Building the community through team building activities is one of the most fun and enriching experiences of the year. These activities will create the bond that carries these Eagles through their middle and high school years with a genuine appreciation and respect for one another. Per Acton tradition, the Eagles are putting their big-picture thinking, project management skills, and team building into practice by planning and organizing a Lip Dub! The Lip Dub is a full-length music video that dubs over a well-known song. Eagles are responsible for 100% of the process. They plan choreography, filming, editing & publishing.
Throughout this session the MS and HS Eagles will also be creating one of the most important fundamental annual documents, the Student Contract and the Rules of Engagement Contract and the high school in addition to, the Honor Code Contract. These are the contracts that they will abide by throughout the rest of the year. Through this process, an elected committee will gather data from the community about the rules they want to set into place, lead the votes and put together their final product. This process will end with a sacred ceremony in which everyone in the community signs the contract, thus taking the plunge into their Hero's Journey!
Conflict Resolution Quest
“Conflict is inevitable — growth is optional.”
This session, Eagles will take on a Conflict Resolution Quest inspired by HBR Guide to Dealing with Conflict. The goal is to transform conflict from something to fear or avoid into an opportunity for growth, understanding, and stronger relationships.
Explore common causes of conflict and share personal experiences. Introduce strategies from the book such as active listening and staying calm under pressure.
Practice empathy and de-escalation through role-plays. Students learn how to acknowledge emotions while keeping conversations productive.
Focus on negotiation skills—identifying interests, finding common ground, and practicing assertiveness without aggression.
Apply everything learned by designing a Conflict Resolution Plan for a real or hypothetical situation.
At the exhibition, Eagles will present their Conflict Resolution Plans. Each plan will:
Describe the conflict being addressed,
Highlight strategies from the book that could change the outcome,
Demonstrate, through role-play, how constructive approaches transform tension into resolution.
Writer’s Workshop
"The faintest ink is more powerful than the strongest memory." — Chinese Proverb
This session, our Eagles are discovering the power of bullet journaling—a system that blends planner, diary, and creative space into one. It’s not just about staying organized; it’s about building real-world skills in focus, reflection, and decluttering the mind to help them not be overwhelmed by all the tasks that need to be done.
Eagles are designing journals to track assignments, habits, and personal goals, learning responsibility and time management along the way. High Schoolers are pushing further by connecting their journals to long-term goals and their “Next Great Adventure.” They’re practicing prioritization and self-motivation as they plan for college essays, internships, and life after Acton.
At the exhibition, families will get a window into each Eagle’s process. Eagles will share their ups and downs and how their journals reflect both personality and discipline.
