BLUE METROPOLIS POETRY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BOOK

What is Quebec Roots?

Since 2000, Blue Metropolis has reached 19,318 students in 915 schools, offering 54 different educational programs, all with a focus on reading and writing. Quebec Roots is the flagship educational program. Supported since 2005 by the Ministère de l’Éducation et de l’Enseignement supérieur, Quebec Roots has not only given a voice to students across Quebec, but has allowed them to express themselves freely on such important issues as bullying and homophobia. Developed primarily in order to stimulate an interest in writing, the program is linked to the school curriculum, promotes the development of several cross-disciplinary skills and, ultimately, provides support to young people to remain in school. Quebec Roots also encourages bridge-building between cultures by assembling writing and photography by young Quebec anglophones in an exhibition that is open to the general public, during the Blue Metropolis International Literary Festival. Find out more about Quebec Roots here!

Collaborative writing about the experience with Blue Metropolis

In October Ms.H surprised us by saying that we were going to be in a book. The dream Team thought she was joking but she wasn’t! Before we knew it, a photographer and an author named Joel and Caroline from the Blue Metropolis Literary Arts Foundation came to see us at our school. We made them a nice meal of vegetarian Shepherd’s pie and a good nice looking salad with oranges and balsamic vinaigrette. We decorated the room with candles and some peaceful music. We did some work with Caroline on adding details to our writing. Then we did a photography class with Joel. He told us to take lots of pictures.(written by Yousuf) The next few months we had to work hard to revise and edit our work! Joel and Caroline kept in touch with us through Google docs and also a video conference. We sure had to keep at it to make our writing perfect and our photographs just right. Some of us shot over 100 pictures to get the one that would go in the book. Finally, in early March Joel and Caroline told us that everything was ready to go to print! We would soon be published authors! (Written by Ms. Howell) On April 19th, 2012, we got to school and we had community circle. At 9:00 AM we left to Montreal. Mr.Guinnane was sick so Mme Legare came instead. The van that Ms. Howell rented was so cool that it had two TVs in it. It even had a GPS. I was playing with Cody’s IPod touch. Cody was playing with my DSI. My teacher was rocking to the music! The van was silver with black seats. I sat in the back and the middle. (Written by Dylan) In Montreal   we drove through the   tunnel it was dark with white lights. I felt happy because I felt free! (Written by Amelie) First we drove to the Big O Stadium. We had fun and we had to go eat our lunch. At the botanical Gardens we ran around the gardens. Then we had to go to the Book launch! (Written by David) We went to the garden. We had a picnic. I ran around the fountain. (Written by Owen) The book launch was at a fancy hotel. There were swirly chairs in the lobby. The bathrooms were purple. We went to a special room and listened to speeches. Yousuf and Cody made a speech. Then they gave us a box full of our books! We were so excited we ripped the box open! And there we were in the book! Afterwards, we got to meet the other kids that were in the book. They were from all over Québec, even way up north in Innalik. We had some snacks and drinks; there was cheese, melons, biscotti. We felt famous at the book launch. (Written by Nicolas) I gave a speech at the book launch. I felt nervous and proud at the same time. I was sweating when all the people were looking at me. Everyone clapped loud. Afterwards, a woman from the crowd told me that I walked through the fear. I found the whole trip amazing! (Written by Cody) The dream Team has come back from our amazing trip to Montréal! We had a rockin’ Van and what I mean by rockin’ is the rockin’ music we listened to! We were laughing our heads off!. It was amazing! Our dinner was awesome. We went to Subway and had foot longs, like the meatball sub or the chicken teriyaki and others. We got to school at 7:30pm and our Parents were waiting for us (written by Randy.)