Review of ‘Matilda’ written by the Integrated Arts Class

YMCA Academy Beyond the Classroom, English and Humanities, Events No Comments

Students attend the musical 'Matilda' at the Ed Mirvish Theatre.

Siobhan’s Integrated Arts Class went to see the musical ‘Matilda’ at the Ed Mirvish Theatre.  It was a sunny day and we walked down Yonge Street. We were excited, and we walked into the theatre and we were amazed and astounded at how beautiful the theatre was! We took our seats and waited for the play to start. The lights went down and the show began with a big musical number and we laughed throughout the whole show. The little girl named Jaimie, who played Matilda, was awesome! There was singing, dancing, storytelling, gymnastics, a film, emotional parts, magic, and many more things to see. Big thanks to Peggy and Gail, our volunteers for the day.

Reviews from the class:

“10 stars out of 5” said Lucas
“It was alright” said Kathleen
“It was hilarious” said Kyle
“It was funny” said Adrian
“It was really good” said Sophia
“It was cute” said Lita
“It was wonderful” said Patricia
“It was a great show” said Ben
“It was beautiful” said Taylor
“It was unique” said Jake H.
“It was spectacular” said Cole
“It was cool” said Sebastian

Class hashtags!

#ymcaouting #ymcareallylikedthatplay #Matildawasgreattosee

Meet the Academy’s Newest Staff

YMCA Academy Community, Events, YMCA of Greater Toronto No Comments


On the first day of school excited students got to meet the newest members of our teaching staff. The YMCA Academy is excited to introduce our four new teachers to the community.

Dayna Dann:
I’ve recently graduated from OISE with a Master of Arts in Child Study and Education with a focus on special education. This degree followed my sociology degree from Western. I have worked for the ymca in various capacities for the last 8 years – primarily as the director for the ymca toronto island day camp. I will be teaching GLE – learning strategies and Working with infants and children.

Luka Ilic:
My name is Luka and I am currently teaching Travel and Tourism, Personal Life Management, and Learning Strategies. Prior to joining the YMCA Academy, I taught Humanities for two years in London, England. I enjoy playing sports such as soccer and volleyball, watching TV shows, keeping up with current events, and generally leading an active and healthy lifestyle. It is an absolute pleasure being a member of the YMCA Academy and I look forward to a fun and successful school year!

Matt Moir:
I have been teaching History and English for more than 8 years. I taught in several schools in the GTA, as well as schools in Australia, England, China and a First Nations community in northern Ontario. I’ve also worked as a reporter for CBC and CTV News.

Amanda Wyman:
I graduated from The Nova Scotia College of Art and Design with a Bachelor of Fine Art and a major in photography. I spent a few years with TIFF, mentoring a committee of teens who programmed film-centric, youth-oriented events, and coordinating The TIFF Kids Festival. I earned my Bachelor of Education from OISE. The following year, I taught Art, Math and English to youth with learning disabilities at The Study Academy, and I bring a wealth of visual art experience to the Study. I work towards building community in my classrooms, and fostering a sense of belonging and empowerment in my students. I especially love riding my bicycle, making art at home, and spending time with my two cats.

Find out more about the Academy’s “Back to School” experience at: A big first day at The YMCA Academy

For more back to school tips and tricks check out the YMCA of Greater Toronto blog post series: Fall Into Place

 

Megathon challenge: Rowing for 12 hours

YMCA Academy Beyond the Classroom, Events, YMCA of Greater Toronto No Comments

Students, teachers, staff, and supporters of The YMCA Academy will row for 12 hours straight on Saturday, March 5.

This challenge, part of the YMCA of Greater Toronto’s Megathon event, will also raise awareness about the role physical fitness plays in mental health. Being active reduces the effects of stress, anxiety, and depression — issues that impact many young people. In fact, the 12-hour row will serve as the kickoff of a long-term Academy initiative to promote this connection school-wide,

Best of all, group endurance events like this one are great proof that working as a team to meet a challenge makes you stronger and lets you reach even higher.

To support the Academy’s 12-hour rowing challenge, visit our Megathon fundraising page.

TEDxYMCAAcademy: “The City as Laboratory” Event

YMCA Academy Events, TEDx No Comments

A class project that investigates and integrates the in-progress revitalization of the West Don Lands.

Pivotal municipal decision-makers joining a high school class — not just as guest speakers, but in a mentorship and collaborative role.

Leveraging the power of grassroots advocacy initiatives to inform students’ senses of justice.

A field trip examining the impact of typefaces in advertising that simultaneously mitigates attention issues through the “beautiful cacophony” of the urban landscape.

These are just a few of the innovative ideas and exciting new approaches that were shared at “The City as Laboratory” — the 2015 edition of the annual TEDxYMCAAcademy speakers series.

Hosted by YMCA Academy Head of School Dr. Don Adams, this event featured talks by seven people who are on the vanguard of bringing urbanism to life for learners of all ages in Toronto:

  • Andrew Davies — Executive Director @ No. 9 Contemporary Art & the Environment
  • Zahra Ebrahim — Principal/Founder @ Architext and professor @ U of T
  • Josh Fullan — Teacher @ University of Toronto Schools and Founder & Facilitator @ Maximum City
  • Todd Harrison — Teacher @ YMCA Academy / Senior editor @ Spacing
  • Leslie McBeth — Teacher @ Greenwood College / Facilitator @ Cohort21
  • Shawn Micallef — Author, Toronto Star columnist, professor @ U of T & OCADU, and Senior editor @ Spacing
  • Pamela Robinson — School of Urban and Regional Planning Graduate Program Director @ Ryerson

This year’s speakers brought a wealth of knowledge, passion, and energy to a sold-out crowd in the Toronto Central Grosvenor Street YMCA Centre auditorium — along with and inspired and inspiring vision for the future of education, in this city and beyond.

Toronto, like many cities around the world, is in the midst of a rapid transformation. An urbanizing world is an exciting educational opportunity in many respects, one that fosters new ideas, collaboration, and immersive engagement. It also presents myriad challenges, however; residents’ relationships with their cities are often complex, and sometimes fraught with experiences of injustice and hardship. For both of these reasons, though, it’s imperative to develop urban literacy skills; the opportunities are what make it exciting, while the challenges are what make it absolutely vital.

Upcoming TEDx Event: “The City as Laboratory”

YMCA Academy Events, TEDx No Comments

tedx_6_banner

WHAT: The City as Laboratory (TEDxYMCAAcademy 2015)
WHEN: Saturday, April 11, 12pm-2pm
WHERE: Toronto-Central Grosvenor Street YMCA Centre Auditorium
COST: Free!
TICKETS: Click here to reserve
MORE INFO: www.tedxymcaacademy.com

ABOUT THE EVENT

How can engaging with the people and places in your local neighbourhood foster new a new understanding of a city’s vitality?

Why is it so important to teach young people about urbanism — and what’s the best way to go about it?

What can the gloriously messy, electrifyingly experimental nature of a modern city offer educators seeking experiential learning opportunities?

These questions, and many more, will be explored at “The City as Laboratory,” the 2015 edition of the annual TEDxYMCAAcademy speaker series.

This event features talks by:

These seven change agents will share projects and ideas purpose-built to spark innovation and foster engagement in Canada’s urban landscape.

We live in a rapidly urbanizing world. Understanding how cities work, and how you can change them for the better, is a key skill for learners of all ages — and, as talks at this TEDx event will demonstrate, there’s no better or more authentic source for this knowledge than our urban environments themselves.

“The City as Laboratory” is hosted by The YMCA Academy, an independent high school in central Toronto serving students with learning differences. Spacing is the media partner for this event.