Heart-O-Grams; Sellin' Messages for a Cause

The High School's Leadership Crew sold "Heart-O-Grams" at lunch all week before Valentine's Day to raise funds to help pay Furbabies Furever Homes' bill at Weir Veterinary Clinic. "Heart-O-Grams" are small bags of candy that the students could purchase for $1 and attach a message for a recipient of their choice. The Leadership Crew passed out the grams on Friday to some very happy and pleased students! 

The students wanted to recognize all of the hard work the organization puts towards helping animals in need and finding them the right homes to call their own. 

The school helped raise over $200 for the cause. Way to go, KHS! 

A New Nation Emerges! - Social 20-2

The Social 20-2 class is learning all about nationalism, patriotism, civic nations, the connection between identity and nation, and some understandings of nation (language, ethnicity, culture, religion, geography, spirituality, relationship to land, and politics). 

As we move towards the end of our first unit, the students were given a new assignment; to make their own nation!

After years of struggling to be recognized as an independent nation, your goal has finally been attained. 

With this introduction, students were given the task to create their own nation (with some guidelines, of course). They have to name their nation, describe the structure of their society, and explain their religion, location, and geography. Along with those components, they must also design their national flag and provide reasoning for the symbols and colours used, and compose a national anthem. 

It seems like quite the assignment, but this class seems to be all for it. Their ideas and discussions are already blowing me away. I can't wait to see their presentations and learn all about their new nations!

Genius Hour - What's Your Passion?

The grade 7 class is being introduced to their next assignment that will take place over several weeks. Each Friday they will get 80 minutes to work on their project. This project is called "Genius Hour". It's a passion project allowing students to research something that interests them and something that is outside the regular curriculum. Last year was so successful that I just had to do it again. The passion project gives the students the freedom to learn about what they've always wanted to but weren't given the time or opportunity to do so in a structured and supportive classroom setting. 

Over the course of the next 8 weeks, students will come up with something they want to create, make, learn more about, or learn to do. They will then research that topic and present their information, findings, or anything they've learned, to the class.

I attached a couple of videos that I show the kids, along with my Genius Hour video from last year's class. I am more than excited to get going on this awesome adventure. Check it out!