Exactly two weeks ago, our class was off at Warm Beach Camp: deciding our theme, hanging out with new friends, doing a high ropes course, accomplishing team building games, swimming, and making collages.
Here are some of the goals we all agreed to at the beginning of camp: Decide on our theme(s) for the first term, connect with one new person, take something back with us to school that we learned or shared at Warm Beach, be challenged, and have fun!
I think we all accomplished these goals, especially being challenged - most of us tested our comfort zones by doing the high ropes course! About 25 feet in the air, we walked across logs, climbed up trees, went through ropes, and jumped across platforms.
We also were interviewed for our community jobs: a job that we want to do that helps out the 8th grade in some way. For example, one of my jobs is co-blogger. At the same time as interviewing, we also made collages with our name, picture, magazine cut-outs, and the phrases "I am..." and I will..." You can see these at the bottom of the 6th grade stairs.
But probably the largest part of Warm Beach was trying to come to consensus on our group theme for first term. Theme is an independent study class - learning about what WE want to know. It's all about our passions and what we care about. Theme is individual for the two last terms, but the first six weeks are a collective group theme. When the guidelines were first given, we could only have a maximum of three groups, and our topic had to be stated in question form. But as time went on, Team B.A.D. agreed to let us bend the rules on the group size: each theme group would have to include at least six people- there weren't really any limits on how many groups. We discussed, eliminated, polled, and sacrificed. It was difficult, because condensing passions is challenging, but with all the time given at Warm Beach, and the two extra class periods at school, we have come to consensus on the following:
- Photography: Includes Payton, Bailey, Anna, Jade, Tess, Sophia, Caroline, Tate, Izzi, Katherine. What are different styles and techniques of photography?
- Music: Includes Julia, Sarah, Lindsay, Gracie, Ariana, Lia. What U.S.A. artists made a big impact in their musical genre from 1810 to 2010?
- Technology: Includes Imani, Greta, Evy, Ruby, Jasmine, Briana, Emily. How do search engines work?
- Greek Mythology: Maia, Lillian, Olivia, Maggie, Mahogani, Eleora. Who are the Greek gods, how are they related, and what are their stories?
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