New STEAM Centers

Village is unique in so many ways. Of course, our students learn traditional subjects like reading, writing and arithmetic, but where else (other than ‘The Farm’) can one train to be a spy or study the art of Jedi mind control? Learn more about two of our newest and most unique STEAM Centers to date, and beware the skills your budding secret agents and Jedi bring home!

Spies Among Us

By Amy, Spies Center Lead and Village Parent

Students in the brand-new Spies Center try their hand at investigative activities such as fingerprinting and cryptology while gaining a basic understanding of skills that secret agents use in their work. As one of the center leads, I (Amy, aka Blue Raven), developed the curriculum with the collaboration of Kindergarten Teacher Lori, Lead Amy (aka Silver Ninja), and Day Manager Allie (aka Green Hornet). The goal is to create an opportunity for students to have fun while they use creative thinking and deductive reasoning.

Students create a unique spy name and choose whether to share that name with their fellow spies, or remain incognito (only use their actual name) during the four weeks of centers. I enjoy watching students’ enthusiasm when I reveal my Harry Potter inspired spy name, “Blue Raven” and name badge at the start of centers. We added the option for students to conceal their spy name when one student pointed out that keeping your identity a secret is important for spies. When asked what he enjoyed about Spies Center, this student said, “The good stuff is making your spy name.”

In subsequent weeks, students use an alphanumeric code to create a corresponding Secret Agent ID number for their spy name and design a unique Spy Symbol which they replicate using invisible ink pens. They decipher codes, reveal secret messages using multiple methods, and try their hand at walkie talkies.

The center culminates with the Campus Mystery Scavenger Hunt when students don disguises and use the skills they have practiced to solve a crime (details omitted to avoid spoilers). Students almost unanimously agree with one student who said, “My favorite part of Spies was when we were looking for messages and clues.” The initiation of these new junior sleuths, who so eagerly collaborate in this final mission, is a fitting conclusion.

Jedi Mind Tricks

Q&A with Priya, Jedi Mind Tricks Lead and Village Parent

What exactly is the Jedi Mind Tricks Center? How was the curriculum developed?
The Jedi Mind Tricks Center, originally called the Brain Powers Center, is a brand new upper grade Center led by Village parents, Priya and Dorothy. The curriculum is based on the work of Marie Nathalie-Beaudoin in her book, Boosting All Children’s Social and Emotional Brain Power. Weaving together social-emotional skills and themes from Star Wars, we’ve tried to make this center a playful way to learn important life skills that we’ve termed “mind tricks.” We begin by explaining that the Jedi can’t control other people’s minds they way they show in the movies until they learn ways to understand and strengthen their own minds. We jokingly tell the kids, “mind control will be discussed in the sequel ‘Jedi Mind Tricks Center, Episode 2.’

Each week we teach the kids a new skill and practice using it with examples and in-class skits. Often the kids share examples from their own lives, exploring ways to resolve disappointments, disagreements, or general mishaps and mix-ups.

What are some of the Mind Tricks you work on?
Shrinking Power — the ability to shrink problems (solving problems)
Double Vision — the power to see what’s going on inside of someone else (empathy)
Choice Mind — the ability to weigh options and make better choices (non-reactivity and self-awareness)
Foresight — the ability to see the future (foreseeing the consequences of actions)

The kids have a great time acting out ways to handle tricky situations using their mind tricks!

What are you hoping students gain from the Center?
The Center helps kids to develop stronger coping skills and emotional regulation, but we don’t really tell them that. Our approach to teaching is playfulness. We bring out props like Jedi robes, lightsabers, brain hats, walkie-talkies, and more! In our last class we bring all the mind tricks together and then share some Jedi Jello.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?
One of the highlights from this year was one student’s response to the question, “Why are we even learning about this?” His response, “Because they help us with the M&M’s.” Yes! It was a powerful moment of integration.