Week #23: Feb. 17th - 20th

Dear Families,

What a meaningful week we've had once again! We've engaged in important learning about equity, inclusion, and diversity - topics that are really close to my heart.

My students continue to show a heartfelt commitment to understanding and addressing issues related to Anti-Bullying and Black History. 

Every day, we are working together to practice more compassion, empathy, and, most importantly acceptance toward one another.

In our classroom, we strive to create an environment where everyone feels safe, included, valued, and  accepted regardless of our differences. It is our ongoing goal to ensure that kindness and respect are at the core of all we do. 

You may have noticed your child coming home and sharing that they have either written or received a "bucket-filling" note from a peer or myself (see below). 

These small but meaningful gestures serve as a reminder of the power of kindness and encouragement in building a supportive classroom community.

It is important to me to provide the children with daily opportunities to express their appreciation and gratitude towards each other and that's exactly what we did!

These messages of gratitude are designed for students to acknowledge and express their thoughts, feelings, and emotions for peers, teachers, friends, and family members. 

Thank you boys and girls for taking the time and HEART to express your gratefulness.  It is said when we are in a state of gratitude, our lives will be filled with JOY and it's true :-)

I believe one of life's greatest gifts is to give and receive unconditional love!  "To love and be loved" is the key to the world's problems. 

Have a blessed weekend with your loved ones and I look forward to resuming our meaningful learning next week!

BLACK HISTORY ASSEMBLY:

WOW, it is with immense gratitude that I now share about my students presentation to honour Black History month.  

It was a heart-felt performance and I am so very proud of each of my students!  Many audience members including me had tears of JOY! 

Everyone participated with such care and compassion.  I can say for certainty that those who were able to attend would agree with me.  Thank you boys and girls, I love (accept) YOU!  

Our message about spreading equal and fair treatment to everyone was heard and felt!

I would also like to acknowledge all the families who were able to attend despite your busy schedules and work commitments.  And, I also understand those who were not able to, but I hope through this messaging you can celebrate your child's excellent achievement today :)  

It meant the world to all of us, and your presence helped us be the BEST WE CAN BE!  

Your (parents) continued commitment and support in all my teaching endeavours is cherished beyond measure!

BOHDAN:

I shared with my students something very personal this week. 

I told them that I’ve been trying to find the courage to speak in front of the whole school about the racism and discrimination I faced as a young girl at Connaught Public School because of the colour of my skin. For many years, I felt shame about what happened.

When I became a teacher, I made it my mission to teach DEI — diversity, equity, and inclusion and to show how important it is to accept and understand everyone’s unique differences. 

For this year's Black History Assembly, I decided to speak my truth and share my experience with the whole school.

In the days leading up to the assembly, I told my students, “I’m nervous, but I need to practice what I preach to all of you: Face your fears and RISE. Push yourself to your potential.” 💪✨

With the encouragement of Bohdan, who made me a special picture and said, “Ms. Gill, you can do this,” I spoke in front of the school. In that moment, I felt your support, Bohdan, and all of my students’ encouragement.

I am so thankful to all of my students for believing in me. Now, I no longer feel shame about my past, it is part of my story, and it has made me who I am today.

Meegwich. 💖

MARCIA HUBBS AKA QUEEN M:

As I begin to write this part of the blog, it now brings tears to my eyes because the manner in which Marcia Hubbs genuinely and authentically shared her mother's story with our staff, students, and families was so deeply moving for all in attendance.  

Marcia was also in tears from beginning to end because she was so moved by my students' performance and the content of their thoughts, words, and actions!  How amazing :-)

Queen M, you make our hearts soar with joy!

Purpose.  Passion.  For Change.  

If you were in attendance today, you will have noticed that we as a class family listened attentively to Marcia perform The Colour of Her Skin acapella style and then joined in for the chorus, it was so sweet!  

Yep, the gym was vibrating and buzzing with sheer enlightenment!  It's a moment that we won't soon forget :)

Can't wait to have this brilliant, bright, and beautiful activist join our school community again next year!  Marcia is changing one young mind at a time :-)  

And we're beyond blessed to have had her in our school.  #wehonouryouMarcia  #QueenMrocks

A final thought that has resonated with me and I promise I will continue to make this my mission for the rest of my days as an educator :)

We will continue honouring the importance of EQUITY, DIVERSITY, and INCLUSION for the remainder of the school year :)

CAROLYN SHEFFIELD WILSON:

I would also like to share my heartfelt gratitude to Carolyn Sheffield Wilson for attending our Black History Assembly. It was wonderful to welcome her into our school community.

During the assembly, we honoured her family’s life and legacy in Collingwood and the changemaking ways they helped shape our community. Learning about real people from our own area made Black History feel meaningful and close to home for my students.

At the assembly, we learned about the Sheffield Black History Museum in Clarksburg, which helps share and protect the important stories of the Sheffield family and Black history in our region.

After the assembly, the children had a special little meet-and-greet with Carolyn and even got to take a photo with her. 

In front of the display case, students & staff shared kind messages on paper hearts that I had cut out for everyone, it's our way of “sprinkling kindness” around our school. 💖

Thank you, Carolyn, for spending time with my students and helping us all learn, reflect, and lead with kindness.

PINK SHIRT DAY:

The 2026 Pink Shirt Day will take place next week on Wednesday February 25th.  All staff and students are encouraged to wear pink to show our solidarity with its message of anti-bullying awareness.

This year's shirt design focuses on the themes of inclusion, kindness, and community connection. It also highlights Indigenous art and the "Sprinkle Kindness" message.

For bullied kids, it can be hard to know where to turn, but a helping and supportive hand can make a world of difference!

Remember that whether it's sending a check-in text, calling out bullying behaviour when you see it, or simply offering your support, there are so many ways we can all help and connect with people being bullied.

On Wed. Feb. 25th wear PINK! Let's Sprinkle Kindness this PINK SHIRT DAY, and all year round!

FLAG RAISING PINK SHIRT DAY:

I love our community! 💖

As part of Bullying Awareness, the Town of Collingwood will proudly raise a flag to celebrate Pink Shirt Day. 

A special day about being kind, including everyone, and standing up against bullying. 💕🛑

Thank you Collingwood for being the "change we wish to see in our world!"

Here are the details if you’d like to join or learn about it:

📅 When: Wednesday, February 25th, 2026

⏰ Time: 11:00 AM

📍 Where: Community Flagpole, 55 Ste. Marie St. (outside the Collingwood Public Library)

Just like I was able to do for the Black History Month flag raising, I’m planning to go on my lunch break to be part of this special moment too. 💗

I can’t wait, and I’ll share some pictures and words about this experience in next week’s post! 

CHARACTER RECOGNITION ASSEMBLY:

I would now like to share about our upcoming Character Education Assembly, led by our Kindergarten classes.  

The assembly will take place on Wednesday, February 25th at 9:45 AM.

This is another wonderful opportunity to celebrate the character attributes that make our school community SO VERY SPECIAL. Looking forward to the presentation from the students!

As always with our recognition assemblies, we’re also celebrating with a Spirit Day. The theme is "PINK SHIRT DAY & EVEN WEAR PINK FROM HEAD TO TOE!" 

So, get creative and show off your best shades of pink, to stand up against bullying! 

As always, all families are welcome to join us in celebrating this special assembly and day. 

Let's share in the joy and positivity our students are sure to bring!

COLDEST NIGHT OF THE YEAR SCHOOL PRESENTATION & WALK:

Now that we have wrapped up our Black History Assembly, I am excited to have our school take part in the Coldest Night of the Year walk to support Home Horizon – The Barbara Weider House! 

This special walk will take place around our school on Thursday, February 26th at 12:45pm.

Shelter Squad Enthusiasts - Cali & Mirabelle 🤎

This is a family-friendly event, so all parents are welcome to join us as we show our support for youth who are hungry, hurting, and homeless. 💖

Our Captain - Blackey ❤️

Fundraising Progress Girls - Alex, June, Tessa

On Monday, Ms. McMullen and I are also thrilled to welcome Pam Osmond, the head of fundraising for Home Horizon, who will visit our school to give a presentation and tell us all about their program and how we are helping make a difference.

Every donation goes directly to Home Horizon to help youth in need. Thanks to the amazing generosity of our staff, students, and parents, we’ve reached 89% of our goal – $1,335.00. 

Donations are still welcome until the end of February. Let's reach and exceed our goal of $1,500.00.

Here’s the link to contribute:  Donate Here.

Looking forward to walking together on February 26th and showing how much our Nighthawks care. See you there! 🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️💙

OLYMPICS VIEWING PARTY:

Our class had a super memorable moment watching the Men’s Hockey Semifinal with Team Canada vs. Finland at the Winter Olympics! 🇨🇦✨

First off, a good job of the class for trying to focus during our Word Study Assessment. 

Yes, the game was on in the background (hardcore teacher mode activated 😅), and the kids stayed locked in and did their very best. I was so proud of their effort!

When the game got really intense, I said, “Okay everyone, to the carpet, let’s watch this!” The room instantly filled with excitement, cheering, and so much Canadian pride. 

And guess what? With our big energy and loud support, the men won!

I loved letting loose with the class. As you know, I take my role seriously, but this was one of those magical moments where it felt right to be electric together and celebrate as a community!

MATH:

This week in math, our focus was on dividing with remainders. ➗

This can be a tricky concept, but we broke it down into manageable steps. Students practiced on a fun math sheet where they divided and coloured the remainders using a colour-coded answer sheet, so helpful and visual! 

To support our learning, we watched a friendly BrainPop video that explained dividing with remainders in a informative way. 🧠

Math can be tricky, but with steps, visuals, and checking our work, we can do anything! 

We also learned an important tip: CHECK YOUR WORK ✅ to make sure our answers are correct. 

Ask your child if they remember this step ;)

ELI:

Thank you, Eli, for your contributions to Tabs for Kids this week! 💚

You showed kindness and caring by bringing in tabs to help others. Even small actions can make a big difference, and your effort helps our community!

So proud of you for thinking about others and doing your part. Keep it up, Eli!

MINDFULNESS:

Check out the quote and image below, I love it!

"It's nice to be important, but it's MORE IMPORTANT TO BE NICE!"

This image took my breath away!  It is located outside the The Tubman Museum and Educational Center which is part of the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad, a self-guided, scenic driving tour with more than 30 sites related to freedom seekers in the 1800s.

This world owes Ms. Tubman a debt of gratitude.  

Not only for the many lives she saved and the profound ripple effect of those spared lives.  

Not only for the uncommon bravery and courage.  

Not only for the role she plated in ending slavery, one painful step at a time.  

Not only for the women who benefitted from her tireless work as a suffragist.  

But for the example she set by just being her.  

Ms. Tubman set the bar astronomically high with her selfless devotion to doing the right thing no matter the costs.  

I believe Harriet Tubman's moral compass is something we should all strive towards!

GROWTH MINDSET:

Thank you Freddy for this week's mindset message ...

"Be the best you can be even when no one is watching!" - Fredster

What does this mean?

This means trying your best all the time, not just when a teacher or friend is looking. It means making good choices because it’s the right thing to do.

For example, you might clean up your mess, try hard on your work, or be kind to others even when no one tells you to. That shows you are responsible and proud of yourself.

Great reminder, Fredster! Keep being your awesome self! 🌟

With appreciation & respect,

Ms. P. Gill