Our Grade 5 students have been working diligently on their presentations for the PYP Exhibition, which is in celebration of their achievement in completing the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme.  Students have been studying the concept of simple machines and demonstrated their knowledge to fellow Aspengrove students and families at their group presentations which showcased their lines of inquiry used in their research and how the final project showed the culmination of this research. 

The Central Ideas that were presented were:

Wheels and axles help us in our daily life.     How pulleys have evolved over time.  A combination of simple machines help us in our lives (inclined planes and wedges).

Our Grade 5’s are well prepared for the transition into the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme in Grade 6.  Well done Grade 5’s!

Athletic Director, Claude Therrien, along with specialist coaches supervise the training session for the biking portion of the triathlon that our Grade 7 students are preparing to compete in later this Spring in Comox.  Students are also being coached on the running and swimming portions and how best to transition from one event to the next.

Grade 7 Technology students worked in groups to develop story lines, create claymation figures and produce movies for a Technology class project.

Grade 11 students, Emma Digney, Rachel Goldminc and Iman Sheriff along with Career Guidance teacher, Kate Coull will be travelling to the Canadian Association of Independent Schools Student Leadership Conference at Strathcona Tweedsmuir School in Calgary, Alberta from April 14 to 17, 2010.

The conference’s theme is Colour Outside the Lines and has student delegates from across Canada look at alternative approaches and examples of leadership, encouraging our future leaders to find creative leadership opportunities in today’s world, including ways to demonstrate leadership by giving back to the greater community.

Senior students in Grades 8, 9 & 10 gave a concert for students and parents during lunch break and performed ’social action’ songs which they have been studying in their music classes this term.  The concert was enjoyed by all audience members!

Students from Grades 5 to 9 are proud to present their musical theatre production of Once On This Island, a captivating legend of romance between a peasant girl and a city boy whom she saves from death.  This calypso-flavoured re-telling of The LIttle Mermaid opens on a Caribbean island where villagers comfort a little girl with the story of the orphan Ti Moune, destined to love too much for the human heart to bear.  Staged with minimal props, sets and costumes, Once On This Island delivers melody, love and joy in tropical abundance.

Showing Thursday, March 4th at 7:00 pm at Aspengrove School.  Tickets available at the school office (250-390-2201). $7 for adults, $5 for students.

Aspengrove students (197 in total) rose to the challenge when faced with the question of how they could help the citizens of Haiti after the recent earthquake  that devastated their country.

Our High School students had already organized a dance and generously donated funds raised at the dance to the Aspengrove Haiti Relief Fundraiser.

Students from Kindergarten to Grade 12 took turns sorting bottles, cans and other recyclables and the Nanaimo Bottle Depot set up an Aspengrove Haiti Fundraiser account for members of the public to also donate to this bottle drive effort.  Local newspapers also assisted the school with notices in their news articles and community events calendars which was extremely helpful to the cause.

Students from Kindergarten to Grade 5 held a bake sale and challenged our middle and high school students to also hold a bake sale and see if the could beat the amount of funds our primary students raised……and they did!  There’s nothing like a good old fashioned challenge to stir the competitive spirit of youth.

One of Aspengrove’s Grade 2 students raised an additional $300 at her birthday party in lieu of gifts.

Total funds raised were $2,714.90 which is being donated to Doctors Without Borders, an organization that the Canadian government recognizes for fund matching so the total amount that Doctors Without Borders will receive is $5,428.90!  This is a true testament to the caring, global citizenship that our students exemplify and that make us so proud of each and every one of them.

Thursday, February 25, 2010 from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm

Aspengrove School and members of its faculty are hosting a free information session/workshop for parents and members of the public on the implications of Online Social Media in the lives of today’s children.  Participants will learn about the different ways children are participating in today’s Social Web and how Aspengrove School is working to teach students the skills they need to become effective Digital Citizens.  We also plan to facilitate a conversation on how schools and parents can best work together to educate and support our students/children so that they can leverage the power of the internet and avoid its pitfalls.

If you are interested in attending this session we would appreciate an RSVP via phone 250-390-2201 or email to ereay@aspengroveschool.ca

Please attend and join in the conversation.

 Aspengrove’s strings septet is made up of students from Grades 4 through 8 who play the violin or cello.  Under the direction of music teacher, Mrs. McElwain, they have been preparing to accompany the Grade 4 class in performing a song for the upcoming Christmas concert at Vancouver Island University Theatre on Tuesday, December 15th at 6:30 pm.  Admission is by donation of a non-perishable item to Loaves & Fishes

Primary and Senior Choir members entertained shoppers at Woodgrove Centre with Christmas and seasonal songs in Woodgrove Centre’s Singing Christmas Tree.  The Choirs were led by music teacher, Jill McElwain and accompanied on piano by Grade 4 teacher, Mr. La Bounty.