Week #27: Mar. 24th - 28th

Dear Families,

Is it really the final days of March?! Time is flying! I hope you’ve been enjoying your work week and are ready for a wonderful weekend :) 

Please know when the sun’s shining and the fresh air is breezing (and yes, snow still ;), it’s put big smiles on the children’s faces (and mine too!) as we run, jump, and PLAY outdoors. 😊🌞 

Boy o’ boy, nature’s medicine isn’t it?! 🌳 

As we wrap up another wonderful week, here’s a peek at what we’ve been up to in class… 👇✨

CHARACTER RECOGNITION ASSEMBLY & BACKWARDS SPIRIT DAY:

The staff and I are excited to invite you back to another Character Recognition Assembly on Monday, March 31st at 12:00 PM, where we will be celebrating our amazing Nighthawks who demonstrate Integrity!

In addition to recognizing our students, we will also be having a Spirit Day and this time, we’re having fun with a Backwards Day theme! 

We encourage everyone to get creative and DRESS BACKWARDS for the day. 

Grade 7’s giving us examples of backwards day!

Here are some fun ideas:
🌟 Wear your shirt or hoodie backwards
🔄 Turn your hat around
🌟 Wear your backpack on your front
🔄 Mix up your socks and shoes in a fun way
🌟 Get creative with your hairstyle, maybe a backwards ponytail or inside-out braid!

Let’s celebrate Integrity and school spirit together! We look forward to seeing you there.

Go Nighthawks!

📢 MATH - CODING 🚀

This week in math, our young coders have been diving DEEPER into concurrent and nested events while having a blast with coding! 🎮💡 

Please ask your child to show you their completed activities via Google Classroom, like Lobster Trap, Ride the Rocket, and Ripley’s Space Adventure🎉

Here’s what your child should be able to explain to you what they’ve learned:
🔹 Concurrent events – "Things happening at the same time! Like walking and talking at once." 🏃💬
🔹 Nested events – "One thing inside another! Like opening a book 📖 and flipping pages inside it."
🔹 Efficient coding – "Writing less code to do more! Like using a shortcut instead of a long way around." ⏳✅

My students are loving these challenges and are becoming problem-solving pros! 🧠✨ 

If they’d like to practice more at home, I’ve posted CODING tutorials in Google Classroom (under Resources) from Pekka Reinio’s site, the same one we’ve been using in class.  

Check out the kids in coding action below :)

GRAMMAR RULE #10:

This week, we learned about possessive nouns - words that show who or what owns something! 🏡🐶

Here’s how your child can explain it in kid-friendly words:
🔹 If one person or thing owns something, add ’s (apostrophe + s).
🔹 If more than one person or thing owns something, just add ' (apostrophe after the s).

Examples:
✔️ Emma’s book 📖 (The book belongs to Emma.)
✔️ The dogs’ toys 🐶🎾 (The toys belong to multiple dogs.)

Ask your child to solve these:
1️⃣ The (cat) ____ food is in the bowl. 🐱
2️⃣ The (students) ____ desks are in rows. 🏫
3️⃣ My (brother) ____ bike is red. 🚲
4️⃣ The (teachers) ____ lounge is quiet. 🍵

See if your child can explain their answers to you! 😊 Happy learning!

ART:

My young artists were inspired by the great Vincent Van Gogh as they created their own Cypress Landscape masterpieces! 🖌️🎨 They explored different art mediums to bring their work to life, including:

🖍️ Pastels – for bold colours and blending
🖌️ Watercolors – for soft, dreamy skies
🖊️ Sharpies – for strong outlines and details
✨ Smudging technique – to create movement and texture, just like Van Gogh’s famous brushstrokes!

The focus in our classroom was excellent as students followed directions, experimented with new techniques, and let their creativity shine! 🌟 

They can’t wait to bring their artwork home for you to admire 🤩 Ask them about their favourite part of the process!

As parents, thank you for encouraging their artistic spirit! 🎨💛

KEENAN:

I just wanted to take a moment to say a HUGE THANK YOU to Keenan for the absolutely beautiful painting he made for me! 🎨✨ 

It truly means the world to me, and I will cherish it 🥹💚 Your talent and creativity shine so brightly, and I feel incredibly lucky to have a piece of your amazing work. 🌟

Every time I look at it, I’ll be reminded of your kindness and artistry. 🎶🖼️ 

From the bottom of my heart - THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! 🙏🏾💖

KEENAN & FINLEY L., HARLOW: 

A huge thank you to Finley L. & Harlow for donating so many tabs this week for our wheelchair initiative! 

Your kindness and generosity are truly making a difference! 💖

And an extra special shoutout to Keenan and his family, who will be donating THREE buckets full of tabs in the coming weeks, thanks to a dedicated friend who has been habitually collecting them. INCREDIBLE! 🌟

♿💙 Huge Tab-Tastic Thanks! 💙♿

This initiative means so much to me, and I want all families to know that even after your child graduates from my class, I wholeheartedly encourage you to continue collecting and donating tabs. 

Every little tab adds up to something life-changing for someone in need! ♿💜

Thank you for being part of this amazing journey of kindness, giving, and making a difference! 💕

ISLA & LEYAH:

Thank you Isla and Leyah’s families for their donation of Kleenex boxes for our class family 🙏🏾 

We really appreciate your effort, generosity, and thoughtfulness in providing this as it’s still fairly chilly outdoors so our runny noises need the soft tissues to clear our nasal passages 🤗

JUNE, TESSA, AISLYNN:

I want to take a moment to acknowledge June, Tessa, and Aislynn, my former students before Turn Around Day in September, for taking the time to visit me during Lunch & Learn. 

Your kindness, wisdom, and growth mindsets are truly inspiring, and I love how you share them with my class. 🌟

Together, we’ve had the beautiful opportunity to listen, share, and reflect on the blessings in our lives. Your thoughtful messages of gratitude for loved ones remind us all how important it is to cherish the people around us. 

I am beyond grateful for the bond we share, it’s a gift that continues to brighten my days. 💖

To all students at Nottawa, please know that if you are ever seeking a safe, caring adult, I am here to listen with my eyes, ears, and heart. 

Life is beautiful, but it also comes with challenges, and sometimes, we all need a space to simply be and breathe. 💙

Thank you, girls, for making my days lighter and brighter. I cherish our chats and look forward to many more! 🌞✨

MINDFULNESS:

Did you know World Epilepsy Day is recognized annually on March 26th? It is also called Purple Day! 💜

This is a special day when people around the world wear purple to show support for those who have epilepsy, a condition that affects the brain and causes seizures.

A special shout out to the girls for wearing purple to show and share their support, I love it!

🧠 What is epilepsy?
Epilepsy happens when the brain sends mixed-up signals, which can cause a person to have a seizure. 

Seizures can look different for everyone, some people might stare off for a few seconds, while others may shake or fall down.

💡 Did you know?
✅ Over 50 million people around the world have epilepsy! 🌍
✅ Seizures are NOT contagious, you can’t catch them like a cold! 🤧🚫
✅ With the right medicine and care, many people with epilepsy live happy, active lives! 😊

💜 How can we show support?
👕 Wear purple every March 26th!
👂 Be kind and learn about epilepsy.
🤝 If someone has a seizure, stay calm and get an adult to help.

Let’s spread awareness, kindness, and support today and every day! 💜✨
#PurpleDay #WorldEpilepsyDay

GROWTH MINDSET:

Thank you Leyah for sharing this week's mindset message! 

"You have to be ODD to be number 1."  - Dr. Seuss

What does this mean?  👉 "Being different makes you special! 🌟 

Dr. Seuss is saying that to be number 1️⃣ (the best), you have to be odd which means unique, creative, and not afraid to stand out. 

Just like the numbers 1, 3, 5, and 7 are odd, being a little different can make you amazing too!" 🎨✨😃

With affection & respect,

Ms. P. Gill