Week #15: Dec. 8th - 12th

Dear Families,

This week has yet again been both busy and productive as we rehearsed for our Winter Celebration Concert and the upcoming Empathy Assembly! 

The students have been diligently honing their public speaking and performance skills, and I couldn’t be prouder of their hard work and dedication.

Along with rehearsals, we also experienced two bus cancellations.  Please see information below regarding when this happens.  

Many know I'm very academic in my classes so I wanted to reinforce what happens when lower student numbers are in the class and how students can still remain engaged in their learning :)

BUS CANCELLATION UPDATE:

With severe winter weather now upon us, I wanted to share some information about bus cancellation (snow day) expectations for our class.

On days when buses are cancelled but the school remains open, it is still a regular instructional day. We are no longer permitted to combine classes, so students remain in their homerooms. 

While I often have a smaller group of students attending on these days, I continue to follow our regular schedule and provide full programming for those who are able to safely come to school.

For students who cannot attend due to bus cancellations, I ask that they use the day to stay engaged in their learning. Please encourage your child to:

• Practice their Word Study words

• Log into Google Classroom to complete, work on, or catch up on weekly assignments
  (e.g., Knowledgehook Missions, ReadWorks, Mystery Science, Social Studies, Health, etc.)

We are hearing that this may be a “harsh winter,” so we may experience more snow days than usual. 

Please be assured that whether students are at school or working from home, I will do my best to provide meaningful academic programming.

Thank you parents for your support in helping keep your child's learning on track!

PATTERNS:

Speaking of keeping on track, we have begun a new math unit all about patterns. 

In this unit, students will be learning to:

• Identify and describe different types of patterns, including growing, shrinking, and repeating patterns.

• Recognize the operations behind patterns, such as how a pattern increases, decreases, or repeats.

• Create their own repeating patterns and represent them in different ways, such as visually, numerically, or with objects.

• Use a table of values to represent patterns clearly and organize information.

• Determine pattern rules and use those rules to extend a pattern, predict what comes next, and figure out missing elements.

For the students who came on the snow day on Wednesday, we completed the following activation activity - see image below!

Students worked in pairs to make a pattern with math manipulatives. They removed 3 parts from their pattern.  Finally, they had a partner describe their pattern rules and fill in the missing elements.

As I observed the children, I was delighted to see how they challenged themselves to create detailed pattern cores :)

Check us out below in math action!

This unit builds important thinking skills like reasoning, problem-solving, and noticing mathematical relationships. I look forward to seeing students further explore and create patterns in many forms!

MATH:

I want to take a moment to acknowledge the hard work and effort my students put into their recent math assessment. They demonstrated not only what they’ve learned so far, but also identified areas they’re still working on and that’s exactly how we grow!

I’m especially proud of how some students used the classroom tools available (self-regulation) to help solidify their knowledge & understanding, thinking & application, and communication skills.

Great job, everyone, keep up the amazing effort in all areas of your academics! 👏📚 

CARTER & RYDER:

Speaking of math, I would like to take this moment to congratulate to Ryder and Carter for earning their Half Mathalon Certificate on Knowledgehook! This award recognizes their hard work, dedication, and successful completion of their weekly assigned Missions.

Ryder and Carter have shown terrific perseverance and a positive attitude toward their math learning. I am so proud of their effort and commitment. 

Keep up the amazing work, your achievement is certainly a motivator for your peers to soar and grow too!

WINTER CELEBRATION CONCERT:

A heartfelt thank you to all the staff, students, and for those families who could join us during the afternoon performance today, we appreciate you all bringing your enthusiasm and energy to our WONDERFUL performances 🎶✨

Due to the snow days, we apologize that we could not have an evening performance this year.  A huge thank you goes out to Mrs. Johnson and Mrs. Mortimer for recording the Concert so families can access it online.  

Click the link below :)  This video will be available for viewing until Monday, January 5th 2026.

Nottawa Sounds of the Season 2025

Hosting this special event was wonderful! It was such a joy to watch our Kindergarten to Grade 3/4 students perform with so much enthusiasm, poise, and spirit!

If you were there, you’ll surely agree that the students did a solid job of their dance routine and singing I Believe in Miracles. It was clear that many of them practiced at home, and it truly showed, they NAILED IT!

Thank you parents for going the extra mile to have your child dress up in their amazing holiday attire, everyone looked so goooooood!  

FINAL SPIRIT DAY OF 2025:

Next Friday (19th), the last day before the Holiday Break, our Leadership Team has planned a special  movie day for all students! Our class will enjoy a movie during periods 1 & 2 in the gym.

We encourage your child to dress in their comfiest, coziest clothing (see details below). It’s sure to be a fun and festive way to kick off the holidays, yahoooo! 🎉🎬

STAFF SPIRIT:

Speaking of spirit, this week our staff truly embraced the spirit of dressing up in so many creative and fun ways, it reminded us that we’re all kids at heart! 

This shared experience brought us closer together, creating memories full of laughter and joy! 

I feel incredibly fortunate to work alongside such caring and compassionate colleagues every single day whose number one priority at school is your child(ren). 

Thank you all for making our workplace not just a team, but a family. ❤️✨

Kutcy & I love our “leisure suits!” Matchy, matchy 😉

MAGIC OF CHILDREN IN THE ARTS:

Today, we had the opportunity to participate in an art lesson by the very talented Shandelle who is the MAGIC behind the Magic of Children's Art in the Collingwood and surrounding area.

Shandelle taught the children about the Canadian artist Maud Lewis (1903 - 1970).

This wonderful opportunity allowed students to hone their self-expression, creativity, and artistic skills in a fun and supportive setting!

The children enjoyed the experience, and their beautiful flower pot creations reflect the joy and inspiration of the day. Take a look at some of the images I captured, these moments with Shandelle made for an amazing afternoon of art! 

Please note, this artwork that your child made will be featured at the Magic of Children's Art Showcase in the spring at the local library!  Stay tuned for details about this special event.  

Your child's art piece will be returned later in the year for you to admire and keep at home :)

CHARLOTTE:

Speaking of artistic talents, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate our very own Charlotte for her 3rd place achievement for the Legion's Remembrance Day Coloured Poster Contest!

I am very proud of your hard work, desire to put forth your personal best, and representing our class family with so much pride!  Way to go :-)

SPEECHES:

I am thrilled to offer my grade 4 students this opportunity to further develop their public speaking and presentation skills.

We’ve been exploring strategies to become effective speakers, guided by the criteria shown in the image below. It’s been a great way to sharpen our skills!

Success Criteria:  Oral Presentation 

Earlier this week, I assigned this task for the grade 4's to encourage them to think about a topic and start researching it over the holidays. 😊  The Speech Assignment has been posted on Google Classroom, and your child is encouraged to check it out!

It’s been wonderful to hear some students buzzing with excitement about writing and delivering their speeches.

Below, you’ll find a speech written and presented by Nick Shackell (Mrs. Newman’s nephew).

I’m sharing this as inspiration to help students choose a topic they’re passionate about and eager to present to others.

Engaging your audience with an exciting topic is key to keeping them interested in what you have to say. Take a listen! 😊

Here are some helpful tips to guide students with their speech presentations, take a look! 😊 Just a reminder, all of this is also available on Google Classroom. 😉

The dates for our upcoming friendly speech competition are not set yet, but I will notify you as soon as that information’s shared with me from Mrs. Johnson 🤗

• Gym Presentations: TBD
• Snow Date: TBD
• Legion Presentations: Sunday, February 8th (time TBA)

Your child will sign up for a speech date soon, when you know it, please write this down as that's the date it's due.  Speech presentations will be delivered the week of January 19th - 22nd.

DONATIONS:

I want to extend another heartfelt thanks to all of you (parents & children) who have been consistently contributing to our 12 Days of Giving initiative for My Friend’s House. 

Your generosity is making a meaningful difference for women and children facing domestic violence, a cause that is very close to my heart.

Your support not only provides essential items, but also offers hope and comfort to those in need during challenging times. Thank you for showing the spirit of giving and expressing such compassion!

Together, we’re making an impact, and I couldn’t be more grateful to be part of this caring community :)

MINDFULNESS:

I am so proud of all the boys and girls in the primary division for giving their personal best in our Winter Celebration Concert, it was a moment to remember! :) 

Parents, your positive feedback means so much to the staff, thank you! It’s a true joy to host these special events in our school gymnasium.

The magic of Nottawa shines brightest when our families come together to celebrate and honour the incredible talents of our children. Way to go, Nighthawks! 😊✨

GROWTH MINDSET:

This week's mindset message is ...

This mindset message emphasizes the power of perspective, perseverance and belief in overcoming challenges. 

It highlights that what might initially seem unattainable can become achievable with determination and a positive outlook. 

By breaking down "impossible" into "I'M POSSIBLE," it reminds us that our mindset and self-belief are key to unlocking potential and achieving goals!

With love, grace, & gratitude,

Ms. P. Gill