First Snow, Learning Languages, a Hero Visit, and a Business Fair (Nov 10 - 16)
Highlights
The first snowstorm of the season arrived, and heroes happily added shoveling to studio maintenance to earn extra outdoor time.
After testing handing over a talking stick and a ball to reduce interruptions, learners tried a peer facilitator model
A surge of interest in Duolingo had learners setting up accounts and building language-learning streaks.
Hero Visit: Eli’s Berry Boutique—learners interviewed a local 13-year-old local entrepreneur about her “why,” favorite parts of the work, secrets to success, and challenges.
Heroes will bring their businesses to market at the Almonte Children’s Business Fair this weekend and put weeks of preparation into real-world practice.
There was an impromptu recitation of In Flanders Fields in unison by the heroes during a Lunch 'n Learn about Remembrance Day for which one learner had elected to prepare a few presentations to share with the studio.
The latest in educational technology for self-paced mastery in reading, writing, and math
Learner curiosity drove a studio-wide dive into Duolingo; heroes began daily practice and tracked streaks as part of their self-paced goals.
Hands-on, project-based Quests to master the tools and skills needed to solve problems in the real world
As part of their E-Ship quest, heroes took a quick voyage to Unit Economics Island: they practiced totaling purchases, making change, and calculating material costs—then checked one another’s math.
Pitch practice: after watching an example of a pitch that missed the mark, learners offered warm–cool–warm feedback and drafted their own pitches.
With market days approaching, heroes revisited the monsters of resistance, distraction, and victimhood and their antidotes—growth-mindset praise, intentionality, and accountability—to finish strong for both the Almonte Children’s Business Fair and the Acton Mini-Market Exhibition.
Written promises and covenants that form a tightly bound community of individuals learning to form authentic friendships and honestly resolve interpersonal problems
Learners experimented with a talking stick, a ball, and peer facilitation to cut down on interruptions and keep conversations fair and focused.
In Communications, heroes learned a clear “recipe” for apology—what makes an apology sincere vs. hollow—watched a playful “bad apology” clip, then role-played giving and receiving genuine apologies.
Deep Socratic discussions about heroes, history, and self-governance to hone critical thinking skills and the ability to powerfully think, write, and speak
With market season here, heroes defined what success looks like: for some, profit to fund future runs or donate to a cause; for others, meaningful public interactions or growth in craft.
Debate: Is it better to be right or kind? Despite being a notably kind group in practice, several argued for doing the “right” thing—provoking nuanced, values-based conversation.
Discussion: Does handwriting still matter? One learner suggested we might speak up more without it; others felt we’d lose individuality and intimacy.
Reflection: Are pre-event nerves helpful or not? Most began with “not helpful,” then many shifted after hearing the case for nerves as useful energy.
Memorable quotes from learners this week
“I’m going to play devil’s advocate… I’ll take a stand for being right against being kind.” (during a Socratic discussion)
“I did get my book professionally edited.”
“I really want to get to cursive, so I’m going to work on my Level 1 handwriting.”
“Courage is doing something that might be hard or scary.”
