Session 5, Week 2
This week across the studios, Heroes practiced the art of troubleshooting in many forms. Whether building robots, planning trips, debating big ideas, or solving everyday studio challenges, they leaned on creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and the courage to stand up for their opinions. Sometimes troubleshooting looked like rebuilding a robot from scratch, sometimes it meant asking a friend for help, and other times it meant adjusting a mindset or finding a better system for working together. Through big adventures like our zoo field trip and small daily challenges in the studios, Heroes discovered that problems are often just invitations to think differently.
In the Spark Studio
Our highlight this week was our field trip to the zoo. Because the heroes have been studying animal life cycles—mammals, insects, birds, and more—they arrived with a deeper understanding of what they were seeing. As they walked through the zoo, they excitedly shared facts and vocabulary they had learned during launches. One especially memorable moment was seeing the baby orangutan and discussing how they knew it was a mammal based on the characteristics they had studied.
Several heroes also connected their math work to the field trip. During Montessori work cycle some heroes have been exploring measurements in feet and inches, and at the zoo they used those skills by estimating animal lengths and wingspans.
Back in the studio, one group of heroes used wooden blocks during CHOICE work cycle to design and build a ball run. As they experimented with different designs, they even created a clever slot to store extra balls during the game. Their project required creativity and testing different ideas to make the system work smoothly.
Another group of Heroes has become very interested in working with money during Montessori work cycle. Now that the basic work feels comfortable, they excitedly ask for ways to make it more challenging each day. Instead of avoiding difficulty, they seek it out — adding complexity and pushing themselves further each time.
Heroes also explored how animals reproduce and how those differences help species survive. They compared the life cycles of mammals, insects, and birds, examined different kinds of eggs, and even tried scrambled duck eggs. Curiosity was high as they connected biology lessons with real-world experiences.
In the Fire Studio
As Heroes adjusted to recent schedule changes in Core Skills, some encountered roadblocks with focus, time management, and larger weekly goals. Instead of giving up, they began troubleshooting their own systems — deciding whether it worked better to tackle the hardest task first or warm up with something easier. They also experimented with different seating choices to discover which environment helped them focus best. Sitting quietly next to a friend while working on Writer’s Gym has helped some stay motivated, proving that sometimes the simplest solution to a challenge is working alongside a buddy.
The Fire Studio also began a session-long chess tournament this week. As Heroes played the first rounds of the round-robin competition, they ran into some practical challenges: missing pieces, unfinished games, and time limits. One clever solution was to photograph unfinished boards so the game could be recreated later — a perfect example of simple, creative problem solving.
Town Hall once again proved to be a powerful tool for solving studio challenges. This week Heroes discussed how to shorten discussions so they could address more issues. They decided to hold themselves accountable to an existing boundary: not commenting on announcements or reminders. By choosing together to respect that boundary, they created a more efficient system.
In Quest, Week 2 of VEX GO Robotics brought more advanced builds. Once batteries and motors were introduced, robots suddenly came to life — and with movement came new challenges. Heroes carefully analyzed why gears weren’t engaging or why a robot wouldn’t move, showing impressive persistence. Something special happened during these builds: Heroes who had already solved a challenge seemed to develop “magic ears.” When they heard someone struggling, they rushed over to help inspect the robot and find the issue — often discovering a missing spacer or misplaced rubber band. The studio sounded like a room full of young engineers collaborating.
One powerful moment came from a Hero who became frustrated with a robot build early in the week and took the project apart in tears. Later, when facing another challenge, he accepted help from a Delta Hero and finished the difficult build. By troubleshooting not just the robot but also his mindset, he transformed the outcome.
Because many of the robotics challenges were visual and hands-on, Heroes tried working with upbeat music playing in the background. The studio filled with quiet singing while focused building continued. As some heroes moved quickly through the required robotics builds, most heroes stayed focused and turned their creativity loose. One designed a tractor pulling a trailer, while another placed a robot inside a puppet to make it come to life — showing how imagination can extend beyond instructions.
Robotics also sparked thoughtful philosophical discussions. During launches, heroes debated questions like whether robots could be friends, whether it would matter if we couldn’t tell robots from humans, and who would be responsible if a robot hurt someone. There were strong opinions, respectful disagreement, and thoughtful listening. At one point during robotics work, a spontaneous debate began about the shape of the Earth. While most heroes argued that Earth is round, a few shared their belief that it is flat. The discussion stayed focused on ideas rather than people, demonstrating respectful debate. It was beautiful to listen to.
Troubleshooting showed up in writing too. Last week some Heroes felt stuck and chose drawing instead of writing. This week many returned to their stories and filled half pages or more, quietly pushing through the mental blocks that had slowed them down before.
In the DELTA studio
In the DELTA studio, their individual Quests are bringing opportunities to troubleshoot every day! Creating homemade parts for a fish tank, trying to figure out how to make the shooters of a pinball machine work, making sense of personal research, figuring out how to delineate furniture on blue prints… the atmosphere is full of energy, passion and meaningful work each work time.
Launches this week also stretched the Heroes in different ways. They explored a mathematical dice challenge, experienced a “sound bath” meditation, learned about how the mind works, and tackled a tarp flipping challenge — each activity encouraging teamwork, awareness, and problem solving.
During DELTA Town Hall, Heroes discussed whether they should change their contract or add new promises around cleaning the wood shop and using the gym. After hearing many perspectives, they decided not to add new systems but instead to rely on personal accountability and respect for shared spaces.
Planning the upcoming DELTA trip has been an ongoing exercise in troubleshooting. Heroes are discussing schedules, choosing activities, planning meals, and deciding who will cook and clean. There have been disagreements, compromises, and lots of communication — exactly the kind of real-world decision making the trip is designed to encourage.
Martial arts was a highlight across all studios this week. Heroes practiced discipline, respect, and self-control while learning impressive moves and techniques.
The DELTA studio also helped launch a new “Respect the School” game. After DELTA heroes and several heroes in different studios recognized we could do better taking care of our school, we troubleshooted and designed a game to encourage better care of our school home. Heroes stepped up immediately.
From robotics builds and zoo discoveries to Town Hall decisions and creative studio challenges, this week was full of troubleshooting in action. Heroes are learning that problems are not roadblocks — they are invitations to think, collaborate, and grow.