Week 21: A week of firsts, and a decision made

Here in our little town of Nanaimo on the big Pacific coast of Canada, we were graced with our first snowfall of the year, and our first snowfall at Acton Academy Nanaimo! We managed to stay open until about 1:30pm on Monday afternoon, when we had to close down due to heavy snowfall, but man did we manage to squeeze in a lot of fun in that time!

Sleds were brought out, igloos were made, and copious fun was had by all! The snow kept us all home on Tuesday, but we were excited to come back together on Wednesday morning for more outdoor adventures and time with our friends.

Intrigued by the promise of a surprise awaiting them, these snow bunnies did eventually come indoors, hung up their wet gear, and were greeted by a new display in studio. Morgan, our wonderful apprentice guide, has been working hard behind the scenes to prepare our very first studio-wide Quest at Acton Academy Nanaimo; A Communications Quest! Our heroes were told they could participate in the activity by "unlocking" the quest. The key would be given to them once they'd identified and completed a goal for the day. Everyone was eager to get started, and they dove into core skills with an air of anticipation and excitement.

These quests are designed to deliver real-world skills, and for our young studio, mastering the art of writing a truly memorable birthday card was our first challenge of the quest. After completing their core skills they were introduced to our new studio stuffy, Reuben! A sweet, gentle labrador who is celebrating his 3rd birthday. Morgan presented the group with world class examples of truly memorable hand-made birthday cards and we discussed which elements made them special and unique. Our learners were then provided with a template to work from and a checklist to self-evaluate their cards. Everyone in studio participated and was excited to seal their card and place it in a beautiful basket tied with red ribbon for Friday's birthday celebration.

Between blocks of core skills, our days were spent mostly outdoors enjoying the snow while it lasts. At one point, the entire studio decided they were not going home, and tried their best to barricade the cars in by covering the tires in snow! When we did come inside to warm up, forts were built and cozy nooks for reading were set up throughout the sun-drenched studio.

On Friday afternoon it was time for Reuben's birthday celebration! One by one, the beautiful handmade cards were read aloud to the group and then posted to each hero's Quest chart. It was a wonderful introduction to the format of quests and we're all looking forward to next week's challenge!

We concluded our week with the final vote for our mascot. We'd narrowed it down to two options: Wolves, or Dolphins. The studio was closely divided, so we split into teams and each researched their animal and provided their reasoning as to why they felt it was the best choice to represent us at Acton Academy Nanaimo. Arguments were presented, each side listened attentively, and in the end, this group decided on.......the Acton Academy Nanaimo Dolphins!

A lot of emotion was invested in this process, and there were some tears once the decision was made. It was beautiful to see these children gather around their friends to comfort them and make sure they were ok. This bond in this pod is strong, and their warm-hearted nature is on display often in our studio.

I'll leave you with a quote I stumbled upon that seemed especially fitting for this young tribe in this special moment of choosing their mascot...

"There's no question dolphins are smarter than humans, as they play more." _ Albert Einstein

May we never lose sight of the importance of play.