This week in Spark was filled with curiosity, growth, and wonder. Sparks started each day eagerly gathering together to listen to Mr. Tom’s Spark Play broadcast, getting curious about our loose-parts play materials, and learning how to support one another in our clean-up. They welcomed their first rainy day with rain gear in tow, crafting shelters out of big parts and engineering mini flash floods in the sand pit; building connections along the way.

     

During the work time, curiosity grew as learners were introduced to new works, and practiced old works with friends. Circle Times were filled with discussions around kindness, inviting the Sparks to dig deeper into how to “sprinkle kindness” on situations that arise throughout their day. Learners shared stories of how they had shown kindness to others as well as times they received kindness themselves.

           

This Friday, the Spark learners were invited to join the Explore learners as guests in the Discovery studio for their first talent show of the year. The Sparks were excited to be immersed in art, music, dancing, and magic tricks. This experience provided a  wonderful opportunity for connection across our campus!

     

Have a lovely weekend!

 

This week, the Sparks fastened their seatbelts to head to the next continent in our geography & culture study- Africa! They were supported in this by taking a virtual field trip to an African savannah, as well as a presentation from Discovery guide Ms. Nicole, who is from South Africa. On Thursday, the Sparks were split into groups of “scoopers”, “blenders”, and “makers” to show off their fine motor skills and create homemade popsicle treats! Finally, on Friday, the Sparks had the opportunity to create African masks to wrap up our study on this continent.

   

For our Grace and Courtesy practice this week, we have been having conversations around accountability. The Sparks shared powerful reflections on how and when they struggle with this the most, and why it is always important to be honest, even if we don’t want to be. 

We finished up this week with our homemade watermelon popsicles after a long week in this Texas heat, and in true Spark fashion, our annual Friday dance party.

Have a great weekend, and stay hydrated!

 

The Spark learners were busy this week continuing their exploration of geography and culture with a quick trip to Asia! They were supported in this by reading books and watching a video about famous landmarks throughout the continent. On Thursday, they finished their 6-week journey of creating Marine Dioramas to showcase at an exhibition for the Discovery studio. They were asked questions about the process, challenges faced, and had an opportunity to host the Discovery learners in their space for the first time- hopefully a new Spark tradition!

For our Grace and Courtesy practice this week, we had conversations about treating materials both indoors and outdoors with respect. The guides have been asking questions that bring attention to why we want to treat our materials this way, and wondering how we can do so.

We finished up this week with a sweet watermelon treat to continue supporting the Sparks in staying hydrated in this heat, and we can’t forget our weekly Friday Dance Party!       

Have a great weekend!

 

The Sparks were quite busy week for the last week of the session! There was a presentation from a Discovery learner about coral bleaching, an invitation to support Discovery in their detective exhibition preparations, and some exciting new additions to their diorama work. On Tuesday we brought out some clay for the creation of marine figurines which helped sharpen fine motor skills such as measuring, molding, and gluing. After the clay dried, the Sparks spent the rest of their week having the option to paint their boxes and complete figures for the dioramas we will be showcasing to Discovery next session.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For our Grace and Courtesy practice this week, the learners continued discussions that focus on the importance of being inclusive at school. We have been practicing this by role-playing scenarios and by playing the spaghetti game to understand the importance of tone. For a deeper dive into the “why” of consistency being key, feel free to explore the link down below.

We finished up the session with an all-campus picnic, fun water play with sprinklers, and in true Spark fashion, invited the Discovery learners to participate in our annual Friday dance party.

 

Have a great weekend and a wonderful break!

The Power of Consistency

 

This week in Spark, the learners began their preparations for the dioramas we will be making to further our study of Marine Biology! We first started discussions around which materials we will need, then split into groups to choose our themes. The Sparks used animal and geography books in our studio to plunge themselves into deeper research within their groups. This Thursday we continued to explore the layers of the ocean by doing a science experiment using various liquids to symbolize the difference in density. Finally, on Friday, the Sparks continued in sharpening their fine motor skills like cutting, measuring, and tracing to create a shiny seahorse craft.

For our Grace and Courtesy practice this week, we have been practicing “sprinkling kindness” on various situations and with the messages we give our friends. We practice using different tones by playing the spaghetti game, and we use kindness card scenarios to have group discussions around the importance of being kind.

We ended the week with our weekly trash pick-up to support keeping our campus clean, and, of course, danced the week away at our annual Friday dance party.

 

Have a great weekend!