Mackenzie is officially in the new year and out of our winter break! Of course, the change from pyjamas and blankets hasn't taken its full effect yet.
As of now, virtual learning will continue until January 17th.
Of course, staring at a Zoom meeting is not the most exciting pass time.
Clubs have also come to a standstill, pending COVID protocols of the TDSB.
Regardless, the goings on of our school are still here to look forward to, so here's our list for this week:
Some things that happened this week:
- School started on Wednesday, January 5th (duh).
- Visual Arts Council is accepting monthly artwork this new year! The theme is "Renewal", referring to your new year's resolutions. Submit your artwork here.
- In these difficult times, the school continues to offer guidance meetings, which you can book here.
- TED Club hosted a University Student Panel today, on Friday, January 7th from 4:30-6:00 pm.
- Over the winter break, the Flounder, WLMAC's very own (questionable) news source. Find the issue here.
- Mackenzie ESports Club hosted a 4v4v4v4 Minecraft Bedwars tournament on December 27th and 28th.
- MCPT's Holiday Game Jam was held from December 27th to December 31st. Check out the games made by your fellow students here.
Some things to anticipate next week:
-The first credit rescue day is on January 12th, 2022.
- WLMAC Cybersecurity is hosting a beginner Capture-The-Flag competition from January 10 to February 4. Find out more here , and sign up to participate here.
- Business Council's Target Alpha Stock Trading Competition has begun! Good luck to all participants.

2021 is finally over - welcome to the new year, and welcome back to school! We hope you all had a safe and enjoyable holiday, and are ready to get back to learning. 2022 represents a fresh start and brings new opportunities - let's make the most of them.
Some key dates coming up:

Late starts - January 19th & 26th;
End of Semester 1 - February 1st.

Please refer to the email from Mr. Johnson for School Closure/Remote Learning Updates; if you have any questions, feel free to contact the school or SAC.
Best wishes for the new year, Aidan and Daniel

One week after the challenge began, we find ourselves once again with our “Make or Break” series participants for an update on their status. Let’s see how they’re doing:
Have you come across any challenges? How are you approaching them?
Keren (Grade 10): “I don’t think I have yet, the homework challenge has not been much of an issue since it’s only the first week of school. However, I did have to do homework one morning. I actually didn’t mind, because I found that I was much more productive and had a good nights rest, where as I am burnt out trying to finish my homework at around 9-12pm.”
Alisa Wu (Grade 11): “I tend to start getting ready to go to bed at 11:00-11:20, so after I'm done my nightly routine, I get to bed at 11:40, but then fall asleep at 12. It's a challenge to get to sleep sooner, but I feel that the extra 30 min shouldn't make a big difference.”
Alexandra Miller (Grade 11): “I have a lot of extracurriculars after school which makes it hard to complete my homework before 10:30. To approach this challenge I’m trying to do my homework faster and more efficiently.”
Ayesha Rivera (Grade 11): “I've had some trouble adjusting to a schedule with school as it is drastically different than my routine/schedule from summer. To approach this challenge, I've been trying to keep my current schedule generally consistent to hopefully adjust faster.”
Julianne Ho (Grade 11): “Before I started this challenge, I was sleeping much later (around 1-2am). I had not well adjusted to sleeping early, and I had experienced insomnia in the first half of the week because of it. Now that I have gotten used to sleeping by 11, it has become slightly easier everyday. Another challenge I face is an increasing workload that wasn't present in the first week, and I am currently in the process of rearranging my schedule during the day to be able to get enough sleep and stay productive.”
Misheel Batkhuu (Grade 11): “I sleep with my grade 6 sister (she has her own room, but we enjoy each other’s company). As of now, I can easily manage myself and be in bed by 11. It takes considerable effort to force my sister to do the same. Sometimes that means shutting down the wifi in the house which gets me an earful of “You’re the worst sister in the world!”s and “I hate you”s but we reconcile eventually. Then, there’s the issue of us talking in bed about life. Honestly, I enjoy these conversations we have because they’re either super funny or super philosophical. They are too exciting and long, though, for one trying to fall asleep though at 11. I guess we’ll try to shorten them a little bit, as well as maybe climb into bed by at least 10:30 to comply.”
Have you noticed any changes in your behaviour or performance throughout the day? (mood, energy) Are they mostly positive or negative?
Keren (Grade 10): “I’m definitely have a much more positive attitude and more energetic in the morning, however, I still find my self tired in the afternoon since I’m still getting used to full school days after not having them for over a year.”
Alisa Wu (Grade 11): “MUCH more energetic and focused.”
Alexandra Miller (Grade 11): “Not at the moment, but I home to encounter some soon!”
Ayesha Rivera (Grade 11): “I haven't noticed any significant changes as of yet, however, I do think that had I not joined the study, my energy levels would be lower because of getting less sleep.”
Julianne Ho (Grade 11): “I've noticed that I feel much more energetic and happy with more sleep. I used to feel very weighed down and heavy, but I have felt lighter on my feet recently and feel motivated to be active when I have time. Another change that I found significant is not feeling exhausted in classes to the point where I fall asleep, and therefore have not ruined my regular sleep schedule from taking naps. Overall, the changes have already shown to be positive.”
Misheel Batkhuu (Grade 11): “I can't really tell for my general mood or behaviour around others. I'm the kind of person who tries to be positive but also goes loopy or gets irritated for no reason without realizing. I think I'm the same person. I do feel more organized and motivated to not procrastinate though, and my study/work habits have definitely improved in efficiency.”
Have you initiated any changes in your routine?
Keren (Grade 10): “I make sure to shower earlier, at least getting in the shower at 10pm so I’m not rushing to get into bed. Since I’m going to sleep at 11, I have found that I wake up a little earlier and faster, which gives me time to sit on the balcony (if the weather is not to cold) and finish some homework or read. This is something I really like, because it starts my day off right (not on my phone as much in the morning) and gives me time to read which I didn’t have time for before.”
Alisa Wu (Grade 11): “Not since the beginning of the experiement.”
Alexandra Miller (Grade 11): “I put my phone outside of my bedroom every night.”
Ayesha Rivera (Grade 11): “I have started to get ready for bed at a consistent time that is earlier than which I normally get ready for bed.”
Julianne Ho (Grade 11): “A change I have tried to implement so far is trying to do all my regular homework before dinner and saving the time afterwards for doing whatever I wanted, such as working on clubs, reading, or playing the ukulele. This advice was given to me by a friend that sleeps early on a regular basis and isn't part of this challenge!”
Misheel Batkhuu (Grade 11): “I've started running long distance some mornings and plan to make it a routine for certain days of the week, which I would have never had the energy to do before... heck I could barely even wake up in time before, much less consider doing some exercise.”
How do you feel moving on with this challenge for Week 2?
Keren (Grade 10): “I feel pretty confident and satisfied with the benefits of choosing to do this challenge.”
Alisa Wu (Grade 11): “Good!”
Alexandra Miller (Grade 11): “I want to keep going!”
Ayesha Rivera (Grade 11): “I feel a bit uneasy as I know that my workload will start to get heavier and my routine may have to change to adjust to it.”
Julianne Ho (Grade 11): “I can see the workload severely increasing just from the first week, so I believe it will be difficult to balance this challenge and remain productive enough. I had definitely seen the benefits from the first week already though, and I have just as much incentive as the first week to see this challenge through!!”
Misheel Batkhuu (Grade 11): “Good! I'm excited for what's in store, and as of now, I still think I got this in the bag. I'm definitely not stopping any time soon.”
Which best describes you right now?

Keren (Grade 10): Option 5 (sunglasses)
Alisa Wu (Grade 11): Option 5 (sunglasses)
Alexandra Miller (Grade 11): Option 6 (geeky)
Ayesha Rivera (Grade 11): Option 3 (cry)
Julianne Ho (Grade 11): Option 4 (happy, blushing)
Misheel Batkhuu (Grade 11): Option 4 (happy, blushing)
If you would like to make any suggestions for our next "Make or Break" series, we would love to hear your suggestions! Send them in through here: https://forms.gle/9XwhusCA63ueVxCm9

Too often, high schoolers find themselves caught up in a vicious cycle of procrastination, time-wasting, speed-running, late to no sleep, and poor results. At this point, we’re well aware of the importance of sleep, but we’ve trained our brains too long into casting it outside. That is why, as we begin a fresh school year, five other brave soldiers and I are challenging ourselves to be in bed by 11, ready to sleep, for six weeks straight. Typically, it’s believed that a habit takes six weeks to break or make. Let’s see if we can make a habit of sleeping by 11, and maybe other ones might be built or shattered in the process.
Here are the pre-start thoughts of our first “Make or Break” series participants, taken September 8, 2021:
Why did you choose to take part in this challenge?
Keren (Grade 10): “I thought it would be a great way to keep a consistent sleep schedule during the beginning of the school year. Coming back from vacation I want to get my jet lag under control as fast as possible. I know that sleeps important and I want to improve mine. I want to be able to wake up early without feeling too tired.”
Alisa Wu (Grade 11): “Over the summer, I've read about the importance of habit building and sleep (Why We Sleep Book by Matthew Walker), and I felt very inspired after reading those books. They helped me stop sleeping at 2-3 am and helped me sleep consistently at 12-1 am. I thought that this challenge was perfect and thought it could further help me achieve an even better sleep time.”
Ayesha Rivera (Grade 11): “I chose to take part in this challenge so that I could use it as an opportunity to start creating better habits and improve time management skills.”
Julianne Ho (Grade 11): “Often I have trouble concentrating and my thoughts feel jumbled when I'm sleep deprived. A problem I usually face is wanting to enjoy the morning by waking up early, but it's difficult for me to sleep earlier and I constantly end up with a lack of sleep. I feel much more productive in the early mornings and would like to make that a habit. Another issue I face is that I'm a heavy sleeper, and sleep deprivation really just exacerbates the situation. Multiple alarms can go off and I would completely miss them (this previously included a carbon monoxide alarm), or if I do catch them I'd turn off the alarms and "sleep for another 5 minutes". I believe having a solid reason to get to bed earlier rather than "just because I want to" will make me more determined to see this challenge to the end.”
Misheel Batkhuu (Grade 11): “I've tried committing to improving my sleep habits many times before, and only one time, did I come close to sleeping at a good time (before 11)... for about three nights before I fell back into my regular routine. The thing is, no matter how busy or unbusy my schedule is, I always fail to prioritize my sleep, which I really should. I feel as if participating in a publicly updated and open challenge like this will force me into this habit, especially if I'm keeping it up for six weeks. It's a measurable goal, at least in my opinion.”
Anonymous (Grade 12): “I know a lot of my lack of sleep comes from procrastination because I know I can always stay up late to complete work. I usually set a hard limit to go to sleep around 2 or 3 am anyway so if I can just make that earlier, I'm hoping to improve my sleep schedule and work ethic.”
What do you hope to gain from these six weeks? (goals, desires, dreams)
Keren (Grade 10): “A good sleep schedule, and a way to create new habits.”
Alisa Wu (Grade 11): “I hope that after these 6 weeks, I can go to school without dozing off in class (which happened a lot last year) and I can have more effective retention of class material.”
Ayesha Rivera (Grade 11): “I hope that I'll be able to gain better sleep and I hope to be able to create a sustainable work schedule by learning to section off time properly with the goal of getting in bed and sleeping by 11.”
Julianne Ho (Grade 11): “I'm hoping that developing this habit will result in other lifestyle changes as well, such as efficient time management, being able to trust my self-discipline, and being more focused in my everyday work. Even if I don't succeed, I'm still interested in seeing if this motivates other people to work on self-improvement!”
Misheel Batkhuu (Grade 11): “I hope to build the habit of consistently sleeping at a good time. I want to get used to dropping whatever I'm doing and sleeping without worrying because I'll just wake up the next morning refreshed and ready to continue. I hope to develop a consistent clear mind so I perform better in all aspects of my life, including school and family responsibilities (maybe I'll stop being so irritable). I want to get better at managing my time, and hopefully, as I'm forced to realize what's most important, I can also drop other bad habits of mine like wasting time procrastinating or scrolling pointlessly through social media, Webtoons, etc. Beyond myself, though, I hope that this challenge can help motivate other people to also develop healthier and more consistent sleep routines:)”
Anonymous (Grade 12): “Getting more sleep, less procrastination, better focus”
What challenges can you see yourself facing?
Keren (Grade 10): “Having homework, and not having time to finish it. Since I have extracurricular activities, and usually only get home by 9, that doesn’t give me a lot of time to do homework. [I also fear] just not being tired before 11 in general, having a hard time falling asleep”
Alisa Wu (Grade 11): “The first week would be difficult since I would have to solely rely on willpower rather than habits.”
Ayesha Rivera (Grade 11): “Challenges I can see myself facing is workload, procrastination, and getting over previous sleep habits, specifically the times I was used to sleeping at.”
Julianne Ho (Grade 11): “Some challenges I can definitely see happening result from wasting time during the day and pushing all my work to be done in the night time. I see myself spending time watching random YouTube videos, checking messages, having too many "breaks" in the daytime, then rushing my work starting at 10 pm. Often I also want to help others but never save enough time to work on my own projects unfortunately. This might lead to pulling all-nighters just to meet deadlines.”
Misheel Batkhuu (Grade 11): “Struggling to let go of my obsession with games, and then struggling to finish an assignment. Having trouble sleeping at night because I couldn't finish the assignment and I'm stressed the time I set out in the morning won't be enough.”
Anonymous (Grade 12): “Too much work/due dates piling up, not being able to sleep at an earlier time even if I get in bed because of current sleep schedule.”
Are you making plans to help you overcome challenges? If so, please specify.
Keren (Grade 10): “Homework challenge: Being efficient and managing the time that I have, waking up early instead of staying up late to finish it.”
Alisa Wu (Grade 11): “I'll set an alarm to remind me to start getting ready to go to sleep.”
Ayesha Rivera (Grade 11): “To overcome potential challenges I'm aiming to start any work given right away/finish it as early as possible and create a general schedule that I can follow to help me stay on track.”
Julianne Ho (Grade 11): “I'm going to stick to using site blockers for social media platforms and stop using electronics right before sleeping. I will also use a to-do list but will try not to spend too much time organizing it as to stay time efficient. Doing activities that make me feel determined and productive such as exercising or doing tough activities earlier will hopefully stop me from laying around and waiting to start them too late in the day.”
Misheel Batkhuu (Grade 11): “I'm mentally preparing myself for one, letting go of and living without the things I don't need, and two, for the prospect of dropping my pencil and then figuring out a steady time to wake up. If I have to sleep at 10:30 and wake up at 12:30 to keep up with this challenge, then so be it. Once my timetable gets stabilized and I figure out what each class looks like, I'll organize a rough schedule/map of my day and each course study slots.”
Anonymous (Grade 12): “Not drinking caffeine drinks after 8 pm, planning to work on projects early.”
How do you feel right now about starting school with this goal in mind?
Keren (Grade 10): “I feel a little more prepared for something that I didn’t really think about (sleep schedule) before starting this challenge”
Alisa Wu (Grade 11): “Motivated.”
Ayesha Rivera (Grade 11): “Starting school with this goal in mind makes me feel somewhat less nervous as it gives me a bit more structure to follow for the beginning of the year.”
Julianne Ho (Grade 11): “Honestly, I'm feeling more pressure because this has been a habit I've wanted to include since middle school and haven't been too successful with. Heading into Grade 11, I would like to focus more on responsibilities rather than kicking bad habits for the entire year. Getting started earlier on pushing these bad habits out are higher on my priority for the first few weeks of school, so I'm excited to get started!”
Misheel Batkhuu (Grade 11): “Super excited. I got this.”
Anonymous (Grade 12): “Good but might not be able to meet this goal throughout the six weeks depending on my workload. Also might affect my ability to stay up late when I actually need to.”
Which best describes you right now?

Keren (Grade 10): Option 4 (happy, blushing)
Alisa Wu (Grade 11): Option 4 (happy, blushing)
Ayesha Rivera (Grade 11): Option 3 (cry)
Julianne Ho (Grade 11): Option 2 (dizzy)
Misheel Batkhuu (Grade 11): Option 6 (geeky)
Anonymous (Grade 12): Option 4 (happy, blushing)
If you would like to make any suggestions for our next "Make or Break" series, we would love to hear your suggestions! Send them in through here: https://forms.gle/9XwhusCA63ueVxCm9