The YMCA Academy kicked off another great school year with an incredible guest, storyteller Jim Adams. Jim shared interesting and moving stories from various First Nations, answered questions about political and historical issues and invited participants to choose rocks from a pile as a way to connect with a story. Jim’s warmth, humour and talent was appreciated by all present. Thanks, Jim, and please come back again soon!
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.
May 24th, 2013 – Evergreen Stewardship Spring
On Friday May 17th, 2013 the YMCA Academy made its annual spring trek to Evergreen Downsview as part of our yearly environmental stewardship initiative. It was a bright and sunny day and our staff and students were eager to get their hands on shovels to start the planting. Upon arrival we set our things aside and awaited our instructions from JR, the project manager of urban ecology at Evergreen Downsview, and our guide. Little did we know the surprise he had in store for us.
To our surprise and amazement, JR informed us that we would be digging up and replanting trees from the nursery to their final resting places. But these were no ordinary trees. These were the very same trees the Academy had planted 3 years ago, and who were now big enough and strong enough to be transplanted to their final destinations. With shovels in hand the Academy replanted many treest, helping reforest Downsview Park for the third year in a row. We look forward to watching this forest grow, especially since the Academy has planted the vast majority of the trees that will live within it.
Mar 4th, 2013 – Storyteller Jim Adams Visit
The grade 10 English and the grade 11 Aboriginal Voices classes hosted storyteller Jim Adams this week to celebrate the traditional winter storytelling practice of Canada’s Indigenous peoples. Jim wowed us all with ancient and personal tales, a beautiful song with his drum, hands-on and experiential activities with rocks and an information-sharing question and answer period that shed light on many topics. His warmth, generosity and humour were greatly admired and we all took away much more than we came with. Each of us still has our own rock in our pocket, on our desk or in some special place. Thanks so much, Jim, and please come back soon!
Jan 29th, 2013 – The Cycle of Giving Continues …
In September 2012, the Grade 12 Environment and Resource class helped to co-ordinate the Academy’s school-wide participation in the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup. As a result of our participation in that event, the Academy received $50 that could be donated to any registered Canadian charity.
The decision as to where that money would be donated was turned into a class research project of Canadian environmental non-governmental organizations (NGO’s). Research included not only an organization’s goals, activities, and success stories, but also required students to look at an NGO’s budget – including revenue, expenses and administrative costs.
After the presentations, the winner was chosen by class vote…Earth Rangers, an organization that focuses on educating children about the environment, was chosen as the donation recipient. But the giving still continued…thanks to others in our class who were inspired by a presentation on the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS), that organization also received over $100 from independent donations from our class!
