June 19th, 2013 – Examination Schedule

Dear Parents/Guardians and Students:

Just a reminder that today is the last day of classes for Semester 2 and exams start tomorrow (Thursday June 20th).

There are 3 examination days – Thursday, June 20th; Friday, June 21st; and Monday, June 24th. Examinations are held in the morning and in the afternoon. Not all students have an examination on each day, so please check the schedule carefully to ensure that your son/daughter comes to school on the right day for the right exam.

Final Examination Schedule (June 20th, 21st, and 24th, 2013)

2013_examschedule

Absences: If a student is absent on a final exam day, a phone call from a parent/guardian and a medical note will be required and a make-up examination will have to be written as soon as possible. If no medical documentation is received, a grade of zero will be recorded for the examination.

Study Hall: We are providing a supervised Study Hall on Thursday June 20th and Friday June 21st. If students are in the school on an exam day, they are expected to be in one of two places: either writing an examination or in the study hall. If students are not writing an examination and do not want to attend study hall, they will be asked to leave the school, as we need to ensure an atmosphere of quiet and respect for the other students who are writing their examination.

Personal Items and Electronic Devices: Students need to be aware that during examinations, they will not be allowed to keep any of their personal items with them. This includes cell phones, iPods (and similar devices), electronic devices, classroom notes, textbooks, and/or personal calculators (unless allowed specifically by the classroom teacher and designated beforehand). Students need to come prepared with writing utensils.

Outstanding Materials: All outstanding library books and materials, as well as Academy-owned textbooks, are to be returned on (or by) the exam day.

If you have any questions about the upcoming examinations, please call The Academy at (416) 928-0124 ext “0”.

June 17th, 2013 – Jim Milligan Retires

Jim joined the YMCA of Greater Toronto in 1998 and provided leadership through many roles, including YMCA Substance Abuse & Gambling programs, Head of School for the YMCA Academy and recently General Manager Diversity & Social Inclusion. Throughout Jim’s 15 years with our YMCA, he has passionately guided us as we moved along the Diversity & Social Inclusion continuum. Jim’s persistence and wisdom have led us to be recognized as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers.

June 16th, 2013 – Students on Mindfulness

The Academy wrapped up it’s third year of Mindfulness programming.The school implemented this program with the support of Mindfulness without Borders.

Along with bi-weekly direct instruction on mindfulness awareness, our students benefit from a daily breathing & meditative practice called Tuza.  Our school has embraced the mindfulness practice into our daily lives and Tuza is just one of the skills we have found purposeful and beneficial.

The Grade 11 Math class decided to try to quantified our Tuza practice. Here’s what was discovered:

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June 15th, 2013 – Academy course vote

The Academy tries it’s best to accommodate student voice in timetable choices. The timetable for 2013-2014 was solidified after students provided input into their optional course preferences.

The Grade 11 Math class formalized the process through a school-wide survey and data-analysis project. Here are just some of the results from this year’s survey.

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June 14th, 2013 – Pickle Farm Harvest

Staff and students gathered after school to harvest from the Academy’s Pickle Guild. The Pickle Guild was a test crop to establish the plants that would be appropriate to grow in the Pickle Farm housed in the school’s solarium. Check out the unusual and delicious plants that were harvested and promptly pickled with our Experimental Sculpture; Pickle Farm Designer, Micah Donovan.

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