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John McCrae Celebrates Indigenous History Month
By: Usva Muhammad
National Indigenous History Month; a month where as a country we recognize the history, diversity and heritage of First Nations, Inuit, Metis, and all Indigenous peoples of Canada, while taking the time to condemn Canada's past and present brutal actions against these communities.
Since the arrival of European settlers, in the early 1600s, the population of Indigenous communities began to rapidly decline, from an estimated 2 million to just under 150 thousand in the span of 350 years. This rapid decline was a direct result of European settlement through war, illness, starvation, and what would later come about, discirmination, ignorance and disastrous governmental laws and policies against the Indigenous communities.
Residential Schools:
Residential Schools were a religious school system that held discriminatory values, and overall promoted the assimilation of Indigenous children into western, Euro-Canadian culture. Over 150,000 Indigenous children were taken into this brutal system, where many passed away. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission describes the treatment of Canada’s Indigenous People as cultural genocide; over 40 schools were opened across Canada, with the last closing only 25 years ago, in 1996.
Eugenic Policies:
Eugenic policies of the 1900’s continued to mistreat groups of people, especially the Indigenous. Alberta's Sexual Sterilization Act of 1928 , in which forced sterilization was made legal for people considered ‘mentally deficient,’— an inordinate number of whom were Indigenous women. Sterilization of Indigenous women is related to the comprehensive concept of colonialism, while being one of the several forms of violence perpetrated against the Indigenous communities in Canada. The forceful separation between Indigenous women and future generations through sterilization allowed the government to avoid accountability of the vile social, economical, and political conditions often found in Indigenous communities. The significance of this political event on Native women distinctly portrays forced sterilization as an act of genocide— an effort to dicredit a groups ability and right to exist.
Governmental Policies- Post WW2 Era:
Government policies, after WW2, including the aspects on the role of women and the Indian Act continued to impact the Indigenous communities. This time period was significant on the rights of Indigenous Peoples especially women, as while most Canadian women were seeking equal rights with men, Indigenous women were trying to get the same rights as white women. The post war era brought forth the long-term consequences of the inhumane actions and mistreatment against Indigenous women. They had lost their land, livelihood, and culture through the negative effects of colonization, regulation and segregation. Though they were granted the right to vote in 1960, that was far less than enough; inequality and inequity continued to exist.
Indigenous individuals continued to be mistreated under the Indian Act—an act in which Indigenous Peoples were allowed to fight for some of their rights. Within this act, the development of the policy in which “women who married non-Indigenous men lost their Status” had generational effects, in which them, their grandchildren, and anyone who had lost “Indian Status” due to registration or ineligibility issues, were not allowed to practice their cultural or social identities. They were stripped of the revisions provided in the act, including the “right to vote in band council elections if they were women,” “participate in ceremonies,” “organize and hire legal counsel,” “bring forth land claims against the federal government,” and “wear ceremonial clothing off-reserve.” This prohibited Indigenous Peoples full participation within Canadian society as if they did not hold a ‘Status,’ they were denied their cultural identity, and were forced into the ‘Canadian’ standard; they were denied their rights as both Indigenous Peoples and as part of the at-time Canadian society.
Though this was a time of social change for many white Canadians, Indingenous Peoples continued to be socially, economically and politically marginalized, through systematic racial stereotyping, discrimination, and prohibitation of culture and language resulting in the isolation of both pride and self expression.
These challenges and hardships must not be forgotten, and Indigenous History Month is a pertinent time to remember them. However, the achievements of Indigenous peoples within Canadian society is also extremely important, as they have enhanced the lives of all Canadians.
Indigenous History Month began in 2009 to recognize the hardships and successes of Indigenous peoples within Canadian society, with some of the most influential being:
Chief Doctor Robert Joseph:
Chief Doctor Robert Joseph is a hereditary chief of the Gwawaenuk First Nation who has devoted himself to address the gaps and differences between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples caused by intolerance, lack of understanding, and racism in Canada and globally. He is the Ambassador for Reconciliation Canada, and a member of the National Assembly of First Nations Elders Council. In 2015, he was awarded the Order of British Columbia and in 2016, the Indspire’s Lifetime Achievement award.
Delbert Guerin:
“Delbert Guerin has been described as an inspiration, a visionary, a leader and a tireless warrior.” (Indigenous Corporate Training.) His leadership role in the court case, Guerin v.The Queen, 1984, falls in line with his public persona of influence and guidance, as it was the first case in which a Indigenous community successfully sued the federal government.
Dr Nadine Caron: Dr. Nadine Caron is Canada’s first female First Nations general surgeon.
She is also a faculty member in the University of British Columbia's (UBC) Faculty of Medicine and is leading an innovative biobank project located at the University Hospital of Northern British Columbia. (Government of Canada.)
Overall, as we continue to recognize this historic month, it is extremely important for us to keep in mind all the lives that have been lost due to systematic brutality, while also condemning racism in the present day. This month we should all try our best to recognize the influence of Indigenous Peoples along with the history, diversity and heritage of First Nations, Inuit, Metis, and all Indigenous peoples of Canada.
Kamloops Indian Residential School in Kamloops, British Columbia.
(Photo on Right: Source: Toronto Star)
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By: Ella Walker
Warning:
This article may be triggering or upsetting for some. If you need to talk to someone, there is a national Indian Residential School Crisis Line (1-866-925-4419) that you can call for support.
On May 27, 2021, the remains of 215 Indigenous children were found at Kamloops Indian Residential School in Kamloops, British Columbia. This government-run school operated from 1890 to 1969 as a boarding school, and was later used as a day-school until 1978. Though this seems like a very large number, Indigenous Peoples have asserted that there are many more bodies of Indigenous children located below residential schools across Canada.
Residential schools were first implemented in Canada in the 1870’s. Run by the federal government, the Catholic Church, and other churches, these schools aimed to assimilate Indigenous children into European culture. Children were removed from their families, punished for speaking their native languages, and many were abused emotionally, physically, and sexually. So far, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) has documented more than 4,100 deaths in the schools, but the final amount could be as large as 6,000. Because gravesites are unmarked, families were not notified of the death of their children, and many records of these schools were destroyed or are being kept from the public. Because of this, it is very difficult to find and identify all of the lives that were lost at the hands of these schools.
Though these schools opened in the late 1800’s, the last residential school closed in 1996 in Saskatchewan. Indigenous Peoples all across Canada are also still suffering. Many survivors have developed Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and continue to grieve their lost childhood. Residential schools also created intergenerational trauma amongst Indigenous families that will continue to affect Indigenous Peoples for generations to come.
In an effort to support residential school survivors and follow through on many of the TRC’s recommendations, some changes have been proposed. One of these changes has had an impact on JMSS. The Grade 11 Contemporary Indigenous Voices Course (NBE) focuses on students engaging with issues pertinent to Indigenous Peoples today through books, documentary and fiction films, and various other texts. Andrew Plewis, Department Head of English at John McCrae said, “The course was developed as a response to the Calls to Action by the TRC, specifically focusing on education of Indigenous issues while continuing to support the development of important life skills, such as empathy. Many students get a lot more out of the course than a ‘regular’ English course typically provides them as they’re engaging with issues that are going on right now, somewhere in Canada”. However, this course is just the beginning. Our school, community, and country can continue to find new ways to support our Indigenous Peoples in our school and across the country.
Lately, across Canada, monuments of people who were instrumental in establishing residential schools, such as John A. Macdonald and Egerton Ryerson, are being taken down or renamed. In addition, September 30 commemorates Orange Shirt Day, where Canadians remember the victims of residential schools.
So what can you do to help support Indigenous communities? You can start by educating yourself about the land you live on. By visiting native-land.ca, you can interact with a map that displays territorial divisions, land treaties, and languages. By learning about the land you live on, you are honouring the people who came before you. If you are able to, you can also donate to services that help Indegenous Peoples and residential school survivors such as the Indian Residential School Survivors Society, the Orange Shirt Society, and the Tsow-Tun Le Lum Society. But most importantly, do your research. Learn about residential schools and the effects of these schools in Indigenous communities today. We all have a responsibility to make sure that we don’t recreate the mistakes of the past and that we are actively working towards reconciliation. This dark chapter of Canada’s history must be brought to light.
If you are interested, here are some links where you can learn more about this topic:
Creating your Summer Bucket List By Naya Holman
Our summer vacation is almost here but will it really be a vacation? This summer break is giving everyone mixed feelings. This adventurous list of ideas will give you lots to look forward to and inspire your summer bucket list. Plan events like these with your friends and family so that you can enjoy a much deserved summer vacation.
Go biking: There are many biking trails all around the city and just outside your backyards. Pack a bag full of water and explore nature all around you. Set locations as goals and try to go further everytime you ride. Biking can be done with your family and or with a small group of friends. I challenge you to go for a 5k bike ride this summer.
Have a picnic: A picnic can be as relaxing or fancy as you please. You can go to many different parks and sit in an open area. To keep it interesting everytime, try different themes like a brunch or tea party with lots of great desserts. A picnic can be like a potluck and you can plan it with some family or friends. A picnic can also be added to another activity and does not have to be a huge deal.
Geocaching: Finding something in the woods can be rewarding and if you think so you should try geocaching. They have over 5,000 geocaches around Ottawa waiting to be discovered by you. You can make it into a competition with siblings or friends. Decide a geocache and whoever finds it first wins. Some geocaches have riddles and games that you have to solve before getting the coordinates to the geocache. They have a huge variety of geocaches that can be appealing to many. I wish you good luck on your first catch!
Go Swimming: When it is hot outside, who does not want to cool off. We are so lucky to have so many areas close to us to go swimming. There are outdoor pools all around the city. If you want something close, you can drive down to Manotick and swim in the Rideau River. If you prefer staying on a sandy beach there are many options in and around the city. Check out the pools and beaches on the city of Ottawa website.
Go Fishing: You can go fishing in many areas here in Ottawa. If you are below 18 you do not need a fishing license to catch and release. That means that you can go fishing with your friends for a few hours and enjoy yourself by the water. Please read the regulations on the provincial website for more details. There are some programs and you can borrow some gear from the city.
Photo Hunt: Can not visit with your friends but still enjoy competitive games? Go for a walk or a bike ride and take some nice photos of the landscape. Send the photo(s) to your friend and challenge them to try and find the same place. See how long it takes them to find it and ask them to take a photo once they do. Everytime you play this it will get harder and you probably will spend more time outside.
Game Night: Ask your friends if you can get together over google meet, zoom, discord or another platform to play games together. If you are not really into a game with your friends and mostly want the social aspect, play simple games. Some suggestions are scribble.io, scattergories and gartic phone (like telephone but drawing). You can find many more multiplayer games online that are for sure going to make you and your friends laugh.
Journal: Write about all the fun things you will do this summer. You can write about all the cool activities you did including and excluding your bucket list. You do not just talk about what you have done but how that activity made you and others feel. Example talk about a fancy meal you made and how your family really appreciated it. At the end of the summer you can look back at what you thought was a terrible summer and be reminded of all the little great things.
You can take these ideas and make them even better to suit your personality. Whatever you end up doing please ensure that you give it your all so that you can have a blast. I hope you all have a fabulous summer and either way are able to kick up your feet.
Cover: Freya Zhang in her SHAD 2020 hoodie.
SHAD Online, An “Unconventional” Experience Freya Zhang Recommends for all STEAM Students
By: Varya Kataria
When I initially thought about applying to Shad, my first thought was that there was no way I would get in. Turns out, Freya Zhang, grade 12 student and Shad 2020 alumna, felt the same way.
Shad is a STEAM-based enrichment program for grade 10 and 11 students from all academic backgrounds including science, technology, engineering, art and math. “Here at Shad,” says Freya, “we embrace diversity. Whether you are from the seashores, the prairies or the arctic, you will likely meet friends who you will hold lifelong friendships with.”
Freya first heard about the program from a Shad alumni who did a presentation in Programming Club, sharing his experiences and advice. Freya, as a Shad ambassador, facilitated the same presentation this year which prompted me to apply. Who knows, maybe this article will propel the next year of Shad potentials to fill out an application!
The Shad program is full of adventure. Students are placed at university campuses intentionally far from their homes for a month in July where they get to apply their STEAM interests to real-world problems. Those problems can be found in the wilderness during a camping field trip or on a field playing soccer, although that one may just be for fun.
Unexpectedly, as most things were last year, campuses were shut down and the team at Shad had no choice but to switch to an online program. Freya was part of the first group of Shads to do the program online and she was unsure what to expect. Her initial skepticism was not unfounded as there were countless technological difficulties and internet interruptions, but Shad handled it all in stride and managed to stay organized and optimistic through it all.
“I met so many friends who are equally motivated as me. It was really fun to work and hang out with them, and at the same time, I learned to embrace individual differences and appreciate my own strengths.”
According to Freya, Shad did an amazing job at converting their content into a virtual environment to connect Shad members from all across Canada, and even a few from the United States. Freya was “thrilled to collaborate with [her] design team and complete an online scientific project.” Although 2020 Shads couldn’t go camping or play soccer games, the weekly bonding activities and online field trips made up for the limitations.
An experience that stood out to Freya was the talent show. She was introduced to students who share her musical hobbies who she still regularly talks to. “In fact,” she mentioned, “I will be going to the same university program as one of them and I can’t wait to meet them in person!”
Now, I have already committed to the program, but I needed to ask (for any apprehensive grade 9 or 10 STEAM enthusiast) if Freya would recommend the program. She replied with absolute certainty that she would: “I would 100% recommend Shad to students who are currently in grade 9 or 10.” Applications for next summer open early next year so make sure that you set a reminder if you plan to apply (which you should).
Freya leaves us with this final piece of advice: “I want to tell future Shads to be proud of themselves. You are amazing just by being yourself and it is okay to make mistakes because we all do. Please, please, please appreciate your hard work and talents, and give yourself a pat on the back right now.”
JMSS Celebrates PRIDE Month
Paige Stacey reintroduces us to the students and staff creating safe spaces for everyone.
By: Paige Stacey
Over numerous decades, Canada has exceedingly progressed in concerns of LGBT+ rights. Our country holds a rich and extensive history as well as many turning points in the struggle, but eventual, celebration of pride.
The first thing that often comes to mind when asked about the history of Pride, are the Stonewall Riots. The event lasted from June 28 to July 3 of 1969, and took place in the Greenwich Village of New York. City police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay club, and members of the LGBT community were fed up with this ongoing harassment and decided to finally fight back. The protest filled streets, and these six days are recollected as a significant part of pride history.
In Canada, the most well known of these turning points are the Toronto raids, also known as ‘Operation Soap’ in which police stormed four bathhouses in the city and arrested just under 300 men. In response to the injustice, rallies were held and the protests eventually led to Toronto’s first pride celebration. Both uprisings of these cities mark the strong beginning of a movement to outlaw discriminatory laws and practices against all LGBT citizens.
Now of course such events were not the only breakthroughs in Canada's history of Pride - there are a plethora of milestones, but those span from 1969 to present day, and that is frankly too much ground to cover for one feature.
Bringing the focus to our community, one super cool initiative here at John McCrae relating to pride is our GSA (Gay Straight Alliance) club run by Mr. Bourcier and Ms. Talbot; It’s only their first year leading, but they’re already doing a fantabulous job.
The club’s main goal is to provide a safe space where both allies and LGBTQ2S+ students can come together, enjoy each other’s company, and be themselves. It is a very open space for everyone, and meeting topics can differ from brainstorming about advocacy endeavours, all the way to gossiping about Mr. Bourcier’s betta fish and nerite snail. Something super cool about the group is that they have a shared Google Doc filled with various forms of media such as books, movies/TV shows, artists, Instagram pages, etc. to help the members find some positive representation in the world and their lives. Anyone can pull from or add to it, and it will continue to grow as more is put on it.
After collecting a few of the members’ input, many have said it has created a safe space where they can be confident in their identity and get to know others who’ve shared similar experiences. Mr. Bourcier said, “I think that the biggest impact it’s had was seeing the different ways that everyone can contribute. It’s very easy to forget that everyone is different and that we all have our own different strengths and weaknesses that can help other people understand what the 2SLGBTQIA+ community is really about.”
Some of the group’s favourite parts about the club are having fun, playing games, and just talking or socializing. Especially this year with COVID-19, it’s been very tough on everybody’s mental health, so simply having students show up, smile, participate, be kind to one another and contribute their energy is great. They’ve been able to create a guaranteed inclusive environment and friendship that’s positively impacted all who attend.
Outside of the Wednesday meetings, they try to plan activities whenever they can. For example, today they’re hosting a virtual
Pride dinner party where everyone cooks their own themed dinner and dresses up in a colour of the rainbow. In the future, they plan to have a movie night, as well as a book club where they can brazenly share their separate opinions, experiences and discuss. Potentially, there may also be some inter-school GSA activities with other high schools just before the year is up.
Even if you’re just looking for something to do in your free time, the GSA is welcome to you. You can laugh over online group games, videos, movies, sharing what kind of snacks you all have, you name it. Ms. Talbot and Mr. Bourcier are always looking to grow the family with both allies and students, and if you’d like to join or see what it’s all about, you can email either of the heads (emails below) for the classroom invite link.
One thing for sure, is that the club is committed to giving all members a space to express themselves freely and connect with one another. This is evident through each and every student that joins weekly, and you can come find out for yourself at the next meeting. :)
Meetings Wednesday from 3:30-4:30pm
If you have any questions or ideas for the club, feel free to shoot them an email at jennifer.tablot@ocdsb.ca or brandon.bourcier@ocdsb.ca.
Music to Our Ears by Ankita Dinesh
In a regular school year, John McCrae has one of the most active music programs in the entire school board. It offers instrumental, guitar , and vocal classes, as well as junior and senior concert bands, junior and senior jazz bands, and various ensembles, such as the flute ensemble. There would normally be events like concerts and coffeehouses, and this year, there was even a trip planned to the New Orleans Jazz Festival. Unfortunately, due to COVID, all that is very different.
“Everything has changed this year,” says Mr. Sheridan, one of John McCrae’s music teachers, said, “we’re trying to reinvent ourselves in a lot of ways”. He shares that it’s been a challenge this year to keep the music program going.
When students were in person, music classes were completely different. While guitar classes were able to remain mostly unchanged, wind instrument players and vocalists weren’t allowed to play or sing due to COVID-19 restrictions. On in-person days, classes were spent exclusively on theory and ear training.
Online school also comes with its own set of challenges. While students can now play, they need to play with their microphones off because Google Meet can’t always transmit the sound.
Like in other classes, both students and teachers have had to adapt to using new technologies. Software such as Smart Music, Noteflight, and Breezin Thru Theory are now used regularly. It can be difficult to troubleshoot tech issues online, but everyone’s adapted remarkably well.
This year’s changes have impacted students a lot. Theran, a Grade 10 music student shares his thoughts: “I feel the program to be very different. The thing that makes music class unique is the ability to collaborate and play music with other people. The absence of that portion, to me, makes the course feel more isolated and not as interactive”. Ash, another music student, concurs: “It’s especially difficult as a percussionist, it's not like I can borrow a marimba from the school”.
One thing that everyone is grateful for is the work that music teachers have put in to keep the program running smoothly. Varya, a Grade 11 music student, shares: “I think that the department adapted really well to the new learning environment, especially considering the extra hurdles that come with music being a hands-on learning course”. She sees some positives with this year’s model: “While we didn't get to play our instruments as much or with a group, we shifted the focus onto the foundations of music, and my music theory has never been stronger!”
Despite all of this, there’s hope on the horizon. Mr. Sheridan believes that next year will be much better for the music program, as vaccinations pick up and things start to reopen. He hopes to restart the Music Council this month to start rebuilding for next year, so definitely keep an eye out for that!
Barking Bulldogs: Inside the Debate Club's First Student-Teacher Debate
by Caitlin Croskery
Last Thursday, June 3rd, the first-ever Student vs. Teacher Debate was hosted by the John McCrae Debate Club. With a supportive audience that filled the virtual environment of the Google Meet, debaters rose to the challenge and delivered well-constructed speeches with passion.
The motion, better known as the topic or policy to be implemented, was as follows: THW (This house would) provide legal immunity to dictators and authoritarian leaders that step down, regardless of their actions in office. This “house” referred to the institution that would be enacting the policy, which was defined as the UN in this debate. The term of “legal immunity” was also clarified so that the dictators would not receive any form of legal punishment or be extradited within UN countries. It was a heavy, complex topic to address on the first go, but both students and teachers managed to explain their arguments fully and cohesively. There was a lot to be learned by spectating the debate.
British Parliamentary Debate was the format followed for the event. A round of debate consists of four teams of two debaters, eight speakers in total. Two of the teams are on the government side, which is to say that they support to the motion and argue for its implementation. They are appropriately named Opening Government and Closing Government, as they debate in that order. The other two teams are on the opposing side: Opening Opposition and Closing Opposition. Predictably, they reject the motion presented. During the debate, the pattern goes back and forth between the two sides, with each debater delivering one five-minute speech. It is important to mention that the debaters do not get to pick their positions, in order to avoid personal bias.
The debate is judged by the panel. In this case, it was the spectators who voted for the winner at the end of the round. It is also headed by the Chair, who narrates, surveys, and introduces the debate. Debate Club member Arian S. filled this role. Each speaker was given ten minutes of prep time with their partner before the debate started.
And, so it began.
The first team up was Opening Government, which was comprised of students. Yanni D. acted as Prime Minister, and later Joanna D. acted as Deputy Prime Minister. Their case stated that forgoing legal consequences in exchange for a dictator stepping down would create an incentive to make that choice. In those situations, military intervention would be avoided as well as internal rebellion. It would be less likely for the situation to escalate and become violent, which in the end, is the goal. To create a smooth transition from the dictator’s rule.
Next up was the sole teacher team: Opening Opposition. Mr. Ryan was Leader of Opposition, and Ms. Seymour was Deputy Leader of Opposition. Their team countered the arguments of Opening Government by stating the long-lasting repercussions of a dictator’s rule, and the consequences of setting them apart for others. By offering dictators an out in this fashion, it neglects internal conflict within the country or future economic issues that could pose as threats. They characterize dictators as power-hungry individuals, and by showing that they are above the rule of law and do not need to pay for their crimes, we are only proving that undisputable power.
Yes, the debate started off very strong. But the back half of the debate rose to the challenge.
Abdelrahman F. and William C. continued on as Closing Government. The former was Member of Government while the latter was Government Whip. While the front half focused on incentivizing a dictator’s removal, this team highlighted the transition from oppressive government to new democracy. The main priority has always been to protect the citizens, and the best way to do that is remove the dictator promptly. It would include a long term benefit of a more stable transition to the next rising government. In the end, they would prefer a world where these human rights abuses are not committed at all by the dictators, but they will settle for preventing their continuation. The rule of law is trivial in light of this fact.
Finally, the student vs. teacher debate drew to a close, with students Anoosha R. and Tracy X. finishing it off. They acted as respective Member of Opposition and Opposition Whip. Their case was made mostly on the basis of principles, namely justice. By implementing a policy that grants legal immunity to those responsible for grievous crimes, it diminishes the importance and effects of those actions. It is offensive to those who have suffered the consequences of the dictatorship. This kind of response sets an example for future generations that absolute power is acceptable, and that accountability is insignificant in society.
Both sides presented valid arguments and concerns, taking four different approaches to the motion. There was interaction between the two teams and thoughtful refutation that bounced back and forth. The quality of the speeches was displayed in the closeness of the final result.
There were two votes: one to determine whether the teachers or students won, and one to determine the winning team out of four. As decided by the spectators, the teachers had thirteen votes, while the students literally one-upped them with fourteen votes. However, in regards to the second vote, the team with the most individual votes was Opening Opposition; also known as Mr. Ryan and Ms. Seymour. So, all teams were fairly even—making the debate even more interesting.
Lost and Found
by Naya Holman and Paige Stacey
On Canada Day of 2020, while most were celebrating the joining of Canada's original three provinces, a grade 10 John McCrae student was getting his foot amputated.
The story begins on Father’s Day when James Budrow and his family were visiting his grand-parents’ place. One day while he was out driving their off-road UTV across the property, the top-heavy vehicle began to fall over one way and then back over as James tried to steer it square. Unfortunately, in hopes of preventing the crash, he stuck his foot out and the side-by-side landed on top of it, completely crushing his foot.
With most of his foot bones broken, a severed artery, severed nerves and a dislocated toe, he was taken to the Kingston General Hospital, where he stayed for ten days as surgeries were performed to remove and clear any debris from his foot. On day nine at the hospital, with the support of his parents, James made the final decision to go through with the amputation to remove his foot. He knew with a prosthetic he would be able to do everything he enjoyed again like running, skating, swimming and skiing, whereas keeping the foot lowered those chances.
He was moved to CHEO here in Ottawa, where he underwent the amputation process and spent around five or six days before he was able to go home.
James’ time at the hospital was very hard without being able to see his family or friends, his parents needed to take turns being in the hospital room with him due to COVID-19 - friends coming to visit him were out of the question. This caused James to have close bonds with the health care workers, creating a solid support system for him.
Just as James thought things were starting to get better, it was discovered that he had Robinsoniella peoriensis, a rare infection that only affects one in a million people. Luckily it was non-threatening and treatable, but it was a painful experience and three more surgeries had to be done to clear it. After spending forty brutal days in hospital dealing with the infection and phantom pains from the amputation, he was able to come home again. Although he could walk on crutches, James said “there was a lot of just sitting around...the phantom pain was just so painful, I couldn’t really do a lot.”
After a while, things began to look up, and in early September, James went to the prosthetist and was fitted for his prosthetic leg. A few days later he got to take it home and started walking again, which he says helped with his mental health along with the phantom pain.
Several months later of walking with crutches and fine tuning his prosthetic leg, James was able to start going to school without crutches before winter. Besides walking, he’s adjusted well and has been able to relearn for instance skating at outdoor rinks relatively quickly. Unable to play hockey with his friends on his old team was tough. Instead, he played hockey with some friends, also not being able to play because of the pandemic. Seeing his friends outdoors was very uplifting since this difficult past year made social visits limiting. Since then, James is very proud to have done an 80km bike ride to downtown Ottawa and back.
Over the past 10 months, James believes that he has matured quite a bit. For a young kid, he’s had to make some tough decisions. He has been part of hard conversations and has had to overcome many challenges along the way. Originally, he wanted to become a photographer but with this new experience and appreciation for health care workers, he now wants to become a paramedic. Being able to see the career first-hand while in the hospital was very interesting for him; he plans to take biology and health care courses in the coming years so that he can go to Southern Alberta’s Institute of Technology in Calgary for their paramedic program.
The War Amps have helped support James tremendously throughout this journey, by covering most of the costs along with connecting him with fellow amputees. They are now able to help us, John McCrae staff and students, better understand his story. James encourages us to do some research online in regard to the War Amps, and to broaden our knowledge on amputees as a way to support the community.
With the continuous love, encouragement and support from his friends and family, James has continued to grow and push himself to reach new heights. He has adapted to this new trial in his life, and with time and practice will be able to become the best version of himself yet. We can all take away a message from his story, and as James would say, “Don’t stick your foot out if some big machine is about to fall on you."
Autism Acceptance
by Usva Muhammad
Authour Saima Akram
April is the month of Autism Acceptance. Every year, this month, there is a global effort made to promote inclusivity, embracement and understanding of people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Earlier this year, Saima Akram, an educational assistant in the Ottawa Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) published her book, ‘Autism & Behavioural Science,’ which promotes both knowledge and acceptance of individuals with ASD.
Saima Akram is a Pakistani-Canadian who earned her Masters and Mphill in Psychology and post graduate diploma in Autism and Behavioural Science; she was inspired to study these fields by the lack of representation, acceptance and the overall stigma surrounding ASD, especially in developing countries. She wrote this book in hopes to induce acceptance, knowledge and scientific based approaches to autism.
The book starts by introducing the scientific definition of ASD: Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neuro-developmental disorder that affects the development of an individual’s brain and nervous system, eventually leading to abnormal brain functions. Autism is considered the most prevalent neuro-developmental disorder in the world and according to the statistics from the World Health Organization 1 in 160 children has ASD. Individuals with ASD often present other co-occurring conditions, including epilepsy, obesity, stomach and dietary problems, depression, anxiety, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Some people with ASD can live independently, others have severe disabilities and require lifetime or long-term care, treatment, and support. Evidence-based psychosocial interventions, such as Intensive Behaviour Therapies (IBI), behavioural interventions and treatment based on Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA), parent and teacher skills training programmes, staff and other professional trainings have shown dramatic results and great improvements in the lives of ASD individuals and their families. The evidence-based therapies can reduce difficulties in communication and challenges in social behaviour, with a positive impact on well-being and quality of life for persons with ASD, their families, caregivers, and related professionals.
The organization of the book consists of 10 chapters: Autism Spectrum Disorder, Applied Behaviour Analysis, Evidence-Based Approaches, Behavioural Assessment and Treatment, Teaching Behavioural and Functional Skills, Mediator Training and Capacity Building, The Multidisciplinary Team, Transition Planning and Execution for Individuals with ASD, Ethical Conduct and Professionalism, and finally, Effective Educational Practices for Students with Autism. When asked about her goal with this book, Saima stated “My foremost objective in preparing this book is to provide the reader with the indispensable knowledge, awareness, treatment plans and scientific based approaches for autism. The contents are premeditated with a balance of conceptual, practical, empirical and theoretical information to bridge the gap between research and everyday practice. While acknowledging empirical research and models, this book provides practical strategies in the context of Pakistani culture, which are also consistent with recent scientific research and practice in the field of autism.”
Overall, this book hopes to minimize the stigma surrounding individuals with autism, and autism as a whole, while providing the best up-to-date text and knowledge to students, educators, professionals, support providers and anyone interested in reading the book. For questions and information on where to read or purchase this book, please contact saima.akram@ocdsb.ca
A Guide to Google Docs by Caitlin Croskery
Since the quarantine began and teachers have had to adapt to remote learning, more work has been completed online than ever before. Sticky notes have become virtual via Google Jamboards, feedback is collected almost exclusively through Google Forms, and for any visual presentations, Google Slides is the way to go. Still, there is one facet of all the Google products that are accessible to students that is utilized above all others: Google Docs.
Most students have become very accustomed to the word processor after years of experience with school Chromebooks and Google Drive. Prized for its simplicity and ease of collaboration, Docs presents a perfectly-suited environment for beginners to write together without the hassle of complicated formatting or options.
Today, it has become more than just an academic tool; being used for nearly every little bit of writing to be completed in class or otherwise (including this article!). Therefore, it is necessary, for the sake of efficiency, to understand the full scope of what Docs has to offer. Here are some useful tips, tricks, and tools that can assist you in your writing process:
Keyboard Shortcuts:
Of course, there are the more obvious keyboard shortcuts that are practically universal to any computer:
Copy: Ctrl + c
Cut: Ctrl + x
Undo: Ctrl + z
Paste: Ctrl + v
Then, there are the less common ones that are most particular to Docs. Most of these can be accessed through menus or right-clicking on the desired word/passage, but memorizing some of these can cut down on a lot of time:
Paste Without Formatting: Ctrl + Shift + v
Find: Ctrl + f
Find and Replace: Ctrl + h
Select all: Ctrl + a
Increase/Decrease Font Size: Ctrl + Shift + </>
Insert Page Break: Ctrl + Enter
Create new document: Shift + t
These next three are great for both lists/brainstorming, and for typing in quick math such as exponents without having to use the equation tool:
Strikethrough: Alt + Shift + 5
Superscript: Ctrl + .
Subscript: Ctrl +
Finally, learning how to screenshot can be very useful for quick demonstrations or writing instructions. This is going to be different based on the type of computer used, so it can get a little more complicated.
Windows 10: Fn + Windows Key ⊞ + Print Screen
Mac: Shift + Command ⌘ + 3
Chromebook: Ctrl + Show Windows
Extra Shortcuts/Substitutions can be personalized through the Tools menu, Preferences, and Substitutions.
Tools:
Explore Tool
The purpose of the explore tool is to link the Google Search Engine to the document, so research can be done inside the same tab and window. It can be accessed by right-clicking on a highlighted word or phrase, then found through the menu that is opened. Alternatively, the shortcut Ctrl + Alt + Shift + i can be used as well, or it can be found through the Tools menu at the top navigation, much like the preferences for shortcuts.
Once an item is searched, it will come up with web, image, and drive results to assist any research. The citation tool in Google Docs is linked with this—so information found on those websites can be automatically cited in the document using a footnote.
Define Tool
Similar in style to the Explore Tool, the Define Tool is used for fast definitions and synonyms. It is also accessed by right-clicking on a highlighted word or phrase, through the Tools menu at the top navigation, or through the shortcut Ctrl + Shift + y.
Voice Typing
The purpose of Voice Typing is exactly what you would expect: it’s a speech-to-text tool that will capture words spoken aloud and transmit them to the page. This is useful for things like brainstorming and interviews, but is by no means perfect—it will require a fair amount of editing and grammar-checking to be considered presentable.
It can be found under the Tools menu, and will open a small pop-up with a microphone. Once clicked, any speech that is clear enough and near enough to the computer will be transcribed onto the document. Phrases like “period” and “new line” will help with formatting as well.
Citations Tool
Many students will have covered this tool in an English class somewhere along the way, but in case it was missed, here’s a rundown.
The Citations Tool can be accessed through the Tools menu, and will open a side bar in the same way that the Explore and Define Tools operate. Through this, sources can be added: it will ask for basic information to be filled in and then list all sources in alphabetical order. The citation style can be changed at any time (usually MLA for English classes), and when all sources have been collected, the blue “Insert bibliography” button at the bottom will insert a pre-formatted bibliography with all the added sources.
Saints and Misfits and Bulldogs: S.K. Ali comes to the JMSS Book Club
by Varya Kataria
Last Thursday, the John McCrae Book Club held its monthly meeting, featuring 2018 William C. Morris award finalist, S.K. Ali. Nineteen participants, students and teachers alike, got the opportunity to peer into the author’s writing process, learn about the complexities of publishing and discuss Ali’s influence as a Muslim author.
Ali has written five books including Love From A to Z, Saints and Misfits and The Proudest Blue, and she is currently working on two more. Her books have been labelled “Best YA Novel” by various sources. However, before she earned her creative writing degree, it was Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery that cultivated her love of reading.
Ali knew that she wanted to be an author from a very young age. As a quiet kid, having recently moved from Quebec with French as her first language, books were the only objects untouched by the language barrier. She remarked in the meeting that books allowed her to be a “full, participating person.” Ali discovered books in the fourth grade, three years after moving and became a “voracious reader.” Surprisingly, she “didn’t think [she] was a good reader” despite taking stacks of books home from the library. “I remember this feeling: this is what I love doing,” said S.K. Ali about reading.
Her reading habits, strong as they were, did not immediately result in a publishing contract. Ali was a full time teacher before she even began thinking about her books. In the last ten years as a teacher, she became “dedicated to the path of getting published.” She would wake up at sunrise and write and block out time every week to pursue her passion. Eventually, the hard work paid off and she got published.
After the success of her first book, Saints and Misfits (2017), she left teaching and became a full time author. During the meeting, Ali read out excerpts from Love from A to Z and Saints and Misfits. Click on the links to view full descriptions and reviews on Goodreads. Suzan, a member of The Book Club, read and enjoyed both books.
After the introduction and the book reading, participants of the meeting got the opportunity to ask S.K. Ali some questions. To start off the Q & A session, she was asked why she choose to write a Muslim love story. Ali responded that she writes from experience. She said that Love from A to Z is a “reality-based love story” where she wanted to explore her experiences with chronic illness and islamophobia through an everyday experience of love.
“What were the intentions of your book?” another reader asked as a follow-up question. Love from A to Z was meant to be a therapeutic means of processing Ali’s experiences. She said that she wanted to dispel the idea that her Muslim identity was not something to be proud of. She spoke about the thoughts that ran through people’s heads when they saw her hijab that she and her friend later laughed about. She realized that the laughter was a form of resilience and decided that she wanted better for other Muslim women, including her daughter.
Ali also spoke about the surprising responses she received from the Muslim community, following the release of her first book. She never thought about her light-hearted love story glazing over the problems that Muslim people face today. In fact, she wrote “from a place of warmth and love for her community.” She learned that the “hurt in [their] generation is so deep because of all the stereotypes” and embraced her responsibility as a Muslim author.
Another question asked about why she chose the setting of Love from A to Z to be in Doha, Qatar. Ali said that she wanted to pick a place that isn’t traditionally seen as romantic. Her experience in Doha made it seem like a magical city, so it only made sense to set her story there. Book Club members, Suzan and Razan who have lived in Doha before, said that they thought she did an amazing job describing the city. Suzan even said that she “made [her] feel homesick!”
“Don't carry around the hurtful words that others say. Drop them. They are not yours to keep. They belong only to those who said them.” - The Proudest Blue
Ali gave Book Club members some insight about how she wrote her picture book, The Proudest Blue, in collaboration with an illustrator. She wrote the manuscript from the anti-bullying book from inspiration from counselling her elementary students and spiritual guidance. She found the process exciting. She would give instructions for the illustrator who would then bring them to life. For example, the bullies were always depicted in shadow, whereas everyone else was vividly coloured.
Finally, when Ali was asked about her writing process, she said: “I do this before every book. I Google ‘how to write a book’ and start from the beginning.” Shei believes in constant learning and reinventing and explained how it has taught her more than beginning from the same spot would have. She also spoke about her transition from a “pantser,” a term that comes from writing by the seat of your pants, to an extensive planner. Both methods are equally effective just “try different things and find what works for you.”
Book Club members described this session as “informative and eye-opening” and eagerly await their next meeting on April 22nd at 2:30 PM. Next month's book themes are: 1) a book set outside North America 2) a book about a war or set during a war 3) book set in the future or 4) true story (any non-fiction). Be sure to also check out S.K. Ali’s next book, Misfit in Love, which releases on May 25th.
I learned the most I ever have about Muslim identity from reading S.K. Ali’s work. When Ali mentioned her love for Anne of Green Gables (which I also thoroughly enjoyed) and Ms Matthews showed us the “Anne Doll” sitting on her desk, I realized that despite all of our different experiences, books can act as the bridges that connect us all together.
The Key to Helping: FocalOttawa Initiative comes to John McCrae by Naya Holman
On October 24, 2020, Key Clubbers across various high schools, including the group at John McCrae co-founded an initiative called FocalOttawa.
FocalOttawa is an intergenerational student-led initiative dedicated to helping local businesses amid the pandemic through a buy-local campaign. They named it Focal to reflect its main goal: focusing on the local. The group strives to change consumer buying behaviour by promoting a select group of Ottawa businesses on their social media platforms and website, which they have designed in collaboration with Invest Ottawa’s Digital Main Street team. On the website, they showcase these local businesses and include a link to their respective websites; they attain publicity through our Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin pages. In exchange for this, they request that these businesses provide us a monetary sponsorship.
100% net proceeds of the sponsorships proceed directly towards Bridges Over Barriers, a fund under the Education Foundation of Ottawa that aims to financially support Ottawa Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) students in need. This short video tells the story.
Thus far, the team has managed to successfully pitch to 13 local business owners, who each have an incredible history in giving back and building their community for the common good. On January 8th, three members delivered a cheque presentation of $5000.00 to Bridges Over Barriers at the Virtual Kiwanis Club of Ottawa Luncheon. They have since reached over $8500.00, which includes a presenting sponsorship from the Bank of Montreal. One of their advisors was invited to record a podcast on Invest Ottawa about our initiative, and along with three other members, recently recorded a podcast with Dr. Kyeremanteng, the founder of the Bridges Over Barriers fund.
As their initiative is growing in the community, they hope to reach a greater audience to further promote our buy-local campaign and help more students in need. They hope to gain a wider audience as a percentage of the sales made would be directed to Bridges Over Barriers. In other words, if a box of chocolates from Stubbe Chocolates is purchased, you would be contributing to sustaining a local business, and to supporting students whose physical and mental health may be threatened by financial hardship.
School Feature: Photography Class by Avery Craig
Over the years, photography has had to evolve and adapt to a new world. Way back in the 5th century, people had to project upside-down images onto walls with the Camera-Obscura. A lot of hard work went into getting that singular image. But as time went on, they started inventing better and better technology. Which resulted in the first professional digital camera in 1975 and that took 23 seconds to capture 1 photo. To us, that sounds absurd because fast-forwarding to 2021, we have the best digital cameras, tons of equipment and classes that teach us all about photography.
One class in specific is at John McCrae Secondary School. They are doing something quite interesting this year. Mrs. Comrie has been teaching at JMSS for 3 years now. Before only teaching visual arts and english. But when they needed someone to teach the photography courses this year she was excited to teach and experiment with it. She is teaching both Grade 11 and 12s, and has 1 split course. This is her first year teaching photography and was honestly a little bit nervous about teaching photography alone, and then came the added stress of teaching during a pandemic. “I was nervous about the length of the classes. How was I supposed to fill up 4 hour classes and only teach every other day. I was worried about what it was going to feel like, but as time went on I got used to it. I was able to have more time to sit and create, as well as give my students the same freedom. Honestly it was better than I thought it would be.”
The one big difference this year for Mrs. Comrie was having to find a way to adapt to the COVID restrictions. She was not able to use the Cameras. John McCrae usually would give out DSLR (digital single-lens reflex) cameras to the students. But COVID guidelines wouldn’t allow it. Too many students and not enough cameras. “I would’ve loved to give my students the cameras to mess around with, practice with them, learn how to actually use them and the lighting equipment we have. Instead what I have done is pivoted the situation to make it more accessible with devices we already have. Cellphones!” Mrs. Comrie has adapted her class to make students learn to use the technology around them. Not only that, but she feels that students are getting so many more skills out of this. “I feel like students are leaving the class while still having things to use. They are creative problem solving and in the end, all the results are successful.”
Not being able to use the cameras isn’t the only difference to this class. Mrs. Comrie has added something new this year. She’s taken her love of visual arts and incorporated it with mixed media. “I am a very tactile person, a messy person and I love using my hands. So when I took on photography, I also wanted to enjoy the class as well by incorporating a fun visual art aspect. You learn new skills like learning to take a great photo the first time and not creating a great photo after the edits. We are focusing on the purpose and meaning and tactileness that we can manipulate. Photography shouldn't just fit into one tiny box, you should be able to showcase more and create deeper meaning things out of photos.”
Now you might be wondering, “Uh...isn’t this photography class and not visual art class? I'm not taking photography now, this sounds horrible!” WRONG! I have taken this course, first quadmester and it was such an amazing class. I learned so many things about my phone camera that I didn’t know, but also about my own camera. Just because Mrs. Comrie is adding more to the course and doesn't take anything away from it. And if you think i’m being biased, I asked a couple students a few questions.
Nathan Bruggink is currently in the Grade 11 class and I asked him: Why did you take this class? What were some of the cool projects you did? And would you recommend this course and why?
“So for me photography was a filler course. But since I did have to pick a filler course I’m glad it was photography. I wasn’t that good at taking pictures before so what better way to learn than photography class.”
“So, right now we are in the middle of the inner identity project which is where we incorporate embroidery into our portraits to represent our inner self. So far this is looking to be one of my favourites. I also really liked the Andy Goldsworthy project. We had to create a nature sculpture based off of Andy Goldsworthy.” These are just 2 of the amazing projects Mrs. Comrie has come up with! She also had to alter some of them slightly when classes went virtual last quadmester. Turns out, it was a blessing in disguise. The Inner Identity project is usually done with embroidery to show your inner self over a portrait. But she altered it by finding an artist who does the same thing but with using photoshop, they layer illustrations and mixed marks overtop of the portrait.
“I would definitely recommend this class to any student looking to take better pictures. The class has helped me think more technically about my photos and has taught me many easy ways to make my photos look a little bit better.”
Yanni Dye was a part of Mrs. Comries “Guinea Pig” class. I asked her the same questions and here is what she said.
“As we know, Senior years are a lot more stressful, so I thought it was important to balance it out with a course I’d enjoy-photography. I think the beauty of photography is that it’s accessible to everyone, and captures raw and rare moments. I thoroughly enjoyed being in an environment and being able to express myself in a non academic way.”
“ In photography we did a lot of mixed media, exploring various mediums to help your photos, including a project inspired by Andy Goldsworthy, incorporating embroidery and the creation of a collage with a common theme. My favourite project was our final one, the Collage of my life in 2020. I made a 3D paper mache earth as the canvas for my photos.”
“If photography is something you’re interested in, I would definitely recommend! Or any other art class to be honest. It’s easy to forget and completely focus on academics, but I believe taing photography (or any other art course) is important as well because it’s challenging a different part of the brain, it’s a super friendly and relaxed environment and it really helped me ease into the school system again. The benefits of art are beyond what I can explain.”
This class was a fun way to express yourself, have fun, to have creative freedom in and it teaches you a lot. So if anyone is looking for a class that can help you understand photography beyond the basics, and that helps you become a better photographer? I suggest you try taking Photography at least once at John McCrae.
Gabrielle Roy
Stanley Vollant
Michaelle Jean
Célébrez le mois de la francophonie avec nous!
par Saja Elkurtehi
La journée de la francophonie, le 20 mars, célèbre le patrimoine et la culture francophone du monde entier. La journée internationale de la francophonie a été établie en 1988. Elle a d'abord commencé comme une journée de célébration de la signature de la Convention de Niamey au Niger, lieu de solidarité entre les pays francophones et force reconnue des relations internationales, et pour reconnaître la fondation de l’Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (établi le 20 mars, 1970). Elle est par la suite devenue une journée de reconnaissance de la diversité culturelle et linguistique des francophones.
L'Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) est une organisation internationale composée de 88 États membres qui poursuit quatre objectifs principaux. Le premier est de promouvoir la langue française et la diversité culturelle et linguistique. Le deuxième est de promouvoir la paix, la démocratie et les droits humains. Le troisième est de soutenir l'éducation, la formation, l'enseignement supérieur et la recherche. Le dernier est de développer une coopération économique visant à soutenir le développement durable.
Le français est la deuxième langue la plus parlée dans le monde avec un total de 247 millions de francophones. Au Canada, le mot francophone fait le plus souvent référence à une personne dont la première langue, ou langue maternelle, est le français. Il fait également référence à l'un des deux empires européens (la France) qui ont colonisé et tenté de conquérir la terre que nous connaissons aujourd'hui sous le nom du Canada du 17e au 19e siècle. De nombreux francophones ont un grand impact sur nous aujourd'hui et ont eu une influence positive sur notre histoire canadienne. Voici quelques-uns:
Gabrielle Roy
Auteure canadienne de Saint-Boniface, au Manitoba et l'une des figures majeures de la littérature canadienne-française, elle a reçu les plus hauts prix littéraires, dont le Prix du Gouverneur général, le Prix Duvernay et le Prix David, et a été nommée Compagnon de l'Ordre du Canada.
Stanley Vollant
Est un chirurgien, professeur et conférencier innu francophone qui a fondé l'organisation à but non lucratif « Puamun Meshkenu » pour inspirer et soutenir les peuples autochtones dans leur santé mentale et physique.
Michaëlle Jean
Est une femme d'État canadienne et ancienne journaliste qui a été gouverneure générale du Canada de 2005 à 2010, la 27e depuis la Confédération canadienne. Elle est la première personne haïtienne canadienne et noire à occuper ce poste.
La culture francophone et la francophonie sont uniques et ont eu de grands effets sur la société Canadienne. Les francophones au Canada, y compris les Québécois.es, les Francontarien.ne.s, les Acadien.ne.s, et plus, représentent une grande fièreté culturelle et un patrimoine riche avec la musique, l'art, les valeurs, les sports, et d'autres. Il y a certains aspects de ce patrimoine que nous pouvons tous apprécier, comme la nourriture.Un exemple de plat culturel canadien-français est la fameuse poutine: frites croustillantes, fromage en grains et sauce savoureuse.
Pour en savoir plus sur la culture francophone, assurez-vous de suivre la nouvelle page instagram de la diversité des écoles: @McCraeMosaic
Focus on Mental Health
by Aliya Sattar
One of the student council's main goals this year was to bring light to Mental Health awareness and issues in our school. Student Council members agreed that to raise awareness and help students would be to form a mental health committee. This committee takes voices directly from the student body and addresses all of their concerns and feedback. It would be more efficient and better to do it together as a council. Some concerns discussed with students include, how much students feel cared for? and what kind of things the school can do to make it better. Its plans involve giving feedback to higher-ups in the OCDSB about new initiatives they want to put into place. They would like to inform parents, using guest speakers, on how to address their mental health needs and be more open about them. Another plan that they have been working on is, how guidance can be a more welcoming place for students and how we can encourage students to get help from our local adult allies if they need it.
As a committee, they have big dreams but they also got hit with the reality that some of them may not be achievable with the ongoing pandemic and budgeting , however, they are pulling through and are not afraid to speak up about anything on their minds. This committee is always engaged and is holding individual meetings and meetings with mental health experts to find ways to help the student body.
Every student council meeting they bring up new ideas and feedback. In order to serve the student body they need feedback about mental health at our school. So students are encouraged to submit their ideas/feedback about mental health at our school to the student council Instagram @jmsstudco. Attention all artists! The Mental health committee is hosting an art contest in which the winner gets a special feature in the paw print. The themes for the contest are World Bipolar Day and International Day of Happiness. Students can create an art piece to represent either theme from their perspective using any medium. To enter the contest fill out this form. All submissions are due on Thursday March 25th.
Department Feature: Technology and Design
By: Usva Muhammad, Teresa Ung & Sequoia Laybourne
With the pandemic continuing to create challenges, hands-on courses such as technological design have been significantly impacted with direct influence on safety guidelines; even through these difficult times the teachers at John McCrae do their best to ensure student wellbeing and proper course knowledge is provided.
In an email interview with Mr. Bollman, a teacher who has taught woodworking related courses for over 5 years, he explains the difficulties the pandemic has created in-relation to the technological courses, stating, “Due to the nature of the course and equipment involved, it is difficult to offer the same course from home as it is in the shop setting.” He next explains the adjustments that have been made to ensure the courses are provided in a COVID-safe setting, explaining the cohort systems, “The cohort system does work better as we are able to divide time between home and class. At home students would complete designs while building in class at school. This is a much better scenario than working from home all the time. Working from home during the lockdown was based primarily on design using design software.”
John McCrae offers many different technological courses; introductory courses are offered in the junior grades to promote the various aspects of technology. Many of the courses taught in grade 9 are similar to courses taught in grade 10. In grade 9, you are taught how to use several machines as well as the safety around them; the grade 9 technology course is split into two technological based aspects, hard technology which consists of design and build as well as soft technology which is more computer design based. These two aspects of technology act as a guide for future, senior-grade courses, students with preference in soft tech will be more likely to focus on communications technology whereas students with interest in hard tech will focus on technological design. Grade 10 technological design teaches you how to make more advanced projects with the knowledge you have learned previously from the hard tech portion in grade 9, however, grade 9 technology is not a prerequisite for grade 10 technological design. Grade 10 technological design focuses on software programs and advanced machinery in order to plan and create projects, with primary focus on hands-on work utilizing wood.
As with any course, the increase in grade-level coincides with the increase in complexity; the senior technological courses focus on elaborating previous aspects of design technology. Mr Bollman explains that in grades 11 and 12 projects tend to be larger with emphasis on the aspects of jointery, safety, techniques, utilizing most if not all advanced machinery and the overall longevity and quality of the project. Grade 12 design tech induces specific working parameters in which traditional wood jointery is combined with hardware used in the technological industries to create projects; projects use a variety of techniques to incorporate levels of cabinetry such as creating doors and drawers, overall producing reliable, long-lasting and functional products.
Even with the challenges the pandemic has created, teachers teaching hands-on courses have found ways to work alongside the increased safety-guidelines. Overall, technology class is a great way to gain experience in both software and hardware design, while also increasing knowledge on multiple types of machinery and promoting the transferable skills of creativity, adaptability and critical thinking.
Volunteers
by Amina and Miriam Hajiveya
Two Sisters Tell Their Stories About Helping Out During the Pandemic
I decided to start volunteering this year, however it has been quite difficult due to COVID-19. As a result of in-person volunteering limitations I decided to volunteer online. I found and decided to join a program called “Friendship Circle” on the Volunteer Ottawa website. The Friendship Circle is a program for young individuals with special needs. High School students as well as adults are paired with these individuals. Friendship circle is currently looking for volunteers! Usually partners would meet in-person however due to COVID-19 the meetings have switched to strictly online only. At first virtual volunteering was very difficult and stressful. I was not only new to volunteering but the zoom software as well. I was able to quickly learn after watching some much needed YouTube tutorials and began volunteering. For 1 hour a week I meet with a young boy with autism. I talk to him as well as play games. When volunteering online, you will always need to prepare content beforehand. I recommend preparing days in advance before your volunteer meetings. This relieves any stress you may have, to create a plan of what to do, when to do it as well as having extra time to ask any questions. Volunteering virtually is also physically less demanding and less stressful than volunteering in person. Although most meetings require the camera and video to be on you do not need to physically leave your house or do any physical work which is something most people prefer. There is also no added stress on appearances, clothing, etc which is found in in-person volunteering. However, virtual volunteering has its own stresses such as technical difficulties. Technology is unpredictable and can crash or glitch at any moment. There are times when I accidentally mute myself and don’t realize it. With that being said, technical difficulties can often be solved within minutes. It’s usually not something a YouTube video can’t fix. Generally there are no protocols as everything is online. Overall, I highly recommend volunteering online. During these times in-person opportunities are currently hard to find. I greatly value my experiences with the friendship circle program and strongly encourage anyone who is looking for a volunteer opportunity to apply!
I have been volunteering regularly at an equestrian centre in Ottawa for almost two years. I got into volunteering through my weekly riding lesson. I loved spending time with horses and wanted to find a way to be with them more often, not to mention also having to complete my volunteer hours. A great way to find in-person volunteering opportunities is through your interests or extracurricular activities. A good friend of mine then connected me with the volunteer coordinator of Royale Equestrian Centre, and that's where all of my amazing experiences started! Before Covid, there were tons of volunteers constantly working hard around Ottawa and in their communities. In my case, other volunteers around the farm would help with chores, lessons, and more. This was a great opportunity for me to connect with other people who shared the same passion and interests as me. With any in-person volunteering commitments, you will work hard, make friends, learn new things, but most importantly have lots of fun. Last year when Covid started, the volunteer numbers at Royale Equestrian Centre lowered significantly, as did with other in-person programs. Here are a few words from the volunteer coordinator at Royale Equestrian Centre, giving insight on the program impacts: “As the volunteer coordinator for Royale Equestrian Centre, we have been negatively impacted by covid in many ways. We have had to reduce our volunteer program to about 1/10 of the number of people we normally have during a semester. We are also not able to hold volunteer orientations or training sessions. The volunteers themselves are also suffering. They really miss their friends and the horses.” - Karen Christie. With new Covid regulations in place, in-person volunteering programs have had to implement many new protocols and rules. These include: constant mask-wearing, sanitization of frequently touched objects, hand sanitization, social distancing, smaller volunteer numbers, and many more regulations. In-person volunteering is a great hands-on experience that will make you grow as a person and learn more about yourself. It is also a good way to try a variety of possible career options and I encourage anyone considering in-person volunteering to search for opportunities and begin your journey!
Ps:
At this moment Royale Equestrian Centre is not currently accepting new volunteers, however make sure to follow them on their social media accounts for the latest news and updates!
Ask the Expert
Mr. Cermak gives Deea Saha Some Study Tips
As we are getting closer to the end of the year, our motivation to keep the consistent effort in school may be lowering. This is perfectly normal! With a few minor changes to the way we study, we can maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of our efforts. One of our science teachers here at John McCrae, Mr. Cermak, has a few “do's” and “don'ts” for all of us. Please note that certain tips are subject-specific so they may not work for every subject.
Starting off, our first study mishap is simply reading over notes, as doing so does not let our brains or let us actively process the information that we are trying to learn. In fact, doing this gives us a false sense of confidence, as reading it repeatedly only helps us to recognize the information (a passive way of learning). In a test environment, rather than recognizing, we need to access material ourselves. A great way to memorize information is to rewrite the material (without looking at notes!) and seeing what is remembered and what is not. Another way is to create visuals, such as q-cards or graphic organizers. To amplify the effectiveness of these solutions, you can create and answer questions, or highlight key points.
Next up, cramming is a no-go. We have all heard our teachers repeatedly say that cramming is not ideal, even if our results do not reflect their claims. So then, why do they keep bringing it up? Let’s introduce spaced repetition. Our brains store information more effectively when we frequently access it. For example, when we learn a new text abbreviation, we remember it pretty well without trying too hard, since we use it often. However, when it comes to remembering the chemical reactions in the Krebs cycle, it can get (much) more challenging - granted, it is more complicated, but you get the concept. Try aiming for three 20 minute blocks spread across time, rather than studying for a full hour the day before the evaluation. Not only will this help you remember, but it will also develop your time management skills and will reduce any felt pressure. (Side note: if you’re lacking motivation, reward yourself between every smaller session!)
Finally, Mr. Cermak has also graced us with a few organizational and miscellaneous tips. When it comes to organizing, a few practices that could be put into place are writing out a to-do list ranked by priority, keeping agendas (either online or physical), and using a variety of colors, shapes, and fonts. He also emphasizes to feel comfortable asking for help from your teachers, and if that does not work out, to ask peers or guardians. When studying in general, he advises saying the content out loud which also actively processes information. Finally, remember that not everything may work for you, and to be open to suggestions to improve your learning.
School Feature: John McCrae's Book Club Welcomes Its First Guest
by Varya Kataria
“Maybe that's what living is, S.K. Ali writes in Love from A to Z, “recognizing the marvels and oddities around you.” S.K. Ali is a Muslim-Canadian writer who will be visiting John McCrae’s Book Club this month on March 25th. Ms Matthews, our Book Club adult ally and library technician, is the person behind it all.
Like many other stories today, this one too begins with quarantine. How it prevents students from attending assemblies and going on field trips. Necessary adaptations needed to be made in order for the school system to escape the gaping maw of natural selection.
Google Meet, a product of evolution, opened many new doors. Ms O’Grady, John McCrae’s principal, was among the first to recognize its usefulness and sent emails to staff regarding guest speakers to try and fill the gap the assemblies and field trips had left behind. Ms Matthews then requested a guest speaker for Book Club and once she received the go-ahead, she began her search for an author.
The OCDSB created a Strategic Plan in 2019 which included creating a Culture of Caring. The goal was (and is) to create a safe environment which values equity and belonging. Ms Matthews wanted to see that in the library. She wants students to “feel welcome, safe and see themselves reflected in the books and programs we offer.” She realized, however, that all the women on the library staff are white. She was considering a local author at first, but then realized again that it was another white woman. Ms Matthews made it a point to find someone with a different background than hers.
Her search led her to her adolescent daughter, an aspiring writer. She’d visited a writing workshop in which S.K. Ali was one of the panelists and spoke very highly of the author. Ms Matthews went to S.K. Ali’s website and contacted her by email, wondering if she would like to come speak at McCrae. When S.K. Ali replied with a confirmation, the date was set and Book Club members were notified.
Ms Matthews hopes to do more author visits in the future and “that with each one we can add a new perspective (different cultures, genders, orientations) to help us all grow and learn and understand each other better.”
Ms Dobbin, who led last month’s Book Club meeting, told Ms Matthews that a few young Muslim women were excited to hear from Ms Ali because they don’t get many opportunities like this often. As someone who has learned a lot about the culture just by writing this article, I, too, am excited to hear from this new perspective.
S.K. Ali hasn’t had many books published yet, though Ms Matthews recommends the books Love from A to Z or Saints and Misfits for students. If they would like to learn more about the culture, she also edited a collection of short stories called Once Upon an Eid. She has also published a picture book called, The Proudest Blue, which is currently nominated in the Forest of Reading’s Blue Spruce category.
Ali said in an interview with the Toronto Reference Library that she got the idea for her most popular book Saints and Misfits from a manuscript for a different book that she didn’t end up writing. She found the character’s voice by writing a blog post from her perspective.
The meeting will be an informal discussion with the author and participants will have the opportunity to ask her questions to receive more insight as to what the writing process is like. Ms Matthews says, “Unfortunately we can't all be in the same room, but I hope it will feel like we are all there together.”
On March 25th, join me and Ms Matthews and the rest of Book Club in recognizing the marvel of books by discussing them through the oddity that is Google Meet. After all, that’s what living is.
Community Feature: Turning the Page on the Ruth E. Dickinson Library
by Avery Craig and Caitlin Croskery
It’s been a year since the Ruth E. Dickinson library branch has been open for visitors, but the calming atmosphere that fills the air still remains, washing over you as you step across the threshold. The lovely librarian smiles as she passes by, though only the crinkling of her eyes can be seen from behind her mask. You nod back politely, apply some sanitizer, and quietly head up the stairs. At the top, you find what you’ve been missing these past months: an awaiting sea of knowledge, entertainment and inspiration, contained in rows upon rows.
Since February 2020, 25 of 28 Ottawa Public Library branches have once again begun to offer in person services, including returns, holds, browsing, card renewal, and computer usage. The Ruth E. Dickinson branch, nestled between Walter Baker and our own John McCrae, is among them.
Of course, in accordance with the times, new social distancing measures have been put in place to ensure safety and comfort. Dots decorate the floor in a reminder to stay six feet apart, hand sanitizer can be found next to all touch-requiring surfaces, and masks have been made mandatory. All physical returns are left in isolation for four days before being cleaned and placed back on the shelves for the next borrower. Though the library is fully open to the public, visitors are encouraged to make their visits swift and not plan to work or read in house—most of the general seating has been removed. This is due to a capacity limit of 32 people in the building at any given time, in order to maintain proper social distancing measures.
Another development is that late fees have been eliminated as of January 1, 2021. Borrowers will no longer be charged for overdue items, though books can easily be renewed online if the need arises. However, replacement fees for damaged or lost books and hold fees for items that are not picked up before their expiry are still applicable.
Other than the borrowing and return of books, access to public computers has also been reinstated, which can now be booked for up to an hour a day, three times per week. These appointments can be made via the website, https://biblioottawalibrary.ca/en/pc-bookings, or by calling InfoService at 613-580-2940. Computers are cleaned between users and a disinfecting wipe can be also requested during booking.
Online resources aren’t only available in house; there is also a wealth of information that can be accessed from anywhere via the Internet.The OPL (Ottawa Public Library) now has a Youtube channel where they host online classes, lecture series and tutorials for many things. On their website, they have a #AskUs section, where you can send in any questions you have about the library, about holds on books, or anything you want. Since they’ve added the “virtual library”, the staff of Ruth E. Dickinson has decided to keep the online section. Tammy Hurst, the Teen librarian at Ruth E. Dickinson has been at this branch for almost 4 years now. She has given us some great resources that can be very helpful for students: “Medici.tv, SOLARO, Creativebug and Pronunciator. Medici.tv brings you some of the best live classical music shows from the world’s most prestigious venues, and lets you watch thousands of concerts, operas, ballets, documentaries, and master classes. SOLARO helps students learn outside of school to supplement what they learn at school. Creativebug keeps your hands active and your mind engaged with arts and crafts. Pronunciator provides personalized courses to help you learn any language in your familiar mother tongue.”
Tammy also has some great teen programs coming up. In March, there’s a special event called International Women’s Day Pandemic Sheros with Jasmin Kaur moderated by Holly Bodger. She also has a Dungeons and Dragons for Teens and a Virtual Introduction to Astronomy. In April, during the postponed March Break, they will have a Songwriting Basics program, Poetry Writing, Cosplay Makeup 101, Dessin pour la gérer ta santé and Sketching for Self-Care.
Amanda Spargo, a librarian who has worked at this branch for 26 years, says that she loves the virtual programs they’ve added. “Before, if we brought in a famous author, we would be limited to the amount of people allowed in. But, since we now have the Youtube channel, we can livestream it to anybody.” Amanda misses so much about the usual library setting. She misses the people, whether they were the little old ladies that came in to knit or the babies from story time. She loved seeing them come in and stay. She loved the Teen Zone where people from JMSS would come in and do homework, study, or just hangout.
Now if you are looking to get back into reading but you are worried about COVID and your safety, we’ve asked for some advice from the two librarians, Amanda and Tammy. “Don’t be afraid to come to the library to borrow books or ask for book suggestions. We have set-up strict health and safety measures to keep everyone safe and our staff is available to help you find books that meet your interest. If you don’t feel comfortable coming to the library, you can look at our online resources instead. We have eBooks and downloadable audiobooks, magazines and newspapers.” They don’t want you to feel any stress, or feel overwhelmed. There is no pressure to come in at all. “We follow strict COVID-19 regulations, we respect your privacy and space. So if you need help come up and ask, but if not, you’ll be left alone!”
As of right now, the library is calmest on weekdays, especially in the two hours after school is released, 1:15 - 3:15 pm. This is an excellent time for students to drop by and browse or pick up any holds.
There are so many new features to explore at the Ruth E. Dickinson Library Branch, and the other Ottawa Public Library branches across the city. Blind Book Bundles, online programs, resources for students, and a virtual library are just some of them of the notable ones—and there are many more to come in the near future! They hope to see you soon, and look forward to helping you find your next adventure, whether it be for the purpose of knowledge, entertainment or inspiration.
You can catch them, in house, at these times*:
Monday 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Tuesday 1:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Wednesday 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Thursday 1:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Friday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Saturday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Sunday Closed
*Holiday hours may differ
You can also follow them on Instagram @oplteens_adosbpo.
School Feature: The Course Selection Dilemma
by Sequoia Laybourne, Emily Pears, Deea Saha, Aliya Sattar, Avery Craig and Varya Kataria
It’s everybody’s favourite time of year: course selection time! For some of us, it is the first time getting electives and for others this is their last year of high school. Last week, guidance counsellors sent out emails detailing how this year’s course selection process will be facilitated. This article provides an overview of those ideas and a look at students with vastly different course selections. Hopefully, after reading this, you’ll feel a little less overwhelmed by the process and know that you’re not alone in the struggle.
One of many transitions this year included the transition from Career Cruising to Xello as the platform for course selection. To find Xello, you’ll need to go to www.ocdsb.com and click on the student portal. That will take you to the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). There, you click on Grades 7-12 at the top and that’s where you’ll find it!. Course selections opened February 24th and they close March 8th. For in-depth instructions on course selection, check out the XELLO Course Selection Guide.
An interesting thing about Xello is that they have ways you can look at specific programs or schools to see what kind of prerequisite courses you need! This is incredibly helpful for students who are unsure about their future career paths. Xello allows you to browse post-secondary programs and tailor your course selection accordingly.
The transition from grade 9 to grade 10 can affect your future without you even realizing it. Course choosing can be a stressful time, including the fact that John McCrae offers many exciting courses. This can be overwhelming for grade 9s going into grade 10 because we have to use a sort of independence to think ahead as to what we will enjoy in the future and be interested in learning about. Choosing your own future can also have some positives, as you can choose to take classes based off of your interests. John McCrae is a school that offers many different kinds of course options like different arts, a variety of physical activity levels, technology studies, and the chance to learn different languages.
One of the main obstacles is when it comes time to choose electives for grade 10. We get 3 electives going forward instead of the smaller decision between 2 courses which can be more of a difficult decision. Choosing these electives can help decide what we do in the future as a job, which can be really stressful. Even with picking the right field of courses, like technology or arts can also make a big impact on your future.
Course selection for grade 11 can be tough since deciding whether to take University level courses, Mixed courses or College-level courses can be hard. It's pretty different from Academic or Applied courses that were an option in Grade 9 and grade 10. There are way more choices for electives and hardly any required courses. Due to this, choosing courses can be quite difficult because it depends on what the student is interested in. In grade 11, students have the option to choose courses that may suit their ideal career path or courses that give them a chance to acquire new skills to figure out what they like. John McCrae offers a variety of different courses that students may be interested in such as the Law or Introduction to Anthropology/Sociology/Psychology courses and more specific Art courses which only start to become available to students in grade 11. Now, the previous “Business” course is now divided into many different concentrations that relate to the specific strands of business such as Economics, Accounting, Entrepreneurship or Finance. This is the same with Science courses as they separate into Physics, Biology, Environment, and Chemistry. Some of the electives like Tech are also separated into hard tech and soft tech This leaves students going into the Senior grades with many decisions to make.
Fortunately, the guidance counsellors at our school have created a list of recommendations to ease our load. Their suggestions for a well-rounded student or someone who is relatively uncertain about their career path, other than the mandatory English and Math courses, are to take at least one science course and a language course. The last 1-2 open slots could be used to fill in your group 1-3 requirements (for information regarding groups please check your emails).
Grade 12 Selection
Grade elevens planning their senior courses face the familiar hurdle of putting their futures into consideration. It’s recommended that eleventh grade students look ahead into prospective university programs to ensure that they select the appropriate prerequisites. That said, it is important to consider previous and current academic performance in certain courses before making any decisions. You may want to include parents, friends and teachers in the discussion. Grade 12 is an important year, after all.
That said, DO NOT STRESS! We are all weathering the same storm and having to make the same difficult decisions. Course selection doesn’t have any universally right answers. Other than English, we will not all be taking the same courses like in previous years. Here is a look at two students’ vastly different course selections.
Varya is very STEM-oriented. In grade 12, she plans to take mainly math and science courses in agreement with her post-secondary plans. Avery doesn't have that much of a plan for post-secondary education. In grade 12, she wants to take courses that seem fun, and enjoyable to make the most of her Senior year! Here are some of the courses they are taking:
Varya’s Grade 12 Course Selection
English, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Computer Science, Advanced Functions, Calculus and Vectors + 1 more
+ Concert Band
Avery’s Grade 12 Course Selection
English, Photography, Working with School-age children, Human Dev. writer's craft, link crew, fitness, french. + 1 more
Some students, Like Abbey Kutyma, have more specific career goals. In Abbey’s case, that’s working towards becoming a Police Officer. The program that Abbey wants to get into provides for a lot of freedom with course selection as long as she has six university or mixed level courses in her grade 12 year. Many university programs have this requirement, so that may be something you want to keep in mind while making this selection.
Abbey Kutyma’s Grade 12 Course Selection
English, French immersion, Spanish level 3, Canadian and international law, Personal fitness and activities, Link crew, World issues, Introduction to Kinesiology
If you were inspired by these selections, go read some of the JMSS Course Descriptions to see if they are the right courses for you. Also explore more JMSS Course Offerings. Also, if you want to join an ensemble besure to fill out the Concert and Jazz Band Request Form by March 8th. Ensembles won’t run if no one signs up, so even if you’re unsure, sign up anyway!
University isn’t the only pathway! As you’ve seen above, every student is different and even though we couldn’t interview a student following a college or apprenticeship pathway, Xello’s got your back! You can explore other pathways right on the website before deciding which courses are right for you.
The Paw Print also reached out to Mr.Toms, a guidance counsellor at JMSS, for some clarification and insight. Guidance understands that students have received lots of emails this year, but they recommend reading through all of it. There is some really useful information in there about the Xello process and timelines. Here is an FAQ with Mr.Toms:
What are your recommendations for kids who don’t know what they want to do later in life?
It’s perfectly normal to not know exactly what you want to do later in life. In fact, a lot of students who “know” what they want will wind up changing their minds over the next few years. If you don’t know what you want to do, I’d recommend doing some research on the different options available in college, university, and the trades. You’ll be amazed at the types of programs that are out there...likely some you never even knew existed! You may be inspired by something brand new to you. The websites below are a great place to start.
www.ontariouniversitiesinfo.ca
www.ontario.ca/page/start-apprenticeship
If you can fit it into your timetable, one possible option to consider would be to take Co-op. It allows you to get high school credits while getting real work experience in the community. There are a pretty wide range of different placements, and it’s a great way to “test-drive” a future career before spending tuition money pursuing it.
Sometimes, in order to figure out what you want to do, you need to figure out what you don’t want to do. Think about what you do and don't enjoy, not only in school, but outside of it as well. It’s just as important to know what you don’t want as it is to consider what you do want!
Could you provide some insight on AP classes: How to determine if they are a right fit for students?
First and foremost, if you’re going to take an AP class, make sure it’s a subject you’re interested in. In AP you do cover additional material….if you’re going to see more material, it feels less like work if it’s something you like! I’d also talk to your Grade 11 teachers before you consider AP in Grade 12. They’ve worked closely with you and can give you good insight on whether they think AP would be a good fit!
Do you have any recommendations/ advice for HPA students going into grade 12?
A lot of what we recommend for HPA students going into Grade 12 is similar to what we would tell non-HPA students. However, based on where their athletics may take them, there may be some different planning to be done. If they’re interested in going to compete in their sport at a school in the US, then you need make sure you’re meeting all the academic eligibility requirements, as well as make plans to write the SAT. If you’re going to be missing a lot of school next year, it may not be a bad idea to plan on taking a summer course. Like with any student, contact your guidance counsellor and they can walk you through your course plan to make sure you’re on track for what you want to do once you graduate.
Don’t forget, there’s also a Q&A Session for Students and Parents today where you can ask remaining questions. Timings and meet links can be found in students’ emails. Guidance counsellors are also available to respond to questions via email.
Last Names A - F: Andrea Garnett (Andrea.Garnett@ocdsb.ca)
Last Name G and all HPA Students: Will Toms (William.Toms@ocdsb.ca)
Last Names H - M: Bill Jardine (Bill.Jardine@ocdsb.ca)
Last Names N - Z: Jennifer McLean (Jennifer.McLean@ocdsb.ca)
Programming a Match
By Aliya Sattar
February 22nd, 2021 - The matchmaker initiative at John McCrae this past week was a major success. It paved the path to making new friends with others in the same grade for many students, especially those in grade 9 or those new to the school. Students were invited to fill out a Google Form asking questions about their interests and hobbies. Then, the programming club used this data to match them with someone who would make a great friend. The matches were received by students on February 14th. In total, 53 students of all grades participated in this event.
Student councils all over the OCDSB hired a company to formulate the matches for them but John McCrae was different. At a Student Council meeting, Deea Saha came up with an awesome idea. She suggested that the programming club should create a code for the matchmaker as their first project. Those who are new to the school or who are in grade 9 found it especially challenging to meet friends this year because of the pandemic, so the group thought that this could be an innovative way to help students at McCrae.
Creating a matchmaker program proved to be a challenge; however our programming club was resilient and excited to take up the challenge even though they didn’t have much time to get it done. They worked as a team to come up with the questions and data that were used to determine matches. From there, the club was able to write some pseudocode and worked out the logic of the algorithm. Eric Tao was responsible for writing the code itself in the programming language, Python.
After the code was written, the club did a final run-through to fix some logistical kinks and the program was finally ready. The Google Form opened for sign-ups for 2 weeks and was advertised all over the student council Instagram page . Once a student received their matches, they were instructed to reach out to their matches to start up a conversation!
Overall the project was a huge success and helped students all over McCrae make new friends. The programming club wants to make some improvements to the matchmaker next year. They will make fewer answer options for the questions, so students can be a higher percentage of a match with other students. They are also going to add some questions relating to personality as well so that the matches may be more accurate.
Some student feedback that they have received is that it might be a good idea to have students write a couple of sentences about themselves to be sent to their matches so it is easier to start a conversation once the matches come out. This will be great because it gives students something to talk about. The programming club is excited to continue making programs this year. If you would like to join the programming club and work with them on their future projects, you can sign up here. The club meetings take place every Friday around 3:15 pm. If you want to learn more about the club check out their official Instagram account @jmss.programming.
Clubs Feature: the Programming club Looks to Play Matchmaker
Clubs Feature: the Programming club Looks to Play Matchmaker
BHM Feature: the History of Black History month
BHM Feature: the History of Black History month
As we know, February is Black History Month. But why February? Where did this yearly observance start? Continue reading to find out.
by Ankita Dinesh and Usva Muhammad
February 15, 2021 - February is Black History Month, a time in which we recognize the contributions to society made by Black people around the world and learn more about the cultures and traditions of the African diaspora.
The precursor to Black History Month, Negro History Week, was created in 1926 by historian Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. The second week of February was chosen because it coincided with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln on February 12, and Frederick Douglass on February 20. Both of these dates were already being celebrated in the Black community, due to those men’s contributions to the fight for equal rights. Abraham Lincoln is best known for issuing the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed Black slaves in the confederate states, while Frederick Douglass escaped slavery and fought tirelessly for abolition.
From the start, the focus of Negro History Week was on teaching Black history in schools. The first celebration was not widely acknowledged, with only the Departments of Education in North Carolina, Delaware, and West Virginia as well as the city school administrations of Baltimore and Washington, D.C. participating. However, support for the week steadily grew, and just three years later, nearly all Departments of Education in the United States had enforced this event and created resources for this week.
The idea of expanding Negro History Week into Black History Month was first proposed in 1969 by Black teachers and Black United Students at Kent State University in Ohio. One year later, in 1970, the first Black History Month took place in Kent State. Six years later, it was being celebrated all over the country. That same year, President Gerald Ford recognized the event. He encouraged Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history” in his message on the observance of Black History Month.
Black History Week grew rapidly throughout the United States, and was soon introduced to Canada through railway porters; on February 13th, 1950, Stanley G. Grizzle, then president of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP), hosted the first celebration of Black History Week in Toronto, Canada. In 1993, the Ontario Black History Society (OBHS) arranged a petition to declare February as Black History Month in Ontario; Jean Augustine, elected the first Black female Member of Parliament, thoroughly supported the idea, and the motion was passed by the House of Commons on December 14, 1995. In February of 1996, Black History Month was declared as an event nation-wide. As we celebrate this month each year, it is extremely important to appreciate Black Canadians’ contributions to this country and to reflect on the prejudice and injustice their communities have faced for centuries. From the Shelburne Race Riots (1784), to the destruction of Africville in Halifax (1970), Black Canadians have been battling discrimination for decades. Despite their struggles, Black Canadians have had significant influence nationally. Amongst the most prestigious of them include:
Elijah McCoy (Inventor) — After escaping slavery through the Underground Railroad and facing years of discrimination, Elijah McCoy invented lubractive devices for steam engines, registering more than 50 patents, and ultimately revolutionizing the transportation industry.
Mary Ann Shadd (Publisher, Abolitionist, Educator) — In 1994, Mary Ann Shadd, was designated a Person of National Historic Significance. She was the first female Black-Canadian newspaper publisher and founder of The Provincial Freeman, and also played a significant role in promoting women’s rights and raising Black voices through building a racially- integrated school for refugees in Windsor, Canada.
Viola Desmond (Civil Rights Activist, Businesswoman)— Seen on the $10 bill, Viola Desmond was a Canadian civil rights activist and businesswoman who challenged racial segregation by refusing to give up her seat in a whites-only area of a Nova Scotia movie theatre which she was later convicted and jailed for. Her case became a symbol of inspiration that hopes to induce racial equality all across Canada.
As we continue to celebrate, we must keep in mind all the lives that have been lost in order to fight for equality, the contributions that have significantly shaped North America, and the importance of this month to all of us. For John McCrae’s take on Black History Month, follow @jmssbhm on Instagram, and to join, contact the executive members through jmssbhm@gmail.com.
Meet the Principal, Erin O'Grady
Avery Craig gets called to the Principal's Office
February 15, 2021 - 2020-2021 has been a wild ride with so many new challenges faced and new situations to adapt to and learn from. Sometimes people aren’t great with change and they panic or break down. But others are great and they adapt easily to the new way of living. For Erin O’Grady, the transition to John McCrae has been nothing but lovely.
Ms O’Grady grew up in Richmond, Ontario and went to Carleton University, where she found her passion for being an educator. Athletics has also always been a big part of her life. She played competitive soccer and basketball for Carleton and that's where she began her career as a basketball coach. “Maybe that was the route for me,” She thought. “Coaching competitive sports?” But it wasn’t the competition that she was so drawn to, it was the impact she made in the kids’ lives. She wanted to work with kids and help them improve their life long skills, focus on things they are passionate about, and help them find their way through life. She believes it is a privilege to be a part of someone's life and hopes that we will come to her for advice, opinions, and support.
The first year of Ms. O’Gradys principal career began on August 3rd 2020. She was so happy to know that she was chosen to go to John McCrae. One of the many things she loves about our school is how long the teachers have been here and the sense of community within. “I was lucky enough to have had tremendous principal mentors throughout my years in school. I really got to see how much a principal influences the school, the culture, the community and much more.” And that’s exactly what she wants to do with John McCrae, she’s even getting involved with clubs.
The Student Council is a big thing in John McCrae. Ms. O’Grady is very involved and something she is wanting to focus more on is the social responsibility we have in the community and in our school. She says that the youth right now will soon be running the world. “The youth might not know what they want in life or in the future, but they do have an image in their heads. They want a world where we are all equal, where they have opportunities and much more.” She is also finding new ways to incorporate this into a COVID-19 situation. Ms. O’Grady has learned many new skills from online learning that she hopes to keep in school for future years. She wants to break down the walls of the classroom and bring in the outside world,make classroom settings more enjoyable, and make it so students can connect and collaborate more easily. Online learning has shown her many new resources and ways that people can use their voices to be heard.
From her position in John McCrae, Ms. O’Grady hopes that the staff and students will take away a sense of success. She wants to help students feel like their decisions and future plans are of equal value, no matter what level of education they’re at. Whether it be university or college, you are all equal. Her hopes are that you leave with a sense of accomplishment, a tool belt of new skills, and that you are leaving to follow your passion. She also believes that kids who have learned in school during a pandemic will have a whole new set of skills that they’ve learned early on. “When I went to high school we never had to learn how to “be strong” until we were adults. You are all learning these new skills that are going to be embedded into your lives forever. Problem solving, adapting at the turn of a dime, learning in classes or not and coping with the chaos out in the world. These skills will definitely help you all down the road.” For future years to come, Ms. O’Grady has an image of what an ideal learning environment looks like at John McCrae. It is: collaborative, fun and a place where kids have high expectations for themselves.
Our new principal is a caring and fun person who loves to inspire and help kids find their way and passion in life. She hopes we can come to her for advice, opinions, and support. At last, I will leave you with some kind words of wisdom from Ms. O’Grady.
“I think that youth are incredibly powerful. They have an ability, now more than ever, to use their voice to make changes in the world that we live in so that it’s a better place for everybody. I really do believe that. You find ways to use technology to communicate such as social media. It has made communities so much more broader and more global compared to before. You can mobilize and find new unique ways to make your voices heard. Youth have incredible power and your voice should be used to make the changes you want to see in the world.”
Key Club - What Is It?
With school clubs and organizations going online for this year, the Paw Print spotlights the various initiatives going on at John McCrae. This week, Deea Saha takes a look at the Key Club
February 15, 2021 - John McCrae offers a wide array of clubs available to all students, one of them being Key Club. The club is designed to offer volunteering opportunities to every member who signs up. The organization empowers and encourages its members to be active in their communities by volunteering for smaller organizations that want the help. Due to current circumstances, Key Club activity and surrounding volunteering opportunities have transitioned into being nearly fully virtual. Volunteering is done virtually with the exception of drop-offs/pick-ups for certain projects. The club serves its community by finding places and groups where help is needed, such as shelters, food banks, and seniors’ homes. Key Club is also sponsored by Kiwanis Manotick, their website stating they are “a global organization of members is dedicated to serving the children of the world.”
Anas Abushaikha, one of the co-presidents of Key Club mentioned that “Covid from the past year and this year has closed off a lot of the volunteering opportunities that are available for students to do. Key club is one of the few organizations that offer volunteer opportunities on a virtual basis. We do meetings with seniors through virtual platforms. If you do want to reach your required volunteer hours to graduate or want to simply increase your volunteering hours then be sure to sign up.”
The sign-up process is open year-round for any John McCrae student but is not open to OCV students. People who attend John McCrae can use the sign-up form located in the bio of their official Instagram account, @keyclub.skyline. You are encouraged to sign-up this year as the annual 20$ sign-up fee has been waived; students can now sign-up free of charge.
A True John mCcrae Original
A True John mCcrae Original
by Divya Dushyanthan and Haley Miller
John McCrae is home to a multitude of groups and clubs that have contributed to our diversity, innovation, and creativity as a school community. But there is one group in particular, unbeknownst to many, that might just be the most exclusive yet influential group of all: the Originals. The Originals consist of the core few teachers who have been inspiring the students of John McCrae since its opening in 1999. They came from far and near to transmit their knowledge, provide encouragement and lead the way as some of our most informed educators. However, as the last quadmester came to end, both John McCrae and the Originals bid farewell to one of their best, Mr. May (he’s not dead, he’s just retired).
Mr. May, like many of the students here at John McCrae, grew up right here in Ottawa. He attended South Carleton High School and proceeded to attend Queens University for his post-secondary education, where he received a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce. Driven by his love for teaching, and his love for his girlfriend, he decided to go to teacher’s college with her and pursue a career. Little did he know, his girlfriend would soon become his wife and his rewarding teaching career would span over three decades! Straight out of teacher’s college, he and his wife moved to Malaysia for two years, where he taught Computer Science, Economics, and Law to those in the Ontario Academic Credit Program (OAC). His passion for teaching then brought him back to Ottawa where he spent about six years teaching at Confederation High School. As Confederation HS closed in 1999, he and a few of his colleagues were given the opportunity to work at the newest highschool in the Ottawa Carleton District School Board, John McCrae.
During the ensuing 22 years, Mr. May has spent teaching at the school, he has proved his versatility and passion for what he does. As we all know, he predominantly taught Communications Technology however, over the years he also taught Art, Guitar, and even Marketing. Despite his love for all the subjects he has taught, he says his favorite was, “Communication Technology as it is a very rewarding class.” Throughout the short interview we had with him, it quickly became apparent how proud he was of each and every one of the students he had taught over the years. He recalled numerous stories of the remarkable achievements from multiple students in his class, and how they became influential to the school, won major awards, or how some even went on to become major entertainment broadcasters and animators.
Although Mr. May will be sad to leave the tech program behind along with his colleagues and students, he’s happy to have been a pioneer in the creation of what we know and love about our tech program today. He also says he enjoyed being a teacher, as it not only gave him a reason to constantly do what he loves, but it also gave him the opportunity to “show other people how to do it as well”. He states that it was “great fun” and that he felt that he was “lucky that [he] got to teach what [he] really enjoyed doing”. As he passes on the torch to the next generation of tech teachers, he knows the future of the program is in good hands.
Prior to his teaching career, Mr.May had a great passion for making cover art for local bands as well as playing and making music. Though his plans for the future are not definitive, he looks forward to returning back to some of his past hobbies that he had to put aside when he began teaching. Additionally, he is excited to spend more time with his family and his new puppy.
Within our ever-changing and evolving world, Mr. May is able to find the good despite the lack of consistency, saying that although technology is ever-changing, it is about how we are able to adapt in order to overcome challenges and promote our innovation. His hope for current and future students is that they acknowledge the importance of taking initiative and being a risk-taker. He proclaims that “it is easier to do nothing than do something” and to “Just go for it”.
On behalf of the past and present students that Mr. May has influenced, we would like to say a big thank you for your dedication and contribution to the school. We wish you the best for your future endeavors. You will be missed here at John McCrae
Mr. May parks his car, in the wrong spot
Helping Change John McCrae
Helping Change John McCrae
by Naomi Kapoor
With a mysterious virus, the death of a basketball legend and a President on trial, 2020 is a year to remember. However, the killing of George Floyd on May 25, 2020 sparked an international revolution. A revolution that would dig up at the roots of millions of stories around the globe and coalesced under the Black Lives Matter movement already underway. Two of John McCrae’s very passionate students, Maram El-Sharif and Berea Woldeyes are our school’s representatives for the OCDSB’s Black Youth Forum. They strive to address and find solutions to the inequalities in school practices, policies and structures.
Maram El-Sharif is a grade 11 student who transferred to John McCrae from the Canterbury Drama Program last year. She joined the Black Youth Forum to help contribute to raising awareness about wider representation and microaggressions throughout the school and the school system. She argues, “...schools have started speaking about the adversities Indigenous peoples have faced and how we can help with reconciliation. However, Canada is only considered a saviour complex during discussions of Black inequality.” Maram is referring to the Underground Railroad that was built in the 19th century which saw over 30 000 enslaved African Americans escape from the US into British North America (Canada). “In order to take the appropriate actions, we must be educated on the discrimination Black people faced in Canada too. Many of these fugitives were trapped once again into slaves.”
The two girls are working with the Black Youth Forum to produce a video for the entire school board. The video will include different segments like “Dear Educators” and “Barbershop Conversations” in which the students will explain what they want to see and the action plan behind their hopes. It will also address topics such as cultural appropriation versus cultural appreciation and how to be an ally to this movement. Maram highlights that we’re living in an era of change; the things our parents and grandparents did are completely different to the expectations we should hold for ourselves today. She urges that we must reflect on our knowledge regarding anti-black racism and initiate a change in our behaviour.
In addition to their participation at the Youth Forum, the girls have been contributing to the Black History Month Council at John McCrae. The Council’s objective is to solidify the events that happen during Black History Month every year. Loopholing around the restrictions of the pandemic, they want to bring in speakers and organize events that will be stimulating and engaging. Their first event was a Kahoot that took place last Friday February 5. It included questions surrounding Black History Month and the Black Lives Matter Movement that prized the first place winner with a gift card of their choice. Currently, they are also planning an art contest to illustrate McCrae’s diverse artistic abilities regarding anti-Black racism. Although the official council consists of a few members, they are designing their projects to involve the student body as much as possible. Every week, they meet together to brainstorm how to educate the school regarding these issues. This council is on the threshold of a much larger conversation; there are students with different backgrounds of knowledge and experiences that are coming together to construct lasting strategies for our school.
On the subject of change, Maram suggests that high school students live a “follow the leader” approach. Regarding incidents of racial slurs, Maram urges everyone to remain vigilant. “There is only so much one student can scold,” she expresses. “Even if they stop right there and then, we need that guarantee that it won’t happen again somewhere else, with someone else.” Although Maram and Berea have helped launch different initiatives in February, their goal is to continue their plans throughout the school year. They are using their different platforms to help educate their peers on anti-Black racism by giving everyone the opportunity to be an ally.
The work of Maram and Berea are the beginning of what John McCrae has to offer. The Black History Month Council is welcoming the entire student body to join their weekly meetings to offer different ideas to plan for the future. The Black History Month council meets every Sunday at 7pm to discuss their future plans. Contact the executive members (Saja Elkurtehi, Alexa Dansereau and Deea Saha) on Instagram, @jmssbhm or on email, jmssbhm@gmail.com
JMSS Student Published by World Health Organization
JMSS Student Published by World Health Organization
by Haley Miller
Photo: Isabella Liu at the 2019 China Youth Games where she placed first in both technical routine and solo free routine.
Each morning seems to be the same as our new “normals” have begun taking shape. We sit, half-awake behind our screens as we watch the time moving agonizingly slow and try to make use of what feels like another useless day. With each passing hour, it becomes easier to feel unmotivated, and much harder to find the willpower to not press “next episode” on our favourite Netflix series. But on a cloudy morning in April, while the rest of us scrolled through Tik Tok in almost robotic fashion, one student decided to find something better in this incredibly unfortunate situation.
Isabella Liu is a grade 12 student in the HPA program here at John McCrae, with a passion for artistic swimming. She has been training and competing in the sport for the last 10 years and is currently competing at the national level. For many athletes like Isabella, the pandemic has been mentally draining and caused major setbacks in their competitive seasons. With this feeling of isolation and discouragement in mind, Isabella decided to conduct her own study to analyze the effects of the pandemic lockdown on the physical and mental health of high school student-athletes.
She sent out her survey on April 29th via social media to high performance athletes she knew, and from there it was shared and forwarded among teams and teammates across Ottawa. This accumulated a total of 166 student-athletes taking part in the survey. According to the results, “the majority of athletes were having feelings of isolation, anxiety, depression and frustration, because they found it difficult to have to deal with the decreased training hours and switches to virtual training”. This led to her coming to the conclusion that additional mental health support should be provided, and “more attention should be paid to secondary school student-athletes, as they are young and tackling both academic and athletic challenges”. She also found that despite the mental state the students were in, “most athletes were still pretty optimistic about the following season, and that they were all ready to return back to their sport once it started again”. Jessica Dean is one of the many high performance athletes who took part in this survey, as she competes in the sport of alpine skiing. For Jessica, it has been almost 11 months since she’s competed in her sport and been on the mountain. She says the survey allowed her to “reflect on how [she had] been feeling” and was a “great first step into normalizing how we should openly talk about our mental health”.
Soon after conducting her survey, Isabella analyzed her results and wrote a research paper on the rest of her findings, which she then sent to the US Sports Journal. The journal calls her “a rising senior student” and published her paper on July 22 of 2020, where it then became the basis for other studies conducted by multiple professors and Ph.D students. She humbly states how it was “pretty cool” and “kind of exciting”, yet I’m pretty sure we can all agree that has to be the understatement of the year! Since the publication of her work, she has received multiple inquiries from journals and other professionals looking to collaborate with her on future studies and have her input as a peer-reviewer. And, as the cherry on top of this already decadent sundae, her research paper was recently picked up by the World Health Organization where it is now published on their website.
Isabella’s research paper was the first study in the world to be conducted on the mental health of student-athletes during the pandemic, which has made her a leader in this field of study. Her findings have also provided a valuable foundation for future studies, and will pave the way for a better understanding of how mental and physical health have been affected due to the pandemic.
With all of these incredible accomplishments one might question, “how could I possibly do this?”. But the recipe for success is put simply by Isabella as she says that it all comes down to initiative, and that you have to “be willing to go and put time and effort into it”.
One of the many valuable findings that can be taken away from her study, is that we are all in the same boat. Whether you are a high performance athlete, a music prodigy, an art enthusiast or a John McCrae student trying to go about their everyday life, the pandemic has had an effect on all of us and has touched each and every one of our lives in a personal way. “ We’ll get through it together and things will get better” Isabella said optimistically at the end of our facetime call, “everyone is kind of feeling the same, so you're not alone”.
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Ms. Mohammed
Meet the New JMSS Teachers
by Naya Holman
With all of the changes to this school year, most of us have not had the pleasure of meeting our new teachers at JMSS, so here's an introduction to allow us to learn a little bit about each of them.
Meet Ms. Mohammed. She teaches grade 12 university Canadian and International Law and grade 11 University Introduction to Anthropology, Psychology, and Sociology. Ms. Mohammed used to work at Adult High School for a year and half, and before that at Ridgemont HS. She has been a teacher for 8 years in a mix of college and high school. She was excited to be coming to JMSS because she knew it is community-oriented. Ms. Mohammed appreciates how technically advanced our school is as she is someone who loves to dabble with technology. A fun fact is she started the first coding and robotics club at her last school. Ms. Mohammed is open to joining any clubs that need help from a social club to a coding club. What she enjoys about class is making fun lessons for her students. Her favourite part of teaching is helping students become successful not only in their course work, but also building confidence in general. Ms. Mohammed is not originally from Ottawa and would be grateful if anyone would recommend a delicious Chinese restaurant to her.
Meet Mr. DiFrancesco. He is teaching introduction to Business and World History since 1900 and will be teaching Canadian History next quadmester. Mr. DiFrancesco has been a teacher for 10 years now, working in a private school for 7 years before joining our school board as a long-term occasional teacher. He has enjoyed teaching in a classroom again after teaching OCV for the first half of the year. He has found the students at JMSS so friendly that his transition back to in person school has been welcoming. Mr. DiFrancesco grew up playing sports such as soccer and hockey and is willing to help out those clubs as a coach in the future. What he finds most interesting about school is interacting with students and seeing their creative sides in activities and assignments. He also enjoys creating lessons that spark conversation. When Mr. DiFrancesco hobbies include cooking and spending time with his family. He also plays video games in his limited spare time.
Meet Ms. Jennings. She teaches science courses, in this quadmester, Grade 12 College Chemistry and Grade 12 University Chemistry. Ms. Jennings has just started teaching in our school board but has been a supply teacher at JMSS many times. Being at JMSS before inspired Ms. Jennings to join our spirited and dedicated staff and students. She had already felt very welcomed and at home while covering for other teachers in the past. Although Ms. Jennings has not experienced the normal JMSS atmosphere, she really appreciates the student initiatives like the Paw Print and Bulldog Banter. She has been a part of clubs herself in the topic of science and math as well as anime club as a student. She is excited to get involved in the Gay-Straight Alliance and dance and art clubs with 20 years of ballet experience. Ms. Jennings' favorite part about being a teacher is helping students develop self-confidence and curiosity. She is grateful to be teaching science where she can teach students through fun activities and labs. Ms. Jennings would appreciate a wave and hello when she is seen in the halls. Also, she is always accepting book recommendations if you have any good fantasy or science fiction good reads.
Meet Mr. Nash. He teaches Communications Technology and Information and Communications Technology. Mr. Nash is a new teacher who has taught at Canterbury. Mr. Nash has been a Bulldog for a while as he is actually a JMSS graduate. He is loving JMSS’s atmosphere of creativity and the nostalgia of the location that comes with it. Mr. Nash is thinking of creating some form of eSports in the near future and can not wait to get started. What he is enjoying about school is the new ideas students come up with in projects and assignments. The creativity students put into their work he finds is always unexpected. Mr. Nash also claims he is the reason for sunshine bagels at Sachis.
Meet Ms. Al-Khazraji. She is teaching Physics and Math this quadmester. Ms. Al-Khazraji has taught at many places in just the past 2 years at Ridgemont, Woodroffe and Merivale. Teaching at those city schools made her want to teach at a suburb school. Ms. Al-Khazraji decided to come to JMSS also because she had heard about our strong math department. What she has noticed is that students here are very hardworking and respectful. She has also appreciated how helpful the teachers are and how they always are there to help. Ms. Al-Khazraji has an idea of starting a girls running club for girls that don’t have someone to support them. Because of her love of math, she would also like to help students with math during lunch and partake in a math club. What Ms. Al-Khazraji likes to see her students engaging in her activities, especially when they are having fun while learning. She also appreciates how students are breaking social barriers when they collaborate with each other. Unfortunately Ms. Al-Khazraji has not seen much of our school culture but she is excited to learn more in a regular year.
Ms. Jennings
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