WE LIFT AS WE CLIMB THE MAGIC HAPPENED AT C.E. WEBSTER PUBLIC SCHOOL (TDSB) Two Fabulous Projects - One Great School! LOADS OF LEARNING, LOVE & LAUGHTER   June 8, 2009 - May 13, 2010

 

PROJECT 1: MAGICAL MEDICINE WHEEL    June 8 - 12, 2009 - Sponsors: ArtsSmarts, Evergreen, Prologue to the Performing Arts, Toronto District School Board C.E. Webster was one of six schools selected from across Canada for a special environmental/character education project by Evergreen and ArtsSmarts,  national non-profit organizations that brings "Green", artists, teachers and students together in collaborative artistic endeavours - good on them! Other sponsors for this wild and exciting week included: Prologue to the Performing Arts,  Toronto District School Board (TDSB). I was asked to design a week-long program for sixty Grade 4-5 students that included character education and environmental issues. We built a permanent forty stone medicine wheel on school property.  Sandy and I personally selected the Grandfathers (rocks) and they were driven to Toronto by our friend, Chris. I had a dream that the wheel should be anchored by an Inukshuk that would represent each unique individual involved in the project (Students, Principal, Teachers, Parents, Public). The wheel was built beside the School's stone talking circle; Evergreen cleared the space and laid gorgeous red calcite in a thirty foot in diameter circle. The first part of the week included character education and environmental teachings. Nothing is random in the process and students were assigned specific teachings after I had a chance to spend time with them. Each stone represented both an environmental & character education teaching. Throughout the week, Sandy and I were blessed with assistance from some great people, starting with 'Tony the Tiger', the school's fabulous caretaker. Susan Habkirk (from Prologue) and teachers: Mrs. Catherine Watts. Mrs. Jenny Schaffenberg, Mrs. Brenda Mennie, Ms Nellie Ledonne, Mrs. Dianne DeSousa, Ms Xana Duncan, & aide Ms Janet London, Mr. Tony Tamburro & aide Mrs. Maureen Clark. The students engaged in small group work about what the character education words & phrases meant to them. For example: Courage, Being Good Enough, Imagination, Trust, Honour, Respect, Self-Worth, Humbleness, Honesty and on and on. At the end of the session, the group leaders (teachers) recapped the discussion for everyone to hear.    Susan Habkirk, Executive Director, Prologue to the Performing Arts recapping her small group discussion Thunderbird's big board Medicine Wheel Chart showing all the teachings and their directions. The board was gifted to the School as a teaching resource. MEDICINE WHEEL BUILD DAY The different Cultures worked seamlessly together, as they  read aloud their teaching and laid their stones. Carefully placing their stone as Sandy watches Reading their teaching after laying stone Cultures working together MAGIC 60 CHOIR The students, now called the MAGIC 60 drummed and sang all week because I decided to turn them into a choir so they could entertain everyone at the extravaganza we were planning. They wrote their own wonderful song lyrics to express how they felt about the whole process.  In 3 minutes flat, I came up with the tune and voila! a wonderful original song was born, entitled 'Medicine Wheel' (lyrics below).  C.E. Webster does not have a music program, but you would never have known it by the way the 'Magic 60' sang like angels. Sandy's husband, Jeff, gave up his day off and came to the school to record three songs, and now C.E. Webster has a professionally produced CD as a memento of this very magical week. They other two songs, written by me are entitled, "Ishpiming" and "Today".          Magic 60 Choir are being put through their paces. A quick rehearsal before the recording session.  We worked 'em hard & they responded.  From Little Bear Recording Studio, Jeff Carter - Simply the best! IN MEMORIUM - WHAT IS IT TO BE A WARRIOR OF PEACE In honour of my brother, Colin (also known as Nisnawa), and a Lieutenant Colonel, 30th Field Regiment, Canadian Artillery, a pin from one of his uniforms was buried in order to signify that all members of C.E. Webster were Warriors for Peace.(Photo left is Thunderbird placing the pin in the ground as Sandy watches. Nisnawa passed to his day of quiet, January 18, 2009). DEDICATION CEREMONY EXTRAVAGANZA The Magic 60 performed their songs at the dedication extravaganza at the end of the week. The ceremony opened with a Grand Entry. The host drum, Moonstone Women's Big Drum Group sang the procession in with the 'Raven Song' sung in Sm'algyax (my language). The Procession was led by Veteran and Eagle Staff Carrier, Elder Gary Sault, Mississauga of the New Credit.** Moonstone Big Drum then pounded out the Veteran's Honour Song, after which Elder Gary, offered an opening welcoming prayer in the Ojibwa language. Principal, Troy Sotiroff also gave a welcoming address and thanked everyone involved for their hard work in bringing the project to a fabulous conclusion. I gave a teaching on the Medicine Wheel. Everyone repeated after me, C.E. Webster's new Human Rights Declaration of Peace.  It was a very moving moment. (Words printed below) IMPORTANT NOTE: **The Mississauga of the New Credit were invited to the celebration because the Medicine Wheel was built in their territory (Toronto!).  'Ishpiming' (Universe) was sung completely in Ojibwa to honour Elder Gary Sault and Former Chief of the New Credit, Caroline King. It was very cool! OTHER SPECIAL PEOPLE & GUESTS: C.E. Webster total Fabulous Planning Committee: Principal, Troy Sotiroff, Catherine Watts, Jennie Schaffenburg, Brenda Mennie and Tony the Caretaker (Sandy & I could not have functioned without him, he was the greatest!) Evergreen: Samara Newman (also part of the planning committee) ArtsSmarts: Executive Director: Annalee Adair Prologue to the Performing Arts:  Susan Habkirk, Pat McCarthy (also part of the planning committee); Mary Beth MacMillan, Ann Harper. Canadian Education Association: Penny Miller, CEO J.W. McConnell Family Foundation: Lyn Baptiste, Trustee York University: Michael Greyeyes, Faculty Member, Department of Fine Arts, Choreographer Last but not least: Thunderbird's  husband, Peter, who hung in for most of the week, helping Thunderbird and Sandy build the Inukshuk and assisting the kids on 'build' day with laying their stones. Below:  I am in full Pacific Northwest Coast (B.C.) regalia acting as 'Goddess of Ceremonies" (neither the terms, Master or Mistress of Ceremonies worked for me!) Below: Coast Tsimshian Fancy Shaw Dancer, Erin Dickson  wow'd the crowd with her high stepping butterfly dance. She was accompanied by Moonstone Women's Big Drum Group. Below: Sandy & Thunderbird directing the Magic 60 Choir & Drummers at the Dedication Ceremony .....Wilwilaaysk - All My Relations.....

 

ORIGINAL SONG, CLASS OF 2008-2009 "MEDICINE WHEEL" Music: Shannon Thunderbird; Lyrics: Magic 60 Choir, (copyrighted) When I drum I feel Strong It runs my Heart It opens my World When I drum my Spirit Soars I feel one with the Animals Weya-hey-ya-ho Weya-hey-ya-ho I feel free to Express Myself I am always Respectful My body is my Sanctuary I keep it clean so I Stand Strong Weya-hey-ya-ho Weya-hey-ya-ho CALL AND RESPONSE: We are:  Humble, Peaceful, Leaders, Peacemakers, Good Enough!

C.E. WEBSTER HUMAN RIGHTS DECLARATION OF PEACE (It will be re-affirmed throughout the year.)   We hereby state that C.E. Webster Public School, its land and building, the Talking Circle and the Medicine Wheel is sacred territory. Bullying, cyber-bullying, racism, jealousy, hate and violence are not welcome in our school, now or at anytime in the future. All members of the school including human visitors, four-leggeds, flyers,  swimmers and crawlers must be respected and protected. We are Warriors of Peace and we never leave anyone behind. We lift as we climb. Wilwilaask, All Our Relations"

PROJECT 2  "SPIRIT THUNDER: ALL ONE PEOPLE" APRIL 5- 16, MAY 11, 13, 2010 sPONSORS: aRTSSMARTS, pROLOGUE AND tELUS MOBILITY - GOTTA LOVE THE HIPPO! Two high-energy, hard-working weeks were spent with the Magic 60 Grade 4-5 classes of 2009-2010. This marks the second year of our collaboration with this very special school. This time there were eighty-four children which consisted of the Magic 60 Choir and the drum group with its snappy new name: DDD - DYNAMIC DIVERSITY DRUM GROUP. This year I decided the students should have an honorary clan. The kids, in a collaborative exercise, decided on the BLUE JAY CLAN, perhaps because it was opening day for the Toronto Blue Jays when they decided or because 84 chattering kids sound just like a cacophony of Blue Jays! The kids thought this was pretty funny. Again, we worked our new crop of Grade 4-5 students and they responded. The project which culminated on May 13, 2010 in a fabulous two show concert included Songs, Drums, Guitar (Sandy), Keyboards (Jeff), Shakers, Two theatrical performances, "An Interview with Anansi", and "Buffalo Caller." While I was on tour between April 19-May 10, Webster's, Fab Three teachers, Mrs. Watts, Ms  Wilson and Mrs. De Sousa rehearsed the songs, ran lines, and generally organized stuff. The three of them should be cloned, never have I worked with better!  They had the Grade 1,2,3 kids make flags of the world which decorated the gym on show day to go along with our "all one people" theme, almost every student in the school made an Inukshuk which was amazing. Their were photo boards of all that we did leading up to the performance. It basically became a school-wide project which fitted into my mantra of "Go Big or Go Home." Stay tuned, photos to follow. Parents and Friends packed the joint on show day, standing room only and they enthusiastically supported their kids. It was great.

ORIGINAL SONG - CLASS OF 2009-2010 lyrics: Magic 60, Music: Shannon Thunderbird "BLUE JAY'S DREAM" (COPYRIGHTED) Peace is the way to go Peace is the one to show the world Singing makes us free When we sing we sound beautiful We won't give up our dreams We can be all we want to be Because we are one family The World embraces me We are the Kings and Queens on the Medicine Wheel When we are smarter We'll go farther in the world It we show empathy We're walking in someone else's shoes Drumming is very cool That why it rules our Hearts We are important as everyone else We are who we'll always be We can make everything better by being a team Call and Response: We Will: "Stand Together" We will: "Conquer Hate" We will: "Make a Difference" We know: "It's not to late"

Sandy & the DDD	Me, Sandy & a few Singers	Magic 60 Choir	Me and my Boys
Dynamic Diversity Drummers	My Gorgeous Children	Sandy & Invaluable Tyson	Webster's Maestro

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