Middle School Session Three - Mock Trials Quest - 2022
During this three week session the Middle School will be doing a Mock Trials Simulation, focusing on the McCarthy Trials and the Trial of President Harry Truman. They will learn about the roles and processes in a courtroom and each person will research and play a specific character role at the final exhibition during a mock trial. In addition, they will have a close examination of the build-up to the end of World War II, Cold War, and many of the characters and forces involved. They will learn how to differentiate between truth and propaganda and further tune their own moral compasses by standing in the shoes of key historical decision-makers.
For Writer’s Workshop, Middle School Eagles are going to be working together to write their apprenticeship emails and role-playing interviews (by phone and in-person). This will be a great opportunity for new Eagles to get some momentum toward getting their apprenticeship and the more experienced Eagles to pass on knowledge they have learned. They will use each other to brainstorm, narrow down, and contact apprenticeship opportunities. This will be a great time for you, as a parent, to ask about what your Eagle is interested in and share about how important networking has been important in your experience.
Joey & Tyler - MS/HS Guides
Elementary Session Three - US Geography Quest! - 2022
This session, the Elementary Eagles will be exploring US Geography! Through a series of game show-type experiences and challenges, the Eagles will learn about each state, the capitals, important landmarks, National Parks and other geographical features with a focus on completing a research-based presentation at the end of the session. We are so excited to see you at their interactive exhibition!
We are looking forward to lots of fun this session followed by a much-deserved holiday break! Have a great one!
Ashley & Kelsey - Elementary Guides
Middle & High School Session Two - Coding and Journalism Quest - 2022
This session the Middle School & High School Eagles are going to be learning about coding.
The Eagles will be learning all of the foundational concepts/terminology of programming. If/then statements, assigning variables, loops, etc. In addition, they will be learning how to run a software organization with agile product development and software project management process, scrum, to help the teams work together to make a great final product, on time! The scrum process includes doing stand-up meetings, taking feedback from “clients”, design reviews and defining work in weekly sprints. And yes, “scrum” is a term taken from rugby.
To help the The Middle School Eagles learn these concepts, they will be making the ACTON ARCADE! Each Eagle will make their own video game based on the theme of their group. Parents and families will be able to play those games at the exhibition and decide which games they would like to invest in.
The High School is going to take it to another level by working in Python to program mini-robots to perform tasks and eventually compete against each other in the Acton Robotic Games. Parents and families will be able to watch each competitor participate in the games. The team with the most points will be the winner! We chose the coding language Python so that the Eagles will learn a practical programming language that they could use in the “real world”, or in a future application. The Eagles will be using Python in combination with sensors (proximity, color, accelerometers, etc) to help them program their robots to complete obstacles.
Both studios are going to be doing Journalism this session for their writer’s workshop. They are going to explore the different types of journalism, choose a type they want to write, and show their work at the exhibition.
Joey & Tyler - MS/HS Guides
Elementary Session Two - Ancient Civilization Quest 2022
During this session, Elementary Eagles will explore the history of Ancient Civilizations. This quest is designed to help develop collaborative group work skills, presentation skills, and research tools, while learning about different Ancient Civilizations and their origins. At Acton West, we encourage Eagles to find answers independently, take charge of their education, and share their findings with peers. Over the next five weeks, the Eagles will sharpen these skills through discussions about ancient cultures and myths to draw comparisons and contrasts, thus practicing more than just regurgitating information found online or in books but truly synthesizing it.
We are excited to introduce these stories through various cultural traditions while encouraging the Eagles' love of literature. Through these stories, myths and legends, the Eagles will learn the power of narrative on paper, through oral storytelling, and in art.
We will wrap up our session with a field trip to the Blanton Museum of Art. There, the Eagles will walk through the ancient art collections, exploring pieces on display and learning the significance of myths and legends involved in these artifacts. Not only will they see the artifacts, but they will also learn more about careers in art history, philosophy, and antiquities.
Finally, we hope you will join us at the ES Exhibition!
Kelsey & Ashley - Elementary Guides
Middle & High School Session One - Contracts, Systems, Organizational Development and Lip Dub 2022
Hi Parents,
It’s wonderful to have all of the new and returning Eagles in the studio excited for this new year! 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 Organizational Development.
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 all while being totally self led (some of them for the first time).
The Eagles are also creating new student contracts and rules of engagement this session. 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 Organizational Development Quest that is based on the book Traction which is the EOS system that defines an organization system to help: Define Core Values, Vision & Big Rock Goals for this year.
For this session’s exhibition, the MS & HS (in their own exhibitions) will be presenting their core values speeches and studio vision and then will be going over how Journey Tracker works. The MS will individually present their Hero Boards and show you their personal progress through Journey Tracker. The High School with be presenting part of their Life Walk and their personal Journey Tracker progress.
Joey & Tyler
Middle & High School Guides
Elementary Session One - The Call to Adventure Quest 2022
The first session of every year is one that is wondrous! As we navigate the beginning of a new year we have opportunities to strengthen new and old habits, relationships, and answer a brand new call to adventure.
On the Hero's Journey, the Call to Adventure is the moment when a hero is called to a life challenge. When the Hero answers that call, the journey begins. Every year, the Call to Adventure looks a little different, both for Eagles working from home and in-studio. Our first quest, The Call to Adventure, will focus on the allies and helpers along the way, the mentors who help support, and the ways we can build helpful habits and skills to last a lifetime.
Per Acton tradition, Eagles are putting their big-picture thinking, project management skills, and team building into practice by planning and organizing a Lip Dub (plus, 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.
The Eagles are also creating new student contracts and rules of engagement this session. 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.
For the exhibition in October, we will be presenting a gallery of "Hero's Handbooks" and screening the Lip Dub that will exhibit Eagle's work and self-reflection from this session. We are so honored you've trusted and chosen Acton Academy West for your young heroes. We know this will be our best year yet!
Here's to a healthy and wonderful new school year!
AAWest Elementary Guides
Ashley & Kelsey
AAWest Theatre Arts Guide & After School Acting Coach - Ta'Ron Middleton
My name is Ta'Ron Middleton, I'm the Acting and Improv Guide for this session at AAWest, as well as the after school acting coach. So far with AAWest we have put on multiple plays from elementary to high school, including, Aladdin, Trolls, Lion King, Moana, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Princess Bride, Clue and Star Wars.
I was born and raised right here in Austin, where I dutifully avoided theatre and other potentially-embarrassing activities until 7th grade. It wasn't until then that I discovered the magic of THEATRE, playing the role of Sultan in my school's production of Aladdin. Lots of rehearsals and eyeliner later, and I've been teaching theatre arts around Austin for almost a decade!
I also dabble in visual arts, manga, guitar, dance, and many other forms of art! Finding healthy and fulfilling ways to express myself was a huge part of my childhood, so I strive to provide a fun and easy way for kids to do the same through Theatre Arts.
Session 7 - Middle & High School Improv Quest - 2022
Every year in the seventh session our studios focus on some form of art. This year Middle and High School will be learning the art of Improv. Yes, the type of Improv you have seen on the show Who’s Line Is It Anyway or famous comedy groups like Second City or The Groundlings but this session the Eagles will take a lot more from this session than just being funny. The Eagles will be learning something that goes even deeper than comedy. Many entrepreneurs and successful business people attribute some version of improv training in helping them work better with teams, and helping them have better overall conversations with people.
Daniel Goleman, bestselling author of the book Emotional Intelligence, claims that success in life comes down to 80% emotional intelligence and 20% technical knowledge. Whatever the statistics, it is obviously important that as a social being, it is crucial for people to be able to manage themselves and relationships with other people. Throughout the session the Eagles will be working with TaRon Middleton, a jack of all trades in the Theatre world, who was also part of an improv troupe himself! Together they will be playing Improv games to help them master:
Intrapersonal Intelligence (Self Intelligence)
Learn more about themselves to see how they can best contribute to their peers.
Interpersonal Intelligence (Social Intelligence)
Learn how to “read the room”, and take that information and build on it to become interesting, engaging, and build something better than if they were just doing it on their own.
Kinesthetic Intelligence (Physical Intelligence)
Learn how to read body language, and use it to
Linguistic Intelligence (Verbal Intelligence)
Learn which words will have the most impact on their peers and the audience.
Spatial Intelligence (Spatial Intelligence)
Learn how to take advantage of the physical space around them to help them tell a better story.
With these new tools, Eagles are going to understand how to “read situations/people”, build on each other's ideas, and go confidently in a direction where making mistakes along the way makes it even more fun.
The Eagles will be excited to have parents watch the exhibition where they will be doing a series of live performances based on suggestions from the audience, you!
Writer’s Workshop
This session, MS & HS Eagles will take a dive into the tips and tricks used by writers to craft captivating stories through their use of grammar. Each week, Eagles will write 900-1200 words and be asked to incorporate different grammar concepts to create the depth, imagery and impact that they desire to deliver to their audience. For an added challenge to their creativity, they will also be asked to integrate their interpretation of random images to their storyline. For exhibition, you will get to read the creative tales they create all session long. We cannot wait for you to immerse yourself in the creative worlds they invent.
Session 7 - Elementary Theatre Quest -202
Session 7 is upon us! As is tradition, the ES Eagles will be working on two smaller quests throughout these final seven weeks.
Twice a week, TaRon Middleton will guide the Eagles through the process of creating, putting together, and performing a theatrical production. In the last few years, Mr. TaRon has led several after-school acting programs at AAW. This quest goes beyond acting; the Eagles will take on roles such as scriptwriters, set designers, stagehands, stylists, costume designers, directors, choreographers, and much more!
Twice a week, the Eagles will also dive into the world of games. This year's quests had a global theme. Connecting back to that theme, we will visit a different world region and learn about local historical and cultural games each week.
We also have the unique opportunity to get an insider's tour of the Texas Supreme Court and Capitol from an ES parent. This field trip will be particularly poignant for Eagles who completed the government quest last year. Look for email for details.
Session 6- Elementary Cartography Quest -2022
It's hard to believe that Session 6 is already here! The ES Eagles have been working hard all year. Continuing the theme of quests that encourage Eagles to explore the world and their place in it, we will be focusing on Cartography this session.
The Cartography Quest focuses on maps and map-making rather than simply navigation. This exciting topic incorporates art, creativity, math, and technology, from creative and hand-drawn maps to mapping software and programs. The session started by exploring the history of maps and the many different forms maps can take. Eagles will explore the basics features of maps, learn how to read maps, and get multiple opportunities to create their own maps.
If you're coming to the exhibition, brush off your map-reading skills because the Eagles will be using their format of choice to send you on some treasure hunts.
In other exciting news, the ES earned Spirit Week for the first time this year. At the beginning of the year, they decided that to get Spirit Week, every Eagle needed to earn the badge for a specific quest. This was achieved the first day back from break, so they are in the process of planning out a fun week of themed days. See email about the upcoming celebration.
Session 5- Middle School Chemistry Quest - 2022
I wanted to make a chemistry joke but the good ones Argon!
In this session's quest, MS Eagles will explore the magical world of chemistry through hands-on experiments, chemistry puns and discussions of its real-world applications. From foaming chemical reactions to make the famous elephant toothpaste to learning how to make their own soap, the Eagles will see the world through the perspective of chemistry. For exhibition, MS Eagles will showcase the sessions’ experiments (with a twist) and explain the science behind the magic. We cannot wait to share the fun with you at the exhibition!
This session's writer's workshop will walk the MS Eagles through the SMART Decisions framework. This framework outlines a process for decision making that will allow the Eagles to create the space for them to ponder over the risks, alternatives, consequences, and uncertainties associated with making decisions.
Joey & Alejandra - Middle School Guides
Session 5- Elementary Geology Quest- 2022
This session the ES Eagles will dive into the world of geology! The session's guiding question will be, "How does geology affect the way people live their lives?" This quest uses hands-on projects and experiments to understand the fundamentals of the Earth's makeup and then connect those discoveries to the world around us. Eagles will explore the geological makeup of our backyard here in Austin. Towards the end of the session, they will connect back to the countries they studied in the Language Quest and investigate the various ways that geology affects the lives of people around the world. We are very excited and hopeful to be in the process of putting together visits with members of the Austin Geological Society and potentially UT's Jackson School of Geosciences.
Kelsey & Kristen - Elementary Guides
Session 4- High School Next Great Adventure (NGA) Quest - 2022
“• Clear thoughts lead to deliberate actions
• Deliberate actions lead to good habits
• Good habits lead to a strong character
• A strong character leads to a worthy calling
• A worthy calling leads to your destiny”
― Os Guinness, The Call: Finding and Fulfilling the Central Purpose of Your Life
We are fortunate to have our High Schoolers going through the first six weeks of the new application that Jeff Sandefer has been working on www.nxtgreatadventure.com. This is a very unique experience to help the Eagles experience how to work through their gifts, opportunities, and passions to help them refine the direction of their life. At the end of this session, they will be presenting their summary of what they learned and what they might need from the community. They will also have the opportunity to ask the Next Great Adventure Network for financial support for certifications or other items/education that would help the Eagles on their Next Great Adventure.
For Writers Workshop, the High School will work on how to write effective emails. We all know that sending an effective email can be just as important as learning how to write a great short story, biography, lab report, etc. They will be using an email framework to help them craft an effective apprenticeship email to send at the end of the session during a “send your email” party!
See you at the exhibition!
Joey & Alejandra - High School Guides
Session 4- Middle School Entrepreneurship Quest (Sales) - 2022
“People buy emotionally, and they justify their decisions intellectually.”
― David Sandler, You Can't Teach a Kid to Ride a Bike at a Seminar: Sandler Training's 7-Step System for Successful Selling
Middle School will be working on their Entrepreneurship Quest this session and it will focus on Sales. The Eagles will be making sales scripts for simple products (such as hand soap) that their “employees” could use when they are sold in retail locations. As they make these scripts, they will compete with each other to see who has the best scripts and the winners will get advantages for the exhibition.
The sales exercises will be based on the The Sandler Sales Method and follow the format of: Pattern Interrupt, Upfront Verbal Contract, Personal Connection, Finding Pain Points, Addressing Pain Points, and Closing. The Eagles will practice these techniques while selling products and learning how to “sell” themselves to others (hopefully to be used when having interviews with apprenticeship prospects.
For Writers Workshop, the Middle School will work on how to write effective emails. We all know that sending an effective email can be just as important as learning how to write a great short story, biography, lab report, etc. They will be using an email framework to help them craft an effective apprenticeship email to send at the end of the session during a “send your email” party!
See you at the exhibition!
Joey & Alejandra - Middle School Guides
Session 4- Elementary Entrepreneurship Quest (Sales) -2022
Session Four means it's time for the annual Entrepreneurship Quest! Fondly referred to as "E-Ship," each yearns quest focuses on a different aspect of business ownership and management. This year will focus on sales.
The ES Eagles are split into seven "companies." Each group member has taken on the roles of CEO, COO, Lawyer, Accountant, and PR Director. Throughout the session, Eagles will explore methods for selling, not only products and services, but also a company's mission or story. We started the session with discussions about working in groups; each team created their own contract.
The first few weeks of the session will focus on using spreadsheets and determining the price of products. Eagles will think about how the cost of a product affects sales. We will then move into in-person sales techniques and marketing. Throughout the session, there will be team competitions to put the skills Eagles are learning to the test.
An exciting aspect of each E-Ship Quest is getting a chance to hear from local entrepreneurs. We have community members scheduled to come in to share their stories. ES Eagle Evan Klein also gave his annual presentation about the stock market earlier this week!
The session will wrap up with an exhibition-competition during which groups will all have the same products and try to outsell each other.
Kelsey & Kristen - Elementary Guides
Session 3 - Middle School American Independence Quest -2021
“Are your strongest beliefs worth dying for or are you willing to compromise?”
In this session, the Middle School Eagles will be working on The American Independence Quest which includes a “King George Simulation.” This is an experiential based project that places the Eagles in the shoes of frustrated colonists being ruled by King George. The objectives of this experience are for studio members to:
Feel the resentment and frustration of having to obey a distant and seemingly unfair ruler who knows little about their way of life
Understand the need to compromise and join as one to have any hope for winning a war against a larger power
Weigh the possible outcomes of two choices and make a decision with real-life consequences.