Session 1, week 2
Studios wrapped up the work of creating the systems and promises they’ll live by this year, and the quests for the session were introduced. Each studio is busy practicing, exploring, and creating, and heroes are excited to dive into more Core Skills time starting next week.
In the spark studio…
Spark heroes got comfortable with being uncomfortable this week. Heroes learned a new tool called I-Messages, which they can use to get their feelings validated as they navigate conflicts with each other. They also learned to work with partners they didn’t know very well, and even took on a challenge to sit with someone new at lunch. New friendships formed as heroes bonded over their similarities and their differences.
After spending the first week just getting to know each other and the studio, heroes started diving into the systems that help Spark Studio run smoothly. They talked as a group about what promises they want to make to each other, and they’ve been experimenting with different approaches to figure out how studio maintenance should actually run.
Heroes are learning to use the studio maintenance materials and practicing how to hold each other accountable to the promises they’ve made.
They also kicked off their Lip Dub video, a great multi-day team building activity that already has heroes working together in a new way.
In the fire studio…
The “quest” during Core Skills this week has been for heroes to finalize their contracts. Over the summer, heroes completed a PIE challenge where they posted dreams they had for their studio this year. In their own words, most heroes dreamed of a studio that was fun, kind, clean, and focused. The past two weeks, they have worked hard to make those dreams a reality. It took some impressive effort over many days, but they did it! Fire Studio heroes have created their Rules of Engagement and Strike (accountability) System for Socratic discussions. They have created and signed their Contract of Promises and Star (accountability) System for studio culture. Finally, they worked together to adopt a Studio Maintenance system. Like the rules of a game make the game more fair and fun for all players, these systems and contracts give heroes boundaries so freedom and fun can flourish. They also give heroes tools to hold each other accountable to the boundaries they chose.
Heroes also participated in MAP NWEA testing, giving guides an overview of strengths and weaknesses as we plan the year for the school as a whole and for individual goals such as starred skills in IXL.
After a compassionate communication launch in quest time, it’s been amazing to catch heroes using I-messages to vocalize their feelings in clear and compassionate ways. They impress us every day, speaking up to honor the promises and guardrails they’ve committed to keep. Emerald also did an amazing job with the fire evacuation drill, staying calm and focused and exiting the building efficiently. Sapphires enjoyed a math activity, jolliness with JeVonne, and Civ with Jeanette.
And heroes voted on a song for Lip Dub, “On Top of the World” by Shawn Mendes, and have started memorizing the lyrics.
As we settle now into our regular schedules, quest time will explore the beauty, wonder, and blessing of the United States of America! We introduced the idea of the American Dream, and the idea that heroes can build and realize dreams for their year, too. Heroes are also spending time visiting and appreciating some of the wonders of our nation–the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and the National Parks–all while working hard to finish the Lip Dub!
Many Emerald heroes are either new to the school this year, or just graduating from Spark into the Fire Studio. We recognize this transition will take time, so we’re keeping things simple, but hopefully impactful, for the first several weeks as heroes establish new systems and routines. They are doing great!
in the delta studio…
Delta heroes had a week full of highlights: heroes practiced Socratic discussion skills, blurps and blurplettes were revealed, the studio held its first Civ and Jolliness, and heroes began their own Lip Dub.
We had a launch about how much easier it is to destroy some things than to build them. To illustrate the point, some heroes tried to build a house of cards while others were secret saboteurs.
This week we revealed the Quest for this session: Microbiology! We’ll be studying the microscopic world of bacteria, fungi, protists, and viruses. Many of the challenges for this quest require time to grow, so heroes got right to it by starting their long-term cultures. To study bacteria, heroes swabbed different surfaces and added them to a petri dish.
To study protists, they created a hay culture.
Some heroes also experimented with baker’s yeast to see how different conditions affect the growth of the microbes.
The gamification of this quest is a trading card game, comparable to Pokemon, and heroes have been trying to earn more cards to add to their decks.
Family rafting trip
Families enjoyed three days of rafting, camping, and playing together near the Snake River. This annual tradition connects new families to our CHOICE community in important ways and strengthens budding hero friendships from their first week of school.
Two weeks in, and heroes across every studio are questing to create something real. The promises and systems they made are giving them the freedom to speak honestly, stay calm under pressure, and dive headfirst into brand new Quests. Whether those Quests mean camping with family, learning about USA landmarks, culturing a petri dish, or making a Lip Dub video, CHOICE heroes are all in!