Session 3 - Here We Come!

Our Detective Camp was a huge success; thank you, Mme. Marianne! For those who did not attend, we hope you have enjoyed your long weekend. The Guides have been working hard to prepare an incredible and festive Session 3 for you!

Spark Studio

We are excited to share that Session Three’s Quest theme is Kitchen Chemistry! Our afternoons will be full of fun experiments and exploring in the kitchen. In our Math Workshop, both groups will be learning about geometry. Reader Workshop group one will focus on creative writing and roll and read activities from the UFLI program to practice reading fluency. Group Two will continue learning phonetic sounds and reading and writing CVC words. In Geography, we will explore traditions and holidays around the world. The learners are encouraged to bring something to share about a holiday their family celebrates. Please see BAND for a schedule of the dates for bringing these items in. Show and Tell will return on Fridays for this session, and the learners are invited to bring in any object from home that they want to share with the studio each week.

From November 25th to December 13th, the Sparks will be taking part in two different holiday programs that help those in the Ottawa community. We will collect new, unwrapped toys for Toy Mountain and non-perishable food for the Ottawa Food Bank. The learners will create posters and attend Launches in the other studios to inform our community about these initiatives. 

There will also be some fun community-building events this session, such as a Spark Sock Exchange, a Family Potluck Exhibition, Spirit Week, and a movie afternoon! Stay tuned for more information.

Discovery Studio

We’re thrilled to share the exciting focus of Session 3, where creativity and innovation take center stage! This time, students will embark on two incredible projects: Stop Motion Animation and Reader-Writer the learners are becoming Podcasters. In the Stop Motion Quest, your learner will dive into the world of storytelling by creating their own animated masterpieces and learning skills in planning, designing, and bringing ideas to life one frame at a time!

Meanwhile, the Reader-Writer workshops will transform them into critical thinkers and captivating storytellers as they explore stories, craft compelling narratives, and produce their podcast episode. These projects will inspire creativity, build communication skills, and empower students to express their ideas in exciting and meaningful ways. We can’t wait to see their imaginations soar and share the incredible projects they create! 

For this session’s Math Labs, Rebels will be focused on all things computation. We’ll tackle complex problems involving all four operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division) and practice breaking the problems down into smaller parts, looking for familiar or essential information, setting aside what we don’t need and figuring out steps we could repeat to solve a similar problem. 

Exploration Studio

Welcome to the Joy of Travel Quest! Never has the Hero’s Journey been quite so literal! In this session, Exploration Rebels will reflect on the types of travel experiences they’ve had and dream up big destinations for their life bucket list. Centred around the “why” and “how” of travel, this series of challenges will relate to moving around the earth and how this helps us grow and push beyond our physical comfort zones. However, the most exciting element of it all is that for our Travel Agency Exhibition, Rebels will be developing Grand Tour Trip pitches for their Spring 2025 Studio Trip! Their pitch must include a trip itinerary including food and accommodations for our entire group and have three possible budgets: a base package, extended options, and a luxury version. In the end, Rebels will vote on their preferred trip, and the next step will be fundraising to make their plan a reality!

This session’s Math Lab theme will complement our Quest. We’ll be investigating trip fundraising. In just a few short weeks, our trip will be selected, and we won’t want to waste any time organizing the various fundraising ventures, events, sales or services required to get the journey costs down and keep the joy up!

Rebels will continue their exploration of Journalism as they write their final pieces! They will begin this next week by pitching their idea to the group before getting to work!

In Civilizations, we will venture into the Middle Ages. After learning about the Byzantium (Byzantine) Empire, we will learn about everyday life in the Middle Ages before taking a week to learn more about holiday traditions around the world.

Exploration Rebels have designed a fun-filled session with activities including a Secret Santa exchange, Holiday Art, Gingerbread Houses, Spirit Week, and Fun Friday movies. It is going to be four festive weeks!

Launchpad Studio

Our learners will take part in the Amgen Biotechnology Experience!!! Genetic engineering is a branch of biotechnology that uses special procedures and techniques to change an organism’s DNA. This ability has had a huge impact on the field of medicine, as genetically modified bacteria can make human insulin (the hormone responsible for regulating glucose levels in the blood) and other life-saving products. It’s rare for high school students to have the chance to learn about and actually practice the procedures and techniques that are the foundation of the biotechnology industry—but in this program, our learners will have just that opportunity! As they work in the lab and carry out the very experiments that led to breakthroughs in biotechnology, they will gain hands-on experience with producing genetically modified bacteria.

Launchpad Rebels will continue working on their individual coursework, including AP Biology, AP Language and Composition, AP Literature and Composition, Canadian and International Law, SAT Prep, and personalized maths, coding, and language courses.

Important Upcoming Dates

  • Full School Pictures - Tuesday, November 26th

  • Session 3 Exhibitions

    • Joint Spark and Discovery Exhibition - Wednesday, December 18th

    • Joint Exploration and Launchpad Exhibition - Thursday, December 19th

  • Holiday Break - Monday, December 23rd - Friday, January 3rd

Erin Anderson