Upper Loop Updates: Enjoy the Summer !

Upper Loop Updates: Enjoy the Summer !

By Jarret Voytilla / June 19, 2024 / Upper Loop Updates, Learning Designers
The year concluded with a memorable Summer Showtime, attended by parents, UL and ML learners, and our administrators. This event marked the culmination of semester two's projects. Awards for the Duke of Edinburgh initiatives were also presented on this day.

 

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Dear Upper Loop Families and Learners,

Announcements

Evolution of UL Program for 2024-2025

  • There are some significant updates to the UL program for next school year
  • UPDATE: Classes will begin at 7:45 am and end at 3:00 pm for all UL learners
  • This change in timing is to better align with the other loops, and allow our UL learners more access to ECAs and sporting events
  • There are also new electives on offer for 2024-2025.  Please review your learner’s Course Selection to approve their choices.
  • An advanced math pathway for new G10s is now available
  • New core classes in Art & Design and Science in G9 and G10
  • Power Hour and UniVERSOlly Well will combine forces to integrate health education
  • Learning Labs will extend from one quarter to one trimester to give learners more time to engage in their projects and for LDs to design a wider range of opportunities for learners
  • There will be the potential for G11 and G12 learners to augment their Explore schedule with a course from a virtual provider, and we are currently exploring partnerships with wide ranges of course options.   
  • Onboarding Slide Deck for new G9s! [Current G8 families]

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF 2024

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Click this link to watch the Class of 2024 reflect on their journey and beyond!

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UL ShowTime Update

  • The year concluded with a memorable Summer Showtime, attended by parents, UL and ML learners, and our administrators.
  • This event marked the culmination of semester two's projects. Awards for the Duke of Edinburgh initiatives were also presented on this day.
  • Participants appreciated the learners' creativity and innovative ideas while enjoying ice cream made by two groups of UL learners who pitched their companies. Thank you to everyone who supported and attended the event.

UL ShowTime

Learning Lab: Storytelling - Power & Perspectives (with Yi Lin, Heidi, & Michael)

  • Here are links to some of the stories learners created:
  • In addition to learning more about the local community that VERSO is situated in, we hope learners walk away from our Learning Lab with a deeper appreciation for stories and why hearing from multiple perspectives matters.
  • Thank you all for supporting learning at VERSO this quarter!

Learning Lab: Ice Cream Dreams (with Matt & Chrissy)

  • In the past two weeks our learners finished off their Ice Cream projects by taking their carts beyond the walls to their selected venues.

  • They spent a day selling the ice cream they designed, engaging with customers, and training their staff who took over for the remainder of the week that their shop was up and running.

  • When they returned to school, they monitored sales, created financial projections then finalized their business plans and pitches; these were then presented to the public during the final ShowTime.

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VERTEX (with Gideon & Thomas)

VERTEX projects completed a couple weeks ago with learners’ final task being a submission of a reflection video that captures their process and project.

Power Hour (with Coach Joe and Coach Thomas)

  • This year’s Power Hour ended with a classic game of basketball.
  • A crowd favorite, learners have been requesting the traditional basketball game to be played during Power Hour throughout the school year.
  • However, complications of space use across the school has led to creative variations from scooter ball, to netball, to backboard-less basketball. But on the final day of Power Hour, UL managed to secure the arena.
  • Learners started with a warm-up of Knock Out which created mini teams for half-court games before the mini teams merged for a full court game. Even some upcoming UL Learners (currently G8) joined in. It was a pleasant way to end the semester.

uniVERSOlly Well (with Greg)

  • In the last three weeks of school, the learners have been focusing on fiscal literacy. They were introduced to concepts like budgeting and working after attempting virtual internships in May.
  • You can see some of the tools we used in class here. Some of the games come with activities or reflections like one of the group favorites, Spent.
  • The learners went through a course on khan academy and were introduced to a wide range of financial concepts they do not usually interact with in daily life. 
  • They also learned how income inequality and wage gaps for race and gender create hardships for most of the world’s population.

House Mascots

Once again a big thank you to our VERSO community for sharing your feedback regarding our VERSO House mascots. We received 103 responses and Set A was the overall favorite with 41.7%. 

The next step is for the design team to develop the Set A concept and then share once again on the final design. We have taken the feedback on and will make some changes to improve the design even more.

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In terms of what we name the houses, the responses were quite close. We are discussing what to name each house, keeping our host country Thailand in mind and that one of our pillars is personal and cultural identity. Once we have the final design concept, we will share it with the community next school year. We will then go through a process for learners to nominate to be House Captains to offer leadership opportunities and strengthen the school community.

We appreciate your contributions in shaping this process together. We are one huge step closer in revealing our VERSO House mascots.

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Save the Dates

 

  • 9 August: Family Orientation Day (New Families Orientation 1:00pm - 2:00pm | New and Returning Families LD Welcome Session in Cohorts 2:00pm - 2:45pm)

  • 13 August: First Day of School & Lift Off for all learners and families (8:00am-8:30am at The Arena)

 

By Jarret Voytilla

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