Session 5: Year 6, WeeK 23 In Review
exhibition, history and growth
Check out this week’s updates…
spark studio
During the week of our exhibition, something truly magical happens – something that transforms our school into an extraordinary place. Can you guess what it is? That's right – it's the incredible sense of community and school spirit!
School spirit is like a magical potion that infuses everything with brightness, happiness, and excitement! It's the flutter of anticipation in your heart as you don your TFS shirts, the joyful cheers echoing across the field during games, the warmth of friendship that fills our Studios, and the bonds formed across the courtyard.
But what exactly is school spirit? Well, my dear friends, it's all about loving our school and feeling proud to be a part of it. It's about supporting, cheering each other on, and celebrating all the beautiful things we achieve together.
Imagine school spirit as a big, cozy blanket that keeps us warm and safe. When we embrace school spirit, we become part of something greater than ourselves. We feel connected to our fellow learners, our guides, and our entire school community.
Recently, The Spark Studio embarked on a journey to create our Studio flag. A symbol that embodies a collective spirit, pride, identity, and unity and motivates us to come together and strive for excellence. Learners, parents, and friends all participated in the process, and together, we selected a flag that represents the heart and soul of our Studio.
So, my friends, let's embrace our school spirit with open arms. Let's wave our flag high and unite as one community, celebrating our achievements and supporting each other on this incredible journey of learning and growth. Together, we can accomplish anything!
With eager anticipation, we await session six, where the Spark, lower elementary, and upper elementary Studios will collaborate, fostering an environment where young heroes gain invaluable cross-content experience in creative design, user experience evaluation, and the art of hard work leading to rewarding play, all while delving into "The Art and Science of Backyard Games."
Thank you for being a part of our amazing school family. Let's keep the spirit alive and shining brightly for all to see!
lower elementary studio
As we bid farewell to Session 5, we find ourselves reflecting on the adventures we've shared and eagerly looking ahead to the next chapter of our learning journey. This session has been particularly memorable as it marks the end of our first session in our new building.
Throughout this session, our heroes embarked on a thrilling Coding Quest, diving headfirst into the world of technology and programming. From mastering the intricacies of algorithms to unleashing their creativity through code, they embraced the challenges with determination and enthusiasm.
In our final Civ lesson of the session, we turned our attention to a somber yet important chapter in history: the Children of the Holocaust. Inspired by the resilience of the children of the Terezin ghetto, we created butterflies as symbols of hope and remembrance. As we read "I Never Saw Another Butterfly," penned by a young man named Pavel Friedman, who was held at Terezin during World War II, we were reminded of the power of art to transcend even the bleakest of circumstances.
At our first Exhibition in our new building, our learners showcased their creativity as they pitched their ideas for a brand-new candy to be made at Willy Wonka's legendary candy factory. Our Exhibition was a rousing success, and we eagerly await the opportunity to showcase more of our learners' talents and creations in future sessions.
As we look ahead to Session 6, we are excited about the adventures that await us. In Civ, we'll be embarking on a journey through time, exploring the vibrant decades of the 1950s, 60s, 70s, and 80s, and uncovering the cultural, social, and technological milestones that shaped each era.
Meanwhile, in our "Game On" Quest, we'll be immersing ourselves in the world of games, from the classics of yesteryear to the digital marvels of today. As we design, create, and play our games, we'll celebrate the timeless joy and camaraderie that games bring to our lives.
Finally, as we celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday in the upcoming session, we'll be diving into the whimsical world of his beloved books, reveling in the rhymes, wit, and imagination that have captivated generations of readers. Alongside other cherished children's picture books, we'll embark on literary adventures that ignite our imaginations and instill a love of reading that will last a lifetime.
"You can find magic wherever you look. Sit back and relax, all you need is a book." - Dr. Seuss
upper elementary studio
We have officially made it to the end of Session 5! The heroes enjoyed
sharing their public speaking skills at the first Exhibition in our new space. The learners reached out of their comfort zones and received great feedback from experts and parents. We look forward to many more successful Exhibitions in the new school!
In this session, we focused on the impactful history of World War II in Civilizations. We explored challenging subjects like Japanese Internment, the Holocaust, and the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. These topics may have sparked questions among our heroes, encouraging further discussion at home.
To support these conversations, we've gathered some resources you may find valuable:
KSU Museum of History and Holocaust Education
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Manzanar National Historic Site (Japanese Internment Camp)
National Archives Resources on the Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
For Quest next session, learners will become consultants who have been tasked with creating brand new games for their clients: camps and other organizations that serve kids! Heroes will gain cross-content experience with collaboration, creative design, user experience evaluation, and working hard so they can play hard as they create games that have never been played before!
middle school studio
Our first Exhibition at the new building was a smashing success! It was a delight to see Middle School parents mixing, mingling, and then laughing together as they played their hero's’ games. From video games and card games to board games, families were engaged with the games and having a grand time. We were proud of the many learners who shared about the Quest, pitched their game to the parents, and poured loads of time into crafting creative games.
In the Studio this week, we wrapped up Civilization and Story Arts as well. In Civilization, heroes ended this session by recognizing other heroes for their positive contributions to the Studio and reflecting on building a classroom nation. In Story Arts, we shared, revised, and shared our final slide decks that pitch the setting, characters, plot, and more of the original world heroes designed, complete with images and detailed descriptions. Additionally, our Excellence Committee was hard at work evaluating submissions, giving comments for revisions, and ensuring quality and communication to heroes. On top of that, we enjoyed two circles over the past two weeks, diving into more Middle School level appropriate social-emotional learning.
We also laid out a Badge Recovery process for heroes to earn badges whose hard deadlines have passed. This will include heroes submitting two additional challenges to show mastery. See more details on the second page of the Badge Deadlines policy here.
This next Quest will be wildly different from our last as we blast into Astro Engineering! We will tackle an actual task that astro engineers are trying to accomplish. Heroes will answer the question: How do we create a base for explorers and scientists on the moon? At Exhibition, learners will share and display the sketches and models that they created as well as communicate the solutions in their designs for common space problems while respecting the laws of physics in space. They'll step into the shoes of a NASA or Space X designer, and it will truly be out of this world!
high school studio
Wow, what a thrilling session!
In our Civ this week, we embarked on a fascinating journey deep into the woods of criminal minds and patterns. We explored the intricacies of criminal behavior, discussing the psychology behind it and the patterns that law enforcement professionals use to solve crimes. It was a captivating exploration that had us all engaged and thinking critically.
In Quest, we dived into the world of game design and the fundamentals of game development. The class was buzzing with creativity as we worked on creating our games. From conceptualizing unique gameplay to understanding the technical aspects of game development, we got hands-on experience that sparked our imaginations. It was an exciting week of turning our gaming ideas into reality, and Exhibition was awesome!
In Story Arts, we became world-builders! Together, we crafted a new world, exploring different landscapes, cultures, and characters. The creative energy in the class was palpable as we wove narratives and brought our imaginary world to life. It was a journey of storytelling and imagination that left us with a sense of accomplishment.
Get ready for an exciting next session in Quest! We're diving into "The Makings of a Politician." This quest will have us developing a presidential candidate from scratch. We'll delve into current and past issues, explore the intricacies of the voting process, understand the roles of policymakers, learn how to run a campaign effectively, and explore media and communication strategies during a political campaign. The grand finale? A spectacular presidential debate for Exhibition. Get ready for a thrilling and informative adventure!
As we head into the break, we want to wish everyone a fantastic and restful time. Recharge those creative batteries because when we return, we're in for an exhilarating session of political exploration and debate. See you all soon!