Astronomy Opportunity

Dear Friends of Starry Nights @ SFU:
This month marks the fifth anniversary of Starry Nights @ SFU! That’s right, since November 2007 we’ve been holding star parties, telescope workshops, pizza/movie nights, Halloween parties, community fundraising events, lectures, and other astronomical happenings! And many of these events have been organized entirely by dedicated and hardworking volunteers from the SFU Student Astronomy Club!
So it’s no surprise that the student club has stepped forward yet again, this time to celebrate five years of Starry Nights @ SFU! The event is set for Friday November 23 starting at 6PM, next to Room B9200 of the South Concourse of the Academic Quadrangle (see the Starry Nights @ SFU link below for a campus map with locations). SFU students are putting together an evening filled with astronomical activities, starting off with a $2/slice pizza dinner (juice or pop included!).
Here’s the program:
 * 6:00PM – Get your pizza! Families with young children: an astronomy crafts table for kids will be setup nearby!
* 7:00PM – Family-friendly fun facts about the Apollo missions to the moon, presented using amazing models by Ted Stroman!
* 7:30PM – Family-friendly activity that will help kids of all ages answer three questions about our expanding universe, led by “Mr. Starry Nights @ SFU”!
* 8:30PM – Popcorn and a space-themed movie (title TBA), or an outdoor star party, depending on the weather!
This event is free-of-charge, but if you wish to attend we ask that you register at the following SFU website (so that the student club can prepare accordingly!):
A campus map with pay-parking, bus, and event locations will be posted on the Starry Nights @ SFU website this weekend:
We hope you can join us!
 In the meantime, please:
 “Keep Looking Up!” (**)
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Dr. Howard Trottier, aka “Mr. Starry Nights @ SFU”
Ciara Morgan-Feir, President of the SFU Student Astronomy Club
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Rocktober 2 – Rock and Gem Show

Several of our students are interested in rocks, gems and collecting rocks.  The Port Moody Rock and Gem Club is hosting Rocktober 2.

Kyle Centre, 125 Kyle Street, Port Moody
Saturday & Sunday, October 27-28, 2012  10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Featuring local lapidary artists and wonders of nature, the annual rock & gem show is an enjoyable and fascinating event for visitors of all ages.

Highlights from our show include: Sales / Marketplace; Displays; Dealers; Demonstrations; Prize Draws; Lapidary Workshop Tour; Silent Auction; Spin ‘n Win; Grab Bags; Food & Beverages

Our Kid’s Conference

A Conference for Parents & Others Connected to Gifted Children. Featuring: Stephanie Tolan who will speak on the topics “Gifted Creatives” and “Gifted Identity: Inspiring Personal Growth”   ($60 includes lunch & handouts)

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20 FROM 9:00 – 2:30

AT WINSLOW CENTRE, 1100 WINSLOW AVE., COQUITLAM

Plus: Total ChaOS! for Grade 6-8 Students
And: Jabber-Wacky Mini-Camp – A Kids’ Program for Grades 2-5!
(Children’s programs are $25 – see reg. form for details)

Download pdf for more detailed description about these 3 programs.

Online Registration Form

more summer programs

Computer Animation 1 students will use tools such as LEGO stop motion animation to build their skills.This camp is designed to provide students aged 9 to 12 with the expertise required to enter into the ever expanding computer animation industry. As students advance through a sound progression of relevant 3D production training, they will gain the fundamental skills and knowledge to produce a portfolio and demo reel to showcase their talents to potential employers. Ever wanted to create stunning environments and characters for video games, or produce breathtaking visual effects?  

July 23rd to 27th, 2012 9:00am – 12 noon

Video Game Design I

In this Week-long day camp, students ages 9 to 13 will learn how video games work from the inside out. Within a few hours, they will have completed their first game. Students dive into a world of storyboarding, role playing, and complex game development.

Students will have the chance to create games from a variety of genres – including action, adventure, platform, side-scrollers, pinball, strategy, and racing – or to invent new ones. Students can design their own characters, backgrounds, and sounds, or use content from existing libraries. We’ll cover concepts like game planning, path-based movement, collision detection, level design, dialogue, inventory, and playability. Students will help each other test their games and may choose to collaborate on some projects. At the end of the program they’ll be able to show off their games to friends, family, and classmates.

July 23-27, 2012 or Aug 13-17 1pm to 4 pm

Digital Arts Class

In this one week camp, students aged 9 to 12 will learn the preliminary elements of the Adobe Photoshop program including working with layers, transparency, numerous filters and tools such as cloning, painting, and various artistic effects. Students will also learn how to import, manipulate, edit and print images using Photoshop. To create digital artwork pieces, students will use both their digital cameras (if they have them) and a scanner to import photos, drawings and other material such as magazine pictures. Students will also learn how to prepare images for both the internet and printing, including cropping, pixel and dpi dimensions and sizing.

A Overview of Our Exciting 2011-2012 Year

By Rex C. June 22, 2012. Coquitlam. Some experiences are personal.

ANOTHER YEAR IN MACC @ HILLCREST! 2011-2012

This school year has indeed proved quite eventful. We saw more fun, more development, more variety, and more learning. Here are some of the memorable moments:

  • THE FIRST TESTS: We started off with quite a few tests. But once we got through Math and French tests, it was as wonderful as could be!
  • EXPLORATIONS: We had much fun cooking simple meals, sewing simple projects, building computer models with Google SketchUp TM, making a key couch with wood, making music videos, using the mixing software Mixcraft TM, doing various drawing exercises, and even making our own clay ‘kimono’, having it fired, then painting it!
  • MATH: Independency proved to be quite effective for learning.
  • FRENCH: Themes explored in Advanced French include basic vocabulary, family, food, verbs, tenses, Halloween, and more.
  • HCE: The Friends for Life program is an anxiety prevention and resiliency skill-building program. Teachers are Ms Abbot and Ms Brochu.
  • SUSTAINABILITY PROJECT: Everyone had great ideas for a clean, productive future.
  • SWIM: Blue Team went to Spani Pool for a while. Unfortunately, this time of year proved to be quite (too?) rainy.
  • PRO-D AND I-DAYS: The first one: yay! Second: boring!
  • TERRY FOX RUN: We had a good run in Mundy Park while fundraising for a great cause: cancer research!
  • UH, SHOTS. Some of us had the fortune to escape the deadly sharp points of needles.
  • HIGHLANDER GAMES: Many had a lot of fun trying out the various different activities hosted by the school. There was even a “javelin” tournament!
  • JESSE MILLER came and talked to us about the risks of social networking and how to keep you safe.
  • HALLOWEEN… Many attempted building a ‘haunted house’ out of used material.
  • CURLING: MACC classes headed to the Sports Complex/Library for a few fun mornings of trying curling out and silent reading/resting at the library.
  • BILLY THE KID: This inspirational singer/songwriter/many other professions, Ms Abbot’s high school classmate, came in to talk to us about her career.
  • MATH ON THE MOUNTAIN: I was the only one at this fun, educational event exploring the wonders of mathematics. There weren’t enough drivers for everyone else. Also see https://adventuresinmacc.edublogs.org/2012/02/14/middle-magnet-math-on-the-mountain/
  • DR. MACDONALD: A brilliant neurologist came in to talk to us about his research, some of the interesting things about neurology, some common myths and misconceptions, and even an actual brain that had been donated to science by an elderly gentleman.
  • YAY! NO REPORT CARDS: Due to JOB ACTION.
  • WINTER BREAK!!! Some time off…
  • SNOWSHOEING & TUBING @ CYPRUS MOUNTAIN: A fun day was spent at Cyprus Mountain. With LOTS of snow, snowshoeing through trails in the heart of the forest and cascading down a slope in a tube became more enjoyable.
  • EMPIRES: We studied ancient civilizations and did a series of out-of-the-box projects on the great empires that once ruled the world. Some of my ones are investigating the sustainability of the Chinese language, recreating the Roman Basilica of Maxentius in SketchUp, comparing the Chinese Yen with the Greek drachma, and exploring the early achievements in space exploration.
  • PE: Highlights include table tennis, basketball, kickball, scooter soccer, and more.
  • CLUBS DAY: There were all sorts of sessions for MACC students from different schools. It was enjoyable for me to take a morning stroll in Mundy Park, looking at the biodiversity. I also went to an afternoon session in which a MACC teacher/author from Citadel discussed the things that make a novel great (or even better).
  • ROMEO AND JULIET: The school was delighted by this hilarious live production of the classic play. There was a happy ending, too.
  • INSPIRATION GARDEN: Down by the Cultural Centre, we had much fun learning about gardening, farming, sustainable eating, sustainable garden/farming, as well as planting greens and harvesting.
  • EMINENT PEOPLE DINNER PARTY PROJECT: We started off with 10 bios about eminent people from different times and places as well as their unique achievements. Then, it was an in-depth bio about one of the people (mine was Rembrant Harmenszoon van Rijn a.k.a. Rembrandt) and the final bit (dressing up, presenting our work, and having a pasta lunch party) was the best.
  • SPRING BREAK: Highlights of mine included an extra 2 days off and visiting my relatives in Taiwan.
  • A MIDNIGHT SUMMER’S DREAM: A more classic performance of Shakespeare’s play.
  • CONTAINERS FOR CHARACTERS: We read a selection of novels (half of them by Carl Hiaasen) and recognized the leadership qualities of the main characters as well as some of our own. Used containers were used for the display.
  • SCIENCE ROTATIONS: We in groups explored different ways of generating energy and reflected on the pros and cons of each. Energies explored included solar, wind, hydro, biodiesel, fossil fuel, and nuclear.
  • GATEWAY COMMUNITIES PROJECT: Then we looked at the Northern Gateway pipeline, which is to be built by nasty oil company Enbridge. We examined the pros and cons and even had a mock ‘National Energy Board Review’ with representatives from each ‘community’ (I was one of the two for Kitimat, BC) presenting what they think about the pipeline and its impacts on the community. I liked the final decision: NO.
  • THIS BRINGS US TO THE FINAL FEW BITS.
  • PASSION PROJECT EXPO: Everyone showcased their marvelous talents. I had a blog with a couple of stories and a couple of illustrations: http://macc11rex.edublogs.org/. It’s about dinosaurs in Spain and the Biblical book of Exodus. I also saw some other cool projects: https://adventuresinmacc.edublogs.org/passion-projects/
  • ACTIVITY DAYS: We have been to the Mundy Park field. We will head to Spani Pool next Tuesday. These days are organized by Mr. Foot and Mr. Hewlett.
  • SCRAPBOOKING: You are reading the product of this activity.
  • CEREMONIES: Graduation and stuff. Wonder how it’ll be?
  • SUMMER BREAK! YES! YES! YES!!! FINALLY!!!

So that concludes an exciting year. I hope that next year will be even better, but the future is uncertain…

Passion Project Expo

Today students shared the Passion Projects they had been working on throughout the year.  The buzz in the library grew as students shared and talked and watched and ate and played.  The question of the day… “can we do this again next year?”

Check out our Passion Project Page for more of our projects

Summer Reading

Chris Miller, from Coquitlam Public Library, visited Hillcrest this morning to share some new books and do some book talks about good summer reads.  Summer reading club sign up starts on Monday June 25th.

Here are his recommendations:

Theatre School Programs for Fall 2012

The Fall 2012 Brochure (incl schedules, fees and class information) is available for download now.  The Carousel Theatre will start accepting registrations for their very popular Fall Theatre School session on Tuesday, July 3, 2012 at 9:00am sharp. Each class* can max of 12 students, and  these sessions will fill up very quickly,firstcome, firstserved.  Advance registration will not be permitted.  

 Registrations can be made a few different ways: 
1. PHONE  Call the office at 604.669.3410 
2. EMAIL Fill out registration form in the brochure, scan and email  
3. FAX Fill out the registration form in the brochure, fax
4. IN PERSON Visit us at 1411 Cartwright Street (upstairs)  
 
 

Celebrating the Music Enrichment Program at Hillcrest Middle

 

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Beginning Band

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Mr. Foot trying to help out the band by playing the triangle

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Boys Choir

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Recognizing current section leaders and passing the baton to the new section leaders

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Click here to hear a short clip of Year End Girls Choir 

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Click here to hear – Year end Choir

Click here to hear – Year End Choirs