Revel Recap: June 1 - 5, 2025
Spark Studio
Mindfulness and Launch
The Sparks went on an exciting journey through the five senses this week! Each day focused on one of the senses, helping the learners explore and connect with the world around them! To start, the first sense we explored was touch. The Sparks had brown bags, each labelled with a number and containing a mystery object. Working in pairs, the Sparks took turns reaching into the bag to describe the objects they felt. The bags had pompoms, sticky balls, rough pinecones, smooth screws and even strips of paper. On Tuesday, we explored the sense of smell. Smell is a powerful emotional tool and can be an incredibly calming and centring aid for mindfulness. Learners took part in an activity called Smell and Tell. This game encouraged the Sparks to use descriptive language and use their imagination. Again, using the brown bags, they had a mystery scent inside, such as lemonade, mango juice, peppermint, and Cheerios. Some learners created stories about a chocolate princess and king, whereas others rewrote a story of their reaction to the scent inside their group's bag. Wednesday was dedicated to the sense of hearing. We took mindfulness outdoors and practiced yoga. During this peaceful time, each learner shared five sounds they heard surrounding them. They quickly named things such as birds chirping, the wind, cars passing, and even others speaking in the community. Thursday morning, we focused on sight. We went outside once again with yoga mats, blankets, paper and coloured pencils. The Sparks were encouraged to draw what they observed in their surroundings. Some drew tall trees, cars, airplanes and buildings. To end the week of sense, it was the most delicious sense of all, taste! The Sparks had a variety of foods to try if they wanted. The tasting menu included chocolate chips, pickles, dried cranberries, apple sauce, and lemonade. Following this, we read a book called Me and My Amazing Body by Joan Sweeney. The book shared facts such as that over half of your body's bones are in your feet and hands, which is more than 100 bones. It also shared that the body has more than 600 muscles, which stretch and shrink like rubber bands.
Quest
It was time to discover the human body, inside and out, this week! Through hands-on and inquiry-based activities, the Sparks explored the systems that help them move, breathe, and grow! As a starting point, the learners drew themselves and labelled different parts of their bodies they knew, such as head, arms, feet, nose, ears and more! The Sparks also shared many thoughts and facts about the human body that they knew! Tuesday was definitely a highlight of the week! Mandie, founder of Collective Movement, brought her studio materials (steps) and led a fun, high-energy step class. She has built a community where the space you are in is for you to breathe deeply, move freely and reconnect through sweat, rhythm, and release. Her beat-driven blend of step, strength and mindfulness had all the Sparks and Discovery learners moving with purpose and joy! To end the class, everyone danced! Over the next few days, the Sparks focused on the skeletal and muscular systems. They discovered that the human body is born with around 300 bones, which fuse as we grow into adults, leaving us with 206! The Sparks sculpted bones like the femur, fibula, and patella out of playdough. With the sound of music playing in the background, the learners worked peacefully together! As the lessons continued, thoughtful and curious questions emerged, deepening the learners' understanding of how bones support and protect their bodies. The learners then built model hands using cardboard, straw, tape, and string. This project represented a key part of the muscular and skeletal system: straws for bones, strings as tendons, and as they used the string to pull, it mimicked muscles and their contractions from their forearms. As Sparks pulled the strings, they could see the "fingers" curl and move, mirroring how muscles pull on bones to create movement.
Art
On Wednesday, the Sparks started their full-body respiratory system design! We began by reading a passage about the functions of the respiratory system. The Sparks heard that we breathe through our nose or mouth. The air travels down through the larynx and trachea and into the lungs. They also learned how oxygen enters the blood vessels and is delivered to our organs and cells. Lastly, we explored how carbon dioxide is passed from our blood vessels back into the lungs, and we exhale! Before the Sparks worked on their life-size respiratory system, they had a mini version of the body parts, such as nose, mouth, larynx, trachea, lungs and diaphragm before labelling them.
Reader/Writer
This week's Reader/Writer labs were filled with writing skills and connections to our Quest health and fitness topic. We began by linking literacy with science, labelling parts of the human body, such as the nose, mouth, ears, legs, hands, etc. This activity was the starting point for a deeper exploration of the body's internal organs! On Thursday, we reflected on our book study of The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson. Together, we reread the book and chose a favourite character. The Sparks continued working on their booklet, where they drew a photo of their favourite character, wrote their name and wrote about why they liked this character. Some learners shared that their favourite was the Gruffalo because of his terrible claws! Some learners shared that the mouse was their favourite as it scared away the animals. Lastly, others liked the snake because it would turn into a scrambled snake! To end the week, we focused on the character traits of the Gruffalo. Some traits written were strong, sharp claws, a black tongue, and orange eyes.
Math
During Math Lab on Tuesday and Friday, Sparks explored data collection by creating bar graphs. We connected this activity to our Quest for a fun little twist! The Sparks collected and organized data about eye and hair colours in the studio. Throughout the activity, they discovered that brown eyes were the most common in our studio, while green eyes were the least represented. When it came to hair colour, brown hair was also the most common, followed by blonde and black. We love combining our math activities with real-world observations and how they can open great conversations within the studio!
French
This week in French, we learned the French alphabet. While the letters are the same as in English, the pronunciation is sometimes quite different. On Monday, we learned how to sing the alphabet in French and on Tuesday, the learners coloured the letters. Before colouring, they had to ask for the crayons in French and say which letter they were colouring using that colour. On Wednesday, we played a game of Alphabet Bingo, and on Thursday, we got moving in the gym with a game called “What letter are you?”, combining movement with letter learning.
Additional Highlights
With the warmer weather, we took advantage of extra time outside. Many learners challenged themselves on the monkey bars by doing pull-ups, skipping bars and seeing how long they could hang on! The Sparks also participated in a directed drawing of a brain lifting weights. We discussed powerful ways to support our brains by slowing down with mindfulness and movement to help us reset when we feel overwhelmed, drinking plenty of water, getting a good night's sleep and taking time to read and write!
For Show and Share this week, the learners were asked to bring sports equipment. Sparks brought in baseball bats, soccer balls, hockey sticks, frisbees, and tennis rackets to show their friends!
At the end of the week, the Sparks had fun making Jell-O and, of course, really loved getting to eat their creation!
Lastly, we had another special birthday in our studio! This learner shared that they would like to go to Canada's Wonderland and go bike riding this year!
Discovery Studio
Mindfulness and Launch
For mindfulness on Monday, we revisited our discussion about clowns vs. kings and the circus vs. a palace. Rebels reflected on how the previous week went by rating different aspects of our studio culture on a scale of 1-5. For example, how well did our leaders hold people accountable? How well did the rest of the Rebels listen? In general, how well did we follow the expectations and the Discovery systems? In Friday's Town Hall jar, there was a question asking for help in understanding Rebel Bucks, so for Monday's Launch, an experienced Rebel took the studio to explain why you would take a Rebel Buck or give one. Some reasons you would take a Rebel Buck are not listening to another Rebel's boundaries, goofing around, being late or unprepared, or being asked to leave a group discussion. Some reasons why you get a Rebel Buck are persevering through something hard, helping others, including others, serving the community, being brave, and taking ownership of their education. On Tuesday, we started with a Pirate Pineapple drawing from ArtHub. Then, our Rebel-led Launch focused on how our writing matters when explaining our reasons for taking a Rebel Buck or making an appeal. On Wednesday morning, we gathered together to play Wordle and Connections! Rebels were able to solve each puzzle, and in both cases, there were no guesses to spare - phew! For Launch, we played a game called "Picnic." All the Rebels are invited to our picnic, but they must figure out the word rule and guess what they can bring. For example: I'm going to my picnic and I'm going to bring an apple. (The Rule is that the word has to start with an A). If they don't meet the pattern, they are not allowed to come to my picnic, and if the word they say meets the pattern rule, they are allowed to come. After our walk on Thursday morning, we continued our launch series on friendship and relationship skills. We played a “Broken Telephone” game to explore the idea of rumours. The learners discovered how messages could easily change as they are passed from one person to another and how rumours can be unreliable. For Feel-Good Friday, we warmed up the Boomwhackers and played the song "APT." We then capped our morning Launch with Current Events.
Math Lab
This week's lab featured the almighty number line! To begin, we had a discussion about how we can connect the language of probability to this model and all the ways we might answer the prompt, "How likely is it that…?" Rebels considered different scenarios like the weather, flipping a coin, a dinosaur showing up to school, or Ms. Erin's family showing up to school, and we focused on using the best words to describe the situation, like impossible, possible, unlikely, certain, slight chance, or 50-50. Rebels then worked on a task called Musical Fractions, where they had to interpret various timestamps represented on a number line and then write a fraction to describe how much of the song or video had played. Aim and Release Rebels were challenged to simplify their fractions.
Reader/Writer
In Reader/Writer this week, we learned more about how to write newspaper articles and how all articles need an attention-grabbing title and must include the who, what, where, when, why and how. The Rebels decided that our newspaper would be about Good News happening at Revel Academy, and there are a lot of topics to choose from.
Civilizations
This week's story focused on the dawn of the Industrial Revolution! Rebels highlighted key locations on their map, such as England, Scotland, and the East Coast of America, using special symbols to show factories and railroads. We heard about heroes who invented the steam engine and the cotton gin and how people made use of natural forces, such as windmills, to power machines. After the story, the Rebels discussed these inventions and the creativity and knowledge required by the heroes who made them. For example, imagine you were an inventor as the 1800s approached, and you wanted to change the world. What field would you choose: machinery, science, medicine, or something else?
French
This week in French, we reviewed the verbs “Avoir” (to have) and “Être” (to be) in the present tense. To help us memorize these important verbs, we learned and sang two fun songs (Verbe avoir au présent de l'indicatif - alain le laitand Verbe être au présent de l'indicatif - alain le lait). We also worked on activity sheets to practice matching the correct verb forms with the appropriate subject pronouns. In addition, we continued learning two songs, depending on the group: Group 1 is learning “La Bibitte en bleu” and “Il était un petit navire” and Group 2 is learning “Je veux” by Zaz and “Non, je ne regrette rien” by Édith Piaf. These songs help learners develop their listening skills, vocabulary, and pronunciation — all while discovering some French culture.
Quest
For Quest this week, we focused on planning our carnival games. On Monday, we started with a video game music quiz, which all the Rebels did well on. Then we looked at a pinball machine and noticed the game was fun because of the lights and sounds. We learned a little about the Micro:bit, and then the Rebels were challenged with labelling all the parts and using the Micro:bit to create a heart, a beating heart, an emotion badge, a name badge, dice, Magic Eight Ball and a counter. Rebels struggled with this task, but many were nearing triumph! On Tuesday, we discussed what makes an excellent carnival game. The Rebels were challenged to find some DIY (Do It Yourself) versions of their game online and choose their favourite aspects. Then they were to create a mini version of their game using unicubes or Legos. On Wednesday, we began turning our mini-games into sketches for the big version. We discussed measurement, how to make a 3D model, and how to cut out the pieces they need for their game. Then, the Rebels sketched and measured, and some even created mini-paper models. On Thursday, the Rebels continued creating game plans and determining what materials they needed. If done with planning their game, they had time to complete their Micro:bit Challenge.
Exploration Studio
Mindfulness & Launch
After free choice mindfulness, where Rebels worked on art, puzzles, games of Chess and outdoor play, we discussed Pride month and its importance. After watching a quick video where learners heard about Stonewall, we reviewed some statements regarding sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression to determine whether they were myths or facts. We walked around the neighbourhood on Tuesday morning before the heat and humidity struck! At Launch, we discussed gender stereotypes and read a couple of story versions to determine which felt more familiar or realistic before creating our own version. On Wednesday, we became Sex Ed Sleuths. (Read more in our Health section.) Thursday's yoga flow invited Rebels to tap into their breath and focus on extending their exhale longer than their inhale. After dropping into this rhythm, we added some movement to the flow, incorporating a runner's stretch into a simple sun salutation pattern before relaxing in Shavasana. After yoga, the learners returned, and we completed an introductory circle to get to know a visiting learner. We then played a round of GeoGuessr, and while the first round was tragic, we got much closer on our second attempt. After our Friday puzzles, our Current Events Launch featured the US's 50% tariffs on steel and aluminum, the casting for the new Harry Potter TV series, and the forest fire smoke in Ontario.
Health
On Tuesday afternoon, we had two medical school students from the University of Ottawa who are co-leads of an initiative called the Lifesaver Initiative present about substance use and abuse. We learned about cannabis, the myths around its use, and its effect on mental health and brain development. We also heard about opioids, addiction, and how to administer Naloxone in case we find someone who may have overdosed. We discussed harm reduction and community resources, should we ever need to ask questions or seek help. The Rebels asked great questions and were impressed by the Lifesaver presenters' open, non-judgmental, and informative approach.
During our Health Launch, we discussed online resources and how we know whether the search results are good. There is a lot of misinformation on the internet. If we rely on sites like YouTube or any sites where people vote on whether they think an answer is good or not, we're not necessarily going to get reliable information. To help us, we talked about how to find trustworthy online sources for sexuality-related information and how we can determine how some sources aren't particularly interested in getting us the information we need. After our informational slideshow, learners got in groups of four to go through a packet from a particular website. They then had to answer questions and, in the end, decide if the site was reliable.
Quest
On Monday, Rebels connected ideas about their improv work from the previous week and built up a recipe they could use to deliver constructive feedback to one another. Their targets include: listening to one another, embracing ideas positively (yes, and!), and focusing on the present moment. We warmed up our bodies with familiar activities before breaking off into smaller teams to try two new exercises. In "Flock Dance," the goal was to follow and mimic a leader's movement while organized in a flying V formation. With "Freeze" (or tableaux), Rebels try to enact a dramatic scene that is frozen in time. During both activities, Rebels had the additional goal of creating levels (ensuring that they explored ground, seated and standing space). On Tuesday, we had a special guest from Collective Movement. Coach Mandie incorporated poetry into our practice, reciting a poem by Rupi Kaur to begin and teaching us some basic prompts for the class. For example, when she said, "land," we were invited to pause all movement, placing one hand on our chest and one on the belly and focusing on the breath. We also tried the basic step, the V step, and were challenged to keep up these patterns in time to the music while also remembering to alternate our lead leg every four counts. As we worked out, she made more nods to the lyrics in music and how this form of poetry can be celebrated in the works of great singer-songwriters. It was a phenomenal opportunity to connect the brain to the body and learn about our Quest! Moreover, this led beautifully into Wednesday and Thursday's Choreography Challenge: Rebels worked in a small team to master 30 seconds of choreography, either original or copied, with as much precision and synchronization as possible! Next week, we move into the art of percussion!
Reader/Writer
In Reader/Writer, we discussed the middle of the Hero's Journey: The Mentor, Crossing the Threshold, Test, Allies and Enemies, The Approach, The Supreme Ordeal and The Reward. We discussed whether the Rebels struggle with external factors, like enemies, or internal factors, such as fear or doubt. Most of the Rebels agreed that their main struggles are with internal factors. The Rebels then had to decide between several questions relating to the middle of the Hero's Journey, and then worked on coming up with evidence to show proof of their journey this year. Next Week, we will work on the final part of the Hero's Journey.
Math Lab
This session's Math Labs will focus on thinking about probability. This week, we discussed likelihood and how to quantify it and then investigated fairness through two games. In the first task series, Rebels used several spinners of different designs and with different rules for winning. They made predictions before playing about whether or not each spinner was fair, and then tested their predictions by playing several trials and recording their results. After playing in small groups, each team reported their results in a studio-wide chart, and we had a closing discussion about theoretical vs. experimental probability. Rebels used one, two, or three dice with the second set of games to investigate the possible sums and how likely it is to roll them. Teams need more time to collect and organize their data, so we will revisit this task series next week.
French
This week, the learners wrote postcards about their recent trip to Québec City, sharing their experiences while practicing their French writing skills. The learners also listened to songs by French-speaking artists and practiced identifying verbs and their tenses in the lyrics to improve their ability to recognize verb forms in everyday language contexts.
Civilizations
This week, we learned how a Socratic Smackdown works! After learning about the rules, scoring, and discussion strategies (agree, disagree, question, using evidence, Devil's advocate, and connect), we began by reading a text on genetic testing and ethical considerations. We learned about the purpose and types of genetic testing, carrier screening, the benefits and risks of testing, as well as the ethical concerns regarding genetic privacy, discrimination, and "designer babies." Learners then worked to answer questions in preparation for next week's Smackdown; one group focused on answering questions regarding genetic testing and insurance, while the other group considered ethical problems related to prenatal testing.
Launchpad Studio
What a week! With so many courses ending and learners departing shortly for STEAM and marine conservation programs, we took time to have some fun! A couple of learners also used their time to plan next year's course schedule, comparing courses and providers if necessary.
Challenge and Change
This week, our learner completed an assignment discussing how deviancy within society is socially constructed and mainly analyzed how media framing and narratives build and uphold the ideas of deviancy passed down from larger institutions of power. They also engaged with a case study of 2022's Rainbow Fentanyl Scare during Halloween, discussing how the media's reporting contributed to the creation of folk devils and moral panic, thereby dissecting how media can engender fear or relief in the public. Further, they began a deconstruction of how the War on Drugs was a tool for social control and incarceration, interrogating how America's pursuit of a drugless society only touched and generationally interrupted Black and Latino communities, leaving white-collar users of even designer drugs to walk free. Additionally, our learner began to research the creation of an infographic discussing how Bill C-5 engages with the Charter, the progress Bill C-5 encouraged, and its downfalls and limitations.
Brunch and Pottery
In order to fuel their bodies before a demanding wheel pottery course, we headed to Chesterfields for brunch! We all agreed the food was fantastic, and it's safe to say we'll be visiting again in the future! With the time remaining for pottery, the learners walked around the Wellington West neighbourhood before finding shade under some trees and working on the Worldle. Once in their wheel potter class, they worked on getting better at throwing and learned modifications or new techniques for pulling. They made some awesome vessels and are looking forward to next week's class.
Communication & Literature
Learners continued developing their final essays and reading their Deep Books this week. We will meet to discuss progress next week to ensure we are all on track before our last days of school.
Driver's Ed
A couple of our learners had the opportunity to take a Driver's Ed course with Young Drivers of Canada and successfully got their G1s a year ago. After a few months of waiting and finding times to practice, the Ontario G2 driver's license test date finally came for one of our Rebels on Thursday. They started with a final practice and lesson, going over any last-minute reminders and expectations and practicing the low-speed maneuvers. It was then time for the G2 driving test, which covered the six main driving aspects, with subsections to mark any minor or major mistakes. The sections included starting(including the low-speed maneuvers), backing, driving along, intersections, turns, and parking. Our learner passed the exam and can now drive herself and her brothers to all of their extracurriculars!
Field Trip!
On Friday, we ventured to the Canada Science and Technology Museum! Launchpadders enjoyed the hands-on aspects of each room most as they explored the Hidden Worlds, Medical Sensations, From Earth to Us, Into the Great Outdoors, Steam: A World in Motion and Artifact Alley exhibitions. And, of course, no trip to the Science and Tech Museum would be complete without a few times through the Crazy Kitchen!
Once they felt that they had seen all they needed to see at the museum, we went to the mall to grab some lunch and boba tea and find an outfit for one learner to wear to prom! It was a great day of learning, shopping, and bonding!
Biology
With all of the out-of-studio time booked this week, we pushed the fetal pig dissection to next week. Learners did have the opportunity to finish up last week's readings and handouts if necessary.
Additional Highlights
On Friday night, three learners attended the Pride Prom in the Horticulture Building at Lansdowne! We hope they all had a fun experience!
Potential Discussion Ideas or Questions to Ask Your Rebel
Spark Studio
What can you tell me about the respiratory system?
Can you describe the characters Gruffalo and Mouse from the story, The Gruffalo?
Can you share the major muscles in the human body?
French: Can you sing the alphabet in French?
Discovery Studio
How likely is it that…
You flip a coin and get tails?
It will snow tomorrow?
Both people playing Rock, Paper, Scissors choose scissors?
How would you describe each situation above using numbers?
Is the studio more of a circus or a palace? Why do you say so?
French: Do you know any French-speaking singers?
Exploration Studio
What three things are included in the recipe for a persuasive speech to make it more effective? Do you have all three?
Did this week's movement and choreography challenges put you in your comfort, challenge or panic zone?
Who should be offered prenatal genetic testing? For what kinds of conditions?
Would it be right for insurance companies to have access to potential customers' genetic information? Why would it be different to know about their family or medical history?
When rolling two dice (like in Monopoly or other board games), are all sums equally likely? Which sums are more likely, and how do you know?
French: Who did you send your postcard to?
Launchpad Studio
If you were to design a museum, what do you think would be most important for your visitors: hands-on experiences, engaging visuals, concise information panels, or something else?
What courses do you think you'd like to take next year?
How was the Prom?!
Important Upcoming Dates
Cardboard Challenge - Friday, June 13th
Exploration Late Night Hang (Learners must EARN their ticket in!) - Friday, June 13th
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