In North America approximately 68 pounds of clothing is thrown out per household per year. Not only is this causing the landfills to keep growing but there are many people and their families who could benefit from this clothing. This information lead a group of grade 9 students from Landmark Collegiate to take action for a project in which they were to explore a way to make their community a better place.
Through a student-initiated inquiry, Sydnie Janz, Haylee Janz, and Celina Lackmann realized that Landmark currently had no place to recycle or donate used clothing, so they contacted several organizations to see what they could to do help. After a lot of research, collaboration, and careful planning, the Canadian Diabetes Association accepted their proposal and agreed to deliver a Clothesline donation box to the school. The clothing that is donated will be sold to Value Village and the profits from that clothing will go directly to the Canadian Diabetes Association. This money funds research to provide better medical treatments and to provide community support for those affected by diabetes.
The widely recognized bright red bin was delivered on Thursday, February 16th and conveniently placed at the main entrance of Landmark Collegiate. Landmark residents can now drop off gently used clothing anytime they like. By donating instead of adding to the landfill, people can feel good about being sustainable, providing quality clothing at an affordable price, and by helping to support those affected by diabetes.
My favourite form of art is mixed media. I like all the different textures and dimension it gives to the art. I usually begin a piece by looking up pictures for ideas and inspiration. In my opinion a piece is never really done, but you have to stop at some point or it will be too much.
I chose to display The Red Dress Project using mixed media so it would draw people’s attention to it. It invites people to want to touch, feel, and read. The stories of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women need to be told so they are not forgotten and pushed aside and that they are cared about. My hope is that when people see my project they will become aware of this issue and to be inspired to care about the women.
In Grade 7, we learn about earth science and all the different parts that make up our physical earth. We learn about rocks and minerals, earthquakes and volcanoes, and how our earth has changed over time. We discuss many natural resources we depend on, such as iron for building materials, petroleum gas for driving vehicles, and geothermal energy for heating homes. We also study environmental concerns around the production and usage of our natural resources and discuss responsible ways to use these resources.
On January 27th, the Grade 7 students from Landmark Collegiate had the opportunity to take their study of Geology beyond the classroom when they visited the University of Manitoba to participate in the U of M Geology Outreach program. Students were able to learn from Geologists in an environment full of earth science resources. They learned about the different criteria Geologists use to classify rocks and minerals and performed some basic tests used to identify rocks and minerals. Students explored the three main types of rocks, Igneous, Metamorphic and Sedimentary, and learned how these rock types are formed and what shapes can been seen in these rocks that can help with identification. Students had the opportunity to explore petrography, which is using specialized microscopes to see different shapes and colors within the three main rock types. Students got to see first hand how earthquakes from around the world are detected during our tour of seismic vault at the U of M. Students also had the chance to get their earthquake related questions answered by a Geophysicist doing an undergrad degree in Seismology. Students then got to explore some of the state of the art lab facilities right on campus that are instrumental to research in the field of Geology. Students also had the chance to learn about different career paths, if they chose to further their study of earth sciences in the future.
The Grade 7’s trip to the Department of Geological Sciences at the U of M gave students the opportunity to explore Geology in a way they never could have in the classroom. This learning partnership was an awesome way to learn about Geology in a meaningful way that hopefully sparked some interest in the earth sciences.
The Grade 11 class went on two field trips as a part of their learning about Human Rights in Canada.
Their first visit was to The Canadian Museum for Human Rights, where students interacted with hands on exhibits, and participated in discussions and activities promoting awareness of human rights violations in Canada’s past. Students were challenged to consider how we are working towards a more just future.
Ten students also visited a Hutterite colony school to learn more about the contributions minority groups have made to Canadian society. It was interesting seeing how Hutterites structure their community, make decisions as a group and learning about their history here in Manitoba. The highlight of the day was meeting members of their community; talking with people and seeing how their culture is similar to our own.
These trips helped students understand the society they live in and how they can contribute as active members of their communities now and in the future.
The grade seven classes get to discover their creative side by building structures made out of Keva planks. Each Keva plank is the same size and students create structures by stacking them. There’s no need for glue or connectors as it’s a balancing act of force. Dylan M. figured out how to put together a library scene while Larissa H., Katelyn B. and Mercede L. mastered the spiral. Matt K. creates complicated structures and towers changing up his designs daily. Rory S. attempted the tallest tower to date, by trying to reach the ceiling. Rachel P. enjoys making gravity coasters that allows a ping pong ball to roll along. The planks are being used on a daily basis, at lunch, at break and during free time. They are a big hit!!!
The grade 8 class got the opportunity to go to the Youth Bio Lab in the Research Center at St. Boniface Hospital on October 27th. On this learning trip they got a tour of the cardiology labs and learned about the current research taking place in cardiology. Students also learned about blood pressure and got to take each other’s blood pressure. A few students got to experience an EKG while their peers watched their heart being monitored. The day finished off with a dissection of a pig’s heart. Students explored the path that blood takes through the heart and got to cut open the heart to examine the atria, ventricles, veins and arteries. It was a great learning experience that really added to their understanding of the circulatory system.
In North America approximately 68 pounds of clothing is thrown out per household per year. Not only is this causing the landfills to keep growing but there are many people and their families who could benefit from this clothing. This information lead a group of grade 9 students from Landmark Collegiate to take action for a project in which they were to explore a way to make their community a better place.
Created by : Brittany Lacerte January 2017
