Session 5, Week 4
There are little moments that stand out—the kind you don’t plan for, but you notice right away. It might be laughter during work time, a sudden breakthrough, or a group so locked in they don’t want to stop. Sometimes it’s energy, sometimes it’s focus, and sometimes it’s just the feeling in the room that tells you something is clicking. It’s fun to recognize and highlight those moments, because you know it’s a good day when they start showing up without you having to look for them.
Spark Studio
You know it’s a good day when a guide has to go upstairs to get more math works! Sparks are exploding with confidence in their core skills. They are excited that their skip counting songs are becoming so familiar that they can do harder division problems. The Montessori long bead chains are getting more use than they have all year.
You know it’s a good day when the planned launches and activities seem to fulfill the needs of the heroes. Sometimes we have a great launch planned, but it’s not what the heroes need at the moment so we pivot and adjust. And sometimes – like this week – it is just what they need. With the warmer weather, bright sunshine, and nature burst, heroes were craving more movement activities. Tai Kwon Do has taught us how to focus our minds, eyes, and bodies – and how to break a board! Heroes practiced their focus by balancing a block on their heads while completing various tasks.
You know it’s a good day when learning takes an unexpected turn. The life cycle study shifted into an exploration of the water cycle, sparked by heroes noticing a common need across animals. From experimenting at the water table trying to make water travel from one bin to the other, to observing a puddle outside for over an hour to see the transformation of water going from a liquid to a gas, their curiosity led to rich observations and thoughtful discussions.
You know it’s a good day when creativity connects to real life. Heroes were introduced this week to the artist Clementine Hunter. She had no schooling, but used art later in life to document everyday occurrences. Heroes were challenged to create their own “day in the life” work. It was fun to see the things that stand out to them. It was also fun to see some blend imagination with real memories. The heroes’ creativity is alive!
In the Fire Studio
You know it’s a good day when the studio is chock full of Pi and Pie! Heroes celebrated two weeks of Pi Challenge work by earning a pizza and pudding pie party.
You know it’s good day when the wall is covered in warm-hearted notes from green-clad leprechauns!
You know it’s a good day when school work takes you to a Knex table to create and a sunny park to challenge yourself.
You know it’s a good day when Town Hall becomes a time for heroes to solve a learning-environment problem without any adult intervention or influence. One hero proposed that the collaborative game area should not be a computer work space for Silent Core Skills because of studio focus problems the previous two weeks. Heroes discussed and almost unanimously agreed to increase the studio focus by keeping computers to the desk area.
You know it’s a good day when for the 4th week in a row, the number of heroes who got a “blackout” on their weekly goal bingo sheet was higher than the week before! And this week several heroes were SUPER close to a blackout, too. They are learning each week what kind of effort is needed each day to reach their Thursday goals.
You know it’s a good day when mindset shifts unlock progress. After recognizing struggles with victim thinking, heroes explored the drama triangle and The Empowerment Dynamic, connecting it to a growth mindset. That shift led to deeper focus, stronger choices, and even moments where heroes chose challenge over comfort. During High Point, one hero pointed out that he only wanted to read his book, but decided to be a creator and set it down to work on his math.
You know it’s a good day when resolution becomes proactive. One hero chose to use a resolution room not out of anger, but out of sadness and disappointment—walking away feeling heard and restored. It’s a powerful reminder that growth often shows up in quiet decisions.
You know it’s a good day when things feel a little chaotic—in the best way. As the VEX GO Coding & Robotics Quest approaches Exhibition, the room is filled with collaboration, problem-solving, and creative energy as ideas begin to fully come to life.
You know it’s a good day when the Exhibition Committee chooses to give up part of their lunch to plan, debate, delegate, and write speeches — all while still keeping up with their own individual goals. The ownership and leadership on display has been incredible.
You know it’s a good day when Heroes are confidently syncing their robots to Chromebooks, troubleshooting when something goes wrong, connecting the correct motors to the Robot Brain ports, and even spotting and rewriting glitches in their code to get the exact result they’re aiming for.
You know it’s a good day when every hero is engaged. Whether aiming to complete the full badge or not, each hero found purpose in their work, contributing to a studio-wide sense of excitement and momentum.
You know it’s a good day when heroes help each other (it feels good whether you are on the receiving end or the giving end).
When Spark heroes get to visit the quest. And Fire Heroes get to share what they are working on.
When your imagination is set free to create a compelling story (for quest or creative writing). Heroes aren’t just building robots; they’re writing stories that align with their code and designing scenery to bring their ideas to life.
You know it’s a good day when creativity feels freeing. During Creator Time, alcohol inks allowed heroes to experiment, revise, and let go of perfection—discovering that creativity is as much about process as it is about product.
At its core, you know it’s a good day when the room is filled with energy, problem-solving, creativity, and pride. This week has been all of that and more — and we can’t wait to see it all come together at Exhibition.
In the DELTA STudio
You know it’s a good day when curiosity doesn’t end with the schedule:
A group of heroes chose to stay longer, diving deeper into a Deep Book launch simply because they wanted to keep exploring the ideas.
The heroes didn’t want to leave Landing after school because they were so involved.
You know it’s a good day when conversations matter. A Jolliness discussion took on a life of its own as girls led the conversation, continuing it even after the formal time ended—evidence of engagement and ownership. (I don’t take pictures of those moments! I don’t want to ruin the goodness!)
Heroes want to know how much the boards cost because they enjoyed breaking boards so much during Taekwondo.
You know it’s a good day when there are Legos in the launch.
You know it’s a good day when the community comes together. Fire and Spark heroes are always so excited to join the DELTA heroes for school wide games.
You know it’s a good day in quest when…
heroes are making treats for the whole studio.
The inside of the bus is getting a good scrub down.
A coat of paint is going on the pinball machine.
A hero gets his Python program to work.
The 3D printer gets unclogged after years of sitting dormant.
A hero’s jigsaw skills have reached new heights.
You know it’s a good day when graduated DELTAs return to CHOICE to volunteer.
You know it’s a good day when you can feel it without needing to explain it—when the room is full of effort, curiosity, engagement and pride. This week had a lot of those moments, and they’re the kind that keep building into something bigger.