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Camping, Cooking, and Core Skills!

By Hero's Journey Academy

Session 3 Weeks 3 and 4 Year 5

Our learners have been working hard on leveling up in core skills and preparing for the camping trip on November 23rd! We have been having several fun challenges lately that promote heroic traits such as focus, leadership, kindness, and perseverance. The culture of the tribe is getting better and stronger everyday!

Three girls build with LEGO bricks at a classroom table surrounded by shelves and blue chairs
Three children play with a toy ice cream stand at a table in the classroom

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Quest

The ES heroes continued exploring survival skills in quest and are excited to practice them on the upcoming camping trip. They learned how to naturally filter water, how to pitch a tent, and discovered more about their identity through taking the Meyers-Briggs personality test!

Four children kneel on grass around a rolled sleeping bag during quest survival skills practice
Children outdoors practice camping skills, examining tent fabric and gear on the grass
Children work together to pitch a tent on a grassy field
A large blue and gray tent is pitched on a grassy field, with a child's legs visible inside
Six children pose in front of a pitched tent during quest, with shoes scattered on the grass
Two boys in a classroom practice a survival skill as one helps the other hold a gray fabric
A young hero stands beside a laptop in a classroom, ready for a survival skills quest
Two heroes smile in a classroom, one holding a floral pillow and the other making a heart with her hands
Two girls smile in a classroom with desks and cubbies during a quest lesson

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Art

We started exploring Italy and to pay homage to that country our heroes created a picture of a pizza on canvas one week and began a Mona Lisa masterpiece the next! The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo Da Vinci and was missing for years after it was stolen from a museum. Like Da Vinci, our learners are taking their time and will finish their artwork next week so stay tuned for the final product!

Young learner leans over a table coloring a pizza drawing with a marker
A young hero carefully draws a pizza on paper at a table with crayons and a blank sheet
Three children draw on paper at a table with colored pencils in art class
Blue painted canvas rectangles drying on a table for the Mona Lisa art project
Four blue canvas paintings of pizza slices arranged on a wooden table
Learners sit at tables in a classroom watching a screen during an art lesson
Five children sit at a table with paper and pencils in a classroom art activity
Heroes paint canvas pizza art at a table during an Italy-inspired art lesson
Learners sit around a table painting small canvas artworks in a classroom
Children paint small canvases at tables during a camping-themed art project
Learners paint color-block art at tables during an art activity in a classroom
A smiling girl holds up a pencil sketch at a table in a classroom during core skills time

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Cooking

Mrs. Molley knocked her recipe selection out of the park for Italy! Our heroes created their own pizzas with a choice from a variety of toppings. After being freshly baked the pizzas were enjoyed as a morning snack. The next week the learners made a pasta dish with red sauce. Several heroes were hesitant to try the dish but wanted seconds and thirds after tasting it! They were able to garnish the pasta with fresh grated cheese, basil, thyme, garlic, onion, oregano, and parsley.

Guides and heroes decorate pizzas with sauce and toppings at a cooking table
Three learners top personal pizzas with sauce and cheese at a table during cooking activity
Children decorate small pizzas at a table with bowls of toppings and a bowl of shredded cheese
Children smile with mini pizzas and toppings at a classroom table
A smiling learner flashes a peace sign beside a plate with a slice of homemade pizza and a purple tumbler
A smiling child holds a paper plate with a decorated mini pizza in a classroom kitchen area
A young boy eats a homemade pizza at a classroom table
Young girl in an orange shirt eats a slice of homemade pizza at a classroom table
Heroes and a guide pose together in a classroom during a cooking activity
Learners sort labeled herbs and toppings on a table during a cooking activity
Three heroes garnish pasta with cheese and herbs at a cooking table
A child holds a plate of pasta garnished with herbs and cheese on a patterned tablecloth

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ES Comms

The ES heroes began preparing the information they needed to facilitate a journey meeting with their parents next session. They will lead the meeting and communicate where they are at with their goals on their badge plan. The learners also practiced a recipe for setting boundaries and resolving conflicts called “drawing a line in the sand”. They got to act out various scenarios and provide each other feedback on how they could’ve executed the recipe better to get a more positive outcome. 

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Fun Friday

For Fun Friday the heroes watched Kung Fu Panda 4 and got a special treat of popcorn brought by Adley!

Children on beanbags watch a movie in the classroom with string lights and cubbies nearby

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New Hero

We have a new hero at HJA, welcome to Cecelia! We are so excited to be a part of your hero’s journey!

Young girl in a pink dress stands by a bright yellow-green bush beside a chain-link fence
Five girls stand arm in arm on the grass by a fence on a sunny school campus

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