Revel Recap: Sept 14-18
Important Upcoming Dates:
Monday, September 28th - Terry Fox Run
Wednesday, September 30th - Truth and Reconciliation Day (Wear Orange!)
Grade 5-6 Soccer Tournament - Boys — Tuesday, October 6 from 9:30–2:30 Girls — Wednesday, October 7 from 9:30–2:30
Monday, October 5th from 9:00-2:30pm - Exploration Team-building Trip to Camp Fortune Adventure Park
Session 1 Exhibitions:
Tuesday, October 6th - Discovery Exhibition, 4:00-5:00
Wednesday, October 7th - Spark Exhibition, 4:00-5:00
Thursday, October 8th - Exploration Exhibition, 4:00-5:00
October 13th to 16th - Session Break Camp with Ms. Megan, registration and details will be posted on Band on September 21st at 9:00am.
Friday, October 23rd- Revel Pumpkin Run, 2:30-3:15pm
October 29th Revel Community Book Club: The Self-Driven Child by William Stixrud & Ned Johnson, 6:00-7:30pm
Family Onboarding Night
A huge thank you to all of our new and returning Revel families who joined us for our Guardian Onboarding Evening this week! We are so appreciative of everyone who came ready to participate, engage in vulnerable and meaningful conversations, share openly, and connect with one another. It was a wonderful evening of strengthening our community, building relationships, and diving deeper into all things Revel. We are so grateful to be heading into this year alongside such an engaged and supportive community!
Spark Studio
Mindfulness/Launch
On Monday, the Sparks began their day with mindful animal breathing, using movement and imagination to help their bodies settle into a calm and focused state. Afterwards, we launched our Kindness Challenge for the week! Together, we talked about why kindness matters and how small, thoughtful actions can help us build friendships, strengthen our community, and make our Studio a happier place.
Learners then explored our Kindness Bingo, a playful way to practise everyday kindness. Some of the squares included letting someone go first in line, listening respectfully when a friend is speaking, giving a compliment about something someone worked hard on, helping clean up a game they did not play with, or assisting a friend in putting away their things. Sparks were encouraged to complete as many squares as they could throughout the week, and we loved seeing all of the kind choices they made! On Tuesday, we celebrated Dot Day! After reading The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds, we talked about how the story encourages us to be brave, creative, and confident in making our mark. Dot Day is all about trying new things, embracing mistakes, and expressing yourself through art. Learners created their own individual dot artwork using colours, patterns, and unique designs. We also worked together on a collaborative dot canvas, adding circles of all sizes and colours to create one joyful piece of community art.
On Wednesday, the Sparks eased into the day with a Cosmic Kids Yoga session and did a wonderful job following along with the stretches. Afterwards, our Dot Day celebrations continued with an imaginative art challenge. Each learner received a page filled with circles of different sizes and was encouraged to think about what a dot could become, transforming each one into something new! On Thursday, we gathered as a group to repeat an affirmation about respect. Learners shared moments from the week when they had shown respect and reflected on how those choices made them feel. We then shifted into a gentle mindfulness activity, colouring a capybara page that asked, “How can you be a good friend today?” We wrapped up the week on Friday with a song about gratitude. Learners then completed the next page in their gratitude journals, reflecting on why they are thankful for their friends.
Reader/Writer Workshop
This week in Reader/Writer Workshop, our learners focused on bringing together two important pieces of literacy: reading and writing. Our older Rebels read a four page story about three characters, a wish, and some fish! They then answered questions about what they had read, recalling details such as the name of the fish shop and what one of the characters was wearing. This challenged learners to practise not only their reading skills, but also their comprehension and recall. Our younger learners continued focusing on the sounds and correct formation of the letters T, S, M, F, B, P, and the vowel A. We then explored two bins filled with objects connected to two of our focus letters. Ask your learner if they remember what came out of the bins! We finished our workshop with Chapter 2 of our read aloud, Magic Tree House, Book 1.
Math Workshop
This week in Math Workshop, we began by reading What Is Math?, a book that helps learners recognize how math shows up in everyday patterns, measurements, problem solving, and the world around us. After the story, we practised counting aloud together before breaking into pairs to explore our Montessori math materials. Each learner worked on a math skill that matched their current level, using concrete materials to make abstract mathematical ideas more hands on and accessible. Some Sparks worked with quantities to 10, while others practised using the Hundred Board, Addition Board, or explored skip counting with the Counting Chains. These materials help learners build strong mathematical foundations by giving them opportunities to see, touch, and manipulate numbers in meaningful ways. We will continue exploring these materials during our work periods as Sparks build confidence and deepen their understanding of important math concepts.
Geography
After listening to our favourite geography song, we reviewed the Continent Puzzle Map together. Learners named each continent and noticed the colours used to represent them on the map.
Everyone then worked on colouring their own paper versions, carefully matching the colours to those on our Continent Puzzle Map. This gave Sparks another opportunity to strengthen their familiarity with the continents while connecting their learning to the Montessori materials they use in the Studio.
Art
Dot Day continued to inspire us throughout the week! For our Art Workshop on Wednesday, learners used card stock and brightly coloured circles to create beautiful dot themed collages. Sparks experimented with different colour patterns, overlapping circles, and layering shapes to make each piece unique. It was wonderful to see their creativity as they explored how something as simple as a dot can become vibrant and expressive!
Quest
This week’s Quest was all about friendship! On Tuesday, we began with the story Olivia, A Guide to Being a Friend. The story follows Olivia as she discovers what it means to be a thoughtful friend by showing kindness, including others, listening, helping, and celebrating the people around her. It set the perfect tone for our week! After the story, the Sparks worked hard to create friendship bracelets for one another. They carefully selected beads they thought their friends would love, strung them with care, made a special wish for the friend receiving their bracelet, and then delivered their creations with big smiles.
On Wednesday, we read Meesha Makes a Friend, a gentle story about finding confidence in making connections and discovering that friendship can grow in many different ways. Afterwards, we explored several friendship scenarios and thought about what a good friend might do in each situation. Sparks then brainstormed ways they can be good friends within our Studio community. To finish, they drew pictures of themselves being a friend and wrote about how they show friendship through their everyday actions.
On Thursday, we read The Invisible Boy, a story about how small acts of kindness can help someone feel seen, included, and valued. After our discussion, the Sparks created a web of kindness together. Using yarn, learners passed the strand around the circle, offering a compliment each time. By the end, we had woven a bright, interconnected web of kind words stretching across our group. This activity prepared us beautifully for our final challenge: compliment cards. Each Spark partnered with another learner and created a card especially for them. They drew a picture, addressed their card thoughtfully, and wrote a specific compliment that was meaningful, personal, and connected to who their partner is or something they have worked hard on. We focused on making our compliments clear and genuine, giving Sparks another opportunity to practise appreciation, kindness, and expressive language.
Additional Highlights
On Monday, the Sparks headed into the Gym and challenged themselves to create the alphabet using only their bodies and different poses! Some letters were definitely trickier than others, but learners stayed determined, worked together, and shared plenty of laughter along the way. It was a fun combination of movement, creativity, problem solving, and teamwork! This week, we were also joined by both Discovery and Exploration Rebels for two days of Reading Buddies. The Sparks have really enjoyed spending time with their older buddies and listening as they read stories in both French and English. It has been wonderful to see these connections growing across our Studios!
On Friday, the Sparks participated in a Fire Drill and did an excellent job putting our safety routines into practice. They lined up calmly and quietly, listened carefully to their Guides, and followed directions with confidence. We were so proud of how seriously they approached the drill and helped make our safety practice smooth and successful!
Discovery Studio
Mindfulness/Launch
This week, our morning meetings gave Rebels more opportunities to build and work through systems and processes that help our Studio function safely while our contracts continue to take shape over the next few weeks. On Monday, Rebels continued working on their All About Me pennants and revisited our conversation about gym safety and hockey rules from last week’s Campfire. Together, Rebels created another set of Guardrails for playing hockey in the gym, including what kinds of shots are safest, which equipment makes the most sense for indoor play, and how we can hold one another accountable when things get too intense. Rebels agreed that if someone asks another player to take a break, they will step out for a two minute reset. We also brought back “UPSIDE DOWN PINEAPPLE CAKE!” If a Rebel feels that play in the gym is becoming too chaotic, they can call it out and everyone takes a two minute reset outside the gym before returning to play.
On Tuesday, Rebels discussed some intentional changes to our Town Hall meetings, including a new name: Campfire. We explored the idea that for thousands of years, people have gathered around fires to tell stories, solve problems, make decisions, teach one another, and strengthen their communities. Our Campfire can work the same way. When the campfire is lit, we gather in a circle where everyone can see one another and every voice has a place. Just like a real fire, our Campfire only stays strong when people contribute to it. Rebels loved the idea, and our Studio now has a mini campfire that we will gather around each Friday to share, discuss Discovery events or issues we would like to improve, make decisions together, and connect as a community to end our week.
Watch It Wednesday showed us just how difficult it is for our favourite Adélie penguin, Steve, to survive the intensity of his environment. From dodging orcas, sea lions, and other apex predators while gathering fish for his new babies, to enduring powerful katabatic windstorms, Rebels were fascinated by how deeply Steve’s instincts are connected to his ability to survive as a first time adult male, with maybe a little bit of luck mixed in too! Our New York Times puzzles were another success this week, with Rebels solving both Wordle and Connections together before our time ran out. Thursday’s Thank You for Sharing invited Rebels to recall important parts of our Civilizations story about Beowulf and Grendel from last week. From there, we opened the floor for Rebels to share some of the hard losses they have experienced in their own lives, what they learned from them, and how they found ways to move forward. Friday morning Boomwhackers brought plenty of joy and energy to the Studio, as always! Current Events introduced Rebels to a special grizzly crossing initiative that is a finalist for the 2026 Earthshot Prize, followed by an unexpectedly heated debate about caramel apple flavours. A pretty great way to wrap up another week in Discovery!
Reader Writer Workshop
This week, Rebels jumped into their second communication challenge, focusing on conflict resolution through Peace Table Scripts and the 5 R’s Apology Cards. Rebels worked with a variety of social emotional scenarios, reading each one aloud and creating a Peace Table Script based on the conflict. They considered how the Rebels involved could communicate respectfully, listen to one another, take responsibility, and work toward resolution and repair.
Rebels also reflected on a disagreement or conflict they had experienced in the past with another Rebel, sibling, family member, or friend. Using our 5 R’s framework, they created an Apology Card for someone they felt they owed an apology to, thinking intentionally about Regret, Responsibility, Rationale, Repentance, and Repair. At the end of the workshop, we came back together as a group, and Rebels who felt comfortable shared their Peace Table Scripts and Apology Cards aloud. It was a thoughtful opportunity to practise the language and communication skills that Rebels can carry with them into real moments of conflict, helping them navigate disagreements with greater confidence, empathy, and accountability. Up next week, Revel Job Applications and Squad Leader presentations!
Math Lab
This week in Math Lab kicked off with two interactive math games called Break the Bank and Four Squares! In Break the Bank, Rebels rolled nine digits using a 10 sided die and were challenged to create three numbers that could be added together without exceeding 1,000. Rebels with the highest sums without going over then had to show their work, proving that their addition and regrouping skills were accurate. For Four Squares, we tapped into our Geometry and Spatial Sense skills as Rebels worked to create as many squares as possible using four overlapping square images. The challenge sparked some excellent mathematical dialogue around quadrilaterals, including an interesting debate about whether rectangles can ever be classified as squares and which properties make that statement true! Rebels then jumped back into their Math Lab duotangs to continue working through targeted math tasks with a focus on operations. It was a great week of problem solving, mathematical reasoning, and putting our skills into practice!
Civilizations
This week in Civilizations, we continued exploring how the Anglo-Saxons populated England, and how Christianity began to spread throughout Britain. Rebels learned about monks, monasteries, and how St. Augustine brought Christianity to Britain. This sparked some wonderful conversations as Rebels eagerly shared what they already knew about religion, including different experiences and traditions they have encountered through their families and communities.
Our chapters focused on what daily life looked like for monks during this time period. Rebels learned about the many responsibilities within a monastery, including making furniture, preparing and serving food, cleaning and caring for their shared spaces, and the painstaking process of handwriting scripture and books such as the Bible. We also wrestled with some compelling questions. If you were a Christian living in Britain during this time, whose authority would mean more to you, the king or the pope? Why? Rebels made excellent points on both sides and practiced defending their thinking with evidence and reasoning. To wrap up the week, Rebels began brainstorming material lists and gathering inspiration images for their first collaborative Civ projects. We are excited to see their ideas begin to take shape!
Quest
This week in Quest, Rebels focused on safety protocols and our Accountability Systems. On Monday, Rebels took a closer look at our Alert System. They read through sections of the Family Handbook and highlighted what they felt was the most important information about accountability at Revel. Rebels then came back together to present the Alert System to one another, making sure they understood why a Rebel might receive an Alert, who can issue one, and, most importantly, what the repair process looks like.
On Tuesday, we brought accountability to life with a modified game of Four Corners in the Gym. Each corner represented a different response: a Rebel Buck, a Peace Table, an Apology Card, or an Alert. Rebels listened to different Studio scenarios, ran to the corner representing the response they felt was most appropriate, and then defended their thinking. Throughout these conversations, Rebels consistently emphasized how much they would advocate for Peace Tables and conversations before Rebel Bucks or Alerts became part of the picture. It was a wonderful reflection of the strong connections and culture they are already building together in the Studio. Wednesday was all about safety. Rebels learned about our fire, lockdown, and shelter in place protocols, beginning with the importance and the “why” behind each one. We then rehearsed together, practising from different areas of the school and focusing on moving calmly, quietly, and safely to our designated locations. Rebels were brave, supportive of one another, and took the responsibility seriously, which resulted in an excellently executed Fire Drill on Friday morning. Way to go, Rebels!
On Thursday, we returned to our “Where I’m From” poems, completing three more verses together as a group while building vocabulary and supporting spelling along the way. Up next, we will dive deeper into important parts of our Revel program, including Mindfulness and Launch, explore the importance of a Growth Mindset, revisit our Studio Contracts as we begin to finalize them, and start planning for our upcoming Revel Exhibition!
Exploration Studio
Math Lab
This week marked our very first Math Lab! To kick things off, Rebels tackled a few fun math challenges before working in pairs through 30 discussion questions. These questions invited learners to reflect on their past experiences with math, explore their math mindset, and work together to solve short problems.
It was a great opportunity to begin thinking about not only what we know in math, but also how we see and feel about ourselves as mathematicians. As we continue through Math Lab, we will keep building confidence, challenging our thinking, and developing positive relationships with math.
Big Heroes
Connecting to our overarching theme this session, we began exploring the question, “What makes someone become part of history?”
Rebels discussed how many people remembered throughout history were passionate about a cause, stood up for what they believed in, and used their actions to create change. Learners began considering the qualities that can define a hero and how leadership can take many different forms.
Quest
This week’s Quest was all about ME! Rebels participated in a variety of activities designed to deepen their self awareness. We explored what self awareness means, why it matters, and how understanding ourselves can help us continue to grow.
Learners completed a self awareness questionnaire, personality surveys, and reflection activities to discover more about their strengths, interests, values, emotions, and areas for growth. Ms. Sarah also introduced Rebels to self portraiture. Each learner took photos, designed a background, and began creating an art piece that will accompany the personal writing they are developing in Reader/Writer Workshop. We are excited to see these two pieces come together!
Civics
In Civics, each Rebel selected a country for a mini Culture Explorer project. Learners are investigating both the parts of culture we can easily see, such as food, music, celebrations, and language, as well as the elements that exist below the surface, including values, relationships, communication, and traditions. As their projects develop, Rebels will have the opportunity to share their discoveries and teach the rest of the Studio about the culture they explored.
Reader/Writer Workshop
This week, we put our creative writing tools into action! Rebels have been exploring the idea that writing is like painting with words, using techniques such as imagery, metaphors, similes, repetition, and descriptive language to make their writing richer and more engaging.
Learners began creating a personal piece that describes who they are, combining self reflection with the creative writing techniques we have been practising. These pieces will eventually be paired with their self portraits from Quest, bringing together their writing, creativity, and growing understanding of themselves.
Questions to Ask Your Learner(s)…
Spark Studio
Who did you make a friendship bracelet for?
Who was your partner for the compliment card and what did you write to them?
Did you finish your Kindness Bingo Card? What kind acts did you complete this week?
What math material did you work with during Math Lab this week? (Addition chart, hundreds board, number rods, counting chains)
What is harder to do - read letters and make the sounds (or read complete stories) or write the letter shapes correctly (or write the answers to Who/What and Where questions?)
Discovery Studio
In Quest, you talked about different ways to handle conflict. When do you think a Peace Table is more helpful than an Alert or losing a Rebel Buck? Why?
What was your strategy for getting as close to 1,000 as possible during Break the Bank in Math Lab? What would you do differently if you played again?
What is one part of the Revel Accountability System that you understand better now? How do you think these systems help keep the Studio safe and respectful?
You practiced using the 5 R’s Apology Cards this week. What do you think makes an apology feel genuine and actually help repair a relationship?
Can you tell me something new you learned about Steve the penguin this week?
Exploration Studio
What is something you discovered about yourself this week that surprised you or made you think?
What country did you choose for your Culture Explorer project, and what is something interesting you have discovered about its culture?
How would you describe your math mindset right now? What experiences have shaped the way you feel about math?