Revel Recap: October 4 - 8, 2021
Spark Studio
Mindfulness
We started our Monday meditation practice with the affirmation “I am unique.” We read the affirmation card and then practiced saying the declaration together five times. Each learner shared what makes them unique and how it makes them feel. The Sparks had a great time sharing their thoughts with their peers as they connected with one another. We will continue to work on repeating these positive statements throughout the year. The Sparks created beautiful pictures with drawings from an Indigenous artist for mindful colouring on Tuesday and Thursday. In the background, we listened to and enjoyed some beautiful Indigenous music. Sparks followed along with a farm-themed Cosmic Yoga on Wednesday. On Friday, the Sparks listened to the story Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are? by Dr. Seuss, which allowed them to make a connection to their gratitude journals. The tale also helped us link the feeling with the “Blue Zone,” as it explained to the Sparks that they can always make it back to the Green Zone whenever they feel a little down. By doing so, the Sparks can reflect and realize just how lucky they truly are.
Quest
For this week’s Quest, we continued to focus on identity and self-regulation. On Monday, the Sparks listened to the story What Riley Wore, by Elana Arnold. The book explains ways to express yourself through your clothing and encourages us all to be our unique selves. We then talked about and created our favourite outfits using all sorts of art materials. The learners were very excited to show off their favourite outfits on Friday in a fashion show that allowed them to express themselves and tell the other Sparks why they chose the outfit they wore. This week, we also spoke around the circle about their favourite thing to play with, whether in the studio or at home. We also talked about what meal they like to share with their families. This week, the guides also spoke individually with each learner and asked them some important questions. We talked about their dreams, needs, and abilities and learned a lot about each Spark from these conversations. It allowed them to express themselves, focus on their abilities, make connections, and provide a sense of being heard. We can’t wait for you to see their answers at Exhibition!
For the Zones of Regulation this week, we talked about identifying how big the problem is, which helps us know how big our reaction can be. We created spinners that can point to a tiny, little, medium, big, or emergency problem. The guides read books such as I’m so Mad and Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day and asked the Sparks how big of a problem each scenario was from the stories. This brought great conversations during circle time and helped us reflect on the Zones of Regulation. The Sparks have been able to identify and express themselves in many different ways. They have gained so much confidence in themselves when it comes to understanding the different zones of self-regulation.
Additionally, each of the Revel Academy studios create and sign a contract that outlines their promises to their community. This week, we officially created the studio’s covenants, and the Sparks had a lot of excellent promises they want to make to themselves and each other to ensure that our studio is a happy and safe place every day!
French
This week in French class, our focus was la lettre B. On Monday, we updated our calendar and counted the days of the month. Then, we guessed the French words starting with the letter B that Mme Marie drew on the whiteboard. Tuesday, we asked each other “Comment ça va?” and shared some of our feelings before reading La rentrée de Gaston by Salina Yoon. We talked about beaux rêves and cauchemars (good dreams and bad dreams). Wednesday’s drawing lesson with Didou and Yoko helped us to draw a baleine, or whale. We also wrote the word on our whiteboard. Last but not least, on Friday, we looked at some more French words starting with the letter B and coloured our alphabet book page while listening to “Alouette, gentille alouette.”
Additional Highlights
It has been a lovely learning experience this week in the Spark Studio. At the end of the day, the Sparks have been introduced to a new “loose part” throughout the whole week. We used acorns collected by a Spark, popsicle sticks, and cups. During our loose part sessions, the Sparks would be placed in partners or by themselves. The guides would then either give a scenario or give them a certain amount of material to create something with. The learners have worked hard on their writing and math books throughout the week and have connected more with the learning materials on the shelves. The studio’s letter of the week was “C” and the sight word was “and.” The Sparks gathered around the guides and practiced tracing the letter C, discovered words that begin with the letter, and matched objects found in the studio that begin with C. As for the word “and,” the Sparks found the word in books while reading aloud and completed a few handouts. During the week, the learners also completed art activities such as making fall trees and using water-colour paint to create a picture of what fall looks like to them.
To end the week, we introduced the Accomplishment Jar. This jar is for the Sparks to reflect on their day or week, write down a goal they achieved, and place it in the jar. At the end of each week, the guides will hand them back to each learner so they can review their accomplishments and celebrate how much they’ve grown and what they’ve learned. Lastly, we enjoyed some delicious donuts together as a studio!
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
In honour of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day, we took time each day this week to read a book by an Indigenous author. These stories helped guide us and acted as a great starting point to open up the conversation and teach us more about Indigenous culture and traditions. On Monday, we read On the Trapline. It is a beautiful story of a young boy who goes with his Moshom (Grandfather) to where he grew up and lived and learned as a child. This book sparked some great questions, such as “What is an Elder?” “What is a trapline?” It also helped connect us to our own experiences in nature.
The Sparks talked about camping and catching fish. On Tuesday, we loved listening to The Sharing Circle. When it was finished, we thought about times in our studio that we might be able to hold a sharing circle and what that means. We also learned about the use of a talking stick and worked together to make one for our studio. On Wednesday, we read When We are Kind by Monique Gray Smith. This book helped open up a discussion about when we can be kind in our everyday lives. The Sparks had such thoughtful responses. On Thursday, we shared what we knew about why we were wearing orange shirts. We then watched a short CBC for kids video that explained the word Indigenous. We then read Phyllis’s Orange Shirt. This book shares the story of Phyllis Webstad’s experience at a Residential School and having her orange shirt taken away when she arrived there. Afterward, the Sparks expressed sadness and wondered why they took her shirt away. We talked about how it would feel to be at school away from family and how Phyllis might have felt having her shirt taken away and having to learn a new language. The Sparks showed a lot of empathy and understanding during this conversation. We then talked about how every child matters and needs to feel safe, happy, and loved! We then coloured in and designed our own orange shirts. This week, we enjoyed seeing videos of fancy shawl dancing, hoop dancing, Metis Jigging, and drum playing during our music and dance time. Some of the Sparks stood up and tried to learn some of the dance moves. We also watched clips from CBC kids about Pow Wows and teepees. We will continue to learn and listen to more stories throughout the year and look forward to learning more about Indigenous culture, art and history.
Discovery Studio
Mindfulness
This week we learned an Indigenous mindfulness technique based on the eagle feather and the symbolism and visualization of eagles in meditation. Tuesday and Thursday yoga classes focused on deep breathing and mindful movement. The Wednesday and Friday mindful colouring periods included colouring pages featuring Indigenous artists such as Norval Morriseau.
Launches
The Discovery Studio has focused a lot of our launches, closings, and learning opportunities this week on Truth and Reconciliation education and resources. We kicked off the week with a launch on defining what Truth and Reconciliation mean and listened to a story from an Indigenous Elder about the importance of starting with accountability. We also listened to a video about the origins of Orange Shirt Day, as we will be hearing these terms and learning about what we can do as a community to become better allies. On Tuesday, we discussed the language loss caused by residential schools and its impact on individuals and communities. We thought of a few ways that language revitalization can occur, and we watched a video about French Canadian words derived from Indigenous languages. Wednesday’s launch introduced the “Approval Process,” and we watched a few videos from MasterChef and MasterChef Junior that highlighted some excellent forms of feedback. Rebels discussed warm-hearted and tough-minded feedback and how to give and receive it from our team members. Our Current Events launch on Thursday highlighted an extraordinary interview with four Indigenous community members answering special questions gathered from Canadian youth. We encourage you to watch and listen to the interview with your Rebel and deepen the conversations around these discussion topics! We also polled Rebels to see if they think Truth and Reconciliation Day should be a National Holiday for all Canadians and checked out a new series of "Live From Snack Time" blog posts. For Friday’s launch, we had Rebels share their experiences of being at the ceremony downtown for Truth and Reconciliation Day and looked over some photos and highlights in the news from the events on September 30th.
Reader/Writer
Aim and Release Rebels were incredibly busy this week reading parts 3 and 4 of our novel study, Endling; The Last and working through their writing workshop checklists to prepare for badge submissions next week. Rebels journaled about thoughts in response to some reflection questions around what it means to feel like we “belong” in our community and how we could do more as Canadians to ensure that all members feel as though they belong, too. Draw and Anchor Rebels were equally busy this week, working through their writing workshop duotangs to finish off their checklists in preparation for their first Badge Ceremony next Friday! Rebels listened to the story “My Strong Mind” and discussed mental health as a strength and superpower. Rebels completed their spelling packages and another fabulous Ten Minute Tale in their journals. Way to go, Rebels!
French
This week we started our Tuesday morning French class with a charade, a riddle where the answers for each clue create a word. This time, our final word was fournitures, or school supplies. This week, our main focus was to find out the translation for our superhero name, superpower, and catchphrase to create a French poster for Exhibition. Translating names is never easy, but Discovery Rebels gave it their all!
Math Lab
Draw and Anchor Rebels completed their first Three-Act Math Task this week, known to them as the Snack Machine Challenge! They honed their power of observation and worked together to notice small but essential mathematical details about the scene they were shown. Starting with curiosity, they recorded what they wondered about a girl adding coins to a vending machine. They posed questions about follow-up information needed to solve the challenge question: how much change did she get and in what form? Rebels then self-selected various incredible strategies to SHOW their thinking (warning: brain crossing!). These mathematicians really know how to light up their brains from drawings of coins to number lines to addition and subtraction statements! Aim and Release Rebels also focused on this aspect of the Growth Mindset, gaining an understanding that when we use both numbers and/or symbols AND estimations or visualizations, the most powerful math learning occurs. This week they investigated two infographics about the federal election results and will be sharing their reports with us. Next week, both groups will also focus on ensuring they have completed everything required for the sessional badge to the best of their ability.
Civilizations
Civilizations focused on a special Truth and Reconciliation workshop on the history of land treaties and Indigenous art. Bringing together honesty and storytelling, Rebels listened to Treaty Words: For As Long As The Rivers Flow, written and illustrated by Indigenous professionals. Aimée Craft works as a lawyer and is a leading researcher on Indigenous laws, treaties and water. Her powerful narrative about time in nature with her grandfather describes treaties as “agreements to make relationships” and breaks down the idea of relationships with the land and between people, both historical and moving forward. Luke Swinson’s beautiful illustrations served as a launching point for observations on the Woodland art style and how it has evolved and inspired the next generation of Indigenous artists.
Quest
Rebels rocked their last full week of Quest in preparation for our Exhibition on Tuesday, October 5th! Learners exercised their event planning and executive functioning skills as they mapped out floor plans of what the gym should look like for Exhibition. Rebels voted on things like refreshment table items, where “booths” should be located, how the movie trailers should be set up, MC’s and other important details that will help make our first in-person Exhibition a special event to remember! Rebels also reviewed the Approval Process and what that means at Revel Academy. They selected the items they wanted to showcase at the Exhibition for their grownups and family members and shared some warm-hearted and tough-minded feedback in terms of what their teammates considered their “best work.” Rebels capped off the week getting to preview each other’s League of Heroes movie trailers, which all received two thumbs WAY up! Rebels can’t wait to share them with you next week!
Physical Development
On Monday, Rebels were able to choose between outdoor soccer or Sabakiball in the gym. Sabakiball may be a new fan favourite, featuring constant motion of both teams across the court, with teammates having to make three consecutive passes before attempting to score. Rebels took charge and voted in and out additional rules to keep the game fun and fair as gameplay ensued. Excellent collaboration! Wednesday’s Track and Field P.E. class was a ton of fun! Rebels learned about the 4x100m relay and baton passing techniques as they raced around the track. We look forward to exploring the 4x200m and 100m straight-away dash!
Additional Highlights
The National Day of Truth and Reconciliation & Orange Shirt Day were an ongoing focus throughout the week. Rebels agreed that our learnings should reach far beyond September 30th and thoroughly enjoyed all of the workshops offered this week. On Thursday, Rebels attended a second workshop with a focus on climate and water. CBC News Kids interviewed Chief Water Commissioner Autumn Peltier, and Rebels were able to reflect, compare and contrast this with recent events surrounding climate activist Greta Thunberg. We had a great conversation about stereotypes, boil water advisories, and how these impact Indigenous communities and further affect relationships between Indigenous peoples, non-Indigenous peoples, and the government.
Exploration Studio
Launch
To honour National Truth and Reconciliation Week, Monday's launch discussed the language loss caused by residential schools and its impact on individuals and communities. We also spoke about some ways that we can help revitalize Indigenous languages in Canada. Every other launch this week was run by a Rebel! There were two Kahoots, one on chocolate and one on Greek mythology. Another two launches were Ted-Ed Riddles, where the learners scratched their heads trying to answer the puzzles. On Wednesday, a Rebel prepared us for Orange Shirt Day by reading out some of the 94 Calls to Action by the Truth and Reconciliation Committee. As always, the Launchpad studio ran closing on Thursday, where they shared with us their experience at the Remember Me ceremony downtown for the first National Day of Truth and Reconciliation.
Documentary
After reviewing the success criteria for a good pitch on Tuesday, the learners had the rest of their time getting their pitches ready to present next week. Each group is choosing a different way to ideate their projects. One group, whose documentary is a nature mockumentary about their fellow Rebels, has decided to make a trailer that they feel best encapsulates their work. Other groups are planning out the different chapters of their documentary before diving into filming.
French
Exploration Rebels started their Monday French class with a game of Bingo. Thank you to all of our friends who volunteered to read the cards! This week, we proofread the sentences we previously wrote using prepositions of place and wrote down the final version in the Journal de Bord. We also watched "L’école pirate" and played a round of charades. When we put all the charade clues together, we found the word fournitures, or school supplies. On Thursday, Rebels began checking their badge progress. Afterward, we played a drawing game in which each participant picked two pieces of paper and wrote down either a noun, an adjective, a verb, or a preposition. Mme Marie randomly selected the words to create a sentence which resulted in some hilarious situations - such as your dad being eaten by an apple!
Math Lab
As the IOWA testing took up a significant portion of this week's core skills time, Rebels were given the option to either work on their Khan, other programs or continue working on our Sierpinski Pyramid project. Those who felt good about their core skills progress gathered in the Maker Space to listen to an audiobook as we decorated, folded, and glued our tetrahedrons. Our pyramid is quickly coming together, as the Rebels to challenge themselves to make it at least one iteration larger!
Quest
We started thinking about next week's Exhibition after wrapping up last week's election. Learners shared different aspects of the event and brainstormed how to make the environment reflect our culture and what we wanted the outcome to be. Each learner has a different role, both in preparation and on the night of, and will spend the majority of next week making their plans a reality for our "Explore Exhibition."
National day of truth and reconciliation
To have a meaningful kickstart to National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, we decided to have a scaled-down studio Exhibition with a Truth and Reconciliation theme. Each learner had similar roles to what they will have at our "Explore Exhibition," such as running activities, making posters, and giving presentations. Many learners chose to create crafts that celebrated the culture of the First Nations people, and many others decided to take action towards revitalizing an Indigenous language.
Apprenticeship Prep
We now have six learners who are starting their apprenticeships, including one of our learners who will be working at a famous Westboro bakery this weekend! This week, the learners who have an internship lined up met to review what they will be doing with their apprenticeship prep time going forward. Each learner who is still looking for an apprenticeship is getting closer to finding a position. Most Rebels have sent out feeler emails to the people closest to them before deciding the specific places where they will apply. Check-in with your learner about what point they are at and how many emails they have sent.
Launchpad
As our high school Rebels are reaching the end of the first session, we are diving more into productivity techniques to help us maintain our efficiency and relieve anxiety as deadlines approach. This week we learned about the Eisenhower Matrix, which enables us to identify what action items are essential and urgent and therefore must be done now versus those that we can schedule, delegate, or in some cases, eliminate.
Project X
This week during our data analysis sessions, we focused on war and peace and greenhouse gas emissions. The past was not peaceful; we know that human history is filled with violent conflict. However, has the world gotten more or less damaging in the recent past? Rebels analyzed three different charts that offered different takes on this debate, questioned their assumptions, and made their conclusions and predictions with further research.
The average temperature of Earth is rising because humans are emitting more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. In the second session of Project X this week, Rebels looked at four charts including; Average Temperature Anomaly (Global), Annual Total CO2 Emissions by World Region, Annual CO2 Emissions (2017), and Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions Scenarios to answer the guiding question - Will greenhouse gas emissions increase or decrease by the year 2100?
Chemistry
After reading the course text or searching online, Rebels had to complete a problem set that included the differences between observation, theory, and law. They then had to conduct an experiment where they had to find the fastest route from their studio to the kitchen using three different ways or methods using the scientific method. Once hypotheses were made and data collected, Rebels had to write out the steps they used in the proper scientific method format to prove or disprove their hypothesis and explain the results of their three trials and how they got to their final theory.
Indigenous Canada and National day of truth and reconciliation
A large portion of our week was spent learning and listening in honour of National Truth and Reconciliation Week. In our Indigenous Canada course, we completed the "Killing the Indian in the Child" unit, which highlighted the atrocities committed in the Residential school system and the lasting intergenerational trauma it caused. We also learned about the burgeoning resistance of Indigenous leaders and the formation of Indigenous-led organizations as the Canadian government employed strategies to encourage assimilation of Aboriginal peoples and communities into mainstream society, specifically relating to urbanization.
Launchpad Rebels also wrote a poetry piece based on Where I'm From, written by George Ella Lyon. We then submitted our poems to the Legacy of Hope, a national, Indigenous-led charitable organization working to promote healing and Reconciliation in Canada.
With Secret Path week coming up the first week of Session 2, Launchpad Rebels spent time planning Revel's first Walk for Wenjack. After creating an action list, they started emailing the other studio guides and planning how they would tell Chanie Wenjack's story in a developmentally appropriate manner for each of the other three studios.
Launchpad learners also completed their first Deep Book of the year, Five Little Indians, by Michelle Good. While Rebels usually pick their own Deep Books, they agreed to choose an Indigenous novel this session, and both chose the 2020 Governor General's Literary Award winner. The story follows the lives of five Residential School survivors as they come to terms with their past and try to find a way forward in a world that doesn't want them.
This week, the most moving and life-changing part of our learnings occurred during our participation at the inaugural National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. We began at Parliament, where we safely gathered to show our support. Elders then began the Spirit Walk to Confederation Park, where the learners watched artisans, listened to music, and heard Survivor stories.
Potential Discussion Ideas or Questions to Ask your Rebel:
Spark: What is one thing that you are really AMAZING at?
Spark: Can you share with us what you learned about Orange Shirt Day?
Spark French: What is a French word that starts with the letter B?
Discovery (Aim and Release):
Do you need to prepare or bring anything in to help decorate your "booth" for Exhibition next week?
What is the "Approval Process," and how did you give some good feedback to your Quest group this week?
What did you learn about from the Truth and Reconciliation workshops, launches, and closings this week?
Discovery (Draw & Anchor):
Do you need to prepare or bring anything to help decorate your "booth" for Exhibition next week?
What is an example of warm-hearted and/or tough-minded feedback?
Discovery French:
What are some French Canadian words that came from Indigenous languages?
What steps do you need to complete to earn your French badge?
Exploration:
What activity did you run on Orange Shirt/Truth and Reconciliation Day?
How are we as a family committed to Truth and Reconciliation?
Exploration French:
What are some French Canadian words that came from Indigenous languages?
What steps do you need to complete to earn your French badge?
Launchpad: What activity impacted you the most during our week of Truth and Reconciliation?
Launchpad: Do you think the scientific method could be used to solve non-science-related problems, like in politics? Why/why not?
Launchpad: Were there any items on your Eisenhower Matrix that you think you could eliminate?
Dates of Interest
Exhibitions
Discovery: Tuesday, October 5th at 4:30 pm
Spark: Wednesday, October 6th at 4:15 pm
Exploration: Thursday, October 7th at 4:30 pm
Field Trip to Flying Squirrel Trampoline Park: Friday, October 8th
October Camp (October 12 - 15) - For those who are interested or need care during the October Break, a camp will be provided by Little Medical School. https://www.littlemedicalschool.com/ottawa/events/ (Password: Revel1550)
9-12 year-olds: Sports Medicine and Nutrition
During this camp, Revel Academy students will explore the fields of Nutrition and Sports medicine. They will learn how to adopt a healthy lifestyle of a balanced diet and physical activity.
In the morning sessions, students will explore the roles of an athletic trainer and orthopedic surgeon and learn how to diagnose and treat common sports injuries such as sprains, strains, and athlete's feet. These future healthcare professionals will explore the famous Tommy John (arm & elbow) surgery and make models of a hand, joint, and tendon.
In the afternoon sessions, these future dietitians will learn about healthy eating habits, the food pyramid, and global foods. Students will create tasty recipes and snack combinations.
4-8 year-olds: Equine Camp
Children and horses have a unique and special bond. Now students can learn all about horses and their care from the newest Little Medical School Equine program. After adopting and naming their horse, students will learn practical information includes a brief overview of horses (breeds, categories, names), the ideal horse farm, and many other basics. Moreover, students will learn anatomy and how to maintain a healthy horse and horse nutrition. Students will also learn about preparing their horses to ride and much more.