Flipping the script: Year 5 - Week 16 In Review

 

who we are

To make it much easier to work at school than at home, we’re flipping the script! Check out this week’s updates below…


spark studio

What an exciting time it’s been here in the Spark studio learning “Who We Are.” We’ve been traveling around the world, learning new words, tasting foods, dancing, and, most of all, learning to live together in harmony. We are grateful and thankful.

We are also working on giving to others. In this effort, we are creating cards and collecting non-perishable food items to donate to a local center in need. We will collect items through the remainder of the session. Thank you in advance for helping us as we give to others.

We have been invited to sing at the Studio Community Fellowship, aka The Construction Meeting, on December 14th at Hana Brothers. It’s a fun event, and the children are received with great joy. Please have your learner to school by 8:30.

Exhibition day happens to fall on pajama day! How fun it will be to gather together in our pajamas (friends & family included). Later that day, we will celebrate with a book exchange. Each learner should bring a wrapped book, and we will play a fun game to gift the books to one another.

Challenge: Make a dish, with your learner, from your heritage to share at Exhibition. It will be potluck style.


elementary studio

“Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” – Michael Jordan

This session, Upper Elementary heroes have been “Flipping the Script” and making their studios the place to be to get into FLOW and learn deeply. This is a school-wide flip, and heroes are feeling the push. Some of our learners are embracing the changes, while others are seeing them as an obstacle and challenges for them. What a great struggle to have!

Heroes are creating new studio standards, going in and revising after they have tested them out, and analyzing the difference in work accomplished before and after “Flipping the Script.” This has been a way for heroes to think about what they do when they face an obstacle and how to keep moving forward. It's been amazing to see the changes that have taken place. Be sure to ask your hero their takeaways.

Overall Elementary heroes have used their geography skills to create their own countries, thinking through resources, landforms, and culture depending on where they chose to place their country. We’ve finally sent our newspapers to print. As heroes edited their final articles, they got a chance to have some fun and create comic strips. We can’t wait to share them with you.

Finally, Quest is all about Dream Teams, and we need you! You should have received an email from your learner asking you to become a member. Heroes will be filling you in on their current progress, hopes for the future, and how you can help them on their journey. We are overcoming obstacles and building ways to push through when the road ahead is blocked.


middle school studio

This week has been such an eye-opener for the learners and gives a huge step back to the Guides. As a school, we need to ‘’ Flip the Script.” Flip the Script means letting learners get more work done at school versus at home. Previously, learners were getting distracted in the Studio and having a hard time getting their work done. The culture of the school and Studio needs to change for the better so learners can get in the flow of their learning.

Tyler has been very hands-on with the Studio by asking them what motivates them to be on track, holding up a mirror to show them what percentage of the class should be behind, ahead, and on track versus what actually is happening in the studio. Due to that, he had learners elect a Council to keep everything intact by giving out rewards and consequences to heroes. In order to be voted on the council, each person had to write an anonymous speech on why they wanted to be council and what they will change.

With Exhibition around the corner, heroes participated in their first New Haven this week. In this, learners practiced for the Spelling Bee. There is a huge Buzzzzz around this Exhibition. During the New Haven, heroes practiced their spelling words as if they were in the real Spelling Bee. However, the last run on Monday will determine the Top 10 finalists that will be in the Spelling Bee on Exhibition, Wednesday, Dec 14, 2022, at 3:45 pm.

Throughout the week, learners have had time to read their Deep Book (Deep Book 2), which is due today, Friday, Dec 9, 2022. There is a hand full of learners who completed their apprenticeships this session! Huge congrats to those individuals! Remember, Middle school heroes will return to school on Tuesday to do CCRA Testing. The last day for this Session is Dec 15, 2022! I hope everyone has a great holiday and a Happy New Year. 


high school studio

"The measure of intelligence is the ability to change."

This session, High School has made a ton of changes in the studio, they are truly "flipping the script"! Although a few heroes are absent due to apprenticeships, many are still present in the Studio, thus allowing more than half of the Studio to have a say in the new rules/policies being created and implemented. This week was mostly dedicated to putting these new policies into practice.

In addition to our Studio makeover, our heroes have been working diligently on their Storytelling badge. In this session, they were required to write an inspirational speech, one that has a 750-word count, and a video recording of them practicing. 750 words is a lot when you think about it! On top of that, all heroes have to recite their speeches live in the Studio on the last day before break! I, for one, am excited. I will have my popcorn and attention span ready!

Lastly, we are still preparing for Exhibition.  With the school having a focus on diversity due to the Holidays, we are joining them by hosting a mock town hall meeting where heroes will bring issues to the floor with solutions that are negatively affecting minorities in our community.  There is a surprise element once again, and we are looking forward to bringing that to life.


 
Tyler Thigpen