It has been a busy and enjoyable spring term. Our students are working hard at their third term and are immersed in the learning activities both in and out of the classroom.

This term our Junior School opened the doors to the Celebration of Learning where every student hosted their parents in an individual
student-led conference. Our school became a wonderful display of student art, inquiry-based projects and the active learning that we have as a central focus at UA. At the Senior School, students hosted the Senior
Showcase. Artwork was beautifully displayed from projects across the
curriculum. Students showed off their prowess in the kitchen as they
shared their culinary development in the catering offered to guests to
complement the evening. It was also the evening to celebrate our Honour
Roll students as they completed their second term.

The Junior and Senior plays are in production. The Senior School students
are performing "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and our Junior School are
producing "Uptown Downtown". Both are wonderful examples of our work in the dramatic arts. The performances will be held at the Columbia Theatre for the Senior School on May 22nd and the Junior School on May 30th. We are looking forward to enjoying their work!

The grade 2-8 students will be off to camp at Camp Sasamat during the week of May 14-16. The camp provides an excellent outdoor instructional
experience and it is a wonderful community experience for UA. The campers will return exhilarated, inspired and connected with their classmates as they reflect upon the wonderful memories created.

May is the month when Urban Academy celebrates one of its' most-loved
traditions, the Mother's Day Tea. We hosted a lovely afternoon for our
mothers and the students prepared the refreshments, the gifts and the
entertainment as a tribute to their mothers. Thank you to our guests of
honour, our mothers- for such a special opportunity to come together in
celebration of family.

We are looking forward to year end activities as we prepare for June. Our
Senior students are studying for exams and staff are working on the plans
for school opening in June. An exciting aspect of this is our work on a
planned school expansion of our current facility. We are working through
all the various aspects of developing our site to allow for school
construction to accommodate our growing enrolment. Please follow our
community updates as we work through the project over the coming months.

Sincerely, 

 

Mrs. Cheryle Beaumont
Head of School   

Representations of the Universe Help Students Learn Math

Students in the Grade 6/7 class explored geometric transformations on the Cartesian plane, circumference, and properties of polygons through the creation of mandalas this term. Often detailed with geometric shapes and designed with various forms of symmetry, a mandala is created to represent the universe in Hindu and Buddhist traditions.

 

Tibetan Monks typically spend several days producing intricate mandalas out of sand, only to ritualistically destroy them.   

Through the construction of a pair of mandalas with reflectional and rotational symmetry, students were able to engage in a creative process while demonstrating mathematical understandings. Each mandala was based on a geometric design following specific yet flexible criteria, allowing for original results and artistic freedom:  

* A concave hepatagon, including several diagonals  

 

Applying geometric transformations such as reflection and rotation to these compositions fulfilled mathematical and art objectives in parallel; rotation is one of a number of image-development strategy explored by students throughout their visual arts education.   

 

Although the 6/7s enjoyed adding finishing touches to their geometric mandalas with coloured sand, we decided not to destroy them. Visitors are welcome to view the work displayed at the Uptown campus this month.  

Music and Science Infusion

Ms. Meek's Grade 3 students wanted to create musical compositions for each of their assigned planets.  Through a brain storming process a variety of rhythmic and melodic pieces emerged.  To pull the eleven compositions together with some idea harmonic intervals were used.  Harmonic intervals measure the distance between two sounds or notes.  If "C" is the sun, the increasing intervals represent planets or asteroid at progressively farther distances from the sun.  Oddly the sounds correspond to some common ideas about the planets from Greek and Roman mythology.

 

 

The entire arts infused project, partnering Music, French, Math, Art and Science can be seen in the grade three room.  And for the lucky mom's, you will be shown the final result of months of work at the Mother's Day Tea presentation.