, giving learners a glimpse into the creative process of animators and illustrators. It was an inspiring session that has already sparked a lot of excitement for the final illustrations that will accompany their children’s books.

Overall, this week was a beautiful blend of collaboration, creativity, and real-world learning. We're incredibly proud of our learners and the growth they're showing, whether it's through debate, offline activities, or diving into their artistic talents. We can't wait to see what they’ll accomplish next!

high school studio

What an eventful week it's been at The Forest School! As always, our heroes are making great strides in their learning, and the energy has been inspiring. Here’s a peek into what we’ve been up to:

In Quest, we dove even deeper into the art of debate. Heroes sharpened their debate techniques, learning how to form strong arguments and counterpoints. It was fascinating to see their critical thinking skills in action! Alongside this, the heroes brainstormed some truly exciting ideas for our upcoming exhibition. You can feel the excitement building, and we can't wait to see where their creativity takes them.

Over in Story Arts, we embraced the cozy Fall weather. With the rain setting the perfect mood, we gathered to watch some short films. Not only did this give us a break from the usual routine, but it also provided tons of inspiration for our own films, which are coming soon. The discussions afterward were buzzing with ideas, and everyone left with fresh motivation for their projects.

Unfortunately, we had to miss out on Civ this week due to Friday’s school cancellation. While it was disappointing, we’re looking forward to jumping back into it next week with renewed focus. On a more practical note, this week was packed with check-ins for many of our heroes. They’ve been working hard to knock out practicals, and their dedication is paying off in a big way. It’s always a joy to witness their growth and see them take charge of their learning goals.

One of the major highlights of the week was our very first math exam! We’re thrilled to report some fantastic results. The hard work and perseverance are really shining through, and we couldn’t be prouder of the effort everyone put into preparing.

As we wrap up the week, we want to send a huge congratulations to all our heroes for their dedication and achievements. Enjoy your well-deserved rest, stay safe, and have a wonderful weekend!

Session 2: Year 7, WeeK 8 In Review