Weekly Updates

Preschool / Spark Studio (PS) Update

Recommitting to the Studio

The PS Eagles started the week by recommitting to the Studio. Last Friday, the Studio was left untidy, therefore on Monday the Studio was closed.

The Eagles had to recommit to the Studio before they could re-enter it. They made a specific plan to clean up the Studio individually before they could re-enter it as a sign of their commitment.

The PS Eagles needed to experiences the consequences of not tidying up, so they came back to a closed Studio.

Realignment is necessary once in a while to remind the Eagles of why certain things need to be done.

The Eagles had to recommit to take ownership and responsibility for the Studio.

Hashing out a solution is never easy, but the Eagles are learning that it is worth it in the long run.

Working together to do something is fun, though, ang gets the job done in no time!

Making our Studio pristine so that it’s somewhere we can be proud of and happy working in.

Testing Studio Boundaries & System Boundaries

Another Guide guided the Studio for 2 consecutive days and there was some resistance among the Eagles towards this change. This led to some of them testing the Studio Boundaries. It is a process of maturing for the Eagles to realise that any boundaries and systems put into place are not for an external force (the Guides) to control them, but rather guidelines that they themselves have agreed to to guide them towards creating a better environment and community for themselves.

Ownership & Responsibility

Throughout the Sprint, cleaning up after playtime has seemed to naturally evolve to be the Challenge for the Eagles in the PS Studio to work on. They needed to find ownership and responsibility for their own Studio, so some adjustments were made on how this game was to be played.

1. Minor changes to the physical environment were made. Less loose tool pieces were made available for play.

2. The Eagles were given the mandate to close or open the play area, like an amusement park. Different Eagles would be in charge to open the play area and different Eagles would be in charge of closing it when the time was up.

3. The Eagles in charge of closing the play area had the power to decide if it would be red (no entry) or green (entry permitted). This would be based on whether the area was tidy or not.

We’re looking forward to see how this game will play out in the new Sprint!

Happy Holidays!

Elementary Studio (ES) Update

Personal Maintenance

The time had come for the Eagles to organize their worksheets and documents and file them into their binders.

The session started out a mess with worksheets everywhere, but things gradually came to order as the ES Eagles sorted through their papers and ticked off their checklists as they went along.

Some Eagles managed to finish early as they had kept their worksheets mostly in order throughout the Sprint. Other Eagles struggled to look for missing worksheets and sort through all their clutter. There were cries of frustration: “It’s such a mess! I can’t find anything!”, “Aaaaah! Where did my worksheet go?”

The Eagles have to go through these trials to learn … perhaps they will be more consistently organised the next time around?

Auction Art Piece Vote

The Eagles voted on which art pieces would go up for bidding in the Exhibition auction. This process was Eagle-led and they decided that each Eagle would have 3 votes each to choose their favourite painting. The Eagles all followed the rules set by the facilitator and cast their votes with some thought.

The Eagles voted for the art pieces that they liked. Not everyone was happy with the results, but they accepted the votes with an open heart. One Eagle had a pleasant surprise when his painting was chosen to be put up for auction.

It’s a democratic Studio, so the Eagles vote on everything that goes on in the Studio. In voting, they learn to consider all aspects of a situation, not just their personal feelings/preferences.

Exhibition Preparation & Dry Run

The Eagles had been preparing for the first Exhibition in the new premises for a while now, and this week the excitement was at its peak.

During the dry run, some Eagles gave friendly and clear feedback to the presenters, for example there was feedback about the presentation font size and their voice projection.

The ES Eagles are still working on time management as some of them still get distracted and they end up rushing through a session after a while. Nevertheless the excitement levels still remained high.

In MCing the Exhibitions, the Eagles practise speaking to large groups of adults confidently. They practise pacing, crowd banter, crowd control and so much more.

Celebration & Eagle Bucks Store

On the last day of the Sprint, the Eagles had a Celebration Fun Day. The Eagles made rice krispie treats, played games or read. As usual there was excitement over making the treats. Thank you, Eagles, for always remembering the Guides when treats are involved! The Eagle Bucks Store was also opened and the Eagles reaped the rewards of their efforts over the Sprint.

After Sprint Reflection, the ES Eagles went to the rooftop to play. Some Eagles chose to fire up their imagination with the wooden play materials, some Eagles chose to play football and some chose to just walk around and enjoy the breeze.

The EB Store is always eagerly awaited. Some Eagles buy things they have had their eyes on for the whole Sprint, some choose to save their EBs for the next Sprint.

“Do we need butter? Oh! It’s a non-stick pan!”, “The marshmallow is hot!!” Making your own treats is a learning curve for the Eagles, but it still makes it yummier, somehow.

Middle Studio (MS) Update

Peer Auditing

Once a Sprint, the MS Eagles will volunteer/nominate 2-3 Eagles to Audit the Core Skill and Quest work of their fellow Eagles. On Monday afternoon, Council member Andre prepared a Google Form for the MS Eagles to anonymously vote for Eagles whose work would go up for review. The Auditors for this Sprint were Dhanya, Morris and Evan and the review was to commence of Tuesday afternoon.

Morris wasn’t too happy being an Auditor, “I wish the nomination process for Auditors was different. I don’t want to be the Auditor,” but he took it in his stride.

Nominating the MS Studio Auditors. Becoming an Auditor allows the Eagles to practise being critical in an impartial but constructive way.

Fireside Talk

The Fireside Talk was the highlight of the Facing Death and Embracing Life Quest, which was the culmination of the 3-Sprint Biology series which started in October 2019.

The Eagles agreed to be on Noble Silence for 4 hours before the fireside talk. This included no electronic devices and no talking except for in an emergency. The time was meant for internal thoughts only to create the inner calm and grace that was required for the fireside talk that was to take place after sunset.

Dinner in Noble Silence. Being in Noble Silence is a difficult but valuable habit to develop to be in touch with your Inner Self.

Many of the Eagles were observed to be whispering, whistling, restless with having to deal with the prolonged silence, but it was an impressive attempt at self-control, nonetheless.

The Guides wondered .., what if all the camp activities were done in Noble Silence … including unpacking, firewood gathering, cooking (done by chefs Hadiya and Morris), hillside hike and token hunting?

During the Fireside Talk, the MS Eagles imagined that they were attending their own funeral at which their surviving friends would hold a service to honour a life well-lived. The Eagles read beautiful eulogies that they had written for themselves as Genre Challenges in a kind and solemn fashion – as how it would be at a funeral attended by close friends and family.

Imagine you are at a funeral … your own funeral. What would you want said about you? The Eagles have to face this question in order to determine what kind of a life they wish to lead.

At the end of each Eulogy, each Eagle held up a token that represented their friend and burned the token in the campfire. They spoke of the qualities that they admired in the ‘deceased’. They remembered the moments they first met the ‘deceased’ and they shared memories about them that warmed their hearts. They honoured each other with this ‘final’ act of friendship.

Later, the Eagles were invited to return the love received during their ‘funerals’ by writing ‘Love/Gratitude Letters’ to each other in appreciation. The letter was collected by the Guide, to be distributed to the Eagles the next day when they returned to ActonKL.

Writing a ‘Love Letter’ to the friends who came for your funeral. How do you want to honour your friends who honoured you?

Preparing to sleep under the stars where such questions of Life and Death are most pertinent.

On returning to ActonKL on Thursday morning, the MS Eagles sat for the Morning launch to receive each other’s letters in Noble Silence, basked in the surrounding vibe of Gratitude.

Happy Birthday, Hadiya

Happy Birthday to Hadiya! May you always enjoy happy celebrations with your family and friends and stay the positive go-getter that you are!

Happy birthday to a wonderful young lady!

Blow out the candles! You’re not too old to make a wish!

Kickboxing with Master Lee

This week saw the last kickboxing class with Master Lee for Sprint 3. Boxing classes were twice a week this Sprint, and this was very successful. Master Lee remarked that the Eagles are taking it even more seriously now.