Faith in humanity = restored

Click here for 20 awesome examples of people with excellent character.

These photos fit perfectly into our Health 8 discussions, and should be seen by everyone regardless of what classes you're in, how old you are, or how you stumbled across this blog post!

IP 10K Dream Travel Destination Blog Post Assignment

Hi IP 10K!  Here's the information you need to complete your Dream Travel Destination blog post:

1. Minimum of 4 relevant photos
2. Minimum of 1 relevant video
3. Flight costs and information (flight times, airlines, flight numbers, arrival times, layovers, etc.)
4. Accommodation information (name of accommodations, cost, etc.)
5. Length of vacation
6. Minimum of 3 profiled tourism opportunities (including cost, description, etc.)
7. Travel appeal rationale (why should somebody choose this destination?)
8. Any other relevant information and/or appealing additions

Defining our character

We have been discussing in Health 8 how our actions define our character, and how to live a life of integrity (doing the right thing).  The video below is a Guinness commercial; forgive me for posting a beer commercial but the message is so powerful and relevant.  We watched it in class today and the reaction was the same pretty much across the board: Wondering where the commercial was going, and then a gasp at the moment of realization at the end.  Watch and enjoy.

Music testing updates

We have been doing playing and singing tests in Band, Choir, and Jazz Choir recently.  Here are the updates on where we're at with these tests:

Level 1 Band - Song to test: "Lightly Row" (#25 in Essential Elements 2000 Book 1)

7 students tested, 14 remaining to be tested - Tests will continue Tues. Oct. 29th and finish Thurs. Oct. 31st

Level 2 Band - Song(s) to test: "Cossack Dance" (#74) and/or "Basic Blues" (#75)

9 tested, 21 remaining to be tested - Tests will continue Tues. Oct. 29th (students in 7-2 must be tested first!) and will finish Thurs. Oct. 31st with the remaining 8(2)s being tested during theory class

Level 3 Band - Songs to test: "Thailand Lullaby" (#3 in Essential Elements 2000 Book 2) and "Wearing of the Green" (#7)

11 students tested, 8 remaining to be tested - Tests will be completed on Tues. Oct. 29th

Senior Choir - Songs to test: "Kom!" (entire song) and "She's Like the Swallow" (m. 64-82)

14 students tested, 8 remaining to be tested - Tests will be completed on Wed. Oct. 30th

Jazz Choir - Songs to test: "Orange Coloured Sky" and "Good Morning Heartache" (first 1.5 pages each)

10 students tested, 5 remaining to be tested (Gr. 10-12 only) - Tests will be completed Wed. Oct. 30th

Friday updates... and an LED laugh :)

Bands have been in full swing with playing tests over the past couple days, Jazz Choir started singing tests yesterday, and Senior Choir will be doing singing tests starting on Monday.  Here are the selections to be tested:

Level 1 Band - Lightly Row
Level 2 Band - Cossack Dance or Basic Blues
Level 3 Band - Thailand Lullaby and Wearing of the Green
Level 4 Band - We are learning secondary instruments!  Testing will be done at a later date.
Jazz Choir - Good Morning Heartache (until "what's new?") and Orange Coloured Sky (until "I got a look at you")
Senior Choir - Kom! (whole song), She's Like the Swallow (m. 65-84 roughly - "How foolish, how foolish this maid must be" / "Cruel man, I am shamed" until end of verse)

And now, with this business out of the way, I would like to share with you a video that can't help but make you smile.  This is such a clever costume idea - this toddler looks like a little animated stick drawing walking around! :)  HAPPY FRIDAY!

PS - I looked into that music wall in Minneapolis - It's the Schmitt Music Mural and it is not only one cool portion of a wall.... one WHOLE SIDE OF THE BUILDING is painted like sheet music!  So amazing!  Check this out: I definitely need to go here.

Cool brick wall photo background

Hey everyone!  I just found the COOLEST thing!  Check out this brick wall with sheet music printed on it.  It is apparently in Minneapolis, although I'm not sure where specifically.  I have a couple friends in the city and I would love to take a trip down there to visit and find this wall!  Here's a picture of my friend Mara (a Rivier graduate!) standing in front of the wall looking super cool:

Essential Elements 2000 Book 1 playalong

I was so impressed to find this resource tonight when I was looking for playalong tracks to Essential Elements Book 1.  The CD we have goes up to Track 58 but there are many more in the book.... and here are all of your play along tracks that you can download and use for practicing!  This would apply to Level 1 and Level 2 bands mostly, or some of the Senior Band students who are taking up a secondary instrument.

Click here for play along tracks!

Happy Wednesday!

Sing, But Don't Tell

The IP 10 class is learning how to post videos to their blogs from YouTube.  I thought I would share one of my own.  This one is called "Sing, But Don't Tell" (performed in this video by Briana Carlson) and I am planning on singing this one at the PA Music Festival this year in March.  It's a hilarious tune about the soloist being "secretly" in love with the accompanist.  When my accompanist, Arthur, and I saw someone perform this at Provincial Music Festival in June we both got the idea to do it ourselves.  We thought it was too funny and that it would be a blast to perform!  Arthur also plays for the choir and jazz choir so we thought the students would also get a kick out of it.

I just bought the music online from www.newmusicaltheatre.com for only $7-8 and I'm ready to get singing!  But shhhh.... don't tell!

Computers 7T typing progress table

This is an example of how to get your typing progress table started.  We are using www.typingtest.com to test our typing speed and accuracy.  The goal today is to complete 15 one-minute typing tests before the end of the period.  Please save these documents as Lastname, Typing Progress so that you can access them in future classes.  Save a backup to your USB flash drive.

Friday musings

Things that are awesome about this Friday:

1. Jan and I finished casting "Sleeping Beauty" last night and will be posting the list today.  SUPER HOORAY!

2. The stage is empty and ready to be cleaned for Variety Night, which means that the Level 3 Band will not be able to have regular rehearsal.... but we will overcome because we are super flexible (and generally awesome) people, and we can handle anything!

3. Variety Night, although feeling a tiny bit rushed, is going to be ready to go for Tuesday.  TUESDAY!  That is very soon.  I am excited. :)

4. Our first "Sleeping Beauty" read-through (full cast) is on Monday at 7pm.  And it begins!

5. This picture.  Enough said.  Music geeks everywhere rejoice in the terrible cheesy humour!

Things to do when you're bored... and on a budget!

Are you stuck at home on a rainy (or snowy, or windy, or otherwise inclement weather) day?  Do you lament the fact that you don't have tons of cash burning a hole in your pocket?  Never fear!  There are tons of things to do if you just get creative.  Don't let that budget hold you back!  Try one (or a number!) of these ideas:

1. Grab a friend and have a photo shoot outside (or set up a cool background inside if the weather prevents you from enjoying Mother Nature)
2. Go for a walk - even better if you have a pet or a friend that can join you!
3. Make playdough with ingredients found in your kitchen cupboards
4. Bake or cook something with random ingredients.  You could even hold a "pantry potluck"!
5. Plan an overseas vacation, a road trip, or some other travel adventure.  You don't need to actually go on this excursion, but if you find that you have enough money saved eventually, your work is half done and your trip is planned!
6. Look for shapes in the clouds
7. Go for a bike ride, rollerblade, skateboard, longboard, or other type of physical activity that allows you to enjoy the outdoors and take in the scenery
8. Sit on a bench downtown and enjoy "people watching" - imagine what each of their stories are
9. Apply for a job
10. Practice speaking in different foreign accents
11. Find the most interesting music video you can find on YouTube.  I'm talkin' theremin-playing-Don't-Worry-Be-Happy type interesting.
12. Begin learning a new language, new musical instrument, or other skill that can be self-taught
13. Read a book
14. Have a bubble bath
15. Clean your room..... even under the bed!
16. Dust, vacuum, spray, wash, scrub, and make everything around you look pristine and immaculately clean
17. Make a fort out of couch cushions and sheets
18. Invite a friend over for a movie night
19. Experiment with new and crazy hairstyles/make-up colours
20. Find new pairings for your articles of clothing and come up with an awesome new outfit
21. Write a list of "101 Things to Do in the Next 1,001 Days" (an awesome goal-setting activity!)
22. If you are a Mac user, make an iMovie of your vacation, summer holidays, basketball team, friends, family, etc.
23. Compose a song in Garage Band (also a Mac-specific option)
24. Paint your toenails like Smarties!  One different colour for every toe!
25. Go window shopping
26. Rearrange the furniture in your bedroom, living room, etc.
27. Look for free sheet music online and get sight-reading!
28. Learn how to Prancersize (YouTube it if you dare.....)
29. Start a blog and write a list of things to do when you're bored and broke :)
30. Learn how to say "I love you" in 10 different languages
31. Go to a free museum or gallery in your city or town
32. Have a picnic
33. Run through the sprinkler in your backyard
34. Make lemonade
35. Make a snowman
36. Make a quinzee... and sleep in it if you're brave!
37. Have a campout in a tent in your backyard
38. Play a board game or card game with a friend, sibling, or other family member
39. Create a new recipe and attempt to produce a culinary masterpiece for your family to test taste
40. Make a Shutterfly photo book or other photo product
41. Organize the documents on your computer
42. Go through your closet and clear out clothes, shoes, coats, etc. that don't fit or don't get much wear anymore and donate them to friends, family, or Value Village
43. Go on a super cleaning rampage and get rid of all extra papers, old electronics, receipts, garbage, and random things that clutter your life without adding meaning to it.  Recycle wherever possible!
44. Browse Kijiji and find cool things that are free... you know, to re-add to the clutter that you just got rid of (sorry)
45. Find an awesome craft or creative idea on Pinterest and unleash your inner Martha Stewart

Variety Night 2013 program

Variety Night 2013

Grade 11 Class Act                                                                Time Warp

Eleana Quinton (vocal solo)                                                 The Ash Grove

Delaney Schmalz (Irish dancing)                                       

Brenna Feher & Michelle Kent (vocal/guitar duet)          Jolene

Megan Neuman (piano solo)                                               Eine Kleine Nachtmusik

Gabrielle Weider (musical theatre solo)                            My Favourite Things

Mimoza Niimi (piano solo)                                                   Blumenlied

Brigid Lancaster (slam poetry)                                           Life’s Rotten Lemons

Emma Eaton (piano/vocal solo)                                          The Fry Song

INTERMISSION

Forgive and Forget (band)                                                  By Now

Miss Campbell & Friends Saxophone Quartet                   Diamond State Rag

Janaya Fuller (piano/vocal solo)                                         Beatles Medley

Kyarra Sumners-Daniels & Brooke Samuel (vocal duet) House of the Rising Sun

Mai Kawakami, Mimoza Niimi, Chie Ikoma (vocal/piano) Japanese Farewell Song

7T Class Act                                                                           The Voice

Rivier Academy Chamber Choir                                          And So It Goes

Surprise orchestra

The other day in Health 8 we were talking about character and its many definitions.  I came across this video tonight and had a good smile and warm fuzzy feeling watching the people who took the bait on this "surprise orchestra" set-up.  Their willingness to get up and try something new in front of a ton of strangers in New York City tells me a lot about their character.  Enjoy!

Happy beanday!

Happy 3rd birthday to the "beans" - my sister and brother-in-law's adorable little twin girls, Avery and Emily!  They are 3 years old today, October 4th.  Here they are, singing to each other (and themselves) this morning with their "birthday muffin"! :)

One of those days...

Today has been one of those days.  I am still feeling sick with this lingering cold, so I stayed in my pyjamas until 8:15am until I inevitably had to get dressed and ready to come to school.  This morning I had a prep and I was SO hungry that I ate two bags of baked Old Dutch chips and some peanut butter while I did all my prep work for Health 7..... then I realized that I had Health 8 today instead.  Oops!  Then I went home at lunch and stepped in a bunch of water with my socks on, then spilled some grape freezie on my white upholstered kitchen chair.  Yep, definitely one of those days.  (Side note: I just about said to Health 8, "Don't forget to save your work."  They are doing work with pens and paper, and we are NOT in the computer lab.  Oy vey.)

I thought that on "one of those days" it would be a good idea to post some awesome pictures that make me smile.

Potato existentialism

Amen!

Including in my nose and throat.  Still.  After 2 weeks.  BOO!

Now that's my kind of math! 

My mom.  She is a gem! 

Being ridiculous out at Little Red.  Mom grabbed the camera and I struck a pose.

Mother and daughter autumn photo shoot on Sunday afternoon :)

I really want to dress Jennie up when I get home from work.  Backpack and all!