Creating with Code

Ada Miller Technology No Comments


In Introduction to Computer Studies we have spent the past week working with python, a simple programming language that is the basis for many programs and games that some may be familiar with. We have been creating basic programs that allow users to input commands and interact with the program. This includes a question and guessing game where users are trying to guess what the computer is “thinking of.” It can be a challenging unit for some learners, but most find it the most rewarding because they have a list of products to look back at and see how far they’ve come.

Cooking Comfort Foods

Katie Clay Beyond the Classroom, Community, Healthy Living No Comments


With winter upon us and another lockdown in place Cooking Club has been making some warm and comforting meals to get us through!

Last week everyone made their version of fried rice. We discussed some key tips to making delicious fried rice including using leftover rice, sesame oil, and fresh ginger. Once again, there was a wide variety in the ingredients that students chose, including chicken, tofu, beef, shrimp, egg and lots of different veggies. The end results were even better than the take out versions.

This past week we made a fan favourite – macaroni and cheese. Impressively everyone made their mac n cheese from scratch, no KD in sight. We discussed how to make a roux for the base of the sauce and shared what kind of cheeses we were including. Some students chose to make a different kind of pasta dish to suit their needs, leaving everyone satisfied.

With just a couple sessions left for the year the club plans to make Potato Latkes next week ahead of Chanukah and then finish off 2020 (finally!) with some holiday baking.

Learning to Plan

Zareh Demirdji Academics, Healthy Living No Comments


With the first unit on leadership in the rearview mirror, the grade 12 recreation and healthy active living class is headed into its second unit, the facilitation of recreation and leisure. In this unit, students will be learning how to collect relevant information about a target group, analyse the data, and use it to plan a physical activity event. They will learn about the nitty gritty of planning by learning to take into consideration the who, what, where, and how of events, while also being mindful of safety guidelines, procedures and considerations. By the end of the unit, students will have the necessary knowledge to plan a physical activity event for a kindergarten class with various needs.

Constructing Cold Frames

Rein Tammemagi Environmental Stewardship, Healthy Living, Science and Math No Comments


Teaching a course like Green Industries can be tricky in the fall season, headed into a cold Canadian winter, as a big emphasis of the course involves growing plants. This presented a perfect opportunity to introduce the concept of “cold frames”, which allow gardeners to keep growing crops outside even in Canadian winters. What’s more, we were able to upcycle the pallets that we had our soil delivered on, and use them as the material to construct our cold frame. Waste management is another emphasis of the course, and learning about reusing materials to build something practical and productive, as opposed to sending them to a landfill is a win-win-win. Stay tuned to see how our crops flourish in the next month!

Effective Leadership Skills

Zareh Demirdji Healthy Living No Comments


The grade 12 recreation and healthy active living class has worked diligently, solidifying their knowledge of the various leadership styles. More importantly, they have been putting their knowledge to practice, by analyzing various leadership scenarios and identifying the most suitable leadership style for each and why it would be the most effective. The class has also shifted into looking at the major leadership skills and how they help a leader lead more effectively. Students have delved into communication, conflict resolution, decision making and goal setting skills, looking at the features of each, and how they help improve a leader’s effectiveness in various situations and scenarios. As the leadership unit winds down, we will continue our analysis of leadership skills and styles in various contexts before moving on to unit 2.