Session 6, Week 5
Denouement = the final part of a play, movie, or narrative in which the strands of the plot are drawn together, and matters are explained or resolved… a perfect way to describe the last week of Session 6.
In the Spark Studio we closed this session with a wide range of emotions. The excitement turned into anxiousness, fear, overwhelm, irritability, joy, pride, and bravery. The saying goes that a picture is worth a thousand words. Can a picture also be worth a thousand emotions?
Our butterflies started emerging from their chrysalises this week. It was mesmerizing and really hard to focus on anything else as we were all so concerned about the butterflies.
There was a lot of this emotion as heroes took their creativity to new levels.
There was a lot of this emotion as heroes cheered each other on.
There was even some of this emotion. Sometimes we just need a hug from a friend and a good cry.
We learned so many interesting things along the way.
We took the time to communicate with one another and include others.
And still made time for a dance party!
Our hearts hurt for our new literary friends as we finished reading Charlotte’s Web. We held one another and felt the power that reading a good book can have on your heart.
In the final hour, the Spark heroes performed their play, ‘Dark Trap,’ a journey of how light conquers dark by using the Golden Rule. The strength they showed in performing a play without the help from any adult was beautiful to see. The journey was not without its range of emotions, but isn’t that what makes the denouement all the more satisfying?
In the Fire Studio the denouement of Session 6 included heroes revisiting their session goals, reflecting on their effort and outcomes in core skills and quest, offering warm and cool feedback to their fellow travelers, and of course, holding themselves accountable and celebrating with their parents and loved ones at exhibition. There was satisfaction for many heroes who earned badges this session–in fact the highest number of badges awarded in an exhibition in the history of CHOICE! For heroes disappointed by not reaching the math goals or badges they had hoped for this session, there was time to reflect on next steps and possible adjustments to daily or weekly goals.
Session 6 also wrapped up with a lot of fun!! Heroes breaking their speed record in a group challenge.
Extra time for math games.
The super fun, albeit a little painful parachute game “lifeguard.”
Lunch time poetry and gardening club! Every hero who chose to come found (or wrote) a poem about spring to recite to one another. Each hero then got to plant a corner of a garden box.
A FS/MS capture the flag game. Many played, while others just got soaked!
A field trip to Tunnel Springs park where the challenge was to stake out a 10×10 square and then find as much bug biodiversity as you could!
“Found Art” is creating art using only things you find. What started as creating art with the trash on the ground around the school, ended with dumpster diving to find incredible pieces to create with. Possibly my favorite art day ever! Check out the weekly pictures folder to see all the incredible creations!
Sometimes I am amazed how many fun opportunities these heroes have each week!
In the Middle School the denouement of each session always includes a lot of scrambling to hit deadlines (exhibition!), lots of reflection on highs and lows (accountability at the exhibition and specific reflection time with JeVonne and Kara), and celebrations of our community – lots of games! Through their reflection the heroes recognized that the culture of their studio, their use of Core Skills, their Grit and their engagement during discussions has drastically improved. They want to focus next session on respect during discussions and meditation.
The denouement tied together the threads of 5 weeks of curiosity, hard work, fun, supporting one another, setting goals and love of learning. Perhaps the lunch time chalk art “Path of Encouragement” created by some of the Fire Studio heroes sums it up better than I ever could through words:
