Literacy

 

In the past few weeks in Literacy, Clients have finished up their focus of Rights and Responsibilities, moved through their study of the Invictus Games, and finished up with a few Halloween activities. After taking the time to understand that with each right comes at least one responsibility, Clients had the opportunity to delve into a bit of history and learn about where and how the Invictus Games were born, what they are, and who is invited to participate in them.

 

The final leg of this mini-study was to take a deeper look at the poem “Invictus” and talk about how words were used to create an intense picture of strength. Halloween rounded out the last few days of this Literacy period, and Clients created acrostic poems using the letters from ‘HALLOWEEN’ as the starting point for each line. A very creative job was done by all!

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Math

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Over the past few weeks, we have dug deeper into the theme of Time. We have taken our time, both figuratively and literally, to work through the concepts of how long something takes, what we can use to measure time, and what these devices are made up of. We have spoken about how fortunate we are to have these devices in our lives, and to be able to have control mostly about what we can do with time using our devices to measure it accurately.

 

We have started and are almost complete in creating our own analog clocks, using our knowledge of what a clock is made up of and how all of these parts work together to tell us the time. We will be moving on to doing several projects with our clocks, including a prep schedule that will be visualized on our clock faces.

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Science

 

Our focus on nutrition has continued in the science rotation through the investigation of different plant and animal sources of food. Learning about the sources of food and the steps that it can take from farm to fork has given clients the opportunity to work on their classification and sequencing skills. During the recent Invictus Games, we also did some experiments about 'the science of sport', including a hands-on build your own bouncy ball activity.

 

As we move into the final few weeks of the semester, we will be learning about the various nutrients our bodies get from foods. This will allow clients to further explore ways to classify food as well as how to better define 'healthy' choices. Our "Eat a Rainbow" project has illustrated many of the healthy choices already being made at Prep to Step-Up, but we are still looking for some more fresh and colourful fruits and veggies included with lunch!

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Art

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Our tables and walls are always bursting with Artistic Expression!  These past weeks Clients created Spooky Skulls and Paper Plate Witches as their contribution to the decorations on Hallowe’en Wednesday. 

Many a thank you to Frederic, our Math Educator, for the Butternut Squashes from his farm. These were decorated and taken home.  Did you see any resemblance between the Clients’ faces and the decorated squash?

A Learn-to-Draw lesson introduced Cobber, the Invictus Games Mascot as a memorable illustration for the Clients to follow step-by-step instructions for a very polished portrait! Lots of fun was had by all!

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How Artistic Creativity for “Ourselves” is affected
by our theme for this year: “Rights and Responsibilities”!

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Self-expression, making choices, challenging dexterity to push ourselves towards what we’d like or deserve, hand-eye co-ordination and inner well-being is all encouraged within our Art Rotation.  Many projects provide the opportunities to allow freedom of individuality as well as working together.  Working together has not necessarily been encouraged during the growing up years of our Clients; neither are messes!  We allow messes (Sometimes; if Educator Anne allows it! LOL) but we also encourage a communal responsibility to tidy-up so we know where our tools are the next time someone else needs them!

Drawing to music - so much fun - combines a layered approach for focus and self-expression.

Our “Word Wall” is comparable to watching a waterfall for having a quiet moment, for re-focusing and taking a rightful moment to ourselves to stay calm.  When Clients need some time to come away from any kind of anxiety, they can choose to go to the wall to colour
and breathe!  They can also choose to add illustration to the letters as well.

If you’d like to see any of our projects in action, come to the Seminar Night, Nov. 27th!
We’ll have you take some time for yourselves to dance, draw and breathe!  

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Skills-at-Will

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The 5W’s - Who, What, When, Where and Why - were again used to better understand the importance of The Invictus Games recently enjoyed in Australia by those who are perhaps realizing their new paths with their own “Rights and Responsibilities”.

Each Client was assigned a line from the following poem to create a poster.  The Heading for each Invictus Games poster was then illustrated to show everyone the importance of the games for Inclusion for all our Veterans.  To round off this session, the video “Ricky the Rock That Couldn’t Roll” by Jay Miletsky, was viewed and discussed.  If surrounded by the love of friends and family, anything is possible!

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Our Inclusivity Poem                  William

We all are born in a different way.         Jon
How we look                                      Matthew
and in what we say.                            Harry

From different countries                      Lorne
around the World                                Brittany
Of different genders,                           Alvin
Boys and Girls.                                    Sam

Of many sizes                                     Madora
and colours, too!                                 Jessica
The things we like                               Melissa
and the things we do.                          Deon & Keri

We’re sure glad
it works that way!                               Josh
The World is colourful                          Arsalan
each and every day!                             Shaun
 

If Everyone were the same, you see,      Group speaks all together
You wouldn’t be you and
I wouldn’t be me!

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