Happy November Everyone! Over the last month we have covered a myriad of topics, each of which has given students the opportunity to explore both their own identities and the world in which they live. Before diving into content I want to shout out mentor Damian(12th grade) and mentee Julian (9th grade). Both continually show up present and engaged, even on days when it can be difficult to do so. I appreciate the energy and enthusiasm they bring to our YESS classes.
November here at Kennedy has maked our shift into the healthy relationships unit. This is always such a fun and interesting topic to discuss in our classes. Over the last few weeks we have begun to define what we mean when we talk about relationships, and how we should be applying definitions of healthy beyond just romantic relationships. As we went over signs of healthy relationships students had the opportunity to show what they value in a relationship. Please see their work on our new Healthy Relationships board below:
Additionally, in October we celebrated LGBTQ+ History Month, and just this week we started Native American/Indigenous Heritage month. Throughout all of these discussions we talk through the importance of celebrating these identities while being sure to expand that celebration beyond just one month. To kick off both months students participated in mini-research projects on past and current figures. Some of their work can be seen here:
Lastly, I just want to share one of my students' favorite resources used during Indigenous Heritage Month. This year and last we have watched short films by Amanda Strong, a Michif, Indigenous filmmaker, media artist and stop motion director currently based on unceded Coast Salish territory also known as Vancouver, British Columbia. "How to Steal a Canoe" (included below) is a favorite of students and we wanted to share it with you.