As we embark on a new school year at Acton Academy East Bay, we're filled with excitement and anticipation for the journey ahead. Our heroes will dive deeper into their learning adventures, embracing growth, challenges, and discovery. This year, we’re emphasizing our core values through studio contracts, which will guide each learner's commitment to their personal and communal growth. By signing these contracts, heroes take ownership of their learning environment, fostering responsibility, respect, and accountability. With character-building badges like Gratitude, Courage, and Servant Leadership, we'll nurture curiosity, intentionality, and empower learners to explore their unique paths. Here’s to a year of learning boldly and growing into the best versions of ourselves!
We are proud of our Eagles for their hard work and perseverance to start off our new school year strong!
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Sparks Studio
Session 1 Newsletter
Tuesday, August 20 - Friday, September 27, 2024
Hello Acton Friends and Family!
Session 1 was filled with new beginnings, thoughtful planning, and system development for Sparks Eagles. From building the tribe, to getting into a daily rhythm, to finalizing our studio contract, Sparks helped kick-off our first session this year with so much input and enthusiasm. We are so proud of the hard work they put into making this first session a success.
Systems and Contract Building
Sparks put a lot of thought and energy into developing the guardrails and contracts that guide our studio learning. They have helped create a studio job chart, a studio contract, a list of Rules of Engagement, a Peace Table, and a process for earning stars and dollars. Sparks understand that these systems have been created to help make our studio a peaceful place so as to be able to truly enjoy learning.
Build A Tribe Quest
Session 1’s Build a Tribe quest had Sparks working together to create their very own music video. They all danced and sang along to the song “Surface Pressure” from the movie “Encanto”. Sparks worked hard to create their own props and costumes for this quest.
Building a tribe involved Sparks discussing what it means to work together as a team and how teamwork is a whole group effort. They shared ideas with each other to make their music video come to life. Sparks rehearsed their video many times to create a flow that would have them in sync with each other. They also helped each other make their characters come alive through ideation, imagination, and creation.
Character Badges
Sparks have been learning how we are all on a Hero’s Journey and that involves developing our character. They have been learning about a variety of character traits that heroes must have in order to successfully fulfill each quest that they embark upon. During our first session, Sparks began learning about traits such as courage, kindness, wisdom, love, and patience.
CORE
Sparks have worked hard during their daily CORE work periods to build into their reading, writing, and math skills. This spans the development of basic letter and number recognition, to more advanced language comprehension and solving of mathematical problems. While some Sparks are working on sounding out words and gaining number sense, others are using their critical thinking skills to solve complex word riddles and practice addition, subtraction, multiplication, and some division. A number of our Sparks are also working on their understanding of fractions, time, and basic units of measurement.
Sparks are excited to begin using computer programs during Session 2 CORE work times. This is an opportunity for Sparks who show interest in computer learning to enhance their CORE skills with additional practice. Sparks have been using Scholastic and K5 Learning materials during their CORE time, and now they will be able to utilize computer learning programs during CORE time as well.
Discovery Time
Discovery time occurs in the afternoons for Sparks. This is an opportunity for our Sparks to use the enriching materials in our studio to build into their core skills. From using letter blocks to build words, to matching word cards to their corresponding pictures, to solving mathematical equations with an abacus, to matching three-dimensional shapes to their names, Sparks are getting a ton of hands-on experiences that reinforce their core work.
Writers Workshop: North America
Sparks Eagles learned about the continent of North America this session. They played games to familiarize themselves with the world map, read about various animals and famous landmarks throughout the region, and wrote in their journals about their findings. Sparks also spent time creating maps of the United States. Many of our Sparks labeled their maps with the names of the states, and some added capitals as well.
Sparks have been using beautiful wooden maps of the world, as well as continent-based booklets, to write and draw about what they are learning in geography. Each session will introduce a new world continent.
Physical Education
Sparks have been loving their physical education time in our gymnasium. We have been going four days a week and always begin with our gym leader directing the group in a variety of stretches and warm-up activities. After that we spend time developing basic volleyball skills and playing a myriad of games. These games can be just Sparks, or can include ES and MS as well. Sparks love games such as “Duck-Duck-Goose” and “Red Light, Green Light” among themselves. Sparks have been able to join older studios for volleyball games, “Four Corners”, “Sharks and Minnows”, “Capture the Flag”, and Nerf wars.
Music
In Music class with Ms. Prezleigh, Sparks have been learning about Country music. They attend their music class every Friday morning for an hour and have been gaining basic musical knowledge, as well as practicing a select few songs in the Country genre. Sparks have been learning about a handful of specific artists, and their contributions to the music industry.
Art
Sparks have been loving their time in our Create studio on Friday afternoons as an opportunity to hone their artistic abilities. They have been learning about how to add detail to their illustrations, how to take their time to enhance their creativity, and how to follow directions when needed. Sparks have enjoyed art projects such as watercolor painting, self-portrait direct draws, and collaborative geometrical sketches.
Field Trip: Oakland Zoo
Our Eagles took a field trip to the Oakland Zoo. Here they were able to gain more understanding of various habitats and how to better care for our plants and animals. Sparks were able to observe wildlife from all over the globe, as well as to participate in a scavenger hunt in the zoo’s California Conservation Habitarium that extended their knowledge of our natural habitats. Some of our Sparks even earned trading cards for their participation.
Family Welcome Back Night
Our Family Welcome Back Night was such a wonderful time to connect across studios with other learners and their families. From a delicious catered dinner to ice-breaker games, to Eagles sharing what they have been learning, to a concert led by our music guide, the evening was filled with excitement of the new year.
Exhibition
Eagles worked hard to prepare for the first session’s exhibition day. Sparks prepared their hero boards, displayed their core work binders and writer’s workshop journals, shared their lip dub music video, and received a string of badges for the hard work they have put in so far this year.
Closing Statements
We are proud of our Sparks for their hard work, determination, and efforts to grow throughout our first session this school year. We hope all of our Eagles enjoy their break and we look forward to seeing them back soon for Session 2!
Elementary Studio
Session 1 Newsletter
Tuesday, August 20 - Friday, September 27, 2024
Hello Acton Friends and Family!
We had an exciting start to the year at Acton Academy East Bay! We kicked off with a crossing the threshold ceremony that welcomed the Eagles as they embarked on their Hero's Journey. Once inside their sacred studio, our independent learners began to build their community. They created contracts and established guardrails to ensure a supportive learning environment, empowering them to tackle any challenges that lie ahead.
Systems and Contract Building
The first order of business for the Eagles in this session was to create a fully functioning community. This initiative fosters an environment where each learner takes responsibility for their education and feels a sense of pride in their studio. They began by developing a Studio Contract that outlined the promises they made to each other and their guide, emphasizing excellence through a growth mindset. Through discussions, voting, and experimenting with ideas, they refined their contract and celebrated its completion with a signing ceremony at the Exhibition.
Additionally, the Eagles formed a committee to maintain a clean and organized studio by assigning specific tasks for Studio Maintenance. This promotes a sense of ownership and responsibility. They also established Rules of Engagement to cultivate an optimal learning environment, debating what is acceptable during Socratic discussions and group activities. By creating these community systems, the Eagles are building a vibrant learning space where they feel comfortable and motivated to thrive.
Build a Tribe Quest
This session’s quest was “Build a Tribe”. The main focus of this quest was to cultivate a sense of teamwork and unity within the group. The Eagles’ main project for this quest was to create Lip Dub that would be entered into a Film Contest and shown at the Exhibition. Many steps were taken in creating their Lip Dub that required them to work together.
They started their process by casting votes on which song they wanted to use that would best showcase a “Hero's Journey”. Then they practiced the lyrics and decided who would be doing each part of the song. After days of planning, they took on the task of rehearsing, building their set, gathering props, and creating costumes. Once they had their last day of filming, they voted on the best shot. To wrap up, they dove deep into the editing process to make sure it was just right to be shown at Exhibition. All of these steps taught the Eagles how to see things from start to finish and all the planning and collaborating that goes along with making a product to be proud of.
“My favorite thing about the session was our Lip Dub because it was so fun to make.”
-Justice 3rd grade
The Hero: Writers Workshop
During this session, the Eagles wrote three different poems on their favorite topics: a free verse, a haiku, and an ode. They were encouraged to be creative with their descriptions and practice using metaphors. After drafting their poems, they engaged in the processes of revising, editing, and proofreading. They also formed an editorial committee to provide warm and constructive feedback on each other's work. Once finalized, each Eagle paired their poem with artwork to enhance their poetic expression. At the Exhibition, they had the opportunity to recite one of their favorite poems in front of an audience.
Writing Excerpts
‘Ode to My Heart’ by Kaiden
Heart to heart
you're a superstar
keeping me alive
making me overdrive
shine bright like a diamond
making sure I can survive the water of an island
when I get sad
you get worried
that's how I know
you know the rest
even when I do my worst
you body me so much
like a moon in the dust
Haiku by Cameron
‘Nature’
Nature is dark green
Nature is not always green
Nature is dark now
Fundamental Learning Programs
Eagles kicked off their daily CORE fundamental programs in math, reading, vocabulary, grammar, spelling, and typing. They utilized Journey Tracker, our online tool, to establish their starting points for the year and set weekly goals. This dashboard helped them monitor their progress and create SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Tough). By fostering accountability and self-management, the Eagles built confidence as they achieved their goals and developed essential soft skills.
Physical Education
During this session, the Eagles had a great time staying active in their PE class. Each class began with a dynamic stretching routine to warm up and prevent injuries. Then, the Eagles engaged in speed and agility drills, followed by practicing skills specific to that day's featured game. For example, on volleyball days, they focused on serving, while on soccer days, they worked on passing. The session culminated in a game of volleyball, soccer, kickball, and other activities.
Weekly, they enjoyed practicing new stretches and drills. Additionally, they continued to develop skills in the game of volleyball such as teamwork, passing, and targeting. Through collaboration and communication, the Eagles had successful games together, which strengthened their confidence and physical development.
Family Welcome Back Night
Our Family Welcome Back Night was fantastic! The evening was filled with group games that helped everyone get to know one another, along with impressive demonstrations from our independent learners showcasing their academic programs. Our community enjoyed a delicious catered dinner, and we were treated to a beautiful concert by our music guide, Ms. Prezleigh, featuring her original songs.
Parents also made commitments to support their Eagles on their Hero’s Journey by signing the Parent Contract. This agreement fosters a partnership between parents and guides to help learners overcome any challenges they face. The night concluded with the premiere of Acton’s new promotional video, highlighting the wonderful experiences at Acton, featuring our Eagles and their families.
Exhibition
To conclude the last week of the session, each studio collaborated to plan their Exhibition. They met to create schedules, itineraries, and draft scripts for their chosen roles. Setting aside time to practice allowed them to refine their presentations and gain confidence in their delivery. The Eagles enjoyed showcasing their poems, receiving their hard-earned badges, and premiering their Lip Dub in front of their parents. Exhibitions provide a fun opportunity for the Eagles to work together across studios while honing their public speaking, organization, time management, and event planning skills.
Field Trips
This session the Eagles had the opportunity to enjoy a field trip to the Oakland Zoo. It was a great experience for them to bond together and explore all the wildlife. The Eagles particularly enjoyed the chimpanzees, the 120-year-old tortoise, and getting to ride the Gondola to see all the new attractions. Going through the zoo together the Eagles were able to bond over shared interests and amazement.
Music
Each Friday morning, the eagles met with Ms. Prezleigh for Music. Ms. Prezleigh has been taking them on a musical journey to learn about all the different genres of music. In this session, they focused on Country music and have been learning a few iconic songs in this genre. As they go through and explore the world of country music they get to practice their songs and learn more about the artists and how their music impacted the music industry. This allows the Eagles to explore more of their creative side and uncover some hidden talents as they learn and sing along.
Conclusion
Session 1 flew by with a whirlwind of activities and excitement! The Eagles started the year brimming with enthusiasm and anticipation for all they could achieve. Let’s maintain that energy as we embrace new challenges and opportunities ahead.
Congratulations to our community for a successful Session 1! Now it’s time to relax and reset for Session 2. Wishing everyone a wonderful and restful week!
Middle School Studio
Session 1 Newsletter
Tuesday, August 20th, 2024 to Friday, September 27th, 2024
Hello Acton Friends and Family!
The Eagles spent these last six weeks of Session 1 working together to create new foundations in the tribe’s studio culture and community for the rest of the year. It has been an eventful time for the Middle School crew but their work has left an outstanding impression. What they do here at Acton is amazing. In this session, our Quest took the Eagles on a journey through a series of team-building games coinciding with activities where they reflected on their own attributes, strengths, and core values. Our Genre topic allowed the independent learners to write about the heroes who motivated them, and to envision how they one day can become a hero themself.
Crossing the Threshold
On day one, our Eagles participated in the Welcoming Ceremony, an event that serves as the start of a Hero’s Journey. Before crossing over the line into the studio, they made a promise to transform their world and commit to their Hero’s Journey. This moving ceremony showed their bravery and their courage to embark on their educational journey and take on the year with a new perspective and fresh eyes.
Genre: Hero's Essay
Acton Academy East Bay emphasizes the importance of communication through powerful writing. As Eagles develop strong writing skills, they can organize and express their thoughts more clearly and concisely. This session’s Genre allowed our Eagles to reflect on their heroes and the impact those they admire have on their lives. Their writing pieces included personal anecdotes from their life experiences, as well as a promise to themselves as they embark on their journey. After creating their writing pieces, they designed Hero Boards with photographs of their role models alongside quotes that they find important to their lives. From practicing growth mindset skills, learning about their strengths and weaknesses, and even writing their epitaph, our Eagles discovered how their traits play a role in all aspects of their lives, beginning to end.
Quest: Build-A-Tribe & Plan-A-Trip
Each year, our Middle School Eagles complete the Build-A-Tribe & Plan-A-Trip Quest. The Build-A-Tribe Quest included a series of fun challenges and games, which had them experience firsthand the importance of being part of a strong and united tribe with an effective studio culture. The Build-A-Tribe Quest focused on developing Acton Systems such as Eagle Bucks and using positive communication skills as a tribe. Throughout the session, our Eagles worked to develop the Student Contract, a sacred document that unites them and reminds them to hold themselves and each other accountable in a respectful manner.
At the beginning of the session, our Eagles started their work on the Lip-Dub Challenge, a worldwide competition throughout the Acton Academy network. Each Studio uses a combination of music and performance to showcase studio culture. Working on their Lip-Dub gave them the opportunity to develop communication skills, work together through the production process, and meet the submission deadline for the Acton Academy Film Festival. Our Heroes chose the song, “When Will My Life Begin” from the Disney movie Rapunzel. Although we did not win, the Lip-Dub project paved the connections between the Eagles in the studio as they worked together as a tribe on the project. Tied by humor and creative problem-solving, the Eagles came out the other side of this project closer together and stronger as a team.
To watch the Middle School Lip-Dub, click here.
Plan-A-Trip is the unique opportunity Acton Academy East Bay offers the Middle School Eagles to plan and present a trip to Acton families that will decide where the Eagles will go during the Spring session. This is presented at our end-of-session Exhibition where a vote will take place to choose a city to explore and learn from.
