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AABC's Blog
Welcome to our blog
Read all about weekly activities in the various studios.
Enjoy
Restaurant Reviews, Chemistry-in-Cooking Projects & Nyack Seaport Field Trip (Session 2, Week 5)
Welcome to the Fifth Week of the Second Session’s Launchpad newsletter! This week in Genre, we wrote the rough drafts for our Restaurant Reviews! In these drafts, learners covered everything—from the atmosphere and service to the food quality and even the cleanliness of the bathrooms. Along with drafting, we exchanged peer feedback, revised our work based on critiques, and recorded our first round of video reviews. It was a busy, productive, and exciting week for Genre! In Qu
Space Station Design, Enlightenment Lessons & Aviation Museum Trip (Session 2, Week 5)
Hello from the Journey Studio! This week, we began designing our space stations in Quest and enjoyed a super fun field trip to the Cradle of Aviation Museum . Genre In Genre, we received critiques on our stories with a focus on word choice and writing style. On Friday, learners created new drafts based on the feedback they received. Quest This week in Quest, we received feedback on our space station designs. After reviewing the suggestions, we created our plan for the week an
(Session 2, Week 5)
Hello parents, learners, families, and friends, I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and a restful break. Let’s jump into this week’s highlights—starting with Writer’s Workshop! As you know, we’ve been learning about theatrical writing, and this week we began writing our own scenes. First, we read and memorized sample scripts. There were two person scenes: one dramatic and one comedic, and two four person scenes with the same mix. They were so interesting and fun to perfor
Movement, Creativity, Friendship & a Fieldhouse Adventure (Session 2, Week 5)
Hello Sparks Families, What an eventful and energizing week we’ve had! Week 5 of Session 2 was filled with movement, reflection, creativity, and a much-anticipated adventure to The Fieldhouse. We kicked off the week with Movement Monday, exploring all the different ways we move in sports—swimming, biking, running, climbing, and more. During launch, the Sparks explored what sportsmanship means and how to show fairness, kindness, and respect while playing. In the afternoon, our
Food Reviews, Science Experiments, Civics Debates & Thanksgiving Feast (Session 2, Week 4)
Welcome to the fourth week of the Second Session’s Launchpad Newsletter! This was one of the shortest weeks in Acton history—only two school days, with the third day reserved for our big Thanksgiving celebration. But before we get to the feast, let’s recap the learning highlights from this short but exciting week. Genre – Food Review Writing This week, we crafted our raison d’être —our reason for being food reviewers. Each learner chose the type of review they will write and
Space Station Design, Genre Revisions, and Thanksgiving Fun (Session 2, Week 4)
Welcome to the Week 4 Journey Newsletter! Even though this was a short week, we accomplished so much. In Quest, we began designing our space stations. In Genre, we received feedback and revised our drafts. And of course, we wrapped up the week with a super fun Thanksgiving feast! Genre This week, learners both gave and received thoughtful feedback on their drafts. The feedback included suggestions on what to add, remove, change, or move. On Tuesday, everyone revised their fir
Writers Workshop, Quest, and Celebration Highlights (Session 2, Week 4)
Hello parents, learners, and family members, We’re going to start with Writers Workshop. As you all know, WW is Theatrical Writing. This week was a very wonky week—we only had two full days and one half-day because of Thanksgiving, so we only had WW once. For WW this week, learners used the time to catch up on past challenges or take on bonus challenges. Some created new monologues, while others worked on Core Skills if they had already finished their writing. One group in So
Creativity, Community & Celebration (Session 2, Week 4)
Happy Thanksgiving, Sparks Families! Even with a shorter week, our Sparks filled each day with focus, creativity, connection, and joy. Here’s a look back at all the wonderful things they accomplished together: ✨ Movement Monday We kicked off the week by exploring the theme of “looking within.” During our deep launch, Sparks reflected on how they might react in different scenarios and—most importantly— why they would make those choices. It was a meaningful conversation that
Genre Restaurant Project, Democracy Debates, Alpine Adventures & More (Session 2, Week 3)
Welcome to the third week of the second session’s Launchpad newsletter! In Genre , we began narrowing down our restaurant choices. Learners spent time reading food reviews, shaping their reviewer personas, and taking a virtual tour of their top pick. Next week, we’ll finally be eating at our selected restaurant—something we’ve all been looking forward to. After so much prewriting and exploration, the excitement is definitely building! In Quest , we kicked off Module Three of
Thermodynamics Quest, Story Drafting & Salem Witch Trials (Session 2, Week 3)
Hello, everyone! Even though this week was shorter than usual, Journey still packed in plenty of learning. We completed a Quest competition and made great progress on the rough drafts for our Genre stories. Quest – Thermodynamics, Heat Transfer & Rocket Launching On Tuesday, we researched thermodynamics and the chemical reactions involved in heating and cooling. After taking detailed notes, we created a plan for how we would heat or cool our rockets. On Wednesday, we put our
Geography Bee, Writers Workshop & Alpine Adventure (Session 2, Week 3)
Hello parents and guardians, Welcome to the Session 2, Week 3 newsletter! This week was a bit unusual because we had a surprise day off on Monday and a trip to Alpine on Friday. With the shorter week, our schedule shifted—we only had Writers Workshop once, but we enjoyed two full days of Quest. 🌍 Quest – Africa, Geography Bee & Map Skills This week in Quest, we prepared for our second geography bee , which took place on Thursday. The geography bee challenges us to answer que
Talent Tuesday, Wildlife Exploration & Alpine Adventure (Session 2, Week 3)
Dear Sparks Families, What a memorable and exciting week we've had in the Sparks Kingdom! With a surprising twist to our schedule, we kicked off the week with Talent Tuesday , setting a creative and flexible tone for the days ahead. ✨ Talent Tuesday – Improvisation in Action Our week began with an unexpected (and wonderful!) opportunity for growth. Two learners who were scheduled for Show & Tell forgot their items, which led to a spontaneous lesson in improvisation. The Spark
Restaurant Reviews, Cooking & Chemistry, Civ Debates & Acton Lakeside Visit (Session 2, Week 2)
Welcome to the Second Week of the Second Session’s Launchpad Newsletter! This week was filled with thoughtful learning, hands-on experimentation, meaningful discussions, and even a special visit from another Acton Academy. Here’s a look at what we’ve been up to in the Launchpad Studio: 🍽 Genre: Crafting Restaurant Reviews In Genre, we focused on writing a short restaurant review to prepare for the longer, more detailed version coming later this Session. Each learner chose a
Genre Perspective, DIY Batteries, Civ Debates & Acton Lakeside Visit (Session 2, Week 2)
Hello, parents of the Journey Studio! This week, the Studio made batteries in Quest, explored perspective and verb tenses in Genre, and enjoyed a super fun visit from another Journey studio! Genre In Genre this week, we dove into verb tenses—present, past, future, present perfect, and more. We also studied point of view, including second person, first person, third person, third person limited, third person omniscient, and third person dramatic. Learners received feedback on
Movement Monday, Wildlife Wednesday & Talent Show Prep (Session 2, Week 2).
Dear Sparks Families, What an energizing and joy-filled second week of Session Two! The Sparks continued to grow in confidence, collaboration, and self-awareness as they explored our weekly themes. Here’s a look back at all the learning and laughter from the studio: ✨ Movement Monday We kicked off the week with a launch focused on movement as a form of self-expression . Nearly every Spark shared the unique ways they enjoy moving their bodies—some through song, others through
Theatrical Writing, Cartography Quest & Talent Show Prep (Session 2, Week 2)
Hello parents and learners, It has been a fun and exciting week in the Discovery Studio! Writer’s Workshop As you know, this session we are focusing on theatrical writing.This week, learners wrote a monologue from the perspective of a character who shares a secret. The secret could be personal or completely fictional—either choice led to creative and thoughtful writing. Learners worked hard, and so many wanted to share their monologues during circle time that we ran out of ti
Theatrical Writing, Cartography Quest, Talent Show Prep & Halloween Fun at AABC (Session 2, Week 1)
Hello parents, learners, families, and friends!I hope you all had a wonderful break—it felt long, didn’t it? We’re excited to jump right into everything we explored this week. Let’s start with Writer’s Workshop. Writer’s Workshop This session, we are diving into theatrical writing. In Writer’s Workshop, we’re doing so many exciting things!On the first day, learners memorized a monologue and performed it for the studio. We were blown away—so many talented learners were able to
Cooking & Chemistry Quest, Restaurant Reviews, Civ Debates & Spirit Week (Session 2, Week 1)
Welcome to the Session 2, Week 1 Launchpad Newsletter! This session is going to be a very exciting one, as we have started our first science Quest of the year: Cooking and Chemistry. We are all enrolled in a Harvard EdX Chemistry Course, which, if we successfully complete, will result in us earning a graduation certificate! This week, we learned about dimensional analysis, balancing equations, and more (for those of you who like chemistry, try to balance this equation: 𝐻2+�
Flash Sci-Fi Writing, Space X Chemistry & Rocket Building (Session 2, Week 1)
Hello parents of the Journey Studio! This is the first week of Session 2. For Session 2, our Genre is Flash Science Fiction, and our Quest is Space X Chemistry and Rockets. This week we had so much fun. Are you ready to hear about all we did? Quest: This Session, our Quest is Space X Chemistry and Rockets. This week, we learned about what chemical reactions make the rocket go up, and then we created and tested our rockets. Most of the rockets did not launch, and the groups wo
AABC Learners Explore Talents, Wildlife, Heroes & Community Fun (Session 2, Week 1)
Dear Sparks’ Tribe Families, What an exciting and joy-filled week it has been for our tribe! The Sparks embraced every day with energy, curiosity, and connection. Here’s a look at what we’ve been up to: ✨ Movement Monday We kicked off the week with a Halloween follow-along dance that tested each learner’s ability to listen carefully and follow directions. Afterwards, our tribe reflected on how they felt before, during, and after the dance—leading to some wonderful discoverie
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