Oct 17th, 2012 – Evergreen Stewardship Fall

YMCA Academy Community, Environmental Stewardship, Experiential Learning

On October 12, 2012 the YMCA Academy made its annual fall trek to Evergreen Downsview as part of our yearly environmental stewardship initiative.  It was a cold and at points windy day, but this did not deter our students.  With shovels in hand the Academy planted 165 trees and shrubs, helping reforest Downsview Park for the third year in a row. We look forward to matching or bettering the number of trees planted when we make our second trek in the spring.

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

Oct 17th, 2012 – Pizza Lunch Fundraiser

YMCA Academy Beyond the Classroom, Community

We Scare Hunger! Grade 11 Media Arts students launched a We Day initiative with a lunch time pizza party. Students gobbled up slices of yummy pizza with proceeds going to charity and listened to music to kick off a food drive for the Fort York Food Bank. The food drive runs from Oct 11 to Oct 31 and donations of non-perishable food can be brought to the reception area of the Academy.

 

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

Oct 15th, 2012 – Feast of Thanks Photos & Blog

YMCA Academy Beyond the Classroom, Community, Native Studies

Have you ever wondered where the traditions around Thanksgiving came from?  Have you ever considered the links between the American Columbus day and Canada’s Thanksgiving holiday, both occurring every year on the second Monday in October?  Students in the YMCA Academy’s World Religions and Native Studies classes decided to honour and celebrate Canada’s Indigenous people for Thanksgiving this year.  We hosted a huge feast in our cafeteria and made educational displays about topics like the origins of Thanksgiving, Aboriginal traditions and local foods as well as the truth behind Christopher Columbus’ intentions in “the new world.”  We were honoured to have guests from the YMCA of Greater Toronto, the Native Canadian Center of Toronto and volunteers in attendance and we thank everyone for contributing pumpkin pies, traditional fish cakes, roasted squash and homemade cookies!

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

Oct 9th, 2012 – WE DAY Toronto Pictures

YMCA Academy Beyond the Classroom, Community

“We rocked WE DAY!  The grade 10 Comm Tech and grade 11 Media Arts classes were lucky enough to attend this year’s WE DAY celebration.  Over 18,000 Ontario  students jammed the ACC and sang, danced, listened, cheered and kicked off a year of social justice work.  Martin Sheen, Al Gore, Justin Trudeau, Craig Keilburger, Molly Burke, Romeo Dallaire and Spencer West inspired us to look at important global issues and called us to action in our schools, homes and communities.  Jennifer Hudson, Nelly Furtado, K’naan, Hedley and Shawn Desman lifted us up in song and sent us back out into the world to take part in change. “It was amazing because it had very interesting speakers. Volunteering = good times”

Alex, gr. 11 Media Arts.

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

Oct 5th, 2012 – Academy Feast of Thanks

YMCA Academy Beyond the Classroom, Community, Native Studies

Dear parents, guardians, and students,

Next Tuesday, October 9, the students in our World Religion and Native Studies classes are hosting a special YMCA Academy lunch to celebrate Canada’s Indigenous people at this time of Thanksgiving.  These students are creating educational displays and are bringing in food and snacks to share with our school community and employees of several YMCA departments including Diversity and Social Inclusion.

We would like to offer you the opportunity to contribute to our celebration by sending your son or daughter to school on Tuesday, October 9 with a food or snack item to share.  Any donation is on a completely voluntary basis.

Thank you for your support and have a great long weekend!

Sincerely,