Session 3 Week in Review - Week 12

Zoom Gatherings

Our Zoom Gathering on Monday was a bit wacky and very creative! Learners were tasked with collaborating with a group to create a totally unique creature, along with details of its habitat, diet, and physical features. Groups came up with some truly creative creatures! Tuesday’s launch was a heated debate on whether or not learners think that people should read the book or the movie versions of popular stories first. We heard some strong arguments on both sides, and a few learners even changed their minds by the end of the debate! Wednesday’s launch was Part 1 of a skill-builder on the Analyze modality. Learners made comparisons with Dystopian elements from The Giver and their own country’s government. Thursday’s launch was about a young change maker named Greta Thunberg. Our discussion centered around scenarios based on Greta’s story surrounding staying true to your message and voice vs caving to pressure from critics and a changing world.

Some highlights from Zoom Gatherings this week included:

  • Congrats to the group who created the Dinosaur Pizza Fish creature for winning 20 house points each!

  • Such a fun discussion about books vs movies, and why each group has the preference they have

  • Thought provoking and insightful  questions and responses to the Socratic discussion questions

Week 12 Highlights

This week brought milestone achievements, new beginnings, and strong momentum as learners continue to push themselves toward excellence!

  • College & Mastery Milestones: Huge congratulations to Shriya and Amara for completing their Featured 5 Mastery Credits to excellence while submitting their first round of college applications! Extra high fives to Amara, who joined FSO and the Mastery Transcript system this year; she took on a steep learning curve with determination and persistence and finished strong. We’re so proud of both of you!

  • Steady Leadership: A big thank-you to Ayub and Lucia for their consistency in reviewing work submissions. Your dependability keeps the studio flowing smoothly and ensures everyone gets the feedback they need.

  • Yearbook Club Approved: Shoutout to Tai for getting the Yearbook Club officially approved! We’re excited to start capturing memories and moments that reflect the creativity and spirit of FSO this year.

  • Welcome to Anna:  A warm FSO welcome to our newest learner, Anna! She’s already fitting right in and adding her energy and ideas to the community.

  • Aiming for Excellence:  During check-ins this session, most learners committed to showcasing a final product at the upcoming Session 3 Exhibition rather than a progress update - an amazing response to the feedback from last session. Learners are keeping their growth right in the sweet spot of the challenge donut—pushing themselves in healthy, courageous ways!

This community continues to impress with its resilience, leadership, and commitment to mastery. Keep up the amazing work, FSO!

Family Conversation Starters:

  • What’s one thing you can take away about perseverance from Shriya or Amara’s example?

  • How does it feel to set a goal to present a final product at Exhibition instead of a progress update? Which final product have you chosen and why?

  • What kind of memories do you hope to capture in this year’s Yearbook?

  • How do you know when you’re in your personal “sweet spot” of challenge: not too easy, not too hard?

Tyler Thigpen