Meet the Academy’s Newest Staff

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On the first day of school excited students got to meet the newest members of our teaching staff. The YMCA Academy is excited to introduce our four new teachers to the community.

Dayna Dann:
I’ve recently graduated from OISE with a Master of Arts in Child Study and Education with a focus on special education. This degree followed my sociology degree from Western. I have worked for the ymca in various capacities for the last 8 years – primarily as the director for the ymca toronto island day camp. I will be teaching GLE – learning strategies and Working with infants and children.

Luka Ilic:
My name is Luka and I am currently teaching Travel and Tourism, Personal Life Management, and Learning Strategies. Prior to joining the YMCA Academy, I taught Humanities for two years in London, England. I enjoy playing sports such as soccer and volleyball, watching TV shows, keeping up with current events, and generally leading an active and healthy lifestyle. It is an absolute pleasure being a member of the YMCA Academy and I look forward to a fun and successful school year!

Matt Moir:
I have been teaching History and English for more than 8 years. I taught in several schools in the GTA, as well as schools in Australia, England, China and a First Nations community in northern Ontario. I’ve also worked as a reporter for CBC and CTV News.

Amanda Wyman:
I graduated from The Nova Scotia College of Art and Design with a Bachelor of Fine Art and a major in photography. I spent a few years with TIFF, mentoring a committee of teens who programmed film-centric, youth-oriented events, and coordinating The TIFF Kids Festival. I earned my Bachelor of Education from OISE. The following year, I taught Art, Math and English to youth with learning disabilities at The Study Academy, and I bring a wealth of visual art experience to the Study. I work towards building community in my classrooms, and fostering a sense of belonging and empowerment in my students. I especially love riding my bicycle, making art at home, and spending time with my two cats.

Find out more about the Academy’s “Back to School” experience at: A big first day at The YMCA Academy

For more back to school tips and tricks check out the YMCA of Greater Toronto blog post series: Fall Into Place

 

MPP Peter Milczyn visits Civics class

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Etobicoke-Lakeshore MPP Peter Milczyn paid a visit to the Academy’s Civics and Careers classes to share the story of his journey in politics, and inspire students to get involved in their local communities. MPP Milczyn began his career in the private sector after graduating from the University of Toronto’s architecture program, but his passion for urban issues led him to a life in politics. He talked to students about the experience of running in elections — first as a member of Etobicoke and later Toronto City Council, and then as a member of Ontario’s government.

Interacting with guests like MPP Milczyn is a vital and exciting learning experience for our students. Through these visits, Academy students strengthen connections between their lessons and the real world, and derive inspiration to take their work to the next level.

Check out more photos from this event on our Facebook page!

Silk screening with Kingi Carpenter

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Our fashion class recently visited the legendary Kingi Carpenter, owner of Peach Berserk, at her west-end home and studio for a silk screening extravaganza. We made our own screens, learned about the application of light-sensitive coatings, created individual art work and made our own t-shirts, sweaters and bandanas with our designs. It was a full day of hard work, but the final products were amazing and we proudly wear them to school and beyond. Thanks, Kingi, for your awesome hospitality and the chance to try out this unique type of hands-on fashion!

Check out the rest of the pictures on our Facebook page

Fashion class casts on with knitting workshop

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Winter may be over but the YMCA Academy’s Fashion Class is in full swing with knitting and crocheting! Using a variety of tools for all of our different needs, we have created some fun fashion accessories including scarves, hats, hairbands and ties with gorgeous multi-coloured wool. A big thanks to Peg for coming in and helping us along the way. We suggest you take up knitting, crocheting or both because they are great for relaxation and also they sure add to your style!

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

Academy student awarded a Shine Music bursary

YMCA Academy Community, Student Spotlight No Comments

The YMCA Academy’s very own Tristan Andrews was the recent recipient of a bursary award through Toronto’s Shine Music program.

He, along with nine other youth from the city, were celebrated at Lula Lounge in early March to a sold-out and very enthusiastic crowd of supporters. There were a number of impressive local musicians performing and a wonderful speech of tribute to Jim Fay in whose memory the bursaries are awarded.

We are so proud of Tristan and look forward to seeing what he gets up to with his new ukulele, harmonicas and other instruments. Congratulations!!

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