Revel Recap: June 20 - 24, 2022
Spark Studio
Mindfulness
We started our week with great advice and wisdom from the book Only One You by author Linda Kranz. This book talks about how we are each special and unique and how we can find our own way and not follow the crowd. We pondered what this meant in our circle discussion. If my friend is doing something, should I always do it too? If my best friend has a favourite food, does that have to be my favourite food too? We talked about how important it is to be yourself, share our opinions and listen to others' ideas, too! We then repeated the following affirmation; "I am unique. I am special. I am one of a kind. I am grateful for my talents, and I celebrate the talents of others. I am unique." We then posed the question, what is something that makes you unique? We had some thoughtful responses and realized that we each bring something special and beautiful to our Spark Studio. On Tuesday, we were excited about the arrival of the first day of summer! We talked about what we love to do in the summer before completing a summer activity colouring page. Wednesday began with a fun game or yoga freeze dance. We had fun following the prompts and counting to 100 by drawing a 100 monster on Thursday! Friday, we read And Then Comes Summer and wrote something that we love about this season in our gratitude journal!
Quest
This week our focus in Quest was learning about famous artists. We started each day off reading books by Peter Reynolds. The Dot, Sky Colour and Ish all helped remind us that everybody is an artist. We only need to get started, look for inspiration around us, have fun and remember that each artist's work is special and unique. On Monday, we learned about abstract art and looked at the life and work of Wassily Kandinsky. We learned about one of his most famous paintings, 'Squares and Concentric Circles' and then set out to recreate the piece using crayons. Tuesday, we explored pointillism, a technique of painting small dots of colour that are applied in patterns to form images. We admired George Seurat's work before creating our beautiful dot artwork with paint and Q-tips. On Wednesday, we learned about Jackson Pollock's unique action abstract art. We headed outside and had much fun making our splat paintings and a group mural on canvas! We used funnels and different paintbrush techniques to fling the paint, and they turned out great! On Thursday, we enjoyed the beautiful art of Vincent Van Gogh. The Sparks loved looking at images of his art and couldn't decide which was their favourite, but they really loved the sunflowers! Using pastels, we made our versions of his 'The Starry Night' painting. Wow, we have such talented artists in our studio. Bravo, Sparks, for trying your best and creating such beautiful masterpieces! We can't wait to unveil our work at the Exhibition next week.
French
This week, the Sparks played a game of Chutes and Ladders to practice the names of furniture and other home items. We also read “Mon imagier de la maison.” The Sparks enjoyed watching an episode of Pocoyo called "La maison rose" on National Pink Day! Finally, we drew and described what our bedroom looks like.
Additional Highlights
This week after our work periods, we spent time rehearsing our plays. We watched a video of a group of children performing The Three Little Pigs and we thought about what we could add to our own plays. The Sparks have been incorporating props, movements and facial expressions. It has been so fun to see them put their own personalities into their character. On Thursday, we learned about the history of National Pink Day. We looked at the different shades of pink and then asked the group, "Do you think pink should be labelled by gender?" We read Pink is For Boys and had a great discussion about how every colour is for every person!
We ended our week with a fun Show and Tell, followed by our Disco Dance party. The Sparks had some awesome moves and liked the bright lights and balloons! We enjoyed a pizza lunch and voted on what we should do with the rest of the money from the Spark business. In the afternoon, we read Boxitects and then used our imaginations to create ships, houses, trains and more with cardboard. What an amazing way to end a great week! See you all next Wednesday for our Exhibition!
Discovery Studio
Mindfulness
This week's Rebel-led mindful workshop was a lovely team colouring session to calming music. For the rest of the week, we kept our bodies moving and our minds focused with GoNoodle dancing or chasing like Peanut Butter in a Cup or Encanto Chase.
Launches
Monday morning, we met with our Squads and discussed Two Stars and Wish. These statements were framed around our favourite memories and experiences from the year that we can celebrate together (stars), as well as what we might want to do to challenge our community with only three weeks left in the last session of 2021-2022 (wishes)! On Tuesday, the Rebels made summer-themed paper fortune tellers and asked each other questions about their summer plans in French. Wednesday's Spark-led launch was all about turtles, including a cartoon drawing activity! What's your favourite thing about turtles? The Rebels played a coordinate-themed Kahoot on Thursday to practice our spatial skills. The Rebel-led Current Events report featured a cute puppy dressed up for the first in-person Pride parade in Sao Paulo, Brazil, since the pandemic, a Minecraft minigame map from CBC Kids News, and Who is Cuter: puppy in a watermelon or chihuahua puppy edition?
Reader/Writer
This week, the Warrior Writers were introduced to the Six Traits and had to choose one to focus on for their journal writing. The Six Traits we explored were:
Idea development - what is your topic? is it clear?
Organization - is there a beginning, middle and end? Does it flow logically?
Voice - what is the feeling, attitude or emotion of the piece?
Word choice - is the right word in the right place to convey the correct meaning?
Sentence fluency - do you have a variety of sentences? Short? Medium? Long? Declarative? Interrogative? Exclamative? Imperative?
Conventions - did you check your CUPS?
We will use these ideas next week to frame our feedback through peer-to-peer conferences.
Rebel Readers: The Rebels continued research for their media pieces this week, reading more about pirate history, sea shanties, flags, or treasure maps. Their posters and brochures are coming along well, and they are collaborating for approval based on the content and conventions for their selected format. Next week is a publishing blitz!
French
On Tuesday, Discovery Rebels listened to the song "Il était un petit navire" and practiced singing it. Then, we played Bâbord-Tribord in the gym. On Thursday, we practiced our pronunciation with "Un éléphant..", a short song in which we replace all vowel sounds with the same sound. So fun! We also completed a vocabulary exercise to learn the parts of a pirate ship, and we started working on French programmes for our play!
Math Lab
This week the Rebel Mathematicians designed their own spinners to conduct a simple probability experiment. First, they listed their spinner's outcome and had to make predictions based on an investigation with ten trials. Then, they tested their spinner and recorded the results. We used the NCTM's Adjustable Spinner to model the big idea that the more trials you complete, the closer your results should be to the theoretical probability. For the rest of our lab, the Rebels turned their attention to Carnival Booth prep and finalized our event's layout, materials and flow for the Sparks next week!
Civilizations
There was a checkpoint for the POWER Project this week, with each Rebel having locked in their topic (i.e. selected ancient civilization) and their presentation format. Many have gathered vital information about the sources of power, and some have begun to lay out timelines of significant events and map out particular locations. Next week their goal will be to finalize everything and share their presentation in our digital gallery!
Quest
On Monday, the Rebels had a peer-run rehearsal and had to make due without cues from a guide. They were nearly able to get through the whole show and identified responding to cues as what needed the most improvement. Tuesday, we explored an organizational tool called a Gantt Chart to help us streamline our project and focus on the most critical components of our production. Our chart focused on three key work streams: rehearsing, auditing our budget and ticket sales, and prop and costume management. By Wednesday, we had our rehearsal time down to 56 minutes, and the Rebels were determined to shave off an additional ten minutes. Thursday's rehearsal had a lot of buzzing energy as the Rebels worked hard to shave nearly 5 minutes off their run time. Monday's challenge will be to get the run time down even further to 45 minutes. We are so proud of you, Rebels; keep trying!
Physical Development
On Monday, Rebels practised their football skills. After a warm-up and a throwing drill, Rebels were put into two teams to play a game of flag football. The rest of the Rebels went on a hike with Marianne. On Wednesday, the Rebels walked the neighbourhood to contribute to our total kilometres for the Walk for Wenjack that Launchpad initiated in September.
Additional Highlights
On Wednesday, we had the chance to do a Meet and Greet on Zoom with Acton Academy Lincoln's Discovery Studio in Nebraska! We learned about their school, and they interviewed us for a part of the World Travel Quest. It was lovely to speak with other learners who knew about our systems and compare and contrast our Acton experience with theirs!
Friday's school-wide Cardboard challenge was BIG fun! We had everything from cardboard horses, rocketships, and cars complete with wheels and axles to a giant Minecraft Enderman!
Exploration Studio
Mindfulness and Launches
This week we are thinking about the "little things" that make us happy and that we look forward to over the Summer Vacation. Learners were encouraged to create a list of activities they hope to complete during their weeks away from school. Their Summer Bucket lists included things such as making s'mores, mini-golfing, paddleboarding, eating watermelon, and water balloon fights were just a few of the suggestions. We're hoping learners share their lists and make one with their families to make the most of their vacation!
During Monday's Launch, we used Conversation Cards to hear something new about each Rebel in our studio. Tuesday, we welcomed a learner in for an Exploration Day and to introduce ourselves, we went around the circle, and after saying our name and pronouns, we stated our favourite thing to do and whether a hot dog is a sandwich or a taco. On Wednesday, the Rebels made summer-themed paper fortune tellers and asked each other questions about their summer plans in French. We addressed a few adjustments that need to be made as a studio on Thursday and Friday, including our plans for the Exploration mural.
Documentary
This week we watched the remaining documentaries created by the Rebels. There were topics such as the pros and cons of public and private school, a look into the life of a rebellious learner, the life of a hockey stick, autonomy, World War II, and Zach "Himan," the journey of a hockey player. While a few of the films weren't completely finished, we enjoyed seeing what they came up with.
Music
On Tuesday, Rebels got right to work with their teams to practise their song several times before performing for the rest of the studio. We then ended the session by playing a couple of new songs as an entire studio. With the Exhibition looming, Rebels got to work on Thursday, practising in their groups and then presenting for the other teams at the end of class.
Quest
This week was all about creating an attractive display. We learned how to use a paper cutter and add background colours to add interest. Rebels also began printing their labels, images, and works cited documents for laying out before creating their final display.
The Exploration Rebels also went to the Canadian War Museum to better understand Canada's role in conflict and peacekeeping missions. It was also an excellent opportunity to get a first-hand look at museum exhibits. What makes them attractive? How do they draw in the audience? What is the percentage of images to text? While different groups were interested in viewing various galleries, they all returned to school with new facts and appreciation for those who served.
French
This week, Exploration Rebels worked on their pen pal letters and created mini-theatre plays! Next week we will work on performing a given script and filming them for the Exhibition.
Physical Development
On Monday, Rebels practised their football skills. After a warm-up and a throwing drill, Rebels were put into two teams to play a game of flag football. The rest of the Rebels went on a hike with Marianne or in a group with other Exploration Rebels. On Wednesday, the Rebels walked the neighbourhood to contribute to our total kilometres for the Walk for Wenjack that Launchpad initiated in September.
Additional Highlights
In preparation for our Exploration mural, Rebels prepped and painted the wall! They did a great job with the base coat and we are looking forward to the next steps this fall.
On Friday, Exploration Rebels took part in our annual Cardboard Challenge! Several stepped up to help Spark Rebels cut, tape, and paint their creations while others made their own, including an arcade machine, houseboat, and minivan!
Launchpad
Canadian History
This week we investigated Canada in the Post-9/11 world. After reading more about the terrorist attacks, we learned about Canada's response. We then read about Canada's role in the War in Afghanistan and the War in Iraq. Rebels then had a choice to write a piece on whether Canada should have participated in the War in Iraq or read up on the Omar Khadr case. On Tuesday, Rebels learned more about the upheaval in the Middle East and North Africa in 2011, including Arab Spring and social media's role in organizing protests. We finished the week reading about the political changes in Canada after 2001 including the fall of the Liberals, the rise of the NDP, and the Harper years.
Upper Canada Village
Launchpad Rebels stepped back in time to a village in Upper Canada in the 1860s on Thursday! We had a great day touring the authentic buildings and speaking with the historic interpreters! One decided that given the opportunity, they would want to be a blacksmith, while the other preferred the flour mill or tin shop.
Photography
What images move us to laughter? We began our week with an exercise on humorous photography, identifying five pictures that we find hilarious. Whether your objective is to improve aesthetics, add a vintage look, highlight an object, manipulate the original colours, change the temperature, or increase contrast, filters are the way to go! With a theme in mind, Rebels experimented with different filters posting at least ten pictures with ten different filters.
Architecture photography generally refers to buildings, but it can also include shooting building exteriors or interiors and structures like bridges and cityscapes. Landscape photography, however, usually focuses on capturing an area unaffected by human activity. After looking at Ana Henly's portfolio, learners chose one photograph they like to critique. They were then challenged to select architecture or landscape as their theme and take at least ten pictures from different angles, using various filters, shutter speed, ISO, etc.
At the end of the week, we turned toward the natural world. When photographing an element of our natural world, what do you focus on more? Shape, texture or contrast? Which lighting do you prefer to use? High Contrast or Low Contrast? Which do you think is best for nature photography? Learners took at least ten photographs portraying our natural world in any form.
Additional Highlights
To honour National Indigenous Peoples Day, we organized a second Walk for Wenjack. While we planned the event for Tuesday, due to the storm, we held it on Wednesday once the Exploration had returned from the museum. Way to go, Rebels!
Potential Discussion Ideas or Questions to Ask your Rebel:
Spark:
What was your favourite art to make this week?
What makes you unique? What makes our family special?
What are you most looking forward to about summer?
French: What items and furniture can you find in your "chambre"?
Discovery:
Quest - what will you do in the next rehearsal to make sure you respond timely to your cues?
Reader/Writer - Which writing piece do you want to share for the upcoming Writers Café? Which of the six traits do you want to focus on?
Math Lab - What booth are you running for the Math Carnival next week?
French: What is the name of your Quest play in French? What are some of the things you will include on your poster/ programme?
Exploration:
What are you most excited to present at Exhibition on Tuesday?
What is your biggest priority for the next two weeks?
What items are on your Summer Bucket List?
French: What are some of the questions you want to ask your pen pal?
Launchpad:
Which field trip have you enjoyed most so far?
If you were to work at Upper Canada Village, where would you prefer to spend your time?
Are you a fan of filters? Do you feel they add or take away from the artistry of photography?
DATES OF INTEREST
Session 7 Exhibitions:
Exploration Studio: Tuesday, June 28 at 4:30 pm
Spark Studio: Wednesday, June 29 at 4:15 pm
Discovery Studio: Thursday, June 30 at 4:30 pm
Launchpad Studio: Wednesday, July 6 - 4:15 pm
Field Trips
Launchpad: Tour of Gatineau and Chelsea, including Pink Lake and Mackenzie King Estate
Session 7 Traditions
Rebel Olympics - Tuesday, July 5
Exploration Studio Graduation - Wednesday, July 6
Ice Cream Truck!!! - Wednesday, July 6
Summer Birthday Party - Thursday, July 7