Our annual ‘We Scare Hunger’ Food Drive for the Fort York Food Bank was a success in giving! We had a goal of six boxes and we ended up with 10!
Thank you so much for all the amazing contributions. One family even chose to forgo giving out candy at Halloween and went shopping for their donations instead.
A special thanks to the Integrated Arts class for their organizing, promotion and schlepping. Well done!
Graphic design and typography are everywhere we look! Even in places we might not think to look. The YMCA Academy’s Grade 10 Media Arts class took a walk around the neighbourhood to apply their knowledge and understanding of typography. After studying various applications of graphic design and typography in class, and learning about the history of fonts like Helvetica, students were ready to find real world examples of objects that look like letters just outside the classroom walls.
Students took as many photos as they could of lamp posts that look like the letter “i”, or stairs that look like an “E”. We even found a giant “O” perfect for a quick class photo. We will be compiling all our found letters to make a giant alphabet.
Can you ever really walk a mile in someone’s shoes?
How close can we really get to understanding someone’s experience on the the other side of the planet?
And what do we do with our own experience of that afterwards?
On Thursday, September 29th the YMCA Academy had an exceptional opportunity to view a 360 degree film produced by the United Nations that is shot from the view point of a 12 year old Syrian girl, Sidra, in Za’atari camp in Jordan. Our Virtual Reality experience of Clouds Over Sidra (2015, directed by Gabo Arora and Chris Milk) was the first time in the world that a secondary school viewed the 8 minute film that shows the inside of a refugee camp. Brought to us by The Sidra Project, Hot Docs, Artscape and the United Nations, the students first became acquainted with the cutting edge Samsung Gear VR technology and then became immersed in Sidra’s world.
The film shows the daily life inside of the camp and the VR experience is so life like that students and staff alike found themselves reaching out to touch their surroundings. The close quarters that Sidra’s family live in, her journey to school and her classroom, and the sports and activities that the young people take part in show how resilient the Syrian people have been and how strong their desire is to return to their home. Before and after viewing the film the students engaged in a conversation about the history and recent events in the conflict in Syria, the global refugee crisis, and what we can do as engaged global citizens to help.
Keep an eye out for public screenings! There are some in the near future and this is an opportunity not to be missed.
You can find further information and screening dates on the The Sidra Project website.
Check out more photos from this event on our Facebook page!
Siobhan’s Integrated Arts Class went to see the musical ‘Matilda’ at the Ed Mirvish Theatre. It was a sunny day and we walked down Yonge Street. We were excited, and we walked into the theatre and we were amazed and astounded at how beautiful the theatre was! We took our seats and waited for the play to start. The lights went down and the show began with a big musical number and we laughed throughout the whole show. The little girl named Jaimie, who played Matilda, was awesome! There was singing, dancing, storytelling, gymnastics, a film, emotional parts, magic, and many more things to see. Big thanks to Peggy and Gail, our volunteers for the day.
Reviews from the class:
“10 stars out of 5” said Lucas
“It was alright” said Kathleen
“It was hilarious” said Kyle
“It was funny” said Adrian
“It was really good” said Sophia
“It was cute” said Lita
“It was wonderful” said Patricia
“It was a great show” said Ben
“It was beautiful” said Taylor
“It was unique” said Jake H.
“It was spectacular” said Cole
“It was cool” said Sebastian
Class hashtags!
#ymcaouting #ymcareallylikedthatplay #Matildawasgreattosee
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!
