Ask Wonder Explore

08/30/2026

The 2026-2027 school year is NOW!

** Morning Announcements Daily on Instagram from 8:40-8:45am**

Be sure to follow us on Instagram

What to expect this week:

Monday: First Day
1. Be sure to bring your computer/tablet, chargers, and headphones
2. Students have PE (Physical Education) every day, be sure they have shoes they can run in
3. PE with Coach Zach

Tuesday: Library Day
1. Be sure to wear your AWE shirts and bring your library card for the Jefferson Parish Library if you have not already done so
2. K-3rd graders have Crafts Class
3. Young Entrepreneurs / Marketing class begins for 5th-8th graders
4. PE with Ms. Laura

Wednesday:
1. Club selection (Holistic Wellness, Green Thumb, Cardboard Construction, Cooking, and Music are the Club offerings)
2. Life Skills Class for all grade levels
3. PE with Ms. Laura

Thursday:
1. Social Studies Class begins
2. PE with Dr. Sam

Friday: Field Trip Day and Clubs
1. Be sure to wear your AWE shirt
2. Yoga Class with Dr. Sam before the field trip
3. PE with Dr. Sam
4. Field Trip to Chalmette Battle Field and Fazendeville

Drop Everything And Read (DEAR) Program

Be on the lookout for handouts and reading logs related to this program in your child's backpacks.

Our AWEsome Staff

Schedules

Announcements:

Our address is 5914 Canal Blvd. You enter from the back parking lot near the glass doors and the AWE sign. If the door isn't open or it's locked, please ring the bell. We are upstairs on the second floor. Also, please make sure you have Dr. Sam's number in your phone: (504) 252-2984.

Be sure you have created your SPARK Account. This is how you will see your child's attendance, grades, the school calendar, and pay tuition. You will also need to fill out forms here, including

1. Field Trip Consent Form,
2. Student Code of Conduct Agreement, and
3. Tuition Agreement Forms.

If you are interested in After Care, you can sign up via our website or via paying with Zelle ([email protected]). Please indicate the Explore's name and Days of the week.

Ms. Laura will be leading aftercare this school year. Aftercare goes from 3pm- 5pm.

Monthly Unlimited $300/month
Weekly $90/week
Daily / Drop-In $25/day

Sign up for the AWE Village Council

The AWE Village Council will serve as a collaborative body that fosters strong partnerships between families and school leadership. Council members will provide feedback, share ideas, support community-building efforts, and help strengthen the overall experience for learners and families. While the council does not have governance responsibilities, it serves as an important avenue for communication and collaboration with the CEO, ensuring that parent voices are heard and that Ask Wonder Explore continues to grow in ways that reflect the needs and values of our community. Through the AWE Village Council, we hope to cultivate a true “village” of families working together to support the success and well-being of every learner.

Let's plan to meet within the first 3 weeks of school. Please send date/time/location ideas to Dr. Sam; we can then synthesize this into a Google Form to get as many people in attendance as possible.

Community Corner

This is a NORD basketball program led by one of our interns' fathers (Coach Joe).

This school was founded by Dr. Sam's mentor, Dr. Polk in Gentilly near Dillard University.

We are always trying to gain more scholarship opportunities for our community. If you would like to provide a free or discounted camp opportunity, please donate below or contact Dr. Sam at (504)252-2984 or [email protected]. Thank you for being AWEsome and amazing!

We are in need of Scholarship fulfillment. We are looking to raise $7,000 more to fulfill promised scholarships. If you can, or know someone who would like to contribute, please send them our way. They can donate via our website, Zelle, Venmo, Cash or check. Thank you for making AWE programming accessible for all.

Click here for an update from Ask Wonder Explore!

08/23/2026

The 2026-2027 school year is upon us!

Wednesday, August 26 is Orientation and Supply Day from 9:30 - 11:30 am

Please bring your child and their school supplies to school. This includes computers/tablets, and chargers, all communal supplies and items for their lockers/cubbies. Please refer to the supply list below.

Thursday, August 27: Goal setting on Google Meet/Zoom at the times listed on SignUpGenius.

We will be setting 2-3 goals for your child based on their needs with their homeroom teacher. Please see the updated class lists below.

Our AWEsome Staff

Announcements:

Our address is 5914 Canal Blvd. You enter from the back parking lot near the glass doors and the AWE sign. If the door isn't open or it's locked, please ring the bell. We are upstairs on the second floor. Also, please make sure you have Dr. Sam's number in your phone: (504) 252-2984.

Be sure you have created your SPARK Account. This is how you will see your child's attendance, grades, the school calendar, and pay tuition. You will also need to fill out forms here, including 1. Field Trip Consent Form, 2. Student Code of Conduct Agreement, and 3. Tuition Agreement Forms.

If you are interested in After Care, you can sign up via our website or via paying with Zelle ([email protected]). Please indicate the Explore's name and Days of the week.

Ms. Laura will be leading aftercare this school year. Aftercare goes from 3pm- 5pm.

Monthly Unlimited $300/month
Weekly $90/week
Daily / Drop-In $25/day

Sign up for the AWE Village Council

The AWE Village Council will serve as a collaborative body that fosters strong partnerships between families and school leadership. Council members will provide feedback, share ideas, support community-building efforts, and help strengthen the overall experience for learners and families. While the council does not have governance responsibilities, it serves as an important avenue for communication and collaboration with the CEO, ensuring that parent voices are heard and that Ask Wonder Explore continues to grow in ways that reflect the needs and values of our community. Through the AWE Village Council, we hope to cultivate a true “village” of families working together to support the success and well-being of every learner.

Community Corner

This is a NORD basketball program led by one of our interns' fathers (Coach Joe).

This school was founded by Dr. Sam's mentor, Dr. Polk in Gentilly near Dillard University.

We are always trying to gain more scholarship opportunities for our community. If you would like to provide a free or discounted camp opportunity, please donate below or contact Dr. Sam at (504)252-2984 or [email protected]. Thank you for being AWEsome and amazing!

Click here for an update from Ask Wonder Explore!

08/02/2026

Week 10 Save Our Coasts

Starts August 3rd!

Themes this week:

Monday: Macro and Micro invertebrates
Tuesday: Energy, Flooding, and Defense
Wednesday: Water quality data collection
Thursday: Pollution
Friday: Data Analysis and Community Art

Field Trips:
1. Wednesday: Couturie Forest in City Park
2. Friday: New Canal Lighthouse 8001 Lakeshore Dr, New Orleans, LA 70124
Green and Yellow: Leave 9:30am, Return 11:45am
Blue and Purple: Leave 12:10pm, Return 2:15pm

Some take-home projects you should expect to see include:
1. Magic potion
2. Bouncy Balls made with Borax
3. Candle Making
4. Painting rocks
5. Sewing projects
6. Window gels
7. Salt Paintings
8. Sticker Printing
9. Lava Lamps
10. Cloud Dough

Some things they will cook:
1. Crumble Cookies
2. Cake
3. Lavender Tincture
4. Chocolate covered strawberries

Skills your Explorer will gain:
1. Take water samples
2. Measure and understand Temperature
3. Measure and understand pH
4. Measure and understand Clarity
5. Measure and understand Salinity
6. Measure and understand Dissolved Oxygen
7. Identify and Classify Species of Macroinvertebrates and Microinvertebrates
8. Ability to rate the health of a water source or sample
9. How to use a microscope
10. How to be a land steward of waterways
11. Understand how living organisms are connected in an ecosystem, and how energy flows between organisms
12. How to clean up an oil spill
13. Understand the importance of erosion and inundation in healthy wetlands, and how these effect people

Important to note:
1. Mornings are based on the themes and led by our teachers
2. Afternoons are led by our interns (aged 10-15), and the activities that they formulate for our explorers (PAID Internships can be applied for in January of each year for the following summer)

Announcements:

Arrival is 8:20-8:30 am, and Dismissal is 2:50-3:00 pm

Be sure to pack your Explorer with a refillable water bottle, two snacks, and lunch (NO PEANUTS). We have Snack at 9:45-10:15, Lunch 12:10-1:10, and Second Snack from 2:35-2:45 pm. No backpacks needed; our space is limited.

Also, please make sure your explorer has closed-toe shoes and weather-appropriate, messy-friendly clothes. Please pack extra clothes if your child may need them.

If your child has any allergies, please let Dr. Sam know upon arrival.

Our address is 5914 Canal Blvd. You enter from the back parking lot near the glass doors and the AWE sign. If the door isn't open or it's locked, please ring the bell. We are upstairs on the second floor. Also, please make sure you have Dr. Sam's number in your phone: (504) 252-2984.

ALSO, FILL OUT THE REGISTRATION FORM IF YOU HAVE NOT YET DONE SO. You will have to do this upon arrival if it has not yet been done beforehand, and that will slow down your drop-off process.

If you are interested in Morning or After Care, you can sign up via our website or via paying with Zelle ([email protected]). Please indicate the Explore's name and Days of the week.

We are always trying to gain more scholarship opportunities for our community. If you would like to provide a free or discounted camp opportunity, please donate below or contact Dr. Sam at (504)252-2984 or [email protected]. Thank you for being AWEsome and amazing!

Click here for an update from Ask Wonder Explore!

07/26/2026

Week 9 Save Our Coasts

Starts July 27th!

Themes this week:

Monday: History of SE Louisiana Land growth and change
Tuesday: Temperature and pH
Wednesday: Turbidity and Salinity
Thursday: Dissolved Oxygen and phytoplankton
Friday: Data Analysis and Community Art

Field Trips:
1. Wednesday: Bayou St. John (Bayou Choupic)
2. Friday: Green Project
Green and Yellow: Leave 9:30am, Return 11:45am
Blue and Purple: Leave 12:10pm, Return 2:15pm

Become an environmental scientist as we explore Louisiana's unique coastal ecosystems and discover how STEM can help protect them! Campers will investigate wetlands, marine life, water quality, erosion, and pollution through hands-on experiments and engineering challenges.

On Wednesday, campers will visit Bayou St. John (Bayou Choupic) to collect and compare water samples from both sides of the Sleuth Gate. Using real scientific tools, they will test pH, temperature, water clarity, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and identify macroinvertebrates and microorganisms to evaluate the health of the ecosystem.

On Friday, campers will visit The Green Project, where they will contribute to the creation of a large community sculpture made from materials rescued from local landfills, learning how creativity, recycling, and environmental stewardship can help build a more sustainable future.

Some take-home projects you should expect to see include:
1. Candles
2. DIY Submarine
3. Sensory Jars
4. Oobleck
5. Lavender Syrup
6. Watercolor Paintings
7. Friendship Bracelets
8. Save Our Coast Posters
9. Topographical Salt Map of the United States

Skills your Explorer will gain:
1. Take water samples
2. Measure and understand Temperature
3. Measure and understand pH
4. Measure and understand Clarity
5. Measure and understand Salinity
6. Measure and understand Dissolved Oxygen
7. Identify and Classify Species of Macroinvertebrates and Microinvertebrates
8. Ability to rate the health of a water source or sample
9. How to use a microscope
10. How to be a land steward of waterways

Important to note:
1. Mornings are based on the themes and led by our teachers
2. Afternoons are led by our interns (aged 10-15), and the activities that they formulate for our explorers (PAID Internships can be applied for in January of each year for the following summer)

Announcements:

Arrival is 8:20-8:30 am, and Dismissal is 2:50-3:00 pm

Be sure to pack your Explorer with a refillable water bottle, two snacks, and lunch (NO PEANUTS). We have Snack at 9:45-10:15, Lunch 12:10-1:10, and Second Snack from 2:35-2:45 pm. No backpacks needed; our space is limited.

Also, please make sure your explorer has closed-toe shoes and weather-appropriate, messy-friendly clothes. Please pack extra clothes if your child may need them.

If your child has any allergies, please let Dr. Sam know upon arrival.

Our address is 5914 Canal Blvd. You enter from the back parking lot near the glass doors and the AWE sign. If the door isn't open or it's locked, please ring the bell. We are upstairs on the second floor. Also, please make sure you have Dr. Sam's number in your phone: (504) 252-2984.

ALSO, FILL OUT THE REGISTRATION FORM IF YOU HAVE NOT YET DONE SO. You will have to do this upon arrival if it has not yet been done beforehand, and that will slow down your drop-off process.

If you are interested in Morning or After Care, you can sign up via our website or via paying with Zelle ([email protected]). Please indicate the Explore's name and Days of the week.

We have 2 more spots for our Week 10 Save Our Coast.

We are always trying to gain more scholarship opportunities for our community. If you would like to provide a free or discounted camp opportunity, please donate below or contact Dr. Sam at (504)252-2984 or [email protected]. Thank you for being AWEsome and amazing!

Click here for an update from Ask Wonder Explore!

07/22/2026

Thank you Pony Tales 🐴 for showing our explorers how to take care of horses, ponies, donkeys, chickens, and goats. We had so much fun with this core memory!

07/22/2026

We love going to StudioBE and learning about how art can be both healing and a form of activism. Thank you Brandan Bmike Odums for all that you do for community, kids, and art 🥹

07/22/2026

The best Air Filters thanks to a grant from IQAir

07/17/2026

Week 8 Arts, Puppets, and STEM

Starts July 20th!

Themes this week:

Monday: Shadow Puppetry Around the World (China, Indonesia, India, Thailand, Cambodia, Europe and the Americas)
Tuesday: Shadow Puppetry and Meaning
Wednesday: Storytelling through Shadow Puppetry- fabrication
Thursday: Storytelling through Shadow puppetry- fabrication and movement
Friday: Storytelling through Shadow Puppetry- Rehearsal and Production

Field Trip:
1. Wednesday, 12-2 pm to City Park

Production on Friday at 11am: "The Pied Piper of Hamelin" (This will be on Instagram Live for Grown ups who want to watch live)

Some take-home projects you should expect to see include:
1. Many Many Shadow Puppets
2. Art Projects designed by our Interns
3. Slime
4. Oobleck
5. Lavender Syrup
6. Fuse Beads
7. Friendship Bracelets
8. Clay Art

Learn about many Puppetry Stories:
1. Lotte Reineger’s ‘Ashenputtel’
2. “The Babinet Key of Cassius Kabrit”
3. "Pied Piper of Hamelin"

Important to note:
1. Mornings are based on the themes and lead by our teachers
2. Afternoons are lead by our interns (aged 10-15) and the activities that they formulate for our explorers (PAID Internships can be applied for in January of each year for the following summer)

Announcements:

Arrival is 8:20-8:30 am, and Dismissal is 2:50-3:00 pm

Be sure to pack your Explorer with a refillable water bottle, two snacks, and lunch (NO PEANUTS). We have Snack at 9:45-10:15, Lunch 12:10-1:10, and Second Snack from 2:35-2:45 pm. No backpacks needed; our space is limited.

Also, please make sure your explorer has closed-toe shoes and weather-appropriate, messy-friendly clothes. Please pack extra clothes if your child may need them.

If your child has any allergies, please let Dr. Sam know upon arrival.

Our address is 5914 Canal Blvd. You enter from the back parking lot near the glass doors and the AWE sign. If the door isn't open or it's locked, please ring the bell. We are upstairs on the second floor. Also, please make sure you have Dr. Sam's number in your phone: (504) 252-2984.

ALSO, FILL OUT THE REGISTRATION FORM IF YOU HAVE NOT YET DONE SO. You will have to do this upon arrival if it has not yet been done beforehand, and that will slow down your drop-off process.

"The Pied Piper of Hamelin" is a 14th-century German legend, famously adapted into an 1842 narrative poem by Robert Browning. It tells of a piper hired to rid a town of rats. When the greedy mayor refuses to pay, the piper lures the village children away, never to return.

The story is based on other stories from the Brothers Grimm (for those of you who aren't familiar, I highly recommend that you check out the podcast "Grim Grimmer Grimmest"). Our version was adapted by Pandora Gastelum, who owns Mudlark Theater in the Bywater, 1200 Port St., New Orleans.

If you are interested in Morning or After Care, you can sign up via our website or via paying with Zelle ([email protected]). Please indicate the Explore's name and Days of the week.

We have 5 more spots for our Week 8, which is all about making Shadow puppets and how they can be a powerful tool in both storytelling and truth-telling. Students will use many STEM tools to make their puppets, including sewing, hot glue, many tapes, Chompsaws, etc. Sign your engineer, artist, or activist up to experience this as directed by Pandora, who is the owner and the leader of Mudlark Puppet Theater. Additionally, students will learn STEM concepts and complete a number of science experiments.

We also have 4 more spots for our week 10 Save Our Coast.

We are always trying to gain more scholarship opportunities for our community. If you would like to provide a free or discounted camp opportunity, please donate below or contact Dr. Sam at (504)252-2984 or [email protected]. Thank you for being AWEsome and amazing!

Click here for an update from Ask Wonder Explore!

07/15/2026

Sock puppet fun!

07/13/2026

Week 7 Arts, Puppets, and STEM

Starts July 13th!

Themes this week:

Monday: Sound, Set Design, Shadow Puppets, and mythical creatures
Tuesday: Recycled Art, Sock Puppets, Tie Dye (PLEASE BRING AWE SHIRT in to be TIE-DYED)
Wednesday: Art in Community, Collage and Painting
Thursday: New Orleans Artists, Art in Nature
Friday: BMike's StudioBE

Field Trip:
1. Wednesday, 12-2 pm to Lafreniere Park in Metairie
2. Friday 10 am - 12 pm StudioBE in New Orleans

Some take-home projects you should expect to see include:
1. Mythical Creatures
2. Shadow Puppet
3. Sock Puppet
4. Sound Art
5. Paintings
6. Nature Portrait
7. Collage
8. Tie-Dyed AWE Shirt

Students will also:
1. Make puppet shows
2. Learn about different types of puppetry
3. Learning about the science of sound
4. Learn the origins of Tie-dye are in Nigeria and different dying methods
5. Learn about color theory and how it applies to different art forms
6. Read the book "Something Someday" by Amanda Gorman

Important to note:
1. Mornings are based on the themes and lead by our teachers
2. Afternoons are lead by our interns (aged 10-15) and the activities that they formulate for our explorers (PAID Internships can be applied for in January of each year for the following summer)

Announcements:

Arrival is 8:20-8:30 am, and Dismissal is 2:50-3:00 pm

Be sure to pack your Explorer with a refillable water bottle, two snacks, and lunch (NO PEANUTS). We have Snack at 9:45-10:15, Lunch 12:10-1:10, and Second Snack from 2:35-2:45 pm. No backpacks needed; our space is limited.

Also, please make sure your explorer has closed-toe shoes and weather-appropriate, messy-friendly clothes. Please pack extra clothes if your child may need them.

If your child has any allergies, please let Dr. Sam know upon arrival.

Our address is 5914 Canal Blvd. You enter from the back parking lot near the glass doors and the AWE sign. If the door isn't open or it's locked, please ring the bell. We are upstairs on the second floor. Also, please make sure you have Dr. Sam's number in your phone: (504) 252-2984.

ALSO, FILL OUT THE REGISTRATION FORM IF YOU HAVE NOT YET DONE SO. You will have to do this upon arrival if it has not yet been done beforehand, and that will slow down your drop-off process.

If you are interested in Morning or After Care, you can sign up via our website or via paying with Zelle ([email protected]). Please indicate the Explore's name and Days of the week.

We have many more spots for our Week 8, which is all about making Shadow puppets and how they can be a powerful tool in both storytelling and truth-telling. Students will use many STEM tools to make their puppets, including sewing, hot glue, many tapes, Chompsaws, etc. Sign your engineer, artist, or activist up to experience this as directed by Pandora, who is the owner and the leader of Mudlark Puppet Theater. Additionally, students will learn STEM concepts and complete a number of science experiments.

We are always trying to gain more scholarship opportunities for our community. If you would like to provide a free or discounted camp opportunity, please donate below or contact Dr. Sam at (504)252-2984 or [email protected]. Thank you for being AWEsome and amazing!

Click here for an update from Ask Wonder Explore!