Blog

Compass directions, latitude and longitude, global positioning systems.  These were just a few of the concepts and tools geocaching summer spark students had to use to find the swag tucked and hidden all over Ojai. They participated in games, challenges, hunts, finding buried treasure in the nooks and crannies of Ojai.  They then posted coordinates [...]

Due to popular demand, Ignite Creative Learning Studio is expanding up and down to serve students of a wider age span.  We teamed up with renowned early childhood educator, Georgia Simonds, to hold two “Take-it-Apart” sparklers for 4-, 5-, and 6-year-olds.  The classes filled up right away, with the addition of a wait list. Students [...]

Originally featured in Byrdseed Gifted June 2011 Issue By and large, we underestimate the learning capabilities of young students, beginning in preschool and extending through second grade. We tend to focus on the basics – alphabet, letters, numbers, individual words, basic shapes – in isolation, forgetting to add the richness of depth and complexity that [...]

Here is a small photo journal of our Ignite Multi-Media class in action with their sound installation.  Trimpin himself gave our students a personalized tour of Sound Arch, and met with them privately inside their sound booth for a private mini-lecture.  Our students were incredibly fortunate to work with this world-famous artist and musician! To [...]

“We’re not here to start no trouble, we’re just here to do the Math Superbowl Shuffle!” Sarah Hodges, our esteemed teacher and Math Superbowl veteran herself, coached the Topa Topa Fourth Grade Math Superbowl team to a second-place win in the district competition.  Students John-Paul, Jem, Juergen, Claire, and Kyla had a semester of good, [...]

Our esteemed and multi-talented teacher, Sarah Hodges, recently received mention in the LA Times for a performance she gave at the REDCAT theater adjacent to Disney Hall!  ”The superb soloists — flutist Sarah Hodges and violinist Lorenz Gamma — were accompanied by a student ensemble, which was strongly conducted by Menzies.” Read the full review here: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2011/05/music-review-a-sofia-gubadulina-festival-at-redcat.html

Katie’s original article appears here on the Scholastic Testing Services blog. STS colleague and founder of Ignite Creative Learning Studio, Kathryn Haydon, discusses the link between creativity and the controversy surrounding the new parenting book Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua. (To hear an NPR interview with Amy Chua about her book, [...]