Chemistry students explore properties of compounds

Zareh Demirdji Experiential Learning, Science and Math No Comments

The atom is the basic unit of matter. All the elements in the universe are made up of atoms, each possessing its own set of physical and chemical properties. The grade 9 chemistry unit is all about exploring matter. Throughout the unit, students are introduced to the atom and the characteristics of its subatomic particles, the periodic table, and most importantly, the information the periodic table holds about the physical and chemical properties of elements.

The grade 9 science class set out to experiment and observe the physical and chemical properties of a set of four chemical compounds in order to determine which of them, if any, are part of the same family. Students ran a series of chemical reactions and recorded their observations in order to determine the answer and to justify it with evidence.

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Toronto musicians visit Academy music class

YMCA Academy Arts, Community, Experiential Learning No Comments

This semester, for the first time, The YMCA Academy is offering a music class. As part of the learning experience, the class welcomed two special guests in the first weeks of the semester: singer-songwriters Luke Correia-Damude from the band PEERS, and Graydon James of the group The Young Novelists.

Luke shared with students his approach to writing songs, and demonstrated how a song starts as an idea and builds into a finished product. “I liked the songs he sang,” says Lita, a student in the class. “They were real.” Ben, another music student at the Academy, agrees. “I liked the music that he made,” he says. “I’d never seen that before.”

Graydon focused his visit on the experience of being a live performer. He discussed stagecraft, and explained how musicians set up tours and make a living through their art. “He was a pretty cool guy to have,” Ben says. “I didn’t know you can travel to different cities. This was new for me.” Lita adds, “I just liked hearing stories about how he toured.”

Inviting people from the community into our school is a vital way to provide authentic, experiential learning opportunities. This is especially important in the arts; hearing a wide variety of creative voices helps our students shape their craft and discover their inner artist.

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Governor General visits the Academy

YMCA Academy Academics, English and Humanities, Experiential Learning, YMCA of Greater Toronto No Comments

On Friday, The YMCA Academy welcomed a very special guest: Canada’s Governor-General, the Right Honourable David Johnston, visited the school while on a tour of the Toronto Central Grosvenor Street YMCA Centre.

The Governor-General visited a Civics class and chatted with the students about Canada’s government, his memories of school days, and a recent trip to Alert, Nunavut.

Unique experiences like these have a discernible impact on learning; the Civics students are still buzzing about the Governor-General’s visit, and Monday’s class was filled with insightful questions about the structure of Canada’s government.

Grade 9 English – Y News

YMCA Academy English and Humanities, Experiential Learning No Comments

As part of their culminating assignment, the Academy’s Grade 9 Locally Developed English class created “Y News” — a student-created newscast.

Students used their research, planning, writing, editing, speaking, and collaboration skills to create the finished product. They were rightly proud of what they achieved; presenting a creative challenge is a great way to reach new heights as a learner. “I learned how write a newscast and to speak better,” said one student newscaster. “I learned that not too speak fast. I also learned about ideas that came into my head, and I found that I became more creative for the newscast.”

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Equity, Diversity, and Social Justice at The YMCA Academy

YMCA Academy English and Humanities, Experiential Learning, YMCA of Greater Toronto No Comments

Students from the Academy’s Equity, Diversity and Social Justice class held a Social Justice Fair on Monday to share their research and action plans.

This course, part of the Ministry of Education’s new Social Sciences and Humanities curriculum, has quickly become a vital and popular part of our course calendar. It provides a platform for a wide range of vital learning opportunities, including building empathy, engaging with the community, collaboration, and evaluating information sources.

It’s also the perfect vehicle to reinforce the mission, vision, and values of the YMCA of Greater Toronto, and to reinforce the association’s commitment to diversity and social inclusion.

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