Capstone: An Acton Academy

During the months of February and March, we are opening our current studio doors on select Saturday mornings for 1:1 parent conversations.

These optional, informal conversations are an opportunity to get to know one another over a cup of coffee or tea and answer any questions you may have at this stage.

Click the link below to schedule your visit. We look forward to connecting with you!

https://calendly.com/capstoneacton/parent-visit?month=2024-02

Parents, check your inboxes! 📧

Two very important communications went out this week to our email list regarding Fall 2024 enrollment and upcoming parent coffees.

If you’re curious about the Acton learning model and your young hero, the steps to learning more are outlined in the email you received.

There are several options for connecting with us: reach out by email, schedule a call, or attend a parent coffee.

We are here to support you in your learning journey - wherever it may lead.

The brave journey of an Acton Parent begins long before our children ever set foot inside an Acton Academy Studio. A variety of influencers serve as guides and mentors along the way - quite often, through books!

Which is why we are excited to offer you a new digital download: an Acton Parent Book List. Many of the titles on this list have encouraged our family on our upstream education and parenting path.

Whether you're curious about the Acton Academy learning design, exploring different learning opportunities for your child, or growing in your own parenting journey, this resource is for you.

This carefully curated list is designed to support you in reimagining education for your family and we trust you will find something here to guide and inspire you as you continue to learn and grow.

Select the link below to download your copy today!

https://exceptional-fire-90220.myflodesk.com/vd1ehds958

You may have a lot of questions about learner-driven education and the Acton Academy model. Which is why this month we're hosting two Parent Coffee + Conversation events.

These conversations are 30-45 minute, one-on-one parent meetings that allow us to visit in a more casual manner about your child's learning journey and answer questions you have about what learner-driven really means. Whether you're home educating, your child is in a conventional school setting, or you're curious about Acton Academy, this event is designed with you in mind.

Join us Saturday, August 12 or Tuesday, August 15 at our studio building for a visit. Coffee will be provided.

Education is not one-size-fits-all…so whether you're the parent of a child who's three or thirteen, we welcome you to sign up for a chat.

Visit the link below to select a day/time that works best for you. We look forward to our visit!

https://calendly.com/capstoneacton/parent-visit

Last week, the Capstone Heroes hosted their Session 7 exhibition and celebrated the completion of their Year One Hero's Journey. What an incredible adventure it has been!

In September of 2022, this brave tribe began their year at the first Acton Academy affiliate in Springfield like any hero answering a call to adventure. Each learner left the familiarity of the ordinary world, and crossed the threshold into the unknown of their elementary studio where they were greeted by their guide and mentor. They met their fellow travelers and allies, made promises to one another, and set out on a journey where they battled dragons, overcame obstacles, and celebrated successes + lessons learned.

In addition to music + art exploration, this year the Capstone Learners:

Founded their own constitution in the Build the Tribe Quest.

Became cartographers and explorers traveling the globe in the Cartography Quest.

Explored Ancient Greece in the Acton Athens Quest.

Learned the basics of coding and explored the world of robotics in the Coding + Robotics Quest.

Built businesses and took their products to market in the E-Ship (entrepreneurship) Quest.

Became plant scientists + gardeners in the Community Garden Quest.

Embraced their curiosity and dove deeply mini quests and passion projects in the Growing Curiosity Quest.

Each of these quests culminated in a high-stakes public exhibition where they showcased their work, their writing, and their lessons learned.

In June of 2023, these brave young learners exited their studio and returned to the familiar...truly having changed.

Congrats Capstone Heroes! You finished what you started and should be so proud of the work you did this year. Welcome home to the ordinary world. Well done and enjoy your summer. ☀️

The world awaits!

Character becomes destiny.  

It's the Acton Academy educational philosophy.  

Some things just can't be "taught;" they are learned through modeling + experience.   

Through hero stories, daily Socratic Discussion, goal setting, badge plans, studio responsibilities, running partner accountability, growth mindset language, public exhibitions, written promises, and more, our Heroes are given daily opportunity to practice thinking and decision making, experience real-world consequence, and establish right habits at an early age.  

By creating an environment that equips learners with real-life learning opportunities, the Acton Learning Model allows space for individual character to be cultivated and developed - ultimately setting the foundation for life.  

"I do not teach my pupils.  I only provide the conditions in which they can learn."  
- Albert Einstein

Character becomes destiny. It's the Acton Academy educational philosophy.

Some things just can't be "taught;" they are learned through modeling + experience.

Through hero stories, daily Socratic Discussion, goal setting, badge plans, studio responsibilities, running partner accountability, growth mindset language, public exhibitions, written promises, and more, our Heroes are given daily opportunity to practice thinking and decision making, experience real-world consequence, and establish right habits at an early age.

By creating an environment that equips learners with real-life learning opportunities, the Acton Learning Model allows space for individual character to be cultivated and developed - ultimately setting the foundation for life.

"I do not teach my pupils. I only provide the conditions in which they can learn."
- Albert Einstein

After a restful break, Capstone Heroes are back in session for the month of June truly "Growing Curiosity" in a Self-Organized-Learning-Environment Quest.

This particular quest challenges learners to embrace their curiosity and dive deeply into a variety of potential interests, challenging themselves to be open-minded each week to the possibility of discovering a new passion, gift, or talent.

Each hero will take turns leading a week of hands-on challenges focused on a specific topic of their choice in order to “grow” the curiosity of others.

The final week is a “choice” week allowing everyone in the studio to choose which topic grew their curiosity most. During the choice week, learners set a SMART goal to plan their focus and then dive deeply into their selected area.

From storytelling to acting to film work and more... we can't wait to see where their curiosity leads!

Could a Self Directed Learning Environment be the right fit for your young hero? Complete an Interest Form today to kick start your own journey in learning more!

https://ni6910fet1i.typeform.com/to/dZ9X1O3H

We are SO excited to introduce you to a much-loved Capstone Community HERO: Karol Diniz Cunningham, the founder, director, and guide of Montessori Child

Founded based on the belief that family members are the most influential people in a child's life, Montessori Child is equipping parents in moving to the forefront of their child's education.

Montessori Child offers several services from consulting, workshops, and conference talks as well as two distinct program offerings:

Parent/Infant Community - First Summer Session starts June 20
Hybrid Montessori Class - Launching Fall 2023 for learners ages 3.5 - 6yrs

Stop by this Saturday, June 10 at 9:00AM for an Open House!
Address: 5514 E Sunshine | Springfield, MO

Refreshments will be served and you'll have the opportunity to browse the space, speak directly with Karol, and learn more about these two amazing programs serving families in the Springfield, MO community. We would love to see you there!

Visit the Montessori Child website to learn more:

https://www.montessorichild.net

Capstone provides a 21st-Century learning environment using the latest in educational technology for self-paced mastery of Core Skills: reading, writing, elective courses, and math skills. Young learners work daily at their own pace and move on to the next level only after the content has been mastered, which ensures there are no learning gaps.

When it comes to learning, we believe in the power of balance and technology is embraced as a tool - never as a toy. Nicholas Kardaras, author of Glow Kids says it well:

“Digital vegetables can be a healthy use of screens (researching a term paper), while digital candy (Minecraft, Candy Crush) are hyperarousing and dopamine-activating digital stimulants without any ostensible 'health benefit'.”

Using incredible, self-paced eLearning platforms (digital vegetables! 🥕🥬🥦), the Capstone learning environment provides the rigor needed for learning math, vocabulary, spelling, and grammar, all in about 90-120 minutes each day! The remainder of the day is spent participating in engaging in hands-on, collaborative project-based learning.

The combination of these two learning day parts is highly complementary, effective, and absolutely necessary in equipping our young heroes for a world that is rapidly changing.

As a "game-maker in the background" rather than a "sage on a stage," the role of a Capstone: An Acton Academy guide is never front-and-center. Yet, we'd say it's the most essential role in the studio.

Much hard work and discipline goes into creating a truly learner-driven environment: from planning + facilitating Socratic discussions, delivering compelling quests designed to build real-world 21st century skills, holding learners accountable in goal setting, and "stepping back to support" a learner in a challenging situation when the adult tendency is to "step in and rescue."

Our own Jamie Olivea Spanner does all this and more with excellence. She has spent this school year fading more and more into the background as she transitions more and more studio responsibility to the Capstone Heroes; however, her impact never goes unnoticed. We are grateful for you, Ms. Jamie!

To all of you who have chosen a profession that allows you the privilege of guiding and mentoring our country's young heroes - you are appreciated!

Books we love... Spring Edition!

Reading is an essential part of a Capstone Hero's journey. Whether seeking out new information, getting lost in a good tale, enjoying a storybook together, or dropping everything to read independently...books are a BIG part of life in the studio.

In honor of our Gardening Quest, we are sharing some story and reference books we think you might love too!

- Up in the Garden, Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner
- We are the Gardeners by Joanna Gaines (and children!)
- Outside In by Deborah Underwood
- A Seed is Sleepy by Diana Hutts Aston
- Nature Anatomy by Julia Rothman
- The Gigantic Turnip by Aleksei Tolstoy & Niamh Sharkey
- The Garden Classroom: Hands-On Activities in Math, Science, Literacy, and Art by Cathy James
- Gardening Projects for Kids by Jenny Hendy

“The gardener does not make a plant grow. The job of a gardener is to create optimal conditions.” - Sir Ken Robinson (on learning)