#PASproud Storify February 2015

Another grat month of happenings at Peel Alternative School.  Take the time and see what we have all been up to.

Student Spotlight

Anca-Maria J - Artist Interview

What media do you like best? Why is it appealing?

I like to use pen the most because you have high contrast and makes the artwork capture the attention of the eye.

Where can we see more of your artwork? Where have you exhibited your artwork besides this blog?

You can see more of my artwork on instagram.

I’ve also had my art exhibited at PAMA Art Gallery in Brampton, once in 2014, and another in May 2015.

What do you plan to do once you graduate?

I plan to go to Sheridan College for 2-3 years, and then transferring to OCAD (Ontario College of Art and Design) in Toronto. After that I plan to go into the field of tattooing. On the side I would also like to make artwork for art galleries, and sell my art with commission work.

#PASproud Storify for January 2015

#PASproud Storify Dec 2014

Our pride in P.R.I.D.E.!

Thanks to Ms Armstrong for this post!

Here at PASS, our students have the opportunity to enroll in an innovative multi-credit program known as P.R.I.D.E. (Power, Respect, Integrity Determination, and Empathy). The program’s core mandate is to empower our students and increase their social and academic outcomes in meaningful ways. Students develop knowledge of key concepts, and apply their learning through experiential endeavours that are focused on exploring community leadership, social justice, national and local perspectives, and developing personal accountability.

 Our unit projects call students to investigate their place in a very diverse society and to learn about how they can work together to achieve great things in and for our communities.

In Unit One: Knowledge is Power, students learnt that understanding themselves and others is a very important aspect of leadership and builds synergy amongst a team. Students participated in a Personality Dimensions Workshop led by a certified educator, and traveled to Laserquest to engage one another in collaboration and fun!

In Unit 2: Global Toronto – Respect, we visited Kensington Market to learn about the relationship between migration and culture and how social integration can be facilitated through the creation of cultural enclaves. To get a taste of life in this unique cultural enclave students “traveled to the Caribbean” by visiting a Jamaican restaurant where they tried some new dishes.

In Unit 3: Community Outreach - Inclusive, we learnt more about leadership, and gained firsthand knowledge about issues of social justice. This was done by supporting the work of not-for-profit agency Canadian Food For Children. Students had the profound opportunity to meet CEO and Founder Andrew Simone, and man who was directly commissioned by mother Theresa herself to begin his work with the poor which catalyzed the creation and transnational mission of CFFC.
 

In Unit 4: Determination and People, we continue to examine how overcoming obstacles is key to building character and experiencing positive success. Students completed research on notable global citizens, and designed a “Biography in a Box” to showcase their work. They also took a trip to the PDSB Finlayson Centre where they participated in a High Ropes Challenge!

In Unit 5: Food For Thought, students are taken deeper into learning about the world around them. In this unit, students further considered what they can do to develop their leadership potential while becoming more socially conscious and aware global citizens. Our specific focus was on the issue of food security in Canada and around the globe. Pamphlets on the topic were created, and ideas for a food drive were generated by students to devise ways to support members of our communities.

Unit 6: Power focused on understanding how education can be used to leverage power in Canadian society. In Unit 7: Respect Through the Ages, students traveled to Medieval Times to engage in an interactive lesson on England’s Feudal System, and to complete a Smore media assignment to identify how chivalry and respect has been demonstrated across cultures and ages.

Our upcoming unit 8,9, and 10 trips and activities include a discussion on debunking stigmas surrounding youth homelessness facilitated by Mike Burnett of Youth Without Shelter, a trip to the Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre where students will learn about empathy and determination by meditating on the experiences of a Holocaust survivor, and will visit the Daily Bread Food Bank to take part in their Youth Program to support the fight against hunger.

PASS is doing great things through the perseverance of our students and the leadership of our staff!

Student Voice Leadership Retreat - Student blog

My name is Ben Guiler, on October 15-17, I went on an amazing trip to the YMCA in Cedar Glen. I got to meet people from the other Peel Alternative sites that I may not have met otherwise, and now I can now say that some of the people I met are some of my closest friends.

I also learned a lot more about the people at my school. I met all these people by doing fun activities like balancing on a telephone pole or trying to lower a hula hoop with everyone only using two fingers. We even got the chance to build fires and houses out of sticks in groups.

With all these fun activities, we learned a lot about how to be a good leader and how to take part around the school. Thanks to all this, and the people I met, I’m now one of the students planning Prom, and hopefully more fun activities for the 3 Peel Alternative sites to share.

Student Voice Leadership Retreat - a teacher's reflection

Below is a post from a teacher who participated in our Student Voice retreat to YMCA Cedar Glen. I am also always surprised by what our students can do. We shouldn't be, because at this point we should realize how great everyone can be when they are given the chance!  PAS staff and students chose to be AWESOME on the retreat and the school is very grateful for everyone's efforts leading up to, during and after the retreat.
_________________________

Well, vice principal has been on my case to write about my thoughts on the 3-day student leadership retreat last week. I must admit I was very neutral going into the retreat: I had concerns about behaviour that were based on prior field trip experiences (yes, a math teacher can have field trips!). I also thought that I would have a fair amount of "free time".

I found myself enjoying the activities (they were well thought out and run very smoothly) and getting to know students that I had never met before. I had about 8 hours to myself, which included an evening shower and a good night's rest! As the only male teacher, I had a room to myself: bonus.

The students were far more mature than I expected. More than anything else, I was impressed by their willingness to get a little out of their comfort zones, and in small groups share their own "back stories".

I started the session with an understanding that the PAS system was a valuable piece of the educational fabric. At the end of the 3 days, I was absolutely certain that the PAS system plays a critical role: I met students who would not be in good health or finishing high school without PAS!

Here's more than 8 words. I was initially going to double the word count every time, but that would have been more work.

Next: I will have to figure out HOW to post this.

Teamwork: Get the Vice Principal to post for you!