Session 2, Week 1
“Just can’t wait to get on the road again!” That was what it felt like as we all arrived for school Monday morning. Heroes were ready and anxious to see one another and get going on their new session! Along with week highlights, here is also a sneak peak of what each studio’s Session 2 will look like:
In the Spark Studio…
The heroes had a “blast” exploring landforms and water formations! …Mentos and soda helped us visualize a volcanic eruption.
We explored the rock cycle and erosion.
Hand mapping helped us to clearly identify the difference between the land and the water. Can you tell where the land and water are? How about the lake or the mountains?
After discussing various landforms the heroes were encouraged to create their own. Some created caves. Others created arches. There were also waterfalls, mountains, valleys, and cliffs.
And after hearing stories of Paul Bunyan, heroes were encouraged to make their own landform folktale.
For the remainer of the session we will be learning about deserts, forests, rain forests, and oceans. We will be studying the land and water in these biomes, along with other aspects of these environments.
In the Fire Studio…
This week we embarked on our 2nd Session Quest: US Geography! Heroes are working as Travel Agents in a road trip company, mapping out a route, and trying to learn all they can about different cities!
There was a lot of work on the computer the first part of the week as they explored how many miles it was between their chosen cities and learned how to use a new computer program called Wixie. This computer work was in the challenge and panic zone for some heroes. It was awesome to watch them persevere and to see how fellow travelers stepped in to help as allies and helpers.
On Wednesday heroes discussed how overpasses and underpasses make it possible for us to not stop on the freeway. Each squad built a bridge, which had to meet specific criteria, to help Little Bo Peep and her farm animals cross the freeway to get to their pasture on the other side.
For Global Dance, we traveled to the British Isles to learn the jig and even get ready for Halloween with a Witches Reel.
In the Middle School…
Heroes began Session 2 with defined goals and even greater focus. When I walked into the studio near the end of Core Skills I was bombarded by a group of heroes. One hero was so excited to share what she had discovered through her study of art history, another hero jumped up and down in excitement as she shared what she was planning for a “You Design” Exploratory Work, another hero was anxious to share his robot design, while two others were so proud to share how they had finished reupholstering a chair seat. Another hero was in tears after spending 2 hours on the same math problem, but when she figured it out the next day, she was on fire. The pride and joy in the Middle School learning this week was beautiful!
Heroes are on a travel quest this session, where they’ll be becoming more knowledgeable world citizens, honing their planning and budgeting skills, and planning both proximate and distant exciting trips. Parents will be “buying” the best-planned trip that appeals to them most at the exhibition.
I’ve never actually known the words to this song. As I looked them up, I realized how fitting they were: “On the road again…Goin places that I’ve never been… We’re the best of friends… And I can’t wait to get on the road again!” What a gift to spend our days in a place where heroes are the best of friends, where they are exploring places they haven’t been and where they are truly excited to be “on the road again!” Hooray for Session 2!