Spark Year 6. Session 2. Week 1.

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The Sparks began Session 2 by reconnecting to their community and revisiting previously made pledges to agreements made and practiced in Session 1.

The Work Cycle

The Sparks practiced the focus and flow they had exercised in the first session. Learners celebrated the outcomes of attempting challenging works, bringing attention to new skills with reflections such as, “I can now multiply by 2s in my head!”.

          

The Season

The Spark learners dove into observing and reflecting on the natural world around them, noticing that fall had arrived because the leaves were on the ground and the bees and wasps had flown away. Learners explored why leaves change colors, first challenging themselves to find out independently before examining the facts together. This natural occurrence was reviewed further by taking a magnified look at the fallen leaves and recording their observations during the Friday activity.

 

 

 

The Spark Contract

The Sparks finalized their studio contract this week, revisiting its agreements, signing, and displaying their commitment above where their circle gathers so they can refer to it when needed. In celebration of their pledge and to solidify their commitment, the Sparks added a fresh handprint to the Ascent Community tree.

 

Spark Year 6. Session 1. Week 1.

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Welcome Sparks!

This week, the Sparks launched their new year with curiosity and excitement as they explored their various environments, making observations inside the studio and outside in Spark Play. Returning learners delighted in reuniting with one another and welcoming their new fellow travelers to Ascent. The learners expressed their existing and newly found connections by helping new learners work the water pump, creating a friendship chain and Spark collage to display in their studio, expressing care with a thoughtful check-in when a bump occurred, and relishing in their Friday dance party. The Sparks quickly shared their unique gifts as they adapted to their shared space, quickly flowing into their daily rhythm as their community formed.

 

                     

 

Spark Year 5. Session 7. Week 6.

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The final weeks of Session 7 led to a thoughtful reflection on Ascent’s Question of the Year: “What Voice Does a Hero Listen To?” bringing into focus Sparks’ exploration of the power of their inner voice and voice of gratitude, service, creativity, and determination that occurred over the year.

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During the last week of the session, the Ascent Community gathered for the Celebration of Heroes to honor all Explore, Discovery, and Spark learners. At this joyful event, each Spark received recognition to celebrate and symbolize their growth, strong connection to, and stewardship of the world around them.

As a culmination of their exploration of landforms, the Spark learners collectively built, painted, and then erupted their own volcano.

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The week rounded out as Sparks joined the Discovery and Explore learners for lunch and their annual campus-wide Water Day, a beloved annual tradition at Ascent.

   

Congratulations to the Spark Learners for a year filled with growth, connection, and learning.

Spark Year 5. Session 7. Week 3.

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After an Early Summer Break, Session 7 started with electric energy. The learners welcomed a change in their schedule by “flipping the sandwich,” welcoming a morning Spark Play to beat the heat. The Sparks explored the orchard, taking notice of the emergence of more creatures, which inspired the desire to build houses to protect them.

As the summer drew near, the learners turned their focus to landforms they encountered over the break, were eager to explore upon the year’s commencement, or were keen to delve deeper into. The Sparks pored over books showcasing landforms from their own country and the wider world, their excitement evident as they worked with continent and biome maps. Even in their Friday fun activities, such as coloring and word searches, their enthusiasm for these natural wonders shone through, bringing the formations to life in their own unique way.

 

As part of their Grace and Courtesy practice, Sparks deepened their understanding of how to address and solve problems as a community. Learners brought forward issues they observed and addressed them as a group, coming up with and trying out their solutions.

As the session progressed, the Sparks continued to welcome and draw inspiration from their Discovery Reading Buddies. They not only enjoyed the stories shared by their buddies but also took the initiative to create their own narratives. The joy and pride in their creative endeavors were evident as they shared their favorite books with their fellow learners, fostering a sense of camaraderie and a love for storytelling.

 

In celebration of the halfway point of the session, the Spark learners ended the third week relishing a festive dance party, which included music provided by the Spark Band.

 

Spark Year 5. Session 6. Week 5.

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As the session flowed, the Spark learners continued contemplating the creative arts through an exploration of sculpture and painting. In week three, the learners leaned on their understanding of the various aspects of a theatrical production by sculpting props for their “Theatre in a Box.” Week four brought about an opportunity to bring their props to life by detailing them with paint and placing them in their boxes. To round out the session, the Sparks will add the finishing touches to their production, bringing their focus to the story they will share with their fellow Explore and Discovery travelers.

During the process of forming “Theatre in a Box” groups for their productions, Spark practiced the Grace and Courtesy of inviting others to join, responding to the request, and, if needed, expressing their desire to work independently.

Continuing this session, Spark learners enhanced their reading and listening skills by teaming up with Discovery “reading buddies”. The Sparks demonstrated Grace and Courtesy by taking turns to decide who would be paired with a Discovery learner. Inspired by their peers, Spark learners also took the initiative to support each other as reading buddies.

During week five, Sparks had the opportunity to explore the wonders of space by visiting a mobile planetarium in their very own yurt. This experience has inspired Sparks to further delve into the subject, with a focus on the landforms that exist on planets within the Milky Way galaxy.

Throughout the session, Spark Play included harvesting and preparing the fruits gifted by the orchard. Learners picked, cleaned, and cut peaches before cooking them into a delicious jam. In the final week, they will celebrate their efforts alongside Explore learners, who will make and provide the oatmeal biscuits for their feast.

 

 

Spark Year 5. Session 6. Week 2.

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Following their Spring Break, Sparks dove into Session 6 with welcoming energy, joyfully expressing gratitude for being back together. The learners shared reflections on their time away, practicing their Grace & Courtesy lesson of listening with their eyes and ears when another shared their experience.

Sparks delved into the world of creative arts this week, exploring a variety of new works in the studio. As part of their journey, they explored the intricacies of theatrical plays and musicals, discovering the collaborative effort that goes into such performances, learning about the cast and crew. The learners, filled with anticipation, shared their past experiences and eagerly looked forward to their upcoming field trip to the Zach Theatre for a performance of “The Story of Frog and Toad”.

Week one was a testament to the learners’ commitment to environmental stewardship. In a joint effort with Explore learners, they celebrated Earth Day by showcasing their gardening skills and planting herbs and flowers in their courtyard. This act of responsibility and care for the Earth filled them with a sense of pride and accomplishment, which will be further nurtured as they harvest the herbs later in the session.

During week two, learners continued preparing for their field trip by exploring the beloved story, paying close attention to the celebration of friendship modeled by Frog and Toad. Finally, Thursday arrived, and learners embarked on their adventure to the Zach Scott Theatre. They shared songs and laughter on the bus ride to and from, reflecting on their favorite characters, a group favorite, the Snail mail person.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Friday, the Sparks showcased their creativity by designing characters and creating backgrounds for their upcoming “Theatre in a Box” project. They will present this project to the Ascent community later in the session. The learners expressed their gratitude by writing letters to the cast and crew of “The Story of Frog and Toad,” which they will mail next week.

Spark Year 5. Session 5. Week 5.

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As we approached the end of the session, the Spark studio focused on preparing themselves and their space for another “Work with Me” exhibition. Parents and caretakers were welcomed into the studio, where their learners led them through a workflow—lessons on animal research, compound words, and watercolor painting were amongst some of the works the Sparks felt were in their “challenge zone,” which they proudly showed to their guests.

                   

For grace & courtesy practice, the Sparks have engaged in a new circle time discussion- “Talk about it Tuesday.” Learners can sign up to lead a discussion around something they feel needs the studio’s attention and support. Following guardrails, cleaning up works correctly, and treating materials with respect are some of the discussions that have already been had, with many Sparks eagerly bringing ideas forward, something anticipated each Tuesday moving forward.

After the Spring equinox, the Sparks have been exploring the ever-changing outdoors at Spark Play. Learners are taking nature walks, observing peaches starting to grow, and discussing the many possibilities (pies and ice cream are top contenders thus far). Learners are also creating bug hotels and animal rescue centers as the critters they share on their campus come up to say hello.

Spark Year 5. Session 5. Week 3

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As the session continues, the Spark learners were given a wonderful opportunity to embrace the growing excitement around learning how to read. They were paired up with “reading buddies”, which is a rotating group of Discovery learners who are also working towards their own badges. At the beginning of the week, a Discovery learner presented this idea to the Sparks. The Spark learners then signed up to have a Discovery friend either read to them or assist them with their own reading. The studio was filled with excitement and creativity, sparking wonder and curiosity into the adventure that is reading.

      

The grace and courtesy practice for the week focused on conversations around citizenship, specifically kindness and self-awareness. The learners practiced reading stories, making tea, practicing yoga, and joining in collective breath work to deepen their understanding of these topics.

           

Spark Play included a variety of weather conditions, from sunny days requiring sunglasses and hats to rainy days needing raincoats and umbrellas. The Sparks built various structures based on the weather, such as ice cream shops to beat the heat and animal shelters to rescue lost “pets” stuck in the rain. Finally, the Ascent camping trip began on Friday, and learners eagerly embarked on their adventure.

Spark Year 5. Session 5. Week 1

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As the session kicked off, the Sparks were excited to see changes in their space: new indoor and outdoor works, fresh tile, and their very own zen garden. Learners received lessons for new works surrounding their enrichment this session- Zoology! Some new works they enjoyed include making butterflies, sorting habitats, and creating different biome maps. To end the first week back, the Sparks watched an educational video about insects to accompany their Friday craft of creating bugs out of clothespins, which supported them in strengthening their fine motor skills like cutting, measuring, and gluing, as well as enhancing problem-solving skills used to research different bugs and their ecosystems.

                    

As part of their Grace & Courtesy practice, the Sparks continued their exploration of the concept of citizenship – what it means and how it feels. Sparks experienced books about responsibility, kindness, and honesty to support discussions around these character traits, emphasizing that being an exceptional citizen is not solely based on one’s identity but rather on the choices one makes through one’s actions. The learners have been practicing newfound language within their community to express feelings and commend their fellow travelers for being helpful citizens.

Sparks were introduced to a new “play plan” concept to guide their loose parts play. Learners spent a few minutes before starting play, using drawings and/or words to plan what they wanted to build and with what materials during their Spark Play time.  During their reflection circle, learners compared their plans to what they did at Spark Play and shared any changes that had occurred.

When Friday rolled around, their weekly dance party had the Sparks grooving into the weekend, celebrating their hard work throughout the week.

Have a great weekend!

Spark Year 5. Session 4. Week 5.

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As we head towards the end of the session, the Sparks spent their week exploring citizenship- what it means, why it’s important, and who they’ve observed being kind citizens. We read “What if Everybody Did That?” by Ellen Javernick and reflected on one person’s impact on a whole community. Learners joined in discussions about citizens in their community- police officers, firefighters, and doctors were mentioned for their teamwork and helpfulness towards others. They then reflected on good citizens they knew in their day-to-day lives; parents, siblings, and friends were called out for being kind. When Friday rolled around, Spark learners had an opportunity to color worksheets highlighting citizenship and made cards for citizens in the Discovery and Explore studios that they admire.

      

During Spark Play this week, the Sparks focused on citizenship within themselves and their studio- working together to build castles, being kind and helpful by getting bandaids and ice packs for hurt friends, and rolling up their sleeves to clean up, keeping our community clean and safe. Friday’s dance party was a hit, with Discovery learners joining in, moving and grooving together into the weekend.

       

Have a great weekend!