It was another action packed week here at East Valley Acton Academy. It is incredible how much we have gotten to know each other and function as a group in only 15 days! While the learners certainly enjoy each other’s company, they are starting to choose activities more based on interest in the activity than in the participants. This provides a great opportunity for different students to work together and learn more from and about each other.
In PE with Coach J., students played games that allowed them to see the value in working together as a team. We had conversations about people we admire, things that we want and things that we need, and when we have been courageous in our own lives.
Students continued to get more involved in their individual core work in reading, writing and math, both on and off the computer. In Writers Workshop, we continue to read different works of poetry, while focusing on Ode, Haiku, and Free Verse. The freedom in poetry has allowed for high energy during this time. There have been love poems written to a Pencil and variations of “Roses are Red.” Part of our Survivor Quest, the learners wrote obituaries in each team. We talked about what traits we want to be remembered by, and what matters most when facing death.
We held our first Town Hall Meeting, which was facilitated by one of the Roadrunners at the Level 4 freedom level. The goal of our Town Meetings is to improve our school by noticing and sharing things that could be better, and working together to find potential solutions. We spent the first part of the meeting just discussing this idea and connecting it to the way we approach our work and the idea of consciously seeking out things to improve.
In art with Ms. Ruth, she introduced soft pastel to layer on top of their charcoal artwork. Next week they will begin their final art piece for Exhibition day.
We have Free Time every day, and dedicated time to play games 2-3 days a week. Favorite Games in the Studio this week: CLUE and UNO.
