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This year, all of the Grade 10 Civics classes participated in YPI - the Youth and Philanthropy Initiative. What is YPI? Students get into teams and discuss what they feel are important social issues, not only to themselves, but also to their community. The teams identify and choose a specific need in their community, and begin researching local, grassroots, and community based social service charities that aim to help members of the community that are faced with that need. After analyzing a number of different factors including its mission, impact on the community, and spending, the teams select the charity they feel is doing its best to address the social issue they have chosen and create a presentation to pitch their cause. The team with the most compelling presentation wins a $5000 grant for their charity! This year, we had MANY amazing groups present on various deserving charities! In the end, students from my class, presenting for the Dave Smith Youth Treatment Centre (for teens with substance abuse issues) won the grant! I am so proud of them and happy for the DSYTC! For more information about YPI, check out www.goypi.org. 
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 From April 10-14, 23 students from St. Pius X High School in Grades 11 and 12, along with teacher supervisors Mr. Todd Sloan, Mr. Mike Bourguignon and myself, had the opportunity to bring history to life through a school trip to Washington, DC and surrounding areas. The trip was a supplementary experiential learning opportunity for the American History and Politics courses run at St. Pius.
Students had the chance to visit the fields of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania, on which the Battle of Gettysburg was fought. This historic battle is one which historians call the 'turning point' in the American Civil War. From there, students ventured to Mount Vernon - the estate and burial place of America's first president, George Washington. A re-enactment of Abraham Lincoln's assassination was performed at Ford's Theatre - the very place where Lincoln was killed by a disgruntled actor of the theatre - John Wilkes Booth, a Confederate sympathizer. In the afternoon, one of the more solemn moments of the trip came from a visit to Arlington National Cemetery, on whose 624 acre grounds lie 250,000 war veterans. Students had the opportunity to pay their respects to members of the Kennedy family, victims of the Challenger and Columbia space disasters and witness the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The final day of the trip consisted of a full day visit to American capital, Washington. Students took in such sights as the Capitol, the Canadian Embassy, the White House and various monuments, including those for World War II, Vietnam, Lincoln and Washington. It was also the final day of the Cherry Blossom Festival and parade day, so students had the opportunity to witness this popular celebration. Throughout the afternoon, students visited various museums of interest, such as the Museum of American History, Museum of Natural History, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Smithsonian Museum, and the National Air and Space Museum. That evening, students participated in Catholic mass at the largest Catholic church in the Americas - The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. The teacher supervisors would like to thank all of the students and parents whose support made this trip possible! What an exciting and educational experience in American history and politics! We were having fun consolidating our understanding of World War One today in History class using a puzzle game, in which students had to match facts to the name of the battle (Ypres, Somme, Vimy or Passchendaele). |
Who am I?Hi! I'm Megan. 21st century learner and teacher. I am passionate about DI, assessment, student success and #edtech. My blog is where I share what is happening in my classes, my professional learning and sometimes things that are on the outer circle of education. Comments always welcome! Archives
February 2020
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