Over the weekend the Ashbury Junior Boys basketball team participated in the Tournament of Champions, which was hosted by Merivale High School.  After some delays due to the weather, the team beat South Carleton and Longfields to earn a place in the gold medal game.  The team came up against a very talented West Carleton team, and found themselves tied and in possession of the ball with one second left.  A well-run play allowed point guard, Vaughan Rawes, to get open and hit the game-winning three.  This is the second year that the Colts have won gold in this tournament.

Post courtesy of Eric Znotins.  Photos courtesy of Mr. Bailey.

 

Yesterday afternoon, the Community Cadets had their Coyote vehicle parked in front of the school as part of a display for their evening Open House.  As a result, our Senior Girls’ Volleyball team braved the freezing cold weather to hop on top and take a fun team photo.  Don’t tell me our girls aren’t tough!  Of course, this brought a whole new meaning to the notion of “warming up” before their evening game!

 

On Wednesday, January 11th, the Ashbury Hockey team, currently in first place, played the boys from John McCrae, currently in second place.  While the first half of the match featured both teams in a highly defensive battle, the Colts came up big in the later periods to take a 6-1 win, thus fortifying their hold on first place.  Well done guys!

On Friday at lunch, the gang from Woollcombe challenged their classmates to a creative inter-house competition.  Their mission:  see who could eat the most Jello, using only chopsticks.  Hmmmm, advantage Woollcombe?!

Each year, one of the highlights of the Social Studies curriculum in grade 4 is the physical regions project.  This month, the students began by working in groups to research a physical region of Canada.  They also learned about an environmental problem from their region and had to suggest a solution.  From their research they created giant brochures and presented them in class.  Later, the students from one of the grade 9 Geography classes visited and the grade 4s showed them their brochures.  This year, the grade 9s brought brochures that they had created when they invented their own National Parks as part of their study of physical regions.  They presented them to the grade 4s as well.

Everyone had a really great time!

Photos courtesy of Mrs. Boyd.

Monday’s Senior School assembly could certainly be described as…..ehem….”spirited!”  Straying far from the traditional assembly format, several student led treats engaged the audience.  First, a group of prefects rapped their hearts out, led by none other than Adil (aka DJ Jazzy Santa).

Next, some of the students from the grade 12 Drama class presented their artistic interpretations of “Men Working,” followed by “Men in Tights.”

And finally, we were serenaded by grade twelves singing “Last Christmas.”

 

Earlier this month, art students from the Junior School took an amazing field trip.  They participated in the Gordon Harrison Art Inspiration Project.  Created in 2009 by artist Gordon Harrison and his partner, Gallery Director Phil Emond, the project was designed to inspire young people by giving them the opportunity to experience “life as an artist.”

Art teacher, Liz Arbuckle, described their experience, ”

It was a terrific experience both for myself and for the students. For myself it was very clear to me, watching Gordon work with the students that he had a passion, that he wanted to explain and share that passion and that he enjoyed the experience of sharing that passion with the students. All was done in a low key, encouraging and warm manner.

As for the group who had the chance to work with him, they were thrilled to be selected to begin with , a lot of buzz, a lot of excitement. They were asked to rise to the occasion and to really embrace the opportunity they were being presented with. And they did!

They saw how an artist approached his subject, had a chance to discuss their likes and observations and then watch the artists’ technique as he prepared his image. This was the first meeting in school, in the art room. Two other in class sessions took place, the students selected landscapes to paint and following the direction of Mr Harrison planned out their images and prepared their canvasses.

 

The next time we met was in the morning at the Gordon Harrison Gallery. We were welcomed with fresh fruit and fresh croissants. Already off to a good start. Thanks Phil. Ten students went on a walkabout and small down town, market area, gallery exploration. There was a very eclectic range of art work to look at, we were taken around by a lovely lady Ingrid from the Gordon Harrison Gallery.

The other ten went to work on their canvasses inspired by the original art work, vivid colours surrounding us. With Gordon tapping in to and drawing out the inner artist form each grade six student. They were professional artists painting in a successful gallery set up in the heart of down town. At the end of the session one student acted as curator for the  work. In the afternoon we switched groups, oh did I mention the lunch time sandwich scones?

Follow up will be the vernissage at the gallery in the new year where the work will be framed and displayed and put up for auction. Money raised goes to a cause of choice, for us we will be directing it to the fund for the new Ashbury arts block.”

Photos by Jennifer Buter

 

Yes, they’ve done it again.  This year’s Air Band competition was like no other.  The bar has certainly been raised for future groups. The four houses each did wacky covers of music from greats like MC Hammer, Michael Jackson, The Backstreet Boys, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, Walt Disney, Grease, Starland Vocal Band,  Brittney Spears and more.

Then a group of staff members brought it home with a spoof of The Blues Brothers.

After all of this, emcee Surain is almost speechless.

Now who ever said that Ashburians don’t know how to have a good time?!

Friday and Saturday, the Ashbury Senior Girls Volleyball Team co-hosted a 16 team tournament.  Our team played some very strong teams from both Ottawa and Toronto.   We played well and gained a lot of experience in this competitive contest,  but Ashbury was eventually knocked out of the tournament late Saturday afternoon by Rick Hansen from Mississauga.  Nepean won the consolation side and Gisele Lalonde beat Louis Riel in the final.   Thanks to all the wonderful volunteers who helped to make this tournament run smoothly.

Commentary courtesy of coaches Holman and Gomme.

As part of his regular challenges to the student body, School Captain, Surain Roberts, invited the male staff and graduates to participate in Movember.  Here is his account of the event:

“On November 1, the grads and male staff set out to grow their moustaches for the month of Movember, in support of prostate cancer and men’s health. Everyone really got into the spirit of things and we all ended up having a great time as MoBros. The whole month culminated in a mass shaving to celebrate the journey of us MoBros into the annals of fine moustachery. The Movember campaign ended up bringing the graduating class closer because we were all able to share in the experience of both appreciating and laughing at our moustaches/moustache attempts. Despite the fact that our moustaches were not exactly pleasing to the eye, there was a sense of togetherness which transcended all of that. All in all, Movember was a success!”

To mark the end of “Movember,” many of the MoBros took advantage of the shaving stations organized by Surain during lunch. United they grew…United they Shaved!