May 10th, 2011 – Volunteer Recognition Assembly

Volunteerism is an important part of the YMCA culture with countless volunteers contributing to various programs across the association.

At the Academy we paused our lessons for a moment of recognition and appreciation. Staff, Students and Volunteers gathered to recognize &  give special thanks to three Academy volunteers,  Dale Jeffries, Peggy Mannis and Todd Harrison,  who have contributed their time, energy and support to the Academy family over the last 3 years. Students made cards and a few used this opportunity to say special thanks to those with whom they had worked closely

On behalf of the Academy and the Association we thank YOU for all you do.

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May 10th, 2011 – Student Transition Presentations

Congratulations on your first presentation, Transition Team!

As part of our strategy to become further involved with the outside community and to better inform the public about our school, a group of very eager students have joined together to form the “Transition Team.”  The aim is for them to visit Grade 8 schools to talk to junior students about high school, about the transition process, and to introduce them to the YMCA Academy.  In order to collect information about what this process was like for our students, we did a short survey a few weeks ago, and the information was compiled by the BTT class and transformed into an educational Powerpoint that was used during the presentation.   Members of the team were very dedicated, practicing at lunch time and after school.

We had our first presentation last Thursday (May 5) where the students did an outstanding job of presenting to students at Dunblaine School.  Not only does this project benefit the Grade 8’s that we visit, to help calm their worries about their upcoming transition, but Academy students benefit through this service learning project by earning volunteer hours. Our Academy students represented our school well, as they shared their experiences about their Grade 9 year, and mentored the younger students on strategies to help them through the process.

If you would like more information about our Transition Presentation or would like to recommend a school that would benefit from our youth mentor “Transition Team”, please call the school at 416-928-0124 for more information.

May 10th, 2011 – Reminder: Parent Speaker Series

Just a reminder that the Education about the ADHD Brain and Strategies for Supporting ADHD Teens Parent Speaker Series presentation by Ann Clarkson, Professional Certified Coach, is taking place this Thursday (May 12th) at the Academy at 7pm.

If you are planning to join us to learn more about the ADHD brain and key strategies to effectively manage ADHD with your teenager, but have not RSVP yet, please kindly do so as soon as possible via e-mail to bonita.ip@ymcagta.org or call us at 416-928-0124 ext. 0

Click Here for more information.

May 9th, 2011 – Science Centre Field Trip Photos

On Friday May 6th the grade 9 and 10 science classes went to the Ontario Science Centre. Our first stop was on level 5 where we explored the wonders of the human body. This gave the grade 10 class an up close and hands on experience about cells, tissues and organisms. Next we stopped off at two separate exhibits and discovered how optical illusions work as well as observed various animals in their ecosystems. After lunch we finally got to see the IMAX film Hubble, allowing the grade 9 class to see how the instrument that took all the amazing pictures they have been witnessing in the Earth and space science unit was placed into orbit.  Our trip concluded with a tour of our solar system and the universe through presentation in the center’s planetarium.

Check out the rest of the pictures on our Facebook Page!