Revel Recap: September 26 - 30, 2022
Spark Studio
Mindfulness
We are always happy to be back together on Mondays! To kick off our week, we learned a new affirmation; “I am responsible. I am reliable. I am accountable. I feel good about the choices I make. I am responsible.” We spoke about what it means to be responsible and our various responsibilities at home and in the studio. We then completed two breathing exercises. We started with snake breath, where we took a deep breath in, and as we slowly breathed out, we made a hissing sound for as long as possible. We stretched and gave ourselves big hugs as we completed a polar bear hug mindfulness activity. Tuesday, we continued with the next episode of the Emotion Motion Podcast. On Wednesday, we enjoyed a Sonic-themed yoga movement. We always look forward to our mindful colouring on Thursdays, and on Friday, we read a book called Thankful and wrote in our gratitude journal what we love about school.
Quest
This week we continued to explore our identity and completed two more important pages for our All About Me booklet. We read My Heart Fills with Happiness, and each shared something that makes our hearts happy. We then illustrated three things that fill us with joy. We also read Mae Among the Stars, an inspirational story about following your dreams. We loved the quote in the book, “If you can dream it, if you believe it and work hard for it, anything is possible.” Feeling inspired, we answered the question, What do you dream of doing or becoming? It seems we have a lot of budding entrepreneurs in our group!
Another important thing we focused on this week was creating our studio promises. We started off reading I Promise by Lebron James. We then read the contract that the learners made together last year. This helped give us some ideas of the commitments we wanted to make to our community. After sharing our thoughts and having a great discussion, we have summed up our contract into four essential promises. We will be reading and signing these promises in front of our families next week at the Exhibition. Since the Sparks came up with their covenants together, they are already taking ownership and holding each other accountable to uphold these promises! We then read, How Full is Your Bucket? This book talks about how we all have an invisible bucket, and different things that happen during the day can either fill up or empty our buckets. It also points out how our behaviours and interactions can fill or empty other people’s buckets. We then went through various scenarios and decided if, in the situation, the person was a bucket filler or a bucket dipper. We threw pom-poms into buckets to show our answers. We then illustrated our ideas for how we can be bucket fillers in our studio!
Lastly, we spent time preparing for our Exhibition next Wednesday. We are SO excited to welcome our families into the studio and to show them everything we have been working on! Stay tuned for a special family project we will be handing out that night!
Math
Each day the Sparks work with various math and literacy materials during our work periods, as well as having special dedicated times to work in a group. This week, Group 1’s math workshop was to work with the numbers 11-20 and their associated bead quantities, while Group 2 worked on skip counting by twos. We completed the two counting chain, wrote the numbers, enjoyed and sang along to a song and had a fun challenge at the end to count various items by twos.
Literacy
For literacy this week, the learners worked together to review the letters in the alphabet and their phonetic sounds. We tested our knowledge by playing a fun I Spy: Sound Game Edition round! On Friday, for our writing workshop, we discussed the elements of a story. We talked about the setting, characters, narrator, conflict, plot and resolution. The learners then broke off into groups to work on creating a story using these elements. The farm, spaceship, and train tracks helped kickstart their settings. The Sparks showed a lot of creativity and courage while sharing these stories with the group. Bravo, storytellers!
French
On Monday, we played Back to School Bingo, where we learned the vocabulary for school supplies such as pencils, backpacks and erasers in French. Tuesday, we played “What Day is it Mr. Wolf?” to learn our days of the week, and we started to learn the song “Le roi, la reine et le petit prince” to help us remember! We continued to work on our days of the week in French and watched a video to help us learn the song “Le roi, la reine et le petit prince” on Wednesday. To end our French sessions this week, we reviewed our days of the week and our colours before colouring clothing items as we worked on our French vocabulary.
Geography
The learners love learning and singing our new continent song, and we have continued to learn even more fun facts about each of these land masses. This week we learned more about the animals of Europe and coloured our map.
Art
For art this week, we completed some glue art masterpieces! Using white glue, we made designs or pictures. We then covered our glue in salt and used watercolours to decorate our scenes. There were many “oohs” and “ahhh’s” as we watched the paint travel along the salt!
Additional Highlights
There were many fun highlights this week, including; dance parties with disco lights, Hide and Find the Acorn games, board games, and completing our special gift for our families for Exhibition!
On Friday, we also talked about the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation and why we are wearing orange shirts. First, the Sparks shared what they already knew about Orange Shirt Day. We then read two books by author Phyllis Webstad. Phyllis Orange Shirt and With Our Orange Hearts helped us to understand more about this day of remembrance. We learned a little about Phyllis’ experience at a residential school and the vital message that every child matters and that we must always show kindness. We reflected on Phyllis’ words, “We wear orange to honour and be together as one human family.” We watched some informative videos from CBC kids to continue learning, including learning what the word Indigenous means and watching some beautiful fancy hoop and shawl dancing in awe. The Sparks showed a lot of empathy and respect during these conversations.
We ended our week with Show and Tell and Fun Friday activities! We are looking forward to seeing all the families next Wednesday!
Discovery Studio
Mindfulness
Mantra Monday’s offering: “The key to happiness is knowing you have the power to choose what to accept and what to let go.” The Rebels shared things they wanted to let go of, like the need to win or being perfect. On Tuesday, they could choose between a gym yoga class with Exploration, Talk-It Out cards, or mindful colouring. For Thankful Thursday, we continued the gratitude list from last week, and the Rebels have many things they appreciate, such as growing up, the trees changing colours, and being kind. Friday morning, we took time to remember and honour residential school survivors by reading Irene Couchie’s story I Am Not A Number.
Launches
On Monday, we sang and translated the Franco-Ontarian anthem “Notre Place” for Franco-Ontarian Day. On Tuesday, the Rebels started their discussions surrounding Truth and Reconciliation Week. We started with a breakdown of the words “Indigenous” and “Reconciliation.” Wednesday, we reviewed Canadian Geographic’s digital map Paths to Reconciliation. On Thursday morning, we extended our conversation to actions we can take and what being an ally for Indigenous communities might look and sound like. Most Rebels voted that they think standing up for people in moments of racism or injustice is the most important thing to do. Friday’s Current Events report featured a breakdown of the transportation platforms that two Ottawa mayoral candidates are presenting.
Reader/Writer
On Monday, we read the story Raven: A Trickster Tale From the Pacific Northwest and the Rebel Readers practiced tuning into interesting words to expand vocabulary. One Rebel explained this as knowing more than one way to describe something. However, collecting new and exciting words in our personal dictionaries is a strategy that will also help with spelling as we move into publishing our writing! As Warrior Writers, we thought about word choice in our river writing drafts and then partnered with peers to approve our drafts for content before Friday’s editing session. During the Friday Wrap-Up, some continued to approval process while others moved on to publishing their good copy with their best printing on special paper.
Math Lab
There wasn’t a Math Lab session this week as the Discovery Rebels were away at the Soccer Jamboree! However, we still met for Congress on Friday, and the Rebels reviewed what kind of work is worthy of approval and what participation in Congress discussions should sound like: for example, “I agree with _____ because…” or “I calculated it differently by _____.”
Civilizations
This week the Rebels learned that during the reign of Augustus Caesar and the Pax Romana, the beginning of Christianity and the story of Jesus took place in nearby Judea. The Rebels mapped Jerusalem and Bethlehem in relation to the Mediterranean Sea. They shared their thinking in a Socratic discussion about the actions of citizens at the time: what is more impressive, keeping the peace or conquering lands? What is more dangerous, sheltering travellers or accusing rising leaders of treason?
French
On Tuesday, we played a mystery game in teams to review furniture, rooms, and prepositions of place vocabulary. We then played an association game with pictures to learn about common furniture. The new Rebels in Discovery also received their workbook to work independently on their French during core skills. On Thursday, we completed a crossword puzzle to learn the names of various pieces of clothing in French, and we coloured paper dolls to dress up. Learners were also given a duotang to keep their French exercises organized and ready for submission.
French Workshop
This week, we made Soupe Minestrone! We learned how to cut the onions so that we wouldn’t cry, peel the carrots (purple!), and cut the tomatoes in different ways with the help of Mme. Marianne and one of the Launchpad Rebels. Overall, the recipe was a success!
Quest
We can hardly believe that it is time to start preparing for Exhibition! On Monday, the Rebels identified what they would like to showcase for families and planned how the event would flow. On Tuesday, we took a deep dive into the concept of excellence and made a map of what it looks like depending on the type of work a Rebel is reviewing. This includes questions we can ask ourselves or our peers, like, “have you improved in some way?” We want to ensure that only excellent work is showcased on the big day! Wednesday, we broke into planning committees and split up the prep work in four ways: one team was in charge of the script writing and budget for refreshments, another planned team-building activities for guests to try, and two others worked out skits to present the River Mural project and take families through “a day in the life” at Revel, highlighting important Revel systems. On Thursday, we made a few more adjustments to the proposed Rules of Engagement (ROEs) and Covenants and prepared our final contracts for signing next week!
Physical Development
During Monday’s PD session, we practiced our soccer skills or played games in the gym. On Wednesday, we attended the Primary Soccer Jamboree, hosted at Turnbull. The Rebels worked so well together, passing the ball, scoring many goals and cheering each other on from the sidelines. Congrats, Rebels, on your three consecutive wins!
Additional Highlights
On Thursday, our studio leaders met to form a temporary Council which hears both sides of the Rebel Buck appeals. Next week we will have a Squad Leader election, and the new Council will be voted in by their peers and serve for all of Session 2. Thank you, Rebels, for your hard work, dedication and thoughtful feedback as we create our culture!
Exploration Studio
Mindfulness and Launches
We completed a brain teaser to get our creativity and critical thinking flowing to start our week. After a great yoga session wth Ms. Mel on Tuesday, we discussed prioritizing the things most important to us when allocating our time. Using the classic imagery of a jar, we recognized that if you put in the sand (fun, but often time wasters) and little pebbles first, the big rocks (most important) won't fit. However, if you make time for the big rocks and put them in the jar first, you can add the other smaller stones, pebbles, and sand. After the discussion, Rebels took time to write down their "Big Rocks" and add the visual to their Hero Boards. On Wednesday, the learners took fifteen minutes for mindful colouring before heading to the gym for a crazy game of Human Hungry, Hungry, Hippo! Watching the groups compete and try new strategies to help their team win was hilarious. Thursday, we completed a meditation before finalizing our Studio Covenants. While a lengthy process, it is essential that the learners agree with and agree on how they want their studio to run. On Friday, we spoke more about National Truth and Reconciliation Day and learned more about some of the many Indigenous accomplishments by reading Go Show the World: A Celebration of Indigenous Heroes by Wab Kinew.
Math Lab
We stretched our minds this week with a few YouCubed tasks in Math Lab. The first activity had a series of clues that the learners had to use to find the code number. To solve the problem, they needed to understand place value, operations, percentages, and fractions to come up with one of five possible solutions. With two minutes to go, you could hear exclamations and excitement as more and more groups figured out at least one of the possibilities. After a group discussion on how they figured out the problem, we switched to a second task. Learners could choose between "Leo the Rabbit" or "Ice Cream Scoops." Both tasks could be solved in multiple ways, and we witnessed the use of drawing, colour coding, use of manipulatives, as well as algebraic thinking to solve both problems! Once again, we came together to discuss our mathematical thinking and process, learning from one another's explanations!
Community Service
This week we put our words into action as we helped to clean up and plant native species in Carlington Park. Half of the Rebels removed the garden fabric, moved mulch, and began planting some grasses and other native species to help decrease erosion on the hill and benefit pollinators. Meanwhile, the other half collected bags and bags full of garbage before the groups switched. It was a beautiful morning, and the learners all commented on how good it felt to be outside working to better their community! Rebels interested in different service projects took time to develop their plan and project further.
Civilizations
This week in Civ, we learned about Threshold 4: Earth and the Solar System. We learned that clouds of diverse, chemical matter spun around our Sun, coming together (accretion) to form our Earth and Solar System. We then discussed Scientism and whether science can answer all of the "important" questions before pondering other galaxies and their potential composition. Rebels also discussed what they would do if they were a Medieval astronomer who had made a discovery that could lead to their arrest or execution. Would they publicize the information or keep it to themselves? We ended our discussion with a moral dilemma. (See Questions to ask your Rebel below.) After only four weeks, the learners are doing an incredible job with these discussions and working hard to improve the conciseness of their statements while also providing evidence!
French
On Monday, we celebrated Franco-Ontarian Day by singing and translating the Franco-Ontarian anthem and took a quiz on the history of Franco-Ontarians in Ontario. On Wednesday, we played a conversation game to learn the most common everyday questions before each Rebel had an individual meeting with Mme. Marianne to define their weekly objectives for the year. We then watched the documentary "DONNER SA LANGUE AU CHAT - Chapitre I: Nos combats franco-canadiens" on the history of Francophones in Ontario.
French Mural Workshop
This week we applied the second coat of paint to the wall to help make the background uniform. Rebels also finished their stencils and started voting on which words should be included with our images. We are so excited to begin painting the mural next week!
Quest
On Monday, we spoke about beginning with the end in mind and how thinking about how we'd like to be remembered can help us to live a life that is more true to our values. Learners were then encouraged to write their epitaph to add to their Hero Board. Some were serious, while others took a more light-hearted approach in keeping with their personality. Rebels then had a few work periods to complete the rough draft of their Hero Essay and Hero Boards, both of which will be displayed at our Thursday Exhibition.
We also continued learning how to make a great first impression and the keys to holding more engaging and meaningful conversations. After learning about the You, You, Me, You technique and some tips about starting a conversation with anyone, we watched a great TedTalk on 10 Ways to have a better conversation. It was then time to put our knowledge to the test and practice the techniques in a series of role-playing scenarios. While the learners found the experience "cringy" and somewhat anxiety-inducing, practicing our skills in a low-stakes environment will hopefully help in more authentic situations.
Additional Highlights
We finished our first read-aloud of the year, When the Mountain Meets the Moon, and the Rebels are excited to start Amari and the Great Game next week!
In Geography Club, we learned a technique for memorizing the capitals of different countries before completing a Kahoot! In Math Club, learners took a practice Caribou test in preparation for their first which will take place in mid-October.
At this week's Town Hall, we discussed whether or not Rebels should be allowed on screens during Lunch and Recess if they are completing cork skills. While they all felt it was essential to go outside and get some fresh air, they did think that there were a few circumstances when it made sense. The Golden Dumpling and GOAT were awarded for the Problem of the Week and outstanding work, and we ended with a series of awesome Character Callouts!
Launchpad
Service and Apprenticeship
As our Launchpad Rebels planned their service projects and worked to identify potential apprenticeship options, they also had to complete gifts and flow assessments. Emails were sent to those who know the learner best to help them discover how others perceive them and what their most extraordinary talents and skills could be. They also had to reflect on when they found themselves in flow. What are they doing? How do they feel during different activities throughout the week? Which brings them joy and which brings them a sense of purpose? How will they use their talents to serve others?
The Apprenticeship Hunt is on! Learners began their search by creating a list of ten options based on their industries of interest, choosing a problem to solve, using the Spark Path cards, listing entrepreneurs they admired, and reflecting on their talents. We look forward to seeing each learner’s direction for their first Launchpad Apprenticeship!
Duke of Edinburgh International Award
Rebels met a few of the other teens who will be joining our Award Centre on Wednesday! It was an excellent opportunity to get to know one another, review the award components, brainstorm ideas, and make plans for the year.
French
One of our Launchpad learners helped Madame Marianne with the Discovery French cooking workshop this week, where they made Minestrone soup! In addition to supervising the oven, they also taught the Discovery Rebels how to cut and peel vegetables.
On Friday, we had our first meeting for our French Book Club. We had to read the first chapter of Anan by Lili Boisvert. We began by reviewing unfamiliar vocabulary and checking our comprehension through a discussion. The book is about women who lead armies, so we learned more about military and geographical terminology and the feminine of many words that are more common to the masculine.
Spanish
This week in their Spanish course, our Launchpad Rebel focused on the vocabulary for months, days, and seasons before further developing their grammar and telling time. For the cultural component, they learned about Spain.
Science
This week Rebels tackled simple ionic, multivalent, and polyatomic compounds. Working together, they mastered ionic charges, writing chemical formulas, as well as chemical and compound names. To end the week, they completed their study of covalent compounds. As we finish up our foundational learning, we will be turning to hands-on labs this next week.
Coding
Both Rebels completed the first component of their coding course with a test to demonstrate their understanding of the material. Next session, they will begin creating web pages!
Civilization
This week in Civ, we learned about Threshold 4: Earth and the Solar System. We learned that clouds of diverse, chemical matter spun around our Sun, coming together (accretion) to form our Earth and Solar System. We then discussed Scientism and whether science can answer all of the “important” questions before pondering other galaxies and their potential composition. Rebels also discussed a moral dilemma involving a spaceship with room for only 100 colonists. How should they be chosen; random selection, IQ, skills, political connections, wealth or something else? Would you put yourself on the ship?
Potential Questions to Ask your Rebel:
Spark
Can you share with us your studio promises?
How can you fill another person’s bucket?
French: How do you say "How are you?" in French? (comment ça va ?) or Comment ça va ? (bien ou mal)
Discovery
What actions would you like to take throughout the year to work towards reconciliation with Indigenous communities?
Which planning committee are you a part of for the Exhibition? What are you responsible for preparing?
What is something you would like to accept about yourself, and what is something you would like to let go of?
French: Do you know the Franco-Ontarian anthem?
Exploration
If scientists detected another Mars-sized object headed to Earth, that would wipe out all life, and we had a spaceship big enough for 100 people. Would you:
Launch the ship with 100 people to colonize a planet but doom the rest; or
Launch the ship with 50 people and 250 animals and 250 plants?
How would you select the lucky travellers: Random selection, IQ, skills, political connections or wealth?
Would you put yourself on the ship? Why?
French: What did you learn about Franco-Ontarians this week? How many people in Ontario do you think speak French?
Launchpad
The Big Bang story is one scientific description of how our world developed over the last 13.7 billion years. Origin stories and religions offer different explanations. Which is more impactful to your day-to-day life; your belief system or scientific evidence?
How is your service project plan coming along? What is your deadline to complete your project?
French: What recipe would you like to do with the Discovery Rebels? How was your experience supervising a group?
Dates of Interest
Clean Up the Capital Campaign - Tuesday, October 4th
Session 1 Exhibitions
Discovery: Tuesday, October 4th at 4:15 pm
Spark: Wednesday, October 5th at 4:15 pm
Exploration: Thursday, October 6th at 4:15 pm
Sessional Break and Camp - October 11th - 14th
Exploration Spooky Sprint - Tuesday, October 18th
Rebel/Grown-Up/Guide Meetings for Spark and Discovery (coming in Session 2/November) - We are happy to meet sooner if you would like, but this will give the Rebels a chance to take more ownership of their Goal Trackers and routines.