Fall 2018
A HAMILTON DISTRICT CHRISTIAN HIGH PUBLICATION
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FALL 2018 Vol. 12 Issue 1
Water Walk-a-thon: Working Together for Clean Water | 7 Co Operative Opportunites Nurturing the Learning Process | 14 Neuroscience & the Brain: Contributions, Confirmations & Conflicts | 26
BEACH VOLLEYBALL
New courts were conceived, planned & built at HDCH www.hdch.org | 905.648.6655 |
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whyHDCH
contents
15 22 10 Features 4 COVER: Beach Volleyball Courts 8 Celebrating Educator Excellence 16 Escape Room Weather Station 20 Student Project FUNd 24 Murder’s In the Heir 26 Neuroscience in Education
Fall 2018 | Vol. 12 Issue 1
Conceived, planned & built at HDCH John Rozema Awards
Ventures students build a portable experience Support for Project-based Learning Fostering a passion for drama
Contributions, confirmations & conflicts
ON THE COVER Ventures students and the new Beach Volleyball Courts ~ Photo: Hank Rintjema
Editorial Team Adrianne Sprogis, Cheryl Webb Send all address changes to: info@hdch.org Advertising is invited. Please contact: asprogis@hdch.org Letters to the Editors Questions, comments and story ideas are welcome. Please email the editorial team at info@hdch.org.
Connections is a semi-annual publication of Hamilton District Christian High. All contents © Copyright 2018. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part without express permission. Circulation 4000
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P R I NC I PA L’S M E SS AGE Welcome to this Fall version of Connections. I hope it finds you well. This September, we open the doors of HDCH and welcome students and staff with open arms and huge smiles as we set out to cultivate character through learning for a life of service to God. This magazine is filled with amazing examples of this. I like paging through Connections, flipping it like it’s the HDCH ‘camera roll’ and scanning it like it’s a blog post. In many ways, this publication is designed to give you a small representation of how it feels to be at HDCH. We hope to give you an idea of the breadth and depth of what happens here, and some different lenses through which to see us. On these pages, you will find snapshots and stories of this life, learning, community, faith and love. On behalf of the HDCH Board and Leadership Team, congratulations to the Connections team and a huge hive-five for a job well done. And for the rest of you, may you be richly blessed by what you read in this magazine as we have been. Enjoy.
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#whyHDCH Jillian VanderVelde ‘18
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veryone was right when they said that high school flies by, because this indeed is true. Looking back on the past four years, has ensured my realization of being blessed with attending HDCH. At times, I have taken this opportunity for granted because I have been attending Christian schools all my life. The sense of community here at HD is incredible. I feel supported by my fellow classmates and valued by my teachers. The teachers care about their students. They want us to not only learn, but to succeed in our learning by growing, flourishing, and being able to apply our learning to our daily lives. I love how willingly the teachers are available to give extra help or support during their lunch breaks or their prep periods. This is something that is very valuable and helpful if you have questions or are trying to catch up from missing school. Personally, I have been very engaged with the Athletic program playing on different sports teams from September to June, which has meant missing classes all year long, and so I have appreciated the support from my teachers along the way. I believe that my four years at HD has helped develop my character through Reflection, Resilience, Compassion, Competence, and Creativity. These qualities, also known as the habits of a graduate, are being developed through what is taught and how it is taught. Â I believe that my fellow students, teachers, and classes have all contributed to helping me personally with the shaping and flourishing of my character. I am deeply honoured and thankful that I had the opportunity of attending HD. HD has had a huge impact on the person I am becoming today. Despite the fact that I will be going off on a new journey next year, I am very honoured to call myself an alumnus of HD.
I have been blessed to be in a place where I can worship God freely. Everyone here has a heart for Jesus Christ which makes HD a great place to be.
Gr9 MegaBlock students are already making beautiful work.
Are you ready for #Back2School ? We had a very special visit this week.
PHOTO : HANK RINTJEMA
The opportunities a HDCH are endless. There is always a way to get involved and help out in the broader community. These opportunities are available by joining a club like WATCH or Hearts 4 Hamilton as well as experiences provided through project-based learning in our classes. Through Co-op, I had the opportunity to work alongside the HDCH administration team which was an invaluable experience that provided insight into my future career possibilities. There are so many sports teams, intramural teams, and clubs you can be involved in.
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Four outstanding beach volleyball courts conceived, planned and built at HDCH By Scott Radley, Sports Columnist ~ The Hamilton Spectator
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I don’t think anyone knew exactly what it would take.” ~ Sam Cooper
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t was during one of the first classes of the year that their teacher threw down a challenge that was slightly different and vastly more ambitious than many — perhaps most — high school assignments. Hamilton District Christian High School students were to asked to conceive, plan and build a project that could be a legacy for the school and the community. No problem, thought the Grade 11 Venture students as they started throwing out ideas. What about a walking trail around campus? Nah, kinda boring, they quickly decided. An outdoor classroom? Nope. A gift shop? Pass. A hammock area? Funky, but a little too out there. Then Sam Cooper suggested a beach volleyball court. Perfect, they agreed. It’d be useful and besides, how hard could it possibly be?
Reprinted with permission by Scott Radley at The Hamilton Spectator
Fall 2018 The four courts, which opened last month and are now being used by students and community groups at the Glancaster Road campus, are spectacular. Way beyond what any class project should be. But getting there was challenging. Volleyball, as you may have heard, is growing in this area. McMaster’s men’s team has won six-straight provincial titles and beat some of the NCAA’s best, has helped draw attention to the sport. Mac’s strong women’s team, as well as successful squads from Mohawk and Redeemer, have also done plenty of heavy lifting to pump the game’s tires around here. Hometown beach volleyball Olympian, Waterdown’s Heather Bansley, has put an exclamation point on things. That’s led to a demand for indoor courts as well as outdoor courts in the summer. Trouble is, the only outdoor beach courts in town are at Confederation Park, which is a long way from much of the city. Cooper knew this, since he’s a rising volleyball star who’s caught the eye of many top universities, including the Marauders. So he understood the need — and he’s not alone. “There’s big demand right now,” says Mac head coach Dave Preston, who says many of his players who play recreationally in the summer have to go to Toronto to find court time. “The popularity (of beach volleyball) is huge.” The initial idea of one court quickly became four. After the 11 students in the class presented their revised plan to the school’s board and got the thumbs up, they got
to work. Only to discover they’d opened a massive can of creative and bureaucratic worms. This was going to cost quite a bit, so they had to go to the community and feel out the interest among volleyball clubs and lock down rentals. As a result, the Ancaster Lions Volleyball Club, Mountain Athletic Club and Mountain Volleyball Club joined forces to form the new Hamilton Beach Volleyball Club. “It will pay for itself in rentals in 10 years,” says student Matthew VanVeen. “Then it will start generating revenue.” That done, they had to choose a location on campus. They settled on a spot out back that could be positioned with the courts facing north-south, so players wouldn’t be blinded by the sun during evening use. Then students had to figure out what materials to use, pricing it out and finding companies to help with the actual construction and permits. Oh, the permits. Environmental permits. Disabled access permits. Construction permits. At one point, Cooper and classmate Sawyer Berkelaar had to meet with city hall officials to make sure everything was OK, which was a daunting exercise for a couple high school kids. “It definitely got progressively harder,” Cooper says. By May, the digging started. Then the construction company came to put in the net posts and the fences.
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Day after day, everybody in the class would watch the progress; their work was actually turning into something.
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That was a moment of amazing pride.” ~ Matthew VanVeen Finally, six trucks of sand rolled up. On May 16, they had their first users. The exceptionally-done courts will get a ton of use this summer. Teams will be using them, camps will be running on them and there are public open-court times on Friday nights from 6 to 9 p.m. Next year, the school will begin incorporating beach volleyball into the phys-ed curriculum. This project now sits alongside the school’s disc golf course that the Venture program — a class VanVeen describes as “civics and careers on steroids” — built a couple years ago. It is doing exactly the job it was supposed to do, namely filling a need for both students and the broader community. There are rough plans to turn a shed adjacent to the courts into dressing rooms, but that’s for later. Maybe a future class? The students had already done so much this year. As for the students who made it all happen, they haven’t received their grades for the course yet. They’ll be coming when report cards arrive in a few days. But they all agree on what they should get. “We should get 100 per cent,” Cooper laughs. “That’s what I’m saying.”
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Grand River Water Testing The grade 11 Chemistry Class put on their rubber boots and went to Apps Mill Nature Centre to learn about water quality in the Grand River. The Grand River Conservation Authority monitors water quality in many locations along the Grand. The class was able to do chemical testing of nitrate and phosphate levels as well as test the pH, turbidity and dissolved oxygen. They also learned the dip netting technique and learned to used aquatic invertebrate field studies to create a pollution tolerance index. All their chemical tests all came back within the fair to good range, and the pollution tolerance index was in the acceptable range. Students found it surprising how many different aquatic invertebrates there were in the water. Besides crayfish and minnows, there were many different snails, beetles, mites and fly larvae. Students learned to distinguish between the larvae of stoneflies, damselflies, dragonflies, mayflies and more.
Appreciating Canadian Art The grade 11 Sculpture and Printmaking class travelled to the McMichael Art Gallery to view the Inuit soapstone carvings to inspire their own stone carvings. Students were pleasantly surprised to also come across an exhibit of Toronto’s hip hop scene, Group of Seven paintings, and countless beautiful prints and sculptures.
Building Bridges Nic Bruulsema successfully defended HDCH’s title, earning for himself the top prize at Mohawk College’s Popsicle Bridge building contest. Nic’s bridge held nearly 2800 times its own weight. Special mention goes out to the teams of Adam Robinson-Cooke and Ethan Summerhayes and to Julian Vanlandschoot for both their top 10 finishes in a field of 120 entries.
Slam Poetry Grade 10 English classes and the grade 12 Writer’s Craft class attended Louder than a Bomb Canada, a spoken word poetry contest for high schools. The students were audience members and judges for slam poetry that Hamilton high school students wrote and performed. The students saw first-hand the power of poetry in action and the community of artists and writers empowering each other in their work.
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Collaborative Water Walk-a-thon for Clean Water By Jessica Star ‘18 & Nadine Simonffy
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oday, an estimated 1.4 million children die every year from diseases caused by drinking polluted water1. As students of the Christians in Society class, we were driven to raise awareness and support the critical social justice issue of unsafe drinking water as it affects so many communities around the world. Through partnering with our WATCH (Working at Teaching Children Hope) Team, we planned a school-wide Water Walkathon with a goal to raise $10,000 to build a water filter for a school in Kenya. The sheer size of this dollar goal led us to invite the Guido de Bres school community to participate with us. With the help of Barb Kozakewich from Samaritan’s Purse, we as a team, proceeded with hearts filled with joy and a solidified belief in our vision, as we were ready to be the hands and feet of Christ in a practical and exciting way. After doing some research, we asked students to gather sponsorships to walk carrying buckets full of water between 3-6 kms along a 1.3 km route covering the perimeter of our school property. Having participants carry full buckets offered a feel of what it is like for many around the world who walk several kilometres every day to provide water for their families.
Over the next few months, we planned, organized and sought out donations to cover the costs of running this event so that all the sponsored money went towards the community Biosand Filter in Kenya. The sun was shining brightly on the day of the Walkaton, and this spring event brought together 75 HDCH students, 48 students from Guido de Bres, our representative from Samaritan’s Purse and three staff members to walk between 3-6 km around the HDCH campus. Participants quickly learned that carrying buckets of water over a distance was challenging. After as many laps as they were able, we concluded the event with a celebratory BBQ. Sharing this meal together provided a chance to pray together, provide fellowship and listen to Barb share her insight on how this campaign would alter the lives of this Kenyan community. Our schools exceeded the original goal and raised $10,516. Through this campaign, we have been able to provide a school community in Kenya with a water filtration system that will provide access to clean water and education on proper hygiene for an entire community. We as Christians in Society and WATCH are so humbled and grateful to have been given this opportunity to bless others through our campaign. God is so good! samaritanspurse.ca
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Celebrating Excellent Educators
John Rozema Award for Teaching Excellence Most teachers want their students to be excellent. But what does that mean?
As a teacher of visual arts, JONATHAN DEVRIES, cultivates a high degree of technical and creative excellence with his students both reading and creating art that is social commentary and cultural critique. In this sense, his art classes breed culture-discerners and culture-makers.
In 2016, Cardus Education launched the John Rozema Teaching Excellence Award to discover and celebrate excellent educators within the Ontario Christian school system. Beyond academic performance, excellence includes nurturing student character, engaging the local community, and improving school culture. This year, Jonathan Devries, Richard Van Egmond and Jared Patus received this prestigious Award for Teacher Excellence and were recognized for their excellence and ongoing investment into the life of a Christian school community and a positive public contribution to the common good. Having made the shortlist for this year’s award, Leon Hordyk is also recognized as a gifted educator.
What sets Jonathan apart as a teacher is taking art beyond the classroom, not only into the hallways but also into the world beyond our school.
RICHARD VAN EGMOND & JARED PATUS hold the role of exposing our students to the ‘real-life’ world, where our students’ learning takes hold and becomes practiced through internships and mentoring in our Venture program. This program is innovative, it is entrepreneurial, and it is a blessing to the students and partners that participate. These educators work hard to know each of the students well, and genuinely desire to see their students find their calling. They continue to execute exceptional learning experiences in their program and to support the students in their vocational wayfinding. Richard and Jared expertly weave character, learning, and service throughout the work they do in the Venture program and their projects and curriculum development are examples of this. Some of the largest, broader communityimpact projects in our school over the last five years have come out of this program including our Disc Golf Course, the Bridge Project and the Beach Volleyball project.
Within the school, under Jonathan’s leadership, the culture has transformed to one where art is ubiquitous, where student work not only beautifies our communal spaces but is both evocative and provocative. In addition, he has led in integrating art with other disciplines: combined projects with math, chemistry, carpentry, English, geography, and programming (IT), to name a few. Jonathan has given his students an art experience that motivates culture-making through excellence and beauty for its own sake, and through connecting it to purposes beyond themselves. Art has become Kingdom-building through his innovative leadership of his classes.
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Imagine, for a moment, a high school course that begins with the teacher challenging students to reflect on and articulate what change they want to make in the world. That is how LEON HORDYK begins the senior chemistry class each time he teaches it. This question is the gateway he uses to ensure students start with a focus on worldview, on learning for furthering God’s kingdom. This question also allows him to get to know each student individually: what makes them tick, why they are taking the course. Leon starts with the big, big picture in mind and with honouring each student as an individual; these are the attributes of an incredible person, who also happens to be great at helping students learn Chemistry.
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Bird Banding @ Ruthven Grade 9 Science students visited Ruthven Park and learned about species preservation projects like the snake hibernaculum, rat snake box, butterfly meadow and the sensory garden. The class also helped plant Red Cedar plants. Students enjoyed participating in a bird banding lab. They learned how birds are caught, weighed, measured, banded and released. Students had the opportunity to release the birds after they had been banded.
In 2018, Leon celebrated his 30th year of teaching and he continues to exemplify lifelong learning by embracing new practices, designing new projects, seeking community connections and authentic audiences, and engaging in ongoing Professional Development. He is always reimagining his courses, and in true scientist style, he experiments with evidence-based changes, tracks his data, and gets feedback as he innovates his course designs. Over and over, we hear from alumni about how thoroughly they were prepared for university studies in sciences and how that eased their transition from high school to further education. His students’ success in post-secondary studies demonstrates his teaching philosophy; “I am not going to teach you chemistry, I am going to help you learn chemistry.” Students quickly realize that he is there to support them in every way, and that they will have a very active role and high responsibility in their own learning. This creative, innovative, and deeply caring teacher’s catchphrase is, “Chemistry is everything”, but over the course of the semester, his students learn that to him they are everything.
Making a Splash on the Ottawa River The Grade 12 class and a few adventurous staff members tackled the raging waters of the Ottawa River on the annual whitewater rafting trip. The weather was perfect, the waves were gnarly, and great times were had by all. Off the river, students also got to participate in mountain biking, rock wall climbing, kayaking, and swimming. Our group devotions were focused on ‘the Leadership of Belonging,’ as we looked at what it means to be leaders in our school community. It was a gift to spend the time together as a grade building memories that will last for a long time.
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hdch.org Currently, at the procurement stage, Trevor updated us that LRT construction should start in 2019 and would extend to 2024 when the B-Line Light Rail Transit the transit will be up and running. Planning for future growth has been both challenging and gratifying, “Knowing that the LRT project will be transformational and that I was able to contribute to helping plan for the future needs of Hamilton’s residents has been very rewarding.” Trevor says, ”I wanted to be part of a project that is being built for future generations. When I look at my kids I can only think of them and what their future may entail.”
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I believe HDCH was a catalyst for my life journey. Because of the habits (of
An exciting time for Hamilton
a graduate) instilled in high school, I have been able to succeed at Univer-
Catching up with Trevor Horzelenberg ‘91
sity and College and have a bright
By Adrianne Sprogis, Communications Specialist
Transportation Planner.”
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orn and raised in Hamilton, Trevor Horzelenberg ‘91 has seen the ebb and flow of Steel Town and especially the transformation of the downtown. And as the current Manager of the City’s Light Rail Transit (LRT) Project, he is genuinely excited for the future. His journey to where he is now began while he was a student at HDCH. Trevor recalls an experience that had a particular impact on him. “I remember the grade nine geography trip to Toronto’s Kensington Market with Mr. Meester as one of the turning points in my life. I realized that I was very interested in cities and their layout. This realization ultimately led to both my university pursuits and career as an Urban Planner.”
After graduating at HDCH, Trevor pursued an Urban Planning degree at the University of Windsor followed by the Transportation Engineering program at Mohawk College. Working in both the Public Works and the Planning & Economic Development Departments, the Traffic Division at the City of Hamilton, he has contributed to the planning around traffic impacts, development proposals, signals, cycling infrastructure, establishing the City’s transportation demand management program, and planning the future of the Hamilton Street Railway (HSR). Trevor now manages the Light Rail Transit project which is the City’s largest capital project to date.
career as an Urban Planner/
Trevor offers advice to students who are ready to graduate:
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Follow your dreams and interests. Look back and explore what you enjoy most about life and school and try to determine your career path based on this. Do not be afraid to fail along the way, for life tends to be made up trial and error until you find your way. But in the end, you will find the right path for you. Be true to yourself.”
FOLLOW TREVOR
@thorzele
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PHOTO : HANK RINTJEMA
Fall 2018
CSI World Bible Symposium By David Grills, Bible Educator
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n February 2018, I had the privileged to be among ten high school Bible instructors to attend the Christian Schools International Bible Instructor Symposium in Washington, DC at the new Museum of the Bible. The Symposium was formed to champion and advance Bible instruction in Christian schools. With the goal of becoming better teachers together, we had group sessions around the difficulties and ambitions of teaching the Bible to high school aged students. We enjoyed speakers from the Museum of the Bible and CSI who presented their visions for Bible instruction. The museum was a fantastic venue for the symposium. Many of the exhibits were personally meaningful and contributed to my teaching by adding to my understanding of the times through the history presented in the museum exhibits, and in helping students understand the origins of our Bibles. My time with other Bible teachers was also valuable, and our guided discussions allowed us to share our best practices and expertise with each other. I came away from my time there feeling grateful that I teach here at HDCH where I am encouraged to improve my craft and knowledge in my teaching area, but more importantly, make meaningful connections with my students around the living Word of God.
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HDCH Bible Museum Bible Study students liked the idea of creating a museum of our own geared for elementary school students. Students were tasked with telling God’s story with a balance of details that are both true and appropriate for a young audience. The students chose a variety of topics including how there are a few possible locations for Mt. Sinai; that Joshua’s story starts just outside Egypt, not at the battle of Jericho; and that just like all of us, the Patriarchs were flawed. The vibrant museum spanned two classrooms with the Red Sea between them. After much research, prototypes and planning, it was fun to see it all come together.
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PHOTO : HANK RINTJEMA
Life’s a Beach @ HDCH Beach volleyball takes the complexity of the indoor game and adds the difficulty of playing in the sand, as well as having to rely on only one teammate. In 2018, HDCH had two teams, and our courts were ready to host our very own Beach Volleyball tournament.
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I like that we got to host a tournament at our own school. It created a different atmosphere, and we felt more at home being surrounded by school members.” ~ Vaunn Smith, Student
Celebrating Athletics Isaiah Huisman & Michelle King By Brad Heidbuurt, Athletic Director ISAIAH HUISMAN has been a significant part of HDCH Athletics and quickly became a go-to athlete since walking through our doors in grade nine. He was a crucial part in his teams’ trips to OFSAA Volleyball and OFSAA Basketball this year and contributed great things to the soccer team. Isaiah worked hard to become one of our most versatile players who could play any position on the volleyball team; it was merely a matter of deciding which position would benefit his team the most. Along with his athleticism, Isaiah thinks quickly, leads by example, and shows a strong desire to succeed. He shows incredible dedication to his teams and doesn’t need to be in the spotlight. When Isaiah is on the court, he is very positive and exhibits the character and sportsmanship we hope to see in our athletes. Well done Isaiah!
It was a fantastic day in the sun and sand where fourteen visiting teams came to compete together. We will continue to host tournaments, as it brings in more people from our community to enjoy our facilities.
MICHELLE KING came to HDCH in grade nine as an athlete and has represented HDCH effectively and positively ever since. Through basketball, volleyball and soccer Michelle has earned multiple trips to OFSAA, and on the badminton court, she controls her opponents with strategic game plans and targeted shots. Michelle is an athlete who listens well to coaching, has a strong desire to succeed and is tenacious always striving to be her best. By tuning into her teammates, Michelle understands what is essential for a team to establish chemistry and play well together. Through her encouraging words and hard work ethic, she is a leader for her peers, and we are honored to be able to give her the Athlete of the Year award this year. Congratulations to Michelle!
It was a great day on the course for students trying out for the Golf Team.
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Student Technology Meets 200 Years of History
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estfield Heritage Village, one of the most carefully restored historical destinations in Ontario, and Grade 11 Computer Programming students may seem like unlikely collaborators, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Their partnership marries technology with over 200 years of Canadian history. Computer Programming students at Hamilton District Christian High had been exploring location-based, augmented reality gaming software where users can engage by using smartphones. They were looking for a partner organization with a great story to tell and a location that had interesting pieces, buildings, and features would make the project more authentic. Nearby Westfield Heritage Village was a great fit with over 40 buildings and structures that cover more than 200 years. The Village intentionally does not have any signs describing the attractions, so a virtual tour added a level of accessibility for guests and would offer descriptions of the buildings allowing the visitor to discover more about the history. Not only does the app provide a self-guided experience of the buildings, but also provides a game where users collect virtual artifacts to start a virtual farm. To create the virtual tour, Westfield provided the pictures, content, locations, and descriptions of the buildings and items, while the students took on the roles of programmers, graphic designers, communication specialists, recording engineers for audio, and testers to complete the project. The class found the project very rewarding as the collaboration was authentic. Student’s are delighted that real people will use the app and play the game, and that Westfield Heritage Village is pleased with the result.
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PHOTO : HANK RINTJEMA
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Co Operative Opportunities The learning process is nurtured By Adrianne Sprogis, Communications Specialist
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The confidence and leadership skills I have gained will help me tremendously during university.” ~ Asher Siebesma ‘18
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or many teens, balancing school, sleep and a social life can be enough of a challenge, so adding in a 5am co-op placement would only increase the degree of difficulty. This responsibility was one of Asher Siebesma’s most significant challenges during his term - but it was worth it. Asher’s placement as a coach at Ideal Fitness meant that sometimes he worked early in the morning or late into the evening, as the fitness centre opened at 5am and closed at 10 pm. What was most surprising to him during his co-op was how many people arrived at such an early hour to workout and have fun with the other members and the coaches.
Asher noticed how all the coaches and members are like a big family, rather than just numbers. Having already enrolled in an Outdoor Leadership course at Prairie College in Alberta, the co-op experience confirmed his fall plans. Asher notes, “The confidence and leadership skills I have gained will help me tremendously during university. My co-op has shown me that I am capable of being in a leadership position during stressful situations, which will be very useful in the future.” Brad Rigby, Operations Manager at Ideal Fitness, was surprised with how well Asher was able to step in and play an equal role in the company.
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“Specifically how he interacts with our members. His ability to make others feel comfortable, in what is typically a very uncomfortable environment, is a tremendous contribution.” As someone who is high energy and enjoys talking to people, the coaching was Asher’s favourite part of his co-op placement. Working at Ideal Fitness included many different responsibilities besides coaching like cleaning, filing papers, making videos, and organizing equipment. While he expected to interact with people, he also formed friendships with clients as well as the other coaches. Ideal Fitness includes co-op students as part of their regular human resource strategy as it provides them with a vast pool of talent. Brad explains, “co-ops are a great way to provide on-the-job training over a more extended period. It gives the students a lower pressure situation to learn as rather than thinking they have a short period to learn and make an impression; they know they are here for several months. The learning process can be nurtured. It has also given us a chance to let people develop to a point where they can feel comfortable and be a leader in the business.” Brad encourages other organizations to consider taking on co-op students. “You often find great value in these people. Everyone needs to start somewhere and giving them an opportunity in your company with a co-op position gives them a foot in the door and allows them to take the ball and run with it. Some of our most productive team members started in a co-op position.” Asher recommends other students to consider a co-op placement, “co-op has been an excellent way for me to experience what life is like after school, and has helped to show me where my interests are.”
T-Shirt Factory Art
Collaborating with Youth-at-Risk By Jonathan DeVries, Art Educator
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ince 2012, HDCH senior art students have collaborated on projects with streetinvolved and at-risk youth from RE-Create Outreach Art Studio. The students have explored emotional responses to colour through the Perspectrum Project, the relationship between the city and the environment through the Urban Roots Project, and the Eco-Art Competition. The grade 11 sculpture and printmaking class has been making original silk-screened t-shirt designs for years with great success. Since RE-Create had wall space available at Cafe 451 Eatery and Exchange, our group created t-shirts, and displayed them for sale with the proceeds going toward helping customers in need to pay for their meals. We visited the James Street studio and together with youth from the Compass school, made their silkscreens. Soon after, the sculpture class hosted a t-shirt factory workshop for youth at HD and created almost 100 unique pop-art t-shirts. The students loved the unlimited variations of t-shirts they could make by changing the colours of the ink or the colour of the t-shirt. They knew that their work had to be of high quality because the garments would be sold to others. Working collaboratively with street-involved youth in a joint effort to feed people was a fantastic experience. When one student’s t-shirts sold out, and the Cafe requested more, the whole class applauded with shared excitement that the project was going well. This project fostered pride in good work, built relationships and community, and gave the HD sculpture students an opportunity to be followers of Christ, through art, to serve the hungry.
PHOTOS : HANK RINTJEMA
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THE TORNADO WAS CHARGING! IT WAS CLEARING A PATH TOWARD THE MOBILE WEATHER STATION NEAR NIGHT HAWK LAKE. THERE WERE ONLY MINUTES TO FLEE THE HURLING FORCE OF THE STORM. WAS IT POSSIBLE TO ESCAPE THE DANGER?
Escape Room Weather Station Venture Students
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The best part of the escape room was getting to observe participants experience what we created. A lot of work went into the process of designing it, and it was fun to look back at everything that went into it.” ~ Cohen Dilda, Student
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rade 11 Venture student’s stood proudly beside their mobile weather station Escape Room on the night of Celebration of Learning and explained to their guests what was in store. Participants were to attempt to solve different puzzles to escape the trailer in ten minutes or less before a dangerous tornado would reach them. The students loved that people were lined up to experience something that they had created. As part of the Personal Life Management module in Venture, grade 11 students build on Career Planning from Venture 10 and explore personal growth topics that include budgeting, consumerism, transitioning from
By Jared Patus, Venture Educator & Adrianne Sprogis, Communications Specialist
adolescence to adulthood, life skills, communication, problem-solving, and decision making. Preparing and executing an escape room at the Celebration of Learning event proved to be an effective way for the students to use many of these skills. Early in the semester, the class traveled to Wilfrid Laurier University’s Brantford campus and the Game Design and Development Program. Gaming expert Professor Scott Nicholson explained the concept behind game theory and gave our students the opportunity to be the first to playtest an escape room that he was building for an Amazon Prime Original series media launch1.
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https://www.wlu.ca/news/news-releases/2018/may/laurier-students-design-escape-room-for-amazons-prime-original-series-media-launch-in-germany.html
The professor spoke to Venture students about the rationale behind good escape rooms and offered some practical advice for creating one at HD. At the time, the class didn’t have an available location inside the school to build the game. Upon hearing this, Calvin Christian School donated a trailer to house a mobile escape room with an arrangement to share the finished game with guests at the CCS fall bazaar. Before beginning construction, the class brainstormed theme ideas and created a scenario. The scenario needed puzzles to fit in with the theme logically, then props and building materials were collected. The skills required to execute an escape room are vast and involved different strengths from all the students. Through collaboration and communication, students designed and constructed the room which included measuring, cutting, and attaching wood; then decorated the space to create a convincing “scene.” Students created the puzzles, then arranged for trial groups to go through to make sure the sequencing ran smoothly. Improvements were made, based on observations and feedback. “It was great to get real-world experience working alongside others in different fields. One of my roles was to decorate and design the interior of the trailer. To do this effectively, I had to work alongside the construction group and communicate with them. I see this being a transferable skill as one day I hope to work designing building interiors. To do this, I will need to work with people in different fields (builders, architects, etc.).” ~ Matt VanVeen, Student
Venture teacher Jared Patus commented, “It’s a project with a very authentic audience. People are doing more than merely observing a product; they are coming to participate in a 10-minute escape room experience. For each new group, everything needed to be precisely reset, instructions had to be clear, and the puzzles themselves had to work. If any mishaps occurred, the experience is tainted. Because of the students’ preparation and attention to details, everything ran smoothly.” “I loved getting the chance to use my skills to contribute to a project that people would actually use.” Trevor DeVries As expected, the participants loved the experience. Success and enjoyment didn’t necessarily go hand in hand as they had groups that never finished but expressed only positive comments when the trailer door opened because time was up. In the past two years, close to 300 people have gone through our two escape rooms. Two other Christian elementary schools wish to feature this event at their bazaars. The Venture students were very proud to hear this, and some will return to their previous elementary schools to help run the escape room in the fall. This example of project-based learning offered students the opportunity to create iterations of a product by observing an authentic audience. Collaboration, communication and problemsolving are real-world skills that will benefit all the students in the future.
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Memories of Uganda Students travelled to Uganda and visited with students from Zana Christian School where they enjoyed painting and with dozens of children. They marvelled at seeing a lion up close, while on safari. Over the course of the trip, HDCH students were humbled by the kindness of the people they met, and the generosity of their hosts. They are thankful for the memories and the evidence of God’s love in our big and wonderful world!
Loop the Lake Music Tour Music students performed at several destinations on the 2018 Loop the Lake Music Tour. Beginning at Woodstock and Chatham Christian schools, they travelled to the Downtown Mission of Windsor to serve dinner and perform for clients. Across the border in Michigan, the group performed and visited with residents at the Mariners Inn Center for Substance Abuse, then took in musical workshops at the Detroit Institute for Music (DIME). “MY HIGHLIGHT IS THE AWESOME ATMOSPHERE AT DIME. IT WAS REALLY COOL TO CREATE A SONG IN SUCH A CREATIVE SPACE. I LEARNED THAT WRITING A SONG ISN’T AS HARD AS I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE. THE COLLABORATIVE SPIRIT IN THE GROUP WAS VERY INSPIRING”. Allie Buist, Grade 9 Once in Cleveland, the students performed at the Crossroads City Mission, followed by an outdoor concert in Cleveland’s Public Square, then on to Laura’s Home Shelter for dinner with patrons followed by a concert. The students had an opportunity to relax and take in a Indians baseball game and visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. “I REALLY LIKED OUR FINAL CONCERT AT THE WOMEN’S SHELTER. JUST SEEING THEIR FACES WHILE WE WERE PERFORMING WAS REWARDING.” -Samara Pluim, Grade 11
Students serving in Haiti Assigned with a specific village to stay in, eleven students and two chaperones travelled to Haiti in March. They spent the week painting a house, hosting a kids club, providing a meal and spent many afternoons doing “strategic village time”. During this time the students chatted with the locals, helping them with their chores, and recorded data about what the village needs. As the week went on, they got to know more about their new Haitian friends and spread the word of our loving Creator. The students finished the week off with a relaxing beach day where they took in the beauty of Haiti. “The people of Haiti changed us, and we hope that we were able to also leave our mark as students from HDCH to those there as well.” We’re Social. Connect with us today.
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Livable Cities Ward 3 in Hamilton can have an unfavourable reputation, so students toured this area to gain awareness in how they perceive urban areas and the people that live and work in the areas. In Gage Park they talked about the history of the Park, and viewed the new greenhouses being built noting that the greenhouses have been a part of the park for almost 100 years. From there, the group walked to Tim Horton’s original store on Ottawa Street which has become a destination for both tourists and citizens alike. They discussed how the rebuilding and rebranding of this building was incredibly important for East Hamilton.
After arriving at Barton Street and Edu-Deo Ministries the students considered how a community that once flourished could change so drastically. We then were invited into Edu-Deo where Ryan Geleynse shared the Edu-Deo vision for Christ-Centred Education around the world. Edu-Deo’s choice to be on Barton Street reflects their vision of being a light to all communities. This trip provides a foundation as the students in this Grade 9 class consider how we can be a light in our communities as we work to create more livable communities for all.
HD’s got Talent
Stress Down Day HDCH held our first Stress-Down Day where we observed a ban on tests and quizzes and an alternative schedule with an extended, hour-long lunch break. Students enjoyed a variety of healthy, de-stressing activities including live music entertainment in the cafeteria, quiet reading in the library, open gym, a nature walk and disk golf. This special day was to promote the idea of “mental health hygiene”. We wanted students to experience how they can fit healthy activities into their regular routines to reduce stress and anxiety. We look to build on this with activities that might include specific teaching on resilience, managing stress, and cultivating healthy habits.
HDCH’s annual Talent Extravaganza was an opportunity to observe the incredible gifts of the student body on display. We enjoyed musical acts, a dance demonstration, and a dunk contest. Mornings like these demonstrate the love that students have for the things they do as well as the love that we all have for each other. The loud cheers after each act and smiles on all the faces in the gym are clearly indicative of the community spirit at HDCH.
Make buying your lunch even easier. Reloadable Knight’s Eatery cards are available in the front office.
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hdch.org FURTHER OUT The second half of this learning vision, Further Out, flows out from Deeper In. Further Out liberates learning beyond the classroom. Further Out encourages students to use what they learn as kingdom builders in our communities.
Student Project FUNd
Research shows when students can engage with community content experts, present learning to real audiences, learn in authentic contexts outside of school, and do real work, it will lead to deeper, more meaningful learning that is empowering.
By Christy Bloemendal, Vice Principal & Gillian Doucet Campbell, Director of Admissions and Advancement PHOTOS: HANK RINTJEMA
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t HDCH we use the phrase “Deeper In and Further Out” to capture our vision for exceptional learning. We work hard to pursue learning that sticks with our students and integrates our Christian worldview. We want to show love for God and for our neighbours in all that we do. The Student Project Fund was borne from the generosity of our community at last Spring’s fundraising dinner. Those in attendance had the chance to hear from students and staff about a variety of projects that have made a difference in our community and impacted students’ lives. Many guests responded with financial gifts to enable future projects. With the generosity of many, HDCH has an initial budget of $13,600 to go toward projects for the 2018/19 academic year. The goal of the Student Project Fund is to provide financial support for short-term, Project Based Learning experiences that fulfill HDCH’s vision to take learning Deeper In and Further Out. Eligible projects will need to show strong potential for student growth and skill mastery, and potential for beautiful products that bless a community beyond HDCH. The project must also explicitly integrate faith and learning.
DEEPER IN We aim to use teaching and learning strategies that have a rigor in content and in understanding how we can use knowledge and skills to further God’s kingdom here on earth. We go Deeper In by using teaching strategies that help content and skills stick, and that go Deep In to shaping our students as image bearers - linking learning and loving God and our neighbours.
PROJECT-BASED LEARNING Deeper In and Further Out is our vision for Christ centered learning. Our preferred vehicle for delivering Deeper In, Further Out learning experiences is Project Based Learning (PBL). This teaching method is used in innovative schools around the world. PBL provides a structure to the concept of inquiry based learning. It moves students to uncover the curriculum and learning objectives. This is done by tackling an individual or collaborative project that is carefully planned and designed to achieve particular learning goals. The project challenges the student to come up with a solution to a driving question through inquiry, feedback, and iteration to create beautiful work and meaningful learning. Ideally, a project is presented to an authentic audience, and contributes to building a positive culture, helping others, or investing in a community. We look forward to growing the Student Project Fund each year through our March Fundraising Dinner.
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@hdchinfo Grade9 MegaBloc #tij1o working on the spaghetti marshmallow tower challenge. #teamwork #designthinking #whyhdch Fundraising Dinner Saturday, March 30, 2019 Mark your calendar now for our next March Fundraiser taking place Saturday, March 30, 2019. This dinner will feature the culinary delights of local Chef Ken LeFebour from Nellie James and will provide and update on how the initial funds were used.
The PBL Advantage
Project-based learning is a dynamic classroom approach where students explore real-world problems and challenges to gain a deeper understanding with more in-depth exploration. The student-centered design allows for play, experimentation, and simulations to address authentic issues, and work with peers and community members.
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My favorite part about creating a Little Free Library was seeing everything finally come together in the end, and delivering it to the church and seeing what an impact it made.� ~ Ruth Ann
2018 HDCH GOLF TOURNAMENT
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Learn more about how you can get involved with Venture and Co operative Education at hdch.org/venture
PHOTO : HANK RINTJEMA
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Offering an Important World View Co Operative placement is more than cuddling kittens By Adrianne Sprogis, Communications Specialist Grade 12 Student, Shelby Steefkerk knew what sort of schooling it would take to become a veterinarian, and her co-op placement at Beattie Animal Clinic helped confirm her decision that Veterinary Medicine is something she wanted to pursue. “I LEARNED THAT I LOVE WORKING WITH ANIMALS, SPENDING TIME IN SURGERY, AND THIS IS DEFINITELY WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO WITH THE REST OF MY LIFE.” ~ Shelby Beattie Animal Clinic in Ancaster offers cooperative learning experiences to students every semester. Their team enjoys showing interested youth how involved veterinary medicine is. Sarah Marinacci, Veterinarian Technician, notes that she always tries to make sure that students are aware that this job is more than cuddling puppies and kittens. “It’s a challenging career, and not for the faint of heart. But every student that has come through our door has handled everything very professionally and can’t do enough to help everyone in the clinic. We couldn’t ask for better students.” Shelby learned many things at the clinic including how to clean and wrap sterile surgical instruments for the veterinarians; setting up the surgery room and preparing all the supplies needed by the doctors sterilely; the technique to hold animals properly for surgical preparation. She learned how to perform a 4Dx heartworm snap test; dental procedures
How would you spend $300B?
and how poor some animals teeth can become, and Shelby observed common surgeries like spays and neuters.
Part of governing a country is establishing priorities for government spending. Like individuals and families, countries can’t spend on everything they want. They need to make decisions based on what they need.
Although many things were as she had expected, Shelby was surprised to be given the opportunity to learn so much about surgery. She noted, “they allowed me into the surgical room on my first day. I loved it so much that I would go in every time that there was surgery to soak up as much information as I could.”
With varying viewpoints on the role of government, Grade 10 Venture Civics / Careers students had an opportunity to compare different approaches to budgeting in Canada. Each team presented their party’s priorities in our upcoming federal budget.
Sarah Marinacci confirms that these co-op experiences benefit students by offering them a view into a world that they might never have a chance to see. “Students learn about various surgeries, the different types of vaccines, and how different breeds and species respond to different treatments. Co-op students contribute to the efficiency of the clinic by providing help to our staff when they are tied up doing something else.”
Encouraging each generation to be active in the political process is key for a healthy democracy. This project helps students better understand the process of government and how spending decisions are made. Better informed voters create a more accountable government.
Sarah adds that the experience in the animal clinic benefits our community through increased awareness of the importance of vaccinating your pets and making sure they are spayed or neutered. Shelby suggests that other students try a co-op placement as it has helped her to solidify what she wants to do as a vocation. “It is an eye-opening experience, as you get to learn about what is required to do a specific job. You don’t realize everything that you needs to be done until you go there and work in that field.”
A history class learning about the late 1920s through a mock investment stock market game. A pretty visceral experience riding the highs and lows of the market!! Math, geo, history mashup activity with amazing engagement. #deeperinHDCH
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Murder’s in the Heir EVERY FALL, STUDENTS BEGIN ASKING ME “DID YOU PICK A PLAY YET?” ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL. IT’S A TESTIMONY TO THE COMMITTED AND ENTHUSIASTIC LOVE FOR THE DRAMA PROGRAM THAT PERSISTS AT HD.
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ven without an auditorium, a rehearsal room, or a drama classroom, the passion for acting and drama is alive and well here. In the five years I have been teaching drama, I have seen the power of community built through disciplined rehearsal. I have seen students face their fears and develop confidence. I have shared successes and failures with students and grown alongside them. It is a privilege to share this creative journey with them each year. This spring’s production of Murder’s in the Heir was just the same. Despite the fact that it was a light-hearted, comedic show as opposed to a dramatic one, the whole team poured their hearts into creating a fun experience for the whole audience. Each night, it was a friendly battle amongst the cast to be chosen as the murderer. Once the ballots had been counted, the murderer’s head shot was
posted backstage, and everyone knew their role. And in a perfect turn of events, a different person was chosen each night, so four cast members were given the chance to play the role of sinister murderer. We couldn’t have planned it better! In the theatre world, the barrier that separates audience and actors is known as the “fourth wall.” It exists between the stage and the auditorium as if the audience is watching a piece of reality unfold before their eyes. When the fourth wall is maintained, the play becomes a “slice of life,” and the audience is willing to lose themselves in the scene, fully believing the events on stage. In Murder’s in the Heir, the fourth wall is broken, and actors interact with the audience throughout the show. This allows for the actors to become outlandish versions of their characters, going right over the top for a laugh. This technique became the magic of the show. We were tickled by a ditzy heiress, creeped-out by a lurking housekeeper, and intimidated by a stern nurse. We smirked at the pompous butler, laughed at bumbling handyman, and sneered at
By Sara Whetstone, Drama Director
the shameless playboy. All the characters, in their own way, created an outlandish version of their type, contributing to the general silliness of the show. As a director, it is a pure delight to watch those characteristics develop throughout the rehearsal process; even more, it is fun to watch little things change through each performance! Small lines get changed as the actors become more comfortable on stage. “My favourite memories are all the improvisation - whether it was improvising jokes or actions or simply trying not to break character or laugh when other actors included unscripted jokes throughout the performances. These are the moments that I will always remember fondly.” ~ Anna Alblas Thanks to everyone who worked so hard to make this show happen. It was a very busy spring at HD, and we had some unusual circumstances that ramped up the stress for this production. But, as always, many people stepped in to pick up the pieces and did so with a smile. This community is filled with generous, talented folks, and I am extremely grateful. Thank you “from the bottom of my….heart!”
Fall 2018
Make buying your lunch even easier. Reloadable Knight’s Eatery cards are available in the front office.
ArtsBlock students visited the Hamilton Art Gallery for a painting workshop. The class learned about landscapes in the gallery, had a very informative tour, saw an amazing exhibit of photographs by Vivian Maier, and had a live painting workshop.
whyhdch Students from @redeemeruc were an authentic audience for the ESL Cultural Presentations this afternoon. #whyHDCH
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Educational Neuroscience By Duncan Todd, Vice-Principal What is it? Educational neuroscience is the intersection between neuroscience, psychology, and pedagogy. Neuroscience is a field of natural science that studies the brain and its functioning. Since the 1990’s, advances in neuroimaging techniques have enabled researchers to examine more closely what is happening in the brain while it is functioning: which areas of the brain “light up” and connect with each other when different tasks are being performed, how neural pathways are established, how memory works, and how different parts of the brain develop at different stages of our lives. Much of this confirms or complements research in the field of psychology, and education theory, and some findings of neuroscience challenge the conventional wisdom of these two fields.
New Insights Neuroscience has also brought new insights on activity in brain regions relating to mathematics, reading, scientific knowledge, music, and creativity. This offers insights in how to teach these skills more effectively, and new possibilities in helping students overcome difficulties in any of those areas.
The Teen Years In addition, neuroscience has helped us understand brain development at different ages and stages of life. Particularly relevant to us at HDCH is the knowledge that the frontal lobes and parietal regions (areas associated with higher-level processing,
managing attention, planning, controlling and inhibiting certain behaviours, and assessing risk and reward in decisionmaking) are sites of major growth and structural change throughout adolescence and into the late teens.
Building Character While this is a period of particular vulnerability and susceptibility to poor decisions, the teen years are equally the most important time for developing these faculties: periods of rapid growth in particular areas of the brain mean neuroplasticity (the “wiring and rewiring” of the brain) is at its peak during that time and therefore optimally set for learning. This is the prime time for establishing neural pathways (patterns of thinking and behaving) for adult life, for establishing habits, good or bad, that solidify into character. Adolescence is a critical time where we need to come alongside our youth as they develop their higher-level processing, risk-assessment, decision-making skills, not by making decisions for them or imposing decisions on them, but by making decisions with them, by engaging in discussion, listening, hearing their thoughts, and asking critical questions. Having said this, although neuroplasticity (the “wiring and rewiring” of the brain) is easiest during childhood and adolescence, both neuroscience and cognitive psychology have shown us that it continues throughout life: it’s never too late to learn; it’s never too late to change.
Contributions Confirmations & Conflicts Some of the early contributions of neuroscience to the field of psychology and education have been to give scientific credence to the following: Movement/exercise enhances learning and memory Emotions impact learning – stress and distress impact learning negatively, whilst physical and emotional security enhance learning Related to the above, there is a connection between positive school climate (social & cultural) and learning A sense of relevance and meaningfulness promotes the encoding of long-term memory – our brains constantly sift the relentless stream of incoming information, selecting for attention and retention what it sees as needed, important, relevant, purposeful. There is a connection between sufficient sleep and learning (especially memory)
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Creating a legacy is more than leaving an inheritance. Your legacy is about the values, principles, and ideals you’ve cultivated throughout your life. It includes how you’ve lived, what you’ve done, and the lasting benefit you’ve created in the lives of others. While finances are a component of that, real riches are much more than money and property. You’re invited Tuesday, May14th to learn more about legacy gifts and your Will with Christian Stewardship Services at 7:00 p.m. in the HDCH Library. To talk more about your legacy and HDCH or to RSVP for the May 16th event, please contact Gillian Doucet Campbell at 905-648-6655 x113 or gdoucetcampbell@hdch.org.
Come and See The best way to see if Hamilton District Christian High is right for you is to come and experience our community for yourself. Drop by the school to take a tour, attend a class, meet teachers and staff and enjoy a meal from our cafeteria. We look forward to meeting you!
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92 Glancaster Road, Ancaster, ON 905.648.6655 info@hdch.org
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