Revel Recap: March 18 - 22, 2024
Spark Studio
Mindfulness
On Monday, we started our day using our imaginations! We read Not a Box by Antoinette Portis. Each Spark then selected a square, rectangle, oval, pentagon, or triangle and turned it into something other than its shape. The Sparks imagined these figures becoming cars, castles, rockets, maps and cats! We read Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring on Tuesday morning to welcome the new season. This book prompted a discussion on all the signs of spring we will see in the upcoming weeks. The Sparks talked about seeing buds on trees and flowers growing, the grass turning from brown to green, animals, birds and insects emerging, longer days, and lots of weather-related changes such as warmer temperatures and rain. Then, while listening to some upbeat, instrumental music, the Sparks completed spring doodle colouring pages. We kept the new season theme going on Wednesday, completing a yoga story all about spring. We practiced with the Boomwhackers on Thursday and are feeling ready for our performance at Exhibition! To end the week, we read The Best Easter Egg Hunt Ever and discussed our family traditions for those celebrating Easter.
Quest
At the beginning of the week, our Quest was focused on learning about community workers. First up, we played a guessing game. The Sparks were shown a tool someone might need for their job, and they then had to guess which community worker uses it. We also learned a few facts about each occupation. We learned about doctors, farmers, teachers, police officers, nurses, paramedics, postal workers, firefighters, dentists, veterinarians, construction workers, hairdressers, plumbers, electricians, and bakers. Then, we completed interactive diagrams of various community workers and the things they might need to use or what they wear for their jobs. The next day, we began to dream about a job we might want to have someday. First, we read When I Grow Up and listened to a video of children sharing their dream job. Next, each Spark thought of a career they would like in the future. We had learners who hoped to be professional horse riders, race car drivers, dolphin trainers, vets, paleontologists, and babysitters. The rest of the week was busy preparing to launch our business next week. The learners continued working hard to create more Perler Bead products and make posters and signs to decorate our shop. A reminder that there will be keychains and magnets available to purchase. The prices will be $2.00 for the smaller designs and $4.00 for the larger designs. (If possible, please bring small change on Wednesday to help our cashiers!) On Friday, the Sparks discussed how they want to spend the money they make at Exhibition. They narrowed it down to three choices: A studio party, new Magna-Tiles for the studio or making a donation to the Foodbank. We took a vote, and the results were two votes for the Foodbank, four for new Magna-Tiles and six for a party. We will be planning and scheduling a party in the next session!
Math
We picked up where we left off last week and continued our estimation inquiry. First, we reviewed our definition of what estimating is. Then we played Estimation Vacation with Sesame Street and Guess the Marbles in the Jar game. To showcase our learning, each Spark completed an activity sheet where they had to guess how many candies were in a box and then count to see how close they were. The learners are working hard to make accurate guesses! Be sure to check out the Estimation Station at Exhibition and make your family guesses!
Art
The artist Wassily Kandinsky and the changing seasons inspired this week's workshop. The Sparks have discussed how the trees will change and grow with spring's arrival. We used this as the basis of our art, creating a spring background and using our hands and arms to create trees. From here, we used Kandinksy's idea of concentric circles as the leaves or buds of our trees. The result was a beautiful masterpiece!
French
On Monday, we played into - the body edition to review our vocabulary about the body. We then played Monsieur Patate (Mr. Potato), a game where Rebels had to name the body parts as they put them on the Potato on Tuesday. We listened to the Passe-Partout song again on Wednesday and began learning the lyrics and played a game of animals and bâbord-tribord (gauche-droite) in the gym on Thursday to practice our new French vocabulary from the week.
Readers Workshop
The Sparks completed their writing booklets after rereading Creepy Carrots just because they loved it. First up was a text-to-self connections page. The Sparks wrote that Jasper loved to eat carrots and then illustrated a picture of something they love to eat. In the next two pages, the learners worked with words from the story. First, they completed a vocabulary word search, and then we revisited syllables. We went through the book together and picked a variety of words. Using our previous lessons' methods, the learners clapped or put their hands under their chin to determine the number of syllables in each word. We have loved exploring this book in depth and can't wait to share our hard work with you next week!
Additional Highlights
This week, we continued to enjoy joining the other studios to watch the March Mammal Madness recap videos. A Discovery Rebel also invited our studio to join their closing on owls. The Sparks did a great job listening and learning so much about these beautiful birds! We always love visiting our friends from the other studios!
This week concluded our Rhyme Time Show and Tell! We had a goat/boat, whale/tail, puma/tuna, and a surprise real-life rat that rhymed with hat! It was a fun game; thank you for helping your learner bring in these items over the last few weeks. This week, we also had our last Mystery Reader guest for the year. A huge thank you for sharing your time and stories with us! Seeing how happy the learners were when their special guest walked in was always heartwarming! Next week's Show and Tell will be on Thursday, and the Sparks are welcome to bring in any item they would like.
We also celebrated two birthdays in the studio, and we hope all of their wishes come true this year!
Discovery Studio
Mindfulness
Move It Monday got the Rebels' blood pumping and ready for a great day! We started with a warm-up of inchworms, jumping jacks, lunges and sprints. We then played Medusa tag, followed by a cool-down. On Tuesday, the Rebels were given the prompt, "Dear future self…" with the choice of when they would open their responses. Some Rebels wrote about how they approach failure, others penned how many pets they would like to have, while a few noted how they prioritize their mental or physical health. On Wonder Wednesday, we questioned, "Who were the Olympians?" The Rebels were asked to think of five questions in their squad groups before watching an informational video that would hopefully answer their questions. On Thank You Thursday, Rebels read a letter from Ms. Kaitlin, celebrating the completion of her placement and thanking the Rebels for their support. The Discovery Rebels gathered to read her letter as she completed her seven-week journey in the studio. Her letter expressed gratitude to the Rebels and Guides, highlighting their shared memorable moments and challenges with a funny PowerPoint of their inside jokes. We are so proud of your hard work, growth and achievements, Ms. Kaitlin! Thank YOU for an awesome session! To end the week, the Rebels played new songs using Boomwhackers.
Launches
Monday's Launch told the story of Medusa, which shed light on the impact of pride and self-image on our interactions with others. Her vanity in her beauty ultimately led to her downfall, highlighting the importance of humility and empathy in our relationships. The Rebels were prompted with one question that particularly resonated with us: Could Medusa have avoided her fate if she had been more self-aware? This question prompted lively discussions about the importance of self-awareness in navigating life's challenges. We explored how understanding oneself better can lead to making wiser choices and avoiding unnecessary pitfalls. Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday's March Mammal Madness updates were fun and filled with a few upsets, too! Wednesday, during Squad Chickens, the Rebels took ownership of their education. They wrote on the board as many goals as they wanted to complete during their Core Skills time. This period was a quiet and dedicated time with lots of goals being set! Way to go, Rebels!
Math Lab
On Wednesday, Draw/Anchor Rebels hustled to visualize the data they collected last week, preparing both a bar graph and a pictograph. Rebels reviewed graphs seen throughout the session to develop an excellence checklist. We also took some time to share and organize our survey questions based on the terms "qualitative" and "quantitative." We explored two data sets, looking for patterns that would help us define these words. Rebels observed that qualitative data is related to word data, which describes the qualities, attributes or characteristics of something, while quantitative data reflects numerical data. In either case, Rebels will quantify their findings, showing how many of their surveyed demographic selected each option outlined in their survey question.
Reader/Writer
It was the Rebels' second last workshop, and they were eager to get to work! Three brave volunteers stepped forward to present their god's biography. Learners provided cool and warm feedback to one another and took the constructive comments to improve their work. Afterwards, the Rebels played a fun "Would you Rather" game where participants sparked lively discussions with unique responses. A couple of the questions were, "Would you opt for great wisdom or incredible strength?" and "Would you rather be the god of music or agriculture?" During the last part of the workshop, the Rebels continued working on their biographies. Before proceeding to a good copy, peer approval and editing were required, allowing the learners to exchange ideas and lend a voice to enhance their work.
French
This week in French, we listened to an episode of The Magic School Bus about the human body to practice our listening comprehension. We then filled in our research form, and the Rebels were inspired and motivated to find fun facts about their research topic!
Physical Development
On Tuesday, the Rebels who joined the outdoor option enjoyed hockey in the snowy breezy weather. Meanwhile, the Rebels in the gym started by playing Simon Says, followed by a snowball fight. The group split into two teams, and if a snowball hit a Rebel, they had to go into the square and get hit by a snowball from their teammate to get back in the game. For the cool down, the Rebels meditated for five minutes. With cold weather, the Rebels compromised and split the gym into two games on Thursday. The learner-led activities were Toilet tag and Four Corners. Together, the Rebels completed a high-intensity warm-up to increase their heart rates. They did the pizza stretches for their cool down, followed by a directed stretching video.
Civilizations
This week, Rebels heard a story of conquistadores and the Middle Passage. We mapped the routes connecting Spain and Portugal to the New World, noting the path from Europe to West Africa and South and Central America. Rebels discussed slavery and the following moral dilemma: If you were a soldier in the Spanish army, and your next mission was to become a conquistador, would you go, knowing of the atrocities being committed, or would you refuse and risk your own life by standing up to your government?
Quest
We are delighted to share the latest installment of our Greek mythology adventures! This week, the Discovery storytellers took part in writing Part 4 of their Hero's Journey stories, which weaved tales of gods and goddesses with creativity and enthusiasm. We reviewed each milestone their god/goddess or hero may encounter on Monday. By the end of the period, the goal was to write about "The Road Back." The hero was to explore the significance of messages and signs that might have signalled the time to return home, navigating obstacles that tested their determination along the way. On Tuesday, we tested our knowledge with a Kahoot! on Greek and Roman gods. Wednesday was dedicated to refining publishing elements. We reviewed and discussed the criteria for completion to ensure that each story met the excellence criteria, including all twelve steps of the Hero's Journey template and a fully coloured cover page with the story's title. On Thursday, Rebel Authors started to plan our upcoming Exhibition and then used the remaining time to meet their project deadline!
Additional Highlights
On Monday, Discovery learners invited the Sparks to attend a closing on owls led by one of our newest Rebels! Great leadership!
Exploration
Mindfulness and Launch
On Monday morning, we finished this session's read-aloud Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science. It was an engaging story, but the learners voted and Witches: The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem won their Battle of the Books competition. They then voted in Lore as the next session's read-aloud! Tuesday morning's energy levels were low, so we skipped our routine Pilates exercises for a gentle, low-to-the-floor yoga stretch. Rebels were invited to match slow, static arm and leg stretches to their inhale and exhale, and we ended with a two-minute savasana. We then met as an entire school to watch Round 1 of the March Mammal Madness Rainbow Collective division! There were a couple of surprising upsets, with some Rebels cheering and some Rebels sneering. On Wednesday, our Mindful Connections game had some studio-favourite categories this week, including things found at a football stadium and Italian restaurant favourites! Wordle was a stumper, but eventually, as a team, the Rebels solved on the last try in the nick of time! Thursday's yoga was a relaxing flow focused on deep breathing and an intention of "letting go," exhaling any negative thoughts that can try to sneak in and cling to our thought processes throughout the day. After yoga, all the Spark, Discovery, Exploration, and Launchpad learners came together to watch Round 1 of the March Mammal Madness Take a Bow division. In preparation for our field trip to the Diefenbunker, we met to go over logistics before the rest of the studios joined us for half of the second round of March Mammal Madness! A few more upsets had the Rebels shocked! How is the Cobra Lily still in?!
Quest
This week in Quest, Rebels stepped into the shoes of trial members as they sought to recreate two significant historical moments from the Cold War era. The McCarthy Army Trials team worked to navigate the central role of David Schine, a key witness for both the prosecution and the defence lawyers. What kinds of questions can you ask a witness so that they tell the story you want to be told? Does the truth always satisfy both sides? How can a witness bend the truth, and would this be considered "creating truth" or "discovering truth?" In The Rosenberg Trial case, the defence lawyers worked hard to create a line of questioning in an attempt to fulfill their hopes of saving Julius and Ethel Rosenberg. The Rebels felt strongly that if this trial was to happen today, without the hysteria of "The Red Scare," they believe a different outcome would have occurred. They are working hard to rewrite this moment in history and win over families/jurors next week. Both teams rehearsed with a "skeleton set up" on Wednesday and Thursday so that they could see their court case start to come to life and participated in meaningful reflection discussions as the week came to a close to help prepare both teams for Week 5. As we move into our final week of the session, Rebels will focus on dress rehearsals and think about the small details that could help their team win their case at Exhibition. What evidence, images, or props can we incorporate to make our testimonies more impactful? How can we strengthen our performance (our tone of voice, movements, character impersonations) to win over jury members on Thursday? We look forward to seeing you all next week and having you participate in our reenactment of the McCarthy Trials!
Field Trip to the Diefenbunker
Exploration and Launchpad Rebels celebrated all of their hard work this session on Cold War history with a fantastic trip to the Diefenbunker Museum! After an incredible tour of the bunker, Rebels stepped back in time into the shoes of different Canadian leaders and Ministers to make a game plan for nuclear threats against Canada. Ultimately, the group had to decide whether or not they should supply aid and support to their neighbours down South amidst atomic warfare with the USSR! Revel Rebels impressed our tour guide throughout the visit with their sound knowledge of the Cold War and excellent questions! Way to go, Rebels! The country would be in great hands with you leading the way!
Math Lab
This week, the Rebels engaged with two different Three Act Tasks: "Making Snow" and "Post-it Waterfall." In Act 1, Rebels saw either a clip of someone making fake snow by mixing some powder and water to fill part of a container or a quick video of several pads of notepaper falling from one height to another. Rebels noticed details in the clips, like the brand of measuring cup and how many pads of paper were used, and asked questions like how long it would take for all the notes to fall. After making estimates around these questions, Rebels earned more clues in Act 2. They were provided with more precise details about the capacity of all the fake snow-related tools, as well as how many notes were in each pad and how many notes had moved after 2.818 seconds. Before the reveal of Act 3, Rebels tried to represent their solutions algebraically, writing expressions and equations and solving missing variables as ratios or rates. Excellent problem-solving, Rebels!
French
This week, Les Rebels had one last opportunity to revise their museum exhibit text and press release. Learners then got out glue, tape, and cardboard and started to create their final exhibition model!
Reader/Writer
This week, Rebels split off into Team Cinderella vs Team Stepsister legal teams as they developed their opening arguments for our Grimm Brothers Debate. Team Stepsisters are suing Cinderella for 2 million dollars in physical and mental health damages (1 million per sister), stating that this compensation would not only help with their recovery but also help them to build the best future they can with their new vision impairments. Team Cinderella is claiming they acted out of self-defence, and the act of inflicting the pigeons to peck out her stepsisters' eyes was of equal force to the years of mental and physical abuse she endured from her father's new wife and children. Team Cinderella also made a counterclaim that they would not pay the 2 million dollars in damages, but also that both step sisters and their stepmother should all be sentenced to 5 years in prison. Both teams listened to each other's supporting arguments and will build their rebuttals for next week; we'll have a chance to hear from an ornithologist and physician as witnesses to report their expert testimony and decide whether the defendant, Cinderella, is guilty or not guilty in our final workshop of Session 5.
CivilizationS
If you were President Truman, would you have ordered U.S. troops to South Korea? Do you believe the domestic hunt for Communist subversives had a small or significant impact on the decision to go to war? On Tuesday, we learned about the Domino Theory and how the Cold War unfolded in Asia. We watched a Crash Course video about the United States' struggle against communist expansion, which escalated to a full-blown, boots-on-the-ground war in Korea and Vietnam. In both of these cases, the United States sent soldiers to intervene in civil wars that it looked like communists might win. As this is a bit of a simplification, the Rebels took part in a Socratic discussion to dive deeper into the time's politics, resources, and mindset.
Next Great Adventure - Declaration Talks
All the work came to fruition Thursday evening at the Next Great Adventure Declaration Talks! With families and industry professionals in attendance, three learners gave heartfelt speeches about who they are, what they want, where they are going, and how they will get there. We could not be more proud of the vulnerability, persistence, and growth over the past few months!
The Crucible - Launchpad
We finished watching the film version of The Crucible on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. We then discussed some differences between the play and the movie and the motivation behind the director's alterations. Next week, we will finish studying the Salem Witch Trials and Arthur Miller's version of the events.
The University of Ottawa Capital Model U.N.
We arrived at the University of Ottawa on Friday afternoon to register for the Capital Model U.N.! Teens from all over Canada were in attendance, and after the opening ceremonies, the learners took part in a training session. They then broke off into their committees before breaking for dinner and then another committee session. They were back at it Saturday morning, where they participated in two committee sessions, a lunch with panellists, a dinner out, and a semi-formal event where they met delegates from other schools and committees. Bright and early Sunday morning, learners were dropped off for the last day of the Model U.N. We can't wait to reflect on the experience and lessons learned after their last committees and closing ceremony!
Potential Discussion Ideas or Questions to Ask Your Rebel:
Spark Studio
What changes will we see during spring? What are you most looking forward to for the new season?
What job would you like to have in the future?
Which choice did you vote for on how to spend the money from the Perler bead sales? (Party, Foodbank, new Magna-Tiles)
French: How do you say left and right in French? (gauche/droite)
Discovery Studio
Draw/Anchor ML: What is the most challenging part of turning your data into graphs?
Quest: Does this writing project put you in your comfort, challenge, or panic zone? Did you have to make any tough choices this week in terms of what work you wanted to be able to finish?
French: What are some fun facts you've found for your research?
Exploration and Launchpad Studios
How is your McCarthy Trials script coming along?
What will be the most valuable tactic in the mock trials exhibition next week: providing solid evidence and testimony or winning over the jury/families with a confident, dramatic performance?
How was the Diefenbunker field trip on Friday? Can you tell me about your top three favourite moments?
French: How is your model coming along? Does your model resemble your initial idea?
NGA: What lesson will you take with you to your next great adventure?
Model U.N.: Now that you are more comfortable with the preparation and process for the Model U.N., are you interested in participating next year? If you could have chosen a different committee, which would you have chosen? What was the best part of the experience?
Dates of Interest
Session 5 Exhibitions
Discovery Exhibition - Tuesday, March 26th at 4:15 pm
Spark Exhibition - Wednesday, March 27th at 4:15 pm
Exploration and Launchpad Exhibition - Thursday, March 28th at 4:15 pm
No School on March 29th due to Good Friday or April 1st due to Easter Monday
Sessional Break and Art Camp run by Jenna April 2nd - April 5th
Solar Eclipse - Monday, April 8th
Family Book Club - Wednesday, April 10th from 6:30 - 8:30 pm