Students visit Tattoo Sound + Music

YMCA Academy Community, Experiential Learning, Technology No Comments

As part of a unit on the world of sound, the Academy’s two Grade 10 Communications Technology classes travelled to Tattoo Sound + Music earlier this week.

Dana, Steve, and the Tattoo staff spent their morning conducting an interactive, hands-on workshop for the group. Students learned about the process of creating a rich sonic tapestry, how to get started in the industry, what it’s like to work with major clients, and how the equipment in a professional recording studio works. Then, volunteers from each class got behind the microphones and recorded some foley sound effects for a commercial!

Authentic learning experiences like these are vital and highly engaging opportunities for students to build on and apply the skills they learn in class. The Academy group asked many excellent questions, and were excited to learn that some major musical stars had once graced the very spot where they stood.

But we couldn’t do it without support from people like Dana, Steve, and the Tattoo Sound + Music crew, who opened their doors to the school and took time out of their busy schedules to enrich our students’ learning. You can read more about our commitment to experiential learning here.

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

Grade 10 Science – Pig Dissection

Zareh Demirdji Experiential Learning, Science and Math No Comments

Learning about cells and tissues can be a difficult concept for students considering how small cells are, and how much information there is to know about the different tissue types in the human body. With cells and tissues out of the way, organs and organ systems take center stage which students find easier as they have a good amount of background knowledge about most of the major organs and the major functions they have. Each student was assigned a specific organ to research and become a “master” of. Students then used this knowledge to teach each other about their organs.

In order to see how all of the major organs look, and to get a better appreciation for how they work together, the grade 10 science class observed the dissection of a fetal pig just before their biology unit assignment. Students were called upon to explain their assigned organs to the rest of the class throughout the dissection. An alternate room was set up for student who did not want to partake in the dissection. Although the dissection was an exciting idea to most of the class during the days leading up to the dissection, only 3 of the 9 students in attendance ended up partaking in the entire dissection. All of the students got a chance to see the pig before the dissection, and most of them saw various portions of the dissection, with all of them making memorable memories regardless of their level of participation.

Exploring the Turner Exhibit at the AGO

YMCA Academy Arts, Experiential Learning No Comments

Fierce, eccentric, beautiful. These are some of the words associated with the great British Romantic painter JMW Turner.

The senior visual arts class visited the current AGO exhibition of his later works today, and were treated to a guided tour by an education officer. We discussed the work of his period, sketched our favourite watercolours, and stood in awe at his majestic oil paintings which seemed to emit natural light.

“What I like best about the Turner exhibition was the fact that Turner’s art was centuries ahead of its time,” said one student. “I also like the fact that Turner was the greatest watercolour and oil paint abstract artist. The Turner exhibition opened my eye to a new but yet centuries old way of doing art.”

Check out more pictures from this trip on our Facebook Page!

Learning about Complementary Medicine

Zareh Demirdji Experiential Learning, Healthy Living, Native Studies, Science and Math No Comments

The healthcare fundamentals unit in the grade 11 health care class is a very long and involved one. After learning common health care terms and learning about the major bones, muscles and organs in the body from hospice care franchise from Interim Home Healthcare, we have shifted our focus to the topics of homeostasis, lifestyle choices, and disease prevention and treatment but it is better to get redirected here to know about the current need in the field of medicine. When looking at disease prevention and treatment, we not only look at the conventional western modalities, but also focus on complementary methods such as massage therapy, meditation, acupuncture, and herbal remedies. The grade 11 health care class was fortunate to be able to look at this important site which covers the topic of  First Nations Rituals of disease prevention and treatment. We had the good fortune of having the Academy’s good friend and master orator Jim Adams who led two classes on the aforementioned topic.

On the first day, students looked at how Western medicine differs from Indigenous medicine, focusing not only on the differences, but the similarities as well. Jim talked about the medicine wheel and its teachings as well as the seven chakras of the body.

On day two, students were treated to cedar tea at the start of class and informed about its health benefits. Jim focused on the use of energy centers to achieve balance to overall health during the first half of the class, and answered student questions during the second half. Overall, students were very engaged and intrigued by the wealth of knowledge and stories Jim presented to them.

Volunteering at Habitat for Humanity

YMCA Academy Beyond the Classroom, Community, Experiential Learning No Comments

On Tuesday November 24th and Wednesday November 25th, Academy students, staff, and a volunteer took part in the Home for the Holidays campaign at Habitat for Humanity.

“Habitat for Humanity GTA helps low-income families build and buy simple, decent quality affordable homes through a no-interest mortgage with payments set at less than 30 percent of gross income. This solution not only helps to provide available housing for families in need, it enables low-income families to build assets, reduce their dependence on other forms of social assistance and break the cycle of poverty.”

The Home for the Holidays campaign is a yearly opportunity for groups of youth to volunteer together at Habitat sites to help finish off houses so that the new owners can move in for the upcoming holiday season. Students at The Academy worked at two locations. One was in the beginning stages of construction and will likely be a series of houses being finished for next December and one was truly a Home for the Holidays as they are just putting the finishing touches on.

On day one the Green Industries class and the co-op class met up bright and early at Wellesley Station and travelled to our build site on Brimley Road. Upon arrival, we met and checked in with our Volunteer Coordinator Brenda and got suited into our safety gears (hard hats, steel toe boots, safety vests, and gloves). We were then given the build site safety speech and we learnt the Habitat Cheer (Oyee, a Swahili saying, which means “we can do it” in English) before starting our shift. While partner families have moved in to the first block of this particular site already, the second block is yet to be completed. And this is where the Academy crew came in to the rescue; the two classes helped paint, trim, and finish the last 9 homes on the second block of the site.

On day two, the Drama class and the Literacy class met up at Wellesley Station and this time headed to the build site on Birchmount Road. Like all the first day, the two classes met with their Volunteer Coordinator Darren, got suited into safety gears, heard the safety speech, and learnt the Habitat Cheer before their shift. As foundations is still being poured at the Birchmount Road site, our tasks were very different compared to the first day. Instead of painting and trimming, our students prepared the work site by stacking flooring joists and lumber in a large tent to keep the rain off as they will be used to frame the four houses next week. We also stacked prepared walls and floor boards. Some students worked on digging a 5 foot hole in the ground for a 300lb post on the corner of the property using a post hole digger. We all worked together as a team lifting heavy 3-400lb items. It was interesting to watch our supervisors calculate the weight of the items and how many people were needed to distribute the weight. They ensured that we kept it under 30lbs per person at all times (Yeh!! Math in action!!)

Despite the hard work, the groups had fun and were happy that we were able to give back to the community by helping families get into their home … hopefully just in time for the Holidays.

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

Update: We just got word that the homes that were being painted on Brimley Road will be handed over to the families on December 9th!! These families will be Home for the Holidays!!