Tapping into the Entrepreneurship Spirit

Luka Ilic English and Humanities, Events No Comments


We are just a week into the Entrepreneurship class but have already covered a wide range of topics. The class consists of a terrific mix of students, some of which already have entrepreneurial experience, and others who bring forth new and exciting ideas to the table.

Thus far, students have completed an entrepreneurial self-assessment, examined the pros and cons of becoming an entrepreneur, and identified essential qualities, skills and characteristics of an entrepreneur. In addition, students presented a brief profile of an entrepreneur of their choice, studied famous Canadian inventors and innovators, watched pitches from the Dragons’ Den show, and explored various different leadership styles.

Things will only get more exciting as students test their leadership skills in fun games and challenges, interview existing entrepreneurs to gain additional insight straight from the source, and develop their very own business plan.

There is no question of the severe impact this pandemic will have on our economy. There are many jobs, businesses, and industries that have been forced to shut down or are barely staying afloat. In some rare cases, there are examples of businesses that were fortunate enough to adapt and stay healthy during this time of crisis. As part of the course, students will analyze the ways in which different businesses have reacted to the change in market conditions.

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!

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).

Personal Life Management In a Nutshell

Zareh Demirdji English and Humanities, Science and Math No Comments



They say that students these days should learn about personal finance and the basic skills of independent living. Well. Guess what. There are a smattering of courses in the high school curriculum, and one such course is a grade twelve course called Personal Life Management. The course is broken down into several units as follows:

    • Research and Inquiry Skills
    • Self and Others
    • Daily Living Skills
    • Personal and Social Responsibilities
    • Economics and Personal Finance

With the faster pace of our new octomester schedule, the course has been reorganized into new units, taking the running themes found throughout the aforementioned ones. The newly formatted units are:

    • Becoming an Adult
    • Employment
    • Money Management
    • Managing a Home
    • Research and Inquiry Skills

This new format allows us to focus on these major themes one at a time instead of learning about them in segments spread throughout different units. Throughout the course, students will learn about:

Becoming an Adult

  • The roles and responsibilities of adolescents vs. adulthood
  • Communication skills
  • Goal Setting
  • Decision Making Models
  • Conflict and Conflict Resolution

Employment

  • How to get a job and excel at it
  • Workplace Rights, Responsibilities and Laws
  • The Costs and Benefits of Working

Money Management

  • Spending Habits and Dealing with Economic Changes
  • Money Management Strategies
  • Financial Institutions and their Products and Services

Managing a Home

  • Keeping and Managing a Safe and Functional Home
  • Meeting Food and Clothing Needs
  • How to be a Smart Consumer

Research and Inquiry Skills

  • Exploring Topics
  • Investigating Topics
  • Processing Information
  • Communicating Information

The course is not only practical and of major importance, but a course that students really enjoy. By the end of this course not only will students have the knowledge and understanding of how to live on their own, but they will also (hopefully) appreciate the level of effort and responsibility their parents/guardians put into providing for them!

Very Short Fiction Writing

Brandon Stewart Beyond the Classroom, English and Humanities No Comments

At the Academy, students are taking on the challenge of Very Short Fiction Writing. A skill of concise writing to convey plot, theme, mood, and character in the shortest possible formats. Creating a cohesive storyline has its own set of challenges, developing powerful characters can be very tough, and building a theme and mood into a piece of literature is a difficult skill. Trying to do it all in a single page? Now that takes skill. The real challenge though: can you do it in only 6 words?

This is the question that was asked of the Grade 10 English class this Spring. They took on the task of creating meaningful stories in a single page, and the advanced mission of creating a story within the limit of only 6 words. The stories ranged from tragic, to comedic, to dramatic, to romantic.

What’s stopping you from testing your creativity? Try it out. You can use the examples created by the talented Grade 10 English Class to inspire you. 6-Word Stories, and Very Short Stories are a unique way to develop fictional narratives within hard limits.