Curiosity was sparked in the Spark studio this week with the study of water cycles as a part of this session’s Survivor Quest! The children learned about how rain forms including evaporation, condensation and precipitation. Later in the week, they used the concept of condensation to make fresh, drinkable water using solar stills they built themselves.
In world cultures, the children had a great time drumming like Burundi drummers of Africa. They also explored one of the cultural tales of Wales, which they learned was part of the United Kingdom on the European continent.
During Montessori core skills, we experimented with bringing in learning books and sensorial materials which the children greatly enjoyed! They engaged their problem-solving skills when some friends were too loud, however, and came up with the idea of separating desks if the noise level didn’t decline. Sure enough, heroes were motivated to quiet down so they could still work together and collaborate.
The children continue to enjoy D.E.A.R. where they get to Drop Everything and Read whatever they would like. Giving children choice in their reading materials cultivates a deep love of reading, which we see in all our Acton heroes!
The heroes spent one of their outdoor times in the garden where they were excited to see some native plant sprouts! They helped water the plants, and are making plans for a fairy garden.
Four Spark heroes will begin shadowing in Discovery next week! They will join morning launches for one week, and full days for the next. Should be a wonderful experience as they embark on the next step in their hero’s journey.
Discovery had a wonderful week to kick off the final session of the year!
This session we launched a Mandarin language special for both the Discovery and Spark heroes. First, they explored the concept that Chinese is a tonal language, which means that the pitch or intonation used when pronouncing a word can change its meaning entirely. They learned the four tones: First Tone: High and level (e.g., ā); Second Tone: Rising, like asking a question (e.g., á); Third Tone: Falling then rising, a bit like a dip (e.g., ǎ ); Fourth Tone: Sharp and falling (e.g., mà). They had a great time twisting their tongues to create new types of sounds that they aren’t used to the English language.
Next, the heroes practiced counting from 1 to 10 in Mandarin, both verbally and in sign language. They learned the pronunciation and writing of the numbers:1 (一, yī); 2 (二, èr);3 (三, sān);4 (四, sì);5 (五, wǔ);6 (六, liù);7 (七, qī); 8 (八, bā); 9 (九, jiǔ); 10 (十, shí). The heroes also got a taste of Chinese calligraphy by practicing writing the numbers 1 to 10. They learned about the stroke order and the artistic aspects of Chinese characters, appreciating the beauty and precision required in Chinese writing.
In core skills, Discovery heroes are embracing the hero buck challenge of journaling in their core skills “Excellence Journals.” The goal is to enhance their understanding, retention, and application of key concepts. It also helps them build the note-taking habit that will benefit their future learning. Did you know that by writing something down with your hand, retention increases by 70%?
The journals also serve as a toolbook for the heroes to look back and identify areas of improvements and growth. The heroes are also encouraged to include questions or confusions in the notes that they can ask the guide during core skills and during bi-weekly goals check-ins.
In communication challenges, the heroes are preparing for their Journey Meetings with their parents. These meetings are designed to strengthen the connection between home and the studio, providing an opportunity for heroes to showcase their achievements and reflect on their learning journey with their parents. They are also learning how to plan and lead a meeting, just like in real life. Next week, Discovery heroes send out invitations to parents and schedule a time to meet and discuss their learning progress.
This session’s quest is “Survivor.” In this quest, the heroes will explore the basic needs of human survival: food, water, shelter, safety, first aid, and identity. They will also learn the difference between a “want” and a “need,” while putting themselves into new, challenging situations that push them to the edge of their challenge zones.
On Tuesday, the heroes completed the knot-tying challenge by practicing half-hitch knot, clove-hitch knot, alpine-butterfly knot, and figure-eight knot. These knots are designed to secure objects or secure ropes to trees, and build up to their upcoming survivor challenges. On Thursday, the Discovery heroes took on one of the most thrilling and essential survival tasks: building fire! They practiced starting a fire without the use of a lighter, pushing them to harness their resourcefulness and problem-solving skills while understanding the science behind fire-making. They collaborated with Spark heroes to collect dry grass and wood branches, and tried three methods to start a fire: magnifying glass; rubbing sticks; flint & steel. Heroes supported each other, sharing tips and encouragement, highlighting the importance of teamwork in overcoming challenges. The heroes were successful and celebrated by roasting s’mores on over their hard-won fires.
On Friday, we celebrated the achievements of our Discovery heroes in session six with a special Badge Ceremony, honoring their hard-earned badges in Learning to Be, Civilization, and Communication Challenges. This ceremony was a joyous and meaningful event, recognizing the dedication, growth, and accomplishments of each hero!
Working with Montessori Golden Beads to learn place value.
The heroes kicked off a new session this week in which they are exploring the “Survivor” quest!
This week, the heroes delved into Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and explored the difference between wants and needs. It’s fascinating to understand how little we really need to survive! They applied this new knowledge to the real world, learned about foraging and sustainable food sources, and even created their own field guide for the local area around them.
A big thank you to Captain Kraft, who gave a hero talk and shared insights into her life as an army medic. It is inspiring to learn about real-life heroes, their challenges and adventures!
In World Cultures, the Spark learners read about the celebration of Ramadan. They crafted lanterns together to learn about the holiday’s traditions.
Spark Journey Meetings are scheduled for the third week of the session, on June 10th – 11th. It’s a great opportunity to reflect on the heroes’ learnings and growth over the course of the year. Academically, through Montessori works, many have excelled tremendously in math, reading and writing. Socially, all have grown as members of the the Acton community!
It was the last week of the session in Discovery this week, which means lots to do, and lots of fun! All the heroes planted and labeled the vegetable seedlings in the garden bed, as well as the wildflower seeds into the planters. The Discovery heroes organized and led the process, getting practice with their leadership skills as they organized eleven excited children to complete the work. It was a lot of fun along the way!
The next step is to exercise patience and care and the Discovery heroes create and execute a plan for garden maintenance over the next few months. On Tuesday, a special guest who is a master gardener in the community, came and gave a “hero talk” about her gardening journey, and gave the heroes special pointers on the best ways to care for their growing garden.
This week, the Discovery heroes completed full-circle feedback, set personal goals for the next session. This is an important part of Acton where we believe that feedback loops are an important way to learn, and personal goals one of myriad ways we support character development.
For the exhibition, the heroes presented their collaborative process for planning, building and planting the garden. Throughout the process, they needed to research answers to questions like: What vegetables and flowers would they plant? How much space would each need and how would they lay them out in the bed and planters? What do seedlings need? How will they manage their time building? When will they plant given weather conditions and time of year? How will they maintain the garden?
They engaged in a panel discussion with an audience of families and friends, walked parents through their individual plant science work and experiments, and then gave a tour of the new community garden! Everyone celebrated with a toast of sparkling water. The community garden is truly a community project that included Discovery heroes, Spark heroes and families and friends to build.
As a way to blow of steam, the children enjoyed an extended PE/lunch/outdoor time at nearby Glenwood Children’s Park which the children have affectionately dubbed, “Rock Park.” It’s a 20-minute hike to the park, but well worth the effort once they are there! Lots of climbing and exploring rocks, canyon, woods and hills.
The heroes are looking forward to next session when they will explore survival skills in the “Survivor Quest.” A couple of older heroes have also each planned their own one-week quest to deliver to their fellow travelers about a topic of interest. They have chosen, “writing” and “raising chickens.” We have also organized some special specials including Mandarin language exploration and Music!
This week, with the Discovery heroes, the Spark heroes planted and marked the vegetables and wild flowers. With determined hands and hopeful hearts, they put the finishing touches on their green oasis. Here’s to hoping our community garden flourishes even more than our studio greenhouses.
The also heroes eagerly prepared to welcome their loved ones into studio this week as part of the community garden exhibition. The energy was high! The heroes rolled up their sleeves and dove into a flurry of activities to make our studio shine, including cleaning, organizing, and decorating. The walls and shelves now proudly display the heroes’ artworks and plant science experiments that they completed over the last six weeks.
During the “Spark Showcase” at the exhibition, the children proudly demonstrated their Montessori works along with all the art, science and world culture explorations. They also gave their families a tour of the community garden that they built from scratch over the last seven weeks. Everyone toasted, with sparkling water, to the hard work and fun the heroes put into the garden. Now they will practice patience and care as they tend to the gardens in anticipation of fall’s harvest.
The children also reflected this week on the past year, and on the upcoming school year. It’s a time of transition for some of our friends as they prepare to move into Discovery. The guides and children discussed what this process will entail, and celebrating the potential of this new journey.
The Discovery heroes had a fun and meaningful week! In core skills, they their IOWA tests. They maintained great focus during the test despite it not being their favorite activity. On Friday Spark joined discovery for an ice cream party to celebrate this important milestone. The ice cream party provided a great chance for the heroes to come together, bond, share in each other’s successes…..and make ice cream from scratch!
Discovery heroes had their Debate Day on Friday for the communication challenge! We invited the Spark heroes to join us and to serve as judges for the debates. Debate Day served as a platform for the Discovery heroes to showcase their communication skills and persuasive arguments in a structured process. In this session ‘Debate a Game’, Discovery heroes worked together in pairs to prepare their arguments, conduct research, and refine their speaking skills. They all deserve a round of applause. Through a serious evaluation, Spark selected two winners at the end, but the vote was so close between everyone!
In Civilization Research, the heroes researched Mansa Musa’s pilgrimage route. Mansa Musa, the 14th-century ruler of the Mali Empire, is renowned for his legendary pilgrimage to Mecca. As one of the wealthiest individuals of his time, Mansa Musa’s pilgrimage was not only a religious obligation but also a grand display of his empire’s prosperity and cultural richness. By researching more about Mansa Musa’s pilgrimage route, the Discovery heroes cultivate their critical thinking skills and appreciation of a different culture.
Meanwhile, discovery heroes drafted their first garden bed protection proposal in the Community Garden Quest. The proposal included the materials needed, cost of materials, reasons for choosing their structure, and how long it would take to build. When they presented the proposal, they deepened their thinking by considering the pros and cons of their proposed protection structure to keep away insect, birds, rabbit and deer. On Thursday, the heroes also finished filling in all the soil in the garden bed and they drafted a plant observation journal for the sprouts. As they basked in the glow of their achievements, they knew that their garden was more than just a patch of soil—it was a living testament to the power of imagination and creativity.
Lastly get ready for an unforgettable Mother’s Day celebration, as the Discovery heroes prepare to shower moms with love and appreciation through their art projects they are bringing home.
Another exciting week has flown by in our bustling studio! Here’s a peek into this week in Spark:
In our quest this week, the heroes became gardeners as they crafted garden markers for the community garden. With these markers, they’ll know exactly what’s growing. The learners also explored photosynthesis, discovering all the incredible gifts plants offer us in our daily lives.
Our World Cultures journey led the children on a secret mission to create something truly special for the remarkable moms in their lives. Spark learners are bursting with excitement to unveil their heartfelt creations and share them with their moms at home this weekend.
The greenhouses we assembled at the beginning of this session have become the center of much intrigue. Each one is yielding different results, with some seeds bursting with sprouts while others seem to be shying away, nestled in moldy reluctance. Every hero seems captivated by this mystery, eagerly investigating why some thrive while others face challenges.
In core skills, our new Montessori-style start to the morning continues to inspire concentration and focus! Rather than starting the morning with circle time, the heroes go straight to their “works.”
As always, our studio buzzes with curiosity, creativity, and boundless enthusiasm. Thank you for your continued support in nurturing these young minds!
This is the third week that discovery heroes have done “focused free time” in the morning in the studio. They all had a lot of fun reading, doing word searches, practicing math facts and crossword puzzles during the 30-minutes time period. Integrating these activities adds another layer of engagement and excitement for the Discovery heroes.
It’s also fascinating to see how the Discovery heroes have integrated caring for plants into their morning routine. This simple act of nurturing not only fosters the character trait of being responsible but also offers valuable lessons in patience.
One highlight this week was that two of the Discovery heroes earned Spelling and Grammar badges from their core skills badge plans. We all celebrated this great achievement during the Friday badge ceremony. They were excited to complete this milestone in their learning journey.
For communication challenges, Discovery heroes had their second mock debate on Monday and they followed the ‘Debate Game’ process to state their opening arguments, rebuttals and closing arguments on why they think their game is the best in the world. Moreover, the mock debate served as a valuable opportunity for the Discovery Heroes to cultivate self-confidence in public speaking. Meanwhile through giving each other warm-cool-warm feedback, they identified areas for improvement and refined their arguments.
During Civilization, the heroes learned that Henry the Navigator was one of history’s greatest sailors, putting to great use inventions that came before him. One of Henry’s notable achievements was his utilization of existing navigational instruments and techniques, such as the astrolabe and magnetic compass, which had been developed by earlier civilizations. Discovery heroes did their civilization research on these great inventions like the compass, sailboat, the astrolabe etc. Through their civilization research, the Discovery Heroes not only gained a deeper appreciation of the past inventions but also recognized the enduring impact of these inventions on the modern world.
Meanwhile the Community Garden Quest has been so engaging! Discovery heroes collaborated with spark to build the community garden bed together. They assembled the bed, stapled a metal “gopher net” at the bottom of the bed to prevent burrowing pests, filled the bed with soil, and strung their planting grid. Discovery heroes gained a lot of hands-on experience using the drill, staples, and trowels. They had so much fun building the garden bed, and teamwork makes the dream work! As their guide, I am always amazed at their creativity and unlimited potential!
Another exciting week has flown by in the BUZZING community garden quest! Let’s DIG into the wonderful adventures and discoveries we’ve had together.
This week, the Spark learners joined forces with the Discovery heroes to build a garden bed from the ground up! They filled it with soil with determination and teamwork, preparing it for the upcoming planting season. Our learners got hands-on experience using drills and staple guns!
To protect the garden from pesky birds, the children painted rocks to resemble delicious fruit. These colorful decoys will help keep the garden safe and thriving!
This week featured a hero spotlight on Charles S. Parker, a remarkable botanist and collector. We delved into his inspiring work exploring plants, sparking fascinating discussions about his contributions to the world. Charles S. Parker’s story sparked an impromptu discussion about skin color. Our curious learners eagerly compared their beautiful skin tones to one another, leading to a deeper exploration of genetics and melanin’s role in determining our unique skin colors.
The new core skills schedule where children arrive and directly begin their Montessori work cycle continues to help them achieve deep focus. Some Spark heroes have begun anticipating their transition to Discovery. They are discussing readiness, what they look forward to, what they would miss in Spark, and general excitement about the idea. We are soon unveil a transition process that the older Spark heroes will have the opportunity to begin in Session 7 that includes building self-awareness and visit opportunities in Discovery.
This week, our learners decided to focus on “not walking away during clean-up times.” In addition, they voted on a new rule: if a learner receives two reminders to help with clean-up, that learner will lose a bee. This seemed to light a fire under each learner and helped our Spark room stay tidy.
Discovery had a wonderful and meaningful week. In core skills, discovery heroes demonstrated great focus and continued to meet their daily SMART goals this week. They all received character-call outs this week for showing their best work effort in the studio. Recognizing their hard work with character call-outs surely reinforces a positive learning environment and motivates them to continue striving for excellence. A special highlight was witnessing one of our heroes achieving his Level 2 reading badge. He was so excited to meet this important milestone in his hero’s journey, and we held a badge ceremony for him to celebrate his success together.
For communication challenges, Discovery heroes continued to draft their rebuttal and completed their closing statements for ‘Debate a Dame’. They all brainstormed and came up with convincing arguments to debate why the games they chose could be better than their opponent’s. Their ability to articulate convincing arguments reflects their growing confidence and proficiency in effective communication. Discovery heroes also offered each other constructive feedback to help each other improve. As their guide, I noticed a huge growth in providing sufficient reasoning to back up their arguments.
During Civilization, the Discovery Heroes learned about the female war hero Joan or Arc. She was known for leading the French army in a momentous victory at Orléans in 1429 that repulsed an English attempt to conquer France during the Hundred Years’ War. For Civilization research, the heroes researched other female war heroes. By researching and understanding the contributions of other female war heroes, our heroes gained a deeper appreciation for the diverse roles women have played in shaping the course of history through military prowess and leadership.
Meanwhile the Community Garden Quest has been so fun and engaging! Discovery heroes conducted soil identification experiments in collaboration with the Spark studio. They voted for different locations like Nakoma Park and Patio to examine the soil samples. They also set up the butterfly habitat for the cocoons and prepared an apple sauce meal for when the butterflies hatch.
On Thursday, the heroes conducted a decomposition challenge experiment. Discovery heroes put three different subjects (bananas, plastic cups, and toilet paper) into three glass jars with red live worms and soil. They made the hypothesis that the worms will eat bananas so bananas will decompose, and plastic cups will not be able to be broken down. They also set up the vermicomposting bin with moisturized newspaper, cardboards, worms and soil. These hands-on experiments surely provided valuable insights and sparked curiosity among the Discovery heroes!
The Discovery heroes continued with their marine science quest this week! First, they examined a couple of real fish specimens. The heroes were fascinated by their scales and eyes. The next day, they explored marine food webs. Some were surprised to learn that humans are at the top of the marine food web, and explored Read more…
This week’s focus was growth mindset. We explored questions like are you born smart or do you get smarter with hard work? We also discussed the word “yet” and explored how powerful it can be when we encounter a challenge, as in “I can’t do this……YET.” We’ve continued to explore weather through books and activities. Read more…
This week, our Discovery heroes dove even deeper into the mysteries of the ocean with an exciting project on light and how it transforms underwater. They started by cutting out deep sea glasses and taping them onto file folders. Next, they taped blue film over the eye holes, allowing the glasses to filter light similarly Read more…
