CLC Wrap-up: News-notes (May 2015)
CLC Chateauguay:
St. Willibrord
My own inukshuk
After their Red path Museum video conference visit, grade 4 students continued to work on their rocks and minerals project (community based service learning/CBSL). They made their own inukshuk (man-made stone landmark used by the Inuit) in art class and then walked over to Mary Gardner School to explain the shapes and colours represented in their inukshuk to grade 1 and 2 students @ MGS… and all this was done en francais.
Risky Business – Protecting your kid
St.Willibrord held an open to the public parent video conference seminar about “a child’s transition to adolescence as their search for their own identity“. The facilitator spoke of the importance of positive parenting strategies that can be implemented when children are young. Parents had the opportunity to discover the “protective factors” which keep children from risk taking behaviour and learned how to use them in the everyday lives of their family.
Dino designers
Students from cycle one and two participate in a dinosaur based video conference. Students learned about Stegosauruses and were able to release their inner artist by sculpting and modeling their own stegosaurus out of clay.
Community Garage Sale
St. Willibrord’s PPO welcomes you to take part in their community garage sale, on Saturday, May 30th from 9-4 pm. Tables will be available to rent at 20.00$ each and the sale will take place in the schoolyard. They are also accepting donations of goods to sell with the proceeds going directly to the kids. Refreshments such as lemonade, popsicles and other treats will be sold on site. If you would like to rent a table, please call Cathy at 450-699-4623 or leave an email request at stwillppo@gmail.com. Donations can be dropped off at the school during regular school hours. St.Willibrord would like to thanks the community for their continuous support!
Centennial Park
The musical Honk `Junior` comes to life
With the support from a community based service learning grant, a musical comedy based on the story of The Ugly Duckling came to life on the evening of April 29th and 30th. The cast were students aged 9-12 years from Centennial Park School. The musical was a cultural arts performance offered to the community. It also helped decrease some of the stress for students attending the high school next year, as the play was held at Billings and IB students supported their younger colleagues by working on the sound and lighting. The musical also helped students form a relationship with seniors and a local shelter, as they were offered free tickets. All of this would have not been possible without the leadership of Ms. Moira Lemme CPS music teacher.
Howard S Billings
Street Arts Festival Boot Camp
The Street Arts Festival is a multi-disciplinary arts-based event exclusively for youth aged 12-17 from the Vallée-Haut-St-Laurent area. The 2015 edition of the festival will take place in early fall at Howard S. Billings High School. The festival allows those interested in graffiti, multi-media art, urban dance and music to participate in free workshops, conferences and demonstrations lead by professional artists. There is also a prevention and awareness component to the event. On April 23rd a “Boot Camp” was held at H.S.B for all youth interested to start a planning committee and a way to come together to better get to know one another. The evening was filled with team building activities, training and planning. A student committee was created with students from all around the area to help support the planning of the Street Arts Festival.
Option Etudes students talk $$$$$
Thirty option Etudes students walked to St.Willibrord to use their video conference system in order to learn about financial literacy. The VC connected several schools as a bank manager from BMO discussed the importance of savings, RESP’s, interest rates and budgeting. Students learned how to enjoy money while being responsible at the same time.
History of indigenous peoples (St.Willibrord & Billings)
Through participation in the Blanket Experience and with the support of a CBSL grant, St. Willibrord cycle 3 students learned of the consequences European settlements had on Native land and culture. Students did this through a blanket exercise, the blankets represented the land and the students represented the people disappearing as the years passed.
In addition, H.S.B had an Aboriginal Day. Kylie Simard (Native resource teacher at the high school) has also been working hard on her own CBSL project. She trained staff on the history of European settlements and the effects it had on indigenous people through the blanket exercise. She worked closely with her students to put together an Aboriginal Day that showcased Native culture by having cultural items on display, a social justice table, artwork, lacrosse demonstrations and samples of juices, baked goods and crafts made by the students. Students in the school then were invited to visit the kiosks.
CLC Gault (Valleyfield):
Two-days of planting
In late April, with the help of Audrée from P.R.A.Q, students had the opportunity to gain some knowledge regarding the world of gardening as they planted a variety of seeds in mini makeshift greenhouses. The first day of the workshop permitted Ms. Brisson’s class and community members in the evening to learn about effective gardening and planting methods as they proceeded to plant seeds themselves. The second day, Gault`s “Green Team” which consists of students from grades 1 to 6 did the same exercises. The students thoroughly enjoyed their experience and are looking forward to contributing their new found planting knowledge into our school garden.
Best-selling author speaks with the students
Don Aker, best-selling author of “The first stone”, visited Gault Institute to discuss the importance of literacy. The presentation ranged in topics regarding his teaching and writing career, his hometown of Middleton, Nova Scotia, as well background stories of where his prominent writing inspirations came from. He emphasized the importance of reading and the positive impact it can have on one’s life, while also discussing his personal journey of becoming a writer. Mr. Aker successfully captured the student’s imaginations and most importantly, their interest in the world of literature.
Sewing up some new skills
Cegep stagier, Karina Bertrand, organized a sewing club in which students created their own pillows using proper sewing techniques. The students did amazing work in creating their patterned pillows and now have the skills to create many more in the future.
CLC Chateauguay Valley:
Haut-Saint-Laurent Community Nights
The organizing committee of the Haut-Saint-Laurent Community nights are very happy with the results of the last community night for the 2014-2015 school year. The final night was hosted in Ste-Anicet at École Des Jeunes Riverains, where over 160 spaghetti meals we served and 30 organizations were on-hand to showcase the services they offer to our communities. Plans are already being drawn up for four more community nights in 2015-16, in and around our communities of the Haut-Saint-Laurent.
HAECC
Record donation
The Huntingdon Community Learning Centre worked hard in supporting the Huntingdon Rotary Club and HEMA Quebec with their annual Blood Clinic. The clinic was held at HAECC as a record 110 people gave the gift of life during the clinic.
Depression is reversible
Partners for Life, is an outreach program that aims to promote and recognize the signs and symptoms of depression. A presentation was held at HAECC, with over 70 students attending. The organization promotes mental health and teaches students how to recognize someone with depression and the steps we can take to help a friend. Everyone in the audience walked away with very important information on depression and mental health with tips and tools to support their loved ones in need.
Heritage
School & Centre tag-team teach about technology & insects
Ms. Hache’s grade 4 class from Heritage Elementary School were looking for some extra help with their final research project on insects. Through help from their CLC technician, Heritage paired up with HAECC, as the adult centre shared its technical capabilities, in order for the youngsters to use the centre`s technology. The students walked over to the centre twice a week and learned how to use the laptops and picked-up some new researching skills, used Microsoft word and also learned how to make a power point presentation. The students don’t know it yet but this research will become useful as they will get to go on a special trip in June!
Previous CLC News & Notes
– December 2014 – CLC News Edition 3 – Heroes, skating rink and financial literacy and much more.
The Community Learning Centre (CLC) approach is the creation of partnerships that provide a range of services and activities, during and after the school day, to help meet the needs of learners, their families, and the wider community. Their aim is to support the holistic development of our students, families, citizens and communities.