Revel Recap: Nov 2-6
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
Wednesday, November 11 - Remembrance Day
Thursday, November 26 & Friday, November 27 - Session Break: Cozy Camp with Ms. Jenna (Registration opening on Monday Nov 9 at 9:30am!)
Spark Studio
Mindfulness/Launch
This week, our Spark Rebels enjoyed a variety of activities focused on mindfulness, creativity, and movement! On Monday, we introduced box breathing, a calming strategy Rebels can use whenever they need a moment to relax and reset. We also challenged their observation skills with a playground-themed hidden objects activity. Tuesday brought a peaceful morning of yoga and stretching, while Wednesday was filled with music and movement using our Boomwhackers! On Thursday, Rebels relaxed with calming music and autumn-themed Zen Doodles. We wrapped up the week by adding another entry to our gratitude journals, encouraging Rebels to reflect on the people, experiences, and little moments they are thankful for.
Quest
This week, our Spark Rebels began bringing their dream playground ideas to life! We kicked off our planning with My Dream Playground, inspiring Rebels to imagine and design their own unique play spaces. Using whiteboards, they created rough drafts, considered different playground features and equipment, and proudly presented their ideas to the Studio.
On Wednesday, we read What Do You Do With an Idea?, a wonderful story about creativity, imagination, and having the confidence to bring our ideas to life. Inspired by the story, Rebels created their final playground blueprints, carefully planning the layout, equipment, and special features they wanted to include.
On Thursday, Rebels explored examples of 3D playground models created by other children, gathering inspiration for their upcoming building challenge. They identified materials they would need and began preparing the bases for their models, painting grass and sky backgrounds. Next week, our Spark designers will begin transforming their blueprints into 3D creations. We can't wait to see their dream playgrounds take shape!
Reader/Writer
This week, our Spark Rebels revisited Word of the Week with structure, exploring its meaning, synonyms, antonyms, and morphology (how words are formed). Rebels also began developing their playground story, voting on their main character, Emma, and contributing creative ideas for the setting. Every Rebel's ideas will be included, and families will get to see the voting results at our Exhibition!
We wrapped up by practising our writing skills, copying sentences that will become part of our story, while our Shinobi group challenged themselves to create original sentences. Ask your Rebel: Did you find this week's writing activities easy or challenging?
Math
This week in Math Workshop, our Spark Rebels continued exploring 2D and 3D shapes! Group One worked with our geometry cabinet and matching cards, practising shape recognition by identifying and matching shapes to their corresponding outlines. Group Two expanded their knowledge of 3D shapes and revisited a Studio favourite, "What's Missing?", strengthening their observation skills and visual memory.
To bring both groups together, Rebels used their growing understanding of shapes to design their own playgrounds! This creative challenge was a wonderful opportunity to connect mathematical concepts with our ongoing playground Quest.
Art
This week in Art Workshop, our Spark Rebels explored the beautiful colours of autumn! We began with the Vooks story Leaves, learning about how and why leaves change colour throughout the seasons. Inspired by the vibrant fall landscape, Rebels traced and cut out their hands and arms to create tree trunks and branches, then used our new paint sticks to add colourful autumn leaves. Their finished creations were bursting with colour, imagination, and creativity!
Geography
Our exploration of North America continued this week as Spark Rebels discovered the incredible variety of wildlife found across the continent! We watched a video introducing different North American animals and their unique sounds before exploring animal posters to learn more about these fascinating creatures. To finish, each Rebel selected a favourite North American animal, created a drawing, and practiced writing its name, connecting our geography learning with creativity and early literacy skills!
French
This week, our Spark Rebels continued exploring numbers, autumn vocabulary, and weather through fun, interactive activities! Rebels practised counting seasonal objects, learned weather vocabulary through French songs, and enjoyed one final performance of their favourite Halloween song, La sorcière Grabouilla! We also introduced a sound wheel game to practise recognizing and pronouncing French syllables, played bingo to reinforce numbers from 1 to 30 and beyond, and wrapped up the week with active vocabulary games in the gym!
Songs from this week:
Discovery Studio
Mindfulness/Morning Meetings
We kicked off Week 3 with a meaningful Launch exploring the idea of the "Big Rocks" in our lives. Using the familiar jar demonstration, Rebels reflected on how our lives can quickly fill up with little things, just like a jar filled with sand and pebbles. But what happens when we try to fit our biggest rocks in last? The lesson encouraged Rebels to think about the things that matter most to them, whether that's family, friendships, personal goals, kindness, or simply making time for the things that bring us joy. How can we make sure we're prioritizing what truly matters, rather than letting the little things take up all our space?
Tuesday’s meeting continued an important conversation from Monday's Closing Meeting about making our activity breaks more inclusive and accessible for everyone. Rebels brainstormed ways to introduce more variety, encourage participation, and ensure that everyone's interests are represented. Together, they proposed a new Studio role: Gym Monitor! This Rebel will help create a rotating schedule of activities based on team interests, ensuring that the same games aren't repeated more than three to five times per week. The goal is to make room for new games, old favourites, and more opportunities for Rebels to connect and play together. A wonderful example of learner-led problem-solving and taking ownership of our Studio culture! For Tuesday's Launch, Rebels watched Disney-Pixar's LOU, a heartwarming short film exploring friendship, kindness, empathy, and belonging. Through Socratic discussion, Rebels considered some important questions: What might cause someone to treat others unkindly? Can someone who has hurt others still learn to become a good friend? What does it mean to make someone feel included, and how can small acts of kindness change someone's day?
Wednesday's viewing of My Octopus Teacher brought some especially beautiful reflections as Rebels watched the remarkable friendship and trust developing between Craig, the diver, and the octopus. We explored how trust is built through patience, consistency, and respect, even when two friends cannot communicate through words. Rebels also made thoughtful connections to Craig's personal struggles with depression and how finding purpose, connection, and something meaningful to look forward to every day helped him rediscover joy and energy in his life. Our discussion explored how their relationship had changed since their first encounter, what actions helped build trust, and what these two very different creatures might be learning from one another. It was a lovely reminder that friendship and connection can take many different forms.
Thursday brought some collaborative brainpower as Rebels tackled the New York Times' Connections, Wordle, and Strands puzzles together! These challenges encouraged flexible thinking, creative problem-solving, and teamwork as Rebels shared strategies and worked through tricky clues. We followed this with a Squad Chickens check-in, giving Squad Leaders an opportunity to connect with their teammates, reflect on weekly goals, celebrate progress, and offer encouragement where needed.
We wrapped up the week with a little Disney magic during Friday's Boomwhackers session, featuring some of our favourite songs from Disney movies! This week in Current Events, Rebels explored the threats facing Canada's Atlantic salmon population and why protecting this species is so important. We also had some fun discussing the re-release of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, sparking an exciting conversation among our Studio gamers! Rebels considered a fun question: If you could bring one video game from today back 30 years from now, which would you choose and why?
Throughout the week, one important theme continued to emerge: making space for what matters most. Whether that meant prioritizing meaningful relationships, creating more inclusive play opportunities, building trust, or supporting our teammates, Rebels demonstrated that even small, intentional choices can make a big difference in our Studio community.
Reader/Writer Workshop
This week in Reader/Writer, Rebels continued their research for their Canadian Provincial Travel Brochures, diving into Part 2 of their research questions! Building on their understanding of each province's geography, population, and unique characteristics, Rebels shifted their focus to the natural resources, industries, and economic opportunities that help shape life in their selected province. Through guided research, Rebels explored questions such as: What natural resources are found in this province? What goods does it import and export? What are its major industries, and what types of jobs are available to the people who live there? These questions encouraged Rebels to think critically about how geography and natural resources influence where people live, work, and build communities.
As they gathered information, Rebels continued strengthening their research, note-taking, and informational writing skills, preparing to transform their discoveries into engaging travel brochures in the coming weeks that showcase what makes each Canadian province unique!
French
This week, our Discovery Rebels moved into the exciting construction phase of their French escape room projects! After weeks of developing stories, clues, and puzzles, Rebels are now bringing their creative ideas to life. Working collaboratively, they began building their escape rooms, preparing materials, and refining their French clues and instructions. This hands-on project is a wonderful opportunity to strengthen French reading and writing skills while practising problem-solving, creativity, and teamwork!
Math Lab
This week in Math Lab, Rebels jumped into our next series of exciting challenges in Expedition by Numbers, combining wildlife exploration with hands-on mathematical problem-solving, collaboration, and plenty of movement!
Draw and Anchor: Wildlife Tracking & Data Exploration
Our Draw and Anchor Rebels tackled three new challenges: Plot the Wildlife Sightings, Measuring Animal Trails, and Build a Wildlife Bar Graph! Through these activities, Rebels strengthened their understanding of coordinates, practiced converting between metres and kilometres to calculate distances, and transformed wildlife tracking data into visual bar graphs.
One of the highlights was watching Rebels take turns leading portions of the workshop! Those who felt confident with particular concepts stepped into teaching roles, guiding their peers through examples and explanations. What a wonderful opportunity to deepen mathematical mastery while building confidence, presentation skills, and clear communication!
Aim and Release: Migration Mathematics
Our Aim and Release Rebels took on Migration Mathematics, exploring multiplication and long division through real-world wildlife migration scenarios. Their mission? Calculate average distances travelled by migrating animals over days, weeks, and longer periods! Working in pairs at whiteboards, Rebels tackled increasingly complex long division problems, breaking down each step, discussing strategies, and checking their calculations together. It was incredible to watch the collaboration unfold as Rebels moved between groups, supported one another, explained their thinking, and verified answers before recording their final work in their duotangs.
These are the moments we love most in Math Lab! Rebels weren't simply solving equations. They were developing perseverance, mathematical confidence, leadership, and the ability to learn from and teach one another. As the Rebels say, they were “cookin!”
Civilizations
Our Middle Ages adventure took us across the Pacific Ocean this week as Rebels explored the fascinating histories, cultures, and traditions of Australia, New Zealand, and the Polynesian Islands! We learned about the rich histories of Aboriginal Australian peoples and the Māori of New Zealand, exploring their deep connections to the land, their traditions, and the incredible stories passed down through generations.
One of the highlights was discovering the legendary tales of Maui the clever and adventurous demigod celebrated in many Polynesian cultures! Rebels were excited to recognize the familiar character who inspired Maui in Disney's Moana, while learning about the traditional stories and mythology behind him. What a wonderful opportunity to explore the power of storytelling, cultural traditions, and the many ways people around the world have shared their histories across generations!
Quest
This week, our Wild Canada Expedition took us into the incredible world of Canadian wildlife as Rebels explored the diverse ecosystems that make our country so unique!
We kicked off the week with another top-secret expedition mission! Each squad opened a mystery envelope revealing their assigned Canadian animal: Moose, Otter, Caribou, Polar Bear, or Plains Bison. Each animal represented a different Canadian ecosystem, and Rebels were challenged to become wildlife experts, investigating everything from their animal's habitat and diet to its unique adaptations and the environmental conditions essential to its survival. Our mission didn't stop at research! Each squad was tasked with designing and building a physical model of their animal's ecosystem, complete with visual representations of the adaptations that help their animal survive, along with two specific threats facing both the species and its habitat.
Rebels quickly divided and conquered! Some focused on researching their animals, gathering scientific facts, recording observations, and beginning detailed wildlife illustrations, while others got to work planning, designing, and constructing their ecosystems. It was wonderful to see how intentional Rebels were with their designs, carefully considering everything from vegetation and climate to food sources, shelter, and the impact of human activity. By the end of the week, our expedition teams had created incredible visual representations of Canada's wildlife habitats, demonstrating not only how animals depend on their environments, but also why protecting these ecosystems is so important.
A Special Visit: Connecting Canada's Wildlife Habitats!
Wednesday brought an especially exciting opportunity as we welcomed Jessica Lax-Cohen and her colleague from the Algonquin to Adirondacks Collaborative (A2A) for a special wildlife conservation workshop! Jessica shared her work protecting and connecting wildlife habitats between Algonquin Provincial Park and the Adirondack Mountains, helping animals such as wolves, moose, bears, and fishers move safely across the landscape. Rebels learned about the ecological importance of the Thousand Islands region and how habitat connectivity supports wildlife populations, particularly as environmental conditions and climates continue to change.
We began with an interactive activity in the gym that brought the challenges of wildlife movement to life, helping Rebels understand what happens when roads and human development divide natural habitats. We then explored the fascinating concept of wildlife crossings, including specially designed bridges that allow animals to travel safely over and under busy roads! A2A are actively trying to have a wildlife overpass built over the 401 between Ottawa and Toronto, and Rebels wrapped up the workshop discussing ways they could contribute to that outcome, such as writing letters to government and signing petitions. It was an incredible opportunity for Rebels to connect their research and ecosystem models to real-world conservation efforts happening right here in our region. A huge thank you to Jessica and her colleague for sharing their knowledge, passion, and important work with our Rebels!
As we head into Week 4, our expedition will take a journey back in time to explore the history of the Canadian fur trade and its impact on the land, wildlife, Indigenous communities, and the development of Canada. Building on this week's discoveries, Rebels will begin connecting Canada's history with the importance of protecting our natural spaces today. How have humans depended on Canada's wildlife throughout history? How has that relationship changed over time? And what responsibilities do we have to ensure that the animals, habitats, and landscapes that make Canada Wild Canada continue to thrive for generations to come?
Exploration Studio
Reader/Writer
This week, our Exploration Rebels continued developing their journalism skills, focusing on research, meaningful questions, and effective interviewing techniques. Rebels revisited their interview questions from last week, challenging themselves to make them more thoughtful, engaging, and open-ended. We also explored how sequencing questions can help conversations flow naturally, encourage deeper insights, and allow stories to unfold. Rebels will put these skills into practice during their upcoming career interviews!
Drama
Can you communicate an emotion without saying a single word?
This week, Rebels explored the power of nonverbal communication in acting and everyday interactions. Working in small groups, they created short performances using only facial expressions, gestures, body language, and movement to communicate different emotions. Their fellow Rebels were then challenged to identify the emotions being portrayed!
We also discussed how nonverbal communication extends beyond the stage, playing an important role in interviews, presentations, relationships, and everyday conversations.
French
This week, our Exploration Rebels continued developing the riddles, puzzles, and mysteries for their French escape room projects! Rebels focused on creating original challenges, writing clues in French, and ensuring their puzzles are both engaging and solvable. They also explored how to connect their clues to create a logical and exciting experience for future players. This creative planning process strengthens French reading, writing, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills as Rebels prepare to bring their escape rooms to life!
Quest
Our Career Exploration Quest is gaining momentum! This week, Rebels took their learning beyond the Studio, visiting local businesses to introduce their projects and explore opportunities for career interviews.
Back in the Studio, Rebels began organizing their career interview database, connecting with professionals in fields that spark their curiosity. They also researched different professions and prepared thoughtful questions for their upcoming interviews.
We wrapped up the week with Career Timeline presentations, exploring how different professions have evolved over time and imagining how careers might continue to change in the future!
Math Lab
Our exploration of data continued this week as Rebels prepared to collect real-world information. Working collaboratively, they designed career-focused surveys, practising how to create clear, relevant questions that would generate meaningful responses.
During Monday's downtown Ottawa adventure, Rebels will put their surveys into action by connecting with community members. They will then organize, graph, and interpret their findings, transforming real-world responses into meaningful visual data.
Social Sciences and Civics: The Million-Dollar Challenge
If you had one million dollars to make a positive difference in the world, how would you spend it?
This week, Rebels continued their Million-Dollar Challenge, exploring the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and researching how their investments could create meaningful change.
Through this challenge, Rebels are developing critical thinking, research, and decision-making skills as they evaluate global issues, explore possible solutions, and consider how resources can be used to make a lasting impact.
Coming Up Monday: Downtown Ottawa Adventure!
We have an exciting day of learning beyond the Studio planned for Monday, November 9!
Our Exploration Rebels will be heading downtown Ottawa for a day filled with career exploration, community connections, and creativity!
Our itinerary includes:
Google and WWF Office Visits: Exploring different workplaces, discovering career pathways, and connecting with professionals.
Community Career Surveys: Putting Math Lab skills into practice by collecting real-world data.
Lunch at Zak's Diner: A special thank-you to one of our Revel families for generously providing lunch!
Ottawa Art Gallery: Exploring art and creativity while completing our weekly paragraph-writing activity in both English and French.
We're looking forward to seeing Rebels apply their skills in authentic settings, build community connections, and discover how their learning extends beyond the Studio!
Questions to Ask Your Learner…
Spark Studio
What are four features you have included on your playground? Are there any materials you need from home (recycling) that we can send in for you to use next week?
What animals did you learn about that live in North America? What one did you draw?
What 2D and 3D shapes can you see around our house?
Discovery Studio
How do Canada's different landscapes and habitats influence where animals live and how they survive?
When did you show leadership, kindness, or perseverance this week? Did someone else help you along the way?
Who was Maui, and what did you learn about his adventures in Polynesian mythology? How was he similar to or different from the character in Moana?
Draw/Anchor: If you were tracking a wild animal across Canada, would you use metres or kilometres to measure its distance? Why?
Aim/Release: If a herd of prairie bison travel 386km over 9 days, how far do they travel each day? Can you show your work and all of the long division steps?
Exploration Studio
What makes a great interview question, and why does the order of your questions matter?
Which career or professional are you most excited to learn about, and what would you like to discover during your interview?
If you had one million dollars to address a global issue, which Sustainable Development Goal would you choose, and how would you use the money to make a difference?