There was so much excitement during the first week back in the Spark studio after the weeklong break. Every Spark hero brought their energy and enthusiasm to Acton, especially as they are anticipating the upcoming Halloween festivities. Harnessing this excitement, they decorated pumpkins and crafted spooky-shape paper chains. Their ownership of the space continues to grow!
This week also marked the start of the “Build a Business” quest. The young learners set out on a quest to explore various job roles, discovering the skills and talents required for each. Their imaginations ran wild, with dreams of becoming vetrenarians, coders, firefighters, and teachers.
This week, they also began their first civilization lessons exploring three different countries on two continents. Our favorite ‘trip’ was to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where we learned all about the balloon festival that takes place there each year.
In the STEM unit for this session, the focus is on plants. Sparks are budding gardeners, and painted their own plant pots and lovingly planted grass seeds. They are embracing the world of plant life cycles and taking responsibility for their very own green companions. They are hopeful that they will witness the growth of five flourishing plants by the end of the year!
This week we also introduced our first whole school (Spark and Discovery together) “Hero of the Week,” and we learned about the life and principles of Mahatma Gandhi. This provided an opportunity to discuss the essence of being a helper and how small and significant actions can make the world a better place.
A captivating debate arose among learners regarding the concept of lying. They reached a consensus that lying could be okay if it has the potential to save someone’s life or protect someone from having hurt feelings about something they’ve created or something they are wearing.
The Spark heroes ended the week with their first, but certainly not last, Wheels Day! Fresh air and movement were just what all of us needed at the end of a very busy first week.
