SPOTLIGHT

After diving into the powerful personal narrative Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai in their English classes, our Grade 9 students had the unique opportunity to connect more deeply with the novel’s cultural context through food and hands-on learning.

Set in Vietnam during the war and told through free verse poetry, Lai’s novel follows a young girl's emotional journey as she flees her home and adjusts to life in a new country. The story sparked students’ curiosity, not just about history and literature, but also about Vietnamese culture, especially its cuisine.

In a cross-curricular collaboration between English and Science, both Grade 9 classes came together to learn how to make traditional Vietnamese spring rolls. Led by English teacher Ms. Christine, who helped frame the cultural and literary background, and Science teacher Mr. Alex, who shared personal insights from his time living in Vietnam, students explored the history and cultural significance of the dish and followed a step-by-step procedure to assemble their own, deepening their cultural understanding.

The experience also helped students connect with the novel’s key themes, including identity, memory, and cultural connection, and will support them as they prepare to write their own descriptive personal narratives. Learning has never tasted so good!

The Grade 6 students were welcomed to the Provincial Legislature as part of their Schools Programme. After finding the school tour entrance, our guide explained all the rules of decorum for being in the Legislature while it was in session. We then went to the Hansard Room, where a team of three video records the proceedings in the Legislative Chamber. The days of a stenographer are long gone, replaced by a high technology recording system and 6 cameras. 

The students then went to tour the main rotunda where Premier Eby happened to be giving a press conference. We were able to listen before going into the formal Legislative Chamber to listen to two bills being discussed. The first bill was whether to create a Korean History Month and the other was whether to introduce a drug harm reduction program into elementary school. The students did well, but were surprised at the rule of no leaning forward over the rail. 

I also want to give a shout out to Dave London, head of security for the Legislature, who came out to take photos with the students. This was an excellent outing to support our Government Unit.

Mr. Jeff

I&S Teacher