Session 1, Week 5
We may have been taught that we shouldn’t boast. But if boasting is defined as “showing excessive pride and self-satisfaction in one’s achievements, possessions or abilities” (Oxford languages) then sharing our heroes achievements and abilities is not boasting and we have so much to share!
In the Spark Studio there were many individual moments to share:
The sparks had the opportunity to enter a mopping contest. Whoever had the dirtiest rag at the end would win a Harry Potter sticker. It was hard to decide, but a winner and a runner up were proclaimed. The runner up was very disappointed. The winner decided to give the runner up his sticker. The runner up was grateful to have the sticker, but the real prize was being part of a good tribe.
During our Montessori work cycle individual heroes are continually working hard. So many heroes are consistently challenging themselves. This week we heard comments such as, “That wasn’t as challenging as I thought it would be. I think I’ll make it harder by…” They PURPOSEFULLY add extensions to the work making it harder. They do this because they love the way it makes them feel.
After creating a game during the CHOICE work cycle, this hero wanted the game to be available to others to use during the work cycle. Naturally, that meant putting it on the shelf and labeling it. Can you find The Magic Stone game? Heroes have been using the CHOICE work cycle materials in a variety of ways. These heroes are so creative!
Conflict Resolution is a big part of our day in the Spark Studio. These heroes are exploring different feelings, identifying which feelings they’d like to grow and which feelings they would like to shrink. It takes courage to be able to say how you feel and work through a difficult problem. 
I love that our Spark heroes know how to and choose to practice playing chess!
There are also beautiful moments to share from the studio as a whole:
The spark studio was challenged to create a lib dub. Each squad worked together to plan a portion of it. They choreographed their dance moves, and felt confident using tools (like a toy, plastic saw) to make some props.
They prepared thoroughly and were proud of what they accomplished in their one and only take.
Our tribe time discussions are looking really good. We discussed our Rules of Engagement (ROEs) and how to hold one another accountable. After much discussion, the heroes came up with what the expectations are during our tribe time discussions. If the heroes do not keep the ROEs, they are cannot participate in the discussion – and that is such a powerful a motivation for each of the heroes! We are not perfect by any means, but there has been tremendous progress; the patience displayed as each hero gets to share their voice is so special. 
This year the heroes have been a big part in creating systems, and running things. They have become so proficient that when other guides were covering for Miss Hannah on Thursday, it didn’t throw off the routine at all.
The Spark Studio has a Character Call out Jar. A character call out is when you vocalize a good character quality in another hero. For example, “I saw so-and-so working really hard at language today. I call that perseverance.” or “I was really mad and so-and-so helped me to calm down and work out my problem. I call that kindness and patience.” Each time there is a character call out a small cube goes into the jar. When the jar is filled up we have a discussion on what the celebration should be. The heroes filled up their jar this week! That says it all!!! They decided their celebration would be popsicles! What a special treat!
We end every day with a tribe cheer. The leader of the day gets to choose what it is we say when we cheer. The highlight this week was when the hero chose, “BEST DAY EVER!” as the cheer.
In the Fire Studio the heroes have a vision of the kind of culture they value as a tribe. It has taken weeks of discussions, drafts, and edits to turn that vision into a system with clearly defined boundaries, rules and the components necessary to hold themselves accountable. This week, they finished creating their accountability measures–Moolahs and Freedom Levels!
Moolahs exist to hold heroes accountable to their contracts. Asking a “Moolah” from another hero who is not keeping one of their contract promises is a symbolic way of showing that the hero’s behavior is taking away from the studio culture “bank.” Heroes ask a Moolah from another hero by stating what promise they broke on a form and turning the form in for council review. If the hero being asked the Moolah disagrees, they can fill out an appeal form to turn in for council review as well. This week the FS heroes decided on the consequences for lost Moolahs, including extra studio maintenance jobs, apology notes written and read to the rest of the studio, and eventually losing the privilege of being in the studio for one school day. Moolah counts will reset each new session, as well as after a hero stays home for their 6th lost Moolah.
A second accountability system heroes built this week is Freedom Levels. Freedom Levels are not associated with Moolahs, but with completing Weekly Goals. Each weekend, heroes will set 3 Weekly Goals with a parent mentor. The 3 goals are in the same categories of the 3 Year Goals heroes have set with their parent, and exist to help them make progress towards those yearly goals throughout each week. Each morning, heroes look over their weekly goals and the progress they’ve made and set a mental priority for that core skills time–What is most important for me to make progress in today? On Thursday after Core Skills, heroes will meet with their squad to review their weekly goals. Heroes who have completed all three goals will have 3 green goal “dots” on Journey Tracker and will be in the Green (higher) Freedom Level for the following week. Heroes who missed one or more of their weekly goals will still have yellow goal “dots” on Journey Tracker and will be in the Yellow (lower) Freedom Level the following week. The lower freedom level parameters were chosen by heroes to help increase their ability to focus on weekly goals.
It takes an incredible amount of patience, focus and hard work to brainstorm, deliberate and make decisions for all of these systems! Completing this task is an incredible feat. Furthermore, the fact that the FS heroes care so much about their culture and are willing to put in the work to hold themselves and others accountable to maintaining it, is something to shout from the rooftops!
Individual Core Skills is beginning to be amazing! The majority of heroes are figuring out where to sit in order to be able to focus best, and how to dive into flow. It is so fun to watch them choose this on their own.
During Quest with the Lip Dub completed and Studio Maintenance running more smoothly with each week, the focus is now on preparing for Exhibition! The Studio is full of a focused energy. Each session, Quest has its own badge this year, so the Heroes are learning how to manage their Quest tasks to work towards earning the badge.
Despite their individual focus, heroes are so willing to help one another. It is magical when you see a Hero needing help, and another hero happily volunteering to pause their work to assist a fellow traveler. The kindness in the Fire Studio is really quite impressive and something to share!
Along with being kind, the Fire Studio heroes don’t give up! The Fire Studio had one challenge where they had to use materials to cross the “Acid River” as a team. Some felt being done first mattered, others thought it was just about finishing. We had one house who had barely begun when others were already finished, but they did not quit! They decided to finish and teams stayed to cheer each other on. All three of these results made for great discussion.
In the DELTA Studio, each week brings new confidence and ownership from the Delta Studio heroes, as they are owning their systems, holding each other more accountable, and understanding the rhythm of their days at CHOICE. Heroes in quest are working on plans for a Delta Studio trip they hope to take next Spring. This week they got some fundraising ideas in motion and had discussions on how money earned as a group should be allocated. They also dove into some US geography to familiarize themselves with some of the places and terminology they’ll be encountering in their travel planning. They worked hard on a complicated “escape room” that relied on their knowledge of the locations of different US states and landscape features. Despite it being a contest, they were willing to mentor competitor teams that were stuck on some of the puzzles.
We consistently witness that maturity when playing games in the DS – and we play lots of them!
On Tuesday we played Ultimate Frisbee.
Wednesday we played Hoopla.
Thursday we had a picture scavenger hunt race.
Today I asked what went well in each of those three games. Here were their responses.
Winning is definitely fun! And we have a very competitive group of young people in the DS. But despite their competitiveness, look at those answers!!!! They purposefully look to include others, are mostly encouraging even to other teams when they play (the siblings in the group tend to be the “mostly” in that statement), argue far less than they have in other years, and are having fun playing all kinds of games. I love playing games with this group! (And for the record, there are 6 pairs of siblings in the studio and they do remarkably well).
As we completed our first weekly goal check this week, I wish I could have recorded the heroes’ comments. I heard many variations of these same themes: “I can’t believe I’m ahead in math!” “It’s surprisingly not that hard to reach my goals, I just plan them and then stay focused!” “I had lots of time to work on my Ex Works because I worked on the weekend!” “I just sat down, put my headphones on and focused.” It was beautiful to listen to! Just as important were some of these comments from our newer DS heroes who didn’t quite make their week goals and recognized what they need to do differently next week: “I need to prioritize more.” “I need to work on the weekend.” “I need to not talk to ______.” ” “I need to not get distracted.” “I need to look at my goals at the beginning of Core Skills.” Such great self-awareness at the start of the year!
Even though heroes are focused on their own goals, they are so willing to help one another. Witnessing Running Partners taking the time to explain, re-explain, and help each other out is continually beautiful. These heroes are selfless. They are willing to use their talents and time in behalf of others.
The DS heroes kindness is not limited to their studio alone. I was late getting back from lunch on Thursday so I called and asked two DS heroes to lead the first DS/FS Thursday game time. When I got back this is what I found:
The DS heroes had organized Mafia and had mostly chosen to spread out and get to know and play with the FS heroes!
Tuesday afternoon was a highlight moment to share. We went to the park for P.E. and lunch to play Ultimate Frisbee. I had to run back to guide the Fire Studio 10 minutes before lunch ended. I told the DS heroes that they were on their own for the next 1 1/2 hours, that meditation was at 12:20 and their schedule was on the board. It was a beautiful, sunny day. We were all sweaty and hot from running around. They were headed over to the water side of the park to cool off for 2 minutes before it was time to go back to school. I was intrigued to see how the rest of the afternoon would go… At about 12:22 I heard them all arrive back to school. (It was a beautiful day and on their own they chose to leave in time to ALMOST make it back!!) Then I heard quietness as they settled in for meditation and I became absorbed in the Fire Studio. When I walked upstairs to DS 1 1/2 hours later, this is what I saw:
All heroes silently working on their goals. Heroes who have in years past put off math, were engaged in math. Heroes who traditionally haven’t loved reading, were reading. Each hero was engaged in work. When I asked around I was told that they were two minutes late returning from the park, they did meditation, they had their Studio Governance Committee Report (and were respectful to one another during the discussion), and then had started Core Skills right on time and were incredibly engaged and focused… all without any adult oversight. That is truly something for a group of young people ages 11-14 to boast about!!!
As we listen and watch, there are countless moments every day to brag about. From the small interactions between two heroes choosing to use a Resolution Room to talk about their conflicts and share their feelings, to full studio accomplishments, your young people are choosing to do hard things and kind things every day. We are not boasting, we just want to share their greatness with anyone who will listen!!!