This week was filled with exciting STEM learning, creative storytelling, and hands-on engineering challenges. Due to a winter blizzard, learners returned on Tuesday to discover massive snow piles, creating a fun and memorable start to the new session. Our Physics Quest began with learners researching fundamental physics concepts such as displacement, distance, potential energy, and kinetic energy. Learners also had the opportunity to pursue an Honors Physics Quest, completing

Greetings from the Journey Studio. This is the first Journey Newsletter of Session 4. Unfortunately, due to the snowstorm, the learners did not have school on Monday. Starting this session, the learners will be researching and experimenting with physics for Quest, creating their own TED Talks for Genre, and they will start to research the French Revolution for Civ. Genre: This Session, learners will be creating their own TED Talks for Genre. The learners began by researching

Hello parents, learners, and family members, This week was filled with exciting learning experiences, creative projects, and hands-on activities across Writer’s Workshop, Quest, and collaborative learning time. In this session’s Podcast Writer’s Workshop, learners explored different types of podcasts and began developing their own ideas. They listened critically to podcasts and completed research papers analyzing what they liked, what they would improve, and why. The number o

We’d like to express our gratitude for a successful previous session. Our Sparks learners thrived as they created musical instruments, explored organisms and biomes, participated in math competitions, and contributed to the House Cup. Thank you for supporting and believing in their educational journey. As we begin Session 4, we’re excited to share what lies ahead. Over the next six weeks, Sparks learners will participate in Chess Quest , guided by Perla. They will explore the

Welcome back! The final week of Session 6 was filled with badge compilations, an inspiring Exhibition, and meaningful celebrations of growth. Here are this week’s highlights: Speeches, Games, and Guests: An Exhibition Worth Remembering This Session’s Exhibition was a truly special event, showcasing each learner’s NGA (Next Great Adventure) speech alongside their handcrafted board games. Learners invited personal guests who could support and inspire their future goals, creatin

Greetings from the Journey Studio! This week was both joyful and challenging as learners prepared for their Exhibition while completing their plays and essays. Their dedication, perseverance, and growth were evident throughout the week. Genre: Essay Writing and Achievement On Monday, learners selected their strongest essay from the session. On Tuesday, they conducted a Six-Trait critique, offering thoughtful peer feedback. They then revised their essays to meet Exhibition sta

Hello parents, learners, family members, and friends, We’ve reached the final week of the session—and while it’s exciting, it’s also bittersweet! With the Exhibition approaching, learners had many important responsibilities. They prepared presentations, elected new squad leaders, deep cleaned the studio, and celebrated together at a festive Valentine’s Day party. Our Exhibition Hosts worked incredibly hard all week to prepare a meaningful and engaging experience. They practic

Dear Sparks Tribe Families, Here’s to the final week of Session 3—hooray, we made it! This memorable week was filled with exploration, creativity, collaboration, and heartfelt goodbyes as we celebrated Saiim’s final days as a Sparks guide. The week began with an exciting field trip to the American Museum of Natural History. Sparks learners explored towering dinosaur skeletons and interactive exhibits about Earth’s ecosystems and evolving species. Afterward, they shared lunch

Welcome back! As we approach our exciting Exhibition, learners have been hard at work refining their speeches and celebrating some unforgettable winter experiences. Here are this week’s highlights: Speeches are nearly complete! A genre milestone worth celebrating: We are entering the final stages of speech preparation, and the growth has been remarkable. This week’s Genre Challenges focused on memorizing speeches, recording practice presentations, and strengthening confident

Greetings from the Journey Studio! This week was both fun and challenging as learners continued their deep exploration of the American Revolution through writing, research, debate, and performance. Genre: Personal Essays & America 250 Essay Competition On Monday, learners reflected on meaningful personal experiences and selected one to develop into a 250-word essay. This exercise helped them strengthen their storytelling and writing skills. By Wednesday, learners exchanged pe

Hello Parents, Learners, and Family Members, This week was full of creativity, collaboration, and exciting progress across Writer’s Workshop, Quest, Art, and Civics. Writer’s Workshop: Field Trip Pitch Presentations Learners continued developing their “Pitch a Field Trip” persuasive speeches . This week, they focused on giving and receiving meaningful feedback. Learners presented their pitches to peers, who evaluated them using structured feedback forms. On Friday, learners g

Dear Sparks Tribe Families, We had a wonderful fifth week of this session, filled with creativity, energy, and meaningful learning across our Sparks enrichment program. Micro Monday: Biology Quest & Empathy in Learning We began the week with a launch exploring what life might be like through the eyes of different animals. This activity encouraged empathy, imagination, and perspective-taking. Sparks then completed their landscape and animal dioramas as part of their Biology Qu

Welcome Back! Week 4 of this session brought major progress in our Decision Making Quest , exciting developments in our NGA speeches , and plenty of snowy outdoor fun! Game Design Complete – Playtesting Begins! Our research- and reflection-heavy Decision Making Quest  is truly coming together. This week, students finalized their game designs and moved into one of the most exciting stages of the process: playtesting  with fellow studiomates. After sharing our games, we gather

Greetings from the Journey Studio! Although this was a shorter week due to the snowstorm, our learners continued diving deep into their American Revolution unit  through research, writing, role play, and thoughtful debate. Genre: Essay Writing & Peer Feedback On Tuesday, learners selected five American Revolution figures they admire. After force-ranking their choices, they selected the historical figure that interested them most and began writing their fourth essay. Once draf

Hello Parents, Learners, and Family Members, This week was full of exciting learning across multiple subjects! From persuasive writing and game design to studying the Lenape language and exploring 3D form in art, our learners stayed curious and engaged. Writer’s Workshop In Writer’s Workshop, students continued working on their “Pitch a Field Trip” persuasive writing project . We learned about persuasive techniques such as ethos (credibility), addressing objections and rebutt

Dear Sparks Families, We hope you are staying warm! Despite the snowstorm, our Sparks after-school enrichment program had an exciting fourth week of Session 3 filled with creativity, STEM problem-solving, music exploration, and movement. We kicked off the week with Time Tuesday, where Sparks explored musical instruments and learned what it takes to form a band. In the afternoon, students applied their creativity by designing and building their own tambourines. During Fort Mac

Hello all! This week included a long-awaited trip to Orlando, Florida , where the LaunchPad Studio visited Acton Academy: Arts Thereafter  and Universal Studios . This experience was nothing short of amazing and provided an incredible opportunity for bonding, independence, and growth. Here’s a recap of our adventure: Day 1: Flights, Chaos, and Our Airbnb If our flight to Orlando hadn’t been so chaotic, it wouldn’t be worth mentioning—but it definitely was! The day included se

Greetings from the Journey Studio! Although this was a short week due to MLK Day , it was still a fun and meaningful one. Learners continued their in-depth research on the American Revolution  while engaging in challenging and creative learning experiences. Genre This week began on Tuesday , when learners wrote 250-word essays exploring what the future of the United States could look like. On Wednesday , learners participated in peer feedback sessions, offering thoughtful sug

Hello parents, learners, and family members, This week was full of creativity, thoughtful discussions, and exciting projects at Discovery! We kicked things off with Writer’s Workshop , where learners began working on persuasive writing by crafting pitches for a potential field trip. Using a planning sheet to help launch their ideas, learners explored how to convince others through strong arguments and creativity. The field trip ideas were incredibly diverse—ranging from museu

We wrapped up our third week of Session 3, and what a lively, creative, and energetic week it was for our Sparks learners! We kicked things off with Time Tuesday , where Sparks practiced body percussion to the classic anthem “We Will Rock You.”  Stomps, claps, and big smiles filled the room as learners strengthened rhythm and coordination skills. In the afternoon, creativity took center stage as Sparks designed and built their very own kazoos—each one as unique as its creator