Weekly Update: Exploring the Poles, Big Reading Wins & Physics in Motion

Amy Acton Salado

January 16th, 2026

3 minute read

It’s been another exciting and productive week across our studios! From icy explorations to chess challenges, scientific discoveries, and physics experiments, our Heroes have been learning with curiosity and determination.

A few reminders: Please sign up to Tennis if you are interested. We need a minimum of 5 learners to proceed. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdnmaj32tv-a2g7eVwMvfRREcAAfTypYX9j8t_JVxL7L0SE4A/viewform?usp=publish-editor

With the colder weather finally here, please make sure your learner has weather appropriate attire as we do spend time outside.

Just a friendly reminder that morning drop-off is from 7:50 AM–8:30 AM.

If you arrive after 8:30 AM, please text the school phone to let us know you’re here. Please note that you may need to wait 5–10 minutes for someone to come open the gate, as our Guides may be in launches, quests, or supervising learners at that time.

Thank you so much for your patience and support as we keep our mornings running smoothly!

🌍 Primary Studio

This week in Primary, our Heroes explored the continent of Antarctica as well as the Arctic Circle. They painted maps, compared the North and South Poles, and began learning about the incredible animals that live in these extreme environments.

Next week, we will begin Book #12 of The Magic Tree House series, Polar Bears Past Bedtime and dive deeper into learning all about penguins—a favorite already!

♟️ ES Blue Studio

ES Blue kicked off our Chess Quest this week! We talked about how, with practice, we can turn our strengths into superpowers.

Heroes were challenged with riddles and sent on a scavenger hunt to locate all the chess pieces, setting the stage for strategy and focus. We are also continuing to work on personal responsibility, especially remembering what is and is not allowed on Fun Day Friday.

Parents—if you’re able, a gentle reminder asking your learner whether they voted on bringing items for Fun Day Friday would be greatly appreciated.

We also celebrated many academic wins as several learners completed spelling tests and moved on to new Waseca drawers over the past few weeks. Way to persevere!

🔬 ES Green Studio

ES Green Heroes jumped into Writer’s Workshop, researching and brainstorming their science-fiction stories while taking a deep dive into various scientific fields.

In addition, the studio transformed into a team of entomologists, researching insects and presenting their findings through studio presentations throughout the week. Collaboration, curiosity, and confidence were on full display!

📖 Read-A-Thon Update:
Massive reading goals are being crushed! It’s been amazing to see the passion for reading and the support from families.

⚙️ Upper Levels Studio

Upper Levels learners continued their Physics Quest, building levers and ramps to explore mechanical advantage. Each build came with a special passenger—Eggbert the egg—as Heroes tested their designs for both strength and gentleness.

🍗 Upper Levels Fundraiser: Chick-fil-A Wednesdays

For the next 12 weeks, Upper Levels will be hosting a Chick-fil-A lunch fundraiser every Wednesday to support their end-of-year trip.