Hogswarts-like Houses, Friendship Workshops & More—Session 1 Year 2 is in the books!
Session 1 of our second year is in the books!
Read below for updates from each of our three Studios.
High School Update
“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” -Walt Disney
Session 1 has come to an end. Learners truly showed perseverance this week. Heroes trekked to GA Institute of Technology where they learned about admissions requirements and were able to compare and contrast those requirements to their school of choice. Each day this week learners participated in a dry run in preparation for their first Exhibition. Heroes continued to build their tribe with a number of team builders while working together to make the The Forest School a place they want to be. In addition, Guides introduced middle and high school heroes to “Circles”—a time for TFS learners to come together and talk about ways to develop empathy for others.
Heroes ended their week with a solid execution of the Re-imagining High School Quest. They were able to receive feedback from experts and parents that will now be used to enhance the overall Quest experience. When asked how they feel about the end of their first session, one hero stated, “we feel fulfilled because we accomplished all of the challenges we set for ourselves this session.”
One session down. Six more to go. Onward!
Middle School Update
"We do not learn from experience...we learn from reflecting on experience." -John Dewey
There is a rhythm to learning at The Forest School. We launch into a session with a problem to solve. We spend weeks researching, prototyping, getting feedback, trying, failing, and trying again. Then we showcase what we know in a public exhibition, and invite users and experts to evaluate our product. After the dust settles, we reflect. Heroes ask themselves:
What did I intend to do? What happened? What can I learn? What should I do next time?
We reflect, individually and as a group, on our lessons learned and we celebrate another step in the journey. And then, finally, we rest.
Elementary Update
"Remember, Discipline is the difference between goals and accomplishments." -Jim Rohm
As our first session comes to a close, learners have embraced what it means to be a Forest School hero. They had adventures in team building, worked diligently on Badge Plans, and conquered the very first Exhibition of the school year. To date heroes have built a strong sense of community within the Elementary Studio and solidified this by forming Hogwarts-like Houses. These Houses serve as a place to set goals and hold one another accountable academically and socially. This week, heroes studied Christopher Columbus’ Coat of Arms and how the colors and symbols were chosen. Each group then created a Coat of Arms to embody their House based on the characteristics they felt represented them best. We are pleased to present the following Elementary Houses—Raven Moon, Lagoon, Speckles, and Draglin to the Forest School family.
As heroes thought through what would make a Coat of Arms reflective of themselves, they also had the opportunity to review Exhibition feedback, as well as Studio 360 feedback. This helped heroes to think back over the session about who they are as friends, as Studiomates, and as individuals. It was a great opportunity for heroes to make plans on actionable steps they need to take to become the best versions of themselves! We can’t wait to get back into the *flow* during Session 2 and...bring the thunder!
Enjoy the break!
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