diving into core skills and team building

Check out this week’s updates…

spark studio

Welcome to this week’s update, where we focus on values, gardening, and cosmic wonder.

The Forest 15 Honor Code
Our community thrives on integrity, guided by The Forest 15 Honor Code. This week, we focused on upholding principles of honesty, respect, and responsibility. Reflecting on these values, let’s support each other in practicing them, both verbally and actions.
Fall Gardening
Autumn is a perfect time to prepare our garden for the future. By planting cover crops, mulching, and composting, we enrich the soil for a vibrant spring. Embrace this season as a chance to rejuvenate and improve our green space.
Learner Challenge: Finding Worms
Participate in our challenge to find and observe earthworms in your garden. These vital creatures enhance soil health, and learning about them helps us understand their role in our ecosystem. Share your findings with us.
Practicing Core Skills
Focusing on core skills is crucial for mastery and success. Consistent practice builds a strong foundation, leading to greater confidence and competence. By refining these skills, we prepare ourselves to tackle more complex challenges and reach our full potential.
Cosmic Perspective
The birth of the universe invites curiosity with several intriguing theories. The Big Bang theory suggests the universe began as a tiny, hot dot and expanded. The Steady State theory proposes new matter is continuously created, keeping the universe constant. The Oscillating Universe theory suggests cycles of expansion and contraction. The Multiverse theory posits that our universe is one of many, each with its own big bang. These theories offer diverse perspectives on the origins of everything around us.
Let’s weave these themes into our week, fostering growth, connection, and a sense of cosmic wonder.

Weekly clues: 1. Respect, 2. Theory, and 3. If you were to draw your family tree how many apples would be hanging on your tree?

lower elementary studio

This week was full of putting into practice all of the signs and systems that help our Studio run smoothly.

We practiced setting amazing, achievable goals, working together in teams, and leading ourselves with integrity. We explored so many topics and even got to grow our own bacteria in petri dishes and observe it throughout the week. We also learned about the basic material and spiritual needs of all human civilizations.

The most exciting development of our Studio was electing our first council for Session 1! Please help us congratulate our newest Studio Council members: Halle, Conoly, Heather, Cash, and Wali!

upper elementary studio

This week, our Upper Elementary learners have been hard at work delving into the mysteries of cellular life on Upper Island as part of their ongoing Cell Safari Quest.

Our young scientists took a hands-on approach by extracting DNA, getting a close-up look at the very building blocks of life. Through this, they’ve gained a deeper understanding of how life can thrive in even the most extreme environments—knowledge that will serve them well as they continue their scientific explorations.

In addition to our cellular studies, we've been busy preparing for our upcoming exhibition. A key focus has been on solidifying our studio systems and honing our skills in self-direction. This preparation ensures that our learners are not only knowledgeable but also capable of taking the lead in their own learning journey. As part of this process, the learners have revisited our Studio contract—a set of rules and agreements they created themselves. This contract is more than just guidelines; it’s a framework that helps us hold each other accountable and ensures our Studio runs smoothly.

Be sure to ask your learner about the Studio contract and how these rules contribute to a collaborative and productive learning environment.

middle school studio

This week in the Middle School Studio was packed with creativity, collaboration, and a healthy dose of competition. Our learners dived into a range of activities that showcased their skills, teamwork, and leadership.

We kicked off the week with our DIY video projects, where heroes had the chance to become creators and directors. Each learner worked on a unique project, combining their passions with their creative vision. The Studio buzzed with energy as students recorded their ideas, from crafting tutorials to tech hacks. These projects allowed them to explore new skills and express themselves in ways that extended beyond the traditional classroom.

Next, we brainstormed and formed our Dream Teams for the year. These teams are central to our Studio's culture, providing a support system and a collaborative space where learners can push each other towards excellence. Once teams were formed, students crafted formal emails to invite their Dream Teams to our upcoming Exhibition, where they'll have the opportunity to showcase their goals for the year. To bring their team visions to life, heroes created Dream Team Boards during Art. These boards are visual representations of their goals, values, and the people that support them for the year. They serve as a constant reminder of what they aim to achieve together, both in and out of the Studio.

Leadership is a core value in our Studio, and this week, students elected their Session 1 council. The election process was a great learning experience, with candidates campaigning, sharing their vision, and rallying support from their peers. The newly elected council members are excited to take on their roles, ready to lead their peers through the first session with responsibility and enthusiasm. They are hard at work already making Studio improvements based on the feedback from a Studio survey.With leadership and teamwork in place, it was time for heroes to focus on their individual goals by building their Badge Plans on Journey Tracker. These plans help learners set clear objectives for the skills they want to develop and the milestones they hope to reach. Whether they're working towards a new Badge in Art, Servant Leader or Deep Books, heroes are now equipped with a roadmap to guide their learning journey.

Also this week, we launched our Olympic competition—a fun and spirited event that encourages friendly rivalry and team spirit. Heroes competed by submitting Quest, Civ, and Story Arts challenges, earning Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals along the way. The competition not only brought out the best in each participant but also reinforced the importance of perseverance and progress.

This week was a testament to the incredible potential within our Middle School Studio. From creative expression in DIY projects to the strategic planning of Badge Plans, and the collaborative spirit of Dream Teams, our learners are off to a fantastic start. We can't wait to see how they continue to grow, learn, and lead in the weeks to come!

high school studio

This week was packed with learning and excitement. In Quest, we explored effective communication and the intense emotions of adulthood.

To illustrate emotional swings, we pranked the heroes by telling them graduation requirements had changed—what a rollercoaster! We also began brainstorming for our upcoming short film and dove deeper into genetics, learning all about chromosomes. We ended the week by revisiting our Studio contract and setting goals for next week.

In addition to all the learning and creative activities, we also took some time to reflect on personal growth and development during our daily shout out. Each hero had the opportunity to share their thoughts on how the week's experiences impacted them, fostering a deeper sense of community and support within the group. The energy in the Studio is high, and there's a strong sense of anticipation for the challenges and achievements that lie ahead. It's clear that everyone is committed to making the most of this journey, and we're excited to see how each hero will continue to grow and shine.

A great week overall—hard to believe we're already halfway through the session!

Session 1: Year 7, WeeK 2 In Review