Week #31: Apr. 22nd - 25th

Dear Families,

We had yet another productive week of learning!  We spent quality time thinking about, reflecting upon, and honouring Mother Earth.  

Of course we spent quality time outdoors connecting with nature as we learned about Earth Day and ways to protect & preserve our planet :) 

Some students told me that they've shared some of our discussions with you at home and you were intrigued as we've been learning about a very important crisis - CLIMATE CHANGE.  

As a result of this, we know now more than ever before, our Earth needs us to make wiser more mindful choices.

We need to INVEST IN OUR PLANET!  Get Inspired.  Take Action. Be a part of the Green Revolution.

For Earth Day 2025, we need to act (boldly), innovate (broadly), and implement (equitably).  Businesses, governments, and citizens — everyone accounted for, and everyone accountable. A partnership for the planet.

The video below shares about the harmful impacts of plastic.

Plastics are linked to elevated risks of autoimmune disorders, cancer, heart disease, respiratory problems, and more. Industry giants have known for decades, but the truth is just starting to surface. This Earth Day, join EARTHDAY.ORG in the fight to #EndPlastics with 3 actions that have an endless impact.

For more information, I urge you as a family to get out the following link -->  Invest in Our Planet!

Below, many of us are dressed in GREEN (represents the land) and BLUE (represents the oceans, lakes, rivers, ponds) to show our dedication to our planet to help it get greener and cleaner!

Thank you boys and girls for not only showing school spirit, but more importantly, demonstrating your commitment to being an environmental activist to help PROTECT, RESTORE, and FUN for preserving the planet!

EARTH WEEK ACTIVITIES:
This week, our class dedicated our energies to do a deep dive into expanding our knowledge and understanding about our Earth and completing initiatives to help preserve and protect it.  

It was remarkable for me to see, hear, and feel how much the children are concerned and care for our precious planet!  

One of the first initiatives we took was to honour my former students' very own Planet Pledge. 

Our class shared this Pledge with the whole school over the announcements.  We want to help make a difference not solely for our class family, but for the SCHOOL FAMILY!

I have shared many times with my class, and I trust you believe in this too that we must honour and celebrate Earth Day every day!  After all, it's not just a "day," it's a MOVEMENT and this requires daily action!

The time is NOW my friends to bring about positive change.  It is up to us to make a significant difference not just for our generation, but for generations to come!

We must always make an effort to be mindful of reducing, reusing, and recycling when ever we can.  We have one planet, it is up to us to help it!  There is NO PLANET B!

COMMUNITY CLEAN UP:

Another significant initiative we took this week was going outside and doing a community clean up.  As Greta has taught us, "no one is too small to make a difference!"  

That's certainly been our mentality :-)  We were very eager to do our part demonstrating our care and compassion for the environment and nature. 

As you'll soon see below, we enjoyed this process and are always ready to lend a helping hand!  

We were able to collect one whole garbage bag full of plastics, styro-foam and other trash found in the neighbourhood near our school.  #staygreenNottawa

Way to go boys and girls, a job well done!

LANGUAGE:

Our focus in reading and writing has been on Earth Week activities.  Your child lovingly completed a collection of meaningful tasks which promotes taking action to help preserve and protect our planet!

These writing pieces will come home in the agenda once we've completed them all :)

We also discussed the importance of why we need to STOP PLASTIC POLLUTION IN OUR OCEANS FOR GOOD!  Please watch this 4:30 minute video to learn more.

Our oceans are being filled and killed by throwaway plastics. But together, we can create a movement to reduce throwaway plastic at the source and save our oceans.

Oceana and its allies are already winning plastic-free victories -- victories that aren't possible without your help. Are you ready to be part of our movement to #BreakFreeFromPlastic?

teamseas.org

BATTERY COLLECTION:

Thank you to all the students at our school who contributed so many batteries from your homes which will now be saved from going into our landfill and successfully recycled!  

Your contributions are making a difference and have inspired your peers to think about and do their part too :)

Please consider NEVER throwing out batteries, this is why!  Check out the video below for more information :)

📚🌍 EARTH DAY ILLUSTRATION CONTEST 🎨🌱

ReadWorks' longtime content partner, The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), is dedicated to sustaining, restoring, and enhancing the nation’s fish, wildlife, plants, and habitats for current and future generations. 

Since our partnership launched, NFWF content on ReadWorks has been used by over 350,000 teachers and 1.6 million students nationwide. 

I’m excited to share that your child is participating in the ReadWorks Earth Day Illustration Contest! They’re excited about this opportunity too 🖍️🌎

Each grade level received a unique Earth Day-themed article to read on their ReadWorks account. 

The goal? To create a meaningful and creative illustration that reflects the information they learned! 💡📖

This activity encourages students to read for understanding and express what they've learned through art. 🧠🎨 It's a fun and educational way to celebrate Earth Day!

✅ Contest Criteria:

1. Understanding of the Passage – Does the illustration include facts from the article?
   
   
2. Scene Representation – Is the habitat shown clearly in the drawing?
   
   
3. Creativity & Originality – Is the artwork thoughtfully and uniquely designed?

🗓️ All entries are due by Tuesday, April 29th for submission to the ReadWorks panel of expert judges.

I look forward to seeing my students' creativity shine while showing what they've learned about our planet! 🌍💚

🧮💰 MATH - MONEY MATTERS:

This week in math, our students put their mental math skills to the test as they worked in small groups to solve real-world money problems! 💵💡

We explored the question:
 👉 How can we count a group of coins efficiently?

Through teamwork and problem-solving, students practiced identifying coin values, grouping like coins, and adding totals in their heads - a valuable life skill that supports confidence and independence in everyday situations, like shopping or saving up for something special. 🛍️💸

✨ Ask your child:

• What steps did they take to figure out the total amount of money?
  
  
• Did their group use a strategy to stay organized while counting?

📸 I’ve posted 2 slides showing examples of the money problems we tackled this week - check them out and have your child walk you through their thinking!

💬 Understanding how to count and manage money is a critical life skill, and we’re proud of how our students are building strong foundations through hands-on learning.

Thanks for your continued support!

CHARACTER RECOGNITION ASSEMBLY:

On Wednesday April 30th at 9:45 am, the kindergarten class will be leading our character recognition assembly.  I am certain they have been working hard to prepare for this!  

I always look forward to these special events because it's a time to acknowledge and honour our Nighthawks good character from K-8.   

We're surrounded by amazing children who display SCDSB's 23 Attributes (as seen on the certificate below).

As always, all families are welcome to attend and we look forward to seeing you there if you're able to make it.  

I will be sure to reveal and write about our well deserved winners on next week's post ;)

🎉💫 SPIRIT DAY – MATCHING DAY! 👯‍♂️

📅 Wednesday, April 30th
 🎤 In celebration of our upcoming Character Recognition Assembly.

Let’s show our school spirit with MATCHING DAY! 

Whether it's twinning with a bestie, tripling up with your crew, or even matching with your teacher 😄, the more coordinated, the better!

👕 Ideas for Matching Fun:

• Matching colours or patterns
  
  
• Matching sports jerseys or team shirts
  
  
• Matching hairstyles, hats, or accessories
  
  
• Cozy comfy attire twins!
  
  
• Be creative (and school-appropriate!)

💚 This is a great way to build community, show character, and have FUN together before we shine the spotlight on students who’ve gone above and beyond this month.

We can’t wait to see everyone all MATCHED UP on Wednesday, April 30th! 🎊

Let’s make it a day to remember!
 #MatchingDay #SchoolSpirit #CharacterCounts

🚌🌿 GRADE 4 WYE MARSH FIELD TRIP🌱🦉

Our upcoming Grade 4 Field Trip to Wye Marsh is quickly approaching on Tuesday, April 29th! 

This outdoor learning experience is a wonderful opportunity for students to explore nature, learn about local wildlife, and connect with the environment in a hands-on way. 🌾🐾

📧 If your child is attending and you haven’t yet signed the permission form or made the payment on School Cash Online, I’ve sent a reminder email to those families. 

Please complete both as soon as possible to ensure your child’s participation.

✨ Please note:
 This is a Grade 4-only trip. Our Grade 3 students will have the chance to go to Wye Marsh next school year!

Looking forward to an adventurous and educational day in the great outdoors! 🌤️

♻️💙 TABS FOR KIDS – THANK YOU:💙♻️

A huge THANK YOU to Avery, Charlotte C., Taylor, and Ayden Teeter who brought in pop tabs this week! 

My former student Ayden (grade 5)

Your donations have truly made a difference — we’ve now officially filled our SECOND 5-gallon water bottle! 🙌👏

These tiny tabs may seem small, but your big-hearted contributions are helping to support children with accessibility needs by providing funding for wheelchairs and other essential equipment. 💪🧑‍🦽

🌟 Your kindness, consistency, and community spirit are valued more than you know. Keep those tabs coming — every handful helps!

Way to go, team! Let’s keep making a positive impact together. 💚♻️ 

#TabsForKids #SmallThingsBigImpact

💛 CELEBRATING CHARACTER IN ACTION 🌟

This week, I want to give a special shoutout to some amazing former students of mine who continue to show what true character looks like, even after they’ve moved on from our class.

During the first break, Aislynn, Tessa, June, and Harlow C. sometimes stop by to say hello and leave bucket-filling notes and words of encouragement for my current students and even my Ma. 

Their kindness, thoughtfulness, and positivity make such a difference and it absolutely makes my day every time! 💌✨

Their actions remind us that kindness doesn’t end when the school year does, it carries on, grows stronger, and spreads joy to others. 💚

🌈 "Kindness isn’t just something you say, it’s something you do. 

A little action can make a big difference."

Let’s all be inspired to show kindness in action, just like these students do. 

You never know how much your words or your smile can mean to someone else. 💬😊

Keep shining your light, girls! 🌟

MINDFULNESS:

Please tune into this captivating short Conservation International Film and join forces to give nature a voice!

Yes my friends, it is up to us to PROTECT, RESTORE, and FUND to help Mother Earth who is our greatest provider. The time is now to LISTEN, ACT, UNITE for climate change!

GROWTH MINDSET:

Thank you Greta Thunberg for being a powerful voice and environmental activist to help inspire our youngsters that they can too can MAKE A DIFFERENCE with one step, one act ... AT A TIME!

Still determined as ever, and just 21 years old. Below you can we hear about Greta's project ‘The Climate Book’ which brings together 100 experts to share their views on the climate crisis and what we do next as a planet.

Have a wonderful weekend,

Ms. P. Gill