Kicking off ALA Year 4!

Year 4, Session 1, Week 1

Welcome back ALA heroes! Year 4 is off to an exciting start as we begin the adventure of “Building Our Tribe”. The ES and Little Hero studios worked closely together this week on team-building, problem solving and communication.

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Writer’s Workshop - Poetry

Writer’s Workshop in Session 1 is about different types of poetry. ES will construct an ode, free verse, and a haiku for exhibition. This week they explored what poetry is and dived into metaphors. We read “I Love You the Purplest” by Barbara M. Joosse to find examples of metaphors and then practiced coming up with metaphors ourselves.

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“Build the Tribe” Quest

One of the most important things to do as we embark on a journey together is to get to know each other. Being comfortable communicating with one another allows the tribe to better navigate any challenges that arise. The first quest of the year centers around several team building games and a “Lip Dub” project. The lip dub requires our learners to practice skills they will need to use when facing trials throughout the school year. How will they deal with frustration if they mess up and have to start over? Who will step up as a leader when the environment gets chaotic? Will they work cohesively together to ensure everyone feels heard?

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Learners gather on a gym mat with papers during a team-building activity

Two learners lean over a colorful poster at a table while others work nearby

Young girl with a red bow draws on paper at a table during ALA Year 4 kickoff activities

Two learners color at a table while one reaches into a basket of colored pencils

A young boy draws on paper at a table beside a basket of crayons in a classroom

Young learner writes happy on a poster with crayons at a classroom table

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A tool that they practiced to settle minor disagreements was playing “Rock, Paper, Scissors”. While this can be used anytime throughout the day, they started by playing “Rock, Paper, Scissors” to determine teams in our tribe building games. First, we played “Name Games” to ensure everyone from the Little Hero and ES studios were familiar with each other. Next, we moved onto the “Chocolate River”. Learners had to cross the river on magic marshmallows handed to them by their teammates, but the challenge was that there was one less marshmallow than person on each team! They had to strategize and communicate how everyone would get across. If anyone fell off their marshmallow, and into the river, the whole group had to start over.

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Four learners sit cross-legged on a classroom rug near cubbies and a bulletin board, smiling during a group activity

Four learners sit on the rug in a teamwork game, with cubbies and a bulletin board behind them

Learners in a classroom stand on colored spots and bend to cross the Chocolate River team challenge

Two learners balance on colored discs during a team challenge in a classroom

Learners stand on colored spots in a teamwork game with arms out in a classroom

Learners stand on colored spots during the Chocolate River team challenge in a classroom

Learners balance on colored circles during a team-building game in the classroom

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We wrapped up the week with lego building challenges and a scavenger hunt. Have you ever had to build something that can fly out of legos, with a partner, under a time constraint? These heroes did and their creativity was abundant!

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Heroes build LEGO creations together at a table during a challenge

Four heroes build LEGO creations together at a table during a challenge

Two children build a LEGO structure on a table during a team building challenge

Two heroes build a LEGO creation together at a table during a timed building challenge

A young hero smiles beside a blue LEGO build on a green baseplate during a building challenge

Boy in a red shirt holds up a LEGO airplane build in a classroom

Two heroes smile while building a LEGO creation at a table during a challenge

Children build Lego creations at a table during a timed building challenge

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Children at a table building LEGO creations during a timed challenge, with bins of bricks and baseplates

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All of our heroes worked hard and played harder this week! While members of the ES studio engaged in a friendly competition for who could earn the most points in core skills, the Little Heroes had fun exploring Montessori based work. Both groups enjoyed free time together where they had the option of a calm corner, releasing energy in the dojang, or exploring outside.

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A young hero writes in a workbook at a table beside a vase of flowers in the classroom

A young hero carries wooden blocks while another child kneels by a Montessori work rug in the classroom

Children work at tables in a Montessori classroom with shelves, flowers, and a guide in the background

Young boy studies a Montessori color pattern at a table with trays and a vase of flowers

Young hero at a table arranging toy animals and letters during Montessori work, with classmates in the room

A boy reaches for a classroom activity while two girls work at a table in a Montessori classroom

Young learner stands at a table arranging Montessori materials beside a small vase of flowers

Little Hero with a red bow kneels at a Montessori shelf exploring classroom materials

Two boys sit at a table using laptops in a classroom with cubbies and blue chairs

A smiling child wearing cat-ear headphones and glasses poses inside the classroom

Young boy reaches across a tabletop Montessori puzzle with small objects and flowers in a classroom

Two young learners shape clay at a table with a small vase of flowers in a classroom

A young hero uses her finger in a sensory tray at a classroom table while a guide and another child stand behind her

Three children paint and make art at a classroom table with colored paper, glue sticks, and a small vase of flowers

Young boy arranges flowers and learning materials at a classroom table

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Young child smiles beside a tall stack of colorful blocks on a rug in the classroom

Children lounge on beanbags in a classroom during a group meeting

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Young hero at a table arranges water and tools in a tray during a classroom sensory activity

Young girl in a pink shirt works with colorful rubber bands on a wooden string-art tray at a table

A young girl with pink glasses colors at a table in the classroom beside a vase of flowers

Two young girls work at a classroom table with trays and flowers in a vase between them

Six children pose in a classroom beside tall colorful block towers and a large wall chart

Children run through a gym obstacle course with cones, beanbags, mirrors and a dollhouse

Children play an indoor obstacle course with bean bags and orange cones in the gym

Two children in a classroom hold a broom and dustpan during cleanup

Two children play with a red hoop in an indoor gym with padded mats and exercise equipment

A child in a yellow dress stands in a green hoop in a gym while another child runs behind her

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