Daily Life - Elementary Studio
Daily schedule
Each day at Acton Columbus begins with a Launch. This is time for our Learners to gather and get the day started on the right path. From there, they will typically jump into core skills - Math, Reading, Writing, and Foreign Language. The afternoons are spent on projects and real-world challenges. The day is wrapped up with a Closing Circle discussion and studio cleanup. In between it all, there are Socratic discussions, Extra-curricular activities, and other real life experiences.
Daily Launches
Learners gather together to enthusiastically kickoff the day. Like Homeroom but interactive and fun!
socratic discussions
Socratic discussions begin with open-ended questions and involve critical thinking discussions.
extra-curricular Activities
Activities such as physical education, music, community gardening, and field trips are incorporated into the daily life at Acton.
Studio Maintenance
Students at Acton take ownership of the studio to maintain a neat and tidy place
PLAY / RECESS
From nature based walks to more structured games, our learners are engaged in physical activity every day.
PROJECT-Based Learning
Project Based Learning / STEM Projects are an important part of our daily afternoon activity.
real-WORLD projects
Quests are a four- to six-week series of challenges bound by a compelling narrative and designed to deliver 21st century skills. In addition, learners work on Arts / Crafts and STEM projects daily.
core skills
In Core Skills, an Eagle masters a foundation for a life of learning. This includes: Math, Reading, Communications / Writing, and Foreign Language.
passion projects
Every Friday is Discovery Day at Acton Academy where Learners work on a project that they are passionate about.
PROJECTS
Students utilize their Core Skills through interdisciplinary projects (Quests) which offer engaging, real-world experiences. Themes include science, civilization, business, and technology. At Acton Academy, we believe deep learning happens through application of skills in the real world. Our project-based learning curriculum is designed so students dive deep into the subject matters and practice using the cognitive processes that underlie learning.
In addition to Quests, our Eagles work on additional STEM projects daily.
PASSION FRIdays
Neuroscience research tells us that children learn most when they enjoy what they’re learning. Friday Discovery Day workshops allow our learners to explore and discover new ideas and experiences. Students can choose to work on an independent or group project, travel on a field trip, or attend a workshop led by a Guide or other students. Exploration topics could include painting, writing a song, coding, building a website, playing chess, table tennis, or yoga, to name just a few. Students can work on more than one project at a time or stick with the same thing for weeks.
D.E.A.R
“Drop Everything and Read” is the time Learners and Guides find a cozy nook and devour a book, magazine, or other text of their choice. The 30 minute period is reserved for reading and nothing else.
Similarly, “Math Power Hour” is injected into the schedule for a one hour intensive work time when all Learners focus on math at the same time.
Exhibitions
Public exhibitions at the end of most Quests allow young heroes to present work to experts, customers or the public for a real world test. Learners are challenged with preparing for and putting together the exhibition to display their work.