Mar 5th, 2014 – LDAO Breakfast at the Sheraton

YMCA Academy Beyond the Classroom

5 students from the YMCA Academy had the pleasure to attend LDAO’s 7th Annual learning & Leadership Corroborate Breakfast at the Sheraton Centre Hotel on the morning of March 5th. We were treated to a gourmet breakfast, and Jonathan Mooney’s inspiring story about his experiences navigating school systems throughout his youth. Thank you LDAO once again for the opportunity to participate! We had a blast!

A litte more about the LDAO’s learning & Leadership Corroborate Breakfast:

“This year’s event promises to be at once entertaining and educational. Welcome to a new world, where the good kid doesn’t sit still. A world where some of the smartest kids in the class don’t read well or don’t read at all. A world where the popular kids don’t make eye contact, don’t shake hands, and definitely don’t back slap. Renowned writer, neuro-diversity activist and author Jonathan Mooney vividly, humorously and passionately brings to life this wonderful world of neuro-diversity: the research behind it, the people who live in it, and the lessons it has for all of us who care about the future of education. You will leave this talk fundamentally changed and empowered.”

 

Mar 4th, 2014 – QSA student interest group

YMCA Academy Beyond the Classroom

The YMCA Academy proudly presents our school’s first Queer-Straight Alliance student interest group.  This group was inspired after Planned Parenthood’s T.E.A.C.H. program (Teens Educating and Confronting Homophobia) presented a workshop at our school last fall.  The QSA meets every few weeks to discuss issues pertaining to gender and sexual identity and ways to ensure that our school community is a safe, inclusive place for everyone.  This past week, staff and students worked on a mural inspired by artist and social justice activist Keith Haring.  We had pizza, played tunes and enjoyed each other’s company.  Stay tuned for more updates about the cool stuff we do in this club!

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Mar 3rd, 2014 – Black History Month Assembly

YMCA Academy Beyond the Classroom, Community

The YMCA Academy proudly presented a series of assemblies to celebrate Black History Month this February.  Students in drama, history, English and science classes engaged our school community in a variety of presentations about topics ranging from the history of Africville in Nova Scotia to short scripts depicting the life of boxer Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, and information about the achievements of African-American and African-Canadian scientists to readings of poetry from the Harlam Renaissance.

 


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

Jan 16th, 2014 – Holiday Talent Show

YMCA Academy Beyond the Classroom

Staff and students were treated once again to an annual Holiday Talent Show just before the break. We had performers doing a wide range of acts including lip syncing to a familiar Bon Jovi tune, playing compositions on the keyboards, strumming along on guitars and reciting the beloved “Who’s on First” comedy sketch. After the show our community celebrated the season with board games, movies, a craft station and a delicious array of treats brought in by staff and students. It was great way to “rock” into the holidays.

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

The YMCA Academy Documentary

YMCA Academy Beyond the Classroom, Experiential Learning, Student Spotlight, Technology

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Get the inside track on what happens at the YMCA Academy in this student-created documentary about the school, created by the 2012-2013 Grade 12 Communications Technology class.

The documentary features a tour of the school, a depiction of a “day in the life” of an Academy student, profiles of our green initiatives, details about extracurricular activities, and more. Conceived, planned, written, hosted, directed, shot, edited, and produced by YMCA Academy students, this project served as the culminating assignment in the Grade 12 Comm. Tech. course.

Authentic learning and experiential education is central to the Academy’s educational philosophy, says Andras Nagy, a teacher and the school’s technical analyst. “We like producing tangible work,” he says. “Getting the credit is important, but it’s even better when students see their work used for a real purpose.”