Our First Year

Week 13

This week has been a flurry of activity! We worked hard on planning out our exhibition. We spent our quest time focusing on creating a valuable experience for our families that joined us. The eagles were excited to show all their work and really shined in getting ready.   For specials this week during music we started working on some more complex music and practiced some harmonica. We also have been learning about percussion and playing "in time".   In art we created a Christmas tree that many of you saw at the exhibition. The Eagles decorated this tree for a public exhibition at the Belknap Mill so look for it there in December. Please see the attached flyer below with info about the Light Up Laconia Festival on Dec. 1st when all of the community trees will be unveiled!   In PE we worked on skill and health-based fitness working balance, agility, strength and endurance. Miss Sheri really pushed us this week and the Eagles were tuckered out at the end of the class.   We spent some time on Lockes Hill for adventure day but the trail was very icy so the Eagles and Mr. TJ decided to head back to the studio a little early.   The Eagles also had a turkey building competition with Oreos. The Eagles decided on the materials and the rules and then went to work. The competition had 2 parts: Most creative and most turkey-like.   Thank you to everyone who joined us at the exhibition! The Eagles were very excited to show their new skills and tour everyone around Acton Athens.   This week Vivian earned her first badge!! She has accomplished Math 1 - well done!   This has been Leiyla's last week with us. She brought in an ornament-making craft for all of us to do on Thursday and we had a blast. Today we all gave her notes with gratitude and well-wishes for her next Hero's Journey.       Vivian gets her first badge!!!

Week 12

This week in Writer's Workshop we published our poems! We look forward to sharing our poems with you at the exhibition. Most Eagles chose to do a free verse and the creativity flowed. We also had a nice discussion about whether or not music and songs are poetry. We would listen to a few lines of a song and then the Eagles would move to one side of the room or the other depending on if they were voting that the song was a poem or not.   During civilizations this week we discussed Western Africa and The Middle Kingdom of Egypt. The discussions on right of rule and dynastic ideals were very interesting. The Eagles agreed that you shouldn't have a right to rule the people simply because your Father had ruled before you.   During quest this week we had a launch discussion topic on the nature of reality. Some fascinating ideas were brought forward by the Eagles. We even dived as deep as to talk about time and how we move through time. We discussed what exactly is the present? We were very impressed with some of the comments brought forward on that heavy topic.   Gym was back on this week and the Eagles played games with big balls. One game was called "Have a ball" and they sure did! At music we played songs on the pianos, harmonicas and ukuleles. In art we completed our kaleidoscopes so look forward to seeing those coming home at some point.   At the end of last Friday (after we had sent the newsletter) we had our SECOND badge ceremony! Nolan earned the Character's Trait Badge! We look forward to awarding more badges as the Eagles become confident and focused on their goals during Core Skills.

Finishing the Kaleidoscopes with Ms. Sanni!

Harmonicas and Ukuleles

Nolan's Badge Ceremony!!

DEAR time! (Drop Everything And Read)

Week 11

This week has been exciting and fun. For adventure we got the garden ready for winter by cutting down the raspberries, then we went to Bartlett Beach park and played on the tower there. The Eagles enjoyed playing a game of our own devising called pyramid tag. It was very fun. We also had a chance to go to Ahern Park on Thursday since the rain held off! The Eagles loved climbing a HUGE rock that we discovered just off the trail.   During Writers Workshop we discussed weather or not the words "good" and "bad" should be eliminated from our vocabulary. We talked about how those words do not adequately describe anything and that instead we should be using more descriptive words in our communications.   At music we spent time playing Ukuleles. The eagles worked together to play a song each striking a chord. They worked hard to learn the chords. The Eagles have been learning a lot about music and we have noticed their growth of understanding each time we go back to The Music Clinic.   During Civilizations we heard a story about ancient China and we discussed if a Dynasty is a fair and just way of ruling a society or if you shouldn't become the ruler simply because you were born into the Royal family.   During Art this week we worked on building our own kaleidoscopes. It is quite a process and we will continue working on it next week.    During our Acton Athens Quest the Eagles continue to earn gold coins for their hand-made artifacts and Socratic discussions (we especially enjoyed discussing whether our leaders should be 'stoic' or not).

Week 10

We have had an eventful week. During music we worked on playing the harmonicas and also learned to play spooky music on the pianos. During Art, Ms. Sanni taught the Eagles how to do the square knot and to start making macrame.   We went to a park on Lake Winnisquam this week and played on a really cool jungle gym. One of our Eagles was very nervous about climbing up it and accomplished it despite the fear. The encouragement and cheering on the of the other Eagles helped a lot! It was an excellent time and all the Eagles came back to the studio with big smiles.   During Civilizations we read about the Code of Hammurabi, King of Babylonia. It was so interesting to find out that they were the civilization who invented our 24 hr. day and 12 month year - over 3,000 years ago!! The Eagles discussed each rule in the Code to decide if it was just & fair and we had some very interesting discussions. We also read the story of Gilgamesh this week and debated if it is more noble to change yourself by noticing your own flaws or to change by taking advice that others give you. And does it really matter why you change as long as you are becoming a better person? We also talked about the effect, positive and negative, that your friends and peers can have on you.   Gym this week also had a Halloween theme. We played spooky games with Miss Sheri, including wrapping Mr. TJ up as a mummy. The Eagles all came dressed in their costumes on Halloween. We had Optimus Prime, Black Panther, and Captain America at the studio and a mermaid showed up towards the end of the day. Mr. TJ was James Taylor and Ms. Mary was a gypsy. During Writer's Workshop there was a contest to see who could write the scariest, spookiest story. The prize was being able to make cookies on Friday! We ended the day on Halloween with a dance party and board games.   We started the Acton Athens quest this week and it has been a ton of fun. The studio has been transformed into Ancient Greece and the Eagles are learning about daily life in Ancient Greece. We have set up a marketplace, home life, education and enlightenment, and an arts center.

Placing the dinosaurs on the "Time Line"

Art with Miss. Sanni   Learning blowing and breathing techniques to be able to play one note at a time on the harmonica!   Making cookies for Mr. TJ (and to share!)