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2023-2024 Session 7 Newsletter

Writer's picture: Acton Academy East BayActon Academy East Bay

Updated: Oct 2, 2024

Session 7 was packed with events, adventure, and fun for our Eagles. From field trips to the Aquarium of the Bay and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, our Eagles worked hard, played hard, and showed true grit in completing all of their badges.


We are proud of our Eagles for all they accomplished this school year and cannot wait to see them back for the 2024-2025 school year. Have a wonderful summer!


Jump to your Eagles' section of our Studio Blog by clicking here:



 

Sparks



Discovery Time: Marine Biology


Session 7’s Discovery Time put Sparks Eagles into the shoes of marine biologists.  They learned about the formation of oceans, why the seas are salty, and how salt is extracted from the water.  They also discovered the importance of properly recycling and how to care for the ocean to avoid pollution.



Sparks studied underwater creatures and ecosystems, focusing on which creatures reside in each layer of the ocean.  Some of these creatures include clownfish, sea turtles, sharks, and seahorses.  Sparks studied the diets and lifestyles of these creatures and even explored the world of anemones.  Continuing their exploration of underwater life, Sparks studied animals that inhabit coral reefs.  They focused on the lives of hermit crabs, dolphins, whales, jellyfish, and sharks.


 

Writers Workshop: Poetry


Sparks Eagles learned about the lives of poets in this session’s Writers Workshop.  They studied verses, stanzas, and different modes of poetry.  It was exciting to see an appreciation for poetry arise in some of our Sparks as they read poetry together.  They focused on writing about their emotions and centered on confessional poetry. 


 

Aquarium of the Bay


Our Eagles took a field trip to the Aquarium of The Bay to explore different underwater exhibits and sea creature habitats. The Aquarium of the Bay is home to over 24,000 marine animals and allowed our Eagles to deepen their Discovery Time learning. 



Sparks left with even more fascination with the underwater world as they saw creatures like seahorses, sharks, lobsters, and more. They were even able to get hands-on at the touch zone, as they pet sea cucumbers, stingrays, and sea anemones. 




 

Elementary



Architecture Quest


ES Eagles took on the role of architects during Session 7.  They began their Quest by learning about scaling, measurements, and what the life of an architect looks like.  They studied famous architects like Frank Lloyd Wright. They also drew floor plans and elevation sketches for their ideal Acton Academy buildings with their newfound knowledge of scale and measurements. 



ES Eagles built their Acton Academy models on a ¼” scale to make a realistic final project based on their floor plans and blueprints.  After studying different types of architectural styles, they were fully prepared, inspired, and excited to showcase their models.  We are so excited about their creations!



 

Creative Writing: Poetry 



Eagles embraced their creative side in our Creative Writing: Poetry unit.  They began their Writers Workshop by learning about different modes of poetry, including odes, haikus, limericks, and free-verse poetry.  With group discussions of works by Emily Dickinson, E.E. Cummings, and Shel Silverstein, ES Eagles felt very confident in their ability to comprehend and write poetry.



They helped create a journal of the Studio’s best poetry, showcasing everyone’s creativity and talent.  Each Eagle was featured in the journal with genres such as haikus, odes, and free verse.  We loved getting to watch a love for poetry blossom in our ES Eagles.


 

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA)



Our ES Eagles headed to SF MOMA for our Session 7 field trip.  They spent time exploring the Marshall Brown Projects, an exhibit that considers the possibilities of architecture to revitalize areas that have been historically limited. Eagles expanded their architectural knowledge and explored the creativity that comes from developing urban landscapes. 



Our ES Studio left SFMOMA with a greater appreciation for art and an even deeper understanding of modern architecture.  We are so glad they enjoyed their trip! 


 

Middle School



A Year of Memories Quest

This last session of the school year, we handed over all the planning for the End of Year celebrations, slideshows, and yearbooks to our VERY excited, willing, and able Middle School Eagles. 




In this Quest, the Eagles created the yearbook, slideshow, passions video, and even planned the annual end of year celebration. In collaboration with each other, they honed their planning, communication, budgeting, and collaboration skills to accomplish their goals.  The "A Year of Memories Quest" allowed us to pass the baton to our Eagles to show them we have faith in their abilities, leadership skills, creativity, collaboration, and maturity. 




To watch their videos, click the links below: 




 

Write Here, Write Now, Creative Writing Genre


For Genre, the Eagles explored their creative writing skills in the "Write Here, Write Now" project. They wrote three different pieces: flash fiction, an alternate ending to a well-known story, and a persuasive letter describing why their specific Quest should be added to next year's planning.



Scaffolding all the different writing challenges and techniques this year, the Eagles have all made impressive strides in their writing skills and showcased significant progress and creativity. Through structured writing assignments and feedback, they have refined their ability to articulate ideas effectively and worked to build up their technical proficiency and discover the power of their voices, thereby laying a solid foundation in their writing this year. 


 

SF MOMA Field Trip


The Middle School Eagles headed to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SF MOMA) to explore their creativity, expand their knowledge of the Modern Arts, learn about the featured artists, and take creative inspiration from the stories each art piece tells. They had a blast exploring each level and took inspiration from the different forms of art the museum had on display. They especially enjoyed the Oculus Tunnel, Ragnar Kjartansson's installation, The Visitors, and the outdoor living wall. Our Eagles had the opportunity to take creative inspiration from the stories each art piece told and transferred that creativity into their writing. 





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