by Henry MacDougall
(click images to enlarge)

FIRST SEMESTER WRAPS UP

January was very busy at King George (KG), with lots of final tests and projects jammed into the last month of the semester. The students of KG held up as always, and now find themselves starting the second semester! Students were given two empty days between semesters to finish missing assignments or simply stay home.

THE WECC LUNCH PROGRAM

Earlier this semester, garbage was a big problem in the West End Community Centre (WECC), because of students hanging out at lunch and not properly dealing with their trash. WECC responded by closing off the upper level to lunch-goers from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

More recently, a new lunch program was created in the Denman Room of the community centre, a general hang-out spot for students with snacks provided. The room is open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at lunch.

KING GEORGE BREAKFAST PROGRAM

Students who show up early (8 to 8:30 a.m.) are rewarded with a free breakfast in the cafeteria. On the week of January 20, the cafeteria offered pancakes all week! The breakfast program has seen a large amount of growth since it was introduced, in part because the cafeteria is a good environment to be in before school.

SCIENCE AND PERSONAL PROJECT FAIRS

Two exhibitions were held at KG in January to showcase students’ projects from the past year.

The KG Mini School Science Fair was held on January 12, where grade eight and nine students proudly showed off their science fair projects in the community centre.

The event was held from the beginning of third period to the end of the school day. The exhibition explored areas of science as varied as science itself, with projects focusing on chemistry, biology, physics, and even some social sciences. Lots of students and teachers showed up to check out the various projects!

The event was very fun overall, and a great, social way to show off the work of the students who took part.

Students who participated in the Mini School Science Fair were invited to apply for the Vancouver District Science Fair (VDSF), with applications opening on January 20. The students with the best projects at VDSF will move on to the Greater Vancouver Regional Science Fair, with the winner of that event going on to compete in the Canada-Wide Science Fair in May.

The second exhibition was the Grade 10 Personal Project fair, held on January 26. Grade tens showed off their hard work to parents, teachers, and other students who passed through the gymnasium. In fact, students from the nearby Lord Roberts Elementary were invited, and a few classes showed up to the event. The projects featured a wide variety of topics, such as architecture, music, animation, engineering, and much more.

The King George Dragons face off with the Lord Byng Grey Ghosts. (Paul Czene Photo)

BASKETBALL!

To say that the King George Dragons basketball team is unstoppable would be an understatement. The Senior Boy's Basketball Team won all nine of the games they played in January!

For such a small school, we have an amazing basketball program. Way to go, Dragons!

CLUB SPOTLIGHT

This month I would like to shine a spotlight on the Youth Incentive Program (YIP), offered by the West End Community Centre.

Meetings are after school on Wednesdays, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. — sometimes there are even snacks included!

The club focuses on equipping students with problem-solving skills through fun activities and the occasional out-trip. YIP also helps out in the community through volunteering at local events. The group is overseen by Jessica, the community centre’s youth counsellor.

Overall, the group is fun, friendly, and totally worth checking out.