Revel Recap: June 27 - 30, 2022
Spark Studio
Mindfulness
On Monday morning, the Sparks shared their fun weekends before using the picture cards and their imaginations to create a group story called “The Animal Princess.” On Tuesday, we discussed Canada Day and followed a directed drawing of a Canadian Mountie. The Sparks did a HIIT workout on Wednesday to keep up with what we learned last session. To end the week, we spoke about our happy places, a space where we feel safe, calm, and happy. The Sparks used their whiteboards to draw pictures of how their happy place makes them use their senses. What they see, how it smells, and objects they can touch. Many Sparks said their happy place was their bedroom, the beach, or the couch!
French
This week, the Sparks solved riddles to find out where different family members were in their house. This activity allowed us to practice making sentences such as “Maman est dans la salle de bain,” “Papa est dans la cuisine.” We also read two books this week. One was a hidden objects book following the Oukilé family, and the other was called La petite maison de Totoche. On Wednesday, we played games in the gym to practice counting up to twenty. The Sparks loved playing "Quelle heure est-il monsieur le loup!”
Quest
Quest this week was dedicated to getting ready for the Exhibition. We rehearsed our plays and gathered all of our art to display. On Wednesday, the studio had a lot of excited and nervous energy as we prepared for our big show. The Sparks did a fantastic job performing their plays and were so proud to show their families all of their beautiful artwork! Bravo, Sparks, this was such a fun, creative session!
Additional Highlights
This week we started an inquiry on seahorses. We began by reading Mister Seahorse by Eric Carle. This story talks about a father seahorse and other fish fathers who take care of their eggs. We then learned some fun facts about seahorses. Did you know that they can have up to 1500 babies at one time?! They like warm, shallow water and can camouflage themselves. They have bony plates to protect their bodies, and they don’t have teeth. We enjoyed watching how they swim upright by waving their fins on their backs; their fins can flutter up to 35 times per second! We challenged ourselves to try and flap our hands this many times in a second. Sparks then played a game of Fact or Fiction and also completed a diagram of a seahorse. On Wednesday, we were invited to a Math Carnival put on by our Discovery friends. The Sparks received one ticket and 5.00 dollars, which they could cash in for more tickets. The Discovery Rebels had booths set up where the Sparks could practice addition, subtraction, games of chance with spinners and die, and counting with bead chains. Once they won or completed an activity, they earned a Jenga block to trade in later for a fun prize! Thursday ended our week with Show and Tell, a birthday celebration with cupcakes, and we learned some fun facts about Canada and played a Canadian-themed bingo! We also watched the much-anticipated movie Madagascar after we finished reading the story!
Discovery Studio
Mindfulness
On Monday morning, the Rebels came together to colour and share stories from their weekends. Tuesday, they played Would You Rather?, ran the red carpet, and did a Forest Chase before relaxing for a couple of minutes with deep breathing. They had fun colouring their pirate-themed treasure hunt Wednesday, with animals hidden throughout the scenes. We played a Unicorn Chase on Thursday and did a Super Mario-themed dance/freeze challenge. Moving their bodies and laughing with each other has been an excellent way to start our days these past few weeks!
Launches
With only two weeks left to work towards our Core Skills goals for the year, the Rebels re-worked the SMART acronym, and we discussed how they could maximize their remaining time by prioritizing and planning ahead. The Rebels and the visiting Sparks came up with awesome new ways of thinking about these goals, like “R” for “really good challenge.” On Tuesday, we played “Tu préfères ça ou ça?”. On Wednesday, we had a Rebel-led launch with a Kahoot about pirates! During Thursday morning’s launch, we returned to our SMART goals and made any changes based on our progress. The Rebels set off for their Core Skills session with a clear focus and determination to keep working hard to inch closer and closer to their long-term goal posts for the year!
Reader/Writer
The Rebels wrote for a full half-hour this week, focusing on at least one of the Six Traits we discussed: idea development, organization, word choice, voice, sentence fluency and conventions. When the time was up, some Rebels volunteered to read their piece aloud so that we could practice delivering specific and constructive peer feedback. To help with this, we used a list of questions related to the Six Traits that would help us give better feedback to each other. Next week, we will continue to share at least one piece from their body of work for our Writers Café!
Civilizations
Our POWER Project Gallery went live this week, with some Rebels posting their presentations for review. It was our last work period, so the remaining goal is to complete any finishing touches and share a link or viewing instructions on our Journey Tracker Bulletin Board by next Tuesday. We will then complete our digital “gallery walk” and share feedback.
French
Discovery Rebels practiced their pronunciation this week with the tongue twister “Un éléphant qui se baladait…” and the song “Il était un petit navire.” It was lots of fun! They also made some beautiful French posters for their play.
Math Lab
The Math Carnival was a huge success! The Discovery Rebels worked diligently to set up and operate a variety of booths like addition and subtraction stations, games of chance with spinners and die, and bead chains from the Spark Studio. Our visiting Sparks had to purchase tickets to play, and when they won a game or completed an activity, they earned a Jenga block to trade in later for prizes. Discovery Rebels were also available to sell extra tickets, provide the correct change for the event’s duration, and help cash in Jenga blocks for awards!
Quest
The Rebels kicked off their Quest this week by checking the four work streams on the project Gantt Chart and prioritizing goals for a successful Show Night on Thursday. During Monday’s rehearsal, they were able to shave off another two minutes from their overall run time but identified a few more transitions to smooth out to meet the 45-minute mark before the end of the week. On Tuesday, the Rebels stepped in for each other, ensuring there were no gaps in the performance, even when some of us missed our cues - but it worked! We met the 45-minute run time goal! Wednesday, we had a costume fitting with fantastic materials provided by Mme. Marianne. Thursday’s Dress Rehearsal was a fun celebration of all our hard work this session! Rebels, we are so proud of your accountability, participation, and performance!
Physical Development
On Monday, the Rebels picked between basketball and Capture the Flag; on Wednesday, the Rebels could choose between kickball or soccer. It was a bit rainy, but this did not slow down the Rebel all-stars from action-packed games on both fields!
Exploration Studio
Mindfulness and Launches
This week in mindfulness, we took time to reflect on the past year and who we are now. Rebels listed words that describe them, favourite activities, lessons learned, and hints for new learners joining Revel. We discussed the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade on Monday morning. Learners discussed the precedent, the reasoning for the decision, their personal opinions on the subject, and what it could mean for Americans and, in turn, Canadians. We were very impressed with the maturity and respect showed by the learners. In honour of one of our learner’s last day of the year, we played the “Guess in 10 Geography - Countries” game! In teams, our learners used Buzz Words and well-crafted yes or no questions to determine which country was on the card. Wednesday, the Rebels reflected on how some words they use for emphasis, like saying “That’s insane!” to show amazement, can carry negative connotations towards mental health. We brainstormed alternative terms such as “amazing, incredible, reckless, and ridiculous.” Thursday, learners requested to play the “Guess in 10” game again after reviewing the schedule for the day and next week.
French
On Monday, the Rebels acted out and recorded mini-plays set on a camping trip with the help of the props they made the previous weeks. On Wednesday, we teamed up to solve riddles, then went outside to play “Nord-Sud” and a miming game. On both days the Rebels wore their “drapeau” to earn a Rebel Buck if they didn’t use English to communicate with their peers!
Music
Tuesday morning, learners got together for their last Boomwhackers rehearsal! Unfortunately, one of our groups was missing half of its members, so they had to pivot and make a new plan for Exhibition quickly. That evening our groups did an excellent job performing in front of their families, with the third group getting the parents to learn how to play Boomwhackers with the help of a “Dance Monkey” video tutorial! It was fun to share the experience with our families!
Quest
In preparation for Tuesday’s Exhibition, we used Monday to complete our displays and have learners complete a Peer Gallery walk to give last-minute feedback. The Grand Opening was then upon us, and they used every minute to polish their exhibits, practice answering potential questions, and set up the gym for the Exhibition. Once families arrived, we began with a ribbon-cutting ceremony before guardians visited and voted for their favourite display and artifacts, as well as the most passionate and knowledgable curators. With the Exhibition behind us, we spent time reflecting on our process and final product before submitting our badges on Journey Tracker.
Physical Development
Half of the learners returned to the court for a game of basketball on Monday. The sportsmanship was on point as the learners made sure to pass to all their team members and even invited a kid to play with them. Meanwhile, the other learners played Capture the Flag in the park. On Wednesday, the Rebels were able to choose between kickball or soccer. It was a bit rainy, but this did not slow down the Rebel all-stars from action-packed games on both fields!
Additional Highlights
After putting their hard work on display Tuesday evening, Exploration Rebels took some time on Wednesday and Thursday to enjoy their time as a community, playing card and board games. We’re looking forward to next week, where our learners will participate in the Rebel Olympics, Summer Birthday party, and Graduation Ceremony!
Launchpad
With two weeks left in the school year, Launchpad Rebels continued to curate their writing pieces for their Communication badge and put the finishing touches on their comparison papers for the Literature badge.
Mackenzie King Estate
This week our travels took us to Chelsea, Quebec! After stopping at Biscotti for a quick bite, we went to Mackenzie King Estate to explore the grounds. Rich in history, the country estate is the legacy of former prime minister William Lyon Mackenzie King. There are beautiful gardens, historic ruins, and several hiking trails, all of which the Launchpad Rebels took full advantage of while working on their photography skills.
Photography
Did you know we take more photos every two minutes than all of humanity did in the 18th Century, or that selfies were technically invented in 1839? This week, we completed our last Click Challenges and began to prepare for our Photography Exhibition. For their first assignment, learners had to capture a single image with one human subject, capturing the duality of humanity. (Ex: Love and hate. Light and dark. Happy and sad.) Using five different filters for the same photograph, they aimed to create a photo that inspires people to contemplate a deeper meaning of life and humanity. We then turned to learning how to shoot a good portrait, ensuring correct exposure while simultaneously keeping the subject relaxed and natural. After learning about classic, environmental, and lifestyle portraiture styles, Rebels picked a willing subject and took at least 15 pictures. Choosing their favourite and least favourite, they edited them using any tool or filter.
Photographs are widely used in marketing to make products more appealing to customers. They can help build a strong brand image, create an emotional appeal, and encourage engagement, reactions and actions. On Tuesday, we looked at photography's role in marketing and advertising and took five pictures of any product demonstrating a marketing strategy.
At the end of the week, we tested our newly found skills and creativity hacks with a list of photo prompts, including;
Isolate a person and make them look small in their environment
Gather as many faces as possible in one photograph
Get close and register an expression of a person
Photograph signs of human presence without including anyone in the frame.
Photograph an object that's 'attached' to someone (handbag, a cup of coffee, etc.) without showing their face.
Isolate a colour and try to make it stand out against the grey surroundings.
How do you capture the authentic self in one image? The final photography challenge for Launchpad was to take a remarkable self-portrait, also known as a "selfie," that says something about who they are.
Canadian History
Launchpad Rebels read about the missing and murdered aboriginal women this week and discussed some potential action items and a list of questions we’d like to ask. Next week we will complete our course with discussions on the Internet Age, whether today’s government should be responsible for past injustices, and Canada’s place in the modern world.
Potential Discussion Ideas or Questions to Ask your Rebel:
Spark:
How did you feel performing your play at Exhibition? Would you like to do more acting in the future?
What do you hope to do next week in the studio before the summer holidays?
Can you tell us some cool facts about seahorses?
French: Which games did you like playing the best this week?
Discovery:
Quest - Do you think you have met the Quest requirements regarding accountability, participation and performance?
Reader/Writer - Which of the Six Traits are you most interested in when you are working on your writing?
Math Lab - What do you need to do to submit for this badge?
French: Which were your favourite activities in French class this session?
Exploration:
What would you do differently if you could do this Quest again?
If you could learn to play any instrument what would you choose?
What obstacle are you most proud of overcoming this year?
French: Were you able to keep your "drapeau" this week? What method(s) did you use to avoid speaking English?
Launchpad:
Do you have a theme for your photo exhibit?
Which of our “Get out of Dodge” days was your favourite?
What period of Canadian history fascinated you most?
Dates of interest:
Rebel Olympics - Tuesday, July 5
Exploration Studio Graduation - Wednesday, July 6
Ice Cream Truck!!! - Wednesday, July 6
Launchpad Studio Exhibition: Wednesday, July 6 - 4:15 pm
Summer Birthday Party - Thursday, July 7