Revel Recap: June 9 - 13, 2025
Spark Studio
Mindfulness and Launch
With our Week 3 Quest theme focusing on nutrition, so did many of our mindfulness activities! We gathered for a circle each day and started discussing this topic, using various question prompts. On Monday, the group was asked, "What is your favourite restaurant? What do you like to order when you go there?" and "What is your favourite healthy food? How often do you eat it?" Afterwards, the Sparks shared what it looks like if they use a placemat when eating. They then set out to design their dream placements. On Tuesday, we discussed "What is your favourite food group? What is your favourite food from that group?" and "I wish I didn't have to eat _______. I don't like this food because ______." Next, the learners followed along with a directed drawing of a watermelon. Our conversation prompts on Wednesday were, "What is your favourite meal-breakfast, lunch, or dinner?" and "Do you prefer fruit or vegetables? Why?" We then completed a movement break, where the learners answered food group-related questions by performing exercises that matched their answers. On Thursday, we discussed, "If you could invent a new flavour of ice cream, what would it be?" and "Have you ever travelled to a different country? What new foods did you eat?" We then discussed our favourite cereals and looked at pictures of some popular brands. The learners were then challenged to create a new cereal and design the box. We prepared for the afternoon's Cardboard Challenge on Friday by reading Boxitects. The learners then completed a STEM sheet, brainstorming what they wanted to build and the needed materials before drawing their design.
Quest
This week, our studio embarked on a fun and informative journey into the world of nutrition! We explored the importance of healthy eating and how the foods we eat help our bodies grow, stay strong, and feel energized. On Monday, we learned about the five main food groups—fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins, and dairy. We discussed why each one is important and brainstormed the types of food found in each group. To help us review these categories, we played a few rounds of Food Group Bingo! On Tuesday, we read What's on My Plate? Choosing from the Five Food Groups. This book talks about how different foods have different nutrients. It then reviewed the five food groups, listing examples and explaining how much we should eat from each group daily. We then completed an activity where each learner designed their own healthy plate. They could look through photos of food from all five categories and decide which they would like to use to create their meal. On Wednesday, we read the book Which Food Will You Choose? Throughout the story, the characters visit the grocery store and select foods from all colours of the rainbow! On each page, the Sparks shared which yellow, red, green, orange, and purple foods they would choose. We then completed an activity where the learners drew two pictures of food they would eat from the rainbow's colours! Thursday's food fiction story was called, I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato. In this story, Lola and her sibling use their imaginations to create stories about their food and, in the end, try different foods they thought they would never eat! Afterward, the Sparks shared foods they had tried that they didn't think they would like, but they did! We then enjoyed a fruit and vegetable taste test! The learners selected a variety of foods to try and then rated them. We were impressed by the bravery! Everyone tried at least one new item or food they didn't think they would like. Some learners were surprised that they liked kiwi, cauliflower, and broccoli! To end the week, we enjoyed fruit smoothies together!
Reader/Writer
This week, we revisited the game "Guess the Word" for our literacy warm-up. The learners used their phonetic and spelling skills to uncover the mystery words! Afterward, Group One worked on a Market List ABC Order. For this cut-and-paste activity, the learners needed to put the words in alphabetical order to create a grocery list. Group Two completed a writing prompt about how to make a sandwich. They wrote out the steps it takes to create a delicious sandwich, using the words "first," "next," "then," and "last."
We also continued working on our book study of The Gruffalo. Our first activity helped us to learn about syllables. First, we learned that a syllable is a part of a word you say in one breath or beat. It's like a little chunk of a word. To help us find the syllables in words, we can clap our hands or tap a table. For example, for the word "apple," we would clap twice, "apple." We practiced this with words with one, two, three, or more syllables! We then looked at a list of words from the book and used our clapping method to determine how many syllables were in each word. On Friday, we completed a comparison page. First, we drew a picture of what the Gruffalo was afraid of and then an illustration of something we fear.
Art
This week, our artists brought The Gruffalo to life using tissue paper, construction paper, scissors, and glue. They worked completely independently: cutting, layering, and assembling their own creative versions of this character. The final results were absolutely adorable and a great showcase of their imagination and fine motor skills.
French
On Monday, we learned the lyrics and actions to the song Tête, épaules, genoux, pieds ("Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes"). On Tuesday, a body-themed colouring activity helped reinforce this vocabulary. Wednesday's Human Body Bingo introduced new words like elbow, ankle, stomach, and more. On Thursday, we played Jean dit (the French version of "Simon Says") in the gym to combine language and physical activity.
Math
We started our Math Lab with more skip-counting practice to warm up our number sense. This week, we focused on counting by 10s and, as a group, counted up to 200! Ask your learner to show you how they are developing their counting skills. We then shifted our focus to data collection, building on what we learned last week. The learners completed a graphing activity where they surveyed each other about their favourite fruit or vegetable from a set of choices. They enjoyed asking each other these questions, recording the data, and sharing their results with the group. It was a great way to combine math skills with communication and collaboration. We discovered that the Sparks really like corn and watermelon!
Additional Highlights
Thank you to everyone who participated in Show and Share this week! Some learners drew pictures of their favourite nutritious snacks, such as strawberries, pear & cheese together, and beans and rice. We learned the special ingredients for a tasty muffin recipe and enjoyed tasting banana loaf and watermelon!
The Sparks participated in the fun and imaginative Cardboard Challenge on Friday afternoon! The learners made incredible creations using cardboard, tape, and big ideas!
Discovery Studio
Mindfulness and Launch
For Monday's mindfulness practice, we gathered to play Thank You For Sharing, and Rebels answered the prompt: What do you hope for more than anything? The conversation moved from their dream pet, wishes to travel the world, and hope for ailing pets and grandparents to recover. Afterward, there was a Rebel-led launch about selling sugar maple trees. They are $10 for a sapling if you want to buy one. We also learned about how you make maple syrup! On Tuesday, we started our day with a mindful drawing. This week, the Rebels chose to draw Labubu Monsters. They are cute, furry monsters who have huge, tooth-filled smiles. For Launch, we read Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag. Rebels learned about the events that led to the creation of the first pride flag by Gilbert Baker in 1978 and how it has been redesigned many times to be more and more inclusive. We played a new game from the New York Times suite called Pips on Wednesday morning. Rebels worked collaboratively to try and solve a domino puzzle. They were able to complete the easy level and were very close to finishing the medium level. For Launch, we played the game Catch Phrase! Rebels get a word, and they have to describe the word without using that word so that the other learners can guess it. On Thursday morning, the Rebels could do yoga in the Gym with Ms. Mel or an outdoor walk with Ms. Amy. For Launch, we continued our series on friendship with a conversation about the impact of rumours. We discussed how information can easily change as it passes from one person to another, and even more so when someone chooses to change the message on purpose. To explore this idea, we played a "Broken Telephone" game, intentionally changing some words along the way. After warming up the Boomwhackers with their scales and chords, the Rebels played a "Guess that Movie" game, playing parts from popular songs and discerning what movie it was from. Current Events included stories about how teens are helping other Canadians displaced by the wildfires by helping out at community centers. We also learned that the Edmonton Oilers rallied in overtime to win over the Panthers and tie the Stanley Cup Final at 2-2. Ed the zebra got loose in Tennessee for 9 days and became a meme. Did you know you can own a Zebra as a pet in Tennessee?
Reader/Writer
For Reader/Writer, we continued to work on our newspaper articles. We worked on using our templates to create an article. If done, the Rebels could add comics, pictures, word searches, and more to our newspaper!
French
This week, we sang La symphonie des éclairs by Zaho de Sagazan to review weather words. We also practiced the song Non, je ne regrette rien by Édith Piaf to work on using the future tense. In addition, we started learning Papaoutai by Stromae, a fun and catchy song that helps us review how to ask and understand questions in French. We're also continuing to learn and memorize our other songs for the upcoming Exhibition, and it's coming along nicely!
Civilizations
This week's story moved us back to the East, where we revisited the Chinese Empire. Rebels mapped China's border, made special note of the city of Canton, and highlighted England and several coastal ports in India. Inspired by the circumstances surrounding the trade relationship between George Macartney and the Qianlong emperor, Rebels discussed the traits needed to be an effective ambassador and whether or not you can respect someone if you don't like them. The final question elicited a big debate. If you were leading a nation, which is the bigger obstacle: a population largely influenced by drugs like opium or a population that is influenced by conflict, such as warring religions?
Math Lab
On Monday, with Aim and Release, our lab activities built on the skills from the previous week of simplifying fractions, and we created a recipe for how to do this. Then, the Rebels had time to complete the Musical Fractions task series from last week, and when ready, they moved on to a Probability Task sequence, working to identify and list outcomes. The focus was to use numbers to describe the probability of each outcome. They used a simple spinner, coin tosses and rolling dice to support and test their ideas.
Physical Development
On Tuesday, the Rebels had the choice of soccer outside, led by two Rebels or a game of dodgeball inside. On Thursday, two Rebels led a game of Sharks and Minnows, and Mme Marianne led a hike outside.
Quest
This week, we are busy building our Carnival Games. In a maze of cardboard, the Rebels got busy measuring, cutting, and building their creations. On Tuesday, we made some big decisions. We decided that our Carnival Games Quest doesn't need prizes, and Ms. Amy made a progress board to see what stage everyone was at and what projects we needed to complete. Most groups still worked on cutting and building on Wednesday and Thursday, but some were done with their construction and moved on to painting. Next week, we will begin testing our games and continuing to add games and attractions to our Carnival!
Additional Highlights
This week, we finished our read-aloud of Fish in a Tree. It was about Ally, who struggled with seeing herself as dumb, but her teacher realized she had dyslexia. Dyslexia is a learning disorder that involves difficulty reading due to problems identifying speech sounds and learning how they relate to letters and words. Did you know that Albert Einstein, Whoopi Goldberg, Tom Cruise, Pablo Picasso and Leonardo Da Vinci all are or were dyslexic? Remember, we all learn differently!
Exploration Studio
Mindfulness & Launch
After Free-Choice Mindfulness, where most learners chose to work on our space puzzle or mathematical Problem of the Week, we had an ICEE check-in chat and goal-setting session. We broke down each part of our day and discussed what was going well and what could be improved. We brainstormed ways to remain intentional, civil, have positive energy, and produce excellent work over the last four weeks of the school year. We took advantage of the gorgeous sunny morning on Tuesday and walked around the neighbourhood. Upon our return, we reflected on how we are writing our life. After reading an obituary, we considered how we would like to be remembered when we die. What would we want people to say about us at our funeral? We used our mindfulness and Launch time on Wednesday to discuss online safety (see Health section). On Thursday morning, we practiced the "land" technique that Mandie from Collective Movement taught us, placing one hand on our chests and the other on our belly while we focused on inhaling and exhaling. Then we flowed through a seated side body stretch, marrying the breath to our arm movements and working up to a sun salutation flow. New to us this week: we tried a series of baby cobra poses and ended the practice with "supermans." As doctors and researchers continue to learn more about the relationships among genes, the environment, and diseases, they are making advances in predicting the likelihood of a person developing certain diseases and discovering innovations in prevention and treatment. These are enhancing the notion of personalized medicine, which aims to customize an individual's health care by tailoring decisions and treatments based on their genetic information. As with many medical advances, many ethical, legal, and social issues are involved in personal genomics. In preparation for the afternoon's Socratic Smackdown, Thursday morning, we watched a small portion of Nova's Cracking Your Genetic Code about the ethics of preimplantation genetic diagnosis and whether or not we should screen for cancer genes. We also used our Closing to poll our learners on what they would do in various ethical situations pertaining to genetic testing. We closed our week with puzzles and Current Events that discussed how four teens are helping with the wildfires, how Inuit teens are keeping their culture alive and how four Canadians have the chance to win an NBA Championship.
Health
To have good relationships with people, we must learn to communicate with them effectively. That includes family relationships, friendships and romantic relationships. What can sometimes make communicating about sex difficult? When it comes to communicating about sexual behaviours or relationships, there's also more at stake because you're talking about avoiding STDs and/or pregnancy. Since HOW we express ourselves is just as important as WHAT we are trying to communicate, the Rebels took part in a communication workshop on Tuesday. After discussing the importance of clear communication in a relationship, we reviewed how one can respond: aggressively, passively, or assertively. We then practiced responding to someone in a clear and assertive manner, saying what we want or mean without being hurtful to the other person. We began by thinking about how we could respond if someone asked us out and we weren't interested in that person. Rebels gave examples of passive, aggressive, and assertive responses to practice. Learners were then put in groups of four and given a sheet with a scenario. Their job was to respond to Partner A's statement assertively. The papers were then rotated, and groups responded as Partner B. This continued until the sheets got around the full circle and back to the original group. Volunteers then got up to read the dialogue each group had written and assess whether Partner B's responses were, in fact, assertive. The Rebels tackled some challenging conversations but vastly improved their communication skills. We also completed an activity where we applied what we learned by reading text messages and how to communicate more assertively via text. We ended with a quick discussion that being in a relationship does not mean that a person has to give up who they are and their own needs and that both people should be able to express themselves openly and be able to listen to, appreciate, and accept the other person's needs. It is important to stick to what you believe in and your decisions, even if they differ from what people around you are saying or doing.
Have you ever heard the saying, "Don't talk to strangers?" How might this 'rule' change when we communicate online? The Internet gives us a wide range of opportunities to connect with or learn from people who may not be in their circle of close friends, whether through games, social network sites, blogs, instant messaging, forums, and so on. While this can be great, occasionally, connecting with people online can carry risks. Therefore, on Wednesday, we turned to staying safe online and learning how to deal with inappropriate situations if they arise. After watching a quick video where three teens shared their experiences about connecting with people online, we discussed the opportunities and risks that came from their social media, gaming, and other online interactions. We talked about how flirting is normal among middle school students. When flirting is done face-to-face, it might feel comfortable. However, it can quickly become uncomfortable online, even with other people they may know. We also discussed that when you are talking online with people you don't know in person, flirting and other sexual talk is risky behaviour. There are times when flirting can lead to an ongoing relationship with a stranger that seems deep and personal. But this is tricky because some people online don't actually have teens' best interests in mind. We ended our discussion by reviewing internet safety tips and then discussing various scenarios and what we would do in each situation.
Quest
BOOM! This week focused on the art of percussion, music, and composing instrumental tunes (with a lyrical bonus available, too!). On Monday, we warmed up the Boomwhackers after being inspired by performances by THUD: The Harvard University Drummers. We highlighted elements of this group's song medleys that were impressive and built our own success recipe for our own performances. After playing an ascending scale, a thirds ascending scale and a chords warm-up as a whole group, we broke into smaller teams to practice pop songs. Teams tried to play in sync and make silent transitions if one player was responsible for multiple notes. Some even chose to sing along! On Tuesday, we expanded the standard set of Boomwhackers to include sharp and flat notes, as well as an entire lower octave using the "octavator" caps. The whole studio played through a series of more complex compositions, including an increasingly fast Handel piece, Pachelbel's "Canon in D," and the "Imperial March" from Star Wars. By Wednesday, Rebels were ready for their final challenge of the week: the Song Reader/Writer Challenge! With a small team, they chose either to learn to read sheet music or compose their own music and score it on sheet music. All teams chose to read songs from sheet music and practice these pieces for a LIVE performance on Thursday. Three teams played a rendition of the song "500 Miles" by The Proclaimers, and one team tried to play an excerpt from Tchaikovsky's "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy." Rebels practiced delivering constructive feedback to each other based on the recipe we made at the beginning of the week, and then submitted an individual reflection to close the loop on this series of challenges. Next week: closer analysis of song lyrics and poetry!
Reader/Writer
In Reader/Writer this week, we discussed the end of our Hero's Journey. It focuses on the Road Back, Growth or Atonement, and the Return to the Ordinary World. Rebels needed to think about what obstacles were still in their way of finishing their journey, what they learned or what skills they now have, and when they returned to the ordinary world, whether they wanted to fit in or be accepted for who they are now. The Rebels worked hard on their third and final paragraph. Next week, we will work on the introduction and conclusion of our essays.
Math Lab
This week's lab kicked off with a breakdown of the theoretical probability of rolling two dice and getting certain sums. We focused on strategies and tools for organizing this information (e.g. charts and number lines) and developing a recipe for expressing their ideas using fractions, decimals and percentages. Then we moved into the "What's in the bag?" challenge! Rebels worked in small groups, spending three minutes with each of the seven numbered mystery bags, blindly sampling them and trying to develop a prediction about the contents of each bag. In the second round of the activity, Rebels had to compare their experimental results to lettered contents cards that revealed the makeup of the seven bags. The last element of the challenge was to make a number-letter match by comparing theoretical to experimental probability data and then ordering the bags from least to most likely to win based on pulling a blue item from the bag.
French
The Rebels finished their postcard project this week—it's now posted and ready to share. We revisited La symphonie des éclairs by Zaho de Sagazan to listen for verbs and review weather-related vocabulary. We also began learning Papaoutai by Stromae to practice forming and understanding questions. Later, we explored the song Bruxelles by Angèle, which led to a great discussion about the linguistic situation in Belgium, as referenced in the lyrics.
Civilizations - Socratic Smackdown
After preparing for our Socratic Smackdown, which focused on genetic testing and the associated ethical dilemmas, the learners were ready for their Socratic Smackdown. While the inner circle discussed, the outer circle kept track of points (given for using specific strategies) and provided feedback for review after the debate. During the Smackdown, the learners tried to use as many discussion strategies as they could while answering the questions concisely. Listening is key! The inner circle switched places with the outer circle at the halfway point, and a new discussion began. After each team's Smackdown, the Rebels received feedback from the other half of the group and completed a reflection. We were impressed with the maturity and ability to discuss without interruption. In the next discussion, learners hope that everyone participates and that they use more evidence from their research instead of primarily using personal opinions and anecdotes.
Additional Highlights
We ended our week with a Late Night Hang! To attend, Rebels had to have earned a Selfless Leadership badge, be in positive Rebel Buck territory, and be on track with their math goals. From 4 pm until 11 pm, learners snacked, set up forts, played outside, used the VR, played video games, made fun accessories, enjoyed pizza, and had an EPIC game of Glow-in-the-Dark Capture the Flag! Fun was had, and memories were made!
Launchpad Studio
Launchpad Rebels spent the week working toward their end-of-the-year goals in math, communication, literature, coding, languages, and music.
Wheel Pottery
Rebels ventured to the Hintonburg Pottery Studio on Wednesday and focused on the art of trimming! We can't wait to see their finished products in just a couple of weeks!
Biology
Dissection Day!!! On Thursday, learners used most of the day to complete their fetal pig dissection. They began with an external examination and identification before picking up a scalpel. It was a slow, deliberate process, as learners used the dissection tools to ensure they didn't damage any internal organs. Learners identified the organs based on placement, structure, and diagrams, requiring some to be removed to access others, such as the heart. Blue and pink latex was injected to help identify arteries and veins, making it much easier to determine where to cut and making the umbilical cord and heart's cross-section much more straightforward. While learners were a bit timid initially, by the end of the day, they were confident surgeons who had enjoyed the experience.
Challenge and Change
In the first half of the week, one learner worked on an assignment analyzing the interplay of power, politics, and inequality, how dominant narratives are shaped by powerful institutions and dictate popular thought, and isolating who in society is considered 'deviant.' By midweek, they moved onto a two-part assignment emphasizing the role of some more modernist theories of social change in shaping how our evolving society is perceived. They wrote a 1,500-word speculative essay examining, in a post-truth society, the future of climate change denialism and rejection within the next three decades. They discussed how, in modern times, radicalization is often self-guided, stochastic, and independent and how the 'onion of radicalization' is both an indicator of the disinformation ecosystem as well as a powerful tool of conspiracy. Lastly, on Friday, the Rebel began research and writing for their thesis essay: a written analysis tracing the development of gender and gender norms throughout Western human history with a focus on feminist and postmodernist lenses, culminating in an interrogation of the three dominating theories which will guide our future understanding of gender.
Potential Discussion Ideas or Questions to Ask Your Rebel
Spark Studio
What are the five main food groups?
What was your favourite fruit or vegetable you tried? Did you try a new food during the taste test?
Can you name a food for every colour of the rainbow?
How many syllables are in the names of the people in our family?
Let's count by 10 together! Can we get to 200?
What did you build for the cardboard challenge? Did you work with anyone?
Discovery Studio
Math Lab: Use a fraction to describe…
When rolling one die, how likely is it to roll a 4?
When rolling two dice, how likely is it that you would roll a 7?
Is your fraction simplified? If not, how could we do that?
How well is your team in Quest working together? What can you do to ensure intentionality and civility?
Exploration Studio
Which piece did your group play for the Song Reader/Writer challenge?
Are you on track to earn your Quest badge? If not, which challenges need your attention?
What do you feel confident that you can do LIVE at Exhibition?
Math Lab: What is the difference between theoretical and experimental probability? Why does this matter?
Why is it important to practice assertive communication skills?
Launchpad Studio
What was your greatest lesson learned during the dissection?
What is your big rock goal for this next week?
How are you progressing on your Duke of Edinburgh hours?
Important Upcoming Dates
Sparks Fitness Class with Alex Mateas- Wednesday, June 18th at 1:30 pm
Graduation Ceremony - Thursday, June 19th
Session 7 Exhibitions
Discovery - Tuesday, June 24th
Spark - Wednesday, June 25th
Exploration - Thursday, June 26th
Mr. Sundae's Ice Cream Truck visit - Thursday, July 3rd