Week #38: June 9th - 13th

Dear Families,

Wowie, we are so close to the finish line! 🎉 Can you believe next week is our last full week in the classroom? 😲 

Time has flown by, and I am already feeling the feels knowing I’ll miss seeing students´ sweet, smiling faces each day! 😊💚 

So sweet, so smiley, so nice 🤩

Thank you boys & girls for showing school spirit in your Nighthawk gear, I looooove it 💙💫💙

Brilliant boys, always kind 🌟

It has been a true pleasure writing these posts each week as I get to reflect upon all the meaningful activities we're doing as a class family, this brings me so much JOY! 

I have thoroughly enjoyed communicating our learning achievements with you all (my students’ families).  I thank you (parents) for being a consistent follower/reader and supporting your child’s learning (E.g., by asking them questions about their week, celebrating work that comes home, etc...) and reading my thoughts. 📚

It has been a pleasure writing these posts each week as I get to reflect upon all the meaningful activities we're doing as a class family, this brings me so much JOY! 

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY:

Happy Father’s Day on Sunday to all the wonderful Dads out there! 

As you know as parents, it takes a village to raise children and having the support of a father (or male figure) is such a gift 🙏🏾 

Listening to your child speak and write about all the ways Dad cares for the family brings me happiness :)  Your role is vital and I thank you for raising your child(ren) with such love and care.

I hope you enjoy quality time together as a family.  Your child is so excited to give Dad the personalized card and letter that they created.

Each student worked so hard on this at home and at school.  I am so proud of their final products and I am confident you will be too :)

So kick back and relax Dads, you deserve it!

CHARACTER RECOGNITION ASSEMBLY:

Another friendly reminder 🙏🏾 We’re excited to invite you to our final Character Recognition Assembly of the school year on Tuesday, June 17th at 9:45 AM in the gym! 

This special event will be led by our amazing intermediate classes, and we’re looking forward to celebrating the incredible character and leadership our students have shown this year. 💫

✨ All families are welcome to attend! Come cheer on our students as we wrap up the year with positivity and pride.

🎒 To add to the fun, it will also be a Spirit Day: “Everything But a Backpack”!
Students are encouraged to bring their belongings in anything but a backpack! Some fun and creative ideas include:

• A laundry basket 🧺

• A pillowcase 😴

• A wagon 🛷

• A toy stroller or shopping cart 🛒

• A reusable grocery bag 🛍️

• A small suitcase on wheels 🎒

• A bucket or toolbox 🪣🧰

We can’t wait to see the creativity on display and to celebrate the amazing year we’ve had together! 💚

POETRY CAFE:

There’s lots of excitement in the air as we count down the days to our much-anticipated Poetry Café! ✨ 

This is a reminder that our special event will take place on Friday, June 20th at 12:00PM in our portable.

We are thrilled to be welcoming families, friends, and special guests into our learning space for this memorable celebration of creativity, courage, and student voice. 📝💛

🔔 Please sign in at the table outside of the portable upon arrival, and then make your way into our classroom for the event. Your child will be eagerly awaiting your arrival, this is a moment they’ve been looking forward to!

☀️🍃If the weather cooperates and it’s not raining, we’ll be taking part of our Poetry Café celebration outdoors! Families are welcome to bring a blanket to sit on as we gather by our outdoor classroom.

There will be time for you to relax and listen to your child share pieces from their Poetry Portfolio in a cozy, natural setting. We’re hoping for sunshine and a calm breeze to help set the perfect mood for this meaningful moment! 

👕 Student Dress Code:
To help create the café atmosphere, we kindly ask that students dress in a black shirt and black bottoms, or other dark-coloured clothing. Thank you for helping to set the tone for this special performance space!

✅ Last Call for RSVPs:
If you haven’t yet returned your RSVP, please do so by Tuesday, June 18th, so we can plan accordingly and ensure I have enough chairs and tables set up.

I appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedules to join us and celebrate all the wonderful learning that’s taken place. We can’t wait to see you there!

LANGUAGE:

📚✨ This week in Language, we dove into the creative world of poetry, focusing on two unique styles: Cinquain and Diamante poems! ✍️🎨

Students explored how just a few carefully chosen words can create vivid images, emotions, and structure.

🌟 Cinquains taught us how to say more with less using just five lines to describe a topic with precision and poetic flair.

💎 Diamantes helped us play with opposites and compare two ideas, creating diamond-shaped poems that shine with creativity.

From brainstorming powerful nouns and adjectives to reading aloud with expression, it’s been a week full of imagination and language fun! 💬💖 

We can’t wait to share all of our poems at the Poetry Café next Friday! ☕🎤📝

MATH:

📊 Survey Says… We’re Learning About Data! 📈

This week in math, students have been learning all about data collection and analysis! We explored the difference between quantitative and qualitative survey questions and practiced creating our own to collect meaningful information from our class and our learning buddies.

Please ask your child what his or her survey question is :)

Students learned how to:

• Create clear and effective survey questions 🎯

• Organize data using a chart or tally table 📋

• Represent their findings in a double bar graph 📊

• Analyze their results to draw conclusions 🔍

One of the highlights of this activity was heading over to our Kindergarten learning buddies’ classroom yesterday to collect responses. 

It was so sweet to see students confidently and kindly gathering data from the younger learners, lots of smiles and thoughtful conversations all around! 💬💕

In the coming days, your child will share his or her graph and insights soon. Stay tuned and check us out below, we’ve got some future statisticians in the making!

🏃‍♀️☀️ PRIMARY TRACK & FIELD FUN DAY:🏃‍♂️🎉

What a bright and beautiful day it was for our Primary Track & Field Day, hosted by Mrs. Shaw’s Leadership Team! The sun was shining, the energy was high, and the spirit of Track & Field was in full swing.

Our Grade 3s had a blast participating in all the fun outdoor activities from sprints to relays to field games and soaking up the excitement with their primary peers.

There was definitely a buzz in the air as our Grade 3 students started dreaming about next year, when they’ll get to officially compete in Track & Field as Grade 4s in the spring of 2026. YAY! 🎽🥇

Way to go Finley L. 🏃‍♀️ 

Huge thanks to Mrs. Shaw and her Leadership Team for organizing such a joyful and well-run event. Days like this make lasting memories!

ISLA & CHARLOTTE C:

🏃‍♀️🌟 A big shoutout to Charlotte and Isla for proudly representing our class family at the Area Track & Field Meet on Tuesday!

We are so proud of your determination, sportsmanship, and the way you gave it your all on the field. 💪

Whether you were sprinting down the track or soaring through a jump, you showed what it means to lead with heart and represent our class with pride.

🏅We WON the Banner!  Way to go, champs! 💚

MJ:

One of the most rewarding parts of teaching is seeing students take their learning beyond the classroom and connect it to their lives at home. 

This week, MJ did just that! She brought in a beautiful antique china set that features Canada’s provinces and territories, a perfect connection to our recent Social Studies unit.

It was such a thoughtful and meaningful way for MJ to deepen her understanding and share something special with the class. Her enthusiasm and love for our country truly shone through, and it was inspiring to see how proud she was to connect her family’s keepsake to her school learning.

Way to go, MJ! 🇨🇦💫 Moments like these remind us that learning happens everywhere.

KEENAN:

A big shoutout to Keenan for showing incredible initiative, responsibility, and work ethic this week! 

Keenan asked to stay in with me during his own time so he could get caught up on missed school work because he genuinely wants to stay on top of his learning and “fill his hippocampus with new knowledge.” 🧠💡

His attitude and drive are what truly set him up for success, not just in school, but in life. 

This kind of work ethic, where effort, curiosity, and follow-through take center stage, will serve him well as he continues to grow and move toward adulthood.

Way to go, Keenan! Keep growing, and keep being awesome! 🙌✨

NATIONAL INDIGENOUS HISTORY MONTH:

As part of National Indigenous Awareness Month and National Indigenous Peoples Day (June 21), today we will learn about and watch another short video to highlight the history and strength of our First Nations People. 

#nottawahonoursyou 

Heather McIntyre is an Indigenous woman who has lived in Collingwood with her grown family for over 35 years. Heather's grandmother Bertha was an Annishenabe woman originating from Georgian Island near Sutton and set out to build family life in rural Ontario.

As a proud member now of The Chippewa's of Georgina Island, Heather has dedicated her life's mission to support individuals who are in crisis or who find themselves stuck in wounded fragments of their life without a voice, the purpose or direction to fully embrace a positive Wellness Story.

Thank you Heather McIntyre for sharing your personal message of self-reflection and resiliency. 

Here at Nottawa, we continue to demonstrate our dedication to learning about our history and the present lives of our extraordinary Indigenous peoples in Canada.

It is important to us to show that we are in the spirit of RECONCILIATION AND RESPECT.

QUOTE:

I love this quote below!  In class, we often talk about our social, emotional, and mental well-being so we took some time to dissect the meaning of this message :)

This quote highlights the importance of self-confidence and self-reliance. 

A bird sitting on a tree isn't afraid of the branch breaking because its trust is in its own wings, not the branch.  This symbolizes that we should trust in our own abilities rather than external circumstances or supports. 

By believing in ourselves and our capabilities, we can overcome fears and uncertainties, no matter how unstable our surroundings may seem.  It encourages us to build inner strength and resilience to navigate life's challenges.

I urge all my students to BELIEVE IN THEMSELVES and to never give up on their hopes and dreams!

MINDFULNESS:

Speaking of our great country, what makes Canada so great?  That's right - DIVERSITY!  

We are a country that proudly welcomes and celebrates all cultures, faiths, and ethnicities!  In my mind and heart, that's what makes US so special :)  

I am a proud Sikh Canadian and am deeply grateful for our government who openly welcomed my parents who immigrated from India in the 1979.  

n class, we regularly talk about the similarities & differences we see in others and to always embrace and acknowledge these with open minds and hearts.  ACCEPT OTHERS AS THEY ARE.  

We are ALL DIFFERENT and that's OK :)  

Sit back, relax, and enjoy this video honouring our GREAT COUNTRY! 

GROWTH MINDSET:

Thank you Leyah for this week´s mindset message!

¨Embrace challenges, learn from your mistakes, and seek out new knowledge!¨ - Leyah

What does this mean? 

"Embrace challenges" means don’t be afraid when things are hard, try your best and keep going!

"Learn from your mistakes" means it’s okay to mess up, that’s how we grow and get better.

"Seek out new knowledge" means be curious and always look for new things to learn!

In conclusion, this message is saying ... Be brave, keep trying, and stay curious! 💪🧠🌟

Respectfully,

Ms. P. Gill