Bystanders vs. Allies: A Historical Example

Today, our class discussed what it means to be a bystander to injustice. We discussed how, sometimes, people may not feel empowered to speak out if they witness something wrong. Sometimes, people might not speak up to help others if they are worried about their own safety. We learned that being an ally means that you use your voice to advocate for others. In history, we examine the friendship between Marilyn Monroe and Ella Fitzgerald by reading the book Making Their Voices Heard.

During the 1950s, both Ella and Marilyn faced oppression because of their gender. However, Ella also faced discrimination because of her race; many music venues would not hire her to sing there because of segregation and racism. After hearing this, Marilyn stood up as an ally and used her power and privilege to demand that Ella be hired. She had always admired Ella for her talent and her perseverance. We brainstormed ways that we can use our voices in powerful ways when we witness injustice, bullying, etc.

Check out one of Ella Fitzgerald’s most famous songs below:

 

Grade 7 Parent/Guardian Volunteer Meeting Tonight @6:30PM

Hello to our parents, guardians, and families!

A reminder that we will be hosting another virtual meeting tonight (6:30 PM) for any and all Grade 7 parents that are interested in lending a hand with our Grade 7 fundraising and events! During this meeting, our Grade 7 Committee will be sharing their ideas and asking for help with specific tasks. We will also be going through the results of our Grade 7 student survey with their ideas about events + celebrations.

Looking forward to connecting with some of you (over the computer) tonight!

-Ms. Ward

Reminders for this Weekend:

Hi Grade 7s! Please don’t forget:

-bring in your Emergency Comfort Kits as soon as possible! Your parent/guardian has received an e-mail with more details

-please get your yellow permission form from Ms. Ramen signed and returned. We will be starting our sculptures on November 9th!

-Math comic strips are now extremely overdue!

Enjoy your weekend!

-Ms. Ward

Our First Read-Aloud: The Nest by Kenneth Oppel

Be careful what you wish for! Our class completed our first read-aloud,  the horror novel The Nest by Kenneth Oppel. In this story, a boy named Steven makes a wish to heal his baby brother’s illness. However, his wish costs him much more than he anticipated when he realizes the ‘angels’ he has been talking to are really a hive of supernatural wasps!

We thought this novel had many twists, turns, and suspenseful moments. The dark, creepy illustrations added to the experience. While some of us weren’t entirely satisfied with the ending, this was a great first read-aloud to kick off our school year!

In 2020, the authour Kenneth Oppel shared that The Nest could potentially be made into a film one day! Here is a sketch of the concept art:

Some questions to discuss at home:

  1. Would you watch a film adaptation of this novel? Why or why not?
  2. Who might you cast in the role of Steven, the Queen, and Mr. Nobody? Why?
  3. What songs/soundtrack would you want to include in this movie?

 

Performing a (Mock) Dissection:

Have you ever performed a dissection? We learned that dissections were (and are) a tool that scientists use to learn more about the biology and anatomy of plants, animals, and even people. We performed a ‘mock’ dissection using Twinkies! Our students needed to practice their precision, observation, and patience when taking samples, making incisions, and removing ‘organs’ (filling) from their ‘test subjects’.

Over the Garden Wall: Creating Our Theories

Our analysis of Cartoon Network’s mini-series Over the Garden Wall has come to an end! Throughout this month, we have been exploring: important characters, clues and symbols, changes in settings, and key plot events. We also began analyzing the musical soundtrack for different tones, themes, and lyrics. Now, our classes are crafting our own theories about some unanswered questions within the show!

 

Marketable Skills: Baking Pumpkin Pies!

Our Grade 7s put their baking skills into practice this week by creating mini pumpkin pies! Students had to read through the recipe, measure accurately, work collaboratively, and clean-up afterwards. We learned about the origins of pumpkin spice (which usually includes a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and allspice). For some of us, this was our first time trying this seasonal dessert! If you want to make the recipe at home, click the link below:

Pumpkin pie recipe