Week #25: Mar. 3rd - 7th

Dear Families,

Hi there! 😊 Another glorious week at Nottawa filled with smiles, laughter, and learning! 🌟 Your child and I are soaking up every moment together, making the most of our academic, social, and emotional growth! 📚💙

For me, coming to school each day feels like hitting the jackpot 🎰 I truly cherish my time with each and every student. 

This class is a family, and I am so grateful to be part of it! ❤️

This week, we had an incredible time:
💜 Celebrating International Women’s Day
🎭 Watching the school musical (what a show!)
🌳 Spending time outdoors 
✏️ Collaborating in grammar, math, and writing

As always, this is a thorough post (surprise, surprise, hehe! 😄), but one you’ll definitely want to check out! 

So sit back, relax, and enjoy a hot cup of coffee or tea ☕ as you read through our latest adventures.

⏰ Friendly reminder: The clocks spring forward this Sunday! 🌼💡

#ClassFamily #CherishedMoments #LearningAndGrowing

MARCH KINDNESS CALENDAR:

Kindness is contagious! 💕 I hope you keep this calendar on your fridge or in your child's room as a daily reminder to spread kindness. 

Every small act, whether it's a smile, a helping hand, or a kind word can make a BIG impact. 🌎✨

As Greta Thunberg said, "No one is too small to make a difference." 💚 Let's all do our part! 😊👏 #KindnessMatters #SpreadLove

SCHOOL MUSICAL:

🎭✨ What a Show! Our Talented Students Shined on Stage! ✨🎭

Wow, what a MAGICAL performance by our incredibly talented students! 🌟 From the set to the amazing vocals, every single performer brought their A-game, and I couldn’t be prouder!

A huge shoutout to my lil’ sea creatures and choir stars - Isla, Teagan, Charlotte C., and Avery who absolutely lit up the stage with their energy, enthusiasm, and beautiful voices! 🐠🎶💙 You all made the ocean come alive! 🌊

This experience was extra special for me because I stepped way out of my comfort zone to join the stage crew! 🎭💡 

As someone who solely coaches sports, leads mindfulness sessions, and teaches in the classroom, it felt amazing to give back to the kids in a new way. 

Thank you Teagan, Taylor, and parents for your note of appreciation, it means the world to me 🩷💁🏾‍♀️

Being part of this production was my way of paying tribute to the teachers who inspired me when I was at Connaught, performing in musicals like Aladdin and The Little Mermaid. 🧞‍♂️🧜‍♀️

It was also so rewarding to connect with students from grades 4-8, many of whom I’ve taught over the years. Seeing them shine on stage and work together as a team was truly heartwarming. ❤️

A HUGE round of applause to our amazing director, Ms. West, and our incredible team of dedicated educators: Mrs. O, Mrs. Mathews, Mrs. Shaw, Mrs. Hammond, Mrs. Johnson, and Mrs. Cavill! 👏🎶 

Your passion, hard work, and commitment to our students made this production truly unforgettable! 💖🎭

If you were lucky enough to see the performance live, I’m sure you’ll agree, this was a magnificent one! 🎶✨

Bravo to everyone involved! 👏🎭💖 

Next performance 🎭: Monday, March 17th @ 6:30PM

#ProudMoment #MusicalMagic #OurStudentsAreStars 🌟

💜🌍 INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY 🌍💜

March 8th marks International Women’s Day, a day to honor, celebrate, and recognize the incredible social, political, and economic achievements of women and girls around the world! 🎉👩‍🎓👩‍🔬👩‍⚖️

Across the globe, women come together on this day to lift each other up, celebrate progress, and advocate for equality and representation. 💪✨ 

Let’s continue to support, empower, and inspire one another—today and every day!

#InternationalWomensDay #EmpowerWomen #CelebrateEquality 💜🚺 

🎥 VIDEO MESSAGE FOR IWD 2021 🎥

I am both humbled and honored to have been invited in 2021 to share a special message with young girls across Simcoe County. Being part of this experience and representing the Simcoe County District School Board is something I will always cherish. 💖

#IWD2021 Message

Unfortunately the link is no longer available to watch my message of empowerment for young girls everywhere!  However, I did share it with your child in class so perhaps they can discuss it's contents with you 🌟

I believe in every young person and encourage YOU to advocate for yourself and others. 💪💙

USE YOUR VOICE to challenge bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. By speaking up, WE can bring positive change. 🌍

To all the incredible young girls and women in my life and beyond...

"You are LOVED. You are WORTHY. You are ACCEPTED. You are ENOUGH. You have a VOICE." 🎤

Keep using your VOICE to stand up for EQUALITY! ✊💜 

#IWD2021 #Empowerment #EqualityForAll

WRITING:

This week, we engaged in a special activity to honor International Women’s Day and empower young girls and women. 💜

We started by discussing an important woman in our lives, our moms. How would you describe yours? 

After our class conversation, students were encouraged to write a message of gratitude to a female they admire, to express their appreciation and love. 💖

Please ask your child to share their message with you, it’s posted on Google Classroom! 📲 

If they need extra time to complete their letter, feel free to encourage them to finish it at their own pace.

As I read through the completed letters, I was truly moved by the heartfelt thoughts and words. It brought tears to my eyes. 😢

Thank you to all the students who took the time to honour #IWD2025 with such thoughtfulness and dedication. 

I have no doubt the woman or young girl in your life will be deeply touched by your message of appreciation. 💖🌟

💖 HONOURING MY MOTHER 💖

I would be remiss if I didn’t take a moment to honor and acknowledge my very own Mother this International Women’s Day. 

Here's my message for my Ma.  I sent her a screenshot of it and she loved it :)
She said, "Oh Pareenie, you made me cry."

When I think of my Ma, the words courageous, resilient, and empathetic immediately come to mind. 🌟 

It is because of her and only her that I have learned to face adversity with grace, turning every challenge into an opportunity to learn and grow, in mind, body, and spirit. 💪💫

I am the person I am today—daughter, sister, friend, educator, and individual because of her teachings, mentorship, influence, and unwavering guidance. 📚💖

I will spend the rest of my days making her proud as her daughter. She is my pillar of strength, the most genuine, gentle, and generous human being I know. 🌸

Ma, you're ONE OF A KIND, and I love you with all my heart. 💖 

To express my appreciation, I’ve posted a song for you. You don't know I’m sharing this, but I hope you check out this blog post! 😉🎶

"I give thanks to my Holy Mother, to the one who holds me dear."

My Ma connecting with my former student Kaelynn at our Stone Soup Celebration

Thank you Ma for not only supporting me in my teaching endeavours, but caring about my students just as much as I do :)

To conclude my appreciation for my beloved Mother, I have posted a song for her.  She doesn't know I'm sharing this, but I hope she checks this blog post ;)  

"I give thanks to my Holy Mother to the one who holds me dear."  

It's a beautiful tune and one that I think will resonate with you too :)   

MATH:

📢 Math Focus of the Week: Translations & Reflections! 📢

This week in math, we explored describing and performing translations and reflections on a grid! 📊🔢 Students engaged in hands-on activities to deepen their understanding of these important geometric transformations.

👉 A translation is when a shape moves without rotating or flipping. It simply slides from one place to another.

✅ Example: Moving a triangle 4 spaces to the right and 2 spaces up on a grid.

👉 A reflection is when a shape flips over a line, like looking into a mirror.
✅ Example: A heart reflected across the y-axis so that it appears on the opposite side of the grid.

Ask your child to explain the difference between translations and reflections and maybe even show you the examples he or she completed in Google Classroom 📝💡

#MathInMotion #Transformations #GeometryFun

LEARNING BUDDIES:

🌿☀️ Learning Buddies: A Day of Connection & Creativity! ☀️🌿

We had another amazing opportunity to connect, play, and savour the outdoors with our Kindergarten Learning Buddies! 👫🌳 

From imaginative adventures to joyful laughter, it was a beautiful reminder of how important it is to let kids be kids, exploring, creating, and learning through play. 🎨✨

Allowing children to use their imagination and creativity not only makes learning fun but also builds character, confidence, and social skills that will last a lifetime. 💡💪 

Whether it was inventing new games, building with nature, or simply running free, every moment was meaningful and full of growth.

A big thank you to our Kindies for sharing their curiosity and excitement with us! 💕 

Let’s continue to embrace the power of play and learning together! 🚀🌈

#LearningBuddies #ImaginationMatters #BuildingCharacterThroughPlay

TEAGAN, ALEX & LEYAH:

🌟 Shoutout 🌟

A HUGE round of applause for these children, who diligently take notes in class across various subject areas, especially in math! 📝➕✨ 

Their commitment to learning, organization, and attention to detail is truly inspiring!

All three consistently work quietly, calmly, and with great focus, making sure to capture key ideas and strategies during mini-lessons. 📖💡 

This dedication will set you up for success, not just now, but for years to come!

I am SO PROUD of you all! 🎉 Keep building on your amazing notebooks and continue adding to them throughout Grade 4, 5, 6, and beyond! 

Your hard work is making a real difference, and I can’t wait to see how your learning journey unfolds! 🚀💙

#KeepShining #ProudMoment #HardWorkPaysOff #MathMasters

SOCIAL STUDIES:

We have started a new unit in social studies!  The grade 3's are learning about Living & Working in Ontario and the grade 4's focus is on Political & Physical Regions of Canada.  

Please note, I have posted the slide deck on Google Classroom for students & families to refer to, please check it out over the weekend.  

The slides are interactive so students can complete specific questions as I teach the unit at home and at school.  Please encourage your child to do so when I assign these.  Thank you.

MEDITATION MONDAYS:

🌿✨ Meditation Mondays: A Journey of Mindfulness ✨🌿

Our 4-week Meditation Mondays session has come to an end, but the impact will last far beyond these moments of stillness. 💙 The benefits of our time together have been immeasurable, but here are just a few:

🧘‍♂️ Calm & Focus – Students learned how to slow down, breathe, and center themselves, helping them tackle their day with clarity.

💡 Emotional Awareness – We explored how to recognize and manage our emotions, bringing more patience and understanding into our daily lives.

🌟 A Sense of Community – Coming together each Monday created a peaceful, supportive space where we could simply be.

The joy and presence these lil' meditators brought to my heart is something I’ll cherish. 💖 

Watching them embrace mindfulness and find their own moments of peace filled me with so much gratitude and inspiration.

🌸 Good news! I’ll be offering another 4-week spring session so stay tuned! 🌿 Can’t wait to continue this journey with you all!

#MindfulMondays #BreatheAndBe #MoreToCome

GRAMMAR:

📢 Grammar Rule of the Week: Using "I" vs. "Me"! ✏️📚

This week, we focused on a super important grammar rule: When talking about yourself and another person, always name yourself LAST! 💡

👉 Use "I" when you are the subject (the one doing the action).
✅ Example: Liam and I went to the park. 🏞️
(You wouldn’t say “Me went to the park” 🙃, so “Liam and I” is correct!)

👉 Use "me" when you are the object (the one receiving the action).
✅ Example: Grandma baked cookies for Mia and me. 🍪
(You wouldn’t say “Grandma baked cookies for I” 🤨, so “Mia and me” is correct!)

💡 Pro Tip: Try the sentence without the other person to check!
❌ Me went to the park. → Sounds wrong! 🚫
✅ I went to the park. → Sounds right! ✔️

❌ Grandma baked cookies for I. → Nope! ❌
✅ Grandma baked cookies for me. → Yep! 👍

Now go out and speak like a grammar pro! 🏆✍️ #GrammarWin #ILoveGoodGrammar  

MINDFULNESS:

Please take a moment to check out TAIKO Studios which presents the story of Luna, a vibrant young Chinese American girl who dreams of becoming an astronaut. 

From the day she witnesses a rocket launching into space on TV, Luna is driven to reach for the stars. 

In the big city, Luna lives with her loving father Chu, who supports her with a humble shoe repair business he runs out of his garage. 

As Luna grows up, she enters college, facing adversity of all kinds in pursuit of her dreams.

To all the young girls (boys) at our school, NEVER GIVE UP ON YOUR HOPES & DREAMS!

GROWTH MINDSET:

This week's mindset message was shared by Aislynn (my former student).

"Your attitude determines your direction."

What does this mean? The way you think and feel about things can shape what happens in your life. If you have a positive attitude, you are more likely to make good choices and reach your goals. But if you have a negative attitude, it can make things harder for you.

Example:
Imagine two kids learning to ride a bike. One says, "This is too hard! I'll never do it." They give up quickly and never learn. The other says, "I know it's tricky, but I'll keep trying!" They keep practicing and soon they can ride.

Their attitudes, one positive, one negative determined what happened next! Always look on the bright side of life :-)

May you always feel peace in your mind & heart,

Ms. Gill