Week #28: Mar. 30th - Apr. 2nd

Dear Families,

Here we are already at the end of our first week of April, wowie!  Isn't the old saying April showers bring May flowers?  I sure hope so :)

I would like to take a moment to thank all the students who continue to work hard in their academics at home and at school.  With only April, May, and June left of school, I want to ensure the children are well prepared for the next grade level!  

We certainly are getting there through our dedication, determination, and persevering through challenges. In life, there are no shortcuts, face hard times with grit.  

Always believe in yourselves boys and girls!

CHARACTER RECOGNITION ASSEMBLY:

On Tuesday, we recognized March's character attribute of Integrity - “We can always be trusted even when NO ONE IS WATCHING!”  

Thank you to all the students & staff who dressed up for our H.E.R.O. spirit day!  It was so touching to see who the kids chose to dress up as such as their parent, sibling, teacher, best friend or favourite athlete 🏒 ⚾️ 

Below are some images I captured of the kids who participated 😃

Milo, Bohdan, Mirabelle, and Carter dressed as their Dads, Ryker dressed up as his grandad, and Nell’s hero is her Mom 🩵

Eli & Biden dressed up as their favourite Leafs & Jays player 🏒 ⚾️ 

Cali & Ryann dressed up as their best friend, each other 😎

Aww, Norah chose to dress up as me 🥰

Charlotte & Harlow dressed up as their older sisters 👯‍♀️ 

I have shared with my students how I feel this attribute encompasses all our character attributes that we have focused on thus far.  

I believe if a person demonstrates integrity, they also possess respect, caring, courage, honesty, optimism, cooperation, inclusiveness, empathy, and responsibility.  

I am comforted in knowing that WE at Nottawa are truly surrounded with many students and staff who consistently model integrity in their actions.

This song was played at the assembly and I really like it as did the kids.  Give it a listen, it's catchy :)

Congratulations to Freddy, Norah, and Iris!  You are being recognized for ALWAYS displaying Integrity in your thoughts, words, and actions.  

I am so very proud of you all 👏🏾 Continue to be your best self in all that you do!  You are exemplary models for this attribute!  Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU :-)

APRIL’S CHARACTER ATTRIBUTE:

This month's character attribute is "Optimism" - We believe we can DO IT!  

I believe in the power of optimism. But does positive thinking really have any power? Check out the video to see for yourself. #ThisIsOptimism

I encourage you to harness the power of optimism with your own life! Being in a state of optimism is remarkable!  

So come one, COME ALL, join US in the POWER OF OPTIMISM!  It can change your life for the better ... FOR GOOD!

WORLD AUTISM AWARENESS & APPRECIATION DAY:

World Autism Awareness Day is celebrated annually on April 2nd. It is all about love, understanding, and celebrating our friends for who they are.

Why is it on April 2nd?  Well, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously declared the 2nd of April as World Autism Awareness Day to highlight the need to help improve the quality of life of those with autism so they can lead full and meaningful lives as an integral part of society.

Autism touches more than 70 million people globally.  Approximately 1 in 50 children and youth are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Canada and this number continues to grow.  In this video, children will learn the importance of World Autism Awareness Day and how to celebrate.

Many countries around the world light up their landmarks BLUE to help increase understanding and acceptance of people with Autism. 

Thank you to my former student Harlow for making me a blue bracelet to accompany my sweater

My former students Mae & Molly who show such inclusivity and heart 🩵

Thank you to all the students and staff who joined us in celebrating Autism Awareness Month (April) by  showing your support and wearing blue :)  

Together, we can show this wonderful community of people that we understand and will share our compassion always. 

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PINK:

The International Day of Pink is a worldwide anti-bullying and anti-homophobia event held annually during the second week of April.  This year, it will take place on Wednesday, April 8th.  

Though similar to Pink Shirt Day in that it also seeks to end all bullying, the Day of Pink is more specifically aimed towards anti-LGBTQ+2 bullying.

WHY THIS MATTERS:

"Discrimination takes many shapes, whether it’s based on race, age, disabilities, gender or sexuality. The 2SLGBTQIA+ community is no stranger to the bullying and violence that stems from hateful beliefs.

While progress has been made towards removing these social barriers from our society, unfortunately discrimination still persists.

So every year, on the second Wednesday of April, we urge people around the world to put on a pink shirt and stand in solidarity with the 2SLGBTQIA+ community to continue fighting for equality and acceptance."

Please have your child wear pink on Wed. Apr. 8th 2026 to show our solidarity and support in creating a more INCLUSIVE and DIVERSE world!  I really appreciate it :)

MATH:

This week in math, we continued our work on location on the Cartesian plane to find and describe where things are on a grid!

I reinforced what the Cartesian plane is - a grid made up of two lines: a horizontal line (called the x-axis) and a vertical line (called the y-axis). These two lines cross at a point called the origin, which has the coordinates (0, 0).

Next, we learned about the four quadrants. The axes divide the grid into four sections:

• Quadrant 1 (top right)
• Quadrant 2 (top left)
• Quadrant 3 (bottom left)
• Quadrant 4 (bottom right)

After my lesson, the kids worked through identifying which quadrant a point is in and began to understand how numbers can be positive or negative depending on their position.

They also completed plotting points on the grid, reading and writing coordinates using ordered pairs (x, y). 

We practiced starting at the origin, moving left or right along the x-axis, and then up or down along the y-axis to find the correct location.

You can support your child at home by asking them questions like:

• What do the x and y numbers in a coordinate mean?
• Can you find a point in Quadrant 1?
• How do you plot a point like (3, 4)?

SOCIAL STUDIES:

Students are really enjoying learning about Canada's Political Regions!  Many are determined to learn  ALL our provinces, territories, and their capitals by HEART!  I'm so proud :)

Below is a fun and friendly game (see link below) that helps us solidify our skills in recognizing the Regions.  

Provinces & Territories Quiz Game

I have posted this game on Google Classroom as well so encourage your child to try this activity out at home this weekend!  

Perhaps you can also have a friendly competition to try to beat your child's score / time.  

EASTER ART:

In art, we took some time to learn about the Elements of Art, the building blocks artists use to create their work.

The Elements:

• Line (straight, curved, zigzag)
• Colour (bright, soft, mixed)
• Shape (circles, squares, and more)
• Texture (how something might feel)

Students then used some of these elements to create their own Easter Bunny artwork. As you will soon see in pictures, they showed creativity through different patterns, designs, and colour choices.

They enjoyed this process while listening to their favourite tunes as they mindfully created :) 

To connect our learning to writing, when we finished our art pieces, the kids wrote an Artist Statement describing their bunny’s name, birthday, where they live, and their favourite Easter activity or tradition.

Please ask your child about this🐰🎨✏️

I hope you and your family are having a HOPTASTIC Easter long weekend 🐣

LEARNING BUDDIES:

Yesterday, we met up with our Kindy Learning Buddies! Together, they worked as a team to make cute little Easter bunnies using construction paper.

As always, my grade 3/4’s showed solid teamwork by sharing ideas, helping one another, and encouraging their buddies throughout the activity. I love this 🤟

These meaningful moments help build connection, confidence and a strong sense of community in our school. 

Thank you boys and girls for being such good models for your younger buddies, it's such a delightful sight to see :)

IRIS & CHARLOTTE:

I want to give my thanks to Charlotte and Iris for being such good role models during our Mindful Minutes earlier this week 💙

Both of these girls were so calm and focused, showing everyone how to sit quietly and breathe mindfully. It was great to see them helping make our meditation time peaceful for the whole class.

A special shout-out to Iris for kindly supporting Charlotte who was our helper of the day. I appreciate when my students show  leadership, care, and being a supportive peer and friend.

Way to go, Iris! 🧘‍♀️✨

GROWTH MINDSET:

Speaking of which, thank you (again) Iris for this week's mindset message!

"In a world where you can be anything, BE KIND!" - Iris

What does this mean?

It means that no matter what you choose to do or who you choose to be, the most important thing is to treat others with kindness.

Kindness is something everyone can do, and it helps make the world a happier and safer place.

How can we be kind? Here are some simple examples:

🏫 At School:

• Share your class tools with a classmate
• Invite someone new to play at recess
• Use kind words like “please,” “thank you,” and “you can go first”
• Help a friend if they are stuck or feeling sad

🏠 At Home:

• Help clean up your items or set the table
• Say kind words to your family like “I love you” or “thank you”
• Help a sibling with something they find tricky
• Listen with your eyes, ears, and heart when someone is talking

🌎 In the Community:

• Hold the door open for someone
• Smile and say hello
• Help pick up litter to keep your neighbourhood clean
• Be patient and respectful to others even if they are different than you

I encourage you as a family to think about other things to add to each list and share those with me at school.

Kindness can be small, but it makes a BIG difference!

With love & hugs,

Ms. Gill