A new year, a new premise and a new Sprint! All great things to be excited about. The Eagles were awash with excitement on Monday and everyone was very early to school … a sign that passion for something is sure-fire motivation for action. After ascending the stairs somewhat ceremoniously and pondering on the philosophical questions posed on each step up, the Eagles and parents alike roamed the new premises exclaiming at each studio’s ample space and unique attributes, the beautiful library and well-organised and spacious kitchen.
On another note, the Eagles were chomping at the bit to get to their new quests. Guided by the over-arching question of whether truth, beauty or goodness should be their North Star, The ES Eagles will delve into the wonderous world of art – exploring the masterpieces of da Vinci, Picasso and van Gogh, as well as the word art of poetry, while the MS Eagles will explore topics which we will all have to face at some point in our lives – death and a life well-lived. How will they embrace life and face death? What reflections will they have as they go through the seasons of their lives? And is death the final authority?
The two being deeply intertwined – art being the exploration and expression of what we see, hear, feel and experience throughout our lives and even death – will allow the Eagles to emerge from this Sprint reborn – Renaissance children to bring hope to the future.
Weekly Updates
Preschool / Spark Studio (PS) Update
Campus Tour
Happy New Year! The PS Eagles were all eyes and ears as they took a tour around their new campus. They were totally in love with their first ever loft and … an awesome slide IN their studio!!! It was quickly nicknamed “The Beast” and the challenge was on to discover how many ways one can slide down a slide!
The PS Eagles were also treated to a sneak peak of the upstairs play area. The first comment upon stepping outside was, “Wah! So soft!” (The astroturf, that is.)
Making Our Mark
The first order of business for the PS Eagles was to make their mark on their new campus. They had a ball stamping their handprints all over the main entrance wall and didn’t tire of showing off their artistic creations to every parent who they could grab.
Safety
This week the topic was safety … the main focus being fire safety. Since the campus is now on the second floor, it is important to know where the fire exits are and where the emergency gathering point is. The PS Eagles discussed:
- What you should do when the fire alarm rings – stop, stay calm, find the nearest fire exit and calmly exit the building.
- What you should do if there is fire and smoke – cover your face, stay low and crawl to the nearest exit.
- What you should do if your clothes catch fire – stop, drop and roll.
The Eagles enjoyed doing role play on each scenario, but they got the point that safety is a serious issue. On Friday, during the fire drill, they exited the building calmly and swiftly.
Overall, starting the new year after such a long break, the PS Eagles were generally on-point. They only needed some brushing up on studio processes. Keep up the great energy, PS Eagles!
Elementary Studio (ES) Update
Campus Hunt!
What do you do when you’re in a new place? Explore and discover! The ES Eagles went on a campus hunt around their new Studio … and beyond … to replug into working together as teams towards a common goal. Their goal? To complete the hunt challenges as teams! Along the way, they re-acclimatized with ES studio expectations and systems and discovered all the Studio’s nooks and crannies. Overall, they were very happy with their new ‘home’, as you can see from their comments:
“Wow! We have separate toilets for boys and girls!”
“This place is huge!”
“Woah! It’s so colourful! And I love the colours!”
Badge Plan
The ES Eagles were invited to have their badge meetings to fill up their Badge Planning Books and align with what actions they needed to take to earn new badges. Badges, once received, will be attached to their badge flags which will be hung along the main hallway wall to proudly display their achievements.
Earning badges is a long and challenging process, but once a badge is earned, the sense of achievement is worth the hard work. Eagles are invited to start the process, but they are allowed to decide when they want to take the first step. The ES Eagles already felt the positive energy imbued by the badges, and, with that energy spurring them on, they will all eventually come around to taking that step:
“I didn’t know that my reading is at Level 4 now!”
“Wow! I like these badges!”
“They are so pretty!”
“Can I have my badge meeting, please?”
Emergency Exit Plan
Being on the second floor of a new place, a safety briefing was in order to alert the Eagles to where the emergency exits are, and what to do in the event of an emergency. The Eagles realized the importance of knowing the plan, so they paid close attention to the briefing. resulting in a successful evacuation during Friday’s surprise fire drill. Everyone’s response time was tested and the Eagles learned to be on alert and correctly identify the sound of the fire alarm:
“I was the first one to arrive!”
“What’s happening? Is it the fire alarm?”
Writers’ Workshop: Poetry
The focus of this Sprint is on art, and poetry is a form of art created with words. The Eagles were introduced to the idea of poetry and were inspired by different poems. They quickly chose their favourites – either ones that moved them emotionally, or ones that inspired them with their rhymes or rhythms.
The Eagles also explored similes and metaphors and their creativity was stoked when they were challenged to come up with their own similes and metaphors on a chosen topic. They were introduced to how fun wordplay can be! Can you guess which of these are metaphors and which are similes?
“Music is the waves of the ocean.”
“As fragile as a snowflake.”
“As happy as a dog.”
“Mummy’s love makes me feel warm.”
The importance of word choice was also highlighted by a challenge in which the Eagles had to describe a picture to their partner who then had to draw it. It’s not as easy as it seems!
Middle Studio (MS) Update
Initiation
To kick off the new school year, the MS Eagles held an Initiation Ceremony to renew and reset their commitment to their fellow Eagles and their Studio. In beating on the drum, they sealed their promises and set the tone for the rest of the year. The commitments were to maintain a pristine Studio with mindful Studio Maintenance, setting and achieving SMART goals that stretched them and following the schedule diligently.
The second part of the Initiation was to print their handprints onto the Acton main entrance wall as part of the ongoing drive to build a campus together.
Squad Drafting into Running Partners
Morris and Ra’ees were appointed squad leaders and they took turns to select their squad members. Ra’ees said, “I don’t know who to pick! So many choices!” whereas Morris went straight for it: “Gibran! You want to join us? OK, Gibran.”
Later, a few Eagles mentioned that given there are only 10 Eagles, Squad might not work. They prefer using Running Partners as an accountability process. An immediate meeting results in opting for the change. Is this an issue? Well, so long Eagles own the process uphold standards, and willing to continuously adapt — there is no exact answer to how a studio should be governed!
Endgame: Palliative Care Documentary
To highlight life nearing the end of the greatest journey, the MS Eagles watched a poignant documentary on palliative care. It was very challenging for the Eagles – the topic being something that makes most people uncomfortable to think or talk about. The Eagles were faced with the loss of dignity, the sense of hopelessness and the fear of the unknown – death – that people in palliative care experience every day. Morris said, “I really respect those people who take care of the ones who are dying. It is not easy.”
It was especially interesting for the Guide to observe the MS Eagles sitting through the 40 minute documentary about such a difficult subject. The Eagles displayed a certain level of maturity and bravery in accepting this challenge and, together as a Studio, they went through this journey that included lighter moments as well as teary moments and left all of them with something to ponder on.
Fun Friday: Watching Death-Themed Movies
The MS Eagles were given a selection of 15 movies to choose from and they chose 5 titles to watch over the Sprint. The top 5 death-themed movies chosen were the classic Dead Poets’ Society, The Bucket List, The Matrix, Up and Big Hero 5. Honourable mentions included Moana, Bridge to Terabithia and Five People You Meet in Heaven. Can you guess which movie they watched first?
Fitness Workouts
The MS Eagles were eager to get back into their workout routines.
Fire/Emergency Drill
As soon as the alarm was heard through the PA system, all the MS Eagles got up from their seats and did not hesitate to walk towards the nearest emergency exit. Morris called everyone to come towards the fire escape stairs on the MS Studio side and everyone walked down barefooted towards the assembly point as shown on the fire safety posters as if it were a real fire.
No one took any laptops or personal belongings or lingered to switch off any switches, as per emergency procedures. Everyone reached the emergency assembly point within 2 and a half to 3 minutes of the alarm sounding and the Guides did a headcount to ensure that everyone was accounted for. After a quick discussion, everyone headed back. If this were a real fire, everyone would be safe and sound. Good job, MS Eagles!
Happy Announcement!
Congratulations to Ms. Caryn and Julian for the birth of their beautiful baby boy on 15th January! Welcome to the world, baby Jeremiah! May you always be surrounded by light, love and laughter!
