Four Doors of Learning

ACADEMICS

• The Grade 6 students kickstarted the year with an “All Hands In” activity by drawing things they felt made them unique. The hands represent the importance of what each individual brings to the class and that having all hands in is important. They also learned the importance having a growth mindset.

• To acknowledge Orange Shirt Day, Grade 3 students read a book with Ms. Cutting about

Orange Shirt Day and did a deep dive activity.

Two Grade 7 student leaders (Liesl K. and Vivian

L.) created a self-directed inquiry for students to learn about Orange Shirt Day and challenged us to visit Indigenous artwork in our community such as “The Three Sisters” at 1532 Dundas

Street West, or the Violeta Parra mural at 615

Dundas Street.

• Grades 7 and 8 participated in virtual sessions from the National Centre for Truth & Reconciliation. The Intermediate students learned from author, Monique Gray Smith, and from water protector, Autumn Peltier. • Grade 8s organized a student vote. Student Vote uses the election as a teachable moment and enables teachers to bring democracy alive in the classroom. This hands-on learning program empowers students to experience the voting process firsthand and cast ballots for the official candidates running in the election. In Canada, 90% of parents said the Student Vote program gave their children an opportunity to learn more about politics and the world around them.

• Our Grade 5 students helped to lead and organize our annual Terry Fox Run.

• Grade 5 - 8 students prepared and participated in the Beaver Computing Challenge from the University of Waterloo. The Beaver Computing Challenge is a problem-solving contest with a focus on computational and logical thinking.

• Students in Grades 6 to 8 participated in the

Math League Contest.

“You don’t get to choose your role, but you get to choose how you play it.”

- SAMI JO SMALL, 3-time Olympian, 5-time world champion

EXTERNAL EXPERTS AND SPECIAL EVENTS

• Virtual clubs were offered once a week. These included learning about different animals and pets; different artists; design, chess, entrepreneurship; and podcasting.

• Study Spot joined the Grade 6s for two workshops regarding developing study skills to assist with success on tests and homework planning.

• Holocaust survivor, author, and inspirational speaker, Elly Gotz, presented an emotional and informative talk virtually to the Grade 7 and 8 students and teachers. (Courtesy of the

Advancement Office and former parent Kerry

Grogan)

• Grade 7 students had a virtual workshop with professional writer and poet, Sennah Yee. From

Toronto, she writes poetry, prose, and film criticism.

• Grade 8 students had a virtual visit from writer Anna Yin, a former Poet Laureate for

Mississauga.

• Through the Scientist in the School program,

Senior Kindergarten students explored gravity by using hands-on materials to make their own helicopters, balancing birds, magic tricks, and cars. Grade 1 students participated and learned about structures. Grade 2 students built simple machines and developed their observational skills as they made objects move. The students investigated pulleys, wheels and axles, and inclined planes.

• Sami Jo Small, 3-time Olympian, 5-time world champion, and women’s hockey school owner spoke to the whole school at our weekly assembly. Key take-aways included: Be a bit better than you were yesterday; You don’t get to choose your role, but you get to choose how you play it; Find the person who believes in you and be that person to someone else.

• As part of the Blue Spruce program, Monique

Gray Smith visited with KCS students. Monique

Gray Smith is a Cree, Lakota, and Scottish award-winning author of several children and youth books. Her book, When We Are Kind, was nominated for the Blue Spruce Award.

• As an end to the Silver Birch Express program, the Grade 3 and 4 students met the author,

Mike White, of the Silver Birch nominated book

Mellybean.

• One of the nominated authors for this year’s

Red Maple Award, Eric Walters, provided students with a virtual presentation about his book The King of Jam Sandwiches.

• Over 37 KCS students surpassed the expectation of the total number of Forest of

Reading books read.

• A special performance at the end of the year by Laura Griffin (JK-2 PE teacher) and her team.

STUDENT-DRIVEN LEARNING

• Senior Kindergarten students created decals for the Kindergarten classroom windows.

They learned some science vocabulary such as reflective, transparent, translucent, and opaque and used flashlights and materials to help learn about these terms. They recorded their observations on some charts resulting in a decal drive that was opened to the whole school.

• The Grade 4 students learned about gorillas living in zoos. Upon completion of their novel study of The One and Only Ivan, they took on the challenge of creating and presenting their own gorilla enclosure design. This project helped develop students’ research, writing, and oral presentation skills.

• The Grade 9 students chose water pollution as a project subject and combined the science curriculum with learning about issues like micro-plastics in the water. They organized a beach cleanup at Humber Bay Park near the

Senior School for the Grade 7 students.

• The Good News Newspaper published two more issues featuring the work and illustrations of young KCS journalists.

• KCS published our 11th student-authored book.

The Young Authors of KCS (YAKCS) program partners determined writers with awardwinning authors for expert guidance and feedback. Books are published and housed in our library and the Library and Archives Canada.

• KCS students in JK and SK used our e-portfolio,

Seesaw, to capture and share evidence of their learning in photo, video, and word. • Grade 6 students were challenged to think of a business idea of their own and create a plan and presentation incorporating vocabulary and concepts learned throughout their Economy and Trade unit in social studies. Students then presented a Dragon’s Den-style business pitch to their classmates, the Dragons, who asked questions, provided feedback, and decided whether or not to invest.

The KCS Student Entrepreneurship Program (StEP) helped Taylor M. realize the publication of her “KCS Cookbook” and sell copies to the KCS community with proceeds going back to the Daily Bread Foodbank and back into the fund.

THE ARTS

• Wake Up with the Arts out on the plaza.

• Band instruction to Grades 7 and 8 returned in the spring complete with instrument PPE.

• 2022 Wakelet featured works around the theme, What Makes you Proud.

• Christmas Concert was online.

• Grade 5 - 7 Drama classes participated in improv workshops facilitated by Simon

McCamus who works with Second City

Comedy. Students engaged in a series of improvisation games and activities designed to strengthen listening and communication skills.

• Grade 1 students read the book Love Monster by Rachel Bright. It’s a story about a monster that sets out to find someone to love him just the way he is. After quite a big search, he had nearly given up! Sometimes, when you least expect it, love finds you. After reading the story together, the students created their own Love

Monsters.

• The Royal Canadian Legion, in partnership with schools across the country and with The Legion

National Foundation, promote remembrance and support youth education through their annual poster and literary contests. 9 KCS students in Grades 5 - 8 were awarded 1st and 2nd place in recognition of their writing or artistic renderings in the Royal Canadian

Legion Remembrance Day Art and Literacy

Competition.

Sometimes, when you least expect it, love finds you.

ATHLETICS

Our students learned that teamwork and focus help to keep the dragon alive.

• Students in Junior Kindergarten to Grade 2 learned about the dragon dance tradition in their dance unit in physical education class.

They constructed a dragon’s head and learned why the dance is performed for the Lunar

New Year, what the colours of the dragon represent, and that the dancers were often martial artists who studied Wushu which allowed them to do the more dynamic tricks.

They also learned that teamwork and focus help to keep the dragon alive.

• Athletics resumed in the fall with flag football, girls’ basketball, and cross-country teams. In the winter, students participated in soccer baseball and volleyball intramurals and boys’ basketball. Finally, in the spring term, KCS participated in track and field, ultimate frisbee and our first-ever girls and boys softball teams.

It was wonderful to be back to in-person athletic events.

CITIZENSHIP

• Learning buddies took place across the grades with students visiting each other’s classrooms to share in reading and activities.

• Students in Grades 7 and 8 participated in the

High Resolves Global Citizens and Leaders program thanks to funding from the Pickard/

Bulger Citizenship Fund.

• Students in Grades 3 - 5 participated in an interactive workshop provided by The Get

Real. Using the power of personal stories, the workshop focused on helping to explain what racism is in an age-appropriate way.

• House Captains helped to infuse some holiday spirit into the school by challenging everyone to decorate their classroom doors.

• Grade 7 students made Valentines for Vets that were sent to Veterans Affairs Canada in Prince

Edward Island. From there, they are sent all over Canada to older veterans who live in longterm care homes. • To recognize Earth Day, the Grade 2 students listened to the story of Isatou Ceesay, an environmental advocate from The Gambia.

She started an organization named One Plastic

Bag to repurpose plastic bags by collecting, cleaning, and braiding them to make purses, wallets, and other items.

• Full-school assemblies returned in person in May

• The Grade 2s participated in a virtual Bhangra workshop starring YouTube Sensation Gurdeep

Pandher. Students learned the Bhangra dance and about Gurdeep’s life and how he moved from a small village in Punjab to the Yukon. He brought his cultural heritage with him, and he has been seen all over the world through various forms of media dancing outdoors in the Yukon.

Students enjoyed participating in this wonderful learning opportunity which was graciously donated by the Singh-Kareckas family.