French (Canada) 
Starting in September 2017, Kells Academy will offer our virtual, yet supported, Grade 12 program. Our pre-university program prepares students for admission to the top universities. Upon successful completion, students will receive the Ontario Secondary Schools Diploma (OSSD) and be eligible to apply to all universities across North America, including Quebec.
This is an opportunity for students to partake in a program that provides a fine balance of independent learning, while having our dedicated teaching staff support their individual needs. Courses are taught by a certified teacher at our school campus and students receive the necessary guidance in order to complete the Grade 12 program successfully.
STUCO Heads to Plattsburgh
As part of a Student Council trip, Ms. Rubenovitch and Ms. Blain as well as four grade 10 students (Caroline Piquette, Deneale Ryans, India Legendyk, and Mohammed Labib) went to Plattsburgh, NY to the Mountain Lake PBS station.
The students were provided with a New York pizza dinner and were then put to work answering phones and taking pledges for the PBS station. The students received a script and instructions on what to say when answering the phones and how to take a pledge. The special feature that was playing that evening was a documentary called: Montréal: Mon Amour, Mon Histoire. It was very interesting to see the inner workings of a live show and although the students were nervous at first, they quickly warmed up to the camera and did a great job!
By Kimberly Blain
Knitting/Crochet Flex
We were so pleased when one of our Kells’ parents approached us and asked if we would be interested in becoming involved in the Tiny Miracle Foundation. This fund is an initiative of the Jewish General Hospital Auxiliary. They are committed to supporting the most vulnerable and tiniest patients by purchasing vital medical equipment for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
November 17th is World Prematurity Day and Kells’ student council arranged a free dress day to raise money. We raised $365 for the Tiny Miracle Fund.
Furthermore, the Flex crochet class is taking part in an initiative to support the preemies as well. They will be knitting blankets for the babies as a parting gift from the hospital. We purchased yarn in varying shades of purple since it is the colour honouring premature babies. The crochet class is very excited about this important project and we look forward to delivering the cozy blankets to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
As they say at the hospital, “Any child cared for at our NICU is a reason to celebrate.” We feel the same way and look forward to celebrating the tiny miracles with our handmade gifts.
Our French Hiking Club
This autumn, En Plein Air, a French hiking club was created. The club consisted of 20 students who share a love for the great outdoors and who wanted an opportunity to practice their French skills outside of the classroom. The students went on three hikes throughout the month of October and oddly enough, got to experience three different seasons. The first hike with Ms. Blain and Mr. Lipinski took place on a beautiful, sunny day on Mount Royal. During the second hike at Owl’s Head, the students, as well as Ms. Blain and Ms. Rubenovitch, got to observe the beautiful changing colours of the leaves as they climbed to the top of the mountain. Finally the third hike, which was chaperoned by Ms. Blain and Ms. Bolduc, occurred at Mount Orford where the students had to trek through blizzard-like conditions. Needless to say they were all very happy to have a hot chocolate upon their return to Kells! We are hoping to keep the En Plein Air club going with a snowshoeing outing this coming winter as well as a possible camping trip in the spring.
By Kimberly Blain
On October 20th, the Cycle I students, along with Ms Ghanem, Ms. Derby, Ms. Ungureanu, and Ms. Suvorova, braved the rain and ventured north for their annual Classe Nature trip. This year, the grade 7 and 8 students were hosted by Base de Plein Air Jean-Jeune at Lac des Plages in Outaouais, Quebec. In groups, they experienced the best of the expansive forest surrounding the site. They ran a rope obstacle course and acquired some new survival skills, including how to start a fire and cook bannock. One of the most unique opportunities was playing "archery tag," a completely safe and extremely fun team-building activity utilizing the archery skills that they had learned earlier on.
Indoors, students made bouncy balls and slime from common household items. Though the weather prevented an outdoor campfire, they were treated to some scary stories from the counsellors by the indoor fireplace. This overnight trip is always a great chance for students to get to know each other and bond outside of school, and this year was no exception. Everyone came away with new friendships, new experiences, and a lot of wonderful stories.
By Jillian Derby