Week in Review - Week 5
Reminders & Updates
As we wrap up week 5, please take time to review a few important updates and announcements:
Learners are now required to complete 2 Quests, 2 Story Arts, and 2 Civilizations each year to earn those badges (1 credit) for the year. We will be requiring deep learning, excellence, and mastery to approve these badges. Learners, we hope this gives you the time you need to go deep and take your time moving through each project, doing your best work.
We have now have a channel in Slack called #get-help-ask-questions where learners can post school-related questions or ask for help from the community. Learners can post questions and requests here so the post doesn’t get lost in the school-wide channel. Learners may also message Eliza and Chrissy directly.
New Quest, Story Arts, and Civilization modules launched this week! Learners now have access to four new project options, which are:
From Pitch to Profit: The Real-World Business Venture | Quest | 7 Weeks
Flight Lab: Engineer, Fly, Inspire | Quest | 8 weeks
The Great Debate: Historic Trials and Speeches | Civilization | 6 Weeks
The Researcher's Pen | Story Arts | 5 Weeks
New Landing Pages
New landing pages for learners and parents have been published on Headrush! This is a one stop shop, where you can find information all in one place. Eliza and Chrissy will also be posting all important announcements and updates there, so we encourage learners to check this page daily, and parents to check weekly. We hope this helps make finding information more efficient. This would be a great page to bookmark on your device for even easier access!
You can find the landing page by logging into Headrush, clicking on “Home”, and then clicking the small house icon at the top left corner of the page.
Parents ➡️ Parent Studio page
Learners ➡️ Learner Studio page
Zoom Gatherings
This week’s Zoom Gatherings kicked off with the launch of the 2025-2026 House Teams, which included a collaborative House challenge. Congrats to House Azura for the win! Tuesday’s Socratic launch was all about how we respond to open-ended play that doesn’t have a set of rules or guidelines, and how that translates as a metaphor into other areas of our life and self-directness. Wednesday was a long, but hopefully helpful skill-builder on how to properly upload work as evidence in Headrush, and what excellent, mastery work looks like. The week ended with a great launch on the cost of being a changemaker, and the balance needed to juggle visibility and influence to share your message with boundaries and integrity. We talked through scenarios based on a real young changemaker named Marley Dias.
Some highlights from Zoom Gatherings this week included:
Amazing coat of arms designed by each House team
Continued learning on how to best utilize Headrush
Insightful conversations during the Socratic launches
Week 4 Highlights
Learners hit the ground running this week, showing courage, persistence, and leadership as Session 2 takes shape.
Studio Contract in Progress: Learners are getting closer to finalizing their Studio Contract. They’ve entered into meaningful conversations about what truly matters to them and how they want to hold themselves, and each other, accountable.
Growing in Self-Direction: With new systems and platforms, there are always learning curves, but learners are beginning to use the tools and resources available to them, troubleshooting with persistence, and giving valuable feedback to make FSO even more streamlined and efficient.
Session Check-ins: One-on-one check-ins with Guides are underway! These have been rich connection moments, as learners update their badge plans and think critically about the goals they are setting and working towards.
Leadership Opportunities: The first Headrush Ambassador role is in the works! We are excited to open this leadership path, along with other ambassadorships that may count toward the Service Project or Apprenticeship badges. If learners feel they do something exceptionally well and would like to support other FSO learners, start a conversation with Chrissy and Eliza on Slack.
High School Practicals: Senior learner Shriya, presented well evidenced Practicals for Goal Setting & Reflection, Entrepreneurship, and Story Arts. Great job, Shriya!
We are proud of the way learners are embracing Session 2. Learners, finish strong with your weekly goals today, and then take time this weekend to rest and recharge. We can’t wait to see you on Monday!
Family Conversation Starters:
What part of the Studio Contract feels most important to you, and why?
How did you push through a challenge with Headrush or badge work this week?
If you could be an “ambassador” in one area of learning, what would it be?
Which Young Hero story has inspired you the most, and why?
What is one goal you are proud of finishing this week, and one that you want to tackle next week?