Oasis Arts & Social Change Program

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Oasis On Ice....

Oasis ASC, Skateboard Factory and Triangle Program students enjoy some ice time at the Harborfront Centre. No bones were broken.

Monday, February 25, 2013

Check out a student-made doc on the making of the Ogden mural.

Oasis Ogden Documentary!

Oasis x Ogden!

Students at Oasis ASC worked with grade 6 students at Ogden Public school to create a Keith Haring inspired school sign. Here's how Oasis delivers a bunch of five foot cut outs from a to b.....

Monday, October 29, 2012

Night of Dread Offrenda (Altar)

Here are the finished products combined with Oasis Skateboard Factory students' work on display at Dufferin Grove! Radical cardboard 1, Frankenstorm 0. Happy Halloween!

Oasis Prepares for Night of Dread

Oasis ASC students put the final touches on their memento mori skulls for our annual participation in Clay and Paper's Night of Dread Halloween celebration. The theme of our project this year was "Fear for the Future".

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Oasis- Back to Cool

Welcome back Oasis students! Sept. 2 marks our official registration day. Students still interested in joining our program must attend an info session. Hurry! Spots are filling up!

Info sessions:

Tuesday, Sept 2- 2:00

Thursday Sept 4- 2:00

Prospective students should bring proof of address (a utility bill works), a credit counselling summary and a piece of photo id/birth certificate.

Monday, May 14, 2012

Debut: The Pining "Call it Quits" Official Music Video by Oasis ASC Program

It's finished!
This spring, students in the Arts and Social Change Program at Oasis Alternative S.S took on an unusual art project. They were assigned the task of creating an official music video for local alt-country roots rockers, The Pining, using only a sheet, scrap paper, scissors and an old fashioned overhead projector.

Oasis students work with local artists like The Pining to create real and meaningful projects that have a life outside of the school (check out earlier blog posts to see our Nuit Blanche and Night of Dread contributions). Working on an art project that is presented outside of the classroom and promotes local musicians ensures that students are not only completing their credits, they are making a valuable contribution to the Toronto art and music scene. They are experiencing success as artists beyond the classroom.

Inspired by unrequited crushes and Road Runner cartoons, the 2 min video for "Call it Quits" is a result of hours of hard work, collaboration, problem solving and a few paper cuts. Students from Oasis Arts and Social Change Program hope you enjoy their video.

ASC Staff: A Small but MIghty Team

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