August 31, 2025

Welcome (or welcome back) to the only authorized International Baccalaureate(IB)  Middle Years Programme (MYP) School in all of Manitoba (and Saskatchewan)!

You may have heard about or attended an International Baccalaureate (IB) school. Currently there are a couple other schools working within the IB framework in Manitoba but they are high schools. The high school program is called the Diploma Programme (DP) while the Middle Years is called the Middle Years Programme (MYP). There is also a Primary Years Programme (PYP) for elementary schools.

The goal of the IB MYP is to engage students in inquiry through a variety of  issues and ideas that can be significant locally, nationally, and globally. The ultimate result is to develop students who are creative, critical, and reflective thinkers. 

We use the MYP as a framework in which we teach Manitoba Provincial curricula. Our students are learning the same material as other students around the province; the difference is in the way they are learning it and how they are assessed. Students take an active role in assessment as they can best learn when they see what areas they need to improve on and set goals on how to get there. We use an eight-point rubric to assist the students in seeing where they are at in their educational journey as well as helping them see where they need to go to improve their ability to demonstrate understanding of content. In upcoming weeks, we will share more on assessment in this newsletter to ensure that families understand it as well as the students do.

Each week through this section, information will be shared with the École River Heights School community. 

You should have also received an invite from Toddle, our IB Learning Management System. Here you will be able to access your child’s assignments and keep up with any announcements, use of the calendar and review information about units. More information to follow about how to access and use Toddle. 

Should you have any questions, feel free to contact the IB Coordinator, Amanda Tetrault (atetrault@wsd1.org) for more information, however, each week there will be new and exciting information about this programme provided through this newsletter about the Middle Years Programme and how it is being implemented in your child's classroom. You can also learn more about IB by checking out the IB webpage connected to our school webpage

September 7, 2025

A significant aspect that distinguishes the International Baccalaureate from other middle school programs is how we evaluate students' work. In the IB Middle Years Programme, we promote the use of various ongoing assessments to help both students and teachers gauge the students' progress in a particular subject or topic. These assessments are geared towards guiding students in achieving their set goals and providing valuable insights for teachers. This is called assessment FOR learning and we use formative assessment for these common learning experiences to help the student grow as a learner.

For instance, if a teacher is reviewing a rough draft of a written assignment and notices that students are struggling with citing their sources correctly, even after prior classroom instruction on this topic, the teacher may decide to provide additional lessons to ensure that all students have a solid grasp of the necessary information. This type of assessment also enables teachers to offer specific and timely feedback to students, helping them enhance their ability to showcase what they've learned in any format, whether it's a simple checklist or detailed written feedback.

On the other hand, summative assessments, which reflect a student's performance against curriculum expectations at a given point in time, are also a crucial part of our approach. What sets IB apart is our consistent use of rubrics for all summative assessments (or assessment OF learning). This rubric employs a scale of 0-8, with corresponding percentages for reporting on provincial report cards. If a student falls short of meeting the minimum expectations, they receive a score of "0," which is similar to the traditional "F" grade. In such cases, students are expected to revisit and resubmit the summative assessment to demonstrate their learning progress.

Scores ranging from 1/2 to 7/8 on the rubric represent the spectrum of understanding a student has of the content. A student who earns a 1/2 has met some of the criteria but can pinpoint areas where they need improvement based on the specific rubric. Achieving a score of 7/8 signifies that a student has demonstrated a transfer of knowledge, a topic we'll delve into in a future newsletter.

September 14, 2025

Get to know each other 

As part of our focus on the IB Learner Profile, many classes engaged in an activity designed to help students reflect on themselves while also building connections with their peers and teachers. Using a hexagon template, students included:

• Their name

• Learner Profile attributes they identify as strengths

• One attribute they would like to improve

• One attribute they are curious to learn more about

• Personal interests, expressed through drawings, words, or images

After completing their hexagons, students worked to connect them—first with a partner and then as a whole class—creating a visual network of strengths, goals, and interests within their learning community.

The 10 Learner Profile Attributes are: Inquirers, Knowledgeable, Thinkers, Communicators, Principled, Open-minded, Caring, Risk-takers, Balanced, and Reflective

September 21, 2025

How is the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme different from other Middle Years programs in schools across Manitoba? We still access the same curricula, but how we access it and assess it can be different from other school. Please check out this chart to see some of the unique qualities that the MYP has. Each of these areas will be explained in further detail throughout the year through this newsletter. 

September 28, 2025

Exploring Languages in the IB MYP

Last week we shared some unique features of the International Baccalaureate (IB). Another key aspect is that every student learns and works in an additional language.

For our French Immersion students, this means studying Math, Science, and Individuals & Societies in French, along with their Français classes. In English, students take Spanish as their Language Acquisition course. Learning more than one language is important for an IB education—it builds intercultural understanding and reflects the IB’s mission to prepare students for a global world.

The study of languages in the MYP not only strengthens communication skills but also helps students appreciate how language and culture shape the way people live, think, and connect with each other.

In Grade 7, students in Sra. Hanly and Sra. Ledo’s classes are using creative strategies to connect new Spanish words to languages they already know. They are also building alphabet dictionaries on Story Jumper, which include pronunciation, spelling, illustrations, and examples. Through this project, students are practicing reading, writing, speaking, and representing.

In Grade 8, students began the year by reviewing the alphabet and numbers from Grade 7. They are now learning about la familia—family members, their relationships, and how to describe them. To apply their learning, students will create a “family album” of either a real or imaginary family. 

October 6, 2025

 At our school, the International Baccalaureate program helps students learn by asking big questions and exploring meaningful ideas. In every classroom, teachers share what is happening in their current unit—what concepts students are exploring, the questions they are asking, and how the learning connects to the world. They also highlight which part of the Learner Profile (such as being caring, open-minded, or reflective) the class is focusing on, along with the important learning skills students are practicing through the Approaches to Learning.

As you can see in the image, there are lots of connections across different subjects. This overlap shows how students experience some consistent themes and skills throughout their learning, while also viewing ideas from different perspectives through the lens of other subject groups. It is a powerful way to help our students make sense of the world around them.

October 13, 2025

Investigating Evidence in Individuals & Societies

Students in many of our Individuals and Societies (Social Studies/Sciences humaines) classes have been learning about primary sources and how they help us understand history. To bring this concept to life, students turned our staff parking lot into a field study.

Using observation skills, they examined a variety of vehicles, noting details such as make, model, and unique features. Using these clues, students developed hypotheses about which staff member each vehicle might belong to—and supported their ideas with evidence.

Through this learning experience, students discovered that primary sources can sometimes be misleading when information is limited. They also learned the importance of gathering enough evidence before drawing conclusions—just like real historians. 

October 20, 2025

 École River Heights School and the IB MYP: Building Integrity in Learning

École River Heights School is proud to be an inclusive International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP) school—where every student participates in the IB and every teacher is trained or currently training in IB practices. As part of the MYP, schools are required to regularly review and update four key policies: Language, Academic Honesty, Assessment, and Inclusion. These important policies will be featured in upcoming newsletters and posted on our school website.

This week, we’re highlighting our Academic Honesty Policy. As students take part in research and project work, they learn how to properly cite sources, give credit to others, and understand the difference between collaboration and collusion. These skills are especially emphasized in our Language Acquisition classes, such as French, where overreliance on online translation tools can lead to unintentional plagiarism. The policy also outlines clear, supportive steps when mistakes occur—beginning with a discussion and resubmission for a first offense, and progressing to a family meeting for repeated issues.

By learning academic honesty, our students are developing the integrity and responsibility that will serve them well in school and beyond.

All students will learn about this policy in their Language and Literature class (English program) or French Language Acquisition class (Immersion) this week or next week. 

We encourage you to discuss Academic Honesty with your child to reinforce these principles as they advance in their education.

October 27, 2025

IB & The Thinking Classroom

All teachers at École River Heights School use the Thinking Classroom to develop skills in math class. The Thinking Classroom is a teaching approach designed to make math more engaging and meaningful by emphasizing problem solving, collaboration, and reasoning. Instead of relying on memorizing procedures, students work in small groups, usually standing at whiteboards, to review mathematical problems, share strategies, and learn from one another. This active and student-centered environment helps deepen understanding and builds confidence in mathematical thinking. And we know we learn best when teaching or working with others.

This approach connects closely to the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (MYP), which values inquiry, communication, and critical thinking across all subjects. In a Thinking Classroom, students are encouraged to ask questions, test ideas, and reflect on their learning which are skills that align directly with the MYP’s emphasis on developing independent, reflective learners. It also supports the IB Learner Profile by developing the attributes such as being thinkers, communicators, and risk-takers as students engage with challenging and open-ended problems. Ask your child what they learned in math this week and how they are developing skills through the Thinking Classroom.

November 3, 2025

Professional Learning

Professional development is at the heart of lifelong learning—for our students and our educators. This fall, our staff had the wonderful opportunity to participate in the Manitoba Teachers’ Society (MTS) Provincial PD Day, in addition to our continued committed engagement in International Baccalaureate (IB) professional learning. The experiences reflect our commitment to inquiry, collaboration, and continuous improvement as educators.

Across Winnipeg, our teachers attended a wide range of conferences focused on Inclusion, Mathematics, Science, Physical Education, strategies specific to Middle Years learners, Music Education, Contemporary Art, and Building Strong Readers. We are proud to celebrate three of our own teachers who shared their expertise with others; two presenting sessions here in Manitoba (Ms Wiebe & Mme Abra) and one flown to Toronto to present at a national conference (Mr Collins).

Our Educational Assistants also took part in rich learning experiences, attending sessions on Behaviour as Communication, fostering the 6 C’s of Learning, Phonological Awareness, and Celebrating Students’ Strengths and Gifts.

It was a great day of learning, connection, and professional growth; one that increases our knowledge and understanding to support and work with every student.

November 10, 2025

SStudents at École River Heights School take a Language Acquisition course as an IB expectation. Students in the Immersion program continue to develop their French language skills, while students in the English program learn Spanish.

In the IB Middle Years Programme, Language Acquisition is designed to help students develop not only communication skills, but also intercultural understanding and global awareness. This week’s activity in Mme. Garvie’s class reflects these goals. By researching and presenting a language other than English or French, students engaged with the MYP emphasis on valuing linguistic diversity and recognizing the many ways people express their identities through language.

If possible, sharing personal connections to their chosen language allowed students to explore their own cultural backgrounds and appreciate those of their classmates which is an important aspect of the IB learner profile, particularly “open-minded” and “communicators.” Teaching peers a few words encouraged students to use the target language purposefully and confidently, while learning about languages such as Tagalog, American Sign Language, and Japanese expanded the class’s global perspective.

This learning experience supports the IB’s mission to develop internationally minded learners who celebrate diversity and understand the importance of multilingualism in a connected world.

Thanks Mme Garvie for such an interesting opportunity to share and learn about other languages.

November 17, 2025

Anatomy gets a workout!

In Health class, students are completing their summative assessment for the unit on muscles—a hands-on, collaborative project that brings anatomy to life!

Working in groups of up to three, students will create a life-size poster illustrating the muscles of the anterior (front) and posterior (back) sides of the body. Their posters will include the 14 major muscles studied in class. For each muscle, students will:

• Identify its name and location
  
  

• Explain its function using correct anatomical terms
  
  

• Provide a clear, student-friendly description of what the muscle does
  
  

• List five exercises that can strengthen or train that muscle
  
  

Students are encouraged to use color, diagrams, and labels to make their posters visually engaging and easy to understand.

This project is designed to meet the objectives of the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP), specifically Criterion A: Knowing and Understanding (strands i and ii). Through this assessment, students demonstrate their ability to:

• Apply factual and conceptual knowledge of human anatomy to real-world fitness and health contexts
  
  

• Communicate their understanding effectively through both scientific accuracy and creative presentation
  
  

By combining research, teamwork, and visual design, this assessment helps students make meaningful connections between classroom learning and personal health and well-being, reflecting the IB’s emphasis on inquiry, collaboration, and real-world application. Thanks Mr Cruikshank for an engaging assessment!

November 24, 2025

Why We Have an IB MYP Inclusion Policy

As an International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme school, we are committed to creating a learning environment where every student can succeed. Our Inclusion Policy outlines how we support the diverse strengths, needs, backgrounds, and learning approaches of all students.

The MYP framework is built on the belief that all learners deserve equitable access to challenging, meaningful learning experiences. Our Inclusion Policy helps ensure this by guiding teachers in providing appropriate accommodations, differentiation, and supports—whether academic, social-emotional, linguistic, or physical.

Having a clear, intentional Inclusion Policy allows our school to:

• Promote fairness and equity in teaching and assessment
  
  

• Provide consistent support systems for students who need them
  
  

• Celebrate diverse learning identities and experiences
  
  

• Foster a safe, welcoming environment where every student feels valued and capable
  
  

Ultimately, the Inclusion Policy reflects our commitment to IB values and to the well-being and success of all learners. It ensures that every student can fully participate in the MYP and grow as a confident, compassionate, internationally minded individual.

December 1, 2025

Day of the Dead Learning Comes Alive Through Student Choice- article

The Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) is a holiday celebrated from November 1st to 2nd to honor and remember deceased loved ones. It is a festive celebration of life, not a somber occasion. This month, our Spanish students explored El Día de los Muertos through an engaging, culturally immersive learning journey. We began with a dynamic presentation from Latin Vibes, where students were introduced to key vocabulary, traditional dance, and themes from the beloved film Coco. To deepen their understanding, students later viewed a traveler’s documentary filmed in Michoacán, Mexico, allowing them to see authentic celebrations, ofrendas, music, and symbolism in context. After analyzing important vocabulary and cultural concepts, students applied their learning through a Día de los Muertos Choice Board, selecting from creative tasks such as skull art, ofrenda models, comics, posters, brochures, and storybooks. Their work demonstrated meaningful connections to Mexican culture, thoughtful use of new Spanish vocabulary, and strong visual communication. As their final assessment, students were evaluated on their cultural understanding, accuracy of vocabulary, and how effectively they integrated both into their chosen product. With so many diverse creations and photos to prove it, this unit truly brought language and culture together in an authentic, memorable way.  Thank you to Sra Hanly for promoting intercultural understanding and allowing students to appreciate the rich traditions, history, and perspectives of diverse communities. Celebrating it supports the IB’s goal of fostering global-mindedness and respect for cultural identity.

For each of the options, Sra Hanly provided both language and criteria content to guide the students through the expectations of the project. See chart below for a few examples.

December 7, 2025

Grade 8 Scientists Bring Fluids to Life Through Creative Hydraulic and Pneumatic Toys

Our Grade 8 French Immersion Science students recently wrapped up their Fluids unit with an exciting hands-on design challenge that put their learning into action. As part of an inquiry-led project, students created functional toys using either hydraulic or pneumatic systems. From claw machines and robotic arms to imaginative moving creatures, this year’s group demonstrated exceptional creativity and problem-solving skills.

This project was rooted in the IB MYP Design Cycle, which encourages students to investigate, plan, create, and evaluate their work. Students began by exploring how fluid pressure, flow, and force operate in real-world mechanical systems. They then applied this understanding to design a toy that could move or perform a task using fluid power. Throughout the process, they engaged in testing, refining, and reflecting—key components of both scientific inquiry and MYP approaches to learning.

By connecting science concepts with design thinking, students deepened their understanding of how fluids influence technology while also building collaboration, communication, and critical-thinking skills. Their final models showcased not only strong scientific understanding, but also innovation and imagination—truly embodying the spirit of the IB MYP learner.

This year’s creations were some of the most inventive we’ve seen, and we’re incredibly proud of the enthusiasm, inquiry, and craftsmanship our Grade 8 scientists brought to this unit. Thanks for this opportunity Mme Plummer, Mme Clarkson and Mme Jeffery.

December 15, 2025

How We Assess Learning at École River Heights School

At École River Heights School, assessment is designed to support and improve student learning. As an IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) school, we use both formative assessments (assessment for learning) and summative assessments (assessment of learning) to guide instruction, measure progress, and help students grow.

Formative assessment happens throughout daily learning. Teachers use quick checks, feedback, and observations to see how students are understanding new concepts and to adjust instruction when needed. This supports student progress and ensures all learners receive the help they need.

Summative assessment occurs at the end of learning tasks or units. These assessments measure what students know and can do using clear criteria. In the MYP, summative tasks are scored on IB rubrics (0–8), which are later converted to provincial percentages for the report card.

To support consistency and student success:

• Teachers meet regularly to align assessment practices.
  
  

• Students receive rubrics at the start of major tasks.
  
  

• Feedback is ongoing, timely, and focused on growth.
  
  

• Learning behaviours are also reported to encourage strong study habits and collaboration.
  
  

We aim to assess each IB criterion at least twice per year in every subject. All results are shared respectfully and confidentially with students and families through regular communication and provincial report cards.

Our assessment policy is reviewed annually to ensure it continues to meet the needs of all learners and reflects the values of both the IB and the Winnipeg School Division.

To view the full policy, click here or on the image below.

January 5, 2026

Grade 8 Language Acquisition: Learning Solidarity Through Language and Action

In Grade 8 Language Acquisition (French), students are currently engaged in an IB Middle Years Programme unit focused on human solidarity and community service. This unit encourages students to reflect on how individuals and communities can support one another, both locally and globally, while developing their communication skills in French.

As a class, students first explored the meaning of solidarity and brainstormed different categories, such as solidarity among friends, within the school community, and in society at large. Working in small groups, they then created posters in French that defined their chosen category of solidarity, identified concrete actions people can take, and explained why these actions are important.

The next step in the project will challenge students to take their learning further. Using informative and persuasive language in French, they will write letters to people or groups with the power to make a difference, encouraging them to act in solidarity with a group in need. Through this process, students are not only strengthening their language skills, but also developing empathy, critical thinking, and a sense of responsibility as active members of their community which are key goals of the IB MYP.

Check out some of the posters above!

January 12, 2026

Help Us Learn What You Know About IB MYP

École River Heights is exploring the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (IB MYP) as a way to support student learning and global citizenship. To help guide our planning, we would appreciate hearing from families about your current understanding of the IB MYP.

Please take a few minutes to complete a short survey with just five questions. Your feedback will help us better understand what information families already have and what questions you may want answered as we move forward.

Thank you for taking the time to share your perspective and support our school community.

Click here for the short 5 question survey

January 19, 2026

Staying Active Outdoors – Even in a Winnipeg Winter!

In Physical Education this week, students have been enjoying the outdoors and discovering different ways to be physically active. With our long Winnipeg winters, it’s important that students learn how to stay active in all seasons, not just when the weather is warm. This week, students had the opportunity to try cross-country skiing, with many experiencing it for the very first time. Along the way, they practiced balance, coordination, perseverance, and teamwork, while also building confidence in a new skill.

This learning connects closely with the IB philosophy, which emphasizes developing balanced, resilient, and reflective learners. By engaging in outdoor winter activities, students are encouraged to take risks, try new experiences, and develop lifelong habits that support physical and mental well-being. Learning to embrace winter activities helps students see our environment as an opportunity rather than a barrier, reinforcing the idea that being active, healthy, and open-minded is a year-round commitment, especially here in Winnipeg.

January 15,

Many of the grade 7 students completed an Identities unit earlier this year in their Language and Literature class (English Language Arts). The summative assessment task was to Create a flag that is a symbolic representation of their identity in relation to the IB Learner Profile and present it to their class.

The expectation was that the flag should contain a minimum of 4 personal symbols (wide open) and 3 symbols that represent how they embody different attributes of the learner profile.

The flag was to have colours that were chosen carefully to represent meaning.

They were to also write 2 paragraphs -one for a personal symbol and another for the learner profile symbol which explain why the symbols were chosen and what they represent.Finally, the students shared an oral presentation of their flag and ideas to their classmates.

Here are a few examples of student work from Mr Spencer’s class. 

January 23

All grade 7 students participate in a Design course two periods each cycle while in grade 8, Design is incorporated within the science curriculum. This is another unique and engaging aspect of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme. The IB has specific criteria that the students need to demonstrate throughout the year, and a rubric that assesses these criteria. Inquiry is always a focus in all of our learning. In Ms Condo’s Design classes, students had the opportunity to design a new $20 bill for Canada. The students used the 17 Sustainable Development Goals to inspire the design of their new bill. The 17 SDGs are a very important part of our school focus and we strive to have them guide our inquiry and learning. Some of our students had their designs submitted to the Manitoba Council for  International Cooperation (MCIC), with an ultimate goal to present their redesign to an audience including MLAs and dignitaries at the launch event of International Development Week, being held at the Manitoba Legislature on February 7, 2023. 

In addition to the amazing designs drawn, students also identified which SDG they were highlighting, why they chose it, the design features and elements, and how they feel this new bill would impact the public if it were to be created and used in Canada. Can you tell which Sustainable Development Goal each one of these designs is focusing on?

Well done students of Ms Condo’s Design class!

January 30

The International Baccalaureate prompts teachers to use multiple types of assessments. Formative assessment informs the teachers and students as to where the students are at in their educational journey. This is not “for marks” but for providing feedback for students to improve when they are demonstrating their understanding and learning. Summative assessments show where the students are at a moment in time such as  projects and tests. As IB teachers, we strive to engage the students in their own assessments and also try to make these summative assessments connect to the real world. When students see the value in the assessment, and not just because it is curricular based, they often feel more connected. We want to congratulate Nolan, a grade 7 Design student for being one of TWO individual student winners who were selected to present their $20 bill redesign to an audience including MLAs and dignitaries at the launch event of International Development Week, being held at the Manitoba Legislature on Tuesday, February 7th, at Noon. 

Here is the text that went along with Nolan’s detailed drawing.

The sustainable development goal that I chose for my $20 bill is number 15: climate action. I chose this goal because humans are essentially burning, drowning, and starving themselves due to their environmental impact and there’s not much being done about it. 

The left symbolizes the past and present, whereas the right symbolizes the bright future all of humanity can work towards. The polar bear as well as garbage island represents the direct outcomes of the pollution we create. The single-use plastics we throw out are represented by the mound of trash. There is a polar bear floating on a small chunk of ice. This represents the melting ice caps, which affects polar bear life and directly contributes to flooding. In the translucent part of the bill, there is a factory in place of the parliament building, which represents air pollution. On the right side of the bill past the factory, there's a nice, lush landscape, which symbolizes the bright future we as  species can achieve. The design for this bill will hopefully bring awareness to the problems we as a species are causing, as well as the future we can strive to create.

I believe that to majorly help out the environment, we could stop the production and use of single use plastics, that will help out our planet’s air, water, and land.

Thanks again to Ms Condo, Design Teacher, and to Manitoba Council for International Cooperation.

February 12

Students in grade 8 Spanish are working hard on their summative assessment, la casa de mis suenos (dream house)! They are showing their creativity through designing their very own dream house, either by building it virtually or a cardboard model. These homes are to have a minimum of six rooms, twelve pieces of furniture and then the students will write at least ten sentences to explain where the objects are located in the house. Finally the students will present their homes to their classmates in Spanish. This summative assessment will evaluate Criterion C: Speaking as well as Criterion D: Writing within the Language Acquisition Subject Group. A summative assessment is one that marks will be assigned and informs the teacher and student what the achievement level is at a certain point in the student’s education. A rubric is provided and the students see exactly what the teacher is expecting from this particular assignment and then can also self assess to see if they have achieved what their own personal goal is. i Muy bien Sra.Hanly! Stay tuned for the finished products in a later article! (click on first image for short video clips)

February 20, 2023

Every student is encouraged to find their interests through the school science fair, whether they are in the French Immersion or English program. The students can work independently or in small groups and have the choice to share their project with the school during the school fair. The school fair takes place on March 1, and up to the top 2 projects placed in each category can move on to the divisional science fair. In the past we have even had multiple students move on to nationals!

Science fair is an excellent example of a complete International Baccalaureate learning experience. Students use inquiry throughout the project and many students will follow the design cycle. 

Some examples of unique projects at the school are listed below.

Anyone wonder if the 5 second rule for food is actually true? Find out from a student’s project!
Do you know what the kiki and Bouba Effect is? Do you associate sounds with different shapes? Check out this project to learn more about this.

Does music affect what and how you draw? A project has participants listen to 4 different songs and using a variety of colours, they will draw how they feel/what they are thinking. Can’t wait to see the results of this!

February 26

  Approaches to Learning (ATL) are a key component of the International Baccalaureate. ATLs are skills designed to enable students to “learn how to learn” They promote strategies that will assist students in developing confidence and taking responsibility for their own learning. The 5 main categories are Social, Communication, Self-management, Reflective and Thinking. Opportunities such as Science Fair allow students to not only work alongside a partner (should they choose to)  but to promote self-management with deadlines, think critically and then reflect on their process. These are often listed as “Soft Skills” which are in high demand in workforces and in everyday life. See below for some images of class science fair projects. 

March 5

Global Contexts drive many of our units at École River Heights School. These Global Contexts are conneced to authentic world settings and events. We were privileged to have the Manitoba Council for International Cooperation (MCIC) join us at school this past week and upcoming week to share InSight which is a super interesting set up that has 360° videos set up within a 6 metre cylinder that the students enter and watch a video. The 360° set up is a very immersive experience. 

One of the videos shares the perspective of a Syrian refugee in a camp in Jordan. See images and videos below. 

For more information on this program, click here

If you want to be able to experience this incredible opportunity yourself, please join the Parent Council meeting on March 8 at 7:00 in the school library as the presenters will be sharing it with families then.

To check out a short video on this experience, check out our Instagram post 

March 12

The International Baccalaureate Programme promotes the Arts as an integral part of education. We are incredibly lucky to have such amazing arts teachers. Our students all have the opportunity to take Drama in Grade 7 and Visual Arts in Grade 8, and have the choice between Band, Dance or Musical Theatre Production for both years at River Heights. All of our Arts programming has a performance/display aspect and all of our teachers provide enrichment opportunities in their areas of expertise. You will see students at school before 8:00 am for jazz band and dance team, working on open studio for dance, visual art and band over the lunch hour, and staying until 5:30 into the evening for Troupe, the musical or other events - our school is always bustling!

This week is one of those exciting performances. We have 5 teams from Troupe 10336 that will be competing in 2 categories at the Destination Imagination (DI) Provincial tournament. DI has students work together in teams to solve open-ended STEAM (science, technology, engineering arts and math) challenges designed to teach the creative process. You may wonder what science and technology has to do with drama? It helps kids learn vital life and career skills such as creative and critical thinking, public speaking and collaborative problem solving. This empowers students now and in the future.

On Wednesday, nearly 30 teams from around Winnipeg will be competing in the Destination Imagination Provincial Tournament. Members of the public are invited to visit and observe the incredible feats of engineers, improv, fine arts performances free of cost and see what this is all about! See advertisement below for more details.

River Heights has placed extremely well in the past 3 provincial tournaments and we look forward to this event!

March 19

There are 6 Global Contexts in the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme. Globalization and Sustainability is one that we have been focusing on this year with the development of a Climate Action Unit. A subsection, or exploration of Globalization and Sustainability is looking at human’s impact on the environment. This year, for the first time in several years, the students have been composting at our school. During the huge Destination Imagination event last week, we had very little waste due to the ability for us to compost the majority of the waste, including pizza boxes! We are putting out a challenge to families to try to reduce their waste in classrooms - we discussed this with the Green Action Centre when they came to do presentations and now again, we are promoting the use of reusable containers and less garbage created in our schools. Can we do better?

March 26

Why do I have to learn this? How will this help me in the future? In the past, students have asked teachers these questions often, but the International Baccalaureate Programme promotes summative assessments (final assessments) that are real world. A perfect example is what is just wrapped up in Ms Wright’s Design Class. These grade 7  students used the Design process to create a livable habitat on Mars. Sounds interesting, but Ms Wright took it a step further. In order to challenge those students who were able to meet the challenging expectations, expert assessors were invited. The students were to design their habitats to match the customer’s (NASA) expectations and apply logic and design. They had to appropriately apply scale in 2-D engineering drawings and engage in quality control and revision control.

Mme Wright invited a panel of judges right from the Aerospace Engineering industry.  A thank you goes out to Philip Ferguson - NSERC/Magellan Aerospace Industrial Research Chair in Satellite Engineering, Price Faculty of Engineering (the who’s who in Canada for Aerospace Engineering!)  and Matt Driedger - ADCS Engineering, Magellan Aerospace for spending the afternoon speaking to students and asking them critical thinking questions about their designs and ideas. 

In addition to that, the top 5 students will have the opportunity to visit the Price Faculty of Engineering at the University of Manitoba with a specific focus on Aerospace Engineering. They will be taken into labs, giving them an opportunity to see some of the fascinating space-related projects that are being worked on. This experience will also offer them insight into the kinds of opportunities that are available to them in post-secondary. Huge congratulations to all the students involved in this project and thank you to Ms Wright for sharing her expertise in the area of Engineering.

April 2

Community Projects Are Up and Running!
A key foundational part of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program is Service as Action. IB works to develop caring members of the community who act to make a positive difference. You will notice Service As Action worked into the daily life of a River Heights Student, sometimes subtly and sometimes obviously. All of our grade 8 students participate in a Community Project. The Community project can be done alone, in partnerships or in small groups of 3. The students have 4 different types of projects they can choose from. These projects are 100% student driven.

Direct- such as going to a soup kitchen and volunteering there, 

Indirect - such as fundraising but then not necessarily seeing the benefits for their action in real time, 

Advocacy- where students promote action or share information on a cause, or 

Research - where students collect information about an issue and then report on it). 

To stagger the projects so that they are more spread out, the English grade 8 students have already begun and are partway through their projects and the Immersion students will be starting theirs soon. We have students looking at a variety of actions such as bringing attention to the situation in Iran,  a snack fundraiser for Doctors Without Borders, a raffle raising money for the Canadian Cancer Society, collecting materials for pet shelters and more! We look forward to hearing all about the student’s work and more will be showcased in this newsletter. 

April 23

Spring is a time for the performing arts! Last week the school had an incredible dance show, next week Into the Woods Jr, the school musical will happen at the Gas Station Theatre at the same time that band students are participating in the band festival prior to the school wide band concert on June 7 (whew - that was a lot!). All year long, you will always find bulletin boards full of student artwork around the school. In addition to the classes the students take during the school hours, The Arts at École River Heights has incredible extra curricular options. Those students whose passion is drama can perform in Troupe, the musical, or participate in backstage activities that help the show run. Currently we have 6 shows coming up next week with 39 cast members, over 20 behind the scenes students working on costumes, props and painting. We have at least 5 staff members contributing countless hours as well as several parents helping out. Over 1000 tickets sold!!!

Extra curricular Dance offers a multitude of options connected to different teams - often before school and at lunch, and hearing the jazz band early in the morning practicing before school is always so amazing. We can’t wait for the concert on June 7! There are many different options throughout the year for visual arts which include lunch hour and after school specific activities. Some of the incredible opportunities for students include free pottery wheel throwing workshops, fall clay club with slab and hand building techniques and monthly “Art @ Lunch” activities such as Mardi Gras mask making in February, gingerbread house building in December and outdoor pot painting in the spring!

The Arts is an integral part of the Middle Years Programme in the International Baccalaureate. The IB expects that all students participate in The Arts in every year that they are an IB student. At École River Heights, all students take part in the drama program in grade 7 and visual arts in grade 8. In addition to that, all students have the opportunity to choose between band, dance or musical theatre production. 

The IB knows that The Arts stimulate imagination, challenge perceptions and help students to develop both creative and analytical skills. The IB encourages teachers to promote the context and cultural histories of both the artwork the students are learning, what they are creating and how it may connect to the past. This is all a part of developing both an inquiring and empathetic attitude of their surroundings. The Arts enrich a student’s personal identity and build awareness of the aesthetic of the world around them. We thank The Arts team for all they do!

May 7

Encouraging students to branch out and help others is a key tenetof the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme. This happens within classes and through extra curricular activities. Students see the value of service but also can apply the learning in a positive manner. We see this currently through the Community Projects that are still happening in some grade 8 classes, and we are also seeing it in some Grade 7 Individual and Societies (Social Studies) Classes. Mr Spencer’s classes are currently doing a unit on Global Quality of Life. As the unit is coming to a close, the summative assessment asks the students to do further research and then apply their learning through a public service announcement. The students can apply the Approaches to Learning specific to research, communication and collaboration. Then once they have their information, they are creating a video to educate.  They must work together in order to create a positive message. We will look more closely at some projects in upcoming newsletters. 

Service as Action is also happening at Team 17, a club that focuses on supporting the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. This club that meets mainly at lunch hours, was awarded 2 grants to fulfil a huge project idea they had. The Team members wanted to write, act, film and edit a video not only explaining what the 17 goals were but to help provide ideas for students on what they could do. The Team also wanted to take their video and presentation on the road, so the students reached out to their elementary schools to offer to come by and share with grade 5 and 6 students. So far they have presented to 7 classes at 4 elementary schools and have 7 more classes booked next week at 2 more schools.

Team 17 wants to thank Learning for a Sustainable Future for the educational webinars and grants that helped get this project going. Click on the image below and please take 20 minutes to watch the video created 100% by Team 17 and share with friends and family!

May 19

Fluids is one of the 4 science units in Grade 8. In this unit, the students learn new vocabulary such as density, buoyant forces, pressure, viscosity and compressibility. Mr Hofeld asked the students to share their understanding of how buoyant factors work within fluids through a video format. To see a couple of examples of explanations, click on the images above.

May 28

The International Baccalaureate Programme has the expectation that all Year 3 (Grade 8) students engage in a community project of their choice. These projects are inspired by the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The students of Ms Thanisch’s Language and LIterature classes were encouraged to go out of the school and engage with the greater community. Students visited food banks, soup kitchens, hosted local high school talent in their basement as a wonderful afternoon concert, made and delivered food, packed hampers, walked with Bear Clan, and so much more!

Above are just 3 examples of the excellent videos produced by students to showcase their projects. 

June 3

Ms Ledo and Ms Hanly worked on a Social Media unit with students in their Language and LIterature (English Language Arts) classes that was designed by Ms Ledo. In this unit, students learn about their digital footprint, staying safe online, how social media can affect mental health and the difference between humane and addictive design. The summative assessment for this unit had the students act as an “influencer” and create a series of multimedia posts such as a meme, a “post” and a short video. All of these submissions focus on the use of social media use in teens and topics such as safety, digital footprint, social media use, social media balance, or any combination of the above. The 3 parts of the summative assessment were evaluated on organizing ideas, producing text and use of language. 

June 18

The International Baccalaureate Programme wants our students to get engaged with their local and global community. A week ago, our entire school participated in the Commuter Challenge, by asking our staff and students to find safe and active ways of getting to school. The staff participated in the “official” Commuter Challenge that is supported here in Manitoba by The Green Action Centre, while the students competed internally, class by class. Our staff biked and walked 307 kms that week and avoided adding 68 kgs of CO2 into the air!

We were very proud of our students, many who already use active transportation, and those who made a special effort to try it out during the Commuter Challenge. Our big winners this year were:

1st place - room 23

2nd place - room 3

And a tie for 3rd place - rooms 4 and 21!

Interestingly enough, all these winners were grade 8s so our grade 7 students will have to step it up next year!
Team 17 kept the classes up to date using bulletin boards to visually show the leaders.

Thanks to all who participated!