Week #20: Jan. 26th - 29th

Dear Families,

I hope everyone had a wonderful PA Day! Although it was quite cold, I hope your child was able to have some outdoor fun in the snow, it was a beautiful winter’s day ⛄️ 

And of course, me being me 🤣, I also hope your child accessed Google Classroom to work on and complete their missing or late assignments. 

In class we regularly use the motto - “Work hard, play hard!” Life’s all about balance 🤗

For me, today I really enjoyed the opportunity to collaborate with my colleagues to plan and prepare lessons and reports for our respective students.

I usually go next door to Mrs. Newman's portable and we work together in her cozy space.

At Nottawa, we are so fortunate to be surrounded by such a supportive staff who truly value the importance of working together to create a safe, welcoming, and child-centered school climate :)

SPEECH PRESENTATIONS:

This week, Boden participated in the Junior Speech Competition in the gym, what an incredible achievement! 🎤👏

Speaking in front of a large audience takes mental focus, physical presence, and emotional strength, and Boden has shown dedication in preparing for this big moment.

His willingness to step outside his comfort zone and embrace this challenge head-on was terrific!

We are all so proud of you, Boden! Thank you for representing our class family with such pride and dignity!

CHARACTER EDUCATION ASSEMBLY:

Now, I am also proud to honour Hyla and Ryker for showing HONESTY in their thoughts, words, and actions. 

These two students demonstrate that honesty is not just about telling the truth, but about being true to themselves and others every single day.

For some, it may not always easy to speak or act with honesty, but Ryker and Hyla do so with such integrity and kindness.  

Keep shining, you two, you are making a positive impact and setting an example for others to follow. I am so proud of you! 💙✨

SUNGLASSES SPIRIT DAY:

Along with each assembly, the Leadership team organizes and promotes a spirit day where staff and students dress up and this month's was all about wearing our bright shiny sunglasses.

It may be cold and chilly out there, but we brought the warmth and sunshine with our shades 😉 Check us out!

The spirit of our school is special! Events like this bring us together, build community, and most importantly, remind us how fun school can be with a lil' theme ;)

A big thank you to all the parents who step in to support their child’s participation in all our spirit days.

Your time and energy did not go unnoticed, it is cherished and so appreciated! 💙

COLDEST NIGHT OF THE YEAR:

At yesterday's assembly, Ms. McMullen and I were excited to share with the whole school about this important cause that is near and dear to our hearts that takes place in our very own community every winter. 

The event is called The Coldest Night of the Year. The Coldest Night of the Year is Canada’s largest walk in support of homelessness. 

Last year, over 15 million dollars was raised for local charities across all provinces in Canada. 

Each community decides on an organization that they want to support. Our community supports Home Horizon - The Barbara Weider House. 

This year’s goal is to raise $200,000 and so far our community’s raised close to $60,000 - wow! Check out the link below 👇🏾

Coldest Night of the Year Collingwood

The Barbara Weider House is a transitional home for youth who are homeless and need a safe place to live.

I request you to now please watch this brief video to gain some information about this fundraising event. 

 

So as you just heard, it’s a special winter walk where people come together to support youth who are experiencing hurt, hunger, and homelessness. 

At Nottawa, we are going to have our very own Coldest Night of the Year Walk on Thursday, February 26th to show our support for these youth.  

As a school, we are also going to raise money for Home Horizon.  Let’s take a quick look at our fundraising page now. 

Donate Here.

Our goal is to raise $1,500.00. Any donation amount makes a difference. We are confident that our Nighthawks can & will reach this goal!

I want to thank ALL the staff and parents who have already made contributions! As of today, we have raised $450.00! 

It brings tears to my eyes as Nottawa's filled with THE MOST generous and compassionate people :)

The Coldest Night of the Year Community Walk will take place on Saturday, February 28th at 4:00PM starting at 140 Maple Street (Trinity United Church).

ALL Nottawa families are welcome to attend and be part of our Nighthawks Shelter Squad. 

So far the staff who are joining us are - Mrs. Newman’s family, Mrs. Clarkson’s family, Mme Wylie’s family, Mrs. Hammond, and Mr. Veentra’s family 🩵

We will walk together in support of our youth who need us the most! Hope to see you there :-)

LEADERSHIP SCHOOL WIDE EVENT:

With the Olympic winter games around the corner, our leadership team has been hard at work to organize a way to connect our school community together as well as celebrate this occasion.

Each class has been assigned to a country and ours is AUSTRIA. With this, our class will make a flag to represent this country.

We are also asked to dress in Austrian colours (red & white) for the Opening Ceremonies taking place on next Friday, February 6th during period 1. 

Throughout the winter Olympics, we will learn about different countries customs, anthems, and their location on the world map.

Best wishes to all the athletes around the world 🌎 We look forward to cheering you on 📣 

MATH:

I shared with the students that when I attend a PD day, it’s like “teacher school” for me, a time to learn new strategies and better ways to support their learning :) 

And boy o’ boy, do I have a lot to learn & grow 🤓

Recently, the focus has been on math, specifically how to teach multi-step word problems in a way that feels clear and manageable for students.

In class, we’ve been using the 4-Block Method, and I’ve also introduced a new strategy I learned called the 3 Read Model. 

This tool helps students slow down and really understand the problem before jumping into solving it. 

First, they read to understand the context, what is the problem about? Next, they read to figure out what the question is asking. Finally, they read to identify the key information and details needed to solve it.

This week, we used the 3 Read Model to work through a problem called Pick a Peck of Apples. 

It was wonderful to see students breaking the problem into smaller, more manageable parts and explaining their thinking with growing confidence. This approach is helping them build stronger problem-solving skills and a deeper understanding of math.

WYE MARSH:

Due to the high winds and the snow conditions that we experienced on Tuesday, we had to postpone our field trip this week. As always, the safety of our students is our top priority. 

The trip is rescheduled for Wednesday, March 11th. We look forward to heading out to Midland then.

Thank you as always for your understanding and support :)

📢 EXCITING NEWS! BLACK HISTORY ASSEMBLY:🎤✨

With the next month being February and with that comes honouring Black History, I'm thrilled to announce that our class will be leading a school-wide Black History Assembly!

📅 Date: Friday, February 20th, 2026 @ 9:30AM

🎤 Guest Speaker: Marica Hubbs, also known as "Queen M"

This special assembly will focus on D.E.I. - Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, celebrating the enormous contributions of Black Canadians and Black Americans in shaping a more inclusive world.

🌟 What to Expect:

✅ Student-Led Presentations – Our class will highlight the achievements of inspiring Black individuals.

✅ Powerful Message from Queen M – A local activist, speaker, and musician, she encourages inclusivity and challenges racism with her uplifting presence.

✅ Curriculum Connections – This aligns with our school’s commitment to Well-Being, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Excellence in Learning.

Queen M’s message is clear: "Be the change." Her passion for fostering understanding will inspire our students to continue making the world a safer, more accepting place for all. ❤️🌍

Looking forward to this event and seeing my students shine, collaborate, and lead with heart!

RYLEE:

I would like to take this moment to wish Rylee and her family all the best as they make their move to another community and school.

Rylee has been such a bright, caring, and wonderful part of our class and we will miss her tremendously 🩷

Thank you Ellis family for all your support throughout your years at Nottawa. Remember, once a Nighthawk, always a Nighthawk :-)

GROWTH MINDSET:

This week’s mindset message is … 

"Believe in yourself and you'll be UNSTOPPABLE!"

For me, this quote means that when you trust yourself and believe you can do something, nothing can stand in your way! 💪✨

Think about when you’re learning something new, like riding a bike or solving a tricky math problem. At first, it might feel hard, but if you keep trying and believe that you can do it, you’ll get better and better!

Believing in yourself gives you the power to keep going, even when things are tough.  So never give up, keep trying, and remember, you are AMAZING and can do anything you set your mind to!💫😊

With love & gratitude,

Ms. P. Gill