6/22-6/24
As we finish our first year at CHOICE, we end where we started; high energy, enthusiasm, and fun. But added to that were deep friendships and a year of personal growth.
As they return to the “Ordinary World” for the summer, the Fire Studio reflected on their Hero’s Journey and how they changed this year. Their responses were genuine and inspiring:
“I learned confidence this year.”
“I didn’t like reading, now I do.”
“I can share my own opinion.”
“I like to fail.”
“I have more patience.”
“I can be assertive.”
“I like math.”
“I don’t care what others think.”
“I can do hard things.”
“I’m not afraid to be embarrassed.”
“I’m not afraid to do scary things.”
“I have courage.”
“I like to struggle now.”
Later we came together as a whole school for one final launch and returned to the “seeds of potential” or “apple talk” that we started the year with.
Heroes shared what their seeds have grown into this year. Some of the Spark heroes responses were:
“I have grown into a kinder voice bush”
“A nerd bush… I love to learn”
“A calm bush”
“A reading bush”
“A patient bush”
“A sticking up for people bush”
“A working hard bush”
“A learning a lot bush”
“A not giving up bush”
After this meaningful reflection time, and a deep clean of the studio we were off to play at the park for the afternoon.
And if that playtime wasn’t enough the heroes were all excited to play together again at night. I loved watching them all run around our yard during the end of school party and listen to the shrieks of laughter and joy. They have so much fun together! Here are pictures of a few fun moments together as a whole school throughout the week:
As I reflect upon this school year I am flooded with emotion. There have been high highs and low lows. There has been extreme chaos and quiet moments of deep reflection and growth. There have been tears almost every day. There have been frustrations and triumphs. The heroes learned how to add fractions and how to count to 100. They learned how to read and how to love reading. They learned about electricity, space and gardens. And they Learned to Be. They learned about the type of human beings they want to be. They changed and recognized their changes. They learned to be be more patient with those around them. They learned to help one another and be accountable to one another. The magic of all of this learning is that is has been theirs. The failure is their failure, the triumphs are their triumphs. This is real. This is meaningful.
This first year will never happen again. Thank you for being a part of this special year. I am already planning for and excited for what is to come next year! Enjoy the summer with your family and I’ll see you soon!