Black Excellence Day: Celebrating Black Innovators, Past and Present

Today, our school is observing Black Excellence Day. This is the 3rd annual Black Excellence Day in British Columbia. Black Excellence Day is a way to learn about innovative artists, scientists, politicians, activists, authours, and athletes from Black communities around the world. Some influential people we have learned about as part of our exploration of Black Excellence are:

-Serena Williams, an amazing athlete notable for her accomplishments in tennis and her indominable confidence

-Muhammad Ali, as undefeatable in the boxing ring as he was when speaking out against war

-Stevie Wonder, a talented singer/songwriter who has a career spanning decades

-Harriet Tubman, a brave ‘conductor’ that travelled the Underground Railroad to free enslaved people

-Jesse Owens, an athlete that shook up racist beliefs about sports at the Berlin Olympics

-Katherine Johnson, one of NASA’s ‘computers’ who was essential to America getting to the moon

 

History of Games: Try Them Yourself

Hey Grade 7s! Please see the links below to try out 4 of the earliest video games that were available for public use. Be mindful that some of these websites have advertisements, so make sure to use your best digital citizenship strategies:

PONG:

https://www.coolmathgames.com/0-retro-ping-pong

https://ponggame.io/

SPACE INVADERS:

https://freeinvaders.org/

DONKEY KONG:

https://www.free80sarcade.com/donkeykong.php

PACMAN:

https://pacman.live/play.html

Game Design: Where Language, Art, and Science Collide

What does it take to design a video game?  Our Grade 7s are beginning to examine the skills and strategies that game designers use, including character creation, instructional writing/walkthroughs, mapping and level design, and more!

We began today by viewing this interview with one of the creators of the Mario series! We learned that video games have been around since the 1970s, and have continued to grow and change as technology, culture, and trends shift and change! Feel free to check out the video below:

Some questions to discuss at home:

  1. Have you ever played any video games (including PC, mobile, etc.)? What was your experience like?
  2. What skills do you think a game designer should have and/or develop? Why?
  3. Try playing the ‘original’ version(s) of Mario. What did you notice?

Super Mario Game:

https://supermario-game.com/

Information about the history of Mario:

https://mario.nintendo.com/history/

 

 

Welcome back + Reminders

Happy New Year to our Grade 7 students (and our families),

Welcome back to our usual routine! I hope that you had a relaxing Winter Break. A few important reminders for this week:

-Parents and guardians, please fill in the reflection survey (included in the syllabus of the Term 1 report card) at your earliest convenience. You can also access the survey here: Survey for Parents and Guardians

-Our bottle and can drive is fast approaching on January 13th! If you are able, please bring any recyclables to our school’s parking lot to raise funds for our Grade 7 events!

-Please return (signed) report card envelopes as soon as possible

-The weather is taking a turn this week… please dress warmly (coat, boots, socks, etc.)

Thanks everyone!

 

 

 

Reminders:

Hello Grade 7s (and parents, guardians, and families)! As we approach our last few days of 2023 together, please remember:

-Band practice tomorrow has been moved to 9AM. Please wear dark pants/jeans and your Grade 7 hoodie!

-Report cards went home today! Take some time to read and reflect. Please just the envelopes (signed by parent/guardian) ASAP

-Please bring a plastic/fabric bag or tote on Thursday. We will use them to hang up/store any supplies left at school over Winter Break!

This week’s events include: our winter sing-along tomorrow, pancake breakfast on Thursday, and buddy bingo on Thursday. We have some other festive surprises planned as well!

Thanks everyone!

-Ms. Ward

Muhammad Ali: Setting Goals + Achieving Greatness

Muhammad Ali: A Champion Is Born | Cavalier House Books

Image description: a hand holding a copy of the picture book Muhammad Ali: A Champion is Born by Gene Barretta

This week, we discussed the importance of considering what goals we might want to achieve in our lives. We read about how Muhammad Ali was inspired to begin his boxing career from an experience he had as a 12 year old child. Despite the mockery, prejudice, and injustice that he faced, Muhammad Ali trained and persevered and achieved so much in his lifetime! He was crowned the heavyweight champion of the world an astonishing 3 times, medaled in the Olympics, and, perhaps most importantly, was known as the “People’s Champion” because of his commitment to speaking out against injustice.

Take a look at the short memorial video, below, commemorating Muhammad Ali’s lifetime:

Reminders:

Hello Grade 7s (and families)!

A few reminders:

-any remaining orange consent forms must be returned ASAP! Thank you!

-band tomorrow, please bring your instruments

-treat sale continues on Tuesday! Bring a loonie and buy a treat/support our Grade 7 fundraising!

Another important note: we have our upcoming Grade 7 fundraiser on January 13th. This will be a bottle and can drive. We are looking for Grade 7 students (and parents/guardians) who are able to either volunteer their time, and/or donate recyclables. More information to follow!

Finally, we are in the midst of cold and flu season! Please remember to practice safe and healthy habits, such as frequent handwashing, coughing/sneezing into a tissue, and staying home if you are unwell. I will continue to try and update our blog so that anyone who is absent can stay up-to-date and connected with us!

Wishing everyone well,

-Ms. Ward

History Mystery: Death in the Ice… Exploring the Franklin Expedition

Have you ever heard of the mysterious disappearance of the Franklin Expedition? This History Mystery involves two ships, sailing from Britain to the Artic of Canada on a search for the Northwest Passage. Despite being well-equipped with food, water, and technology, the ships (and crew) disappeared, and even over 150 years later people still cannot agree on what happened to them!

Check out the trailer, above, for an introduction to this History Mystery, and click the link below for our evidence (so far):

Death in the Ice_ History Mystery Pt. 1

Representation in Media: Books as Windows, Books as Mirrors

Have you ever read a book and felt like a character was SO similar to you, it was like looking in a mirror? Have you ever felt like a book provided you with a window into someone else’s life and experiences? These are both examples of how representation in media (especially books) is important!

We have been exploring how books can be mirrors and windows, and examining what books in our class library are examples of one or the other (or even both)!

Teaching Students How Books Are Mirrors, Windows, and Doors : vr2ltch       

We learned that many people may not see themselves in books and movies. There may not be many characters that share aspects of their identities, such as: culture, ethnicity, life experiences, religion, background, family dynamic, etc. We surveyed our class library to look for ‘gaps’ in our books. We talked about how reading books about people who are different from us can build understanding and empathy.

Today, we read The Proudest Blue by Ibtihaj Muhammad:

The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family: Muhammad, Ibtihaj, Aly, Hatem, Ali, S. K.: 9780316519007: Books - Amazon.ca

In the story, a younger sister tells us all about her older sister’s first day wearing hijab. We talked about how many people from different cultures and religions may wear clothing, regalia, jewelry, or other items as testaments to their beliefs and backgrounds. To learn more about Ibtihaj Muhammad’s life, including her time as an Olympic-medalist in fencing, check out the video below:

Some questions to discuss at home:

  1. Have you ever seen a character that is similar to you (culture, race, religion, personality, background, etc.) in a book, movie, or TV show?
  2. What are some characters you feel connected to? Who are your favourite characters, and why do you like them?
  3. Do you have any clothing, regalia, jewelry, that you wear that represents your culture/faith/identity? Are there certain items that you wear on special days?