One Spark Academy

HUZZAH! Under a dramatic backdrop reminiscent of the stormy seas that would claim a ship, our talented actors performed Twelfth Night, a Shakespearean comedy about mistaken identity, love triangles, and using disguise to trick one’s beloved. While the actual play is centered on twins Viola and Sebastian who are shipwrecked in Illyria, Directors Jenni and Melanie masterfully twisted and gender-swapped the script, to make things work best for their cast of eight girls and one boy.

Their hysterically funny version had twins named Sadie and Vincent, the Duchess Orianna (instead of Duke Orsino), and Lord Oliver (instead of Countess Olivia). Toby Belch, the town drunk in the original, became Lady Aunt Tonya, masterfully portrayed by student Jade, who elicited roars of laughter when she passed out mid-scene.

Vincent as “Viola” befriends his beloved Orianna, who is in love with the Lord Oliver, who is the subject of trickery by his drunken Aunt who tries to embarrass Oliver’s servant Malvolio by convincing her that Oliver loves her yellow socks, and well, things get complicated. Complications further arise as Oliver falls for Viola, leading to a chaotic mix-up that is resolved by multiple marriages and a happy ending! Except for Malvolio, who is deemed a lunatic and locked away. All’s well that ends well, for most everyone!

HUGE thanks to Directors Jenni and Melanie, our guitar teacher Evan Joffred for providing the background music, the parents who helped with the stage decor and costumes, and of course an incredibly funny, talented, and dedicated group of actors.
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Twenty of us spent a glorious day on Santa Cruz Island this past weekend. Wow! Even after more than ten trips out there, the island always feels newly spectacular. No trash cans on the island mean that it’s clean, since everyone packs out their own trash. We saw five super cute island foxes, all completely oblivious to our presence. We hiked up to Cavern Point for lunch with a view, then down through a trail sided by chalky white diatomaceous earth. We also lucked out with smooth seas, and a lot of common dolphin sightings on the way home. Despite the fire burning on Santa Rosa Island, the air quality was good and the weather ideal for adventuring. A GREAT time was had by all.😍

On May 15, OSA hosted our annual Talent Show and it was just wonderful! Congratulations to all the participants for their courage and preparation. It’s not easy to get up in front of a crowd of 60+ people. 😬 We also had some very talented bakers make delicious goodies (we made $133 on the bake sale!). Huge thanks to Evan Joffred, our guitar teacher, for his help with sound and for leading a lovely sing-a-long at the end. 👏👏👏👏

We LOVE it when alumni stop by!

Today our guest was Mason, who spent three awesome years at OSA (class of 2020), went to Westlake High School (where he excelled at water polo), and is now off to complete his junior year of college at UCLA (go Bruins!). Mason talked in Circle about the importance of being open to meeting new people, speaking up, and being kind. He shared how much he remembered learning at OSA and what he was grateful for. Then he joined the kids for a game of Knockout.

Mason, we’re so proud of you! 🥰

Behold the evolution of a biology lab book. 🤩 Jenni’s science students are encouraged to keep their lab books into the next year if they are taking another biology course. This student took three courses with her between 2023 and 2026: Zoology, Marine Biology, and Human Anatomy. We loved seeing the progression of specific details, sketches, and even handwriting. Just wow!

Next year, we are adding more science options, including Oceanography, Climatology, and Ecology. More lab books please! 📚✏️

Today, our 8th graders gathered for their group picture, part of a tradition of closing activities before their June 5 graduation— called the Launch. We are grateful to Thousand Oaks City Councilmember (and former Mayor) David Newman for volunteering his time and photographic expertise. He came to OSA and took some amazing shots. ❤️🥹

For the past few years, we have scaled back on the amount of technology we rely upon in the classroom, and have returned to more in-depth methods, especially with reading and writing. We’ve also had a phone-free campus now for two years— no phones out from drop off until pick up, with few exceptions. Because of that, we’ve noticed a measurable difference in most students’ ability to concentrate and retain information (concentration, retention, and attention have all been areas impacted by the prevalence of personal tech— and not just for students).

One of our English classes has been finalizing their analysis of the novel Lord of the Flies through in-class essays. The concentration in that room while students wrote their second draft this week was palpable. In an age where AI is being heavily relied upon to do the thinking for us, we are proud of our students for the efforts they are putting in to their thinking, learning, and doing without shortcuts. We want them to know the how and why— before they rely upon systems that can shortchange their learning. ✍️

On Monday, our biologists dissected a sheep’s eye, and it was fascinating! The week before, they had learned about how our amazing eyes 👁️ work. The eye functions like a camera. It collects, focuses, and transmits light to the brain to create images. During the lab, students labeled and separated out the parts to investigate. They keep impressive lab notebooks!

We just have two full weeks left of classes. We’re proud of our students for their continued effort in learning! Bravo, kids. 🤩

Huzzah! HUGE THANKS to all who joined us at our annual Ignite a Spark FUN-raiser last night. Students, alumni, parents, staff, Board members, and community members all joined in to support, create, dine, AND bid big on the wonderful auction items. WOW. We all had so much fun. We also couldn’t have picked a better venue! Art Trek’s new location is BEAUTIFUL. Thank you so much for helping make our event a success. ❤️❤️❤️

THANK YOU to all of our donors, including In-N-Out Burger, Total Wines, Paul Martin’s, Newberry Candy, Cinepolis, Lazertag, Sunland Vintage Winery, Healthy Pet, Trader Joe’s, Cheesecake Factory, Just Jan’s, and Daland Swim School. To view our FULL list of donors, please go to our website https://www.onesparkacademy.org/osaspringevent/