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Earth Week took place mid-April, and the Eco Club at Nepean took charge! They organized several activities, like having classes go on walks to pick up garbage, and a special film night open to all of Nepean High School! Complete with snacks and drinks, this was a night to remember.
The first decision they had to make was what film they were going to watch. Eco club chose to watch A Life On Our Planet because, “It encapsulated a lifetime of observations on humans' effect on the climate. This gave us, as high school students, a different perspective on the climate, ...

“Just because there are no ghosts, it doesn’t mean you can’t be haunted. Nor that you shouldn’t fear the haunting.”
Mexican Gothic is a supernatural horror novel set in the tumultuous age of 1950s Mexico, following a protagonist who finds herself residing in an isolated mansion, adamant on rescuing her supposedly hysterical cousin from the enigmatic family she has married into. Themes of female independence, colonialism, life, death, and rebirth are set against the backdrop of a grotesque and eerie house that takes inspiration from classic gothic fiction. The book is almost as claustrophobic as the mansion itself, wrapping its ...

Between April 13-14, a combination of Grade 11 and 12 students participated in an overnight trip at Pembroke’s Algonquin College. For many Grade 12s, the field trip was their first—and last—overnight trip in their high school careers. Endorsed by Nepean’s environmental SHSM (Specialist High Skills Major) program, the trip introduced students to a variety of valuable tools and skills required in outdoor programs such as navigation with a compass, wildlife identification, and more. Despite being funded by SHSM, the trip was extended to students outside the program as well, allowing for a variety of students to investigate conservation skills and ...

Silence is controversial. A suffocating and undeniable prescence of peace, awkwardness, comfort, and hatred. Yet in the absence of words, I find unending interpretations.
Silence’s controversy—and beauty—lies in the endless words that exist in the lack of “talk”. The english language itself is confined to 26 letters, about 600 000 words, and limited combinations. When you compare our spoken language to the complex human experience, it’s especially clear that our words can only scrape the surface of our lives. This is why silence, in its endless forms, stretches, and contexts, can be even more versatile than a mere 26 letters. ...

On April 21st, the tables in the library were swept aside and rows of seats were constructed, all facing a pair of two, blue-backed armchairs. On this day, a guest speaker came to Nepean, an activist from the historic Stonewall Riots, Martin Boyce.
Starting as an event planned for Mr. Wallace’s Gender Studies class, the occasion was opened up to other students as well. In no time at all, the room was filled with students from all grades. It began just a little after the end of the end of lunch, taking up the entirety of third period.
...

“The world was to me a secret which I desired to divine.”
Frankenstein was written by acclaimed gothic horror author Mary Shelley, which she began writing at only eighteen years of age. It is often attributed as the first science fiction novel, and is considered a ground-breaking addition to horror as a genre. It is a story within a story, a sailor’s letter to his sister, enclosed with a mysterious stranger’s shocking account. It is a classic story of illicit science experiments, dismembered corpses, and one man’s quest for progress at all costs. Themes of threatening ambition, revenge, romanticism, and ...

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AVI20 Art Journal Collection: Balanced Portraits
Tess Robillard
Peyton Dicke
Mavis Evans
Kalan Saunders
India Mulder
Iman Khan
Grace Nicol
Bronwyn Parker
Aiden Carnegie ...

AVI10 Textured fingers collection
Stella Sproule
Sasha LeFrancois De Beer
Quinn Fitzgerald
Maxine Salajka
Mae Shaw
Kayla Man
Imogen Davies
Ceilidh Montgomery
Brooke Demers
Audrey Brown ...

After the extreme challenges faced by Nepean’s school community during the pandemic, it is more important than ever to consider student wellness. Today’s young people have experienced such prevalent disconnect in their formative years that student-led events such as Nepean’s Spirit and Wellness Week cannot be overlooked.
While not an official national week, Spirit and Wellness week was an initiative from Nepean’s Student Council to organise events celebrating students’ mental health. Running from March 6-10th, it took place right before the March Break; “We’ve wanted for a long time to do something for mental health . . . we know ...

March 31st is the annual date that the transgender community and their wider community of allies acknowledge as Transgender Day of Visibility. This observance serves as a day to celebrate transgender people as well as bring attention to the discrimination they face.
At Nepean, this day started off with the morning announcements informing students and faculty of the date’s significance, but most importantly, announcing the bake sale that would be happening at the end of the day. Teachers had been encouraged earlier to wear the transgender colours of blue, pink, and white.
When the last bells of the day were rung and ...

On the evening of March 21st, Nepean High School had the privilege of welcoming the Magee Secondary School Choir and Orchestra from Vancouver, B.C. into our auditorium for a joint performance, “Together in Song”. The night consisted of Nepean’s chamber choir and vocal class showcasing some of the songs they’d been working on. It also included some performances by the Nepean Choir, which was established in 1975 for “adults who like to sing” and is conducted by one of Nepean’s music teachers, Lee Carter. On top of all these amazing performances, people who attended the event got to witness ...

It's the moment we’ve all been waiting for! This week (March 20th) Nepean opened their cafeteria for the first time in years. Students lined up excitedly at the door, awaiting the delicious dishes the cafeteria has to offer. Their menu is extensive, to say the least, including breakfast, a grill, a bakery and more!
Walking into class after lunch, I notice cafeteria items in the hands of dozens of my classmates. People walked around with an orange juice in hand, a bit of strawberry ice cream, fries and even a grilled cheese! Needless to say, the boundless menu was taken advantage ...

We’re already two months into semester two, and you may be feeling some second semester slump, but I’ve found my top way to combat this is staying organized and on top of my work.

Keeping your virtual space organized is super helpful, especially when you’re studying for tests and need to go back over work from that unit! Take advantage of google drives folder features and make one for each of your classes that semester, any virtual work, like presentations or worksheets live there and you can find all that work in one centralized location in case you need to come ...

Warning: this review contains spoilers
Cinderella Is Dead is a 2020 fantasy novel by Black author Kalynn Bayron loosely based on the eponymous fairy tale. The story follows sixteen-year-old Sophia who lives in a kingdom of Lille, where the civil rights and social expectations of its women are based on the story of Cinderella.
Each year, the girls who have come of age are required by law to attend a royal ball wherein their only goal is to acquire a husband. Any straying from this procedure leads to imprisonment or worse. Though she is discouraged from any treasonous thought, Sophia can’t help ...

Children of Blood and Bone is a fantasy YA book written by the Nigerian author Tomi Adeyemi. Not only is this book an incredibly written, captivating book but the author is also a very impressive woman. Children of Blood and Bone, which was published in 2018, was Tomi’s first novel and her talent became immediately recognized. The novel went on to win the 2018 Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy, the 2019 Waterstones Book Prize, and the 2019 Hugo Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book. Additionally, in 2019 Tomi was named in the Forbes 30 ...

Photo Provided by Yasmin Aguiar
With February recognized as Black History Month, Nepean High School is doing their part to recognize the impact that Black trailblazers have had on today’s society. One of Nepean’s biggest clubs is DSU (Diverse Student Union), a club made up of students of different ethnicities with the goal of celebrating and sharing the various cultures represented within Nepean’s community.
In order to learn more about DSU’s plans for February, we spoke to one of the club’s executive members, Grade 11 student Yasmin Aguiar. Yasmin is leading the charge on DSU’s celebrations of Black History month. She’s been ...

In honor of Black History Month (and the particularly bad weather), I decided it would be a good time to start reading a new book. As many bookworms do, I have stacks of books in places they probably shouldn’t be. The floor, drawers, chairs, you name it. But, even with the frankly absurd amount of books I have, the fact that I couldn’t find one that was either written by a Black author or that starred a Black main character was - for one - surprising, but also disappointing.
I’ve been reading consistently since the age of eleven, and the ...

Since it's Black History Month, I thought it'd be a good time to discuss one of the most notable Black Canadian trailblazers in our recent history: Violet Pauline King Henry. She was born in 1929 and died rather young, in 1982, but had such a large and ever-lasting impact during her 53 years. She is most commonly known today as the first Black female lawyer in Canada, but achieved many other major milestones, such as being the first Black Canadian to obtain a law degree in Alberta, as well as the first Black person admitted to the Alberta Bar and ...

It’s early February, and I’m scanning my bookshelf for books by Black Authors. I wish to write an article about my personal favorite books, produced or written about the black community. I pick several books, far more than I would have expected, and realize one thing:
Black People’s contribution to literature of all genres and lengths are greatly overlooked in modern society, often belittled in comparison to white authors, and sometimes appropriated! Today, I bring the pile of books on my desk to you, and let them reveal their story that has been suppressed for so long.
First of all, I must ...

Since I have been able to eat and drink I have always been in love with movies. watching an average of 2 a day made me addicted to it like people are addicted to food. It became one of my personality traits if you believe or not which helps me communicate with others and socialize more than ever.
The movie that I chose over both goosebumps and all the Stephen King movies was the 2020 movie, Hubie Halloween that starred all the most loved and known actors such as Adam Sandler, Julie Bowen, Tim Meadows and many other hilarious and ...

On the lunch period of January 18th, several students gathered in room 3104 in the English hall to take part in a workshop run by the Jewish Student Union (JSU).
The event started off with an introduction by the JSU’s president, Deena Friedman, which then transitioned to a slides presentation by the student conducting the workshop, Eliezer Teitlebaum. The slideshow began with a brief history lesson. Teitlebaum gave a summary of the significance of Israel to Jewish people and their presence in the territory, before transitioning into an overview on the becoming of the Israeli and Palestinian states as we ...

On Tuesday January 17th, at 6:00 pm, the usually darkened auditorium was filled with the voices and laughter of the Nepean Community. The grade 11/12 Senior Drama class had been planning this night for what seemed like ages. They buzzed with excitement: “There's always some nerves when you're wondering if everything will go right… for me it's hard to rival the feeling of a show for an audience, your heart is just bursting and the anticipation of getting to share with the world this piece of art that you've been working so so hard on for months!” comments grade 12 ...

Below is a collection of grade 10 students’ “By the Book” Journal assignments.
Estella Grondin
Keeley Geoffrion
Lila Pare Lutfi
Lily Cooper
Sydney Wright
William Jiang
Karina Dobson ...

See the playlist here!
The Nepean playlist is back yet again! This time, we asked you for your 3 favorite holiday songs, and you delivered! All your responses were automatically compiled into a Spotify playlist, which is linked above.
Coming in at 2h 26m, the holiday playlist is long enough to keep you entertained while you bake cookies, or build a snowman. Five songs, Mistletoe by Justin Bieber, Let It Snow by two different artists, Back to December by Taylor Swift, גומות by two different artists, and Happy Xmas (War is Over) by John Lennon and Yoko Ono were so good they ...

The winter school dance was held on the evening of Thursday December 22. Leading up to the first dance of the school year, Nepean students were brimming with excitement. In fact, all of the tickets sold out in the days leading up to it. With multiple checks of student belongings and all large bags taken away and stored till the end of the dance, the school made sure to keep students safe while still having a good time.
The theme for the dance was, “A Century of NHS” – a nod to our school’s 100th anniversary. Students arrived dressed in outfits ...

Christmas movies bring so many people together in joy and in sorrow. They bring the Christmas spirit and celebration of a new year into our lives, and as timeless as they may be there are many to choose from. I compiled a list of 10 of my favorite Christmas movies. Without further ado, let's get into it!
A Christmas Story
This 1983 movie starring Peter Bilinsky and Melinda Dillon describes Ralphie wanting to win a Christmas present from his father and mother and a good deal of what it was like to be young in pre-World War II Indiana showing a ...

Hundreds of Nepean students gathered together on December 2nd for the United Way Breakfast. The goal of this pancake breakfast was to raise money for the Dave Smith Youth Treatment Center, who are celebrating their 25th anniversary. This charity is dedicated to helping youth overcome substance abuse, and assuring them that they are not alone. They provide assessment, treatment and guidance to help you become sober again. A new treatment facility is being built in Carp to help them reach a larger number of people in need.
In a meaningful speech, the speaker for the Dave Smith Youth Treatment Center ...

After visiting Austria this past summer, I was inspired to write about their most powerful, clever and iconic Empress, Sissi. Walking through the Hofburg Imperial palace, I was captured by her story and position in history. Every portrait showed her renowned long hair and beauty. Over the last couple of months I’ve furthered my research and spent time watching the Netflix show The Empress. It was an exceptional way to see her illustrated from a film perspective and learn more about her story.
Marriage and Family Life
Empress Elizabeth or “Sissi” was born into the Bavarian House of Wittelsbach in Bavaria, 1837. ...

On December 9th 2022, the first intramural competition of the 2022-2023 year was held, as students faced off against each other in multiple games of dodgeball inside the gymnasium. The Intramurals are held once every year. Senior Link Students host multiple friendly tournaments every week for different sports each time.
The first game of this year was dodgeball, and the next week it was badminton. For more information on how to enroll for these events, their venues, and more, please visit the Nepean StudCo Instagram page (@nhsstudco).
The winning team of this week's dodgeball tournament were handed a random prize for ...

On December 15th, for the first time since 2019, the Nepean music department held their annual Winter Music Night. Music night is a long loved tradition of the music department and has been going on for many years and the whole department was happy to bring the tradition back.
The night started with a few numbers performed by the Jazz Band, playing “Let it Snow!”, “Witchcraft”, and “No Harm / No Fowl”.
Next up was the Percussion Ensemble playing “Up on the Housetop” and “Enable Original Sound”. Percussion is one of the many ensemble bands Nepean was lucky to see that ...

Disclaimer: this article contains content that could be upsetting to some audiences, such as assault, bullying, and abuse.
I have played hockey from the age of four, and my family regularly watches the sport. In short, hockey has become a big part of my life. So naturally, when my mom convinced me to watch a documentary that aired on The Fifth Estate (CBC) in October, 2022 about the Hockey Canada scandal and the sexual assaults within our national sport, I was extremely upset. I was furious, shocked, and so ashamed that this had been going on for years. It took so ...

Ms. Amenta’s Gr.9 student illustrates a quote assignment collection.

Do Not Go Where the Path May Lead…
Sienna Bryant
A Single Conversation
Sakurako Jono
Black is King
Miguen Ali
I didn’t break the world but I’m going to fix it
Lucy Marshall
Quiet the mind and the soul will speak
Layla Shapero
Do not go where the path may lead…
Kat Van Der Schee
Sunshine on the street at the parade
Vera Oldfield ...

I thought I'd make a list of possible activities that those who go to Nepean might enjoy, whether that be teachers, students or staff! I wanted to make it as Covid-Friendly and specific to this area as possible while maintaining inclusion; not everyone celebrates the same holiday at the same time, or any holiday at all, for that matter! Please let me know if I failed at conveying this and if something should be changed in the list—I just want to provide some fun ideas for everyone. With that being said, let's get started…
1. Baking Cookies - No matter what ...

Ms. Amenta’s Gr. 10 students’ “repetition with a focal point” art collection.
Zach Pantarotto
William Jiang
Maria Coates
Lily Cooper
Lauren Ortiz
Lila Pare Lutfi
Kayla McIlhagga
Julianne Tran
Isabel Ramirez Hennesy
Faris Elkanzi
Fiona Kelm ...

SHSM (Specialist High Skills Major) programs allow students to gain extra credits towards their Ontario Secondary School Diploma, while providing opportunities for students to connect with like-minded individuals and gain access to special certifications and experiences. Students are able to get involved in their school’s SHSMs from grades 11 to 12, and a total of 13 different programs range across the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board with specializations ranging from Business to Health and Wellness.
Nepean offers an Environmental SHSM program organized by Ms. Topping and Ms. Moons, with a student-run social media presence. Though the program’s ability to run field ...

On the evening of November 15th, 2022, the first Nepean Coffee house since 2019 was held. Those who attended walked into the cafeteria to behold a small, beautifully lit stage where the night's performances would take place. Rows and rows of students, family, and friends filled the room with warmth and joy. The sense of community was phenomenal.
Our cheerful host Mr. Boulerice started the night off with a speech about the coffee house and its importance. It's an incredible way to bond and share our talents amongst our peers!
The first act was a piano rendition of “Don't Stop Believing” by ...

The week of November 7th is Treaty Awareness week, so Mrs. McKechnie, the school librarian, organized a workshop for Grade 9 students. On November 10th, 2022, our class marched down to the library and got the chance to experience it for ourselves!
There were several tables, each containing a different activity pertaining to the Indigenous peoples of Canada. One of my personal favorites was station #2, where we read a picture book called Treaty Words by Aimee Craft!
The book contained beautiful illustrations and writing, describing the connection between people and their land. We definitely suggest it for readers of all ages!
Another ...

On Remembrance Day this year, NHS held its first in-person assembly in over two years. The school was split into two groups to accommodate how many students our auditorium held. Both assemblies were identical; one for ninth grade and eleventh grade students, and one for ten and twelfth grade.
The assembly consisted of readings from Ms. Tobin’s and Mr. Hoogenraad’s students, with performances from the chamber choir, and the vocal music class in between. The chamber choir is a small group of experienced singers; they performed “O Canada”, and a moving arrangement of “After the War”. This is the second ...

On November 2nd, Nepean’s library was the location of a very exciting event, the first ever Nepean Human Library. The event was organized by our teacher librarian, Ms. Machecknie, and was made available to multiple Grade 12 social science classes. The human library is a concept that came from public libraries and has been around for a long time. Initially, it was set up to be very “provocative”; you would sign up for one-on-one sessions with people who you wouldn’t typically talk to, such as a past inmate. The goal for Nepean’s human library was not to be provocative but ...

Book: Bruised
Author: Tanya Boteju
Review: ⅘ stars
Recently I read a great book that I wanted to recommend to everyone who enjoys the contemporary genre - this story has got something for everyone, including sports, romance, family issues, and more. The central theme discussed is grief, as the main character lost her family in a tragic car accident and has since struggled with processing her hurt and finding a productive way to deal with it. The story mostly focuses on her joining a roller skating derby team, where she learns healthier coping mechanisms, how to let people in, and the many definitions ...

Last year I learned about a great new opportunity to join the International Certificate Program (ICP) run by Mr. Oussoren. It can open many doors including the exchange program, possible careers, and unique experiences around Ottawa. The program is about increasing global awareness and becoming a global citizen by thinking about different cultures and immersing oneself in a new language, and possibly a different outlook on life.
I chose to participate in an exchange program because I love to travel, learn about different perspectives through a new cultural lens, and immerse myself in new cultures. The ICP offered a 5 ...

Tabitha heaved a sigh, picking at a stray thread on their sweater. The sweater in question was dreadfully itchy, Tabitha didn’t know if they could have beared wearing it if not for its rich green colour. Though they might have gotten some nasty looks from their mother-in-law for not delighting in the gift that her Nana worked so hard to make for them. At least Tabitha had a soft chemise they could wear underneath.
“Is Agatha finally gone?” A voice said from behind them. They turned to see Silas enter the parlour.
Tabitha snorted, taking a seat on the warm grey couch. ...

Covid has left a lasting impact on all Ontario schools, particularly within the arts faculty. Many of the Arts rely on performance, so they struggled with enrollment when students had to practice and rehearse in an alternative format through online and distance learning. Nepean’s music and vocal programs felt some of the greatest effects, being forced to shift to significantly smaller class sizes and drastically altered class structures. Both groups spent a lot of the past two years practicing both distanced and outside, formats that had significant influence on the unity of the choir and band experience. To encourage enrollment, ...

At the beginning of this book we learn that Alina, a 16 year old girl, has only ever had Mal to rely on. While reading Shadow and Bone, you see the obvious with Mal. He is wholesome, strong and represents home, heart and morale. By first impression Mal seems to be the perfect person for Alina. You see Alina and Mal bonded at an early stage in their lives, which explains why they depend on each other so much. For example, in the book Mal is assigned to go into the Shadow Fold, but Alina makes sure she accompanies him ...

Ms. Amenta’s grade 10s charcoal paintings.
Stan Lee in Charcoal
Felix Delage
Silken Laumann in Charcoal
Eden Ramunas
Lewis Hamilton in Charcoal
Zachary Pantarotto
Simu Liu in Charcoal
William Jiang
Jennifer Aniston in Charcoal
Kayla McIlhagga
Marilyn Monroe in Charcoal
Keely Geoffrion ...

Ms. Amenta’s Grade 9 art class Sketchbook assignment
Finnian Gillespie
Ali Cote
Milana Lazarenko
Lucy Marshall
Layla Shapero
Eloise Tikuisis
Evelyne Patriquin
Amanda Stott ...

Ms. Amenta’s Grade 9 art class’s penned portrait collection.
Vera Oldfield
Sosuke Jono
Sienna Bryant
Sakurako Jono
Ruben Deme-Lindberg
Miguen Ali
Lucy Marshall
Evan Harris
Eva Sutherland ...

Jazz band!!! (Grades nine–twelve)
On October 28th, Nepean High School’s music department held their first performance of the year. “Knightmare on Broadview” featured a collection of Halloween themed music from almost all of our musical ensembles. Our Concert band (Grades 9-10), Wind Ensemble (Grades 11-12), Jazz Band, Saxophone Double Quartet, vocals music class, and ensembles from the Grade 12 music class all performed. We gave a glimpse of what our music program has to offer to six hundred Grade 8 students, and hosted three of our feeder schools: Broadview public school, Woodroffe Avenue Public School and Fisher Park PS/Summit Alternative PS. ...

On Thursday October 20th, the student vote for the ongoing municipal election took place in Nepean high school’s cafeteria run by Ms. Sandapen and Ms. Mason and their students from 9.15 to 11.30 AM. Quoting Ms. Sandapen to explain what exactly the Student Vote is, “The Student Vote is an authentic learning program that provides students with the opportunity to experience the voting process firsthand. It is organized by a non-partisan, national registered charity known as CIVIX and it aims at building the skills and habits of active and informed citizenship among High School students and young Canadians. This year ...

Disclaimer: This article makes use of the word “queer” in a reclaimed context.
Halloween as we know it today is the result of an evolution in spiritual practices and continuous adding-ons of new traditions and ideas. Its origins are found in the Celtic pagan holiday of Samhain (pronounced: “SAW - WIN”), a fire festival taking place on November 1st. This occasion, whose name means, “summer’s end”, celebrated the transition from the lighter to darker part of the year (or summer to winter). Because of the liminality of this time, it was believed that fairies and the dead were able ...

With Halloween right around the corner, it got me thinking; where did the monster and other devious creatures we associate with the scariest season of the year come from?
Vampires are probably one of the most abundant Halloween costumes out there, regardless of age. We have a very specific view of our favorite shapeshifting, blood-sucking (sometimes sparkling) coffin dwelling creatures, but that wasn’t always the case.
A lot of our modern interpretation comes from Bram Stoker’s novel, ‘Dracula’. Just hearing the name has most people thinking about some dark castle covered in cobwebs, deep in a forest or far in ...

This month, on October 10th, it was World Mental Health Day. This occasion was first celebrated in 1992 at the World Federation for Mental Health and is done in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO). Its goal is to bring awareness to mental health issues and to advocate against the social stigma present in our society. Every year there is a specific theme being tackled and this year the theme is “Make Mental Health & Well-Being for All a Global Priority”. Before the pandemic 1 in 8 people globally were living with mental health issues. Add in ...

In the time following the pandemic, Grade 12 students at Nepean High School have been working to make the most of their final year of high school. COVID-19 has erased most of the classic high school experience for the class of 2023, but this year’s seniors have now been given a chance for normalcy. For Student Council co-presidents Hattie Mccullough and Ella Durno, this comes with a newfound responsibility of rebuilding a school’s community as we emerge from the depths of the pandemic. Having spent much of the past two years online in altered schedules, most of Ontario’s schools, such ...

Kids, young and old wandered the streets together or alone, avoiding the broken down, old house— rumors broke out in the town and the town folks began making up stories about the house, some silly and some too scary. On one fateful Halloween, a couple of kids gone trick-or-treating without their parents and stumble across the creepy old house across the street, they both pandered the thought of knocking it’s door but town’s people warned them of the dangers— the little kids batted their eyes and betted that they would be fine; walking up to the house the town’s people ...

From October third to sixth, Nepean High School’s student council hosted our first spirit week for our 2022-2023 school year! The idea behind this week’s spirit week was “Battle of the Grades”, where each grade had their own sub-theme which fell under a general idea for the whole school.
On Monday, our school spirit day was centered around colours, and each grade was expected to show up wearing their grade’s colours. Grade nine wore red, grade ten wore yellow, grade eleven wore green, and grade twelve wore blue!
Tuesday was a day for the four seasons! Students across all four ...

This is a collection of carta Stropicciata sketchbook assignments from ms. Amenta’s art class
Victoria Leonard
Vera Oldfield
Sosuke Jono
Sakura Jono
Polina Lavrynenko
Olivia Voros
Molly Hale
Milana Lazarenko
Miguen Ali
Lyle Beck
Lucy Marshall
Layla Shapero
Kat Van Der Schee
Heidi Earle-Budgell
Evelyne Patriquin
Eva Sutherland ...

The first soccer game of the season for the Nepean Knights kicked off on September 27th, as the Nepean Knights won against the St. Paul Knights in the backfield of Nepean High School. The crowd contained seniors and juniors of Nepean High School, students from St. Paul, students from Broadview Public School and Nepean’s enthusiastic mascot, Knighty.
Knighty entertaining the crowd.
#9 scoring a goal.
Along with the superb performance in the game, the bake sale that was run as a prom fundraiser did great, selling snacks like brownies for spectators watching the game.
As for the season ahead, the team’s coach ...

October 1, 2022
“I walked out of the library and there were like a thousand people crowding around the tables, and I was so stressed, but also happy at the same time,” Moh, a co-president of DSU at Nepean High School, recounted.
DSU and Youth in Action collaborated to organize a bake sale on September 29th with 100% of the proceeds going towards the Assembly of Seven Generations (A7G).
$415 was raised, and all the money is going towards this empowering program. The A7G is a non-profit, Indigenous organization, centered around Indigenous youth. They are dedicated to encouraging cultural diversity within ...

This is a 2nd collection of Ms. Amenta’s Grade 9 and 10 students’ art journal assignments to create a mixed media portrait.
Yasmin Imseis
Victoria Leonard
Vera Oldfield
Sebastian Medeiros
Sakura Jono
Ramona Bryce
Polina Lavrynenko
Nate Moons
Murtaza Shams
Molly Hale
Lyle Beck
Lucy Marshall
Layla Shapero ...

This is a collection of Ms. Amenta’s Grade 9 and 10 students’ art journal assignments to create a mixed media portrait.
Sydney Wright
William Jiang
Maria Coates
Lila Pare Lufti
Lauren Ortiz
Keely Geoffrion
Kayla McIlhaggan
Kat Van Der Schee
Karina Dobson
Kai Seto
Juliette Bordenave
Julianne Tran
Isabel Ramirez Hennessy
Eva Sutherland
Evan Zikovitz
Estella Grondin
Eden Ramunas
Camryn Magnusson
Boris Padalko
Ben Dickens
April Burns
Ameera Hassan
Amanda Stott
Ali Cote ...

During the Ontario provincial election of May 2022, the Ontario Liberals proposed the Ontario Liberal Education plan, which raised the idea of reinstating an optional Grade 13 as a way for students to further enrich their learning before graduation.
After consistently experiencing interrupted learning throughout the pandemic, many students have been opting to complete a "victory lap", voluntarily staying in high school beyond the typical four years. Victory laps have been traditionally used to boost grades, complete missing prerequisites, and fulfill scholarship requirements. As of 2013 however, a 34-credit threshold was introduced by the Liberal party- limiting funding for most ...

In middle school, I gravitated towards Young Adult fiction novels like a natural satellite caught in the orbit of a thriving planet. Whether because I felt some sense of maturity at reading something on that level or I just genuinely enjoyed the tropes and clichés common to that genre, I was drawn to these types of books and would read nothing but. It was by this obsession that I happened upon the novel Carry On by Rainbow Rowell. It had been a few years before I finally picked it up again for a summer read, and upon digesting these words ...

BURN by Patrick Ness
I picked up Burn one day in an Indigo, intrigued by the mystical cover and the fact it was historical fiction, one of my favorite genres. Let me paint you a picture: A young African- American girl in the midst of the cold war, living on a small farm in Washington. It's a casual, accurate life for the time, except for one thing: Dragons exist, and they always have.
It's an interesting idea, so interesting that I purchased it quickly and read it dutifully. Here are my thoughts.
First, I would like to look at the positives of this ...

A crisp air strikes me suddenly with haste,
Holds me still, allows me to gaze into space,
Fall takes away much of life’s beauty without a trace,
There is a sadness in losing everything,
And I wonder, how anyone could love such a season,
Does Mother Nature have a reason?
“Life must go on,” she says,
A gust of wind blows my way,
Shows me a world without seasons, without change,
As I continued to stroll down the old country lane,
The world ceased to exist,
For a moment, I pondered how I’d become lost,
A hint of beauty was in the midst,
The autumn leaves appeased my wandering soul,
Commencing a new chapter,
A ...

On September 9, the first Friday of the school year, StudCo hosted a “Welcome Back Friday Fun!” event. The event was filled with freezies, music and lots of chalk drawings! It also served as a chance for students to get to know some of their StudCo representatives. Overall, the event was a huge success. Lots of students showed up just to hang out and to write lots of encouraging messages on the sidewalk along with various drawings. This event is just the beginning of StudCo’s plans for exciting events in the upcoming school year. This is the first year we’ve ...

The sheep's’ goal is to SHEAR away all the bad grammar and spelling left in this cold, grammar-less world.
They hope that someday we can all leave in peace and harmony with good grammar all around.
And with one person to lead us all:
The SHEEPMAN ...

In French:
Le jour des franco-ontariens est une célébration adoptée le 26 août 2010. Célébrer le 25 septembre, le jour est important pour souligner une partie de la culture canadienne qui n’est pas toujours dans la lumière.
Le 25 septembre est l’anniversaire du premier lever du drapeau franco-ontarien qui a eu lieu en 1975 à l’Université Laurentienne à Sudbury. Créé par Michel Dupuis et Gaétan Gervais, c’est un drapeau qui représente les personnes comme lui. Le trille pour l’Ontario, le lys pour la langue française, le vert pour les étés et le blanc pour les hivers relie plusieur aspect de leur ...

On June 18, 2022, tables were arranged and doors were opened in the Nepean High School cafeteria. From 3:30 to 6pm, the school partook in its multicultural night event, run by the Diverse Student Union (DSU). Upon entering, visitors were instantly presented with the grand layout of stands; many bearing flags of their culture’s respective nations, with an assortment of cultural items and articles bestrewed across their surfaces. Balloons of all colours lined the walls too, making the sight a truly vibrant one.
The multicultural night was an event that the DSU would run annually each May, but due to the ...

3D printers are machines that, as the name suggests, make plastic, real life objects based on 3D models that are created on a computer. Being able to make almost any shape relatively quickly has many applications. It has quite a lot of practical uses, such as making an object of a very specific size to fill a hole, making clips to seal bags, making a case for something (assuming it's small enough to fit in the printer), or even 3D printing a piece of a washing machine that's no longer being made! Due to how quickly you can make precise ...

This recipe is my favourite for when I don't want to spend time finding a recipe. It is relatively easy, extremely versatile, and consistently delicious. Perfect for when I've been asked to make dinner and I don't want to spend 10-15 minutes surfing the web for a new and interesting recipe. You can throw anything into this Mac & Cheese, and it will still taste nice. I like to throw in some frozen peas and sweetcorn, to make it a little bit healthier, and whatever random leftover meat we have lying around in the fridge. In the photo above, I ...

For as long as any of us have known, Queen Elizabeth II was the figurehead of society. Head of the British royal family and the commonwealth. Elizabeth was born on the 21st of April, 1926 to George Windsor and Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. She was third in line to the throne, behind her uncle, Edward, and her father, never expected to be queen. However when she was just 10 years old, King Edward VIII abdicated the throne for love, marrying American divorcé Wallis Simpson. Immediately following her uncle’s abdication, Elizabeth’s father became King George VI, making her next in line.
8 years ...

What are you looking forward to in this coming school year?
Summer is a great time to unwind with a good book; write a review of a book you read over the break!
September 30th is National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, write about your experience of the day and its importance.
September marks our entry into fall; write a poem or piece of creative writing about the concept of changing of seasons. ...

The student elections for the provincial government are yet another important event our school hosts for its students. I spoke to Mme. Sandapen, a civics and careers teacher who ran this event.

The results provided by Mme. Sadapen for the Ontario Student Votes:

The province-wide results from the 124 ridings in Ontario.
- Number of participating schools: 1,672
- Votes reported: 252,680

Students elected an NDP majority government and the Liberals formed the official opposition.
NDP: 75 seats, 29% of the vote
Liberal: 28 seats, 22% of the vote
PC: 17 seats, 19% of the vote
Green: 4 seats, 16% ...

“I think a lot of what we want to achieve is awareness. Awareness of the fact that a lot of Indigenous artwork is stolen, and a lot of the orange shirts we wear are sort of a form of tokenism, if they don’t genuinely give back. Awareness to issues in our country surrounding Indigenous people. As well as just awareness of what true reconciliation is.” – Elsa (student in NAC20).
For the past two months, the NAC20 class has been working hard on a project to design orange shirts for Indigenous Heritage Month that will directly give back to Indigenous ...

After over two years of limited activities, Nepean’s drama department was finally able to put on a show; this year’s feature was The Creature Creeps. Well advertised, this exquisitely cast production was a demonstration of our school’s dramatic excellence.
Despite co-editor Hugh Kelly being a main character in the play, the cast still took it upon themselves to call out our newspaper directly and I have thus taken it as a challenge to write a scathing review ;)
All jokes aside, I was very impressed by the overall talent and execution with stellar performances from the entire cast, in particular Max ...

Towards the beginning of this month, Nepean’s music program put together a small concert to introduce the new students to the possibilities that the program offers. This event was made to inspire a new generation to take up music by introducing a myriad of different options, from the school choir to the Jazz Band, and even a song composed and performed by the grade 11-12 Jazz Combo.
In the morning, the musicians and singers performed in Nepean’s very own auditorium - with this being the first time it’s been used for a concert since the start of the Covid-19 shutdown ...

For many 18-year-olds at Nepean, the Ontario provincial election on June 2nd was their first ever chance to vote. In the week leading up to the election, I asked these students some questions to help me understand their feelings about voting for the first time.
Almost every person I talked to who was eligible (18 years or older on the day of the election) said they planned to vote or had already participated in advance voting. Some were very excited about this, but most were not particularly invested in it. They were happy to contribute to our democracy, however didn’t feel ...

Concrete. A universally durable and versatile construction material, concrete is the second most consumed substance in the world, right behind water.
As it stands, it’s hard to revise the widespread use of this material, which has been in use since its origins in Rome, 200 BC. The UN Population Division (2022) estimates that 56% of the human population now lives in urban cities. This intensifies the need for concrete for high density in infrastructure ranging from schools and office buildings to skyscraper living areas (Giatec Scientific, 2017).
Watts (2019): Concrete uses nearly a 10th of the world’s industrial water use, ...

This year, Nepean’s Key Club came up with an exciting new initiative, the clothing swap. The first clothing swap happened on April 28th and was a hit with students. This was Key Club’s first in person event of the year and the group was very happy with the turn out and the chance to host an event to bring students together. Key Club got a giant donation of clothing from a local second hand store, Plato’s Closet, and students could either swap their own clothing for another item or buy an item of clothing. All proceeds go to supporting the ...

Do you like brownies or cupcakes? Well then, I hope you were present for the bake sale which took place in the main hall at lunch on Friday, June 17. This wonderful event was organized by the Youth In Action Club, as well as Ms. Samuels’ NAC20 class.
From cookies, to donuts, there were dozens and dozens of baked goods generously made by students for the NAC20 and Youth in Action’s bake sale. In addition, there were the kindly donated treats from Maverick’s Donuts and Strawberry Blonde Bakery for those students with food allergies or dietary restrictions.
The bake sale was created ...

On June 10th, Nepean’s dedicated staff and students hosted the Athletic Banquet as a way to honor the achievements of the school’s student athletes. The event consisted of an assembly and an awards ceremony, as well as free pizza at the end for those involved.
The assembly began with coaches of the different teams giving brief speeches about the year’s highlights, celebrating their team, and presenting an MVP award to one student who best demonstrated the team's values. Once each team's coach had spoken, eight more awards were presented to select athletes. These included the Coaches Award, Vincent Frank Memorial ...

On June 2nd over 600 Nepean students participated in Nepean’s annual Relay For Life fundraiser in support of the Canadian Cancer Society. A long-standing Nepean tradition, Relay for Life has continued on over the past two years in a modified online format, with this year's fundraiser being the first in-person event since 2019. This year, Nepean students raised a truly impressive amount of over $113,000, beating their original goal of $70,000 with flying colours. Some very dedicated students in particular spent the month of May fundraising and managed to raise over $1,000 each.
This year being the first in-person RFL since ...

This semester has been packed with opportunities for students involved with our music department. Read through to see what we’ve been up to!
NHS students in the instrumental music program were practicing vigorously for their adjudication at Capital Region Music Fest. The Concert band and Wind Ensemble recorded the week of April 25th. Capital Region Music Fest is an opportunity for schools across Ottawa to perform, and receive feedback on their musicality. A professional musician watches each school’s performance and adjudicates them (gives them feedback), and gives a score. On Thursday, May 12th, Mr. Chris ...

Each student painted one of the 25 canvases. We put them together and, voila, we have a 100cm x 125cm painting of the school mascot, the Knight! ...

Parent
Ian Yang
Garbage Collector
Ethan Harvey
Painter
Felix Delage
Detective
Grace Nicol
Gardener/Landscaper
Greta Gaskin
Chocolatier
Isabelle Kukla-Colby
Chef
Jack Mandel
Marine Biologist
Jana Alnakeeb
Crossing Guard
Jenna Zaitlin
Soccer Player
Lauren Ortiz
Marine Biologist
Miina Wallner ...

Each student painted one of the 25 canvases. We put them together and got this beautiful scene by the lake. This painting is now permanently mounted at the Cornerstone Shelter for Women in the NHS neighbourhood and helps to make the facility feel more like a home. ...

Each student painted one of the 25 canvases. We put them together and got this beautiful lakeside mountain scene. This painting is now permanently mounted at the Cornerstone Shelter for Women in the NHS neighbourhood and helps to make the facility feel more like a home. ...

Pirate
Brayden Saxe
Florist
Aisha Yousuf
Entomologist
Amelia Chardon
Optometrist
Ava Lawlor
Kayaker
Blake Laughton
Game Designer
Callum Lynch
Author
Charlotte Rempel
Fashion Designer
Daniela Kucser
NFL TV Broadcaster
Danika Richardson
Farmer
Ella Smith
Nurse
Emily Nicol
Surgeon
Estella Grondin ...

Train Conductor
Rachel Berliant
Stage Actress
Natalya Rose
Uber Driver
Noah Tourangeau
Runway Model
Rayna Marcantonio
Rock Climber
Robin Daniels
Scuba Diver/Marine Biologist
Sawyer McDonald
Energy Engineer
Tabisa Watanabe
3D Modeler
William Jiang
Author
Amiyah Whissel
Florist
Grace Dingwall
Farmer
Enida Bala ...

The trends of 2021/2022: Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift, baggy jeans, Squid Game, Kim and Kanye’s demise, the Met Gala and most metionably, social change. See, never more has social justice been a topic discussed, argued and defended than by our very own Gen-Z. Only as a generation, we struggle to prolong the spotlight of such radical societal issues for which reason they often fail to withstand the test of time. For one month wide reaching corporations dress their logos in rainbow and call it support. For a month, headlines were dedicated uniquely to the crisis in Ukraine and for a ...

“Pain-eater fast today; starve yourself a while.”
This is the first line we’re greeted with in the actual book and is just an example of the beautiful, poetic wording of Francesca Ekwuyasi, who’s writing style I, personally, am in love with and the first reason why this book is a must read. Though the book doesn’t contain any actual poems, the way the words will speak to you and have you feeling like you’re really there, watching these characters, living their lives and feeling how they feel definitely isn’t something to look over.

Francesca (a Nigerian-Canadian author), in her debut ...

This will be the final edition of Knightwatch for the school year so we hope to finish off strong with lots of submissions! As always, we have prepared some prompts to get the ideas flowing but all appropriate content will be published.
Happy Pride Month! We would like to especially encourage submissions from LGBTQ+ members of our school community.
June is also Indigenous History Month! Celebrate by sharing your favourite songs, books, movies, or artwork by Indigenous creators.
The first day of summer is June 21st. Share your bucket list or exciting plans with us!
As we close off another school year, many ...

Bryn Robins (left) dunking a basketball. Sophie Milley (right) with a soccer trophy.
In the past two years, the unpredictable pandemic has caused more cancellations and postponements than anyone could have imagined. Athletes are among those who have been particularly affected by all this, as rescheduling has become a regular occurrence, and many sports have been scrapped part way through seasons. Even when practices have been allowed, games, tournaments, and events have often been considered too much of a risk. At these times, players were limited to training with just their teams.
2022 has shown promise in the return to “normal” ...

Inspired by Hokusai's 36 Views of Mt. Fuji, done for Media Studies class assignment on 8' by 11' paper with pencil and pencil crayons. ...

Minecraft hardcore is a fun challenge for most. Some people will play until they defeat the ender dragon (and arguably beat the game), while others will stick around to grab their loot. There are, however, a select few that will elect to stick with their worlds for hundreds (sometimes thousands) of hours. If you want the best chances of keeping your hardcore world for as long as possible, then this guide is for you. These are my personal tips to live by that I have learned in my thousands of hours in the game and 300+ hours playing hardcore.
Early game ...

A blank wall,
discoloured rectangles sit
in stage centre.
The girl reaches out,
her fingers brush along
where frames once sat.
Picture frames, her mother told her,
taken down now
as their glass was reflective.
Every wall in the house
exactly like this one.
No glass, no mirrors, no reflections.
Nothing to gaze upon oneself with.
Mirrors, her mother warned her,
portrayed only lies and ugliness.
Purity can only be found
when the ego is beaten and forsaken.
The girl’s hands freeze as the water from the sink runs cold.
She takes a facecloth and dabs her face,
hoping that,
though she will not see,
her facial features are lovely.
At school,
the bathrooms are to be avoided.
So that ...

Here is the playlist on Spotify!
The Nepean Playlist has returned! For our third and final edition, we asked NHS students to send us their three favourite upbeat, summer songs. Once again, the response was incredible, and we have compiled this wide variety of songs into a Spotify playlist (linked at the top of this article).
The collection is over five hours long, so you’ll have lots of great songs to enjoy as the summer begins. Out of all 83 tracks submitted, there were ZERO duplicates, which demonstrates the individuality of Nepean students’ taste in music. There were 92 artists, with the ...

Nepean’s music programs are making a tremendous effort to lead the way in our return to regular life, with students and teachers alike paving the way for incoming grades. On June 2nd, Nepean’s music department will be giving performances for grade seven and eight students at Broadview and Fisher Park Summit Alternative School (FPSA). The primary goal of the event is to reintroduce students to the importance of music in schools, and inspire them to take part in their own school music programs.
Earlier this week, I was given the opportunity to sit down and discuss this event with Mr. Carter, ...

May 2nd through 6th is recognized by the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board as Education Week, often referred to as Teacher Appreciation Week elsewhere in the world. Over the past few years, with countless sudden changes to school operations, it’s fair to say that our teachers deserve some appreciation. I recently spoke with a few of Nepean’s many wonderful teachers, to learn what drew them to this profession, and what inspires them as educators.
First, I talked with Mrs. Hunter, who has been teaching music and English at NHS for the past two and a half years. When asked why she chose ...

Rachel Berliant
Allison Lorbetskie
Stella Humeniuk
Robin Daniels
Sawyer McDonald
Rayna Marcantonio
Noah Tourangeau
Grace Dingwall
Felix Delage
Ian Yang
Jenna Zaitlin
Lily Cooper
Eloise Olivier
Ella Smith
Henry Fine
Emily Nicol
Jasmine Burrill
Enida Bala
Charlotte Rempel
Charlotte Anderson
Jana Alnakeeb
Estella Grondin
Amiyah Whissell
Tabisa Watanabe
Arielle Viner Lemelin
Audrey McCullough
Bao Trinh
William Jiang
Amelia Chardon ...

February, 2018. My friend hands me a pair of books as a birthday present. One of these books, a tricoloured novel of black, white, and red, has one of the most simplistically beautiful covers I've ever seen. The title, written in a simple, legible font, reads "The Night Circus." A vague and interesting title, I curiously flip to the back to find out more. A duel between magicians?
"Huh, it sounds a lot like a mix between Caraval and..." I say.
"No, no," one of my other friends says, smiling. "This book actually inspired Caraval."
The Night Circus is the 2015 debut novel ...

Garrick willed himself to breathe slowly as he watched his opponent’s arms and legs expand. Across from him in the sand, Fenra’s olive skin rippled, popped, and tightened around her swollen muscles. Maintaining fierce eye-contact, she cracked her neck, her shoulders, and finally her knuckles, adjusting to the extra weight of her new flesh.
Garrick remained still, half-crouched, tempering his mind for the coming battle. Silently, he analyzed the combat instructor’s rules for the duel: Last one on the rock wins. He and Fenra were on opposite sides of a flat-topped column of stone, about twenty meters in diameter. Underneath his ...

The Nepean Playlist has returned! Our third and final volume will feature upbeat songs to put us in the right mood for summer. You can contribute your favourite songs using this form: https://forms.gle/SgBnehCM9846i7zK8
May is Asian Heritage Month. Celebrate this month by writing a review of a book by an Asian author, a movie by an Asian director, or an album by an Asian artist.
On May 3rd we celebrate our teachers for National Teacher Appreciation Day! Write about a teacher who had a positive impact on your life.
May 8th is Mother’s Day! Tell us about your mom or another important motherly ...

Last week, I had the opportunity to talk to a classmate and friend of mine: Sarah Hume. Sarah is a grade nine musician, and she was one of the performers at our Black History Month Assembly. We spoke about her musical journey, and what led her to be the person she is today.
Earlier this year, she covered “Don’t Make Me Wait”, by Hunnah, an Ethiopian singer from Toronto, by singing and playing the piano. Her performance was showcased in our Black History Month assembly. You can watch the video on Nepean’s Diverse Student Union’s Instagram, here. Hunnah is a ...

April is Earth Month, so I took the opportunity to speak with Emily Drummond and Timmy Lewis, two senior members of the Nepean Environment Club. They were excited to tell me about their club’s eco-initiatives and how community members can have a positive impact on the environment in their daily lives.
Drummond has been involved in the club since her first year of high school, and has taken on more of a leadership role these past two years. Lewis, also a grade 12 student, joined the group through his Resource Management class and has since been an active member.
The ...

Lily Cooper
Amelia Chandron
Amiyah Whissell
Arielle Viner
Audrey McCulough
Ava Lawlor
Devyn Miller
Estella Grondin
Henry Fine
Jenna Zaitlin
Kate Young
Miina Wallner
Rachel Berliant
Rayna Marcantonio
Stella Humeniuk
Tabisa Watanabe
William Jiang ...

Shiloh was five when the dark birds disappeared. They remembered looking out through the squared window of their bedroom every night they could, watching against the darkness of the sky for the flapping of the birds’ wings. They fell asleep every evening to the sound of their calls and songs, and woke every morning to their farewell. It was a routine, with the dark birds the night was brought, and with the light birds the morning was ushered in.
To say it was a shock when the fall of night ceased to continue is an understatement.
The denial came first of course, ...

April 2 marks the start of Ramadan, the ninth month in the Islamic calendar and one of the holiest months of the year for Muslims. Ramadan officially begins when the month of Shaban, the eighth month of the Islamic (Hijri) calendar, ends. As the Islamic calendar is based around the lunar cycle, Ramadan rotates by approximately ten days each year. Ramadan is a time of spiritual reflection, self-improvement, worship, as well as the most known action — fasting from sunrise to sunset.
During Ramadan, Muslims are encouraged to take more time out to read the Qur’an (a religious text, much like ...

The asphalt street glimmers orange
from the dew left
The parallel houses
of muted-colour clapboards and red brick walls
hatted by black shingle
Through one square paned window
I see graduation pictures
of a person who no longer lives there
Turn to the right, another window
A fireplace,
Cards flocked across its mantle
like birds on a wire
Another window, just up ahead
A couch, sunken and grooved
Years worth of history
within its cushions
Once more, a window there
The curtains are drawn
The lights are dark
The family has gone to sleep
Good night ...

On April 6th, a wonderful collaboration occurred between the Environmental Sciences class, the Youth In Action Club, and the Leadership class at Nepean High School. The Environmental Science Class and Environmental Club grew over 95 veggie plants, mainly consisting of lettuce. From this number, 45 were donated to the Britannia Wood Food Pantry, with the help of Youth In Action. The Leadership class coordinated the sale of the remaining lettuce to students/staff at Nepean High School and over $135 was raised. This money was both given to the Britannia Wood Food Pantry and used to maintain the hydroponic tower system. ...

Jenna Zaitlin
Bao Trinh
Callum Lynch
Ella Smith
Gabby Hatoum
Tess Robillard
Robin Daniels
Noah Tourangeau
Kate Young
Grace Dingwall ...

Honouring Tracy Moore
By Audrey McCullough
Honouring Lincoln M. Alexander
By Brayden Saxe
Lillian Allen Asserts Her Vision and Creates Beauty in the World
By Jenna Zaitlin
Honouring Oscar Peterson
By Jack Mandel
A Tribute to John Ware
By Jasmine Burrill
Celebrating Salome Bey
By Grace Nicol
Honouring Anson Carter
By Emily Nicol
Honouring Chika Stacy
By Jana Alnakeeb
Celebrating Eleanor Collins: "Give It All You Got"
By Jaida Lawson
Celebration of Artist Joan Butterfield
By Rayna Marcantonio ...

Middleditch and Schwarts is a Netflix comedy special with three episodes, each about forty-five minutes long. I’m not quite sure if that counts as a TV show, but who cares: it’s truly top-quality entertainment.
The show is performed by two outstanding comedians, Thomas Middleditch and Ben Schwartz. What makes it different from other comedy specials is that the entire show is improvised, meaning the two actors have not planned anything beforehand. Nothing is scripted, so everything they say is made up on the spot.
At the beginning of each episode, Thomas and Ben ask the audience for an important event that has ...

This month, the Nepean Student Council (StudCo) decided to host a town hall in the auditorium so that students could voice their different opinions and thoughts about events that are coming up. This meeting allowed the StudCo to be more transparent with the student community about the changes that would take place. The plan is for the town hall to happen once a month. Students can follow the StudCo Instagram page to see when these meetings will occur. It is highly recommended for individuals to attend these town halls to participate and stay informed about school events.
Due to COVID-19, ...

Nepean is host to so many talented young artists. One of these students is Serena Manouchehri, a Grade 11 student who recently finished writing and directing her debut short film.
The film, “The Movie Theatre” is, as Serena puts it, about four teenagers who go into a movie theatre and after falling asleep, their worst fears come to life on screen.
Serena was inspired in the midst of COVID-19 to write a script involving memories and self reflection. Those concepts spent a long time going through various drafts and eventually evolving into what became the movie.
Once finished the ...

The Muslim Student Association (MSA) was formed many years ago, but it wasn't well known to most of the student body. However, when Ms. Ibrahim came to the school this year, she made it her mission to make the club more well known and take on initiatives to celebrate Islam as well as discover false misconceptions of Islam. She wanted a space where students could go to learn more about Islam and have a safe place at school to practice their religion.
The club's purpose is to organize events within the school to present students with a learning opportunity about ...

This story was a submission to our March 2022 Short Story Contest.
The air was filled with sulfur and the smells stung your nose. I had always wanted to see Sturmwalle’s golden seas, their beautiful waves of wheat like a rolling ocean and clouds towering like giants in a line. Alas I bid farewell to the beautiful land and walk home over reddened black dirt, with my rifle and the spirits of my comrades.
One day I will come back to this fair land to see this land in peace, I will see the prairie roses as red dots on a ...

This story was a submission to our March 2022 Short Story Contest.
“Stop, I can't do this. Is there another way down?” I ask frantically
I am boiling, face as hot as the saharan desert even though it's cold, -15.
My breathing quickens, my heart races and my vision goes blurry. “I shouldn't have done this, I shouldn't have done this, I shouldn't have done this” I repeat in my head. “Let's go, '' my best friend said eagerly. I knew I should have just stayed in the car.
What to do now? I'm at the top of a monster of a hill with ...

This story was a submission to our March 2022 Short Story Contest.
Lucia stirred.
Her scars and scratches stung, she was alive.
No~
no
This isn’t in the prophecy.~
She jolted awake.
Ah!
A sharp pain spun through her head.
“Be careful, Vexar didn’t exactly take it easy on you”
That voice, Lucia remembered,
She saved me, I had been slipping into unconsciousness, that was supposed to be the end.
The sun must set by the hand of the shade.
Lucia couldn’t understand why her Nemesis would want any different.
The night queen sat peacefully on a rock slightly above where Lucia lay, raven hair blowing in the cool autumn breeze.
“Did you ...

Charlotte Remple
Henry Fine
Kaia McLennan ...

This story was a submission to our March 2022 Short Story Contest.
A slight breeze whispered through the roads of west Utah, a mild day but not unusual for late August. Another uneventful day on the road darkened from a day of drizzle. The setting sun over the horizon reflects a soft orange through the thin meniscus of water coating the road. Driving along the canyon's edge was a monthly trip coming home from Arizona. Last month it was Wyoming and the month before Washington. It’s much easier driving into Wendover than leaving. Navigating the mountains and canyons with an empty ...

This story was a submission to our March 2022 Short Story Contest.
I'm finally going back to the house. The house where things I'll never be able to explain happened. Things I chalked up to my imagination. I walk up the driveway, my parents left me the key to the house in their will. I had texted my sisters and asked if they also got keys, but they didn’t respond. I wanted to invite them to come with me, help clean up mom and dad’s stuff. I knew no one would willingly go back there anyway. No one but me, I ...

This story was a submission to our March 2022 Short Story Contest.
It has now been a few months since I died, and as I watch her smile, I can't help but notice how much she has changed. The last time she had smiled, we had been in the hospital, my condition only continuing to worsen. Lacking her usual sincerity and happiness, the faint grin had felt hollow, no more than a facade. An air of hesitancy seemed to envelop us as we sat in silence. Fleeting expressions of sorrow and despair washed over her features, pooling especially in her cerulean ...

This story was a submission to our March 2022 Short Story Contest.
I was caught in an embrace. I didn't want it this way. It wasn't supposed to be like this. I had to get back to the others. They were waiting for me. Away from the thicket in a secluded spot; I had stopped to adjust my pack. As I struggled to break free, I fell down again, but this time fell further than I could have imagined; In fragments of a second I crumpled to the ground. I lay on the dirt wondering where you were to have left ...

This story was a submission to our March 2022 Short Story Contest.
In the hours immediately after I land, everything feels out of focus. Around me are things I remember. Untrimmed bushes and rusting travel-trailers, chipped paint coloring the asphalt beneath. Sleepy August beams filter through mesh windows, creating a fine grid of golden haze on the floorboards. The rooms are empty and the walls are bare. Holes in the drywall indicate where paintings once hung and water stains show the remnants of torrential rainstorms. I walk the late-summer pavement with bare feet, searing callouses into my skin. Places, for years ...

This story was a submission to our March 2022 Short Story Contest.
Hectic and disorganized. Crawling with panicking and unnerved tourists. The airport should be an annoyingly coordinated place. But it is the very opposite. As I stood in front of and looked up to the flight information board, I wipe the increasing amount of sweat off my upper lip and I collect myself. Inhale deeply, exhale deeply. I look for my flight on the screen. It is across the airport. And leaves in 20 minutes. It’s okay, we can do this. After a messy combination of nervous speed ...

This story was a submission to our March 2022 Short Story Contest.
The noise.
As soon as I walk through the front entrance of my house.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
Skylights that leak water into the hardwood floors, turning my living room into a pool. It didn’t matter how many times we replaced them, changed the roof shingles, or patched the ceiling, the leakage continued.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
It all started when everything began falling apart. It was like an earthquake had rushed right through our house, causing havoc as it went. The cabinets in the bathroom all began to come off of ...

This story was a submission to our March 2022 Short Story Contest.
The hinges of the steel door shattered, as a metal-clad boot sailed through the main entrance to the throne room. The doors crashed to the floor, making an earth-shattering reverberation throughout the entire stone citadel. The knight, fitted in shining, polished steel armour, strode into the throne room of the dark gothic stronghold.
“Cult leader of this stygian citadel, I have come to avenge my brethren!” The knight declared in triumph. He waited for a reply, and as the dust settled to the ground, the silhouette of the man ...

This story was a submission to our March 2022 Short Story Contest.
Dear Diary,
Maybe the world was falling apart. Or maybe it was just my world that was falling apart. No, no I’m pretty sure it's falling apart for everyone else too. Everyone else still acts like they're world is perfect. Maybe they’re lying, smiling when they want to cry, applying makeup on their tear stained face, washing away the pain with a new shopping spree, posting a new perfectly staged photo to rebuttal every bad comment they got. Or maybe they aren’t falling apart. Maybe it is just me. My ...

This story was a submission to our March 2022 Short Story Contest.
The rigid trees had a silver glow cast on them by the moon, resembling white, temple columns of civilizations long past.
The wind blew through them, bringing the night’s chill on to the skin of the four teenagers trudging through the undergrowth. The blond boy who walked at the front of the group kept his flashlight trained ahead of him as he shivered.
“Are you sure the park ranger said that the legend really took place this far into the forest?” Alec asked, stepping over a scraggly root protruding ...

This story was a submission to our March 2022 Short Story Contest.
I desperately labored to capture every moment, to preserve ephemeral blips in the eternity of time. Beep, click, snap. Beep, click, snap. My camera whirred in protest as it struggled to document everything my 7 year-old brain found remotely interesting. "Let's get a move on," my father groaned as I methodically documented the eighty-seventh cracked seashell – the scattered debris would have to wait. It was time for the main attractions. As we rushed from record store to garden, beach to restaurant, the scalding Jamaican sun relentlessly beat down, ...

This story was a submission to our March 2022 Short Story Contest.
Another scream ripped through my raw throat as I continued to try and rip apart the chains holding me ,hoping that this time they would break. unsurprisingly they didn’t. My sobs bounced off the steel walls. The doors slammed open as sirens started to go off and people started to flood into my little confined room.A year ago I would have begged them to have a heart to have compassion, but I soon realized that it was a useless feat. Because monsters had no hearts. They were soulless. ...

A drop of light fell from the sky
and landed in a puddle,
its ripple no larger than an eye.
How did within this puddle,
the drop come to lie?
T’was a mere result
of the sun’s mournful cry;
for the moon, her friend,
left her alone up high.
That’s how the drop fell,
that is why.
Then came a young girl
with hair that smelt of fire
who brought a small cup
and marched without tire.
With a fell swoop, she plucked the drop
And lifted the light higher.
“You are the brightest shine, by far,”
Said the girl, with her eyes to the sky.
“Welcome home, my favourite star.” ...

Our March 2022 Short Story Contest has come to a close, and after much deliberation from our panel of seven student judges, the winners have been decided. We received 24 submissions that covered an incredible range of topics: fantastic adventures, dystopian futures, suspenseful mysteries, and even real-world drama. Without further ado, here are the winning stories!
First place: To Know Somebody by Jennifer Ridley
This poetic and heartfelt story flows from one sentence to another while gradually revealing details about its two central characters. It is deeply emotional, and uses many creative literary devices to envelope the reader in its romantic labyrinth.
Second ...

This story is the first place winner of the March 2022 Short Story Contest.
I knew a girl.
I’d only met her three times, but should it be by time that knowledge is truly judged? I would insist that it should not. To know somebody is to embrace every linked star in their soul, not to count every linear minute.
The very first time I saw her was so long ago that bringing forth the memory has a semblance to staring into a muddy puddle. I was at an art camp, she was too. The two camps had merged for one day ...

This story is the third place winner of the March 2022 Short Story Contest.
His boots thunder on the pavement of the courtyard, kicking up small bits of gravel as he races towards the doors of the museum. A glimpse of a shadowy figure dancing across the rooftop makes him run harder, each breath tearing at his throat.
The doorknob is slippery with rain and he can feel the heavy weight of the waterlogged coat on his shoulders. He taps at his pockets frantically only to watch the wood creak open on its hinges, leading the way into the building. He pushes ...

This story is the second place winner of the March 2022 Short Story Contest.
One might say I was fairly nervous. This was my first date after all. And my first time breaking the law.

It was past curfew, so I walked through the back alleys until I hit the industrial part of town. Rumor has it this space used to be fairly trendy back in the day, but now people would describe it as more "mechanical". I walk in the shadows of a wide walkway, metal domes with painted red numbers on them lining the edges. I counted ...

A drop of light fell from the sky
and landed in a puddle,
its ripple no larger than an eye.
How did within this puddle,
the drop come to lie?
T’was a mere result
of the sun’s mournful cry;
for the moon, her friend,
left her alone up high.
That’s how the drop fell,
that is why.
Then came a young girl
with hair that smelt of fire
who brought a small cup
and marched without tire.
With a fell swoop, she plucked the drop
And lifted the light higher.
“You are the brightest shine, by far,”
Said the girl, with her eyes to the sky.
“Welcome home, my favourite star.” ...

This story is an honourable mention in the March 2022 Short Story Contest.
In the first beginning, the Moons and Stars were asleep.
It had always been that way, they never woke, they just existed.
In a much later beginning, it started with one man. There are four things you should know about this man:
1. He was very clever, from an academic standpoint.
2. From any other standpoint, he was also very foolish.
3. He was an inventor, an explorer of science, a man of experiments, although they
...

This story is an honourable mention in the March 2022 Short Story Contest.
I am a baker, not a murderer. As I sit in the nearly empty room, I tap my fingers on the table that sits in front of me. The taps of my fingers are aligned with the ticking of the clock. My right hand is in a set of cuffs, attached to the leg of the chair I sit on. They’re probably searching my apartment now. I don’t know why that scares me, there’s nothing there for them. My leg is jumping. Stop. You look anxious. The ...

The pandemic gave us lots of time to watch TV shows. Write us a review of your favourite binge-worthy show, or one that you could watch over and over again.
April is National Poetry Month! Write us a poem of any kind.
Earth Day is April 22nd. How do you contribute to a greener Earth and what advice can you offer others? Do you think enough action is being taken to fight climate change?
There are several religious holidays this month including Passover, Ramadan and Easter. Do you and your family have special traditions to celebrate?
Happy April Fool’s Day! What is ...

Growing up, I constantly heard the term “Girl Power”. I was fueled by the idea that I, as a girl, could accomplish anything I wanted. A naive but determined child, I was hopeful for my future and armed with my pink flowery notebook and inspirational quotes from women like Michelle Obama and Taylor Swift. It was only later that I learned why I received so much encouragement: an attempt to remedy the poisons of sexism and misogyny that have consistently polluted our society.
From scientific discoveries, to politics, and everything in between, women have been historically underrepresented in achievements of all ...

Maggie Vandenberg is a Grade 12 student at Nepean High School and a founding member of the Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (WiSTEM) club. She is passionate about math and sciences and plans to earn a degree in biomedical engineering after high school.
Maggie was inspired to pursue STEM in university by her older sister, who is currently studying to become an engineer. Maggie’s sister gave her amazing advice and shared her own experiences as a woman in a male-dominated engineering program.
When asked why she started the WiSTEM club, Maggie said, “I noticed that there was an opportunity to ...

On Wednesday the 9th of March, Nepean students hosted a bake sale on Princeton Avenue in order to raise funds to support the people of Ukraine as the Ukraine-Russia conflict continues to escalate. In only a few days of preparation, these students pulled off an incredibly successful bake sale, raising $1273 in one hour. The money raised will be a split donation towards The Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders.
I went to the bake sale on Wednesday as both a patron and observer of this event. Despite how quickly the whole event had come up, the word had really spread ...

Nepean offers many amazing clubs sudents can partake in, one of which is the Intersectional Feminist Alliance (IFA). In case you’re not familiar, intersectional feminism is a movement that recognizes the different aspects of one’s identity such as race, class, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality and uses that to address feminist issues.
I spoke with three Grade 12 members of the IFA: Kate O’Donnell, Hillary Wright, and Faye McBride (pictured above, left to right). As they put it, the IFA works to create a space at Nepean where students can feel safe to discuss feminist issues in their own lives as well ...

In October 2019, Younesse Krama found himself at Nepean’s annual club fair. Because he moved here from Calgary, he had a clean slate, knowing nobody from Ottawa. After being pulled to the Youth in Action by the promise of We Day, Younesse found a community within the club of like-minded people.
Fast-forward a few years, Younesse is now in Grade 12 and is one of the co-leaders of the YIA club, along with Sara Thiessen and Ellie Towaij. These are the same three people who led the organisation and execution of Nepean High School’s Mental Health Week.
Through bi-weekly meetings, YIA ...

My name is Michael Jones, a member of the environment club, and I wanted to let you guys know about Earth Week. Our club has some fun initiatives and activities planned for the week all focused around the theme “waste”, culminating with a community cleanup on Friday, April 22nd, which is Earth Day! There will be big prizes to be won by individuals and classes, so to keep up to date follow @_environmentclub on Instagram! ...

CALLING ALL YOUNG POETS. Happy World Poetry Day! Starting today, Prologue Performing Arts is taking submissions for their digital Student Poetry Publication, which is set to launch at the end of April to conclude National Poetry Month. We have received lots of good poetry from the student body so this is a great opportunity for you to show off your work. To submit, visit the website below.
https://www.prologue.org/call-for-student-poetry-submissions/ ...

You wear the shirt.
But do you know?
Know What it means?
Know Where it’s from?
Know who suffers?
The equivalent of niceties.
You do what's expected so you aren't judged. Fit in.
Blend in.
Be one with the herd.
But do nothing for those who aren't you. Empty actions.
Empty words.
Empty activism.
You wear the shirt, you share a post. What is it for?
For popularity?
For your gain?
For you?
It isn't for you.
It’s for others.
You wear the shirt, you share a post, you say #Let’sTalk That's fine, but what about the rest of the year?
What about those who plaster on a smile every day? What about those who can't anymore?
What about those ...

Almost two months into the second semester, students at NHS have had plenty of time to adapt to this new system. Instead of the alternated semestered system that OCDSB was previously using, students have returned to four classes a day which is the way high school ran before the pandemic. But is it a change that NHS students agree with?
“I think it’s more stressful,” said Julianne, our grade nine representative. She noted the increase in workload, which coincided with the decrease in class time to work on assignments. “A lot of my friends have had to quit sports after school.”
For ...

I never thought my name would be so important
I never thought something as simple as a name
Could make me question where I came from
I never believed that Arielle could so freaking hard to pronounce that i would have to shorten it to Arie
Now that is all I am known as
Not Arielle
Not שושנה אילנה
My name is my source of pride
It is
French
English
Hebrew
Even Italian
(I’m not Italian)
In jewish Ashkenazi tradition
you name your kid after someone
who’s dead
But in christain tradition you name your kid some name like
Paul
Mary
Peter
Something old
Nothing new
Um no offense
I want to be
Me
Not
The II
Or ...

They’re tall and you’re small, she is a she and he is a he
They are them and there's no in between.
She can wear whatever he can wear and he can wear what
She can. They are able to wear whatever they can wear.
A dark face doesn’t mean you’re a disgrace
you’re just as beautiful as the rest of the race
POC are as important as people
Who discipline their place, Their culture and their face.
What I have down there, isn’t for the rest of the world to share
But to know who I identify with love and care.
To ...

Two original songs. Listen to them below!
It’s he who’s in control
FNAF SB ...

Help
Physical
Mental
Voices
Anger
Hate
Hurt
Harsh
Heavy
Hollow
Hypocrite.
Author’s note: This poem can be read top to bottom and bottom to top. ...

Here are a few suggestions to get your ideas flowing this month:
How is the second semester going? Do you prefer having 4 classes each day, or was just 2 better?
March 8 is International Women’s Day! Share a piece of writing or artwork about feminism, or tell us about a strong woman who has inspired you.
March 20 is the Spring Equinox, which marks the official start of a new season. Are you excited for the end of winter, or hoping for even more snow?
March is Francophonie month. Feel free to submit something you wrote during French class or write us a ...

This month we will be running a short story contest for Nepean students, with prizes! Your work of original fiction (one entry per person) must be between 600 and 1000 words, but it can be on whatever topic you would like. There will be gift cards for the top three entries, with values of $75, $50, and $25 (from the winners’ choice of Starbucks, Indigo, Michael’s, GameStop, or Staples). Of course, we expect everyone to be mindful of harmful language and messages in their writing.
The stories will be blindly judged by the students of the Nepean Knightwatch team, using the ...

This month we were fortunate to interview Heaven-Lee Emond and Gloria Rwentambo, two executives of Nepean’s Diverse Student Union (DSU), who are currently co-organizing our school’s Black History Month events. In response to our questions, they emphasized students’ enthusiasm to celebrate this month, but also the need for more open conversations about racial issues in education.
Heaven-Lee and Gloria have both been members of the DSU for multiple years, and are now excited to be leading the club’s initiatives for Black History Month. Gloria says she enjoys being a representative for Black students in the school, and looks forward to bringing ...

In an ever persistent quest to diversify my book shelf, acclaimed author, feminist, and social activist bell hooks has been on my to-be-read list for some time now. Gloria Jean Watkins, known by her pen name ‘bell hooks,’ was a Black american author known for her works regarding love, race, class, gender, art, history, sexuality, mass media, and feminism. She passed away in December 2021 at the age of sixty-nine, having written around forty books in her lifetime.
I recently picked up one of these books, all about love. The first thing that I noticed was the sheer lack of capital ...

When many people think of artificial intelligence (AI), they think of robots or self-driving cars. AI often elicits a sense of amazement, of wonder, of possibility for the future. But just as AI offers advancements, there are also potential consequences — machines are prone to bias, including racism. As Black History Month comes to an end, it’s important to recognize the racial issues in our tech-fueled world, where AI algorithms are present from security cameras to sending a text to your friend. Any bias in these algorithms can result in massive, systemic issues that disproportionately affect Black individuals.
These machines learn ...

Wanda Robson holds a ten dollar Canadian bill picturing Viola Desmond, her sister.
“It’s really important that we show that we support [Black people], and that they’re in a safe environment.” — Amaya, a Nepean High School student.
On February 3rd, students and staff across the OCDSB school board wore black to support Black excellence in all areas of life, despite intentional inequalities that have been present for them. This day was chosen because it is the day the province of Nova Scotia repaid the fine and court costs associated with Viola Desmond’s 1946 court case.
The evening of November 8, 1946, Viola ...

Rosemary Brown went to McGill University as well as UBC where she faced both sexism and racism. She became an advocate for women and people of colour, and was a part of many activist groups. Rosemary Brown became the first black woman to sit in the legislative assembly of British Columbia and she ran for leadership of NDP with the slogan “Brown is Beautiful” (hence the repetition in the background). These are only a few of her many accomplishments. I painted her into the classic Canadian artwork “Under the Shadow of the Tent” by Helen McNicoll (1914). ...

This is a collection of books written by Black authors, each one recommended by a Nepean student or staff member. The slideshow was assembled by our librarian, Ms. MacKechnie, who has been posting one of these recommendations on her Instagram page each day for the month of February. Many of the books are available now in the Nepean library. ...

DRIVE LINK
Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina by Michaela DePrince is a must-read because Michaela Deprince is very admirable and relatable. It will make you want to cry both tears of sadness and tears of joy and the memoir can serve as a window and a mirror. Michaela Deprince is very admirable and relatable at the same time. Michaela went through so much when she was living in Sierra Leone, but her experiences in the United States are relatable to many people. She is inspiring because of how hard she worked and how resilient she is. This book ...

DRIVE LINK
Trevor Noah’s Born a Crime is a must read for many reasons. His narration showcases his unique perspective of a childhood influenced by Apartheid and a much broader view of the many different cultures and societies of South Africa. Trevor shares his story, one that was never easy to live, with his own kind of humour. This is part of what makes this book appealing for many readers. Because, though he addresses many serious issues, such as the racism and violence that he witnessed and experienced from a young age, he doesn’t dwell on these things in anger or ...

The novel When You Were Everything by Black American author Ashley Woodfolk is a must-read as it perfectly encapsulates the grueling reality of losing a friend. Friendship breakups can be just as, if not more heartbreaking than one in a romantic relationship. Cleo is left in shambles after she and her best friend Layla decide to no longer be friends and you really feel it with her. Ashley Woodfolk does a great job at portraying the raw emotions that you feel can’t be put into words while experiencing this. You’ll find yourself wanting to laugh, cry and yell, putting yourself ...

I placed Tau Lewis in the artwork called "Immigrants" by the artist Prudence Heward to honour Lewis's creative and caring qualities. She is an artist who uses recycled materials. The pattern in the background is supposed to imitate one of her own pieces of artwork in which she uses parts of old jeans. ...

Jully Black was heroic and strong. Her family went through some really tough times and she persevered. She advocates for many people who are marginalized and co-founded Empowered in My Skin which empowers young women. I chose to pattern the background with gladiolus because the flower represents heroism. It also comes from the latin word for sword so it also represents strength and pride. ...

...

I chose to honor Violet King because she was a brave and honest person and the first black female Canadian lawyer. In my art, she is wearing a dress with some flowers native to Canada such as purple periwinkle and blue flag iris. The pattern in the background is made up of gavel because she is a lawyer and crowns because her last name is King. I chose to put her in Alex Colville's "To Prince Edward Island" because it is an iconic Canadian artwork and it focuses on the person in the painting so the focus is on Violet ...

...

Introduction
“The power of music rests in its ability to reach inside and touch the places where the deepest cuts lie. Like a benevolent god, a good song will never let you down.” When Tiffanie DeBartolo stated this in her book, How To Kill A Rock Star, she did it through a fictional musician who uses music to express his pain. While she wrote it for a fictional character, it touched the hearts of countless readers who resonated with the truth it holds. Music, at its core, expresses and evokes emotion. It has the power to make a person feel pain, ...

​The ​​Field Guide to the North American Teenager is a great book that teaches you about first impressions. It is written by Ben Philippe, a Black French Canadian just like Norris Kaplan, the main character. This book is a must-read because Norris is very admirable. He may start out in this new city with no one he knows, but he develops an understanding for the city and its people. Most people in the world take a first impression and stick with it for their life, but Norris gave Austin, Texas a second chance. This makes him admirable, and a role ...

...

...

...

In December of 2021, the United States’s first ever National Youth Poet Laureate, Amanda Gorman, released her poetry collection titled Call Us What We Carry. The book includes personal reflections on how she weathered COVID-19, like the poem “School’s Out,” which puts a powerful spin on losing your graduation, or “Coda in Code” which gives readers a feel for what it is like to try and comprehend the world with an auditory processing disorder. Additionally, she described the pandemic’s impact on marginalized communities across the globe. Ms. Gorman does a great job of touching on so many key impacts of ...

Here is a short summary of the novel, quoted from the author, Brit Bennett:
“The Vignes twin sisters will always be identical. But after growing up together in a small, southern Black community and running away at age sixteen, it's not just the shape of their daily lives that is different as adults, it's everything: their families, their communities, their racial identities. Many years later, one sister lives with her Black daughter in the same southern town she once tried to escape. The other secretly passes for white, and her white husband knows nothing of her past. Still, even separated by ...

...

...

For the February issue of Knightwatch we will be focusing on submissions related to Black History Month. We would like to highlight important stories and perspectives and stand in solidarity with Black students at Nepean High School as well as promote Black excellence.

We encourage you to make creations that center around Black History Month, such as:​
(We will still accept submissions about other subjects, but they will be saved to publish in March.) ...

Across Ontario, classes are returning to an in person learning model after completing two weeks of online school. Throughout the week, I spoke with Nepean High School students to better understand their opinions and to get an understanding of how they are coping with this latest shift. After interviewing these students, the consensus was clear: we were not ready to shift to in-person learning. Many kids were eager to share their thoughts on this divisive issue, and they had decisive opinions.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, students have switched between online classes and in person classes several times. So what’s ...

Here is the playlist on Spotify!
We’re back! In November, we asked students to send us their three favourite songs of any kind, which were combined into this incredible playlist. This time, we challenged them to pick their favourite sad songs, so that the playlist would have one coherent theme.
Altogether, the mixtape is over four hours long, with sixty-four tracks by fifty-five artists. Once you are mentally prepared for some strong emotions, you can listen to the playlist on Spotify using the link at the top of this article.
We used an online playlist analyzer to sort the songs by their “happiness ...

To have a little fun, Ms. Amenta asked her students to replicate a famous piece of artwork within a short period of time with items from around the house. These are a few of the many creative and fun results.
Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring, Nina Phillips
Palmer's Tea and Tunnocks, Donisha Saint-Germain
Matisse's Face, Hilary Linkletter
Andy Warhol's Banana 10, Farshad Noor
Magritte's Son of Man, Aiden Carnegie
Mondrian's Composition with Red, Blue and Yellow, Maddy Cermak
DaVinci's Lady with an Ermine, Rebecca Francis
Banksy's Girl with Balloon, Mavis Evans
Emm's Fox Terrier, Mia Spadaccini
Artwork for a Colour Psychology book cover, Asha Brennen
Evan Zikovitz
Millais' Ophelia ...

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid, published in 2017 is a fan favourite of BookTok. A historical fiction of Old Hollywood in the style of a tell-all biography about the life of movie star Evelyn Hugo, it was written by a previously unknown journalist and is bound to grasp people's attention, myself included.
I’m not always one for romance novels but this one held onto me for all 400 pages. Jenkins Reid’s writing style struck me as unique. Using alternating first person point of views between Evelyn Hugo and her biographer, Evelyn’s life story unfolds divided by ...

Before starting the new season of hockey I was worried. I was worried I wouldn't be strong enough, fast enough or big enough. Three months in, I’ve learned a lot. I know I’m physically strong enough and I don’t know why I was so scared. So far it’s been an amazing season, but the three girls, myself included, have experienced moments that showed us that co-ed hockey (“boys hockey”) isn’t fully adjusted to the concept of girls in hockey. It feels like we will never be seen as hockey players, always as girl-hockey players.
Walking into rinks before games, I’m ...

Here are five artist’s versions of a sketchbook assignment from Ms Amenta’s grade 9 class. They were asked to draw a human hand with five unique textures, one on each finger, and the results are both beautiful and chilling.
Maggie Bowden
Lila Pare Lutfi
Mavis Evans
Rebecca Francis
Aspen Horgan ...

Two cradles, alike in size and shape
Made just before it was too late
One wooden, built of a solemn stump alone
The other made of hard, cold stone
The cradles unbearable and stiff,
The children may sleep only if
Those who love them give
Love and say they’ll try their best to help them live
For the early years bring bruises that threaten to never heal
But something soft and supporting brings a kinder feel ...

2020 was a hard year for people all around the globe. When the world familiarized itself with COVID-19, it came with a significant rise in anti-Asian sentiment. Before we knew it, everyone with black hair and almond eyes was burdened with the blame of a whole pandemic. It was entirely not their fault, but what began in a place of pain, eventually blossomed into a community as a group of Asian youth in Ottawa came together to bring awareness to the racism prevalent in the world, and share with us their culture. They call it, “Dear Asian Youth Ottawa”.
DAYO (@dearasianyouth.ott ...

...

Colourful artwork ...

...

Tree of life knot made with acrylic paint, on 9 x 12 inch acrylic paper ...

...

Colourful artwork ...

...

At dusk I hear the tinkling of bells
The start of a fairy brigade
Joyously marching from the dells
The company’s hair all in braid
Their cheeks like roses in bloom
Their finery of grand emeralds and jade
The clearing, their will’o wisps illume
And then the dance starts
And so expels my gloom
Their actions fast, their movement like darts
Their banter merry and full of cheer
How easy, I think, it must be for them to steal hearts
When the sun rises, my visitors disappear
Oh, how I cannot wait for their visit next year ...

The Nepean Playlist is back! Use this link to send us your three favourite sad songs, so we can compile them into the ultimate melancholy playlist. https://forms.gle/KeN6hY8eeBgAB3Hy6
Write us a book review! It’s lovely to have a good book to read by the fire in the wintertime.
January can be a difficult time — tell us your best tips for self-care and wellness, to get through these dark days.
Did you travel during the winter break? How was it? Did pandemic restrictions impact your experience? ...

The Sun is Also a Star by Jamaican-American author Nicola Yoon is amazing, suspenseful, engaging, and it really makes you think. I believe that one major reason you should read this book is because of the writing style. Nicola Yoon has written this book so well. She uses expressive language, powerful imagery and describes everything so well. Even though the novel covers the events of only a single day, I never got bored reading it. In fact, I couldn’t put it down. Another reason this book is a must-read is because the characters are teenagers, so they are so relatable. ...

Grade 9 English students participated in a fierce, but friendly Battle of the Books competition. Each student read a book of their choice by a diverse author and created a video book trailer and a pitch to convince their audience that their book is a must-read.
The competition lasted a full week in December, with a different group of students promoting their books each day. In addition to their trailer and pitch, panelists shared information about their book’s characters, conflict, theme, and an important quotation. At the end of each round, everyone voted for the book they most wanted to ...

DRIVE LINK
What do you get when you combine a thrilling plot, action, Métis culture, and a bit of romance? You get Métis author Cherie Dimaline’s Empire of Wild. This book is a must read for everyone. With a vast variety of topics and themes, not only is it perfect for everybody, it is an inspirational story which might just open your mind. Not only that but, it has incredible complexity in the characters. Most characters of importance are well rounded and each one introduces both admirable, and not so admirable qualities which further allows a person to feel like they ...

...

It’s that time of the year again when us students at Nepean count down the days to the holidays and winter break. A time of great food, reflection, and best of all, no school! One thing that always keeps me in the festive spirit during the holidays is banana nog: a twist on the traditional eggnog. It’s really easy to make, and the result is an amazing drink spiced with nutmeg and allspice.
Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this banana nog:
5 cups whole milk or oat milk
1/4 cup icing sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of freshly ...

...

Rose petals don’t burn
They may blacken
Or shrivel in a bonfire’s flame
But lighting a match to a dried petal
Does little to maim
What can you learn from a corolla so small?
Whose frailness may cause it to crumble in a pinch
A symbol of love and purity,
An icon of romance
Will not be destroyed in a cinch
Light a match to a dried rose petal
It will light but will not burn
When ground it may become soot
But incineration be not a concern ...

...

Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes at Nepean? Behind the curtains of the school productions, before assemblies, during fun events like Coffee House and talent shows? The answer to that is NTEK: a group of students, led by the amazing Mr. Carter. With weekly meetings at lunch to expand learning about microphones, basic sound systems, and lighting, NTEK is a very hands-on class. It lasts year long since it doesn’t take up any class time and even earns you a credit. The inclusive atmosphere allows for students of any grade level to come together and learn ...

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Come away to a realm of silence
Where your breath flies away like a ghostly bird
The trees stand still
The towering observers
The kings of the hill
The ground covered in a white river
Knee-deep and frigid
Enough to make you shiver
A pale blanket that coats every surface
All in preserved posture so rigid
Silence stretches on
For sound is stolen
And ensnared within the dainty dancers
Who twirl in their graceful descent
But in spite, shrill somber birdsong rings out
From no particular origin and to no end,
The notes echo relentlessly throughout ...

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The student council has a big influence on our school community, and that responsibility lies in the hands of those involved: our student council and committee members, and our grade representatives and co-presidents. With already three of the ten months in our school year passed, the elections have come and gone for each of the positions, and we have had the chance to participate in a spirit week leading up to Halloween. With all the action happening behind the scenes, Knightwatch thought it would be best for the school to get to know some of the people running the show. ...

McCormick. (n.d.). Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole. Yummly. [image]. Retrieved from https://www.yummly.com/recipe/Broccoli-Cauliflower-Casserole-2263038.
My favourite holiday recipe has undoubtedly always been this dish. Although many people don’t like casseroles, this side dish is great with stuffing and potatoes, and is the perfect combination of cheese and vegetables. This recipe is super simple and always has people asking for seconds. Enjoy!
This recipe yields approximately 8 servings but can easily be doubled to make more.
Vegetable Ingredients:
1 head of steamed broccoli
1 head of steamed cauliflower
Sauce Ingredients:
2 tbsp of butter or margarine
1 tbsp of flour
1 cup of milk
½ block of ...

Here is my project!

Lamar Giles is an African-American who started writing books at the age of 14. He wrote a book called Fake I.D. which is a murder mystery adventure that takes place in a small town called Stepton. This book draws your attention and takes you deep in a scary and adventurous murder mystery. This book has a mafia behind this crime and sadly Nick’s dad was a part of his friends murder. Devastating. Nick spends his days searching and risking his life to find the criminals that killed his friend. Talking about friends, he couldn't trust anybody after ...

December 1st is World AIDS day. Since 1988, this day has been designated to commemorate the lives lost from HIV/AIDS, and spread awareness about the AIDS pandemic. As of 2020, the virus has killed an estimated 36.3 million people worldwide, and an estimated 37.7 million people are living with HIV today. While in large parts of the world, access to antiretroviral treatment has significantly decreased the mortality rate of the epidemic, lots of developing countries still have very high rates of infection and death because of inaccessibility to proper sexual education, resources about the virus, and lack of proper medical ...

This month Ms. Hamer’s Grade 10 English Class has shared two fancy dessert recipes with us. These would be excellent to try out over the holiday break!
Black Forest Cake by Jennifer G. ...

I made an acrylic painting of Spongebob making Krabby Patties for Santa 4 Seniors.
Santa 4 Seniors is a campaign by the Good Companions Organization where they send gift baskets to seniors who will be spending Christmas alone. ...

If it’s a rainy day or you’re just looking for something to do, you’re probably going to go see a movie. I would too as it’s a great way to spend a miserable day or a brisk evening. The theatres always have a wide variety of movies, some good, some bad. Few are bad; however, those that are, are made very obvious. One of which is Sony’s Venom: Let There Be Carnage. This movie was a complete and utter waste of my and my family's time. Not one of us enjoyed it.
...

Peter Venkman, Ray Stanz and Egon Spegler work at Columbia University as parapsychologists who didn’t have enough funding from the university for conducting their experiments. They set up shop as a ghost removal service in New York City where terrified customers call on their service. A dead Gozer Worshiper erected a downtown apartment building which could potentially end all humanity by bringing to life the Hittite god Gozer. They stumble upon another dimension that has evil intentions and the mayor needs their help to save the city.
The film is rated PG incorporating the adventure, fantasy and comedy genre and it ...

A is for Angels,
Popular Christmas characters,
With sparkling wings and glowing gowns.
They always lift frowns.
B is for Blizzards,
Blustery winter disasters
And school cancellations
Though they do create fun winter exploration.
C is for Christmas trees,
Tall and bright
The center of attention
Covered in snow, glittery and white.
D is for December,
the month full of first snowfalls,
and the evening darkness being the strongest.
The holiday feeling
everyone has needed since August.
E is for Eggnog,
a classic holiday drink.
Everyone pours themselves a glass
before sliding on the rink.
F is for the First Frost,
A wave of cheer flows through you
you see the fresh flurries on the ground.
Then all the neighbourhood kids get out
and decide ...

Share your favourite holiday recipe with us! It can be one your family makes every year for special occasions or just something you enjoy eating.
Tell us about your holiday and winter break traditions!
What winter activities do you enjoy? Skiing, sledding, skating, etc. Did you try anything new last winter that you enjoyed?
Everyone loves good recommendations! Write us a review of a movie.
Happy Holidays Nepean :) ...

Starting this school year, all grade 9 math classes in Ontario are being offered in only one stream. In previous years, students chose one of three streams (academic, applied, or essential) which had different curriculum expectations and assessment methods. Generally, students taking academic math in grades 9 and 10 then took “university” level math in grades 11 and 12, while applied students moved to “college” level math. Most subjects (English, French, sciences, and geography) are streamed in all grades, while some are not streamed at all, such as the arts, physical education, and Spanish.
The Government of Ontario is de-streaming grade ...

I’m suffocating in all the restrictions
Six feet apart huh? Well how about six under with a triple layer mask on
The ground over top pulling
never pushing you out
You scream and scream but no one can hear you
because you're
six
feet
under
You don’t know who put you there
All you heard was someone eating a bat, or was it a fish? mushroom?
Who the hell knows
Not i
You're stuck there going nowhere but down
You're in the ocean but you don’t know which way is up
And you still have ...

A Writer's world is never what it seems
People always believe
That in
a writer’s world
Fiction
Becomes
Reality
But that’s not always
True
In a writer's world
Horror
Becomes
Reality
too
Sure the library in your closet might not have any books on
It
But that doesn't mean that there are none.
The writer's world is a blank page
When an idea sparks to life
It catches
Flame
But if this
Spark is a
Drop
Of
...

If you’ve ever gone out for lunch during school, you’ve probably passed by S&G Fries and Burgers, the shack right beside the Produce Depot. For the past three years I’ve been at Nepean High School and I always passed by, but I never bought anything. I recently decided to take a chance and try out what is so highly regarded by students at Nepean.
S&G Fries has the typical “shack menu”: fries, poutine, burgers, hot dogs, and chicken fingers, along with egg rolls from the Golden Bowl. I chose to get a small poutine.
I received my order very quickly, and ...

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As long as there has been a concept of gender, transgender people have existed. The existence of people who catwalked the blurry lines of gender has been shown through history and various cultures. In the pre-colonial Incan civilization, they had a dual gendered jaguar deity known as Chuqui Chinchay who had shamans known as quariwarmi (“men-women”), a mixed gender role. In Madagascar, the Sakalava people recognized a third gender known as Sekrata, boys in the community who exhibited traditionally feminine features or personalities who were raised by their parents as girls; they were even believed to have special souls that ...

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Did you notice the person who stood behind the school beside the array of posters, pictures, and infographics pinned up against the fence? Did you wonder who that person was? Or what he was standing by? For two weeks leading up to Remembrance Day, there was an exhibit set up outside Nepean High School. Kalan Saunder, an army cadet who attends Nepean, and our librarian, Ms. Mackechnie organized the “We Remember Learning Walk”.
Spring of 2020, Ms. Mackechnie learned about the idea of a learning walk from another teacher-librarian in Toronto, who took apart story books and pinned them ...

“Today’s pain is worth tomorrow’s glory.”
I thought to myself, walking back onto the pitch. Anticipation, adrenaline, nerves, and tingling sensations crowding my thoughts. I began jumping up and down clearing my mind, my cleats coasting against the smooth touch of the freshly tended to turf field.
The dulcet whistle sang like the howl of a wolf calling his pack. Freedom. The second half was on. Quickly I turned to my wingback,
“Cover the long ball,”
He nodded; falling back into a defensive position.
I ran up the field taking a moment to observe the crowds on the sidelines pulsating like they were semi-sentient animals. ...

Here is a video our class made!
https://vimeo.com/647432510
Hi everyone! We are the students of CGR4M; the environment resource management class, and we are so excited to give you all some tips and motivation on how to save our beautiful planet on which we all rely.
First off, did you know that changing your eating habits and consuming locally sourced food, can actually have huge positive impacts on our environment? By doing so and choosing to eat locally sourced food, you are not only supporting your local community but also simultaneously reducing your food miles!
Now, while food miles and air miles certainly ...

Rated 9.0 on Skip the Dishes, Sushi Kan boasts a plentiful menu of over a hundred and fifty different options. On top of sushi, they also serve other Japanese and Korean dishes, so if you’re not a fan of raw fish, there are many other items that will surely appeal to you, from soups, to tempura (deep fried meat, fish or vegetables), to noodles, and a variety of other foods. My personal favourites to order include salmon and avocado rolls, edamame soybeans, calamari, miso soup, and salmon sashimi. When I eat at the restaurant I always order the mango ice ...

The Oracle wasn’t vague with her words.
King Evander, the kind and justly sovereign, was foretold to be slain by his own descendant.
The prediction shook him. Nothing else took up the space in his mind as he left the Oracle’s villa. Or when he rode back on his steed. Or when he returned to his castle. Not even when he sat down to eat dinner.
When he laid down to sleep, his thoughts poked at him like pins with the ponderings of when the last time may be that he lays before he never awakens. His dreams were pervaded with images of ...

[Jamal’s heroic flaw is that he gets jealous very easily]
PROLOGUE:
T’Challa: Damn, man you did it. You became class president.
Jamal: Yeah T’Challa. What’d you expect?
Jamal leaves stage
Tyrone enters
T’Challa: Yoo Tyrone. What's up man.
Tyrone: Ohh you know. The usually. Admiring Jamal.
T’Challa: Yeah I hear you. He is super dope. He got a fly honey, he quarterback on the football team, School President, most popular kid in school. He got it all man.
Tyrone: Yeah but he gets a little jealous sometimes.
PARADOS:
Jamal is a nice dude,
Quarterback of the football team,
School president,
Honour roll student,
Everyone likes him,
That’s for sure,
Everyone want to be like him,
That’s for sure,
But ...

Club Description: This year, with an overwhelming wave of attendance, we’ve had to branch out quite a bit. Once a week, we all meet as a group. The other day, we break out into different rooms, with topics such as activism, event planning, chilling, and more. There is a space for everyone.
Meeting Time: We meet Tuesdays and Thursdays. 2SLGBTQ+ and allies, all welcome. Locations shift frequently because of COVID accommodations, so joining the classroom is extremely helpful for attendees.
Google Classroom Code: ajymc7l
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nepeanhs_gsa/ ...

The halls are silent, an absence of mechanical ticks
The sunlight from the windows bears no meaning
Eons pass, or was it just five seconds?
The House of God, where time does not exist
The walls are bare, so much space unused
Why are there so many crosses?
And not a single clock?
No bell tower rings from above.
O Temple of pale walls, do your bells ring strong?
Do your visitors treat them as absolute?
Do they even mean anything when you cannot see the sky?
Is the birds’ morning song indistinguishable from their evening finale?
Do the faithful believers know how long their sermon has been gone when they step ...

Here is the playlist on Spotify!
It’s currently November, a somewhat dreary time of the year. We at Knightwatch wanted to give people a little bit of excitement, and get them involved in something fun and unique. So we asked students a simple question: What are your three favorite songs right now?
We got a stupendous response: one-hundred and twenty five songs, which combine to make one incredible eight hour playlist. You can listen to it right now on Spotify, using the link at the top of this article.
The most remarkable thing about this collection is the sheer variety of genres, styles, ...

Club Description: We are a student lead club with a goal of creating a community of people who care about the environment. If you have any climate anxiety or would like to continue or start doing your part, we are the place for you. We are a welcoming group that does and have done lots of initiatives. We run the compost program, take care of the gardens in the front of the school, run community clean up initiatives, and so much more. We have many plans for this year but number one is always having fun, creating a stress free ...

It was a cold day
I stepped off my porch
and into the woods
walking through the foliage
step
by step
by step
I saw a black crow
next to a dead songbird
ripping out its feathers
one
by one
by one
Nothing awaited me
so I sat and watched
as it ripped out feathers
another one
by another one
by another one
The crow finally looked at me
Its eyes appeared older than eternity
I nodded in understanding
As time passed by us like the breeze
Tick
tick
tick
The crow grabbed its meal
and flew away, leaving nothing but feathers
It left me alone
Probably returning to its home
and so I walked back to mine
Step
by step
by step ...

Image credits: Pleming, C. (2014). Classicist’s tour highlights importance of Oxford for Oscar Wilde. [photograph]. Oxford News Blog.
https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/arts-blog/classicist%E2%80%99s-tour-highlights-importance-oxford-oscar-wilde.
When one talks about English literature and poetry, the name Oscar Wilde doesn’t tend to come up. More often, we hear the names of William Shakespeare and Jane Austen, and while I respect and love Macbeth and Pride and Prejudice, there are some things they don’t offer that Wilde does.
Oscar Wilde was an impressive Irish playwright and poet who lived in London in the 1880’s. He is best known for his story The Picture of Dorian Gray, a novel ...

Club Description: MSA provides a safe and positive environment for Muslim students to comfortably express their identity, beliefs, and cultures. MSA runs the weekly Friday prayers for interested students. MSA also organizes various fundraising events to build a sense of community among students and to help local charities.
Meeting Time: Meetings are alternate Tuesdays, during lunch and starting at 11:45 in the Drama room (3308). Anyone is welcome!
Google Classroom Code: hf42qho
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msa_nepean/ ...

Club Description: Our mission statement: DSU's goal is to disrupt racism, to support cultural diversity, and to develop advocates for equity and social justice. We seek to dismantle mental and physical segregation and create an environment of unity and understanding. Above all, we aim to provide a safe and open space for members to share their thoughts and experiences.
The Diverse Student Union was established as the Black History Month Club, in which members would work together to organize the Black History Month Assembly. While we now go by a different name and do many other things, including topical discussions and ...

In 2017, a survey on disabilities in Canada found that 22% of Canadians above the age of 15 are disabled. One would think that the Canadian Government would have a more regulated and convenient accessibility policy, yet 73% of disabled Canadians have faced major barriers when trying to use both federal and municipal organizations and businesses across Canada. Additionally, 4.1% of Ontarians (127,240 people) use a mobility aid. This shows that accessibility is a current issue in Canada. Take our school for example: we have no elevator, and all entrances have a staircase either on the outside or inside of ...

I’ve eaten at an African grill and I have to say it is severely underrated. Whenever I go, I usually treat myself to their beef Suya, a dish that can be ordered spicy if you’d like. Now what is Suya? It originated in Nigeria and is a popular street food which is typically pieces of thinly sliced meat with seasonings. There are different types of Suya sold from beef to chicken to goat. Although all the flavours are different they all are extremely delicious. My first experience there, I was in awe. The food was so delicious that when I ...

Club Description: We started the club two years ago after hearing stories of gender-based discrimination at Nepean. Our goal is to create a safe space for all students, and dismantle any patriarchal systems of oppression through education and action. At each meeting, we’ll have discussions focused on a variety of gender equality issues, and discuss actions/initiatives we can do to try to solve these problems in our community!
Meeting Time: Everyone is welcome! We are starting meetings November 15th, and are holding meetings every second Monday.
Google Classroom Code: 7t6ogb2
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weareifa/ ...

Rated 5 stars
I have been to Bowman’s restaurant four times in the past year and a half. Every time, I order the same thing: the crispy chicken sandwich. Each time, I find myself craving it more and more. Words cannot describe the majesty of this sandwich. It’s like taking a bite out of the cosmos, as if with every swallow, infinite power flashes before your eyes. If anyone ever asks what is the meaning of the universe, there is only one answer: the crispy chicken sandwich. If you have not tasted it, you have not lived. If you have not ...

Image credits: (2017). One Of Us Is Lying. [cover art]. Delacorte Press/Random House.
Karen McManus's One of Us is Lying is an engaging murder mystery novel about a murder in a high school where four students are the main suspects. This is her debut novel which was published on May 30th, 2017. Each chapter focuses on a character's point of view and is told from their perspective.
It all starts on a Monday afternoon when five senior students, Simon Kelleher, Bronwyn Rojas, Nate Macauley, Cooper Clay, and Addy Prentiss, arrive in the science lab for detention. Simon goes to ...

Here are two more recipes from Ms. Hamer’s Grade 10 English Class. These are cookie recipes, perfect for making as an after school snack!
Chocolate Chip Cookies by Liam P.
Snickerdoodle Cookies by Sarah S. ...

Club Description: We meet once a month in a virtual meeting. Each month students and staff read a book based on one of the four themes. See Google Classroom with the list of the themes of this month.
Meeting Time: Last Wednesday of every month at 3:45pm, we meet virtually and we have open meetings. See Ms. MacKechnie in the library for more information!
Google Classroom: dpvtwk4 ...

What is November?
To me
November is…
The soft taste of hard-earned chocolate melting on your tongue
When we leave the ghosts behind, and welcome the winter holidays that have just begun
When the air loses it’s love
Forcing you to find warmth on your own so you pile coats and toques and gloves
When the moon rises before you’re finished with the sun
With Winter Solstice in a month
When reds and oranges and yellows have fallen from the trees
And their barren branches loom with the ground covered in dead debris
When the first snowflake flutters down from the sky
And you smile in awe at your younger brother ...

Kwe, she:kon, waciye, aanii, boozhoo, aingai
The NHS community would like to showcase the amazing Indigenous artists at the school! Moving forward we will have a spot to highlight any art an Indigenous student creates in Knightwatch, the student newspaper. This can be done as a special piece once in a while or on a more regular basis. Artists are welcome to submit a clear photo of their creations, as well as a brief explanation of the piece and their name as they would like it displayed with the submission (you may choose to remain anonymous and/or not to ...

Club Description: Key Club is centered around leading volunteering projects for the community. Every week, club members will collect volunteer hours in meetings. We provide high school students with opportunities, so you can get your 40 hours of volunteer hours easily and steadily. You can expect projects such as making cards for isolated seniors, writing letters to soldiers on Remembrance day and creative project collaborations with organizations such as the Good Companions, Kiwanis, and local family centres. To adapt to this year's standards, we are holding our meetings online. This way, members can earn their volunteer hours while feeling safe ...

Club Description: NHS WISTEM is an inclusive club to empower individuals who identify as female to pursue STEM related post secondary education and career opportunities. This is the first year NHS will have a WISTEM club, so we are excited to work alongside students to make this club as inclusive and productive as possible. The club will include female scientists of the week, where we will learn about a historical female scientist, and a present female scientist, and their impacts in the world of STEM. The club will also include guest speakers of female NHS alumni who will talk to ...

Music - what are your three favourite songs right now? We will add them to our Nepean playlist! (sorry, the playlist is done:( ) 🎵
We love food! Write a review of a local restaurant, coffee shop, or fast-food joint. 🌭
Write a poem about the changing seasons - how does the world feel when fall turns into winter? 🍁
Is Remembrance Day important to you? How do you feel it should be commemorated in schools? ...

Club Description: Our club is a space where young people can be a part of community initiatives that they themselves can start. Our goal is to allow youth to develop the experience in starting student-led initiatives to help their communities whether it is with the club or by themselves. Although we have some set projects for the future, we expect to do smaller initiatives throughout the year when they arise. Projects such as bottle drives, thank you notes to garbage collectors, cards for seniors, donations, and other projects are all within our scope to tackle, and we promote our ...

My mind was a blank slate as I touched my rough fingertips to the smooth plastic keyboard. I glanced at the missing letter. A gap in the otherwise perfect device. The letter zed. Not so common that I have to use it often; but common enough that I occasionally feel my pinky darting across the bottom half of my computer towards it.
I still had no ideas for the essay. Tryouts for the school soccer team were tonight, maybe I would find something to write about then? Yeah, I could picture it in my mind now: The ball came hurling ...

On October 19th 2021, Nepean High School students participated in a counter demonstration to a B.C. transphobe. Chris Elston, known as Billboard Chris on social media, was outside of Nepean, Broadview and Notre Dame. Chris has been travelling across Canada, spreading his opinions on the terrors of gender ideology and gender affirming treatments.
On Monday the 18th of October, there was outrage at Chris’s presence during the beginning and end of the school day. By Monday afternoon, there were large groups of people organizing counter demonstrations to block him from spreading his hateful messages to the young, impressionable minds attending ...

Despite only being in her first year of teaching at Nepean High School, Ms. Ibrahim has already had an impressive impact on our school community. She founded the Nepean Muslim Student Association (MSA) and has been instrumental in the celebration of Islamic Heritage Month. I talked to her to find out what the MSA does, more about what makes this month important, and how our school is celebrating it.
Ms. Ibrahim told me she started the Muslim Student Association as a space for Muslim students to have a chance to express their beliefs, culture, and religion in a safe and friendly ...

Enjoy these images I took this fall during tech class! ...

The Nepean High School library has a wonderful array of books available to students that a lot of people don’t really know about. The school library has a website that is accessible through the NHS website itself, in there is a link to alexandria, an online database of all the books in the nepean library. Alexandria is great, and not just because of the excellent name choice, it lets you browse books easily and find works that could be helpful for school or just for recreational reading without having to browse shelves for a long time (not that that isn’t ...

An original song.
...

On a Thursday, the sun shone bright,
A cool breeze drifted through the air.
The students sat in their school,
A half hour left, they could hardly bear.
A loud screech ripped into ears
And all of the students stood.
They walked outside calmly,
They did what they should.
For autumn, it was too hot.
The day felt rather wry.
It felt worse when a cop
And a fire truck stopped by.
The students blocked the road,
A woman was trapped.
The crowd parted like a river,
Then everyone clapped.
In front of the school,
Something zany was on display.
For an old woman had hit someone’s car
And then drove away.
Finally, the event reached its end.
The students ...

All ratings are objective fact, also I haven’t seen all kids TV so cut me some slack.
S - Tier:
A - Tier:
B - Tier:
C - Tier:
D - Tier:
F - Tier: ...

The first assignment of Ms. Hamer’s Grade 10 English Class was to create a procedural text. Many students chose to write recipes which are perfect for making during the cozy fall season. Let us know if you try any of them!
Apple Strudel Muffins by Brianna L.
Raspberry Scones by Sophie M.
Chomeur Pudding by Alex P. ...

A collection of photos. ...

A collection of photos. ...

three lines say so much
freedom found within the limits
somehow less is more
the fan is too loud
soft words surrender their shape
to the rush of air
it seems so foolish
to cherish ink on paper
yet you are precious
posters fill my class
their garish colours wound my eyes
i prefer blank walls ...

The cold breeze was the first shocking thing that night. The Equinox had come and gone, chilling the earth and blackening the sky in the early hours of the night. The emerald leaves bled yellow and red, the most sure sign that Autumn was arriving.
There was nothing wrong with that of course, many people love the season. Several adore the liminal time of the year, how the transition has a certain vibe to it no other season can match. The feeling of knowing something sits in the air, just beyond our touch.
For the inhabitants of Oak Grove, that was only ...

Remember March 2020? I'm sure you do. It was the moment the world changed as we know it.
Three days before March break: there was one thing on everyone’s mind. This new virus called Sars Cov-2, Covid-19 from Wuhan, China, was making its way through the media. There were discussions about whether or not they would extend our March break. The news was broken on Thursday, two days before the break would start. They made the decision to extend it by an extra two weeks. Which would mean we would be back on April 5th. Back to school like normal, right? ...

A collection of photos. ...

Painting, acrylic on canvas. ...

Students in Ms. Hamer’s Grade 10 English class read Homes: A Refugee Story by Abu Bakr al Rabeeah and Winnie Yeung. They also listened to parts of the audiobook, narrated by Ali Momen. This book tells the true story of the al Rabeeah family’s journey from Iraq to Syria, and ultimately, to Canada, and explores the issues of childhood disrupted by war, and the strength and resilience of family in overcoming the effects of displacement.
After finishing the book, students reflected on the impact of the book, how it had deepened their understanding of the experiences of immigrants and refugees, ...

There were girls with the same name
And they ran through the rain
Their feet patted quietly
Their voices echoed loudly
With the same name, two girls ran
Under the quiet night they rant
The cool misty night
The deafening street lights
The smell of dew
I knew
For the world may suck
I can see its beauty
Rain symbolises sadness
And it's then I see clearly
When the sky screams
They can’t hear, so I speak
When the world is inside
So I am alone
I needn’t to hide
Because it’s heaven I see
When I dance in the rain
Because it’s hell I feel
When rain dances in me
Rain can be painful
When filled with bitter emotion
What we do when we’re ...

A drop of water makes a ripple in the ocean
A soft breeze
And comes falling a beautiful leaf
A small motion
Isn’t it crazy
How much power we hold?
Only few words told
Yet a kind person now they see
A word
To a smile
A smile
Can mean the world
Isn’t it scary
How much power we hold?
Some things should have been left untold
Yet still a kind person they see
A word
To a frown
A frown
Can change the world
A drop of water makes a ripple in the ocean
A soft breeze
And comes falling a dead leaf
Only a small motion ...

How are you feeling about being back at school? What do you think of your classes so far?
Share your personal experiences of these two important days:
September 7,8 — Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year)
September 30 — the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, and Orange Shirt Day.
Halloween is coming! Tell us your favourite scary story, or write your own. 🦇🕷🍬 ...

Nepean High School students have been back in classrooms for a few weeks now, with kids and teachers adjusting to yet another new system for learning. I talked to students to hear their thoughts on returning to school, the current restrictions and their experiences so far in classes. Overwhelmingly, they said things are “better than last year,” but, unfortunately, that was a low bar to pass.
We are now back to a semester model, meaning students have four courses until February, when everyone gets a new four. However, there are only two classes a day, both lasting 2.5 hours. To ...