Week #28: Apr. 1st - 4th

Dear Families,

Here we are already at the end of our first week of April, wowie!  Isn't the old saying April showers bring May flowers?  

Well, we had quite the freezing this week - Wednesday which caused more inclement weather days.  I do hope everyone stayed safe on the roads, and for the students who remained at home, I hope you enjoyed a quieter day ;)

Thank you to all the students who continue to work hard in their academics at home and at school.  With only April, May, and June left of school, I want to ensure the children are well prepared for the next grade level!  

We certainly are getting there through our dedication, determination, and persevering through challenges.  In life, there are no shortcuts, face hard times with grit.  Always believe in yourselves boys and girls!

CHARACTER RECOGNITION ASSEMBLY:

On Tuesday, we recognized March's character attribute of Integrity - “We can always be trusted even when NO ONE IS WATCHING!”  

***POST PHOTO OF KIDS WHO WORE CLOTHING BACKWARDS

Caption:  Thank you to all the students & staff who dressed up for our backwards spirit day!  

I have shared with my students how I feel this attribute encompasses all our character attributes that we have focused on thus far.  

I believe if a person demonstrates integrity, they also possess respect, caring, courage, honesty, optimism, cooperation, inclusiveness, empathy, and responsibility.  

I am comforted in knowing that WE at Nottawa are truly surrounded with many students and staff who consistently model integrity in their actions.

This song was played at the assembly and I really like it as did the kids.  Give it a listen, it's catchy :)

Congratulations to Charlotte C., Leyah, and Corbin!  You are being recognized for ALWAYS displaying Integrity in your thoughts, words, and actions.  

I am so very proud of you!  Continue to be your best self in all that you do!  You are exemplary models for this attribute!  Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU :-)

APRIL’S CHARACTER ATTRIBUTE:

This month's character attribute is "Optimism" - We believe we can DO IT!  

I believe in the power of optimism. But does positive thinking really have any power? Check out the video to see for yourself. #ThisIsOptimism

I encourage you to harness the power of optimism with your own life! Being in a state of optimism is remarkable!  

So come one, COME ALL, join US in the POWER OF OPTIMISM!  It can change your life for the better ... FOR GOOD!

🎉👏 KNOWLEDGEHOOK CERTIFICATES: 👏🎉

Congratulations to the students who have completed their KnowledgeHook Math Missions with PERSEVERANCE and COMMITMENT to mathematics! 🏆🔢 

Your dedication to problem-solving, logical thinking, and math mastery has earned you well-deserved recognition!

✨ Shoutout to my incredible students:
 🥈 Half Mathalon Recipients 👇🏾 – Keep pushing forward! You're halfway to greatness! 💪📈

 🥇 Full Mathalon Recipients 👇🏾 – You went the distance and crushed it! 🎯🔥

Keep up the amazing work, mathematicians! 🚀💡 Your journey to math excellence continues! 🎯📊 #MathMasters #KeepGoing #YouRock

🎨✨ ARTIST APPRECIATION - NORVAL MORRISSEAU ✨🎨

This week, we celebrated Norval Morrisseau, an incredible Ojibway artist known as the “Picasso of the North”! 🖌️🌿 His paintings are bold, vibrant, and full of energy, using bright colors 🌈 and strong black outlines to tell powerful stories about Indigenous culture, nature, and spirituality. 🌍🦅

Learning about Indigenous artists like Morrisseau is so important because their art shares history, traditions, and voices that need to be heard! 🎶📖 

The students honoured his legacy by creating stunning "Thunderbird" pieces using oil pastels and WOW, the results are stunning 🔥🖼️💖

Amazing job, artists! Keep creating with heart, colour, and meaning! 🎨💡💫 

These completed pieces will come home once we’re done our artist statements, stay tuned ☝️ 

WORLD AUTISM AWARENESS & APPRECIATION DAY:

World Autism Awareness Day is celebrated annually on April 2nd. It is all about love, understanding, and celebrating our friends for who they are.

Why is it on April 2nd?  Well, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously declared the 2nd of April as World Autism Awareness Day to highlight the need to help improve the quality of life of those with autism so they can lead full and meaningful lives as an integral part of society.

Autism touches more than 70 million people globally.  Approximately 1 in 50 children and youth are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Canada and this number continues to grow.  In this video, children will learn the importance of World Autism Awareness Day and how to celebrate.

Many countries around the world light up their landmarks BLUE to help increase understanding and acceptance of people with Autism. 

Thank you to my former student Harlow for making me a blue bracelet to accompany my sweater

Thank you to all the students and staff who joined us in celebrating Autism Awareness Month (April) by  showing your support and wearing blue :)  

Together, we can show this wonderful community of people that we understand and will share our compassion always. 

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PINK:

The International Day of Pink is a worldwide anti-bullying and anti-homophobia event held annually during the second week of April.  This year, it will take place on Wednesday, April 9th.  

Though similar to Pink Shirt Day in that it also seeks to end all bullying, the Day of Pink is more specifically aimed towards anti-LGBTQ+2 bullying.

WHY THIS MATTERS:

"Discrimination takes many shapes, whether it’s based on race, age, disabilities, gender or sexuality. The 2SLGBTQIA+ community is no stranger to the bullying and violence that stems from hateful beliefs.

While progress has been made towards removing these social barriers from our society, unfortunately discrimination still persists.

So every year, on the second Wednesday of April, we urge people around the world to put on a pink shirt and stand in solidarity with the 2SLGBTQIA+ community to continue fighting for equality and acceptance."

Please have your child wear pink on Wed. Apr. 9th 2025 to show our solidarity and support in creating a more INCLUSIVE and DIVERSE world!  I really appreciate it :)

APRIL KINDNESS CALENDAR:

Your child has received this month's kindness calendar!  

As always, I do hope your child utilizes some or many of the suggested ideas this month to bring joy to your household and beyond :)

SOCIAL STUDIES:

Students are really enjoying learning about Canada's Political Regions!  Many are determined to learn  ALL our provinces, territories, and their capitals by HEART!  I'm so proud :)

Below is a fun and friendly game (see link below) that helps us solidify our skills in recognizing the Regions.  

Provinces & Territories Quiz Game

I have posted this game on Google Classroom as well so encourage your child to keep practicing.  

Perhaps you can also have a friendly competition to try to beat your child's score / time.  

TEAGAN:

This morning during our "Brain Breakfast" 🧠🍽️ (aka Daily Math), I saw a beautiful moment of leadership and compassion. Teagan quietly noticed a peer in need and, without hesitation, offered her help - kindly, patiently, and with such calm confidence. 💚

Teagan helping her peer 🥰

This small act spoke volumes. It showed empathy, responsibility, and a true sense of community. Teagan, I am so proud of you! 👏 Your actions remind us all that leadership isn’t loud - it’s caring, thoughtful, and generous.

In our classroom family, we believe that everyone is both a student and a teacher. We all have unique strengths to share, and the power to lift each other up. 📚🤝 

Learning doesn’t just come from the adult in the room, it grows when we support and learn from one another.

Thank you, Teagan, for showing us what that looks like in action. You are a role model and a mentor! 🌟🙌

FINLEY L.:

Shoutout to Finley L. for coming to school bright-eyed and happy to donate a box of Kleenex for our class! 🥳💚 

With these chilly temps sticking around, those soft tissues will definitely come in handy! 🤧❄️ 

A huge THANK YOU to Finley’s parents as well for their kindness and generosity in making sure we’re all stocked up. We truly appreciate it! 💕👏

HYLA & NORA:

Wow, Nora and Hyla! 🎉💚 I was SO excited when these girls walked into our class on Wednesday and said, ‘Ms. Gill, we have tabs to share with you!’ 

Even though they aren’t in our class every day, they still thought about our cause and brought in tabs to help build wheelchairs. That is AMAZING! ♿💖 

Your kindness and generosity truly made my day, and I am so grateful for both of you! Keep spreading that kindness wherever you go! 🌟👏💚

GROWTH MINDSET:

Thank you Keenan for this week's mindset message!

"Those who matter don't mind and those who mind don't matter." - Keenan

What does this mean?

This means that the people who truly care about you 💖 (like good friends & family) will accept you just the way you are! 🌟 They won’t mind if you’re "different" or make mistakes.

But people who judge you or try to bring you down 😠 don’t really matter. Their opinions shouldn’t stop you from being yourself! 💪😊

So always be YOU! 💚✨

With love, grace, and gratitude,

Ms. P. Gill