Weekly Updates

Preschool / Spark Studio (PS) Update

The PS Studio officially opened on the first of July!! A fresh new start in a fresh new month. The PS Eagles were super excited to be back in the Studio! They were very on point and adapted quickly to the new normal without any complaints or grumbling. After having not used the Montessori tools for a while, the PS Eagles slipped right back into it and the Guides were amazed at how they could quickly pick up where they had left off before the MCO. The Eagles were excited to be working and playing (albeit at a distance) with their friend again!

As part of the new norm, outdoor play has now evolved into social distancing group games! Every day, the Guide just introduced a new game and then stepped back for the PS Eagles to take lead. It was very interesting to see how the games evolved – the rules and gameplay changing as the PS Eagles played over and over again.

Some PS Eagles courageously took lead and suggested new games to introduce to their friends. Some games were successful and some weren’t so much. They realised that getting a crowd to follow your lead is never an easy feat! Keep up the initiative, PS Eagles!

Bedroom Design

This week’s Quest challenge was drawing and designing their own bedroom. The PS Eagles looked as some cool designs and brainstormed about their room. The challenge was – make it your dream room, but make it functional!

I Am an Interior Designer

After watching a video about interior design, the PS Eagles looked at last week’s floor plans with an interior decorator’s eye. They thought about what changes they would make, keeping ID in mind. It was interesting to see how this new awareness affected their designs and decisions and exciting to see the plans evolve.

How Would My Dream Bedroom Look?

Anything good take a good amount of planning, as the PS Eagles realised. After being further inspired by another interior design video, they started sketching out a revised drawing of their room.

Build It!

After a week of planning and refining, the PS Eagles got to building! They scavenged materials from all around their homes and the Studio and made their plans 3D. The modelling process served 2 purposes – to materialise their visualisations, and also, perhaps to highlight structural issues.

Elementary Studio (ES) Update

Art Challenges

This week the ES Eagles were challenged to complete a nature collage and a chalk drawing of an animal. They enjoyed expressing their creativity through the challenges and many spent hours (even days) working on them. For many, it was their first attempt at a collage and using chalk to draw.

They also enjoyed seeing each other’s artwork and were impressed with what their friends came up with. During the art sharing session, the Eagles gave each other positive comments and useful feedback on how to improve the artwork.

Writer’s Workshop

This week the prompts were:

* You manage to make a time machine. Describe what it looks like, what materials you used to make it and how long it took to make it.

* You get stuck in time because your time machine is not working. Where are you and how can you fix your time machine?

* If you could change any historical event, what would it be and why?

* If you could have a talk with yourself from 2018 what would you say to them?

These are some of the ES Eagles writings:

“It is the Year 2020 and I was just sitting down reading a book about the olden days (before I was born) when suddenly my mirror started to turn purple and there was a voice.” Jump into the mirror, jump into the mirror,” said the voice.

I was like, “No way, it would break and then I would get cut by the glass.” But the voice kept on repeating the same thing on and on and on. Soon, I just got tired of hearing that noise and without thinking I jumped into the mirror.

I was in a portal taking me somewhere, some place I didn’t know. Then suddenly, I came out of the portal and the portal disappeared. I saw a signboard and there was a picture of the old Prinminsiter, Mahathir. But the problem was Mahathir was no longer our Prinminsiter, that’s when I realized that I was going back in time, that I went at least 2 years back and then I realized that I was standing in front of my apartment door. I didn’t know what to do. I stood there for approximately 10 minutes when I just had the urge to ring the doorbell.

DING DONG! Went the doorbell. Someone opened the door and it was my mom: “Hi mom!” shouted waving my hands at her. “Is anyone there?” she asked as if I wasn’t there. “Guess not, probably another one of those kids who like to prank us,” continued my mom.

Then I heard another noise, or rather another voice. “Who is it Mom?” asked the voice. Which was really weird because I was her daughter and by the looks of it no one was visiting so it couldn’t be a kid who came to visit. “No one, just another prank,” answered my Mom.

I realized since I was ‘invisible’ I could just slip through the front door. So, I did before it was too late. I went to my bedroom and opened the door. I was so shocked at what I saw I could barely say anything. I was just standing there and the thing I was looking at just stared at me. Then I just lost it and I started to talk. “Um hi my name is Xania and apparently I have gone back in time to 2018,” I said, “Oh yes, I can only see you because well you know you are me,” she answered. “Oh okay. I understand,” I replied. “So, now that I am back in time. Can I ask you a question?” I asked. “Sure, anything!” The 2018 me replied. “So, actually I have to warn you because there will be a virus called Covid19 and soon you will be on lockdown, so you should just spend as much time as you can outside right now and stuff like that because you will be in the house for a few months,” I warned. “Thank you so much, yes, I will go out more and use my time wisely. But I will keep this secret also I don’t think my parents will believe me,” she answered. “Yes, well I guess it is goodbye,” I waved. “Yes, jump through my mirror to go back home,” she replied, waving to me.

I jumped through the mirror and within seconds I was sitting on my bed again. I was wondering if that was just a dream but then I saw a bit more purple left in my mirror then it all disappeared. “I guess it wasn’t a dream,” I said to myself as I picked up my book about the olden days and continued reading.

~~~~

I was sitting on the bed reading. I read the words stuck in time. I said it out loud. Suddenly, i heard a whoosh. A time machine had appeared next to me! There was a sign the said:

This is your time machine. Step inside to go into the future or the past.

I stepped inside and there were three buttons. One said future, one said past and one said when. I pressed future and pressed 2022. WHOOSH!!! Beep, beep, beep. There was a voice that said:

Your time machine is stuck in the year 2021. Please press past then 2020. Thank you.

So I did but nothing happened. So I stepped out and saw me. I said hi. Future me replied, “Aaah! You’re … me?” I replied, “I’m past you. This is my time machine, but it’s broken. Can you help me fix it?” Suddenly I heard my mum’s voice. It said, “Darling, dinner is ready!” I said, “Who’s that? Future me said, “That’s mum,” replied future me. Then she went out to dinner. I waited for a while and finally she came back and said, “I’ll help you fix it.”

So she pressed a button at the bottom of the time machine. Then the same voice said: “Step inside please. Press past then 2020. Thank you.

So I stepped inside and I went back to the year 2020.”

~~~~

* If my time machine broke I would need to collect metal to fix the broken part.

* And I will also need a tyrannosaurus tooth (because I’m in the dinosaur world).

* I also need to find an amber to make the machine know where I am.

* While I am fixing the machine I’ll also need water and food to stay hydrated.

* I will also need vines, a sharp rock and a stick to make a spear to keep me safe.

I will also need to find a cave or make a covered place to keep me safe too.

~~~~

I was in my time machine, traveling forwards in time to the Future. Everything was fine. Suddenly, a computerized voice spoke, “Alert, time machine engine damaged, please repair. Repeat, please repair.” Uh oh,” I said, then the time machine started to sputter and shake violently, the red light blared. I wasn’t sure the time machine would make it. After a few minutes, the shaking finally stopped. “You have arrived at your destination,” said the computer. “That’s nice to know,” I said, but when I opened the door, I wasn’t in the Future, I was in Ancient Rome! The time machine really is broken I thought. I went out to find some help. “Excuse me,” I said, “Can you fix my time machine?” The man I was talking to replied, “Sorry young man,” he said. “I must be delirious. I thought you said, ‘Time machine’. “I did!” i yelled, “I that case, sorry. I have never heard of a time machine and I do not know how to create one. Farewell,” he said, walking away. I tried asking other people, but they had the same answer. “I’m all by myself then.” I thought. I went back to the time machine and opened up the power storage. “Computer,” I asked, “What is the damage to the engine?” “It appears that you have been traveling in time more than 10 times,” the computer replied. So I took a look at the engine, it was hot, so I let it cool down a bit and pressed the settings button, after that I went to system and pressed reset. The time machine was shut down. After two minutes, the time machine turned on. The time machine was fine!

I went inside and set the control panel to 20,000 years from now. Then I pushed the go button and traveled to the the future!

~~~~

Bash! Bam! Boom! Then time machine stops. Then, a total blackout. I stumbled to find the door of the time machine. Opening it slowly, I realised that I’m in the middle of a field. There is nobody around and the only thing I can hear is the wind rustling through the grass. Next to me, stands the time machine. I decided to try and see if it works. Stepping in, I try to switch it on. It made an odd noise. It squeaked and clanged, but nothing happened. I tried a few time more and figured out it had broken down. To fix it, I needed 10 car batteries.

I had to fix it. The only problem was, I had no resources. I was in the middle of nowhere AND it didn’t help that I would need ten car batteries. It’s not like you can get them out of thin air. I decided it would be a good idea to look for any signs of civilization. (Unless I wanted to wait for an extremely long time.)

After walking for several hours, I found a deserted town. Looking around, I could tell that it would be hard to find these car batteries! The town was shabby and looked pretty undeveloped. I totally forgot that ti could be any time in the whole history of the earth I was stuck in!

Out of the blue, I saw a sign that read, ‘The PLAZA this way–>’. I turned down the road and saw a massive fountain. Surrounding it, there were all different kinds of shops. Big and small, they had it all. The only problem was, there were no people there at all! “Maybe this town is abandoned,” I thought.

Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I saw this sign saying, ‘BOB’S REPAIR SHOP’ “Yes,” I exclaimed to myself. I ran in the direction of hte shop. As i came closer, I noticed that the shop’s doors were open! Silently, I slid inside making sure that I was not to get caught. (Even though there was nobody there, I still had to be cautious.) In the store, it came to my surprise that the place looked surprisingly new, and the place had just been clean. I didn’t want to spend that much time in there … What if someone walked in and saw me stealing? “Car batteries, car batteries, car batteries,” I muttered to myself as I walked past each shelf looking for them. I also kept in mind that I didn’t know what time I was in so they might not even exist.

“Ah-ha,” I whispered to myself. I quickly took each battery and put them in a bag I swiped at the counter beforehand. Silently I leapt outside and ran back to the plaza and found a sign that said: “Grass field This way –>”

I followed the sign until, in the distance, I could see my bright blue and purple invention in the distance, I could see my bright blue and purple invention in the distance. I yelped at the sight of it. Nearly home!

It was only an hour later that I managed to fix the machine. Climbing in, I started the machine and pressed the button that said, ‘Back home’ . There was a thud and a grinding noise. Then, silence.

Opening the door, I jumped out and screamed, “Home sweet home!” My brother walked into the room at that exact moment and gave me an odd look. Thankfully, my machine could turn invisible so nobody would notice.

Gratitude Challenge

For this week’s gratitude challenge, the ES Eagles had to write a note to someone they know to tell them why they are grateful for that person, and also to choose they know to tell them why they are grateful for that person, and also to choose something useful in life that they are grateful for and to imagine what life would be like if they didn’t have it. The Eagles thanked their parents for all their help and found joy in the little things in life.

Creative Thinking

The ES Eagles continue to be challenged by the creative thinking challenges set weekly. The Eagles are really enjoying coming up with all sorts of creative solutions when talking about objects that fly.

This week’s PE was led by Jared. He led the ES Eagles in a session of HIIT via Zoom and it was an energetic time for all!

Hero’s Sharing

This session, we had Mr. Jay sharing his hero’s journey with us. Mr. Jay has 23 years of comprehensive experience in production and post-production starting as a 3D animator/graphic designer in 1997 and currently as Producer, Motion Graphic Designer and Strategic Content creator for digital or other mediums. They were very excited to hear that the works on creating media for YouTube and can play the guitar.

The ES Eagles listened to Mr. Jay talk about his passion for the arts and how art provided him with solace during challenging times. He shared stories about his childhood and his love for creating artwork with his hands. He also encouraged the Eagles to read and listen to music as it helps to broaden the mind.

Thank you, Mr. Jay, for inspiring the Eagles!

Middle Studio (MS) Update

Tuesday Morning Launch: Superhero Trivia

The MS Eagles played Superhero Trivia to energise their morning, and Gibran agreed to carry on with the game for Thursday morning, taking Evan’s advice to host it on Kahoots instead.

Evan said, “It is a great way to start the morning. It has energised the entire day for me. I would like to have similar activities for the rest of the week into next week.” Haidan agreed with Evan.

Tuesday Midday Launch” “Why Do Apprenticeships Matter?”

The purpose of this launch was to put in perspective the importance of Apprenticeships. President Trump stressed the phrase, “Earn while you learn.” The question posed to the MS Eagles was, “Are Apprenticeships all about money? Or are they about something else?

Eva: Apprenticeships are firstly about Skill, then Criticism, then Collaboration, then Money.

Dhanya: Apprenticeships are firstly about Collaboration, ,then Criticism, then Skill, then Money.

Gibran: Apprenticeships are mostly about Experience, then Skill, then Criticism, then Money.

Thursday Morning Launch Trivia

The plan was to pump up the energy of the launch with Trivia again, but there was an unexpected turn of events when Gibran had trouble hosting the game. Evan stepped up and he and Gibran made the best of the situation. In the end, however, the Trivia game took the shape of a pop quiz that could be done individually in the MS Eagles’ own time.

We are learning that certain platforms are not suitable or take additional resource to work effectively with the MS Studio’s established Launch patterns.

There was no Townhall this week. Overall, productivity and intentionality was average to low this week, with the majority of the MS Eagles not calling in for Launches. Of those who did report in, the productivity rating had an average of 5 to 6 out of 10.

Wishing the MS Eagles all the best as we move into Week 3 for better productivity and energy!