MIDDLE SCHOOL
Unit
Middle schoolers are in full creator mode right now! In Language Arts, students are drafting their own Hero’s Journey stories using Joseph Campbell’s classic structure—developing original heroes, raising the stakes with challenges and helpers, and writing powerful transformations and returns. In Social Studies, they’re designing their own civilizations from the ground up, using our “What Makes a Civilization?” test to make sure their society truly qualifies—complete with cities, systems, culture, and the features that help a civilization thrive. We can’t wait to share what they invent!
HIGH SCHOOL
Environmental Science
Students are wrapping up an in-depth unit on tracking and tracing major pollution sources and analyzing how they move through the air and soil systems. Throughout this study, they have examined how contaminants originate, how they travel through environmental pathways, and their long-term impacts on ecosystems and human health. The emphasis has been on interpreting data, identifying cause-and-effect relationships, and understanding the complexity of environmental systems.
In addition, students are currently engaged in a collaborative role-playing project titled The Conservation Council: Save, Restore, or Let Go? In this simulation, students serve as members of an International Conservation Council responsible for allocating $10 million to a species facing extinction, endangerment, or significant recovery challenges. Working in groups of three, each student represents a distinct perspective: Biologist, Policy and Ethics Advisor, or Economic/Public Impact Advisor. While they must collaborate to reach a final decision, each member is also responsible for advocating for the priorities of their assigned role. This project challenges students to balance scientific evidence, ethical considerations, and economic realities, mirroring the complex decision-making processes that shape real-world conservation efforts.
Life Science:
In life science this week, the middle school students began their introduction into ecology by examining one of the tools that ecological researchers use in the field. After thinking about how many different plants, insects, fish, and animals are out in nature and considering the problem of "how could you identify what an unknown plant was?", students were introduced to the idea of dichotomous keys. This was done by students making their own keys. They put together collections of items they were interested in - such as animals, motorbikes, football teams, lizards, cat breeds, or Pokémon - and broke these into groups with simple questions that had two answers. They then developed more questions, creating question trees that anyone could use to identify any item in the collection. It was great to see the thoughtful questions students came up with, and by having to differentiate something they were knowledgeable on were able to get a better grasp of how ecologists use this tool.
Math:
Students in math have been studying systems of equations, learning how to use multiple methods to solve problems involving multiple variables across pairs of equations. This week was spent practising these problems in trickier expressions, thinking about how they could rearrange various equations to find answers using their chosen strategies. There were a ton of questions, and students did a great job articulating which aspects of the problems they found challenging and using their peers to share strategies for finding solutions.
Biology:
Students in the biology course began to unpack the living components of an ecosystem. They reflected on the idea that living things in an ecosystem aren't living in isolation but are constantly affected by the other organisms they interact with, as well as by chemical and temperature changes. They spent time researching the ecosystem in a chosen location, creating interspecies webs that not only showed predator-prey relationships, but also presented symbiotic, parasitic, and decomposition-based relationships. They made some fantastic-looking posters to show how different ecosystems can vary.
ELECTIVES
Gardening Elective
Our gardening students kicked off the new season in the most exciting way — with a field trip walk to the local home improvement center to choose our own seedlings. Students carefully explored the options, read plant tags, and debated what would thrive best in our garden beds. One of the clear favorites? Serrano chili peppers — we have some spice lovers in this group! 
Back on campus, students began planning layout, companion planting, and thinking ahead to harvest season. There’s something powerful about giving students ownership over what they grow — from seedling selection all the way to the plate.
Baking Elective
In baking, we leaned into Valentine’s Day and filled the kitchen with festive, delicious treats. Students practiced precision baking skills while also getting creative with decorating and presentation. From mixing and measuring to piping and finishing touches, everyone had a role in bringing our Valentine creations to life. Beyond the sweets, students are learning timing, teamwork, and kitchen confidence — plus the joy of making something special to share with others.
Ceramics Elective
Ceramics students had an exciting glaze day! After weeks of building and refining their pieces, students finally brought their work to life with color. We recently added new glazes to our studio collection—more dynamic and complex than our regular classroom staples—and students had the opportunity to experiment with layering and surface effects. Watching them thoughtfully choose finishes and imagine how the kiln will transform their work is always magical. We can’t wait to open the kiln and see the results!
