InsideEXP 2026 Issue03

INSIDE 2026, Issue 03

DEEP DIVE & SHOWCASE PREP! Greetings from campus!

As we wrap up our second full week, the energy across Deerfield is sky-high, and creativity is in full bloom. From launching water rockets and coding original video games to cliff jumping at Brownstone and hosting our EXP Summer Day, our students continue to push past their comfort zones, support one another, and make every moment count.

We are officially heading into our final week together, and excitement is building as students put the finishing touches on their major projects!

INSIDE THIS ISSUE What’s inside this program update: Classroom Updates Service & Summer Day Weekend Adventures Showcase Information +413-774-1498

exp@deerfield.edu

EXP at Deerfield Academy, Deerfield, MA

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WEEKEND RECAP: THRILLS & RAINY CHILLS Beyond the Classroom: Fun, Freedom & Friendship What a weekend! From old-school strikes to stormy-day pivots, our students squeezed every ounce of fun out of the last few days. Here is how we spent our action-packed weekend:

Friday Night: Candlepin Bowling at French King We kicked off the weekend with a true New England classic: candlepin bowling at French King! For those unfamiliar with this old-timey regional tradition, it features thinner pins, smaller handheld balls, and a unique challenge. Everyone enjoyed plenty of pizza while trying to score the perfect strike.

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SATURDAY: GAMES, PIVOTS & STARFIELD DANCING

Predator vs. Prey: Saturday morning kicked off with cocurriculars, followed by a campus-wide game of Predator vs. Prey! Students grouped up into teams to hunt across campus and fight for survival, bringing incredible energy to this ecosystem-inspired simulation.

A Rainy-Day Service Pivot: Right as we geared up for afternoon community service, Mother Nature rolled in with rain and thunder. But the EXP crew didn't skip a beat! We pivoted indoors for a fantastic lineup of meaningful projects: The Greenhouse Team: Potted beautiful houseplants destined for the Tilton Library.

Letters for Literacy: Crafted educational kits and encouraging messages for young readers.

Art for Elders: Created bright, uplifting art projects for local folks in assisted living.

Unhoused Support: Assembled custom "summer survival packets" filled with warm-weather essentials.

The Dining Hall Deep Clean: A group volunteered to give our dining spaces an extra scrub. In a hilarious twist, the students actually found this incredibly fun—a testament to how beautifully they’ve been cleaning up after themselves all weekend!

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SATURDAY: GAMES, PIVOTS & STARFIELD DANCING Indoor Spring Day: Because of the storms, we moved our massive Spring Day celebration inside the Athletic Center. The indoor shift didn't slow us down for a second; the facility was packed with high-energy activities, massive inflatables, and endless running around.

Dancing Under the Stars: After some well-deserved downtime, we gathered at the Koch Starfield for the annual EXP Dance! Even though the kids had been running on a steady supply of popsicles, popcorn, and snacks all day, the surprise arrival of the Ice Cream Emergency truck was a massive hit. There is always room for emergency ice cream.

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SUNDAY: BROWNSTONE ADVENTURES & CINEMA Brownstone Outdoor Water Adventure Park: Sunday morning started bright and early as we loaded up the buses and headed to Connecticut. Operating on a "choose your own adventure" model, students tackled activities tailored directly to their personal challenge levels: The High-Octane Crew: Conquered cliff jumping, zip-lining, and rock climbing.

The Explorers: Giant water inflatables and slides.

The Chill Zone: Grabbed paddles for kayaking and swimming. And for those looking to recharge, the beach provided a perfect, sunny oasis to relax and play rounds of bags (cornhole) with friends.

The Mountainfilm Festival: After heading home and getting cleaned up, we wrapped up the weekend with a cozy, curated screening of critically acclaimed short films from the Mountainfilm Festival.

The evening was hosted by Rich Calhoun— our resident science teacher, outdoor educator, environmental advocate, and ultimate film aficionado. It was the perfect, inspiring way to wind down.

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CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHTS Our academic courses spent Week 2 moving from theory to execution, building impressive final projects for you to experience at the Showcase

Break A Leg! Performance on the Stage with Catriona Hynds

Gods, Heroes, Monsters: Exploring Greek Mythology with Sam Morris

The second week of Break A Leg has gone very well, and I am very proud of the progress each student has made! Through hard work and focus, students have now completed solidifying their ensembles and they are ready to move on to text work.

Today, we will begin with a read through of all the short scenes we will present at the showcase, and then slowly and methodically start the process of character analysis and textual deconstruction. Once this work is complete, these young actors will learn lines and block their scenes throughout rehearsals. I am particularly proud of the mutually supportive and joyful environment these students have created for themselves and look forward to guiding them through this final creative phase.

This week in Greek Mythology, the students focused on learning about the specifics of the Olympian gods to understand how they illustrate elements of the human psyche.

Monday saw the students debate the merits of Athena and Ares as a patron god; Tuesday featured an exploration of the twinned opposites Apollo and Artemis; on Wednesday, students adopted the perspectives of Aphrodite and Hera to pose as advice columnists; Thursday’s class focused on the contrast between Demeter and Dionysus, the gods of the Earth. After starting so many projects and learning about so many characters, the students used Friday to do some Jeopardy! style review of the Olympian gods and to finish up their projects. Next week, we’ll shift our focus to heroes and monsters!

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CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHTS GameCraft: Exploring the Art of Video Game Design with Aidan Carroll

Future Cities: Designing for People & Planet with Kyra Kocis

In Game Craft, students have begun work on their final projects. Students have completed some basic tutorials on how to use GameMaker and are now designing their own games. Each group of 2 students has created a plan and is now working to implement those plans, focusing first on game mechanics. As their games begin to come together, they will start working on extensions, making the games more fun, more difficult, and more beautiful. All of these games will be on display for the showcase at the end of the week.

In the second week of class, Future Cities started prototyping our ideas for cities of the future. This week on the Future Cities project, we successfully transitioned our concepts into tangible designs by developing comprehensive storyboards and prototyping the city's key structures. The storyboarding process allowed us to map out the narrative flows and user journeys through the urban landscape, while the architectural prototyping brought the physical buildings and systemic elements of the city to life. We are looking forward to making our cities come alive for the final showcase.

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CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHTS Hidden Mysteries in American History with Hayden Fox Last week in Hidden Mysteries in American History, our classroom transformed into an investigative headquarters.

Each day, students arrived to find manila case folders waiting on their desks, filled with historical clues, maps, photographs, newspaper articles, and competing theories. Working as historical detectives, they analyzed evidence before developing and defending their own conclusions.

We began with Seneca Village, the nineteenth-century community that once stood where Central Park is today. After piecing together its story through historical evidence, students explored the village using an interactive 3D digital model that allowed them to see what the neighborhood looked like before it was replaced by the park.

Throughout the week, students also investigated several of America’s most enduring mysteries, including the disappearance of the Roanoke Colony, the Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum heist, and the famous escape from Alcatraz. In each case, students examined primary and secondary sources, evaluated competing theories, and used evidence to support their own conclusions before learning what historians believe today.

By approaching history as detectives rather than simply readers of textbooks, our young historians are strengthening their critical thinking skills while discovering that history continues to be full of unanswered questions and hidden mysteries.

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CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHTS Explorations in Mathematics - The Art of Mathematical Problem-Solving with Simon Jarcho The Explorations in Mathematics class has spent our second week exploring a variety of problem-solving strategies and considering their real-world applications. Students built their logical reasoning skills with number puzzles including Sudoku, Kakuro, and Radon/Kaczmarz puzzles; they then learned how simple games such as these can be iterated on, with increasing layers of complexity, until we arrive at technological breakthroughs in medical imaging, for example.

This connection between mathematical "play" and serious mathematical applications and innovations has been a highlight of our week.

Next, students worked on large scale estimation problems, understanding how measurements and estimates could combine to approximate large quantities, and considering the benefits and limitations of estimation processes.

As we concluded the week, we transitioned into an exploration of 3-dimensional geometry by beginning a collaborative project in modular origami. Students have begun to work together to understand how interlocking pieces can combine to make large structures. Students are looking forward to showing off one or two Buckyballs - 3D modular origami that mimics the geometry of a soccer ball - at this weekend's showcase!

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CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHTS Case Closed? Forensic Science in Action with Muffie Mazambani Week 2 of Case Closed has been so much fun! The students learned about different aspects of Forensics, including Trace Evidence, Bones, DNA, Blood, and Fingerprinting. As we covered each unit, we watched documentaries that showed how investigators and scientists use various pieces of evidence to help solve cases, including cold cases. They even got a chance to use the microscopes, learned blood typing techniques using simulated blood, and practiced fingerprinting and classifying their own fingerprints! The students have been so involved in debating whether or not enough evidence is available, and learning not to look at cases through an emotional view. We have discussed whether a suspect is guilty, and we hear what the professionals say about these cases. They have developed a good understanding of the basics in Forensics, and will be able to put on their detective hats next week as they gear up to solve a case assigned to their group!

Rocket Science: Blasting Off into the World of Physics and Engineering with Jan Flaska Whoever said the sky's the limit hasn't been to the EXP. In recent days, we've had conversations about the Moon and Mars missions, the curve of the Earth, gravity, and the evolution of rockets from the middle of the 20th century to the modern day. Students have also taken an interest in rockets with size and power, as well as the fuel that propels them to great heights. Our program has shifted from exploration to engineering, creating model rockets for show and for firing into the air. Students used a wind tunnel to understand and determine stability and are now on the cusp of designing a recovery system to help their rockets - and, at times, their cargo - safely return to the ground. Our highest rocket launches are on the horizon both literally and figuratively!

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CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHTS Reading, writing, eating: creating a culinary zine with Emma Hodge Our class went deeper into our exploration of food and writing this week, as we worked together to start building the foundations of our zines. Towards the start of the week, students did a blind chip taste test to interrogate their palates, and then we compared off-brand foods to the originals to see if we could identify the name brands and decide which one we preferred. The offbrand Pop Tart was a clear winner, whereas the students agreed nothing could beat a Welch’s Fruit Snack! Then, after watching and reading example interviews, students interviewed members of the dining hall staff to learn about what it takes to feed the Deerfield community. The staff praised the students’ thoughtful questions and commended them on their great conversational skills. Each food activity was followed by time to write, and students will get the opportunity to refine and revise their writing in the final week.

What to Expect at the EXP Showcase!

The culmination of three weeks of intense creativity, problem-solving, and collaboration is almost here!

When you arrive at the Hess Center for the Arts this Saturday at 1:00 PM, you won't just be looking at static projects—you'll be completely immersing yourself in an interactive celebration of student achievement.

Here is a sneak peek at what is in store for you: Live Performances & Concerts Playable Arcades & Design Galleries Poster Presentations Hands-On Science & Strategy

Quick Tips for Families: Be Ready to Interact: Our young historians, scientists, and creators are excited to step into their leadership zones and present their work directly to you!

Join Us for Dinner: The celebrating doesn't stop when the curtains close. Families are warmly invited to join the students and staff for an informal celebratory dinner in the Dining Hall immediately following the showcase from 5:30 PM – 6:15 PM.

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MORE EXP MEMORIES

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IMPORTANT DATES & REMINDERS

🔮 Next Issue

📅

On Thursday, our next and final issue will give a roundup of co-curricular activities and clubs.

🌙 Planning a Saturday Night Departure?

For families who prefer to check their students out on Saturday night, the check-out window will officially begin immediately after dinner. Please review your recent email updates for specific step-by-step details on parking, dorm access, and timing!

📸 Daily Photo Updates

Don't miss a single moment! We post fresh photos daily. Check out Big Green Photos and follow us on Instagram to follow the action in real-time!

🌐EXP Summer Portal

The EXP Summer Portal is your central hub for accessing all the need-to-know information and important program links without digging through your email inbox or logging into CampDoc.

📞Call Home Schedule

Students will have access to their phones (or campus phones) on Tuesdays at 8:45 PM EST and Fridays at 6:15 PM EST,

📫Want to send a care package?

Mailing Address: Please use this exact format: [Student’s Name] EXP at Deerfield Academy 7 Boyden Ln Deerfield, MA 01342

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