Session 3: Year 6, Week 13 In Review
Shining Lights and Collaborative Heights
Check out this week’s updates…
spark studio
This Little Light of Mine, I’m gonna let it shine! We found a beautiful version of this song by Odetta. Listening to her version made us curious to learn more about her. She was an American folk singer who was noted especially for her versions of spirituals and who became, for many, the voice of the civil rights movement of the early 1960s. Take a listen and feel the power and think about how your light shines.
Language has been full of life this week. We began with a fun song about blends that turned into us creating blends with each other by using the first letter of our names and finding a partner to make a blend. Next thing you know we began making cvc words with partners. You’ll never believe who showed up…the silent “e”. It was so much fun collaborating together.
As we continue on our language journey we will include show and share days for each hero. Please bring in something that starts with the letter assigned to your hero’s day. I wonder how creative we can get. What will you bring and how will you share it?
Tuesday - The sound is “b”:
Hana, Benjamin, Ian, Ronnie, Grace, Evie, Cash, Wali, Sierra, Liam Wallace, Hannah, Xander, Ms. Maria
Wednesday - The sound is “e”
Wilder, Sloane, Siro, Khalil, Auggie, Safi, Rowan, Liam James, Carter, Ted, Amani, Elliott, Ms. Denise
Can you believe the end of Session 3 is here? We will spend the final week baking and giving thanks. We will be collecting non-perishable items from now until the end of 2023 as our giving project. We will have a collection box located by the affirmation board.
Lower elementary studio
This week marked the launch of our very first Practicals for our Elementary and Middle School learners. The energy was contagious as High School experts shared how they show mastery in their own practicals. Elementary learners delved into Forest Basics I and II, answering questions from their older peers about Check-Ins, Launches, Studio Maintenance, Journey Tracker, Hero's Journey, and Contract of Promises. This week marked an awesome opportunity for heroes to build new relationships with heroes from different studios. Each morning we gathered as a whole school to mingle, learn about each other, and make new friendships. If you didn't get a chance to see our Facebook live events this session, hopefully, you'll have a chance to go back and view them. We wrapped our inaugural Practical Week with a whole-school celebration for all the hard work all of our learners did. You can look for the practical feedback to come out next week.
Don't forget, before we head off for Thanksgiving break that our Elementary heroes will share all they've learned about space at Exhibition next Wednesday. The Forest is buzzing with curiosity and learning – a perfect end to an adventure-filled Session!
upper elementary studio
We hope this message finds you well and ready to dive into the exciting events that unfolded at our beloved school this week. The halls were buzzing with enthusiasm as Practical sessions kicked off on Tuesday, providing our learners with a hands-on experience that took the studio learning to a whole new level. The studio transformed into a lab of exploration and discovery. The learners engaged in demonstrations and collaborative activities that complemented their knowledge. Guides and High School students were thrilled to witness the application of concepts in real-life scenarios. What made this week truly special was the presence of high school students who joined as observers. Their valuable insights and perspectives added an extra layer of depth to the learning experience. The exchange of ideas between different age groups fostered a rich learning environment, encouraging our learners to think critically and broaden their horizons.
The Environmental Club took a trip to Fortson 4-H center in Hampton. While there they explored pond ecology, where they sampled and identified freshwater fish, amphibians, and macroinvertebrates. They also tested their archery skill, took a sensory night hike, and ended the evening with campfire fun and s'mores. A huge thank you to all the parent volunteers!
middle school studio
This week most of our attention and time was given to our first-ever Practicals! The High School heroes took a huge role as game makers, coaches, and evaluators. The theme of the week was collaboration, and all the challenges and learning experiences were designed for heroes to display and develop more self-awareness around the way they show up in collaboration.
On Tuesday, heroes experienced orientation to Practicals and then had time to begin preparing an evidence slideshow about collaboration in their own life with High school heroes available as coaches. All in all, they had around three hours to prepare evidence by the end of the week.
On Wednesday, the High School heroes put together a hands-on Maker challenge in which heroes had a time limit, a few materials, and a goal of making a boat that floats. High School heroes observed how they collaborated in groups to get an idea of what their collaboration looked like in action. It was messy and the Middle School heroes were highly engaged. Middle School continued preparing evidence that day.
On Thursday, High School heroes reviewed the evidence slideshows and asked questions of each individual Middle School hero in small groups. Many of them offered live feedback as well. As Guides, we were quite impressed with the high quality feedback that the High School heroes were providing.
Friday was about soliciting more feedback and developing reflection over the process of Practicals this week. High School heroes worked hard to summarize written feedback for every Middle School hero they observed in their small groups. Middle School also had the chance to give feedback to High School on their presence and effect this week. 56% of surveyed Middle School heroes responded that they were in the Challenge Zone this week and we saw that! Next week, heroes will have the chance to review the fully written feedback and make more reflections on their personal growth.
In addition to this vibrant week of learning, we kicked off our Middle School newscast with the help of our amazing parent liaison! Please check out our parent facebook page (see the weekly email) to watch your heroes updating you on the latest in the Middle School in a video newscast format. So fun!
We continued on with Apprenticeship time, walking through the challenges that set up heroes for a fantastic week of Apprenticeships next week. In addition, we continued our Story Arts theme of storytelling through weather reports. Heroes read scientific articles and created headlines and leads for different audiences. The main source of inspiration and content for this session’s Story Arts challenge comes from the Story Arts Collective in cooperation with Brandon Miller of CNN. We enjoyed hearing the heroes adapt their language for different audiences and expand their vocabulary and storytelling abilities in the field of science.
In Civilization, heroes worked into groups to research and discuss Westward expansion and hosted a live “game show” quizzing one another and displaying their learning. Heroes enjoyed hosting and competing with one another in this active learning environment. We also took dedicated time this week to explain and check for understanding on the Servant Leader badge. We saw more heroes step up and begin facilitating Socratic launches in our Studio and we cannot wait to see more!
Next week as we wrap up Session Three, heroes will be given the opportunity for more Badge approval time, Apprenticeship work, do some self-directed Story Arts and Civilization challenges, and reflect on the session as a whole. With Haunted House and the first week of Practicals in the Middle School under our belt, we have loads to be proud of this year.
high school studio
This week in the High School, it's not just about academics and sports—it's about community and mentorship. The High School heroes have taken on an inspiring role as they introduced practical learning sessions for the Middle and Elementary heroes. These sessions aim to foster practical skills and ignite a passion for learning in the younger students, setting them on a path to success. The High School heroes have dedicated their time and expertise to design and facilitate Practicals that are engaging and educational. From experiments to workshops, they've been guiding their younger counterparts through hands-on activities, allowing them to explore their interests and talents.
Remember that this is the Apprenticeships Session! Next week heroes will continue their apprenticeships! Balancing school, work, and extracurricular is a stepping stone to becoming responsible, well-rounded individuals. One step at a time!
On top of all this, we can't forget the excitement building around the first basketball game of the 2023-2024 school year. Our heroes are ready to showcase their teamwork, dedication, and sportsmanship. The game promises to be a thrilling event, uniting our school community in support of our talented athletes.
Stay tuned for more updates on our heroes' journey!