Middle & High School Session One - Contracts, Systems, Psychology and Lip Dub 2021
Hi Parents,
It’s wonderful to have all of the new and returning Eagles in the studio excited for this new year, it’s off to a great start! This session the MS and HS Eagles have been working on getting to know each other, building contracts and systems, and going through an introduction to psychology (mostly based on interactions in the studio).
The team building activities are geared toward bringing the group together and working through team challenges to help them get to know each other and to start to trust each other. The biggest example of this is the Lip Dub. The Eagles are put into small groups and each small group has to work together to create a finished product that eventually has to communicate with the other groups to make a bigger final product. There are many lessons learned about communication, organization, and basic project management.
The Eagles are also creating new student contracts and rules of engagement this session. Last year this was a lot more difficult because of the high percentage of Eagles that were virtual. The Eagles have been able to have many productive conversations about what rules need to be put into place and why they are important for their studio environment.
On top of everything else, we have rolled out a short psychology quest (three weeks) to give the Eagles a basic nomenclature on performance psychology. The quest was partly based on basic cognitive behavior concepts, social group dynamics, and some from the book It Takes What It Takes by Trevor Moawad.
For this session’s exhibition, we invite you to come learn more about what the Eagles have been working on, an introduction to Acton Academy Systems (presented by the Eagles), and the contract signing ceremony.
Joey & Alejandra
Middle & High School Guides
Elementary Session One- The Call to Adventure Quest + Lip Dub 2021
The first session of the year is an exciting time! Eagles come into the new year after a summer of growth bringing new experiences to share with the community and a fresh perspective from which to learn; this is a Call to Adventure.
On the Hero's Journey, the Call to Adventure is the moment when a hero is called to a life challenge such as starting a new school year, level, or new school. When the Hero answers that call, the journey begins. This year specifically, the Call to Adventure Quest focuses on the different perspectives and strengths that each member brings to our community. Eagles will try out different methods of organization, motivation, and focus as they figure out what works for them as unique learners. They'll explore the Running Partner relationship in discussions about tailoring support to suit each other's needs. Eagles will explore group work and project management through the lens of each individual's strengths and challenges.
Per Acton tradition, Eagles are putting their big picture thinking and project management skills into practice by planning and organizing a school-wide Lip Dub (not to mention, it's lots of fun)! The Lip Dub is a full-length music video, with a well-known song "dubbed over." Eagles are responsible for 100% of the process. They plan choreography, filming, editing & publishing.
Some of the questions Eagles will explore in launches this session include: "What is excellence?" "What does it mean to be productive?" "What does it mean to be a hero?" "What are your strengths and how can you use them to help others?" "What is my learning style and what does that mean for how I approach work?" "What is the best way for me to set goals?"Some of the questions Eagles will explore in launches this session include: "What is excellence?" "What does it mean to be productive?" "What does it mean to be a hero?" "What are your strengths and how can you use them to help others?" "What is my learning style and what does that mean for how I approach work?" "What is the best way for me to set goals?"
We will be doing an in person, outdoor exhibition, stay tuned for more details. We are so excited that your Eagles are here and we can't wait to see each of them grow over the year and beyond.
Here's to a healthy and exciting new school year!
AAWest Elementary Guides
Kelsey & Kristen
MS/HS Session Seven ~ Lip Dub & Animation
Hello Acton West Middle & High School Families,
This session, your Eagles will be working on putting together animations. They will be bringing their scripts from the last session to life by either using 2D computer animation software or stop motion animation (their choice). In the process, they will be using:
Storyboarding - To refine their stories and make sure they have a clear vision before devoting time into making their animation frame-by-frame.
Voice Overs - To actually use the script they made from the previous session.
Music - To add a layer of feeling to the animation.
Disney/Pixar Animation Process - To see a world-class example of how animations come together.
Writers Workshop this session will be based on Reflection. They will be using reflection in the following areas:
Projects (Post mortem)
What they should:
Stop doing
Keep doing
Start doing
Shout-Outs For Excellent Work
Personal Weekly Reflection - Focus on how they are spending their time and efforts and how they will improve for the next week.
Personal Work Reflection - A look at their work over the year to see if they have been improving.
At the end of the session, they will take these reflections and write a letter to themselves that will be sent to them all before the start of next year so they will be reminded of their lessons learned.
Acton Academy West
MS/HS Guides - Joey & Jake
Elementary Session Seven ~ Lipdub, Art and Science Quest 2021
Welcome to the final session of the '20-'21 school year! We'll be exploring a lot over the next seven weeks.
To start our session with an Acton West favorite, all studios will be participating in a Lip Dub! The Lip Dub is a time when the community comes together to film a full-length music video, with a well-known song "dubbed over." Eagles are responsible for 100% of the process. They plan choreography, film, editing & publishing. We can’t wait for you to see their finished product!
Beginning in week 2, the Eagles will begin their Art & Science quest! We will be dividing our time with Rebecca Faubion from Artful Kids Club, a remarkable local artist & entrepreneur. She has created a wonderful Artisan series & curriculum that will culminate at our art exhibition on July 14. Stay tuned for more information.
We will be working with the scientific method as we explore various experiments, create hypotheses, & document observations. Last session during the Entomology quest, the Eagles learned first-hand how important it is to discern subjective vs. objective observations, as well as inferences vs. facts.
Cheers to a great final session!
Ashley & Kelsey
ES Guides
Middle School Session Six ~ Medical Biology Quest 2021
This session, the Middle School Eagles are topping off their Biology experience with Medical Biology. In the first week they will be learning about the systems that make up the human body, as well as how to check a patient's vital functions. Next, they will learn how to assess and treat various traumatic injuries. Then, they will learn about common medical emergencies and how to treat them. Lastly, they will learn about environmental induced emergencies that can potentially threaten a life.
At the Exhibition, parents will be handed a medical scenario to recreate. The Eagles will have to properly diagnose, assist, and treat the medical emergency they encounter. Providing timely assistance and effective treatment to the patient is essential. What would you do with someone's life in your hands?
For Writer’s Workshop, each of the Eagles will be writing their very own screenplay. They will have an opportunity to create a world full of characters, drama and excitement. The best written script from each group will be acted out at the Exhibition.
Joey & Jake - Middle School Guides
Elementary Session Six ~ Entomology Quest 2021
Welcome to session 6!
In this quest, the Elementary Eagles become entomologists. They take on the title of “scientist” as they explore life in the undergrowth, the critical relationships between insects and humans, the harsh truths and beauty of life cycles, and the complex classification of life. As entomologists, they take on the responsibilities of raising insects and observing with intentionality and diligence, like a scientist. Exploring in this way ignites a curiosity and appreciation for the natural world and creates a safe and open place to discuss and face real fears. Each group will be raising habitats of living things here in the studio, and we expect many previous opinions of bugs, crawling and slimy things to change over the next 5 weeks! Eagles will also have the opportunity to learn from experts; we are working to schedule a live virtual field trip or guest speaker.
Ashely & Kelsey - Elementary Guides
High School Session Five & Six ~ Biology Quest 2021
This is going to be a very unique next two sessions for the High School. They are going to combine sessions 5 & 6 into one Biology quest. By doing this, the Eagles will be able to alternate every other week between theory and experiments. The Eagles will do this so that the theoretical Biology, learned in the first week, is backed up by an experiment or two in the following week. The Eagles will be using the Modern States Biology Review Course and other resources to learn the basics of Biology (Cells, Plants, Reproductive Systems, Heredity, Evolution & Taxonomy).
The Eagles will also be doing experiments using pipettes, microscopes, and dissection tools. At the end of Session 6, the High School Eagles have the option to take a CLEP (College Level Examination Program) test. The Eagles will also present their experiments, and writers workshops at the end of session six.
HS Guides Joey & Jake
Middle School Session Five ~ Biology Quest 2021
This session, the Middle School Eagles are going to have their first session (of two) in Biology. Each week they will be learning about cells, plants, animals, humans, and biospheres. Each week it will be a combination of deep learning and summer camp-style activities that will make all the learning so much fun. At the end of each week, they are going to have a Biology Bee that will test their knowledge of Biology and give them an opportunity to get an advantage in the exhibition.
At the exhibition, you will see the Eagles present each of the topics of biology that they covered (cells, plants, animals, humans, and biospheres) and they will have a live Biology Bee for parents to see how much they have learned.
For writer’s workshop, each of the Eagles will be writing a biography about someone that they want to learn more about or someone that is a prominent figure in an industry they are interested in. The exhibition will have the top biographies written by the middle school Eagles for you to read.
MS Guides Joey & Jake
Elementary Session Five ~ Life Skills Quest 2021
This session, we are very excited to roll out a brand new quest focusing on Life Skills! We feel that those in the world who are able to tackle problems confidently and efficiently are able to do so not only because they knew how to do it, but they learned how to LEARN to do it.
The life skills will vary through a range of topics of Safety & Survival, Fixing & Creating, Communication, Transportation, Food, and Home Maintenance. The Eagles will learn basic skills such as sewing a button, mending a tear, checking the tire pressure, planning a meal, safely using tools, and so much more! But most importantly, they will learn the biggest life skill of all: how to learn & problem solve when faced with a challenge, big or small.
To learn more about First Aid & AED, we were lucky enough to bring in the team from The Expedition School! We broke into groups and had deeper discussions and hands-on learning about cuts/abrasions & first aid, how to administer the AED machine, & water safety! We learned the best ways to fully stock a first aid kit, how to properly assess a dangerous situation and what to do in case of several different emergencies. Thank you, Expedition School team!
For more information, check out their website: https://www.expeditionschool.com/
The Eagles are already so passionate about the projects and we know this quest will be a hit!
ES Guides Ashley & Kelsey
Middle and High School Session Four ~ Entrepreneurship - Digital Marking Quest 2021
In this session, the Middle School and High School are going to work through our Digital Marketing Quest. Digital Marketing is a fundamental skill for all of our Eagles whether or not they are working for a business, or they want to create a passive income.
We want to make sure that the Eagles are seeing a real impact, so they are working with GSN Tree Planting Initiative. Their goal is to see how many impressions, clicks to their education page, and donations they get. They have been put into teams and will get points for each of the steps of the sales funnel they can get customers through.
The fundamental skills/tools that the Eagles are going to understand at the end of this quest are how to:
Create a Customer Profile.
Use Social Media, Facebook Ads, and Google Adwords to attract donors.
Use A/B testing to optimize the efficiency of ads.
Drip Campaigns to see if their ads are returning enough donations to be worth the ad campaign.
Calculate Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV) to better understand how much money they should spend to get one customer.
Understand Net Promotor Score (NPS) to see if they can generate a word of mouth campaign.
Understand how to break down the following parts of a Sales Funnel -
Attraction
Education
Closing
Nurture
Value Ladder
Use Drip Campaigns to push donors/customers back into the funnel if they happen to fall out.
During the exhibition, Eagles will present their overall process on their approach to attracting, educating, and closing customers. They will also present their final results to see which team won the overall session.
As always this annual quest helps promote business ideas and inspiration leading into our annual spring Business Fair! This year we have decided to delay the fair until the first weekend in May. This fair is opened to the public, please see the link below for your Eagle(s) to apply and for our safety protocols!
http://www.actonacademywest.com/apply-childrens-business-fair
Joey and Jake - MS/HS Guides
Elementary Session Four ~ Entrepreneurship Quest 2021
Welcome to Session Four, the annual Entrepreneurship Quest!
For the (elementary) Entrepreneurship quest, the Eagles are split into seven "companies," and are in beginning stages of creating profitable businesses. Together they will assign roles (CEO, Lawyer, Accountant, VP of Marketing, Finance, etc.), conduct market research, study ethics, marketing, and advertising tactics. They will create their brand, a solid business plan, and strong budgets to make their business a success. This year, it's fitting that we turn our business focus to e-commerce and businesses that give back to their community. We will wrap up our quest with an online shopping experience that will result in true monetary donations to local organizations of the Eagle's choice.
Just like in the real world, they must first look within themselves to discover their gifts, talents, strengths, and weaknesses they have to offer. They will use these discoveries to bring their best selves to a group of others, in hopes of discovering new strengths and gifts to offer the world.
Additionally, they will watch in real-time as a chosen public company ebbs and flows through a stock exchange simulation. As we watch the market together each day, we will be able to collect the data about what it takes to make it in the real world; our favorite thing to explore at Acton Academy West!
As always this annual quest helps promote business ideas and inspiration leading into our annual spring Business Fair! This year we have decided to delay the fair until the first weekend in May. This fair is opened to the public, please see the link below for your Eagle(s) to apply and for our safety protocols! http://www.actonacademywest.com/apply-childrens-business-fair
Happy New Year!
Ashley & Kelsey, ES Guides
High School Session Three- The Next Great Adventure 2020
Our High Schoolers are step-by-step getting closer to entering the “real world”. We have created a new part of our High School curriculum, Next Great Adventure, to help them on their journey. They will be working toward gaining experience, mentorship, the habit of deliberate practice, and opportunities to build their network. This foundation will be invaluable for whatever their next step may be.
In their exhibition, they are going to present the path that they have made a commitment to work toward. We would like for all the Acton West families to join their exhibition so that you can see the amazing things that our High Schoolers are working towards and maybe somewhere along the way you might be able to help them in their Hero’s Journey.
Our High School Eagles will also be writing college essays this session. We believe that it is very important for our Eagles to know how to sell themselves. They are going to practice this skill by using the College App questions to sell themselves to admissions departments. They will learn how to engage a reader by being vulnerable, learn how to separate themselves from others, and show people how amazing they are by weaving an engaging story.
Joey and Jake
Middle School Session Three - The Art of Negotiation 2020
“I want to go to Restaurant A.”, “I want to go to Restaurant B.”
“Will you give me a raise?”
“How should we share these Legos?”
“You should pay $100 for this.”, “I am going to only pay $50.”
“Should I get out of bed this morning?”
We negotiate all day: In business, with fellow Eagles, with family, with ourselves, etc.
In this session, the Middle School Eagles will be participating in simulations from the Acton MBA program and Chris Voss (former FBI negotiator) to learn the art of negotiation. They will learn to understand their counterpart’s perspective, how to mirror their counterpart to make them feel at ease, use their words and observations of feeling to neutralize negative emotion, and much more. They will become familiar with terms such as Tactical Empathy, Mirroring, Anchoring, Labeling, Bargaining, Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA), and Worst Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement (WATNA).
The exhibition will have Management (Santa Clause & Company) negotiating with the Union (The Elves). Parents will observe the negotiation and rate how much they learned during the quest.
The Middle School Eagles are also going to be exploring the art of storytelling. Eagles are going to write-up a family story (with your approval) and share it with a group of parents and Eagles during the exhibition. We believe that storytelling is one of the most important skills that someone can learn. You can have the best idea and amazing experiences, but knowing how to tell the story is what lives on. We are also hoping that each of the MS families will be able to get to know each other a little better before the Holiday break.
Joey & Jake
Elementary Session Three - Storytelling Quest 2020
Greetings, Acton West families & friends!
We always have a great time during this short 3-week session as we spend time in creative, hands-on quests. To wrap up 2020, we're spending the session exploring storytelling! We'll explore the history of storytelling, the importance of stories passed down from generation to generation, as well as newer, more modern ways to do so. If anything, this last year has given us all plenty to share. The ups & downs, laughter & tears will all be shared for years to come. But what about looking back? How can we share the stories that are told and re-told among our families? We'll be exploring just that!
Very soon, the Eagles will spend time interviewing a member of their family and will work through the quest re-creating this story in their own creative way. Will the Eagles choose to tell their stories with a poem? A written narrative? Sculpture? Maybe a podcast? The sky's the limit for the Acton West ES this session, and we can't wait to present our stories in small group virtual meet-ups for our exhibition on Thursday, December 17th at 5pm. We'll be reaching out to families individually with specific links to join your small group.
Please let us know if you or your Eagle(s) will not be available to join this virtual exhibition so that we may better plan the virtual groups. All Eagle presentations will be recorded as well.
Thank you to all for your love and support this year, we're honored to do this job every single day.
In gratitude,
Ashley & Kelsey
ES-HS Session Two -United Studios of Acton Quest 2020
In this session, we will be transforming all three studios in the United Studios Of Acton!
Yep, we are going to try and navigate the minefield of government and politics! We have worked hard to make it a fun interactive experience, a “grand experiment”, for our whole campus to put the Eagles in the shoes of political roles.
The Eagles will be assigned to a political party (A, B, or Independent).
Each party will be given a platform (see the attached as the example of the platform). Independents will have a combination of each platform.
Each platform topic will be given specific points (points correspond to voter importance).
The party that passes the most bills (line items) that support their platform will win!!!
Each studio is going to elect congresspeople and senators that will represent them in the United Studios Of Acton Government.
Each studio will have two senators and one congressperson per 4 Eagles.
Here is a general session schedule (very much subject to change):
Week 1 - Government Basics (What are the responsibilities of each branch.)
Week 2 - Preparing Campaigns & Stump Speeches
Week 3 - Primaries, Voting (November 3rd), Creating Bills, & “Horse Trading”
Week 4 - Voting On Bills, Creating Re-election Campaign Materials For Candidates
Week 5 - Campaign Candidates, Re-Election, Exhibition
Our goals for this quest are for ES, MS, & HS Eagles to understand:
The responsibility of each branch of government.
The checks and balances of each branch.
The process of getting a bill passed.
The motivation of political figures and why they make the decisions.
In addition to the goals above the HS and MS will be exploring:
The role of committees.
The role of the media.
A separate experience to take a deep dive into the Supreme Court.
OUR COMMITMENTS TO YOU:
We will not bring up any political topics in the studio that are being discussed by any of the political candidates.
We will only focus on the process and procedures of how the government currently functions and the logic of why those were put into place.
We have asked that all Eagles only discuss United Studios Of Acton politics in the studio. All external politics to be discussed outside of school with their parents.
We encourage you to have conversations with your Eagles and talk about your experience and knowledge about government. Hopefully, you can start to have deep conversations about politics outside of The United Studios Of Acton.
Our roles as owners and guides (as always), are to stay Socratic. We understand that we do not have all the “right” answers. We understand and are committed to making sure that we are giving Eagles tools to think for themselves, and to NEVER tell them what to think.
GENERAL GOVERNMENT GAME RULES
Each studio, ES MS and HS, will act as a state in the United Studios Of Acton.
Each “state” will get two senators.
There will be one congressperson per four students in each studio.
Each Eagle will be assigned to one of three parties (Party Apples, Party Oranges, or Independents).
Each party will be GIVEN a platform (see platforms below). Independents are given, randomly, a mixture of each platform.
Each platform issue is given a set number of points (importance to the voters).
There will be an election on November 3rd to elect the representatives from each studio.
The ES studio will not be able to run for president or vice president because they are not of the minimum age.
Eagles can run for the House or Senate and the presidency/vice presidency at the same time.
If they are elected president /vice president, the second place person in the Senate Race
EXAMPLE PLATFORMS
Party Platform A
Party Platform B
Sand
Snow
Ocean
Mountains
Building w/ Wood
Building w/ Metal
Legos
Furbies
Marine Life
Land Animals
Sunset
Sunrise
Fairies
Unicorns
Beans
Corn
Tile
Carpet
Super Glue
Duct Tape
Push-Ups
Sit-Ups
Mild Cheddar
Sharp Cheddar
Love Seats
Recliners
Pronounce Gif as "gif"
Pronounce Gif as "jif"
Mechanical Pencil
Standard Pencil
Stratus Clouds
Cumulus Clouds
Hardcover
Paperback
Saturn
Jupiter
Topo Chico
San Pellegrino
Curtains
Blinds
LAUNCHES
WHEN DO YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES TO YOUR IDEALS OVERRIDE YOUR PERSONAL SAFETY?
Watch this clip of Paul Harvey talking about the founders of this country.
The founders of the United States were wealthy people and had little to gain financially or personally to go against England. They knew they were putting their lives and their families lives on the line for an ideal they had.
Question:
Would you be willing to put your life on the line for one your ideals?
Would you be willing to put your family’s lives on the line for one of your ideals?
High School Session One - Decision Making Quest 2020
HIGH SCHOOL DECISION-MAKING QUEST
We make decisions, conscious or unconscious, almost every moment of our life. But, are we being intentional when we make decisions? Do we really know how to make hard decisions? What if there were processes, recipes, and algorithms to make better, more rational decisions? What if we could make life more fun, like a game?
Throughout the Decision Making Quest the High School Eagles will:
Play a series of games to help them categorize different types of decisions;
Discover powerful processes, recipes, and algorithms to help them make better “bets” at each stage of life; and
They will learn there are some types of decisions where considering a simple bet isn’t a good idea, for example:
Small investments in virtuous/good or evil/bad acts that compound over time or through habits, especially with regard to relationships, character, deliberate practice, or decisions you repeat over time.
Moral and cognitive blind spots that could cripple and destroy them;
High stakes decisions that are highly emotional or must be made in an instant;
Decisions to invest in story, celebration, ritual or a special place; or
Decisions that require buy-in or large scale mobilization over extended periods.
They will learn the following tools and explore when and when not to use them:
Basic Probability
Normal Distributions
Power Laws
System Dynamics
80/20
Ethical Frameworks
Monte Carlo Simulations
Utility Theory
And much much much more...
Community Building & Contracts Building
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 high school years with a genuine appreciation and respect for one another.
Throughout this session, the HS Eagles will also be creating one of the most important fundamental annual documents, the Student Contract and the Rules of Engagement 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 2020 High School journey!
AAWest High School Guides
Joey & Jake