09 Nov Farewell, October

What’s happening at Xspace?

This school year, while the COVID-19 pandemic has imposed challenges on schools, teachers and families, Xspace has been able to provide a safe, supportive and interactive environment for our students. Our experience as a blended learning program over the years has helped make this school year just like any other despite the challenges brought about by COVID-19. Entering November, we approach Remembrance Day – a day to remember and honor people who have sacrificed and served in the war.

November also brings us to midterm of Term 1. Let’s take a look at what the Xspace community has been up to over the past two months.

Amidst the pandemic, students at Xspace kicked off the new school year like no other in September. Through integrating different technology, the Fall Orientation was hosted on Zoom where the student learning team interacted virtually with students through some fun icebreaker activities. For example, students shared their personal goals on a collaborative whiteboard using text and graphics, as well as participated in a jeopardy-style quiz to review Xspace’s program policies and technology requirements.

In our welcome to students, we also introduced online-offline activities and events that would be taking place in Term One. Here’s a summary of our September and October activities:

Orange Shirt Day – September 30, 2020

This is an event that began with Phyllis Webstad’s story of her new orange shirt being taken away on her first day of residential school. Every year in September, people are encouraged to wear an orange shirt to commemorate the lives affected and lost through residential school system. Through a virtual workshop, our students engaged in some in-depth question and discussion on the topic. As many of them are international students, it was their first time learning about the horrors that residential school survivors faced. It is also important for international students to know stories that matter in Canadian history as they can better understand how Canada was shaped socially, culturally and politically.

In light of the history of residential schools, students discussed the impact of Phyllis’ story on the promotion of truth and reconciliation between Canadians and non-indigenous peoples. Lastly, students were encouraged to make personal connections by sharing a memory that has stuck with them for a long time. Not only did this workshop help students deepen their understanding of the damaging impacts of residential schools on indigenous communities, it also taught them how to show empathy through listening and being accepting of others.

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival – October 1, 2020

Although Mid-Autumn Festival is not a holiday in Canada, we encouraged students to take some time out of their busy schedules to enjoy a mooncake with friends or family.

Happy Thanksgiving – October 12, 2020

For Thanksgiving, Xspace staff and students created a photo collage of things we are thankful for. Some things we feel grateful for include:

• Good health
• Essential workers
• Friends & family
• Teachers
• Delicious food
• Internet
• Time to relax

University Planning Workshop – October 16, 2020

Planning wisely is the begging of everything we want! The University Planning Workshop provided Grade 12 students tips and strategies on how to stay organized and prepared for their university applications. Through this workshop, students learned about how to apply to Canadian universities strategically and what factors to consider when choosing programs and universities appropriate to their interests and needs.

Halloween Spooktacular Party & Consume Contest – October 30, 2020

Treat or Trick! With the spread of coronavirus, it can be challenging to organize in-person events and activities. Regardless, Xspace staff and students still managed to pull off an amazing offline Halloween Party following safety precautions. During the party, everyone was able to adhere to safety guidelines while having fun. Highlights of the event include students carving pumpkins for the first time – and they did an amazing job as a team. Congratulations to Irene for winning our Best Halloween Story Teller and Costume contest!

Last but not least, we are proud to announce that Xspace has become an Award Centre for the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award! This is an awesome learning opportunity for students at Xspace to thrive on challenges outside the classroom.

What’s next?

Are you too stressed to be productive? Studies show that stress and anxiety have a significant impact on our productivity. As such, we will be hosting a virtual Anxiety Management workshop at the end of this month where students can learn some useful coping strategies for stress in the face of midterm exams in November. Stay tuned!

Written by: Lucas Zhang