Weekly Updates
Back to school, but still MCO-bound for another few weeks. The Eagles were still excited, nevertheless, especially since this Sprint dives deeply into E-ship! Everyone is getting ready for this year’s Children’s Business Fair … the first time Acton Academy KL will host an e-CBF!
Preschool / Spark Studio (PS) Update
Home Challenges
The PS Eagles have taken up Home Challenges, taking on chores to carry out at home every week. This week they tackled helping their parents do the laundry. Throughout the week, they helped to sort out the family’s laundry, load it into the machine on laundry day, hang it, and fold it … Marie Kondo style, of course!
Learning Through Games
Learning is 10 times as fun … when you’re having fun! The PS Eagles practiced reading and problem-solving by solving a scavenger hunt. Maths was tackled by tracing shapes. They practised their phonics making playdough letters and working on a phonetic scrapbook, and social sciences was addressed using plasticine to make land and water models.
e-Learning
The PS Eagles are exploring e-Learning through the Montessori Preschool App and are enjoying the new challenge. This is a great opportunity for them to practise making their own learning choices. Throughout the week, they chose between working on Math, Literacy, Code and Logic, Shapes and Colours, Drawing, and even Mandarin.
Self-Generated Projects
One Eagle decided to use their time to start a project – making a dollhouse from recycled items. It became an on-going project and she had a lot of fun scavenging around the house for recyclable items.
Elementary Studio (ES) Update
Socratic Discussion
Every Wednesday, the ES Studio holds a Socratic Discussion in which the Eagles listen to an open-ended question, take a firm stand on one side or another, and defend their decision concisely with evidence or an example. The first Discussion of the Sprint revolved around testing the COVID-19 vaccine on animals.
“As long as the animals are kept safe, I think testing the vaccine on animals is okay.” The majority of the PS Eagles showed their maturity in making considered decisions and their understanding of the situation by choosing to go ahead with animal testing in order to develop the vaccine to the point that it could be used with humans, especially since many Eagles are known to be animal lovers. “We can always breed more animals. The lives of humans are more important.” They are fully aware that they are faced with the reality that the vaccine is the only way to protect themselves and their loved ones against the novel coronavirus.
Some of the Eagles questioned the question itself. “I disagree with the choices given. I think most of us would not hesitate to choose the safety of our family over animals.” This highlights the whole point of the Socratic Discussions – to encourage the Eagles to think and question and challenge.
Journal Writing
Having been at home for an extended length of time, the ES Eagles were asked to write a journal entry on what they miss the most and the least during the MCO.
A few of the ES Eagles seemed perfectly content being at home, occupying themselves with work and family. Others were beginning to wonder if the end of the MCO was ever going to come. Most of the Eagles were looking forward to being able to step outside their house to play, go places and go back to their Studio with their friends.
A compilation of some of the things the ES Eagles missed the most:
- Going out
- Going on a playdate
- Going to ice hockey practices
- Going to the movies
- Going on a field trip
- Seeing my friends at school
- Fun Friday
And what they missed the least:
- Being stuck in the car for too long due to traffic/running errands
- Going to over-crowded places
- Going to cut my hair
DIY Bookmark
To keep the ES Eagles’ crafty mode going, they were challenged to watch a video on how to make a corner bookmark and make one for themselves. There were many unique and creative designs including a snake, a panda, a monkey, and even Harry Potter! Most of the Eagles found the challenge an easy one and some even planned to continue this practical craft project as gifts!
Middle Studio (MS) Update
Monday Morning Launch
The first Morning Launch of Sprint 5 served to re-connect the MS Eagles with each other and to their Hero’s Journey. It also introduced the next adventure that will take them on a journey through sales via websites. This coincides nicely with the Children’s Business Fair that will take place at the end of the 6-week Sprint on 14th June.
Andre and Evan recounted the various online lessons that they attended during the 1 week holiday. Mr. Jia Hong woke everyone’s brain up with a mystery photo to ponder over. Gibran and Andre both responded with, “Frozen milk??” More clues to come in upcoming updates …]
Wednesday Afternoon Launch, ‘Unit Economics’
The MS Eagles watched a quick YouTube overview on Unit Economics which launched a Socratic Discussion. The Eagles were asked question including “What is a business venture that involves any physical product, but would be unwise to scale based on one individual item sold?” (meaning to say, which physical product does not sell 1 piece or one unit, but instead more than one unit at a time?)
To that, Andre was quick to respond with, ‘Chicken nuggets’, afterwhich the floodgates were opened and other MS Eagles responded.
Gibran said, “Lego”
Ra’ees said, “Paper”
and, Morris said, “Supreme Oreos”.
The MS Eagles then faced their next Quest Challenge – to play a game called, ‘Robo Rush’ that was designed for fun as well is discovering what Unit Economics is.
Monday Thursday Afternoon Quest Launch, ‘Cold Calling’
The point of this Challenge was to equip the MS Eagles with an idea of why Cold Calling is a salesperson’s highly prized skill. It was also a Socratic Discussion on choices taken and consequences during an imagined Cold Call.
The Eagles found the session dry and there was little participation from the Tribe. They rated the session an average of 6/10. Mr. Daniel would like to sne d a Character Callout to Dhanya for reminding her fellow Eagles to use Growth Mindset Language during the discussion.
During the Discussion, Mr Daniel also asked for feedback on his own conduct for the day. ‘Has Mr. Daniel stepped in too much today, or was he doing well?’ Dhanya and Ra’ees appreciated that Mr. Daniel was taking notes during their Quest discussion, but assured Mr. Daniel that, “the Eagles are independent and can do it for themselves.” Mr. Daniel thanked the Eagles for the feedback and renewed his promise to uphold the high standards set by the MS Eagles.
Character Callout
A special Character Callout is sent to Evan and Morris for leading the Wednesday and Thursday Afternoon Huddles respectively. They did not need to do it, but they did it anyway, ‘just for fun’.
Mystery Photo No. 2
Mr. Jia posted a second Mystery Photo which also had the MS Eagles stumped. Haidan guessed that it was a ‘cold, wet watch’, but there are still no correct guesses so far. Stay tuned for the reveal!
