Weekly Updates

Preschool / Spark Studio (PS) Update

Eagle Bucks Store

Eagles in the PS Studio have been finding core skill time (work time) challenging, but some Eagles faced this challenge head-on in their own ways. One Eagle understood that, in order to get what they wanted, they had to put in effort: “I will work harder because I want to be on a higher freedom level so that I can play.” Another Eagle focused on what they needed to do to achieve what they were aiming for: “When we are doing our work, we shouldn’t give up. And we must concentrate and if anyone talks, don’t listen, just concentrate.

Yet another Eagle was very philosophical: “Our brains are like muscles, the more we work them, the stronger they get.” It is amazing to see the PS Eagles’ burgeoning maturity when they share these thoughts.

The natural consequence of hard work is some kind of achievement. To make the concept of natural consequence more tangible to young Eagles, the Eagle Bucks Store system is used. The Eagles work hard and earn Eagle Bucks and at the end of the Sprint they can exchange their Eagle Bucks for items from the Eagle Bucks Store.

This Sprint, only a handful of Eagles could afford to make exchanges at the Eagle Bucks Store. The majority of the Eagles were disappointed that they didn’t have enough Eagle Bucks, but one Eagle applied growth mindset to the issue:

Mummy: So what did you get from the Eagle Bucks Store today?

Eagle: Nothing.

Mummy: What?! You don’t have any points?

Eagle (in a loud voice): It’s OK MUMMY, it’s about TRYING. Adele has got 20 Eagle Bucks because she didn’t spend it. Not 1, no 10, but 20.

Mummy: And you’ve got zero?

Eagle (in a serious voice): Yeah. Zero is part of twenty. (Holds up 2 fingers on one hand and makes a zero circle with the other).

Go Eagles! Keep on striving and using growth mindset to grow your minds and hearts and never give up!

The Montessori method allows the Eagles to figure things out for themselves.

By working on their own, the PS Eagles have the freedom to work out problems for themselves rather than being led to the answer.

Sometimes working alongside friends helps to keep the mood happy and productive.

Farewell

This week the PS Eagles said goodbye to a friend in the Studio who is moving on to a new chapter in his journey.

In a circle, the Eagles took turns saying their goodbyes. Here are some highlights of their warm thoughts:

“We love you because you are kind and gentle.”

“We will miss you.”

“I like you because you share your Beyblades with me.”

It was also a bittersweet farewell to (for most of the PS Eagles) their first ‘schoolhouse’ as they look forward to a new future in a new campus!

The friendships that the Eagles forge while playing together are priceless.

Do you wonder what the PS Eagles are all gathered around??

Day Out in Nature

We ended the Sprint with a day out in nature for some fun play and a delicious picnic. The Eagles took lead in the schedule and made sure there was enough time for food as well as play.

Elementary Studio (ES) Update

Exhibition Reflection

On Thursday, while waiting for the rest of the Eagles to arrive, we started our day with a teambuilding game.

The reflection session allowed the Eagles to share their experiences, strengths and weakness and suggest improvements for the upcoming Exhibition. What went well during the dry run and previous Exhibitions, what could have been improved, and what they envisioned for this one.

The Eagles came to the conclusion that they should never leave their booth during exhibition, they should speak louder and be prepared. They also realised they should have bigger words on their infographics so that guests could comfortably read them.

Brainstorming together gives the Eagles a sense of being a part of something … everyone’s opinion or suggestion counts.

Christmas Celebration

This is my family! The Eagles’ creativity motivates them to find materials around them to make what they have in mind.

Some Eagles volunteered to lead the Christmas activity and they decided to make a piece of craft. They had to source their own materials and, inspired by Frozen II, asked their fellow Eagles, “Do you wanna build a snowman?” The small and simple craft won over everyone’s hearts.

Then … drumroll please … the Secret Santa exchange! This year, the Secret Santa was a success, as proven by all the smiling faces. They had a lot of fun guessing their benefactors: “I know who my Secret Santa is!”

Eagle Bucks Store

Throughout the Sprint, the ES Eagles earned a lot of Eagle Bucks from their core skill points and the noise level tracker. “You can earn a lot if you follow the schedule and stay focused.”, “I’ts not hard to earn Eagle Bucks, haha!”

On Friday, the long awaited EB Store was finally opened for business. The ES Eagles are well-aware that the reward for hard work is a sense of achievement, but it’s sweetened by the physical act of having a lot of Eagle Bucks to spend on enticing items from the store. The Eagles loved their cute stationary, paper items and … bubble tea! One Eagle marveled: “I spent 27 EB today!”

“I get all I want from the EB Store.” The EB Store is a tangible motivator to work hard and keep your eye on the prize.

The Eagles came up with a great new idea to spend their Eagle Bucks… to donate them! The Eagles will compile a list of organizations that they wish to donate their EBs to. What a wonderful way to remember those who may not have as much as we do!

Middle Studio (MS) Update

Studio Setup for Exhibition

It was left up to the Eagles to set up the space for Exhibition. The challenge lay in envisioning the crowd on the day and the flow of the activities to see how to configure the space. There was an additional challenge this round as ActonKL is in the midst of moving to our new campus, so much of the common area was filled with shrink-wrapped furniture and boxes and thus unavailable.

The Eagles realised that they had to be extra economical with space and encouraged each other to: “Come on and clear up your things.”

Spatial awareness is something that the Eagles need to hone as they arrange for each Exhibition.

Genre Challenge: Final Pitch Rehearsals

Due to time constraints, the Eagles had to determine the final speakers to be showcased on Exhibition Day, and in what order. During the practice session, all of the scripts were presented and force ranked to determine the final order.

As in real life, there are many factors that go into the decision to include one Eagle’s work, and not others.

Display Pitch Final Practice & Critique

By Wednesday, many of the Eagles had to face up to the reality that their work was still far from excellent / Exhibition standards. The Eagles came to the conclusion that even unfinished presentations should be shown at this stage to determine what still needed to be done and to spot any areas of improvement.

The Eagles thrive on constructive critiques as that’s how they discover their weak points. Open and honest critique from the Exhibition committee members and fellow Eagles pushed them to strive ever higher in the time that was left before Exhibition.

One Eagle pointed out that, “Raees was talking too fast on the video. I couldn’t hear what he said.”

Another Eagle pointed out to his fellow Eagle that there was still time to put subtitles on his video as some guests might not be able to hear the audio clearly.

Overall, this was a very painful process during which there was a lot of self-reflection. The MS Eagles came out of this session armed with a renewed drive to see things through to the end. They also learnt that, in order to produce their best work, their use of time and their focus really need to be on point.

Final Critique was a painful but necessary process to push the Eagles to produce their best work.

Exhibition Mock Run 1

The Eagles used the final hour of Wednesday to conduct a full run-through of the Exhibition from start to finish to get a feel of the running order in real-time.

The Eagles noticed themselves getting stuck at certain points during the Mock Run, and used the critique mode to pinpoint the sticking issues.

At this point, the Eagles realized that the Emcee needed to detail out and tighten up his script as this would determine not only the mood of the audience, but also the overall flow of the Exhibition.

Mock Runs help the Eagles iron out all the kinks to produce a smooth-running Exhibition.

Honest feedback allows the Eagles to hone their work.

Bye Bye Paramount!

After a great time in our Taman Paramount campus, we are moving to BU11! We bid a fond farewell to Paramount with a delicious pot-luck lunch after the Exhibition and shared happy memories while looking forward to new ones in BU11.

What a delicious spread representing the diverse family we have at Acton!

Some of the alumni parents and a grandmum.

Happy birthday Gibran! Stay heroic through your life’s journey!

The PSes bid a fond farewell to their first campus.

We love this place but we’re excited to see the new place too!

Bye-bye stairs that we pounded up and down, sat on and hid under.

As you are reading this, the guides are busy (and systematically) packing up to shift

Can I go for a ride on the moving truck?

See you in the new campus in the new year! HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ONE AND ALL!!