What a week it’s been at Acton Academy of Bergen County. This week was filled with new experiences and a fun field trip to a cafe!
In Architecture Quest this week the learners have completed the initial sketches of their buildings and moved on to creating blueprints. This was a challenge for many students because they had to learn the difference between elevation plans and floor blueprints.
There was a great deal of frustration in the studio when many students realized that they had to break apart their drawings into two separate pieces. As they worked with their partners the frustration slowly ebbed away as they saw the benefit of doing a separate drawing for the elevation plans and the blueprints. Next week the students will have a visit from an architect who will critique their work and give them pointers on how to continue.
In Drama this week the students focused on the art of improvisation. In
partners they were given different scenarios to act out. Each time their
partner said something they had to build off of their partners statement
with either “no,” “yes, but” or “yes, and.” Throughout the activity the
students thought on their feet and provoked laughter from the audience
members.
In Writer’s Workshop this week the students worked on understanding
the concept of “show don’t tell.” The students listened to different lines from a book that showed detailed descriptions such as “savoring the splash of honey on my tongue,” and “the sour taste of guilt seeped in.” They compared these lines to “the tea was sweet,” and “I felt bad.” Most of the students said they preferred the more detailed lines because it helped them visualize or experience the story more clearly.
On Thursday the learners excitedly tried more vegetables during morning
Health Launch. Along with string beans, red peppers and carrots, they also
tried broccoli, mint leaves, and different types of lettuce!
The most exciting part of the week for the studio was taking a trip to
Patisserie Florentine in Closter! The cafe was a short ten-minute walk
from the studio and upon arrival the students were given hot chocolate and fresh baked pastries. In small groups they were taken through the cafe and even given a personal tour of the kitchen and the inner workings of the cafe. The trip was hosted by the cafe owner Tomer. After the tour he answered questions from the students. Some of the students asked questions about what it’s like to own and run a cafe while others wanted to know more about what inspired him to
start his career.
The week concluded with board game time and planning for the next week!
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