Dear Families,
What a meaningful week we've had once again! We've engaged in important learning about equity, inclusion, and diversity - topics that are truly close to my heart.
My students continue to show a heartfelt commitment to understanding and addressing issues related to Anti-Bullying and Black History.
Every day, we are working together to practice more compassion, empathy, and, most importantly, acceptance toward one another.
In our classroom, we strive to create an environment where everyone feels safe, included, valued, and accepted regardless of our differences. It is our ongoing goal to ensure that kindness and respect are at the core of all we do.
You may have noticed your child coming home and sharing that they have either written or received a "bucket-filling" note from a peer or myself (see below). These small but meaningful gestures serve as a reminder of the power of kindness and encouragement in building a supportive classroom community.
It is important to me to provide the children with daily opportunities to express their appreciation and gratitude towards each other.
These messages of gratitude are designed for students to acknowledge and express their thoughts, feelings, and emotions for peers, teachers, friends, and family members.
Thank you boys and girls for taking the time and HEART to express your gratefulness. It is said when we are in a state of gratitude, our lives will be filled with JOY and it's true :-)
I believe one of life's greatest gifts is to give and receive unconditional love! "To love and be loved" is the key to the world's problems.
Have a blessed weekend with your loved ones and I look forward to resuming our meaningful learning next week!
BLACK HISTORY ASSEMBLY:
WOW!!! It is with immense gratitude that I now share about my students presentation to honour Black History month.
It was a heart-felt performance and I am so very proud of each of my students! Many audience members including me had tears of JOY!
Everyone participated with such love and compassion. I can say for certainty that those who were able to attend would agree with me. Thank you boys and girls!
Your message about spreading equal and fair treatment to everyone was heard and felt!
I would also like to acknowledge all the families who were able to attend despite your busy schedules and work commitments. And, I also understand those who were not able to, but I hope through this messaging you can celebrate your child's excellent achievement today :)
It meant the world to all of us, and your presence helped us be the BEST WE CAN BE!
Your (parents) continued commitment and support in all my teaching endeavours is cherished beyond measure!
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| My loved ones in attendance 💕 |
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| Embracing my support system 💁🏾♀️🤎 |
MARCIA HUBBS AKA QUEEN M:
As I begin to write this part of the blog, it now brings tears to my eyes because the manner in which Marcia Hubbs genuinely and authentically shared her mother's story with our staff, students, and families was so deeply moving for all in attendance.
Marcia was also in tears from beginning to end because she was so moved by my students' performance and the content of their thoughts, words, and actions! How amazing :-)
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| Queen M, you make our hearts soar with joy! |
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| Purpose. Passion. For Change. |
If you were in attendance today, you will have noticed that we as a class family listened attentively to Marcia perform The Colour of Her Skin acapella style and then joined in for the chorus, it was so sweet!
Yep, the gym was vibrating and buzzing with sheer enlightenment! It's a moment that we won't soon forget :)
Can't wait to have this brilliant, bright, and beautiful activist join our school community again next year! Marcia is changing one young mind at a time :-) And we're beyond blessed to have had her in our school. #wehonouryouMarcia #QueenMrocks
Please tune into CBC Radio 1 next week on Monday, February 24th at 7:45AM to listen to Queen M being interviewed by Nav Nanwa and sharing her passion and enthusiasm for activism. You never know, she may even mention and give a shoutout to Nottawa ;)
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Music Saves!
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A final thought that has deeply resonated with me and I promise I will continue to make this my mission for the rest of my days as an educator :)
We will continue honouring the importance of EQUITY, DIVERSITY, and INCLUSION for the remainder of the school year :)
DANCE-A-THON:
I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you who generously contributed to our recent fundraiser.
Your donations will help us secure a new roof for our pergola and paving for two new bike racks, both of which will enhance our school environment and create more opportunities for our students to learn and grow.
It is because of the unwavering support and commitment from our school community that we continue to be able to provide the best tools and resources for our students.
Your kindness and generosity truly reflect the spirit of Nottawa, where families come together to enrich the educational experience and create a welcoming, inspiring space for everyone.
Thank you for being a vital part of what makes Nottawa such a great place to learn, grow, and thrive. We look forward to seeing the positive impact these improvements will have on our school.
Check out the photos below as we celebrated this fundraising achievement at the Dance-a-Thon :)
VALENTINES DAY CLASS CELEBRATION:
I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for your support during our Valentine's Celebration. It was so heartwarming to see the care and compassion your child shared with his or her peers/friends.
A special thank you to the parents who went above and beyond to help their child purchase and give a Valentine to each member of our class family. Your effort truly made the day extra special :)
I also want to say how much I cherish the beautiful Valentines your child made for me. It means so much to be surrounded by such thoughtful and caring students.
Thank you boys and girls for helping make our celebration full of love and kindness!
PINK SHIRT DAY:
The 2025 Pink Shirt Day design was inspired by moments of kindness, empathy and understanding that can mean so much to children impacted by bullying.
For bullied kids, it can be hard to know where to turn, but a helping and supportive hand can make a world of difference!
Remember that whether it's sending a check-in text, calling out bullying behaviour when you see it, or simply offering your support, there are so many ways we can all help and connect with people being bullied.
On Wed. Feb. 26th wear PINK! Let's Lift Each Other Up this PINK SHIRT DAY, and all year round!
CHARACTER RECOGNITION ASSEMBLY:
We are thrilled to invite all families to our upcoming Character Education Assembly, led by Mrs. Newman's grade 2 class!
The assembly will take place on Friday, February 28th at 2:00 PM.
This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the character traits that make our school community so special, and we can’t wait to see the incredible presentations from the students!
To make things even more fun, we’re celebrating with a Spirit Day! The theme is "WEAR YOUR FAVOURITE COLOUR FROM HEAD TO TOE!"
So, get creative and show off your best colour, whether it’s red, blue, purple, or something else! Many of the children know my favourite colour is green (hint, hint 😉), but I’m excited to see all the colorful choices!
As always, all families are welcome to join us in celebrating this special day.
We can’t wait to see you there and share in the joy and positivity our students are sure to bring!
Let’s make it a day full of colour, creativity, and character! 🌈
MINDFULNESS:
Check out the quote and image below, I love it!
"It's nice to be important, but it's MORE IMPORTANT TO BE NICE!"
This image took my breath away and makes my heart soar with joy! It is located outside the The Tubman Museum and Educational Center which is part of the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway, a self-guided, scenic driving tour with more than 30 sites related to freedom seekers in the 1800s.
This world owes Ms. Tubman a debt of gratitude.
Not only for the many lives she saved and the profound ripple effect of those spared lives. Not only for the uncommon bravery and courage. Not only for the role she plated in ending slavery, one painful step at a time. Not only for the women who benefitted from her tireless work as a suffragist. But for the example she set by just being her.
Ms. Tubman set the bar astronomically high with her selfless devotion to doing the right thing no matter the costs.
I believe Harriet Tubman's moral compass is something we should all strive towards!
GROWTH MINDSET:
Thank you Corbin for this week's mindset message ...
"Find your own way. You don't have to follow the crowd."
To me, finding your own way means being true to yourself and making choices that are right for you, even if other people are doing something different.
Remember, we don’t have to do what everyone else is doing just because it's "popular." It's okay to be unique and follow your heart!
With appreciation & respect,
Ms. P. Gill
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