Category: Junior School

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Junior Tigers Update: March 2, 2023

BASKETBALL:
On Thursday, February 23, the Grade 7 basketball teams wrapped up their seasons at their ISEA Tournaments. The Grade 7B team made the short drive over to WPGA where they played the first game of the tournament against the #1 seed Stratford Hall. Although the Tiger did their best, the Sabres were the top cat on this day. The first-round loss set up a do-or-die game against Brockton School. The Tigers came out with fire and intensity, unfortunately, they could not sustain the effort, and with their second loss of the day their tournament came to an end. 

Meanwhile, over at Collingwood School, the Grade 7A team also played the first game of the tournament. Their opponent was WPGA. The Tigers carried the play early on, yet the score at the end of the first quarter was tight. The Tigers continued to apply defensive pressure and eventually, they began to fill the bucket. In the end, it was a decisive victory to set up the pre-eminent match of the day, a semi-final against the host and #1 seed Collingwood. The game was fiercely contested, and space was hard to find for both teams. However, in the second quarter, Collingwood delivered superior offense, and pulled way ahead. The third and fourth quarters were a great battle and neither team could establish a dominant position. Unfortunately, the second quarter was the Tigers undoing, and we were unable to overcome the deficit. Despite the loss, the Tigers were primed for the bronze medal game against Crofton House. The Tigers roared out to an early lead and never looked back. In fact, the Tiger’s defence was so relentless, CHS barely scored a bucket and we came away with a huge victory, 30 – 2.

Congratulations to both teams on their efforts and improvements throughout the season. We wish our Grade 7s all the best as they enter their final term in our Junior School. 

SPRING ATHLETICS SIGN-UP:
Term 3 is just around the corner, and we are happy to once again offer our students an opportunity to participate in both Track & Field and Ultimate. Please log on to myYHS for sign-up details (deadline Fri. March 10)

Track & Field is an outstanding activity for the development of fundamental athletic movements for all students in Grades 3 through 7. All students are expected to practise running, jumping, and throwing. Aside from discus, practices are not optional as attendance and active participation are keys to a successful experience for everyone.

Ultimate is a fun and fast-paced, non-contact sport built around movement and throwing a disc. This exhilarating game has a strong tradition in our Senior School as several alumnae have played on Team Canada over the years. 

Ultimate teams are open to all students in Grades 5, 6, and 7. Although cuts will not be made, attendance and active participation are key to a successful experience for everyone on the team. In keeping with our athletics policy, failure to communicate, show up consistently or fully participate during practice will impact participation and development. Students in Grades 6 and 7 play in a combined Grade 6/7 division.

COMMUNITY SPORTS OPPORTUNITIES AT YHS:
We are very pleased to let you know that three different groups will be organizing and operating their sessions out of the YHS facilities. As these programs will take place on our campus, YHS students will have an advanced opportunity to enroll. These programs will take place during Term 3, and begin after Spring Break. If you are interested in securing a spot we encourage you to sign up as soon as possible. Please log in to myYHS for registration links for these opportunities.

Split Second Basketball

    • Grades 4 – 6, Fridays, 4:30 – 6:00 pm
    • Grades 7 – 9, Fridays, 6:00 – 7:30 pm

Smash Volleyball

    • Grades 4 – 5 Session 1:Thursdays, 3:30 – 5:00 pm IS NOW FULL
    • Grades 4 – 5 Session 2: Thursdays, 5:15 – 6:45 pm IS NOW OPEN
    • Grades 6 – 7, Thursdays, 5:15 – 6:45 pm

Polar Bears Field Hockey

    • Grades 3 – 5, Fridays, 3:30 – 5:00 pm
    • Grades 6 – 7, Fridays, 5:15 – 6:45 pm
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Second Integrate Day in the Junior School

Students in JK-Grade 7 participated in their second Integrate Day on February 10. Integrate Days are designed to support project-based and interdisciplinary learning, as students have the opportunity to investigate problems by asking driving questions.

This term’s driving questions included:

  • Grade 1: How do fairytales promote equality and shape identity?
  • Grade 2: How can we use creativity and critical thinking to solve problems?
  • Grade 3: How can we learn from organisms adapting in extreme environments?
  • Grade 4: How does human migration affect natural resources and indigenous cultures?
  • Grade 5: How can I successfully tackle challenging but achievable goals and maintain progress over time?
  • Grade 6: How can art help individuals understand historical events and their impact?
  • Grade 7: How do we decide who’s story gets told?

As you can see, these open-ended questions were broad and designed to encourage deep reflection and engagement.

As it was our second of three Integrate Days, we are starting to see the benefits for our students of working in an integrated way. These include:

  1. Improved understanding: By connecting different subjects and knowledge domains, integrated learning helps students see the connections between different concepts and ideas. This can lead to a deeper understanding of the world.
  2. Enhanced problem-solving skills: Integrated learning encourages students to think critically and creatively to solve problems that require knowledge from different domains.
  3. Increased engagement: Integrated learning can make learning more engaging and relevant to students because it allows them to see how different subjects and knowledge domains are connected to their lives and interests.
  4. Improved retention: Integrated learning can help students retain information better because it allows them to see how different pieces of information are connected to each other. This can make it easier for students to remember and apply what they have learned.
  5. Real-world application: Integrated learning can help students see how the knowledge they are gaining can be applied in the real world. This can help them understand the practical implications of what they are learning and how it can be used to solve real-world problems.

Some highlights of the day included collaborating in groups to design and create fairytale-inspired murals, learning about young inventors and creating prototypes, and participating in a soapstone carving workshop before exploring different Arctic experiences. Students visited Fort Langley to explore the history of the fur trade in BC. Others explored how to develop grit and resilience, some explored their family stories, whilst some went on a visit to Mount Pleasant to explore the wealth of murals in and around the area.

Overall, Integrate Day provided our students with a rich and meaningful experience that they will remember for a long time. Great work, Yorkies!

Tom Collins
Junior School STEAM Coordinator

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