Woodlands7

Woodlands Secondary Tiles and Reflections

After finishing their tile, the students were asked to write a reflection about their tile and their spark.
These reflections are heartfelt and unique to each student, and really add to the value of the mural.

Click on one of the squares below to see a close-up of the tile and the individual reflection.

"Soccer", Cameron

My spark is soccer. I have been playing soccer for nine years, since I was five years old. I have always been excited to go on the field and play, or kick the ball around the field with friends. When I am injured and cannot play soccer, I am unhappy and I feel terrible. An exciting moment for me in soccer was winning the North Islands 2014 with my HCFC rep soccer team. I enjoy playing with players that are good friends as well as team mates. This year, that is my HCFC team. My tile is a soccer field because my spark is soccer. I could have drawn a soccer ball or a famous jersey, but the soccer field represents the whole game, not just the ball or a famous player. The soccer field includes a nice background with trees, blue sky, and bleachers lining the field because some people get a lot of enjoyment watching teams play on this field. I want to stay healthy so that I can play soccer all my life.

"Volunteering", Mikayla

"Basketball", Zac

"Wolf Eye", Kate

I have always loved wolves, their golden eyes, how they travel in packs, even how some do not feel the need to. Wolves are misunderstood mythical creatures and thus I’m drawn to them. The rose is in my painting because it reminds me of my family. It was my grandfather’s favourite flower, and he was a painter and artist like me. There is some hidden meaning to my painting, like how I chose to put the rose as the wolf’s eye. I did this because I have always liked odd things since when I was younger. I chose greens because they represent the earth and its true natural beauty. I hope people will see and think of the raw beauty of wolves in my painting.

"The City", Monica

"Music and Earbuds", Nathan

Imagine a world where earbuds did not exist. Unsavory music would be blasting everywhere, everyone would be crabby, and no one could enjoy music. The world would indeed be a dark place. This is why earbuds were my spark, to capture the combination of silence and noise that makes the universe possible. This was also reflected in my choice of tile; the border between rock and ocean is very much reflective of the border between solid civilization and Egad tidal anarchy that is so cautiously teetered upon during the seeking of musical enjoyment, that which is only possible with earbuds.

"Football", Jesse

My spark is football! The reason why I picked football it is my passion and the biggest thing in my life other then my family. I eat, breath and sleep football. Without football I would be nothing! It is my one love. I have played it since grade two and I was in camps when I was five and it's the only sport I have ever played. I love it so much I took a step up and played rep and I still am. I hope to have football as a main thing in my life. That is why I chose football.

Why I chose a picture of England is because it is where my parents are from, it's my favourite national team, it's where the best football is (my opinion), and I hope one day to play there when i am older. But if I want to go play there, I have to work hard and do well in school! I hope I gave you a good idea of what my spark is!

"Music", Dana

"Gymnastics", Emma

My favorite spark that is represented on my tile is gymnastics. I love gymnastics because it makes me feel happy and free. When I am doing gymnastics, I can block out everything around me and just enjoy the sport. It is like my second home because I feel so comfortable there and I can just be myself. I love the adrenaline rush I get while doing new things in gymnastics and the great feeling I get when I compete new things. The gymnast on my tile is at a competition, because I love competing and showing new skills I learn. She is on the floor exercise, representing that that is my favorite event to do. The top of my tile is blue, which I created into the crowd watching, and cheering me on. The gymnast is upside down, showing that I love to flip through the air while I do gymnastics.

"Peace and Love", Ashlyn

"Adventures and Outdoors", Sarah

My spark is adventures and getting away with my friends. This is my spark because whenever I'm with my friends it makes me happy and I always have a good time. When I'm with my friends I can be myself and all the stress and worries that I have just disappear. All the memories I have with my friends are all the best times of my life. My friends keep a smile on my face and whenever I'm with them they always keeps my mood happy and there is never a bad day when I'm with them. What feeds my spark is when I'm in a bad mood and that their, there and I can count on them. Nothing can really get in the way of my spark except a fight between us or if I ever lose our friendship, which I hope never happens!

My tile represents an adventure and a place to get away from all my stress and worries and just be happy and stress free. The sunset represents all the time I forgot about having a good time and not worrying about anything other than the moment and all the time wasted not worrying. The beach represents nature and all the adventurous days I have with my friends.

"Dancing", Paige

My spark is dancing; it has always been since I was 2 years old. I live my spark during the week when attending my dance classes or dance events. Family, friends and people who know me know what my spark is, and how it is a big part of my life. The feeders of my spark are my dance teachers who push me to my fullest potential, but I also have to help them feed my spark by doing my best and pushing myself, because it is my spark and my future is in front of it. There Isn't really anything that gets in the way of my spark; the only thing that could get in the way is me giving up. On my tile Is a ballerina with a flower tutu around her that is fading into the water, almost like how a lily pad would sit in the water. This tile represents my love for dance. The tutu slowly fading in the water represents when; I feel like giving up on my spark but I am still above the water because I have already had so much success, I can't give up if I do I will disappoint myself, so I have to keep on pushing myself to hold myself up above the water. My developmental asset that matters most to me is my presentation when I am dancing. It matters most to me because I don't have the nicest feet or turn-out, but if my performance and the way I am presenting is good then no one will most likely notice. How I present myself and show that I am confident helps me hide little flaws like these. Assets around me that help me succeed are: my parents, who don't let give up and push to keep on going, and my dance teacher who correct all of my mistakes and give me inspiration.

"Soccer", Owen

"Music", Josie

My spark is music. This is my spark because I enjoy playing and listening to music. I can listen to music no matter what mood I am in or what I am doing. I live my spark anytime I play or listen to musk. The people who know my spark include my friends, family, and music teachers. My music teachers and family help feed my spark, along with the musicians that I listen to. Nothing can get in the way of my spark, except for myself! If I give up playing music, or stop listening to the type of music I like, that might get in the way of my spark.

My wooden tile represents my love for music. It has a piano, and a treble clef. The piano is one of my favourite musical instruments. I also added a treble clef because I like songs that have softer, higher notes, which are usually in the treble clef. The developmental asset that matters to me most is that I have family support. My family empowers and helps me to do great things. Without them, I don't know what I would do! There are many developmental assets are around me that help me to succeed. Some of them include family support, high expectations, creative activities, bonding to school, and self esteem.

"The Outdoors", Autumn

"Spirituality", Sydney

"Fiction and Games", Sam

"Textiles and Sewing", Ms. Williams

"Stories and Imagination", Alicia

"Underwater, Nature and Fish", Brenda

"Visiting new places", Brandon J.

I really like palm trees and I watch videos with them. To me they make me feel peaceful and relaxed. When I see them, anywhere with palm trees like Hawaii or Jamaica, it makes me want to go there. The way they flow in the wind, like a rhythm, makes me happy. One day, I would like to visit Jamaica and eat their food. Thinking of a place that is bright with palm trees helps cover up the darkness inside. Seeing them reminds me that there are good things in the world, even with all the wars.

I chose the image of palm trees because that is my inspiration. I liked how the tile turned out dark because it shows how we can have all these emotions in one art piece, the moodiness of the background with the happy palm tree. It reflects myself, dark parts and happy parts.

"Music", Noelle

The spark shown on my tile is music. Music is important to me because it allows me to escape from reality and listen to music I relate to. I picked music basically because even if I'm doing nothing I'm always listening to music. Though I don't play piano, I chose to put it in my tile because I think it sounds beautiful when played. The headphones with the music notes flowing out are painted on my tile because when I use my headphones it feels like the music is playing in my head and echoing through my brain, rather than an outside sound my ears are picking up. When I'm listening to music I can sometimes just sit there for hours and reflect on what I'm actually hearing in the song. In my opinion the most important things on my tile are the music notes because they can symbolize any type of music in the world. There is such a variety of music out there, so in choosing to put music notes as my main symbol, I'm leaving the genre as a mystery.

"Basketball", Zeyu O.

I started playing basketball when I was 12. I always play basketball with my friends, and I make friends by playing basketball. When I play basketball alone, I can think of everything in my life and release the pressure. I play basketball at least three times a week. It also keeps me in shape and healthy. Basketball makes me feel happy and alive.

"Nature and Trees", Angela

One of my most important sparks is nature. Sometimes when I am feeling stressed out or overwhelmed, I just go for a walk on the nature paths behind my house. There is nothing better than sitting under a tree and smelling the forest. I love the smell of sap, playing with bugs, watching the birds, the way the leaves rustle when the wind blows. Nature makes me feel very peaceful. I often wish I lived on a tree house. I worry because people are constantly destroying nature, and the paths behind my house are getting smaller and smaller because they are building new developments. I'd love to see a world where nature and the environment are more protected and respected.