MYP:

Poetry from Grade 7A and 7B

                                                                                                                                                                                                   (Loneliness)
Students in Grade 7 Language and Literature are exploring the Global Context exploration of “Joy and Happiness”. They used devices such as repetition, simile and alliteration learned about in the first unit and new ones such as enjambment and created poetry about what brings them joy. 

In this unit, they have explored Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and motivation, Logan La Plante’s ideas on what makes him happy and they will explore the philosophy of the Shaman people about happiness. They will also do some research about happiness of their own in the new year. In groups determined by novel selection, they have created three learning experiences of their own to practice the skills and concepts of the unit: for example - perspective taking, analysis, speaking, collaboration, presentation, monologue, and compare and contrast. 

Students have been creative and inspiring. Here are some poems from this delightful grade…

Loneliness
 by Michelle

Loneliness is not that bad
Time to yourself, think, reflect, question
Loneliness is not that bad
Becoming one with what brings you peace
The stillness and silence of what’s around me
The deafening volume of my music and what I keep bottled inside
It’s a flood that wipes out everything else
I drown out the world
Like it has to me
Loneliness isn’t that bad
I feel nostalgia, warmth, my negative thoughts hushed
I feel replays of trauma, rage, ruefulness
But nothing, why?
All the tears have rained, I experience drought in my body
Loneliness is not that bad



Rainbow Joy 
   by Leo

My joyful tears dripped down my face 
Like the wet trees slipping the rain droplets onto the moist ground.
  “Mom there’s a rainbow!” 
I shouted 
as I was sprinting through the muddy puddles.
My sick brother while sniffing 
came up to me 
And said
“ its beautiful, isn’t it” 
While being mesmerized 
I answered 
“For sure”



“Joy”
by Zhenya

Somethings that tingle through my spine,
Pass through my bone narrows in any given time,
From the smallest things to the biggest things it could be, 
A slight grin,
That appears upon my face.
It could be a fantasy world,
Where it’s an escape from reality,
I will dive into the deepest universe,
Or choose to explore every detail offered,
From someone’s else’s dream, 
It could be a video game,
Intense, exhilarating, or peaceful,
Created by another’s person hand and tools,
Effort and struggles, 
Anything that allows me to feel
 Happy, fun or cheerful,
Is something that should be valued.



Weekend
  by Henry

Waking up so early once again
Waking up at this time will drive me insane

How much more of this can I take
It’s been so long I need a break

Even with coffee I won’t be ready
I’ll be so tired That I won’t be steady

While packing for school I try listening for a sound
But a little bit of time shows no one’s around

Maybe I’m early, maybe they’re late
I’ll go grab my IPad to check the date

What I see is a surprise to me

Apparently, It’s not a school day at ALL
I got so excited that I ran into a wall

It’s the break I’ve been waiting for, the break I’ve been wishing for
I couldn’t ask for anything more     


Art 
     by Uma

The treasure of the
unknown path 
Imagination might lead me,
My need for art,
Over and over I restart 
A burst of energy 
inspiration flows,
The thought grows in my mind
of another masterpiece being created more and more each day
A new world of imagination,
I’d be brought away to discover 


Just a Dream
  by Cayli


I lay there,
On my back,
Looking up at the midnight sky.
The wind lightly tugs my hair away from my face,
And I questly hum my favorite song.
The calming scent of the flowers,
Enter my nostrils.
I breathe in,
Then out.

Something soft brushes against my arm.
I smile.
Round amber eyes stare at me,
A warm breath sweeps past my skin.
Her cat tail makes the grass under her sway.
She lays her small paws on my shoulder,
And rests her head next to mine,
I feel her whiskers tickle my cheek,
As I gaze up at the sky once again.
Countless twinkling stars dance above me,
And the wind sings it’s beautiful melody.


Little Things
 by Loiwe

Freshly ironed clothes
On a cold day.

Warm water hugging you tightly,
Smells of treats and fragrances invading your nose.

A cat’s tender, loving purr.
As you run your hands through its shining coat. 

Soothing music filling your ears,
As you lay on your bed
 in your newly cleaned room. 

The gentle flicker of a candlelight,
Striking the cold darkness like a knife.

Or the glow of thousands of stars.
Burning brightly thousands of lightyears away.
Enough to look like gems
 in a pool of black ink.


Bring me Joy 
by Charlotte

Bring me joy in getting up late
When the sun has awoken
And the birds are tweeting 
Bring me joy 
By having a 
Crisp 
Creamy 
Steaming
Hot Chocolate with me 
late at night
After my cold shower
Bring me joy by 
Turning up the waters warmth 
As if it wraps me up already 
In a freshly dried towel
Bring me joy 
as if
It will bring you joy 
as well
For if you bring me joy
I shall to you. 


Joy 
 by Sophia

It’s the crisp feeling of cold
Then the sharp tug of warmth
As a strong arm wraps around you
And holds you tight
As you sit
Together
To sit
With people you love
To lay back 
And enjoy the warm smell
Of red burning candles
Sitting in a wreath of green
To sit happily
On a plush
Soft sofa
Together
To bite into a soft cookie
Letting the spices 
Hit your tongue
To sip slowly
On a hot
Chocolate drink
Together
To sing softly 
Of songs from tradition
To watch the twinkling lights
On a beautiful tree
Together
To hear the music
And feel the coziness
To close your eyes
And just 
be 
happy
Together

​MYP Advisory Flex Time:

This week, Andreas, Anton, Arjun, Caleb, and Liam completed the St John Ambulance Basic First Aid Key Stage 4 programme in Basic First Aid. This was conducted during the weekly ‘flex’ advisory time and led by Nurse Jennifer Anunsacion and Ms. Julie Baldry.

The 5-week course covered knowing when and how to ask for help, dealing with allergies, choking, head injuries and concussion, bleeding and shock, bone injuries, and muscle and joint injuries. The students also learned how and when to place a patient in the recovery position, how to make a primary assessment of a person, how to perform CPR on an adult and on an infant, and how and when to use an AED. Finally, they went on a ‘scavenger hunt’ to locate the seven AEDs on our school campus.
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