Session 7 Week 3
At the start of this year, heroes across all studios took on one big question: “How Do I Become A Great Treasure Hunter?” It was not the kind of question that could be answered in a single day. It had to be lived, session by session, through every question in between: How does 200% help us on our treasure hunt? Urgency or importance? What treasures will you share? How do I fail forward? I’m Lovin’ It! or Just Do It? How do you measure your treasure? Week by week, heroes discovered that the most meaningful treasures are not always the ones you can see right away. The final week of school was a fitting reflection of the journey itself: full of heart, laughter, effort, and a few perfectly imperfect s’more marshmallows.
Monday brought one last chance for schoolwide games. Delta heroes organized and led the fun, and watching all studios come together to play one final time was a gift for everyone.
Tuesday brought Exhibition, and with it a rush of mixed emotions. Families walked through Hero’s Journey boards filled with evidence of an entire year’s worth of growth. Some treasures were obvious: new skills, accomplishments, challenges completed, and goals reached. Others were harder to see but no less valuable: courage, perseverance, friendships, confidence, self-awareness, and the discovery that difficult things can be overcome. After Exhibition, the celebration spilled outside with foam machines and a slip-n-slide, because a year this good deserved a celebration that big.
On Wednesday, grit and kindness showed up in equal measure. Heroes of all ages rocked a deep clean of their studios; everyone chipped in with great attitudes.
After cleaning, studios celebrated in different ways:
Spark heroes enjoyed finger knitting and listening to one of the youngest Spark heroes read a story aloud to the entire studio!
DELTA’s enjoyed some tribe building, one last misogi, and a small trip to Dollar Tree for badge rewards, a small celebration of a big year.
Fire Studio heroes gathered around a fire for one final reflection. Each hero wrote down a dragon: a mindset, a belief, or an internal struggle they had carried this year. They shared it and then placed it into the fire. One hero said:
“I still struggle with what I wrote, but now I know it doesn’t control me anymore.”
That may be one of the greatest treasures of all.
And then we all enjoyed getting a little wet in the sprinkler!
Thursday was the final day, set aside for yearbooks, goodbyes and celebrations. After a few more tears and a lot of laughter, all studios, guides, and families gathered at the park for one last afternoon together. It was fun, warm, welcoming, and exactly the right way to close a year.
When heroes were asked this week to name a treasure they found along the way, the answers said everything. Heroes named learning to stop procrastinating, getting better at math, discovering a love of Khandi bracelets, and finding that hard things really can be done. Friends came up again and again. So did focus, patience, courage, and hope. One hero said:
“When I first went to school I didn’t know about anything, but now I know everything. And my treasure is my friends.”
Another named their treasure as “being able to just do it instead of procrastinating.” One hero named the Hero’s Journey itself. One named companionship. A few said: “math.” One simply said: “Making new friends and bravery.” Others said something similar to: “learning how to not just say, ‘I’ll do it later.’ Just do it!” Several spoke of self-confidence.
Standing back and watching this community enjoy each other this week brought a deep sense of gratitude. Looking at where these heroes started and where they are now, it is clear: they became great treasure hunters this year. They found treasure through challenges, mistakes, hard conversations, new friendships, mentors, leadership opportunities, and dragons they never thought they could face. The beautiful thing about these treasures is that they do not stay behind when the journey ends. Heroes carry them into the next adventure, and they are richer because of it.
What a year it has been. We are so grateful for you. Thank you, heroes – and parents – for showing up, for digging in, for being brave, and for reminding all of us what is possible when you choose to look for the treasure in every part of the journey.