Oasis Arts & Social Change Program: Oasis Arts and Social Change: A Year in Review

Monday, June 20, 2011

Oasis Arts and Social Change: A Year in Review

Chanele receives two awards:

Community Development & Math

The Oasis Arts and Social Change Program had an amazing Celebration and Leaving Ceremony on Friday. Parents, administrators, senior staff -including our Superintendent, students, and Oasis staff attended and participated in space filled to the rafters. It was a deeply moving experience for all of us – the students stepped up and followed through with maturity and authenticity. Lots of tears and laughter burst from the audience. Good news is that we posted our video on YouTube. It is a culmination of a year in review – our work, our triumphs, our activism and our dreams.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsCeG2XaCU4

Tessa shows off her Vinyl Art

Oasis Alternative Secondary School works with students who are the least well served Oasis Alternative Secondary School works with students who are the least well served at the Toronto District School Board. In spite of this work, the school faced staffing cuts this year that will have deleterious effects on the program we offer students. This video is a powerful statement of work that the we do to help students succeed - sometimes for the very first time. This video is a piece of activism by student and staff. Presented here is a year in review. Sit back and get ready to have your mind blown.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsCeG2XaCU4

Principal Gabi Kurzydlowski, Superintendent Georgina Balascas,
& Media Arts teacher Louise Azzarello

ASC Staff: A Small but MIghty Team

Anita Court is our fabulolus Office Administrator. She knows a lot about a lot and it's her job to know. Students and staff alike look to Anita as a confidante and problem solver for anything from getting the bathroom key from a locked bathroom to finding a band-aid for a cut to taking care of a busted printer to putting together the Superintentdent's package and tracking attendance. Anita is the glue that binds the three satellite locations of Oasis.
Jane Fonseca is the Guidance/Phys Ed and Science teacher. She has been working at Oasis for the last six years. She went to school at York University, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in the Specialized Honours degree in Kinesiology and Health Science. She also received her Massage Therapy Diploma and at one time was a Registered Massage Therapist (no jokes or massages please). She completed her initial teacher education at York University, Parkdale campus with a focus on Equity and Social Justice. She is always up for a friendly challenge…game on!
Joseph Ghassibe is our fearless leader, CL of Oasis. He has worked in mainstream schools in Australia and Canada. He has worked in alternative programs and other alternative schools. Oasis is, by far, his favourite :-) We are a community, a family and a home. He is proud to be here!
Martin Van de Ven - Our Music and Math Guru has a Masters in composition from U of T and took calculus for entertainment during his undergrad. He has spent much of his adult life as a freelance clarinettist, composer and musical director. Working for local theatre companies such as Jumblies Theatre he has created many works for mixed ensembles composed of amateur, professional and untrained musicians. Recent compositions include a 5 part work for the Toronto Children's Chorus. He performs with Toronto based Balkan/Klezmer band “Beyond the Pale”. He loves helping people find their inner musician, as an added bonus, at OASIS he gets to do the same with Math. Before signing up with OASIS Martin was the Jazz teacher at Earl Haig secondary.