Revel Recap: Oct. 5 - 9, 2020
Spark Studio
We had another busy week in the studio! The Sparks were very excited to prepare their binders, practice, and present their materials to their families at their meetings. Everyone did such a great job and we are so proud of their accomplishments this session! This week for our morning colouring sessions, we chose to listen to some calm and relaxing background music and some of the Sparks asked to keep listening to it as we completed our morning work period. We found it helped us to focus and to know if the volume in the studio was too loud for working because then we could not hear the music. During yoga, we started by practicing our bunny breaths. We would twitch our nose like a bunny and then take three short, quick breaths in through our nose and exhale. We repeated several times and then began our yoga sequence. At the end, we stayed in child/rock pose for 2 minutes in order to relax our bodies and calm our minds. When the two minutes were over a couple of the comments were, “I thought I was at home, I was so cozy” and “I think I fell asleep.” We are practicing rolling up our mats after our practice and they need to be quite small so they fit in our own yoga containers. The Sparks are showing great perseverance by continuing to try and this week was exciting because every learner got their own mats into the containers! For our mindfulness practice on Friday, we spent some time working on Perler bead creations. This work requires a strong focus and can be very calming, while also helping us with our fine motor skills!
As Thanksgiving is coming up, we spent a lot of this week focusing on thankfulness and gratitude. We read some Thanksgiving-themed books and shared our own family holiday traditions. We then decorated turkeys and thought of five things we are thankful for in our own lives. The Sparks really took their time and were very thoughtful with their answers. Later in the week, we read The Grateful Book. This book really helped us to take this big concept of gratitude and apply it to our everyday lives. We explored what gratitude is and how it is similar to being thankful. We discussed how important it is to pause and take time every day to appreciate all the amazing things we have in our lives and how doing this can make us feel happy. We brainstormed some things that we are grateful for such as nature, the playground, family, friends, food, birds singing, Revel, and the beach. We then began decorating our own gratitude journals that we will be using regularly throughout the year. The Spark’s completed their first entry and we are looking forward to continuing this practice of gratitude next session.
A real highlight this week was during recess on Wednesday. The Sparks were delighted to find a very BIG puddle at the park. It was so fun to watch them enjoy running and jumping through the puddle and making mud. We did get caught in a rainstorm on our way back, but the Sparks were so brave. We talked about how even though the rain was not the way we wished recess ended, we wanted to stay positive and not let that take away our memory of all the fun we had before! Some other activities we worked on this week were creating emotion collages, watercolour paintings, reviewing and signing our studio rules, and making shapes using Playdough and toothpicks. We also shared a lot of laughter when creating a few round-robin stories. Starting with “Once upon a time…” we went around the circle and each said one or two sentences to build onto the story. The learners really showed their creativity and imagination and next time we are hoping to write the story down and illustrate it! The Sparks also really enjoyed and showed some awesome dance moves at our end of the day dance parties this week!
On Friday, we celebrated the end of our session with a pyjama day! It was a very exciting day because we had collected 25 pom poms in our Kindness Bucket and each learner picked out something from the Rebel Bucks Store. We ended our day enjoying a delicious donut and receiving our very first badge! Each learner received a Quest badge to put on their pennant banner for completing our Session 1, Create the Culture Quest. One Spark commented, “This is the best Friday ever!” They have worked so hard this session and they have a lot to celebrate! Amazing work, Sparks! We wish everyone a lovely Thanksgiving and a relaxing week off. We are looking forward to Session Two and exploring our new Quest theme which is all about the Weather!
Discovery Studio
Mindfulness
We had an assortment of Zen Doodling and colouring periods this week to accommodate all of the wonderful Student-Led Conferences. Rebels are showing a lot of great progress in terms of how they use their time in mindfulness! Cosmic Yoga was a hit on Wednesday with the Rebels getting to participate in a fun Cosmic flow about Sonic the Hedgehog. Friday’s yoga class offered a variety of Sun Salutations and ended the flow with an upbeat cardio track to celebrate a sunny Friday before the sessional break!
Launches
One of our Rebels led our Launch on Monday using a video that easily illustrated privledge and social inequalities! He did a great job and inspired a rich discussion. Tuesday’s Launch was focused on “why” we are hosting student-led conferences this session. We watched a fun video from CBC Kids and the importance of not just making goals but talking about them with other people. As Rebels met with their grownups this week, we reflected on how exciting and important it is for parents to hear about the things going on in their day-to-day at Revel and that parents are excited to celebrate and support their Rebel’s growth. On Wednesday, we read the Giving Tree and discussed whether the boy and the tree were truly happy, the benefits of giving vs. receiving, and whether or not this is a Hero’s Journey story and if so, who is the hero? Our Current Events session on Thursday was focused primarily on the announcement from the Canadian Federal Government this week about the goal to ban a list of single-use plastics by 2021. Rebels discussed the harm single-use plastics can do, how microplastics can take up to 100 years or more to break down, and how many animal populations are severely affected by single-use plastics being discarded incorrectly in our oceans. We also checked out the top photos supporting some of the biggest news stories of 2020. The gallery is available on the Bulletin Board in Journey Tracker if you want to go through these pictures with your Rebel! We closed Thursday with a reading of Barack Obama’s book, Of Thee I Sing. Ms. Erin read the beautiful story aloud, making many beautiful connections between the messages in the story and how we feel about our brave, amazing Rebels who will change the world! Friday morning launch was “Thanksgiving-themed” as we discussed the following question with the Rebels: What are we thankful for? It was really humbling to listen to the responses that were not only thoughtful but demonstrate how special our community is as everyone’s response was focused on family, health, our school, love, and those who have and continue to risk their lives as the pandemic continues.
Rebel Readers & Warrior Writers (Aim/Release and Draw/Anchor)
Rebels had a busy week wrapping up their badge assignments for writing and reading. Aim and Release Rebels completed their “Best Part of Me” and the gallery wall looks fantastic! It was so inspiring and heartwarming to read the finished products! Draw and Anchor Rebels completed their “All About Me” portraits on beautiful watercolour canvases. These projects are being brought home with your Rebels so they can show you their amazing work! On Friday, we had a Special Edition Thanksgiving Mission! Rebels used baking, cooking, and food adjectives to describe twelve dishes they created for the Ultimate Four-Course Thanksgiving Dinner! The descriptions were very well done with a lot of creativity and an excellent demonstration of teamwork! One of the standouts was the Rebel-Made menu that featured 3 different types of pizza for the main dishes! Excellent work, Rebels!
Math Lab
Our Math Lab sessions this week opened with a Mindset video that talked about the research behind sticking with a challenge and using positive self-talk in order to grow our brains. Our Draw and Anchor Rebels then completed the YouCubed “Finger Trails” activity which encourages learners to connect multiple representations of the numbers 1-5 as well as develop finger discrimination. We then used two Emoji graphs to learn about representing our data on a graph with different dimensions but without numbers. After discussing the given graphs, Rebels created their own. On Wednesday, Aim and Release Rebels also completed the “Finger Trails” activity before taking on a visual numbers challenge. In this task, Rebels investigated an interesting representation of numbers. Research shows that when learners think of math visually as well as with numbers and symbols, it encourages brain crossing and therefore increases the power of math learning. Rebels spent the rest of the class searching for patterns and thinking creatively about the representations, ending with a discussion on what they discovered.
Civilizations
This week in Civilizations, we turned our attention to Canada’s early explorers. Rebels chose to research Leif Ericson, Samuel de Champlain, John Cabot, Jacques Cartier, Martin Frobisher, Humphrey Gilbert, or Henry Hudson in groups of three. We were really impressed with the leadership our older Rebels showed in helping our younger learners complete their sections.
French
This week in French, we began with our French song listening activity and also a quick check-in to practice our conversational French with simple questions like “Comment ca va?” and elaborating more on why we are feeling a certain way. Rebels then focused on completing the challenges they needed to earn their French badge this session. Those who had already submitted their badges for approval were so kind and offered to help those that still had some work to do. At the end of each session Mme. Talina read a French picture book and we would then play a game of Kahoot to check their comprehension.
Quest
On Monday, we took the time to reflect on our first session of the year and complete a self-evaluation. The Rebels really took this process seriously and showed great self-awareness and honesty. They then gathered their materials and did a practice run-through of what they wanted to show their grown-ups at their conferences. On Tuesday we learned about Full Circle Feedback, also known as 360s at Revel. After discussing the purpose and power of constructive feedback, we ran through a role play in order to further demonstrate what types of comments are truly helpful and we will continue to work on this skill throughout the year. Squads then completed the online 360s for each member in their group before taking time to finish up editing their Dude Perfect videos and painting our Journey Map murals. With the Squad 360s completed, Rebels received their peer feedback and took time to reflect on the comments and what they would work and what they will continue to do upon their return. After reviewing the responsibilities, Rebels then voted for the learners they felt would make great Squad leaders for Session 2. It was a tough decision as we have so many patient and kind learners this year. We ended Quest on Wednesday with editing, painting, and submitting badge work before creating our avatar for the Journey Map. On the last day of our Creating the Culture Quest, we read and signed our Covenants and discussion Rules of Engagement! We have come so far in developing a culture of kindness, hard work, and valuing our voice in only five weeks!
PE
Our final yoga class of Session 1 was focused primarily on mat-series flow. The Rebels were really feeling a slow pace with lots of Savasana and deep breathing. At the end of class, we discussed what types of movements or activities the Rebels would like for the second session, and there was a popular opinion about ensuring a variety of calm and slower movement-based activities. Dance, Pilates, and Circuit Training with a focus on form and functional movement were all activities the Rebels thought would be beneficial in Session 2. In soccer on Monday, we once again set up two different intensity level games and then due to popular demand, played kickball on Wednesday at the hill while the other group hiked.
Elective
On Thursday, Rebels wrapped up their final Elective for Session 1. Kicking off the period, we discussed upcoming elective options for Session 2 and signed up ahead of time so that each period could be utilized in full. Some of the new electives chosen are Chess, Art Club, Music, TinkerCAD, Dungeons and Dragons, caring for the Garden Tower, and completing a Rube Goldberg machine for the annual competition!
Fun Friday and Town Hall
For our very special end of the session celebration, we wore PJs, ordered donuts, and after completing our weekly reflection and filling in our goal tracker, enjoyed Fun Friday! We ended our week with a special Town Hall where badges were rewarded and Character Callouts received! We are so proud of all of the Discovery Rebels and can’t wait to welcome them back in a week for Session 2! Happy Thanksgiving to all of our Rebel families!
Exploration Studio
Launch
On Monday, we had a mindful launch while tapping into our senses to help us learn ways to bring us back to the present moment and stay grounded. Rebels sat in a circle with their eyes closed, while Mme Talina gave the Rebels different items to hold, feel and see if it reminded them of an event in their lives. Objects used were a fruit snack pack, a shell necklace, a clementine, and a Puffs container.
On Tuesday, we looked into the concept of flow and when we were in flow in our days at Revel. The closing turned into an impromptu Town Hall, where we solidified some clear expectations around what is acceptable during DEAR and mindfulness. We also discussed how we would like to try incorporating silent and collaborative core skills time in the schedule to help Rebels find their flow and use their time wisely.
The focus on Wednesday was on our “Big Rocks” and asking ourselves which goals we want to focus on that day and for the rest of the week. Many Rebels were eager to finish up their Big History videos and projects while others had some core skill goals they wanted to reach. For closing, we focused on how to give constructive feedback by reading different scenarios and practicing ways to give quality feedback using some of the following phrases “I wish you would______”, “When you do_______ I feel _______”, “I’ve noticed that you do _____.”
Thursday, we talked about when we rely on our intuition vs. logic and watched a video that challenged our thoughts on intuition, illustrating how we may rely too heavily upon this claim tester.
Friday morning we took some time to reflect on the night before the first day at Revel and the first day back, September 8th. We thought about how we felt and what kind of expectations we had as new or returning Rebels. We then took time to reflect on how we were feeling on this last day of Session 1. Did the first session meet our expectations or exceed them? We opened up the floor for Rebels to share their thoughts and feelings.
Core Skills
This week Rebels worked hard at reaching their end of the session goals and filled out 360 reviews for the Rebels in their squad. Rebels also used this time to check what they needed to do to earn their badges in this session. Some were submitting badges for the first time so they were given time to learn how to do this and ask other Rebels for help if needed.
Big History
Session 1 in Big History went all the way back to the Big Bang, focusing on the formation of stars, planets, and the first elements. Each learner did a deep dive into a different topic that they focused on for both their timeline contributions and their newscast, equipping them with a basic understanding of the scale of the universe and intricate knowledge of a specific topic. On Thursday, we watched those brave enough to share their video and provided feedback to each other. Everyone also read over Deagan’s feedback for their script and made adjustments accordingly. We encourage you to watch their newscasts as a family during the break!
Everyone get STOKED for the next session! We are going to move our focus to our solar system, looking at the planets and the formation and evolution of life. There will be two major culminating tasks that the learners will complete by the end of the session: a historical piece of fiction (either a narrative or creation story) and a teaching opportunity where they will teach the Spark Studio a unique concept such as why days have 24 hours or why things fall when you drop them!
French
In French this week, we listened to some French songs to start our session together and decided on some posters we wanted to put up to help us with our conversational skills in French. Afterward, Rebels focused on completing their work to earn their French badge this session. At the end of each session Mme. Talina read a French picture book and we then played a game of Kahoot to check for comprehension.
Math Lab
Our Math Lab sessions this week opened with a Mindset video that talked about the research behind sticking with a challenge and using positive self-talk, which is something we are really working on in the Exploration Studio. We then warmed-up by completing the Emoji graphing activity to learn about representing our data on a graph with different dimensions but without numbers. After discussing the given graphs, Rebels created their own and picked some very fun topics! We then dove into the Number Visualization task where Rebels investigated an interesting representation of numbers. Research shows that when learners think of math visually as well as with numbers and symbols, it encourages brain crossing and therefore increases the power of math learning. Rebels spent the rest of the class searching for patterns and thinking creatively about the representations, ending with a discussion on what they discovered.
Quest
Personal Finance is the next quest’s theme! Financial literacy is consistently the highest-rated thing that people felt they missed in their education, so a five-week deep dive will give the learners a good foundation of knowledge and experience. Learners will plan their futures, developing rote excel/sheet skills, and creating budgets for big projects and everyday living. In our Personal Finance Quest, the grown-ups can be very involved as well! Does your Rebel have a bank account? Do they have an income/allowance? Do they have financial goals that they are working towards? Is it clear what sort of things you pay for and what things Rebels pay for now or will in the future?
PE
Phys-Ed wrapped up this week with our final yoga/hike and soccer split. In the next session, we will take part in more yoga, a Zumba class and as the weather changes, switch over to a new sport.
Team Building
Human Foosball was the game of the week. We went in the drained pool at the park, forming different lines, and tried to kick the ball into the opposing team’s net. Rebel’s collaborated and compromised and most importantly connected as a full group!
Elective
What an artistic group we have with us! Most learners are choosing to spend their elective time doing something creative like visual art and learning an instrument. Deagan’s group is making a yearbook and another group is working on an engaging Dungeons and Dragons campaign.
Potential Questions to Ask your Rebel:
Exploration: What activities should we do for team building in the future?
Exploration: How did your work ethic prepare you for the final week of Quest?
Discovery: What are you thankful for this year? Has your list changed from one year ago?
Discovery: What would you like to learn about climate, weather, meteorologists, and extreme weather?
Spark: How did you decorate your gratitude journal?
Spark: Can you share something for which you are thankful?
Upcoming Special Dates and Events:
Sessional Break: Tuesday, October 13th - Friday, October 16th
Session 2 Begins: Monday, October 19th