One Spark Academy

10/09/2026

To conclude Session 1, students in Seeds & Sprouts designed their own garden with the knowledge that they learned this session. Then they gave mini presentations. We are so impressed with their creativity!

10/09/2026

This week, Biology students concluded their study of Marine Arthropods, learning about the amazing versatility of the arthropod design by dissecting a crayfish. When we come back from break they’ll learn about terrestrial arthropods, and the kids will try to solve a problem using arthropod engineering, then culminate with a dissection of a grasshopper. Go science!

09/27/2026

Students in Zoology culminated a two week unit on mollusks with a squid dissection. They were surprised to learn that the “pen” of the squid is what the outer shell is in other mollusks. In squid, it’s internal, very lightweight, and gives them a basic structure. Also, they loved seeing chromatophores in real life! (Chromatophores are pigment-containing cells or groups of cells found in many animals, especially ectothermic ones.)

They learned about all the internal organs, that squid have a beak like a parrot, and that the ink sac is messy.

The teachers were impressed with the students’ tool discipline, too! These are instruments that require a steady hand and safe handling. 😀

09/27/2026

After learning about Akkadia, Babylon, and Assyria, students in Ancient Journeys played a board game that’s a cross between Risk and Catan. They also checked on the apples we mummified last week, and by the looks of things, the smells were not very appetizing. But we’re pretty sure mummies didn’t smell good, either. 🤷‍♀️

09/24/2026

09/22/2026

It’s been beautiful weather at the garden the past two weeks, and there’s no limit to what our students do and learn.

The last lesson was about beneficial insects like pollinators (bees) and predators (like a ladybug or praying mantis). For example, there are about 4,000 types of bees but the two main pollinators are bumblebees and honeybees. Ladybugs eat pests in the garden, but don’t eat the plants. A praying mantis will eat anything that moves— beneficial or pest insects, large numbers or small. All insects have a role to play!

The students also added stepping stones to create a path, fixed sprinklers, trimmed plants back, added compost to two of our garden beds, and climbed a tree. Busy! Finally, the morning included time to reflect in their journals and write down what they learned.
🪴🐞 🐜

09/18/2026

Our student chefs in Food Fascination sure know how to whip up a delicious meal! Here’s a sampling of what they’ve baked, roasted, or sautéed these past few weeks: Mexican casserole with beef and beans, baked salmon with teriyaki glaze, pear tart, smashed potatoes, mixed vegetables, and meatballs. Yum!

09/18/2026

Students in Ancient Journeys are learning about Egypt, which includes lessons on ancient rituals such as mummification. Their hands-on activity was an experiment in mummifying apple slices. They learned about the preservative qualities of various ingredients, then made three recipes of their own and hypothesized what the results might be. Next week we’ll check and compare their recipes against the control. 🤞

09/11/2026

Many of us have a story to share about where we were at 8:46 AM EST on September 11, 2001, and the minutes, hours, and days that followed as this horrific event unfolded. Some of us knew someone directly impacted by this tragedy, or connected to one of the 2,977 fellow innocents who perished that morning.

I had just been in NYC a few weeks prior, enjoying a memorable experience at a famous restaurant called Windows on the World, which was on the 107th floor of the North Tower. A series of circumstances that morning also led me to the offices of the restaurant, where I met some lovely, helpful employees of one of the world’s most iconic restaurants. Many of them would be there early on 9/11 and lost their lives.

Like most Americans, I watched the towers burn, and then crumble into a cloud of ash, from the safety of my living room. On top of my TV was a beautiful framed photo taken from the top of the World Trade Center’s North Tower looking out over the harbor. The Statue of Liberty looked so tiny.

I went to school to teach that morning, although many parents kept their children home, understandably terrified of what might happen next. Our classroom that day was a refuge, although we also wondered helplessly what else would happen in the days ahead. We did our best to take comfort in one another, and send healing messages and positivity out to the world.

As we mark this somber anniversary, I hope anyone reading this might consider doing the same, by spreading your light today with small or large acts of kindness. ❤️

*These are not pictures I took, but what I saw. My photos from 25 years ago are in albums and not digitized.

09/09/2026

If you like pizza 🍕 (or salads, or appetizers, or simply hanging out with friends!), and you want to support a worthy cause, please join us on Thursday, September 17 anytime from 11:00-9:00. Most of us will be there around dinner time, but anything purchased all day by folks who mention One Spark Academy gives a little love back to us. Like 20% of love! 💕 Who is joining us? 😍