Socially Distanced “Front to Front” Drawing

Zoe Rutherford Arts, English and Humanities No Comments



Even though during this pandemic we have to be distanced from each other, communication and collaboration are still important skills to be practicing! Last week, the Grade 9 Learning Strategies class learned about interpersonal skills and collaboration. They discussed what interpersonal skills are, why they are important and how we can best practice them (in a safe way!). They also discussed what it takes to be strong communicators and active listeners.

To put these ideas into practice, we did a “front to front” drawing exercise. In non-COVID times, this activity would be done “back to back”…but 12 students in a room with masks on talking back to back would likely be a bit too tricky! Students were paired up and asked to identify as Person A: The Speaker or Person B: The Listener. Person A was given a picture and Person B was given a blank sheet of paper and a (sanitized) pencil.

The rules were that Person A had to describe the drawing to Person B using as many details as possible! Instead of just saying “draw a circle”, they were encouraged to dive deeper and say “draw a medium sized circle, about the size of the palm of your hand in the exact centre of the page”. The catch was that Person B could not talk at all! They had to really listen to their partner and focus on what they were saying in a room filled with other distractions.

Once pairs finished the first round, they then did another and switched roles. After, we had a discussion of what strategies worked and what didn’t. Some students liked being both Speaker and Listener while others were drawn to one over the other. Overall, the activity was a blast and comparing the drawings in the end created lots of laughs. Not to mention, some of them were really accurate! It was nice to see students enjoying themselves and connecting with fellow students, despite the strange times we are in!

Middle Schoolers Battle at Sea

John Cuthbert Experiential Learning, Science and Math No Comments

As part of the middle school’s new small group skill-based program, students made and played a game simulating a classic, where players battle at sea – no stacking your ships! Each student used Google Sheets to create their own digital game board, formatted cells to change colours when a ship is “hit”, then shared and played the game with a partner.

This was just one of the project-based learning activities in a week devoted to developing G Suite skills. Throughout the year, students will continue to rotate through this program every third week, each time developing different practical skills.

The Ups and Downs of Working for Pay

Zareh Demirdji Academics, Science and Math No Comments

The up sides of working for pay are fairly self evident. The most obvious up side is that you get to make money to pay for your basic needs. Of course, we all use the money we make to buy things that we want. I mean, as the saying goes, “you gotta live a little.” If you are extremely lucky, another upside to working for pay is doing something you love, and experiencing fulfillment and meaning while doing it. But there are, of course, several downsides to working for pay. It can stress you out from time to time (hopefully a seldom occurrence), you can get injured on the job, and it takes away from your time to partake in the slue of other various personal endeavours.

As they began their last class looking at the topic of employment, the aforementioned is what the grade twelve Personal Life Management class focused on. They first worked on a simulation activity that took them on a journey of being a new mechanic. Along the way they were presented with various work and life experiences and had to reflect on each one. They shared their reflections with one another as they discovered that working has both advantages and disadvantages. This led them into another self reflection on all the things they do for fun and relaxation. The class then discussed different ways to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Playing with Code

Ada Miller Technology No Comments

During the final weeks of Exploring Computer Technology we have been learning about, and learning to, code. Specifically we have been using a programming language called Python to write programs, starting with very basic and moving to more complex programs.

There is a beauty to the code, as it is with any language. Students have learned how to write, and troubleshoot, their own code. They have developed a unique style for their code, and as it can be seen there are many different solutions to the same problem, demonstrating that programming in Python, as well as other languages, can be a creative process.

They were tasked with such projects as pretending they were a game developer who is tasked with creating a magical ring that grants a wish, as well as more mundane programs such as a calculator that asks for shapes and calculation types and runs the calculations for a 3D object returning values such as surface area and volume of simple solids.

Some students have had the desire to go beyond the classroom and use functions to write a simple “rock, paper, scissors” game, with a twist! Creating an actual game program, all using free, open source, resources that they can continue to use after class is over.

Planning and Preparing for the Future

Luka Ilic English and Humanities, Events No Comments


The Advanced Learning Strategies class has been hard at work, with perfect attendance to date. It is a pleasure to be teaching a class in which all students will be graduating at the end of the school year. The focus of the course is to help students make informed decisions about their future. With high school virtually in their rear view mirror, students have to plan ahead as new developments take place.

The course is based around three core components: learning and personal management skills, post-secondary planning, and exploring future options. The main goal is to help students successfully transition from high school to post-secondary education or directly to workforce. Part of this process is understanding what the options are, what resources are available, and making realistic and relevant plans.

In class, we examined the college application process, researched various programs and analyzed important components of a single program. This included, but was not limited to, college/campus, program description and list of courses, tuition and fees, how to qualify and apply, career and postgraduate options, and student accessibility services.

Please note that online applications for colleges for the next academic year (August 2021 to July 2022) open in early October. Students must apply by February 1st, 2021 in order to receive equal consideration for admissions to programs starting the following fall. It is also important to mention that the Ontario College Fair is going virtual this year. It is taking place on Wednesday, November 4th (4PM – 8PM) and Thursday, November 5th (9AM – 1PM).