Revel Recap: Oct 19-23
Important Upcoming Dates:
Session 2 Exhibitions:
Monday, November 23 - Discovery Exhibition, 4:00-5:00
Tuesday, November 24 - Spark Exhibition, 4:00-5:00
Wednesday, November 25 - Exploration Exhibition, 4:00-5:00
Tuesday, October 27 - Cross Country Event at Wesley Clover Park
Thursday, October 29 - Spark & Discovery Studio Saunders Farm Trip
Thursday, October 29 - Revel Community Book Club: The Self-Driven Child by William Stixrud & Ned Johnson, 6:00-7:30pm (Please RSVP on BAND)
Thursday, October 29 - Exploration Leaf Clean Up
Friday, October 30 - Halloween Costume Catwalk 9:00-9:30am
Pumpkin Run: Fall Fun, Grit & Community
Revel’s Pumpkin Run brought all the festive fall fun, fresh air, and community spirit! It was incredible to see our culture of kindness shine as Rebels cheered each other on through challenging terrain and all the way up the mighty Carlington Hill! Every single Rebel conquered the course at least once, demonstrating grit, perseverance, determination, and a whole lot of heart. Beyond the physical challenge, it was a wonderful reminder of what makes our Revel community so special: encouraging one another, celebrating every accomplishment, and tackling challenges together. What a fantastic way to embrace the fall season and show what it means to be a Rebel!
Spark Studio
Mindfulness/Launch
Welcome to Session Two! On Monday morning, the Sparks were excited to be back together and reconnect after our session break. After sharing stories about their time away, we read How Full Is Your Bucket?, a heartwarming story that teaches us how our words and actions can positively impact others and how small acts of kindness can help fill someone’s bucket. Together, we discussed what it means to be a bucket filler and brainstormed the kind things we can do to make others feel happy, included, and appreciated. The Sparks then drew pictures to share some of their wonderful ideas! During circle, we also introduced a new goal tracker that we will be using in the studio. Each learner has their own paper gumball machine, and they can earn stickers to fill their gumballs by participating, listening, and completing their Quest and Reader-Writer activities. Once their gumball machine is full, they will earn a reward! The Sparks had the opportunity to vote on their prize and chose between a resin animal or a small chocolate treat. We are looking forward to seeing the Sparks work toward their goals, celebrate their progress, and continue building positive habits throughout Session Two!
On Tuesday, we started our day with breathing and meditation exercises from Breathe Like a Bear, helping the Sparks practise mindfulness and feel ready for the day ahead. We then followed step-by-step instructions to complete a directed drawing of a playground! On Wednesday, we joined the whole school for a special Launch focused on dyslexia, learning more about how everyone’s brain works differently and how we can support one another as learners. On Thursday, we enjoyed reading Franklin’s Halloween. After the story, the Sparks put their creativity to work by drawing pictures of the Halloween costumes they think their Guides should wear. We had some wonderful and imaginative ideas! On Friday, the Sparks continued their gratitude practice, by drawing a picture of their favourite place in their house and why they are thankful for it.
Quest
Welcome to Session Two: Create a Playground! Week One was all about exploring the question: What makes a great playground? Before the Sparks begin designing and building their own 3D dream playgrounds, they spent the week gathering ideas, researching, and exploring! On Tuesday, we read Iggy Peck, Architect to inspire our young designers! This story celebrates creativity, problem-solving, and thinking outside the box, reminding us that great things can be created when we use our imaginations. After reading, we worked together to brainstorm a list of features that make a playground amazing. The Sparks had lots of wonderful ideas, including swings, monkey bars, slides, tunnels, waterslides, ziplines, open spaces to run, grass, mulch, ladders, steering wheels, rock climbing walls, fireman poles, and splash pads! Each learner then chose their five favourite features and recorded them.
On Wednesday, we headed to our local playground to become Playground Detectives! Armed with checklists, the Sparks explored the park, looking carefully to see which features were there and which were missing. They put on their detective hats, observed their surroundings, and gathered inspiration for their own designs. Of course, after all that investigating, there was plenty of time to enjoy playing at the park, too! On Thursday, we read Let’s Build a Playground before the Sparks put their imaginations to work, drawing pictures of their very own dream playgrounds! From exciting equipment to creative play spaces, each learner began imagining what their ideal playground could look like. This week was an important first step in our Create a Playground Quest. By brainstorming, observing, researching, and imagining, the Sparks are building a foundation for the exciting work ahead. We can’t wait to see how they use their ideas to design, plan, and eventually build their very own playground models!
Reader/Writer
This week in Reader/Writer we began our introduction to Dyslexia. We read the book “Sparkle” where a young girl talks about how much she loves stories but finds reading and writing very hard. When the teacher asks them all to write a creative story she is very excited and nervous but creates a fairy tale from pictures and shares her story verbally. We learned about all the different ways people can be creative and storytellers. We then practiced hearing our common B, D and P confusions and matching them up to the Letters on the carpet. We reminded each other that when someone makes a mistake to not poke fun or comment but instead to encourage each other to try again. We finished up our session talking about how some of us are not reading YET but that we are doing all the work to get there. Our colouring pages ‘I can learn to read’ were used as the backdrop to the Dyslexia Awareness Launch.
Math Lab
This week in Math Lab, the Sparks explored the world of 2D shapes! Using our shape cabinet, they reviewed familiar shapes and discovered some new ones. Together, we counted the sides of each shape and discussed what makes each one unique. The Sparks then worked in small groups to create their own shape posters. They traced each shape, recorded its name, and identified how many sides it had. It was a wonderful hands-on opportunity to practise shape recognition, counting, and working collaboratively!
Art
We kicked off our Art Workshop by reading Creepy Carrots! by Aaron Reynolds, a fun and spooky story about a rabbit named Jasper who becomes convinced that the carrots he loves to eat are secretly following him! After enjoying the story, the Sparks got creative and designed their very own creepy carrots. With their unique expressions and spooky details, each carrot had its own personality! The finished creations were wonderfully imaginative and delightfully creepy!
Geography
This session we will be studying our home continent, North America! We started by watching a quick video from National Geographic Kids which introduced us to the diverse environments that make up this continent. We then dived into learning more about some famous buildings found here. We looked at the Statue of Liberty, CN Tower, Golden Gate Bridge, U.S. Capitol Building, Space Needle, Parliament Buildings, Empire State Building, Fairmont Chateau Frontenac, and Chichen Itza. Afterwards, the learners choose one of the famous buildings from North America that they would like to visit, drew a picture of it, wrote the building name and why they would like to visit!
French
This week in French, Sparks explored and practised prepositions of place: sur (on), sous (under), dans (in), devant (in front of), derrière (behind), and à côté de (next to). On Monday, learners completed a colouring activity featuring a cat in different positions around a box. On Tuesday, we reviewed these words through the song Sur, sous, dans, devant, derrière. Wednesday was all about putting our vocabulary into practice with a fun search-and-find game. On Thursday, we brought our learning into the gym! Group 1 played Seek-a-Boo to reinforce their French vocabulary, while Group 2 followed instructions to position themselves on, under, in front of, or behind the gym mats. It was an active way to practise understanding and using French!
Discovery Studio
Mindfulness and morning meetings
We kicked off Session 2 by planting the seeds of growth with our very own Growth Garden! Rebels reflected on the question, “If growing means sometimes being uncomfortable, how can we tell the difference between something that's challenging us and something that's holding us back?” Through guided reflection, Rebels explored their personal goals for the session and considered how these smaller milestones contribute to their long-term growth, including transitions between Studios. During Monday's Launch, we focused on executive functioning and planning for the week ahead. Rebels reviewed their schedules, identified special events like the Pumpkin Run, and planned opportunities to meet with their Guides to review Session 2 Goal Sheets. Tuesday brought a little Halloween mindfulness! Rebels enjoyed a calming Zen doodle and colouring block accompanied by cozy autumn music before putting their brains to work with a Rebel-themed Halloween logic puzzle, collaborating in teams to solve the mystery. On Wednesday, we began our next Watch It Wednesday documentary, My Octopus Teacher. Before watching the opening clip, Rebels explored some fascinating questions about the relationships between humans and wild animals. Can humans and animals form friendships? How do animals communicate without words? What does it mean to earn someone's trust? These thoughtful conversations encouraged Rebels to consider connection, communication, and empathy from a different perspective. Our Wednesday Launch also featured a meaningful school-wide conversation led by one of our Guides in recognition of Dyslexia Awareness Month. Together, we explored what dyslexia is, how it can affect learning, and the importance of recognizing that every brain works differently. It was especially powerful to hear Guides and Rebels openly share their own experiences, helping strengthen our culture of understanding, kindness, and belonging.
Thursday was all about connection as we welcomed a new friend visiting the Discovery Studio! Rebels chose another Halloween colouring block alongside some fun icebreaker games to help our visitor feel at home. During Launch, our Squad Chickens gathered for their first official weekly check-ins, supporting one another in reviewing goals, celebrating progress, and identifying what still needed to be accomplished before the end of the week. We wrapped up the week with some spooky musical fun! Our Boomwhacker session featured Spooky Scary Skeletons and a lively rendition of The Monster Mash. Current Events brought plenty of laughter and thoughtful debate, from settling the ultimate Dairy Queen Blizzard debate to tackling NASA's October Puzzler. We finished with a deeper discussion about proposed road and highway development in Northern Canada, exploring how these decisions could affect wildlife, communities, and the environment. Rebels were challenged to consider what they would do if they were the leaders responsible for making these decisions. A wonderful first week of Session 2, filled with reflection, connection, curiosity, and opportunities to stretch our thinking!
Reader/Writer Workshop
This week, Rebels kicked off their next writing project: creating informational brochures highlighting Canada's provinces and territories! To spark curiosity and inspire their research, Rebels began with a weirdly catchy and fun song/video about Canadian provinces and territories, then headed off to explore a variety of videos, articles, and interactive resources, discovering fascinating facts about the country we call home. Their first challenge was to identify three provinces or territories that sparked their interest and uncover three interesting facts, landmarks, or statistics about each destination. By the end of the workshop, Rebels selected one province or territory to focus on for the remainder of the session as they work toward creating their very own informational brochure. Along the way, we explored the key elements of informational writing, discussing the importance of reliable sources, distinguishing facts from opinions, and presenting accurate information in ways that engage and inform our readers. We're excited to see where our Rebels' curiosity takes them as they become researchers, writers, and experts on their chosen Canadian destinations!
Math LAB
Our first Math Lab workshop of Session 2 launched Expedition by Numbers, with Rebels splitting into their Draw/Anchor and Aim/Release pathways to tackle some exciting mathematical challenges inspired by our Wild Canada Quest! Our Draw/Anchor Rebels kicked things off with a fun fact fluency game called Corners to 20. Working with partners, Rebels took turns rolling a 12-sided die and placing their numbers into a grid, strategically trying to create sums of exactly 20 to earn points. From there, we dove into the world of coordinates and grids! Rebels explored the x and y axes, learned how to read and write coordinates, and practised plotting locations and following pathways across a grid.
Meanwhile, our Aim/Release Rebels put their problem-solving skills to work with a series of Expedition Challenges focused on long division. Working collaboratively, Rebels tackled multi-step problems to calculate distances travelled by expedition teams over different numbers of days and weeks. They practised applying each step of the long division process, strengthening their mathematical reasoning while connecting their skills to real-world exploration. Coming up next week: How Far Is Far? Rebels will explore units of measurement, distance, and map scales, using maps, compasses, and rulers to bring their mathematical expeditions to life!
Quest
Our Wild Canada Quest kicked off with an exciting week of Canadian cartography, geography, history, and adventure! Rebels stepped into the roles of explorers and cartographers, working in Expedition Teams to uncover the mysteries of Canada's landscapes and piece together our very own giant map of the country.
Our Expedition Teams arrived at Headquarters Monday afternoon to discover a massive blank map of Canada and a top-secret envelope containing their first missions! Inside, Rebels found a blank political map of Canada, three large province or territory outlines, and accompanying research cards. Their challenge was to restore the missing information by identifying provinces, territories, capitals, neighbouring regions, and other important geographical details. Teams worked collaboratively to research their assigned regions, complete their maps, and begin rebuilding our Lost Atlas!
On Tuesday, we explored the differences between political and physical maps, learning how cartographers use colours, symbols, and map keys to represent everything from provincial boundaries to mountains, forests, waterways, and elevation. Rebels put their observation skills to the test with an interactive game of I Spy using a physical map of Quebec. They searched for geographical features, including the province's highest peaks, wildlife habitats, and unique landscapes. Then it was back to their expedition envelopes for another challenge! Teams received a blank physical map of Canada and were tasked with locating and representing major Canadian geographical features, including the Canadian Shield, Rocky Mountains, St. Lawrence River, and Algonquin Provincial Park. Using their own symbols and map keys, Rebels began transforming blank maps into detailed representations of Canada's incredible natural landscape.
Wednesday took us on a journey through Canadian history with our Follow the Water challenge! Rebels listened to the story of Samuel de Champlain's explorations along the St. Lawrence River, tracing his journey and recording important locations and historical details as the story unfolded. Expedition Teams then created their own map keys to represent key elements of the journey, exploring how waterways shaped travel, trade, and settlement. We also reflected on the importance of the St. Lawrence River to Indigenous Peoples long before European explorers arrived, and how maps can help us understand different perspectives and stories from the past. Our biggest takeaway? Maps do much more than show us where things are. They can tell us stories about the people, places, and events that shaped our world!
Our Expedition Teams returned to Headquarters on Thursday to close loops, collaborate, and bring their discoveries together. Rebels worked toward completing all five of the week's expedition challenges, revisiting their research, adding missing details, and beginning to assemble our giant map of Canada using everything they had uncovered throughout the week. It was wonderful to see Rebels sharing discoveries, problem-solving together, and taking ownership of their expedition work!
Next week, our adventures head outdoors as Rebels explore Canada's physical landscapes through hands-on challenges, outdoor education, mapping activities, and an introduction to Indigenous canoe routes. We'll investigate how landforms and waterways shape the way people and wildlife move, live, and connect across our country. Our Wild Canada expedition is officially underway, and there's so much more to discover!
French
This week in French, Discovery Rebels began exploring their new project: designing and creating their very own escape rooms! Working in teams, learners will come up with a theme, develop a storyline, and create puzzles, clues, and challenges that other Rebels will need to solve using their French skills. We started by discussing what makes an escape room exciting, what elements are essential, and what we would like to include in our own creations. We also played Loup-Garou (Werewolf), a favourite game that encourages learners to practise speaking French through discussions, asking questions, making accusations, and defending their ideas.
Civilizations
This week in Civilizations, Rebels explored the fascinating history of Islam, discovering how a religion that began with the teachings of one man, the Prophet Muhammad, grew to become one of the world's largest and most widely practised religions! We learned about the early history of Islam, including the conflicts between Mecca and Medina, and explored how Mecca became Islam's holiest city. Rebels were introduced to the Five Pillars of Islam, including Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca that Muslims are expected to make at least once in their lifetime if they are physically and financially able. Our discussions also explored important Islamic values, including generosity, compassion, and caring for those who are less fortunate. Rebels made meaningful connections between these teachings and our own culture of kindness at Revel, reflecting on how different communities and traditions can share common values.
To bring our exploration of history and storytelling to life, Rebels were captivated by the thrilling adventures of Sinbad the Sailor! From navigating the Valley of Snakes to escaping danger by tying himself to the legendary giant bird known as the Roc, Sinbad's incredible journey sparked plenty of imagination and excitement. We explored how stories like Sinbad's offer a glimpse into the rich traditions of storytelling, adventure, and imagination found throughout the medieval Islamic world. It was a wonderful week of exploring history, culture, values, and the power of storytelling!
Exploration Studio
It's been an exciting first week of Session 2 in Exploration! Rebels kicked off a brand-new Quest, explored new skills through their workshops, tackled real-world challenges, and enjoyed some wonderful moments of connection and celebration along the way.
Quest
This week, our Exploration Rebels launched their new six-week Quest, The World of Work! Throughout this session, Rebels will explore the ever-changing world of careers, discover opportunities they may never have considered, and reflect on their own interests, strengths, and aspirations.
We kicked things off by exploring what Rebels already know about different careers and professions before completing a career interest assessment based on the Holland Code. This helped learners begin identifying connections between their personalities, interests, and potential career pathways. Rebels also travelled through time with an interactive timeline challenge, guessing when major milestones in the history of work took place. From the Industrial Revolution to the first woman in space, learners explored important moments that have shaped technology, opportunity, and equity in the workplace.
These activities sparked some fascinating conversations about how work has evolved and what the future might hold. Our big question for the session is “What will the world of work look like in the future, and how can we prepare ourselves for possibilities that don't even exist yet?”
Reader Writer
Our Rebels stepped into the world of journalism this week as they began exploring the art of interviewing!
We investigated what makes a great interview and how meaningful conversations can uncover fascinating stories, experiences, and perspectives. Rebels explored different types of interviews and discussed the essential skills of an effective interviewer, including active listening, curiosity, thoughtful questioning, and knowing when to dig a little deeper. Learners also reflected on their own communication strengths and identified skills they'd like to continue developing throughout the session. Over the coming weeks, Rebels will put these skills into practice as they prepare to conduct their very own interviews!
Drama
Our Drama workshop connected beautifully with this week's Reader Writer theme as Rebels explored the many transferable skills developed through acting, including communication, creativity, collaboration, confidence, adaptability, and empathy. We began by discussing what makes a great actor, sharing favourite performers, and reflecting on what makes certain performances so convincing and memorable.
Then came the fun part: The Expert Panel!
Rebels stepped into character as a panel of very different "experts," debating everyday topics like ice cream and peanut butter. Imagine a nutritionist discussing the benefits of ice cream with someone who has spent their entire career working in an ice cream truck! The challenge? Stay in character, think on your feet, respond to unexpected questions, and bring a unique personality to life! Over the next six weeks, Rebels will continue building their acting and improvisation skills as they work toward an exciting final production: a live-action Cluedo mystery, created and performed for our younger Rebels!
Math Lab
Numbers are everywhere, but what stories are they telling us?
This week, Exploration Rebels launched their new Math Lab theme, Big Data, exploring how graphs, statistics, and visual representations can help us better understand the world around us. Rebels analyzed different graphs, interpreted patterns, asked critical questions, and discovered how the same information can tell very different stories depending on how it's presented. We also explored how data is used in everyday life, from helping educators understand learners' needs to supporting communities in identifying challenges and developing meaningful solutions. Our focus wasn't simply on reading numbers, but on thinking critically about what those numbers mean, what they might be missing, and how we can use them to make informed decisions. Our guiding question: How can we use data to better understand problems and make informed decisions?
Civics
In Civics, Rebels began exploring the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a global framework focused on addressing challenges such as poverty, inequality, climate change, education, and environmental protection.
Rather than simply learning about these goals, our Rebels jumped straight into problem-solving! Working in small groups, learners rotated through a series of challenge stations, each presenting a different real-world issue connected to one of the SDGs. Teams were challenged to explore different perspectives, brainstorm creative solutions, and explain their thinking before moving on to the next challenge.
Throughout the session, we'll continue exploring innovative solutions being developed around the world and the many careers and changemakers working to address these global challenges. This workshop will connect directly to our World of Work Quest, encouraging Rebels to consider how their own interests, strengths, and future careers could contribute to making a meaningful difference in the world.
additional Highlights
It wouldn't be a week at Revel without a little adventure and plenty of reasons to celebrate!
Our Exploration Rebels joined the rest of the school for our festive Pumpkin Run, tackling the challenging terrain of Carlington Hill while cheering one another on and demonstrating some incredible grit, perseverance, and school spirit! We also had three birthdays to celebrate in the Studio this week! It's always special to take a moment to recognize our Rebels, celebrate one another, and strengthen the connections that make our community such a wonderful place to learn and grow.
Upcoming: Leaf Cleanup Next Thursday
Next Thursday, our Exploration Rebels will be rolling up their sleeves and helping with some fall leaf cleanup!
If you have a rake at home that your Rebel could bring along, we'd greatly appreciate it! A few extra rakes will help ensure everyone can participate and make the job a little easier. It's another wonderful opportunity for our learners to contribute to their community, work together, and take pride in the spaces we share. Here's to another exciting week of learning, connection, and growth in Exploration!
Questions to Ask Your Learner:
Spark Studio:
What features would your dream playground have?
What building in North America would you like to visit?
How can you fill someone else's bucket? What fills your bucket?
Discovery Studio:
What's the difference between a political map and a physical map? Can you tell me about some of the geographical features you mapped across Canada? Can you tell me the names of the ten provinces and three territories?
What are coordinates, and how do you use them to find a location on a grid? Can you teach me something you learned in your Expedition by Numbers challenge?
Which province or territory did you choose for your informational brochure, and what are three interesting things you discovered about it?
What did you plant in your Growth Garden this week? What's one goal you've set for Session 2, and how can you tell when something is challenging you in a way that helps you grow?
Exploration Studio:
What did your career interest assessment reveal about you? Did any of the results surprise you?
What makes someone a great interviewer, and how is that similar to being a great actor?
What is one global challenge you explored this week, and how could data or a future careers help solve it?