There’s nothing quite like seeing science come alive right in front of your eyes, and that’s exactly what happened during this exciting chemistry workshop!

Students dove into the world of elements, compounds, and pure substances, exploring how these building blocks interact in real chemical reactions. Instead of just reading about reactions, they experienced them through a series of hands-on activities that made abstract concepts feel real and memorable.

The Star of the Show: The Iodine Clock Reaction 

One of the most exciting moments came when students performed the iodine clock reaction. At first, everything looked calm—clear liquids, no visible changes. Then suddenly—blink and you’ll miss it!—the solution rapidly changed color.
This dramatic shift helped students understand that chemical reactions can happen at different speeds and that sometimes, important changes aren’t obvious until a critical moment. It sparked curiosity and plenty of “Whoa!” reactions around the room.

Investigating Chemical Change
Through guided steps, students carefully mixed solutions, measured liquids, and observed outcomes. They practiced forming hypotheses (“If we mix this, then what will happen?”), and then tested their predictions by carrying out experiments and recording data.

They also learned how to identify evidence of a chemical reaction, such as: colour change, formation of new substances, energy changes, and the power of catalysts (substances that speed up chemical reactions without being used up in the process).

In today’s workshop, students were also introduced to manganese dioxide as a catalyst. They observed how it accelerates the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide, producing visible bubbling and a “smoking” or steaming effect. This demonstration helped students clearly see how catalysts can dramatically change the rate of a reaction.

This workshop was a powerful reminder that science isn’t just something you read, it’s something you do. From sudden colour changes to bubbling reactions, students experienced chemistry in action and gained a deeper understanding of how substances interact in the real world. And perhaps most importantly, they learned to stay alert… because in chemistry, sometimes the most exciting moments happen in the blink of an eye!

Today our class had the opportunity to take part in an exciting SFU Chemical Reactions in Action workshop where they explored chemistry through hands-on experiments and demonstrations.

Students investigated how different substances interact and change when combined. One activity involved creating tiny gel-like spheres similar to Orbeez, where students observed how chemical reactions can transform liquids into soft, solid beads through a fascinating process of bonding and reaction.

The highlight of the workshop was definitely the “Elephant Toothpaste” experiment. Students watched as a rapid chemical reaction produced a dramatic tower of colourful foam! As the reaction took place, students learned how catalysts speed up chemical reactions and how gases can be produced during a chemical change.

Throughout the workshop, students were encouraged to make predictions, observe closely, and discuss what they were noticing as the reactions occurred. It was wonderful to see their curiosity in action as they connected what they were seeing to the science concepts we have been exploring in class.

A big thank you to the SFU team for leading such an engaging and memorable learning experience. Activities like this help bring science to life and show students how chemistry is happening all around us! 🧫✨

Today was a great day for getting our hands a little dirty and learning outside! Our class partnered up with our Little Buddies to plant spuds in tubs as part of our ongoing learning about sustainability, food systems, and how things grow.

Students worked together to fill their tubs with soil, carefully place the seed potatoes, and cover them up so they have the right conditions to start growing. Along the way, there were lots of conversations about what plants need to survive—soil, water, sunlight, and time—and how growing even a small amount of food can connect us to the land and the environment around us.

It was wonderful to see the older students guiding and encouraging their Little Buddies as they planted. There was lots of teamwork, curiosity, and excitement as everyone imagined what their tubs might look like in a few weeks when the plants begin to sprout.

Over the coming weeks, students will help care for their tubs by watering them and observing the changes as the plants grow. We’re looking forward to tracking the progress and seeing how our potatoes develop!

Thank you to our Little Buddies for being such enthusiastic planting partners today. 🌱

This March, we will be running 4 Computer Science/Technology workshops over the course of the March 28-29 weekend. There will be both a Saturday Program and a Sunday Program and we invite your grades 6-7 girls* to register for one or both of the program days. For each program, students will be able to participate in two workshops over the course of the day:

• Saturday, March 28: Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT)
• Sunday, March 29: Game Development and Databases

For literacy week students participated in a 3-Panel Comic Design Sprint, exploring how stories can communicate surprise, change, or a shift in thinking —all within just three panels.

Students began by planning a short narrative with a clear beginning, middle, and end, focusing on how a moment of surprise or transformation could be shown visually with minimal text. Once their stories were planned, students used Midjourney as a creative tool to help visualize their ideas. They carefully crafted prompts, refined details, and made design decisions to ensure the images matched their intended story.

Students then sequenced and animated their three panels, thinking intentionally about timing, transitions, and movement to enhance the emotional impact of the story.

This project connected learning across multiple subject areas:

• Language Arts: Students practiced concise storytelling, sequencing, and visual narrative structure, learning how meaning can be communicated through images, pacing, and limited dialogue or captions.

• Arts Education: Students explored composition, expression, symbolism, and how visual elements such as colour, framing, and contrast contribute to mood and meaning.

• ADST (Applied Design, Skills, and Technologies): Students applied the design process—planning, creating, testing, and refining—while learning how to use AI tools responsibly. They focused on prompt design, iteration, and critical decision-making rather than accepting first results.

Each student created a unique comic and animation, reflecting their own ideas, storytelling choices, and design thinking. Because each project is highly individual, families please visit your child’s Spaces account to view their full comic, animation, and reflection. Only a few comics and the animations have been shared here to showcase the range of approaches and creativity.

This project highlighted how technology—including AI—can be used as a creative partner, guided by human intention, imagination, and ethical decision-making.

On Friday, students enjoyed an engaging and interactive workshop led by the GardenBank Conservation Society, a youth-led organization made up of students from Vancouver, Richmond, Burnaby, and Surrey. GardenBank’s mission is to tackle food insecurity while promoting climate conservation, and their visit gave students a meaningful opportunity to explore how sustainability connects to their own communities.

The workshop began with a short, accessible presentation introducing key ideas around sustainability and sustainable gardening practices. Students learned about the importance of food security, environmental responsibility, and how small, local actions can make a real impact.

Following the presentation, students took part in a hands-on design sprint. Working collaboratively, they were challenged to design their own sustainable city, thinking carefully about energy use, green spaces, food systems, transportation, and community well-being. Groups then presented their ideas and received feedback, encouraging them to reflect, refine, and build on their thinking.

The session sparked thoughtful discussion, creativity, and problem-solving, while empowering students to see themselves as changemakers capable of designing solutions for a more sustainable future. We are grateful to GardenBank Conservation Society for sharing their passion, leadership, and expertise with our students and helping bring sustainability learning to life. Everyone had a great time and learned more about sustainable practices, while discovering how thoughtful design and collective action can help create healthier, more resilient communities.

Elementary schools in Burnaby are beginning their Grade 7 transition process. All secondary schools will be hosting Student Planning Events (previously known as Open House). This is an opportunity for grade 7 students and their caregivers to learn more about secondary schools in relation to programs and courses offered, extra-curricular, etc.

I encourage you to attend the Student Planning Events at École Alpha Secondary and Burnaby North Secondary happening at the end of the month. Please see info below. Any questions, please feel free to reach out to me or the secondary school directly.