Art, statistics and history

Check out this week’s updates…

spark studio

The Art and Science of Backyard Games and Gardening:

What is a way of being present beyond the simple act of being on the phone with someone or in the same room when they're speaking? If you guessed “listening,” then you guessed right. We find it fascinating that becoming a hearty gardener requires good listening skills. A garden can offer a truly immersive sensory experience, including sound. There are many ways to stimulate the sense of sound in the garden. Start with flora that rustle or rattle with the wind, such as rattlesnake master, false indigo, or ornamental grasses. Add wind chimes, which can add melodic sounds to the garden. The act of simply listening opens the door to so much more. Such as how can we actively listen to each other. Do we fully listen or half listen? Let us not forget that listening to one another is about making sure the person talking to us knows we're there with them. What kind of listener are you? We are having fun exploring different ways to listen. One way was coming to silence to hear a pin drop. Trust us it was challenging to get 27 people to be quiet all at once. Do you think we accomplished complete silence to hear the pin drop? Did we fully listen to hear it?

Onto The Art of Science of Backyard Games and the enthusiasm we are feeling as our Level 1 heroes travel to elementary to give feedback on games that our being created. The interaction is exciting. We love listening to our fellow heroes return to share their experience. We are curious to find out more. For now, we remain patient and listen. We may or may not be creating games or something else while our fellow heroes our away giving feedback.

TFS has embarked on a journey to Save the Bees! We received a Bee Grant from the Georgia Beekeepers Association! Woohoo! Congratulations to us!!! Wait, there’s more. The Town of Trilith has offered us a space with their bees. We will Bee Downtown!!!! Our expert beekeeper will be here in 2 weeks with our precious cargo. Therefore, we are in “busy bee” mode building the hive. We started with the frames where the bees will store the honey and found out it’s a lot of work. We were able to build 12 frames and feel accomplished, however, there is still more work to be done yet not much time. How will we accomplish this goal? Do we ask for help? Who and how do we ask? We pondered several ways and decided to announce a school-wide challenge. The challenge is to build the hive body and frames, design and vote on a logo (to be painted on the hive), and name the Queen. Can we do it? YES WE CAN!!!

Spring is in the air, and we love spending time outside, yet somehow and some way creatures find their way into Spark. Perhaps it was a launch on the lifecycle of plants and animals (landing on tadpoles) to spark a hero who was actively listening to come in the very next day with a share “way better than tadpoles.” Are you wondering what could possibly be way better than tadpoles? The frog, of course! We’ll leave it to your imagination if we still have the frog or not. Speaking of animals, does anyone have a chicken coupe with no chickens in it? We may or may not have baby chicks in 15 days or so. The incubator is full and we are on the countdown to new life.

Heroes are taking flight and we spent time on Friday recognizing each other for our hard work and dedication to our own learning at our school -wide Badge Ceremony. One badge that we have all received is planting a seed. We now patiently await our first sprout. In the meantime, we enjoyed a simple taste test utilizing our sense of touch, taste, and smell. Ask your learner about it.

Each hero picked a special garden item to bring in for planting. We had to listen fully to know what to do next. Inquire about it with your hero over the weekend. We can’t wait to get started in the garden.

Never “bee” too busy to fully listen!

lower elementary studio

Hello Lower Elementary families, with the news of Anita's departure, we anticipate that you may have questions about all of the changes occurring in the Lower Elementary Studio. Brooke and McKenna have been leading and guiding the Studio towards more consistency and have brainstormed ways to support their learning and social goals better! Here is an overview of some changes that have been made this session to help revive the Studio culture and ensure that heroes have an environment to support their goals:

D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything and Read):

During this time, heroes choose a book on their level to read. Once they complete the book, they complete a D.E.A.R. Book Report. This ensures that heroes have a chance to read throughout the week and work on their reading comprehension and writing skills.

Freedom Level Adjustments:

We have altered freedom levels to provide the heroes with accountability that will help them succeed. The freedom levels correspond to the academic achievements achieved through Zearn, Lexia, Xtramath, and signature learning experiences.

Freedom levels correlate with the seating in the room, so when we move heroes down a freedom level it ensures they will have to move to a seat in the room where the hero can be more closely monitored by a guide to help them stay on task.

Guides reserve ultimate seating choice adjustments… therefore if heroes show signs that they are not able to be successful during core skills with their current seat, they are at risk of being moved to a place where they can be more successful!

Goal-Setting for Core Skills:

We have now led a launch to ensure all heroes know how to set goals in Journey Tracker and set the expectation they should be setting goals every day for Lexia and Zearn (Core Skills) and uploading their successes at the end of the day!

Math Lab Alterations:

We have recently pulled the younger learners out of the large group math lab so they can work on Xtra Math or additional Zearn Units and engage with age-appropriate math. For these younger heroes, we are going to incorporate more hand-held manipulatives and worksheets, which we hope will make the learning more fun and engaging!

Respect & Character-Based Morning Launches:

We are still using launches as a time to empower learners, but we are also using this time to showcase the behavior we want the heroes to be exhibiting in the Studio.

We have also started a fun pom pom challenge! Pom Poms are placed in a jar at the front of the Studio to encourage and recognize heroes who respect the Honor Code. Pom Poms can be removed throughout the day if heroes show difficulty following the Honor Code. The whole class is working to earn a reward to be determined by the council… stay tuned for updates!

Check-ins:

We recognize that these learners will become self-directed and internally motivated, however they are still young and many of them need extra support on their journey to becoming fully self-directed. So, we have started having a mid-week and end-of-week group check-in to ensure that all learners have submitted their work in the journey tracker and have given themselves the appropriate amount of points.

Individual Check-ins will be held with Ms. Brooke or Ms. McKenna weekly or bi-weekly to help the learners see their success and progress while identifying areas where they may need to focus more to meet their goals for the end of the year!

In order to help your hero succeed, we will need your support. It takes a village! You might already be doing these things, and if you are, we salute you, but here are some ideas to help continue these conversations at home:

Ask them about their freedom level.

Ask them about their Lexia and Zearn goals and how many lessons they are completing. Is there anything keeping them from being productive? Help them strategize solutions.

Read at home. Having them read in the Studio is amazing, but we can't do it alone. Set time aside for them to read every day, even if it's only 15-20 minutes. It makes a difference!

If your hero is struggling, please be proactive and reach out to Amber so we can help them be successful over the next few weeks. We only have 11 weeks left!

Engage your learner in questions about Story Arts, Civ, and Quest. If you want ideas of what to ask log into Journey Tracker and check their challenges!

As always… please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions, ideas, or words of support! We are excited to see all Lower Elementary will achieve in these 11 weeks! Consider words of encouragement, support, or rewards for your learners as they crush it for the rest of the year!

upper elementary studio

This week at The Forest School, our young learners embarked on an inspiring journey into the heart of the Civil Rights Movement, exploring significant events such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Freedom Summer, and the courageous story of Claudette Colvin. The bravery and determination of individuals like Rosa Parks were highlighted, as they played pivotal roles in challenging unjust laws. Additionally, our learners explored the significance of Freedom Summer, a campaign to register African American voters in the South, showcasing the importance of unity and collective action.

Our learners have been immersing themselves in collaboration and creativity through game creation in the Elementary Studios. Through this process, they've discovered the importance of working together, listening to each other's ideas, and understanding the value of every team member. This enhances their social skills and fosters a sense of belonging within the Studio. As we wrap up an engaging week, our learners eagerly anticipate what the next one will bring. The blend of historical exploration and hands-on game creation has not only enriched their understanding of the world. Still, it has also fostered a sense of curiosity and excitement about the weeks to come.

middle school studio

In Story Arts, the Space Debates blasted off with gusto! We hosted two fascinating debates on disposing of trash on the moon and commercializing the moon. Heroes found it challenging, especially when they had to debate from a position they didn’t personally agree with. To help them develop these critical thinking skills, we did a few debate drills where heroes had to practice debating over various topics (i.e. “Should testing in public schools be optional?” And “Are Pop Tarts a kind of ravioli?”) on both sides. It was stretching and really fun to watch.

In Civ this week, we discussed the question: If you could travel back 40 years and hold a position of influence, what role would you assume to contribute positively to societal change? The heroes continued to develop their presentations about Civil Rights movement figures and began creating visual aids (infographics, posters, collages, interactive displays, storyboards, etc.). At Share Outs, they rated the presentations on public speaking skills as well as how interesting the details were. Lastly, they reflected on their progress and what needed to be done by Gallery Walk Day.

Some upcoming dates to keep in mind include: March 18-22 is the week of Practicals, Middle School Exhibition takes place on March 26, and Session four Badge Recovery and Deep Book #4 are due March 28.

Quest had tons of tactile learning this week. Heroes hand drew giant blueprints in groups of land rovers, satellites, mobile homes, and more as part of the lunar base our Middle School is designing this session. After calculating measurements, materials and beyond, their imaginations skyrocketed with unique ideas and layouts. Today they turned those blueprints into prototypes using Legos or cardboard. We love seeing them reach for the stars!

high school studio

We're thrilled to share the exciting progress of our presidential quest, where our heroes not only immerse themselves in the complexities of leadership but also embrace the fun of dressing up for each themed day.

Story Arts has emerged as a powerful avenue for deep learning, offering valuable insights into life planning for a successful parenting journey. The heroes are navigating through challenges, gaining wisdom, and preparing themselves for the responsibilities that lie ahead.

Civilization studies have illuminated the nuances of decision-making, exploring both the pitfalls that can lead to trouble and the strategies for rehabilitation. The heroes are actively engaging in discussions that contribute to their understanding of responsible citizenship.

To cap off our week, the Friday badge Ceremony highlighted each hero's remarkable achievements. We celebrated their growth, resilience, and accomplishments, reinforcing our commitment to fostering a supportive and empowering learning environment.

Stay tuned for more updates as our heroes continue their extraordinary journey of self-discovery and learning!

Session 6: Year 6, WeeK 26 In Review