Holiday Gift Exchange 2014

YMCA Academy Beyond the Classroom No Comments

On Thursday, December 18, 2014 the students from the YMCA Academy did the Gift Exchange in the cafeteria.

We hung out in the cafeteria for a bit, then Avery (a student at the YMCA Academy who organized it) gave our gifts to us.

The rules about the gifts were we had to keep them a secret, and we could not buy gifts because it’s not fair to other people. I gave my gift, which is an origami flower that I made. Some people got books, food and art.

It’s fun because we don’t get to do this everyday. We do things like the gift exchange because it is fun and we get to see each other open presents.

By Patricia R.

The Academy visits CBC News

YMCA Academy Experiential Learning, Technology No Comments

Students from the Grade 9 English and Grade 10 Communications Technology classes went on a field trip last week to CBC News. We went there so we can see the jobs they have at the CBC, and maybe think about working there some day. At the CBC we met a lot of people, and visited a lot of newsrooms and a big elevator.

Some of the highlights of our trip included:

  • David Common doing a live broadcast and telling us about his life (Zachary)
  • when we went the radio station (Patricia)
  • when the class went in the green screen room and played with the green screen (Lucas)
  • everything, especially the robot that goes around delivering mail to people in the news station (Adam)

We learned a lot about the different jobs you can do at CBC.

  • The job I would like to do at CBC is being a radio announcer host. (Zachary)
  • The job that I most like to do at the CBC is being the news reporter, because I like doing the news so people can find out what’s going on in the world. (Patricia)
  • The job that I most like to do at the CBC is being a radio announcer or host because I like being on the radio. (Lucas)
  • I would like to be a camera operator because you work with cameras. (Adam)

Field trips like this are good because we can experience more. Reading gives you some details, but going to a place actually gives you more details. We get to live the experience of seeing people doing their jobs, and choose a job you want to do off of that.

Thanks to Mark and everyone at the CBC for welcoming us!

Written by:

Zach DS.
Lucas H.
Patricia R.
Adam V.
and Todd Harrison

5th annual Skating Trip at Nathan Phillips Square

YMCA Academy Beyond the Classroom No Comments

On Friday December 12th, The YMCA Academy embarked on their fifth annual skating trip. The inaugural trip was the brain child of an alumni of the Academy and has since become an exciting tradition we look forward to each year. A few slips and falls were not enough to discourage fun, excitement and Timmy’s hot chocolate.  We love this trip as a time to hang out with friends, get a breath of “fresh” air in downtown Toronto and enjoy some physical winter fitness.

“One fun thing that happened is that I got to race my new friends on the ice,” said Zach, a Grade 9 student at the Academy.

One student even learned how to skate for the first time. He started by sitting down, then he put his feet on the ice. Then, two nice kids brought him a thing to push to help him skate and stand up on the ice. After, he stopped using that thing and started skating on his own, but he always had someone on his side.

“You don’t have to be good at skating to go on a skating trip,” said Adam, who is also a Grade 9 student at the Academy. “It only matters if you have fun.”

By Zach DS and Adam V.

Check out the rest the rest of the pictures on our Facebook page!

Tissue Paper Stained Glass

YMCA Academy Arts, Native Studies, Student Spotlight No Comments

The Grade 9 Native Studies class created stunning tissue paper “stained glass” compositions inspired by the artworks of the Ojibway, Algonquin and Mi’kmaq First Nations. Using thick black lines, a broad colour pallet and abstract designs, students applied elements often found in Eastern Woodland art to their own multi-media projects. Rather than on the wall, these transparent pieces will go on the windows!

Check out the rest the rest of the pictures on our Facebook page!

Art Gallery of Ontario 2014

YMCA Academy Arts, Experiential Learning, Native Studies No Comments

The Grade 9 Expressing Aboriginal Cultures class visited the Art Gallery of Ontario on a snowy morning this week.  We toured around the Canadian Exhibition which features some gems by the Group of Seven and also saw two original paintings by the Eastern Woodlands master Norval Morriseau.  At the end of the trip we got to step into the dark and mysterious projection booth in the Jackman Hall theatre.  Old fashioned film is heavy!

Check out the rest the rest of the pictures on our Facebook page!