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2024-25 (Mar) DayCamp_MixedMedia_03

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Design | Die-Cut Buttons | Lino-Block Prints

During our second week of March Break, 13 Halifax Independent students from Grades 5-9 explored graphic design.

The guest instructor was our own Eyeiessa Darville. This opportunity allowed her to share her strong background in photography and graphic arts of all sorts with students.

The opening project was font development. That led to hand-drawn designs and print-making, using traditional techniques and design extensions using digital technology.

Three afternoons of focussed time allowed these students to experiment and test, and to see their projects evolve. They applied their final designs to the following projects

  • a monogram in a custom, digitized font,
  • a hand-drawn design preserved on a hand-pressed, die-cut and laminated button,
  • a hand-carved lino-block printing tool
  • multi-tone print made from their lino-block, and
  • a digitized version of their print.

This took patience! They had many opportunities to see one another work through the design process, adjusting expectations/designs based on their experiences. 

Thank you to this good-natured group of students who even hosted a pop-up exhibition for the elementary day-camp.

Eyeiessa was glad to share her skill and knowledge. Parents were glad to access short course intensive programming. We were thrilled to offer this age group another great reason to set aside their devices and connect in a friendly, creative atmosphere.

We hope that this group felt proud of their commitment to the creative process and their finished work. 

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Season Recap

In the 2024-25  basketball season, H.I.S. STORM fielded teams in both the Female/Female-Identifying (F/FI) and Male/Male Identifying (M/MI) divisions.

Whether in regular, playoff, or tournament games, our teams worked hard and represented the school well.

In the Maritime Independent League (MIL) tournament, both teams placed second.

In the HRCE league, the F/FI team went 6-0 in regular season play. They advanced all the way to the playoff semi-finals before experiencing their first loss!

We are grateful to coaches Joseph, Jill, Whitney, and Geoff, and to guest instructor and local basketball coach Milo Gray. Coaches and players alike are thankful for the support of their families and are already eagerly anticipating the 2025-26 season.

Go STORM!

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MS Science Fair - 04

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WHERE CURIOSITY MEETS SCIENTIFIC METHOD

This core STEM experience engages all Middle School students (Grades 7-9) and unfolds over months.

MS Science teacher Heather Donovan ably coordinates volunteer mentors from the local science community. In addition, she plans and oversees our adjudicated exhibition, with 50+ volunteer judges. 

Our mentors offer support in the early stages, as students identify project ideas and discuss strategies to reliably produce their project/data set. These early conversations help students draft a manageable plan and procedure. 

Students conducting experiments learn and apply the scientific method, and all students must think critically about their own process/research and conclusions.

When projects are complete, each student/team produces a written report and visual display. These elements represent their work and supplement the presentations that they prepare.

The climax is an open exhibition, during which judges visit students and their displays. Judges assess their work and presentations against a standard rubric. Students present, repeatedly over two days. After months of preparation, students are deeply familiar with their projects. The room buzzes with anticipation. 

During the exhibition, students speak about their work with anyone who stops by their display. They deliver prepared content, but also respond to spontaneous questions. Each student has multiple opportunities to explain their experiment/innovation/study to their assigned judges – and to visitors of all ages from our school community and beyond. In this way, they gain valuable experience in reframing content quickly and competently. 

The judges provide constructive, individual, written feedback. Not only that, but their assessments help determine which projects will advance to regionals.  Our local, regional event is Halifax Sci-Tech Expo (HSTE). In turn, it determines who advances to the Canada-Wide Science Fair (CWSF). 

While we are thrilled when our students advance to the regional/national level, we celebrate all of our student scientists. We are proud to see them share their work with a diverse audience from younger students to seasoned scientists and researchers.

In tackling challenges and navigating a substantial assessment of their work, our MS students develop valuable skills, resilience, and confidence. 

Congratulations, MS students, for continuing the legacy of HIS Science Fairs!

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MS8 - Meet the Author_03

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GRADE 8s TAKE THE NaNoWriMo CHALLENGE

For thousands of writers around the world, including our own Grade 8s, November is National Novel Writing Month “NaNoWriMo”

After first considering stories they love, writers who inspire them, and topics/issues that matter to them, our Grade 8s turned on their creative juices and developed their own story ideas. They set personal writing goals (e.g., word count or improving specific writing skills) and planned out the foundations of their stories: plot, characters, and context.

Through focused writing at home and school, and sharing their writing with peers and their teacher for feedback, these students racked up a combined total of 180,000+ words!

In January, whether or not they had completed their novel, each student imagined it finished – and published.  In a “Meet the Author” event, each student displayed a mock book jacket/cover and shared their writing, as well as their thoughts and ideas about the writing experience, with the school community.

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MS7's MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

Like all H.I.S. student theatre, the MS7 Shakespeare production is a core curriculum experience. With the guidance of former headteacher and Shakespeare director Cate Allen, MS English teacher Joey supported our students in the journey from first reading to the stage. MS7 performed Much Ado at Alderney Landing Theatre on Thursday, December 19. 

Student Theatre = Healthy Risk-Taking

This student theatre production includes all MS7 students, not only those with a passion for theatre. While students hoping for a specific role can audition, each MS7 student is expected to take on at least one role. In addition to in-class prep and rehearsal, the cast spends four days rehearsing in theatre. The professional sound and lighting specialists at Alderney Landing Theatre dependably help our students shine. We believe that this investment in student theatre is appropriate. It complements the effort and engagement that we expect from our students. 

How Sayest Thou?

Our Shakespeare productions are immersive, as students tackle the unfamiliar vocabulary and phrasing of the script, a period dance, and often, a study of Elizabethan society. During the lead-up to this year’s performance, MS7 students prepared and performed a puppet show designed to introduce the Olds (Grades 3 and 4 students) to Much Ado’s storyline. In addition, Students worked on sets and created masquerade masks, with Art teacher Sara. 

Behind the Scenes Support

Throughout preparations, the H.I.S. community – past and present – made a difference! This student theatre production benefitted from   

  • savvy costume acquisitions and the work of volunteer seamstresses who have slowly built our fabulous collection of Elizabethan era-inspired costumes,
  • set pieces built and adapted over years by H.I.S. students and art teachers,
  • musical accompaniment from music teacher Adam Johnson and The MerryWeather Band, and
  • in-theatre photography by parent, Danielle Boudreau

Thank you to teacher Tina for her support throughout the season of rehearsals and preparations. We are grateful for everyone who joined us at the theatre or online, and especially for the cast members of Much Ado 2021 (Class of ‘24), who joined us. It was great to have them cheer on this year’s cast!

If you missed out, catch the recorded version here Much Ado 2024.

Alumni:  Reminisce with us!

Reach out and share memories of your Shakespeare student theatre experience. Please include the year and your role, if you recall it. Alumni Contact Form

Photography by: Danielle Boudreau / Halifax Independent School Parent

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A NEW ART INSTALLATION

At December’s Identity Showcase, stained glass artist (and French Specialist) Tania guided us in a shared art initiative. Setting up a temporary workspace at school, Tania offered a “buffet” of art glass cuts from her home studio in a range of textures and hues.  During their  Showcase tours, students, parents, and teachers were invited to carefully browse the collection and choose a piece that they found beautiful. Tania immediately began exploring possible placements, and continued the layout process at home, finding a home for each piece in the growing mosaic design. 

Every cut edge was trimmed and ground for a smooth fit, and wrapped with copper foil for soldering, which fused all of the pieces together in one solid mosaic panel. After a good cleaning, this new art piece was securely installed in the school’s glass entryway for all to enjoy as they pass through our doors. 

The concept:

Our identities find expression in our artistic choices. Individual people are drawn to different colours, tones, and textures, and this is delightful in itself. Giving each person’s choice a space in the design creates a piece with its own unique variety: it reflects each one’s sense of beauty in a whole that is beautiful because of the sum of its parts.

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Storm Volleyball

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CONGRATULATIONS

This year, our Female/Female Identifying (F/FI) volleyball team welcomed five new players for a roster of 12. Coached by Leigh-Ann and assisted by Sara, the young team showed amazing dedication to learning and refining skills. They had some fantastic games, regularly going point-for-point with higher-ranking teams. This group consistently balanced  “finding the fire” with maintaining composure during high-pressure matches. They supported one another on the court so consistently that spectators noticed and commended them for it. While they ultimately lost to the team ranked #1 entering playoffs, we’re so proud! Their performance this season reflected team sport at its best.

Congratulations to all of these athletes

To our current Grade 9 players – you will be missed!

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CulturalSharing

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Cultural Sharing

So Many Possibilities!

Our school community reflects many diverse backgrounds, traditions, and customs. This fall, in keeping with our studies around identity, we created fresh opportunities to hear more about one another’s stories and lived experiences. On two mornings in November, we hosted 19 cultural-sharing spaces, where parents, grandparents, and other community connections offered their stories and experiences with multi-age groups of students, from Littles to grade 9.

Topics were as Diverse as our Community

We learned about 

  • the Scottish traditions of Highland Dancing and the Highland Games
  • growing up in places such as Newfoundland, Baffin Island, Brazil, and Morocco
  • Filipino and German Christmas Traditions
  • the Indian festival of Diwali
  • Tibetan yoga
  • culture, language and food from countries such as Colombia, The Bahamas, China, and Ireland
  • education around the world; and
  • family experiences of travel, immigration, and neurodiversity.

We learned about the oldest rainforest in the world, Junkanoo, and mummering, and we sampled coconut treats, granadilla, and scrunchions and toutons.

Thank you to our guest speakers!

These sessions and activities were rich learning experiences for our students and staff, and we are grateful to all who shared their stories  and their time with us.

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Barbel (parent) shared about German Christmas traditions, and showed us how to make a homemade lantern.

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May (parent), shared with us about growing up on Baffin Island, Nunavut. She brought in a polar bear skull to show us!

A similar initiative, more than 20 years ago, inspired these valuable learning sessions. While in our former building on South Street, we hosted a series of Multicultural Fridays. Parents and community members shared with mixed-age groups of students. The focus at the time was on Geography, and folks shared about growing up in countries such as Albania, France, Japan, and Scotland.

If you were part of those sessions, as a student or a presenter, we’d love to hear any memories you have!

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Whit-tia shared about the Bahamas. We learned about Junkanoo and sampled traditional coconut tarts!

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Maria (parent) shared about Filipino Christmas traditions, like the parol (lantern/star).

We're Independent

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WE'RE INDEPENDENT

In the spring of 2024, we collaborated with local songwriter Meaghan Smith to create a school song, “We’re Independent!”. This effort brought together ideas from every grade, from Littles to grade 9, and reflects our values of creativity, individuality, and togetherness, blending heartfelt lyrics that captures the essence of what it means to be part of Halifax Independent. 

Song Credits
Written by: Halifax Independent MS students, Meaghan Smith, Jason Mingo, Nelle Callanan
Music by: Jason Mingo, Meaghan Smith
Vocals by: Halifax Independent Littles – MS9
Produced by: Jason Mingo

Recorded at Halifax Independent School, Mingo Productions

Download & Listen Today!

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Terry Fox Run 2024

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NO MATTER WHAT

With determination and compassion, our students laced up their sneakers and ran, knowing their efforts were making a difference. Together, our students and their generous sponsors raised $1,145 to support cancer research! The energy and enthusiasm on run day were inspiring, as students cheered each other on and embraced the enduring spirit of Terry Fox’s “Marathon of Hope”.

A heartfelt thank you goes out to our volunteers and to everyone who donated in support of this such a meaningful cause. 

Continue to support the cause and donate to the Terry Fox Foundation!

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