Embedded Files
April 17th, 2026
This week was full of exciting learning, creativity, and memorable experiences! One of the highlights was our trip to Little Canada 🇨🇦—students loved exploring the incredible miniature displays and spotting famous landmarks from across the country. This experience connected beautifully to the Grade 4 and 5 Ontario Social Studies curriculum, as students were able to observe Canada’s physical regions and human-made environments in a detailed and engaging way. Many students were especially interested in how communities are designed and how geography influences where people live and work.
We also had an amazing opportunity to participate in a special Mei Yu Manga workshop 🎨✏️! Students learned from Mei Yu, an internationally recognized artist and author. Her debut graphic novel memoir, Lost & Found: Based on a True Story, recently won the Silver Birch Express Award (Forest of Reading 2025), and her upcoming book, Best Friend, Worst Bully, is set to release this spring. With over 2 million followers and hundreds of millions of views online, Mei Yu inspired our class as she guided students through drawing techniques and storytelling. Many students followed along with pencil and paper, creating their own manga-style artwork while learning about creativity, perseverance, and self-expression.
This week also marks Ms. Khan’s last full week with us, as her final day will be Monday, April 20th 🍎. It has been a wonderful six weeks of teaching and learning together. We are so grateful for all the energy, creativity, and care she has brought to our classroom—she will be greatly missed!
Here’s what else we’ve been up to this week 👇
Language
In Language this week, students continued developing their reading comprehension and communication skills through our ongoing Book Talks 📖✨. Through a series of mini-lessons and engaging activities, students practiced thinking deeply about their reading and sharing their ideas with others.
We focused on characters, where students selected one character from their book and explored what the character says, thinks, and does. Using this evidence, they also practiced making inferences to better understand the character’s personality and motivations.
Students also explored story setting, describing in rich detail one setting from their book so far. They were encouraged to include specific details to help paint a clear picture of where and when the story takes place.
Another focus was visualizing 👀—students described what they (and the characters) might see, hear, feel, smell, and taste while reading. This helped bring their stories to life and strengthened their ability to connect with the text on a deeper level.
Finally, students worked on their reading responses, answering questions and sharing their thoughts about characters, themes, and events. They were encouraged to add their own perspectives, make connections, and support their ideas with evidence from the text.
It has been wonderful to see students grow as thoughtful, reflective readers and confident communicators!
Math
In Math this week, we wrapped up our Geometry unit in a creative and meaningful way by combining math and art 🎨📐!
Students explored the work of Wassily Kandinsky, a famous artist known for his abstract style and use of bold colours, shapes, and lines to express emotions rather than depict realistic images. His artwork often shows how colour and geometric forms can work together to create feeling and movement.
Inspired by Kandinsky, students were tasked with creating their own abstract piece of art that incorporated geometric concepts such as shapes, lines, angles, and spatial relationships. They also thoughtfully used colour to help evoke different emotions in their work.
We began with a rough copy, where students used our Math word wall from last week to help guide their thinking and ensure they were including accurate geometric vocabulary. As they refined their ideas, students moved on to their good copies—carefully adding vibrant colours and creative details to bring their vision to life.
These incredible artworks are full of personality and mathematical thinking, and they will be proudly displayed on our classroom walls next week. We can’t wait for everyone to see them! 🌈✨
Social Studies
In Social Studies this week, students had the opportunity to reflect on their learning from our field trip to Little Canada 🇨🇦 and make meaningful connections to our current units.
Building on what they observed during the trip, students continued their research for our upcoming Makey Makey board game project 🎲⚡. Our Grade 4 students focused on learning more about Canada's different regions, exploring their unique physical features, natural resources, and communities. Meanwhile, our Grade 5 students deepened their understanding of the levels of government by investigating how municipal, provincial, and federal governments work together and the roles each plays.
Students are working hard to gather important information and ideas that they will soon transform into interactive and creative board games (not bored games! 😄). We will take one more week to continue our research before beginning the exciting process of designing and building our games.
Science
In Science this week, both Grade 4 and 5 students were busy wrapping up their learning with hands-on and engaging activities 🔬✨
Our Grade 4 students worked with Ms. Lambert on an exciting coding activity, where they explored how technology is used in real-world applications. They learned about how drones are used in underground mining to safely navigate tight or hazardous spaces and collect valuable rocks and minerals. For example, in modern mines, drones can be sent into areas that may be unsafe for humans to enter, capturing images and data or even helping locate mineral deposits—making mining both safer and more efficient. Students connected this to their learning about rocks, minerals, and the impact of human use on the environment.
Meanwhile, our Grade 5 students worked with Ms. Khan to complete their Human Body systems projects 🫀🧠. They have been putting the finishing touches on their work, demonstrating their understanding of how different body systems function and work together to keep us healthy.
We are almost at the finish line for both units, and next week we will be wrapping up our learning. Great work, scientists!
Physical Education
In Physical Education this week, students stayed active and continued to build their skills through fun and engaging games 🏃♂️🏸
We spent time playing Bench Ball, where students practiced teamwork, communication, and strategic thinking while staying active. It was great to see everyone encouraging one another and working together to achieve a common goal.
On Friday, we returned to Badminton, with a focus on developing fundamental skills. Students continued to practice and refine their serve, working on control and accuracy. They also began learning how to rally the bird, focusing on returning the serve and keeping the game going with a partner. This helped build coordination, timing, and overall confidence in gameplay.
The Arts
In The Arts this week, students completed their Tiny 3D Rooms project 🎨🏠✨
Students focused on applying the elements of art—including colour, texture, shape, line, and space—to design and build detailed miniature rooms. They carefully considered how each design choice contributes to the overall look and feel of their space, making thoughtful decisions to create realistic and visually interesting environments.
Students designed and crafted furniture, decorations, and small finishing touches, paying close attention to detail to bring their rooms to life. From carefully placed patterns to creative colour choices, each room reflects both artistic skill and imagination.
It was wonderful to see students problem-solving, designing, and refining their work to create such unique and realistic 3D spaces. These tiny rooms are full of creativity and personality! 🪑🖼️🌟
In Music this week, students performed “Suo Gan” and began learning “Doggie, Doggie”, which will be their next assessment piece next week 🎶. In Doggie, Doggie, students were introduced to a new musical note and also worked on performing at a faster tempo, building both confidence and fluency.
It has also been fantastic to see students engaging with more contemporary music on their recorders, including the Baby Shark song 🎵—a fun and motivating way to strengthen their note-reading and performance skills while enjoying familiar tunes.
The Wrap-Up
A reminder that Monday will be Ms. Khan’s last day with us. We are so grateful for the time, care, and dedication she has brought to our classroom over the past six weeks. It has truly been a pleasure learning alongside her, and she will be greatly missed 🍎💛
A few important reminders for families:
Please ensure you check and complete any outstanding permission forms on the EMA. We have several upcoming opportunities that are all free of charge, but require consent for students to participate:
Grade 4s: Free Swim to Survive program 🏊♂️
Grade 5s: City Hall field trip connected to our Government unit 🏛️
Both Grades: Track and Field Day 🏃♀️🏅
Please check your emails regularly, as permission forms and trip details are sent as soon as each event is approved.
Thank you for your continued support. Have a wonderful weekend, and I will see you early on Monday morning! 😊
April 10th, 2026
Welcome back! 🌟 We hope you all had a wonderful and restful long weekend filled with fun and relaxation.
Even though it was a shorter week, our classroom was buzzing with energy and packed with learning! 📚✨ From exploring new and exciting sports in Physical Education 🏸 to getting creative by connecting our Makey Makey centres to our Social Studies learning 🎮🌍, students have been diving into their work with curiosity and enthusiasm!
It’s been amazing to see everyone so engaged, pushing themselves, and having fun along the way! 💡
Here’s a look at what else we’ve been up to this week 👇
Language
It’s been a meaningful and productive week in Language! Students wrapped up their final persuasive writing pieces, sharing thoughtful opinions on whether zoos and aquariums should be closed 🐘🐠. They worked hard to support their ideas with strong reasons and evidence—great job bringing your voices to life! 📝💭
On Wednesday, we recognized the Day of Pink 💗. Students spent time reading and writing about the importance of standing up against bullying and discrimination. They also created personal pledges, reflecting on how they will treat others with kindness and how they can take action when they see injustice. We’re proud of the care and empathy shown in their responses 🌈
By Thursday, we jumped back into Book Talks 📖! Students explored a fantastic selection of novels and began this week’s tasks, which included creating predictive bookmarks 🔖 and making meaningful connections using new vocabulary. It’s been wonderful to see them thinking deeply about their reading and sharing their ideas with one another.
As always, students are encouraged to stay on top of their reading—especially if they are unable to finish the required pages during class time. Setting aside a little time in the evenings can make a big difference in helping them stay on track 📚⏰.
Book Talks will continue next week as we dive even deeper into the incredible themes and ideas in the books below.
Math
It’s been a hands-on and engaging week in Math as we explored geometry in creative and challenging ways!
We began by learning how to draw 2D views of 3D shapes 📦✏️. Students practiced visualizing objects from different perspectives—front, top, left, and right views. We talked about how each view shows only one side of the object, depending on its position, and how important it is to pay attention to what can (and cannot) be seen from each angle. This takes strong spatial thinking, and students did a fantastic job building these skills!
We also explored an interactive online activity 💻 that allowed us to draw 2D views of more intricate 3D shapes, giving students a chance to challenge themselves while deepening their understanding.
Next, we investigated nets—learning that they are simply 3D shapes unfolded into flat 2D forms 🔷. Students examined which 2D shapes combine to create different 3D figures. For example, discovering that a cube is made up of 6 squares was a great starting point! From there, the challenge was on: could we find all 11 possible nets of a cube? 🧩 Some groups discovered 3 or 4, while others impressively found up to 8! We then came together to explore all 11 and compare their differences.
To wrap up the week, students collaborated to build our Math Word Wall 🧠📖, adding key vocabulary along with clear definitions and examples from our geometry unit. This will be a valuable resource as we move forward.
Looking ahead to next week, we’re excited to apply our learning in a culminating task—creating a Kandinsky-inspired work of art using geometric concepts 🎨🔺. Stay tuned!
Science
It’s been an exciting and innovative week in Science across both Grade 4 and Grade 5!
Our Grade 4 students dove into a coding challenge 💻🤖, exploring how an underground drone could be used to locate different rocks and minerals beneath the Earth’s surface 🪨. They thought critically about how to program movements to help the drone navigate and collect information. This connects to real-world practices—scientists and engineers use similar technology, such as remote-controlled or autonomous drilling devices and robotic probes, to explore beneath the ground in mining and geological research. These tools help locate valuable minerals and learn more about what lies below the surface without needing to dig extensive tunnels right away! 🌍
Meanwhile, our Grade 5 students continued working on their impressive, life-sized human body models 🫀🫁. They have been carefully building and labelling different body systems, showing how organs are connected and work together to keep us healthy. These models are coming along beautifully and will serve as a fantastic learning tool for others in our school to better understand the complexity of the human body and how its systems function together for optimal health.
We’re excited to see these projects continue to develop next week! 🌟
Social Studies
This week, students took on an exciting and creative challenge—designing an interactive board game… not a bored game! 🎲😄
Working in groups of 3–4, students are using Makey Makey kits 🎮 to bring their ideas to life, combining technology with their Social Studies learning in fun and innovative ways.
Our Grade 4 students are focusing on Canada’s regions 🍁, creating games that highlight the unique geography, resources, and characteristics of each area. Meanwhile, our Grade 5 students are diving into the Canadian government 🏛️, designing games that explore how it works and why it’s important.
This project is all about creativity, collaboration, and making learning interactive. We’re excited to see how these games come together and how they spark interest and excitement around the many incredible aspects of Canada! 🌟
Health
This week in Health, students began exploring the impact of alcohol on the human body. We started by discussing important facts about alcohol and watching an educational video 🎥 that helped students understand the physiological effects alcohol can have on the brain and body.
Through our learning, students are developing a deeper understanding that substances such as alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis are among the most accessible to young people in Ontario 🚭. We also discussed how smoking and substance use can contribute to preventable illnesses, long-term health challenges, and even premature death in Canada.
Our focus is on building awareness around the effects and risks of a range of substances—including prescription and non-prescription drugs, alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, and vaping—and understanding how these can impact both physical and mental health 💭
Most importantly, students are learning and practicing skills that will help them make informed, healthy choices now and in the future. We are proud of the thoughtful discussions and maturity students have shown during these important conversations 🌱
Physical Education
We launched a brand new unit in Physical Education this week—Badminton! 🏸🎉 Students were introduced to the basics of this fast-paced and skillful game and jumped right into developing their control, coordination, and confidence with the birdie.
We began with an independent challenge 💪 where students experimented with keeping the birdie in the air using their own racket. It was exciting to see persistence and improvement throughout the lesson, with some students successfully keeping it going for 30+ hits in a row! 🎯👏
Next, we added movement and teamwork through a relay challenge 🏃♂️🏃♀️. Students had to keep the birdie in play while travelling across the gym and back before passing it to their teammate—building both control and communication under pressure.
We also played a target game 🎯⭕ where students practised their aim by serving the birdie into hula hoops to score points. This helped develop accuracy and consistency in a fun and engaging way.
Today, we focused on learning and practising proper serving technique 🏸 over the net as students continue to build the foundational skills of the game.
Next week, we’re excited to take the next step and begin playing games against one another, putting all of our new skills into action! 🌟
The Arts
It’s been a creative and musical week in The Arts!
In Visual Arts 🎨, students continued working on their incredible 3D tiny rooms. The attention to detail and creativity on display has been phenomenal—these miniature spaces are really starting to come to life! 🏠✨ We’re almost at the finish line, and next week students will continue adding 3D elements to their rooms to make them truly pop and feel even more realistic.
In Music 🎵, students continued working on their second performance piece, “Merrily We Roll Along.” We are discovering some real musicians in our classroom! 🎹👏 Keeping a steady beat and remembering fingerings has been key to their success as they continue to build confidence and skill.
We also learned about the repeat sign 🔁 and discussed how it shapes musical structure, as well as focused on breath control while learning the Welsh lullaby “Suo Gan” 🌙🎶. Students are encouraged to continue practicing at home using the Google Classroom slides to support their learning.
The Wrap-Up
What a fantastic and full week of learning we’ve had across all subjects! From hands-on projects and creative thinking to skill-building and collaboration, students have continued to show enthusiasm, curiosity, and pride in their learning. Well done, everyone! 👏📚✨
Looking ahead, we have an exciting week coming up! 🎉
🚌 Tuesday – We are heading out on our field trip to Little Canada 🇨🇦, where students will explore detailed miniature versions of Canada’s iconic places and landmarks.
🎨 Thursday – Students will take part in an exciting Manga Art Workshop ✏️✨, where they will learn new drawing techniques and explore storytelling through art.
📄 Grade 4 parents, please note that a permission form for Swim to Survive 🏊♂️ will be available in the EMA as we begin sessions at the end of April.
🏃♀️🏃♂️ There is also a permission form in the EMA for our Track and Field Day for both Grade 4 and Grade 5 students, taking place on April 29th.
🏛️ April 30th (Grade 5 only) – Grade 5 students will be heading downtown to City Hall 🏙️ to deepen their understanding of municipal government and see civic spaces in action.
There is certainly a lot happening over the next few months, so please continue to check the “What’s On at Victoria Village” page to stay up to date with classroom events and learning highlights 📅✨
Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend! I look forward to seeing everyone back on Monday 😊🍎
April 2nd, 2026
🌧️🌷 Welcome, April! 🌷🌧️
With spring showers in full swing, we’re keeping our fingers crossed for those beautiful May flowers ahead! 🌼
It’s been a busy and exciting week in our classroom! We wrapped up our Soccer unit ⚽ and are close to putting the finishing touches on our persuasive writing unit. ✍️
Today was extra special as we headed out on a field trip to Forest Valley to explore a true Canadian staple—maple syrup! 🍁 Students had a hands-on experience tapping Sugar Maple trees, collecting sap, and visiting the Sugar Shack to see how maple syrup is made. The day ended on a sweet note with delicious samples of maple syrup and maple candy 😋
Here’s what else we were up to this week:
Language
This week in Language, students once again worked with Ms. Khan and were given the opportunity to share their voices on an engaging and thought-provoking topic: Should zoos and aquariums be closed? 🐘🐠
We began by exploring different perspectives, and it’s safe to say there were some very passionate discussions! From the importance of protecting endangered species and giving people the chance to see diverse animals, to strong beliefs about animals belonging in their natural habitats and concerns about captivity, students shared their ideas with enthusiasm and respect for one another’s viewpoints 💬
From there, we learned how to structure our ideas using Hamburger paragraphs 🍔—making sure to include clear reasons, strong supporting evidence, and even a rebuttal to strengthen our arguments. Students collaborated with peers to brainstorm, then got to work putting their own thoughts into writing.
We wrapped up the week with some fantastic paragraph writing, which we’ll continue polishing on Tuesday ✨
Up next: we’re diving back into Book Talks with some exciting new reads this term! 📖🎉
Math
This week in Math, students explored how to construct a variety of triangles using different measurements 📏🔺. They practiced creating triangles based on given side lengths and angles, building both their accuracy and confidence with geometric tools.
We also dove into the world of tangrams—an ancient puzzle made up of seven geometric shapes (called tans) that can be arranged to form a variety of figures 🧩. Students had the opportunity to explore an online activity where they challenged themselves to create different designs using these pieces.
Looking ahead to next week, we will be working on drawing 2D views of 3D objects 🧱✏️ and building our math word wall as we prepare for our culminating activity in this unit. Stay tuned! ✨
Physical Education
This week, we wrapped up our Soccer unit with exciting and engaging 5-minute matches ⚽⏱️. It was fantastic to see how much students have grown in their confidence over the past month! More and more students were taking risks, getting involved in the play, and even scoring goals—what an amazing way to finish the unit! 🙌🥅
We’re looking forward to what’s next as we kick off our Badminton unit 🏸—get ready for some fast-paced rallies and skill-building fun!
The Arts
It’s been an exciting week in the Arts as students performed their very first songs on the recorder! 🎵 Students were assessed on their accuracy, focusing on playing the correct notes and keeping proper note lengths while performing Hot Crossed Buns 🎼
We also began exploring a new piece, Merrily We Roll Along, where students learned about different note values and started thinking about when it’s a good time to take a breath while playing 🫁🎶
Looking ahead to next week, students will be tested on Day 3 (Wednesday) and Day 4 (Thursday). They are encouraged to practice for at least 5 minutes each night using the resources available on Google Classroom 💻✨
Keep up the great practice, musicians! 🎉
In Visual Arts, students continued building their tiny 3-D rooms—and they are looking fantastic! 🏠✨ Although I didn’t capture photos this week, I’ll be sure to share them next week because the incredible, small details will blow your mind! Stay tuned! 👀🎉
Social Studies
This week in Social Studies, students continued exploring our Makey Makey centres, where they investigated different materials that can conduct electricity 🔌✨. Through hands-on experimentation, they discovered how everyday objects can be used to complete circuits—so much curiosity and creativity on display!
This learning is helping prepare us for an exciting upcoming project starting next week. Students in both grades will be creating board games (not bored games! 😉) that are interactive and designed to teach others:
🎲 Grade 4 students will focus on the provinces and territories of Canada 🇨🇦
🏛️ Grade 5 students will explore the different levels of Canadian government
We’re looking forward to diving into our research and beginning this creative and engaging unit—it’s bound to be a fantastic learning experience! 📚🎉
Health
This week in Health, students explored the short-term and long-term effects of smoking and vaping 🚭💨 through an interactive sorting activity.
Students were given envelopes filled with a variety of statements and worked to organize them into categories. Along the way, they discussed the difference between short-term effects (those that happen quickly or soon after exposure, such as coughing or shortness of breath) and long-term effects (those that develop over time, such as lung disease or other serious health concerns) ⏳
We also explored the difference between first-hand smoking/vaping (when a person directly smokes or vapes) and second-hand smoking/vaping (when someone breathes in the smoke or vapour from others nearby), helping students understand how these choices can impact not only themselves but those around them as well 👥
Students did a great job thinking critically, asking questions, and making connections to real-world health and well-being 🌱✨
The Wrap-Up
A friendly reminder that there is no school tomorrow for Good Friday and no school on Monday for Easter Monday, so we hope everyone enjoys a restful and fun long weekend! 🌸✨
Looking ahead, we’re excited for our upcoming field trip on April 14th to Little Canada! 🇨🇦 This unique attraction features incredible miniature displays of famous Canadian landmarks and cityscapes, all brought to life with amazing detail and interactive elements—it’s like exploring Canada in tiny form! 🏙️🔍
Starting tomorrow, please remember to sign into EMA to complete the permission form for this trip 📝
Have a wonderful long weekend, and we’ll see everyone back at school on Tuesday! 😊
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