Will get to the Art Exhibition news in a moment, but first...

The focus of this week in Core Skills was MATH. And specifically, the Tribe was working on how we respond when we feel like "this is hard" or "I'm not sure what to do here...". Haven't we all felt that way at times?

But with some guidance and gentle nudges (remember, Guides don't answer questions) our Dragon-riders are learning to trust the Three B's. They can use their Brain to figure things out, even when the solution is not apparent at first. They can ask their Buddies for help. And they can look to the Book (or video resources) where a world-cass teacher gives a demonstration.

It is all about building that muscle of being an independent learner, as well as learning how to be a good helper to your fellow Dragonauts. The Hybrid learning environment adds an extra challenge because sometimes that helping buddy is also your sibling, which can be extra challenging.

Update on hybrid-learning: Our team met this week to assess our progress so far, and make some adjustments to optimize. One thing we would ask that you remind your learners, is that the times between 9am-9:30am (Morning Launch Circle) and 12noon-12:15pm (Closing/Landing Circle) is our hybrid-version of Sacred Space/Sacred Time. 

That is when we are doing the Socratic discussions and building our functioning as individuals and as a Tribe. If your Hero shares that they had to sit out/not participate during Circle Time, it is because we are going to increase the discipline of being present, attentive, and fully present. Stepping away for food, bathrooms, etc have proved to be disruptive for everyone, so we want to get that business done before or after those blocks.

Through all the changes, the Heroes continue to post "Big Wins" on a personal level. For example, this week:

• Aidan read 2 Bob books this week! Big win for him. He’s been resisting reading coming from his other school and his attitude was that “I can’t read” but HE IS READING. We ordered more of the Bob books, which have been a favorite of our early readers.
• Dillen finished 2nd grade math. He went thru 3 grades of math!! in less than 2 months. Another Big Win. Reader might remember that we start ALL learners at the base level and let them work forward to eliminate any potential gaps or missed information. This is our way of building the most solid foundation going forward.

But... It Wasn't All Hard Work

In addition to a renewed focus on math, reading, and writing - we also made sure there was lot's of play in the day. Mornings continue to start with a session of Brain Games. 

GoNoodle and Chess are favorites during break time. Just getting outside to play in the afternoon can be a big great way to release pent up energy.

In this photo, our Fort Lauderdale pair worked on an afternoon scavenger hunt on the Riverwalk and through Smoker Family Park.

Visit To NSU Art Museum & Preparation For Participating In The Plunge Art Exhibition

One highlight of the week was Thursday's visit to the NSU Art Museum. For several of our learners, it was a first-time experience to visit an Art Museum.

 Each learner was challenged to not only explore the different works of art, but to consider how they made them feel. Extra time was taken for reflection.

One very cool connection with the visit to the Art Museum, is that our Heroes are also preparing for their art exhibition coming up in May.

YES, our young learners will be participating in the Young Artist Exhibit at the Plunge on May 14th! This is an exciting opportunity for our young artists to showcase their creativity and artistic talent.

After The Plunge... Comes The Spring Children's Business Fair 🎉

For the upcoming Children's Business Fair (June 11th), we ask that ALL participants submit their application (it will be our Acton Heroes + a dozen or more others who want to do the event). Reminder that the specific theme for this event is "Ocean-friendly/Ocean-themed" in honor of World Oceans Day. 

More details on every thing you need to know on this page: https://www.childrensbusinessfair.org/fortlauderdale-acton

On a personal side-note: Next week Tobin will be traveling to Carmel CA to participate in a small group of Acton owners who are developing new Learning Design elements to the Acton network. His specific presentation, will be on what we are building with FamilyFriendlyFortLauderdale.com as a student-driven media project. AND he will get a chance to meet Jeff and Laura Sandefer in person 🙂