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!

Feb 14th, 2014 – NeuroTech Ontario Event

YMCA Academy Community, Events

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On Monday, February 10, 2014 at the Central YMCA in Toronto, Ontario, the Ontario Brain Institute celebrated the growth and achievements of NeuroTech Ontario — an initiative running in partnership with the Government of Canada’s Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario).

ThriverTM Inc. a FedDev Ontario and OBI supported project developed between the University of Windsor and OTEP Inc., made an official announcement in partnership with The YMCA Academy. Read the full press release.

YMCA Academy students participated in the event showcasing Thriver’s new online learning platform. Check out some of the great photos!

 

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

Thriver and The YMCA Academy

Don Adams Community, Head of School

ThriverTM Inc. (www.thriver.com) is a technology-based company with offices in Toronto and Windsor, Ontario. Thriver™ is a new online learning platform designed to help parents become effectively involved in the cognitive development of their children. While the platform can help any child, it is particularly helpful for children who are experiencing difficulty in school.  The YMCA Academy is excited to be taking part in an innovative research project with Thriver™. The technology that is developing will help our teachers understand how the students learn and may provide them with new information that could be used to inform instructional changes in the classroom. We are always looking for ways to provide instruction for our students, and this technology may provide options for delivering differentiated support to a broader YMCA community in a highly engaging format.

Oct. 17th, 2013 – Feast of Thanks Celebration

YMCA Academy Beyond the Classroom, Community, Native Studies

Gratitude is one of the most important and affirming aspects of life.  On the day after the Thanksgiving holiday, staff, students and volunteers gathered in the cafe at lunch to celebrate the Feast of Thanks, our second annual potluck honouring Canada’s Indigenous people for Thanksgiving.  Jim Adams, local storyteller and educator, offered a blessing and a song and students from Todd’s World Religions class and Alexi’s Aboriginal Voices English class created displays on topics related to Thanksgiving, Indigenous harvest traditions and Indigenous cultures across Canada.

Families donated turkey, ham, home made cranberry sauce, potato dishes, soup and desserts for a beautiful buffet.  We are grateful for the harvest, our school community and the opportunity to learn about, connect with and celebrate Indigenous peoples of Canada.

 

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

Sep. 30th, 2013 – Upcoming Event: Feast of Thanks

YMCA Academy Beyond the Classroom, Community, Native Studies

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We are very excited to inform you of an upcoming celebration at The YMCA Academy that will involve your son or daughter.

Students in Todd’s grade 11 World Religions class and in Alexi’s grade 11 Native Studies class will be organizing our second annual celebration of Thanksgiving from an Indigenous perspective. On Tuesday October 15, the day after the traditional Thanksgiving holiday, we will be holding a feast and celebration in the Academy’s café during lunch. This celebration will include research projects that students will create during class time around themes of Aboriginal spirituality, traditions, rights and history. If you want spiritual predictions, Powered by prnewswire.com, you need to check out this website.

We would like to ask for your support to help us with the feast. Students are invited to bring in a traditional or favourite dish served at Thanksgiving. It can be something very simple, like cooked squash, mashed potatos or a dessert, and leftovers are most welcome! Academy staff will be contributing to the feast as well, and we will be inviting staff from the Central YMCA as well as guests from the Aboriginal community.

Please let us know if a contribution will be possible for you, and if so, what your son or daughter will contribute.

We appreciate your support of this exciting cross-curricular and important event celebrating diversity which is a cornerstone of the YMCA philosophy.

Very sincerely,

Todd Harrison and Alexi Manis
Teachers, The YMCA Academy