January 2026

Language

This week in Language, we continued working on our rough copies of biographies ✍️📖. Students are learning about youth activists who are making a real impact on the world—exploring topics ranging from clean water access 💧 to racism and social justice ✊🏽. Many students are also beginning to think about how they might bring about positive change in areas they care about 🌍💡.

We wrapped up the week by starting our Student Portfolios 💼. Students learned about metacognition, which means thinking about our own thinking 🤔—and why it’s an important skill for becoming stronger, more independent learners. They were also introduced to a new digital tool, Google Sites, while learning about internet safety 🔒 and the importance of not pressing the publish button just yet!

Throughout the term, students will take time each week to reflect on their learning and add to their portfolios, celebrating their growth along the way 🌱✨.

Math

This week in Math, we dove into our Financial Literacy unit by learning all about taxes 💰🧾 and why they’re an important part of everyday life.

Students explored the different levels of government—municipal, provincial, and federal—and how money is used depending on the level. For example, municipal governments help pay for things like roads, libraries, and garbage collection 🏙️, provincial governments support schools and hospitals 🏫🏥, and federal governments fund things such as national parks, highways, and public services across the country 🇨🇦. This helped students better understand where tax money goes and why it matters.

From there, we learned why rounding is such an important math skill when working with money 🔢. Students practised rounding numbers to make estimating totals quicker and more manageable. More practice will be included in next week's Additional Practice so stay tuned!

We wrapped up the week with a real-life math application, where students calculated totals for items they might find at Dollarama 🛍️. This activity gave them hands-on practice using math skills they’ll use in the real world!

Next week, we’ll continue practising our calculations and then move into unit rates to help us find the best deals 💡📉. Smart shoppers in the making!

Science

This week in Science, we wrapped up our units on Light and Sound 🌈🔊 and States of Matter 🧊💧💨 in an exciting and creative way!

Students shared their Scratch projects with one another 💻🎮 and had the opportunity to meet with me to walk me through their creations. It was wonderful to see students confidently explain both the science concepts they learned and how they used coding skills to bring their ideas to life.

I was truly impressed by the depth of their understanding—not only of the content, but also by how thoughtfully they applied their coding skills to model scientific ideas. They did a fantastic job showcasing their learning, creativity, and problem-solving skills 👏✨. Well done, scientists!

Social Studies

This week in Social Studies, students wrapped up their inquiry units by sharing their learning and engaging in thoughtful discussions 🗣️💭.

Grade 4 students concluded their unit on Early Societies to 1500 CE, while Grade 5 students finished exploring Interactions between Indigenous Peoples and Europeans prior to 1713 in what would eventually become Canada. Through discussion and sharing, many students were able to answer their inquiry questions, while others discovered they still have some meaningful digging to do 🔍📖—an important part of the learning process!

Although the inquiry process was new for many of us, it was wonderful to see students take initiative, research independently, and work toward finding answers on their own. Their curiosity, perseverance, and growing confidence as researchers truly stood out 🌟.

Health

This week in Health, we wrapped up our learning about Healthy Eating 🍎🥦 by exploring how food products are marketed to consumers. We watched a video about health claims and discussed why it’s so important to look beyond the front of the package and carefully read the Nutrition Facts table and ingredients list when making choices about what we eat 🧐📦.

Students also learned about common advertising techniques used by companies to sell products, such as humour 😂, emotional appeals ❤️, and celebrity spokespersons 🌟. We then watched a variety of commercials and worked together to identify these strategies in action, thinking critically about how ads are designed to influence our decisions.

We’ve now wrapped up this Health unit, and next we’ll be moving on to Substance Use, Addictions, and Related Behaviours 🚦🧠. Looking forward to continuing these important conversations!

Physical Education

This week in Physical Education, we wrapped up our ball hockey unit 🏒! It was great to see how much students have grown in their skills over the course of the unit. Many students showed improvement in strategizing, quick movement, and working together as a team to create scoring opportunities and achieve shared goals 🏃‍♂️🤝🥅.

Students demonstrated increased confidence on the floor and a better understanding of how teamwork and communication contribute to success in game situations. Well done to everyone for their effort and perseverance throughout the unit 👏✨.

A new Physical Education unit begins next week, and we’re looking forward to learning and moving together in new ways! 💪🎉

The Wrap-Up

As we say goodbye to January 👋📆, we’re getting ready to welcome February next week—where did the time go?!

Please continue to check the What’s On at Victoria Village page for updates on upcoming excursions and events happening throughout February 🚌🎉. There’s lots to look forward to!

Although we’re moving into a new month, the weather is still very cold 🥶❄️. Students are encouraged to bundle up and dress warmly, as we will continue to go outside and follow the TDSB policy on inclement weather.

Have a wonderful weekend, and I look forward to seeing everyone in February! 😊✨

Language

📚🔥 It’s been a busy and exciting week in Language! Students completed and submitted their McDonald’s Kitchen Innovation Challenge, and we had the chance to listen to some of their commercials — they were fire! 🎤🍔 Students used clever and creative ways to sell their products, and honestly… if they were real, I might just be heading over to grab one myself! 😄

We also continued our learning about nonfiction text features, taking part in another scavenger hunt to spot and use them in action. 🕵️‍♂️📖 In addition, we began learning about biographies. Students explored the key features of biographies and will soon be embarking on writing their own, using a graphic organizer starting next week. ✍️⭐

To support our nonfiction reading, we reviewed helpful reading strategies such as doing a picture walk, re-reading passages for meaning, using context clues, and using our schema to help us make inferences. 🧠💡 

Math

It’s been an exciting week in Math! We finally wrapped up our measurement unit with our quiz — great effort, everyone! 🎉 We also kicked off a brand-new unit on financial literacy 💰. After a quick readiness task and a discussion about what we already know, students explored a variety of online games and activities to build their understanding.

I was genuinely impressed by how much students already knew about income, debt, credit, and making purchases both in-store and online. 🛍️💳 We began the unit by exploring methods of payment and different ways of transferring money. We also dove into the wonderful world of taxes — learning how to calculate them and discussing how different levels of government use tax money depending on the type of tax collected. 🧾🏛️

Next week, we’ll continue working on calculating tax, and students will have the opportunity to use mental math to estimate purchase totals and determine how much change they might receive. The goal is to support students in making smart financial choices and to connect our learning as much as possible to real-life experiences. 🌍💡

Science

The Grade 4s continued their learning about sound, exploring how sound is made through vibrations and how it travels to our ears so we can hear it. Students learned about the different parts of the ear and how our brains interpret sound, as well as the fascinating concept of echolocation and how some animals use sound waves to navigate their environments. 🦇🌊 We also had important conversations about protecting our hearing, discussing safe listening levels, the impact of loud noises, and simple habits we can use every day to keep our ears healthy. 👂🔊

The Grade 5s continued to explore physical and chemical changes, investigating how everyday items are made — from bread to plastics. 🍞🏭 Students were introduced to some surprising facts and statistics about how production affects people and the environment, and they were encouraged to reflect on how these statements made them feel and what responsibilities we might have as consumers. 🌎🤔

Both grades also wrapped up their Scratch coding projects this week! 💻🎉 Students shared their creations with friends and had a brief, informal conversation with me about their work, explaining their ideas, challenges, and successes. It was wonderful to see their creativity, problem-solving, and pride in what they accomplished!

Social Studies

🌍🗺️ This week in Social Studies, students continued their inquiry learning, and it was wonderful to engage in thoughtful conversations with both grades in separate groups. These discussions gave students the opportunity to share their learning, ask questions, and build on each other’s ideas as they explored their topics more deeply. 💬🤝

Looking ahead, we will be wrapping up our inquiry next week, where students will begin to consider how they might share their learning with others in meaningful and creative ways. 📣✨ I’m excited to see how students choose to showcase their thinking and the connections they’ve made throughout this inquiry process!

Physical Education

🏒🏃‍♂️ It’s been an active and energetic week in Physical Education! In addition to our skating adventures, students jumped back into Ball Hockey, taking part in both games and skill-based practices. 🥅🔥

We’ve been focusing on learning how to spread out on the floor, anticipate where teammates might pass the ball, and think more strategically about how to create scoring opportunities. It’s been great to see students communicating, working together as a team, and developing a stronger understanding of how teamwork and anticipation can lead to success — and goals! 👏🤝⚡

The Wrap-Up

✨📚 As we wrap up the week, thank you to the families who submitted online Scholastic orders! Orders were placed today, and we’re hopeful they’ll arrive next week for even more reading fun. 📖🎉

Looking ahead to next week, we have our Character Assembly on Thursday afternoon, where our two honourees for the Positive Attitude Award will be recognized — we’re so proud! 🌟👏 On Friday, we’ll be heading out on a walking field trip to the Toronto Public Library – Victoria Village Branch. An email was sent earlier this week with a form to complete if you’d like your child to receive a library card, if they don’t already have one. 🏛️📚

Have a wonderful weekend! Please stay warm, bundle up, and I look forward to seeing everyone on Monday. ❄️🧣😊

Language

In Language this week, we worked towards wrapping up our McDonald’s Kitchen Innovation Challenge 🍔🎙️ with lots of creativity and enthusiasm! Students focused on creating exciting radio commercials to promote their new and innovative food ideas. After discussing essential elements of effective radio ads—such as a catchy hook, clear messaging, persuasive language, sound effects, and a memorable slogan—students were truly off to the races! Next week, we’ll keep recording and finish with a fun listening party where we’ll enjoy all of their amazing commercials together! 🎶🎉

We also began exploring nonfiction text features this week 📖🔍, including glossaries, tables of contents, diagrams, labels, and more. As students explored a variety of texts, they participated in an engaging scavenger hunt to identify and understand how these features help readers find information and deepen comprehension.

Over the next couple of months, students will continue this learning through a dedicated nonfiction unit, where they will further explore these features—both as readers and as authors—using them to strengthen understanding and to create their own informative texts. 📝📚

Math

In Math this week, we wrapped up our Measurement unit with a focus on volume 📐📦. Students learned how to calculate volume and participated in a variety of hands-on activities to help them visualize and truly understand the concept—there was lots of building, counting, and problem-solving along the way!

We were originally scheduled to wrap up the week with a quiz to showcase our learning, but it will now take place on Monday. Next, we’ll dive into a brand-new unit—Financial Literacy 💰! Students will kick things off with fun, interactive online games and activities designed to build foundational skills and spark curiosity about money, budgeting, and real-world math.

Science

In Science this week, students across both grades were busy exploring and experimenting! 🔬🎶

Grade 4s dove into the properties of sound, uncovering interesting facts and learning how sound is made, travels, and can change. From vibrations to volume and pitch, there were lots of “aha!” moments along the way. 👂✨

Grade 5s continued their learning about physical and chemical changes by reading, discussing, and taking part in a quick but exciting experiment 🧪. Students observed firsthand the creation of a gas when baking soda and vinegar were mixed—bubbles everywhere and plenty of scientific curiosity!

Both Grade 4 and 5 students also continued working on their Scratch projects 💻🎨, using coding to creatively showcase their learning from this unit. The unit wraps up next week, when students will have the opportunity to share and celebrate their Scratch projects with one another. 

Social Studies

In Social Studies this week, students continued to dig into their inquiry projects 🗺️📚, focusing on deepening their learning and understanding through research and thoughtful discussion.

Grade 4 students explored aspects of an early society, while Grade 5 students investigated the interactions between a First Nations, Métis, or Inuit community and early European settlers. As they learn, students are working toward using and synthesizing information from a variety of sources to thoughtfully answer their big inquiry question 🤔✨.

This important work will continue next week, as students begin considering how they might showcase their learning and share their understanding with others in our class. 

Physical Education

In Physical Health this week, we continued building our ball hockey skills 🏒🔥 with a focus on stick handling, controlled passes, and strong, accurate shooting. Students showed great effort as they practiced keeping control of the ball and working on proper technique.

We also squeezed in a couple of games, and it was fantastic to see students communicating, cooperating, and working together to accomplish a shared goal 🤝🥅. The teamwork, encouragement, and positive energy on the floor really stood out—well done, everyone! 😊

The Wrap-Up

As we wrap up another busy and productive week, here are a few important reminders to keep on your radar!

• Tomorrow is a PA Day 🏫❌ for students.

• Our first skate is happening next Friday afternoon ⛸️😄.

• We’re heading to the Toronto Public Library on Friday, January 30th 📚🚌! Students will have the opportunity to explore a wide variety of texts and take part in Operation Fact Finder 🔍—an exciting activity where they’ll complete three missions to earn a prize on their next visit 🎉.

The goal of this trip is to support students in learning how to locate items in the library and to discover some of the many exciting resources and programs the library offers ⭐.

Next week, a form will be sent home for students who do not yet have a library card and are interested in getting one 🪪📖. Completed forms are due back by Monday, January 26th so the library can prepare everything in advance of our visit.

• Scholastic orders are due next Friday 📖✨. Interested families are encouraged to order online using the class code RC186231.

Thank you for your continued support and engagement. Have a wonderful extra-long weekend 😊, and I’ll see everyone back at school on Monday!

Language

This week in Language, students kicked off an exciting unit by exploring media through our McDonald’s Innovation Kitchen Challenge! 🎉 They learned about the different ways McDonald’s communicates with its audience and examined how media messages are designed to inform, persuade, and attract customers. 📺📱

💡 Students then put their creativity to work by brainstorming a new and innovative menu item, carefully considering both affordability and efficiency—just like real-world businesses do. Along the way, they learned about common marketing techniques companies use to catch and retain customers, such as catchy slogans, bold visuals, and persuasive language.

🖌️ Using these techniques, students designed eye-catching billboards they felt would best sell their new menu item. The creativity and thought behind their work has been fantastic to see!

🎙️ The learning continues next week as students explore another form of media—radio commercials—and think about how sound and language alone can be used to persuade an audience. Stay tuned!

Math

This week in Math, students continued building their understanding in our Measurement unit, with a focus on mass and capacity. We began the week with a readiness task to see what students already knew, then jumped into a game called “Which Unit Is Best?” 🎲

📐 Given a variety of items, students had to decide whether mm, cm, or km would be the most appropriate unit of measurement. This activity also supported students in communicating their mathematical thinking, as they were required to justify their choices and explain their reasoning. 🧠💬

⚖️ From there, we explored important benchmarks for mass and capacity. Students used these benchmarks to determine the most appropriate unit to measure different items—ranging from paperclips and loaves of bread to a spoonful of honey and a jug of water. 🍯🥖

🧩 We wrapped up the week by solving a variety of word problems involving mass and capacity, putting all of our learning together.

🔍 Next week, we will finish off the unit with some hands-on measurement activities, giving students the chance to apply their skills in a practical and engaging way!

Science

This week in Science, students continued their learning in our exciting units—Light and Sound for our Grade 4s and States of Matter for our Grade 5s.

💡 The Grade 4 students explored how materials interact with light, learning about transparency, reflection, and absorption, as well as how different devices use light in everyday life.

⚗️ Meanwhile, the Grade 5s investigated the difference between physical and chemical changes, discussing how matter can change in different ways and what clues help us tell one type of change from another.

💻 In addition to this learning, students have been hard at work on a Scratch project where they were challenged to teach another student what they have learned so far in their unit in an engaging way. Some students chose to tell creative stories, while others are exploring how to design interactive games. 🎮📖

No matter the format, it’s clear that students are putting in a lot of effort to demonstrate their thinking and support their peers in learning more about Light and Sound or States of Matter. We’re excited to see how these projects continue to develop! 🌟

Social Studies

This week in Social Studies, students continued working on their inquiry projects, diving deeper into research and exploring their topics with curiosity and purpose. 📚🔍 It was wonderful to see how many students were making meaningful connections and thoughtfully reflecting on similarities and differences between the past and present day.

💭 Through their research, students are beginning to better understand how communities, technologies, and ways of life have changed over time—and how some things have stayed the same. Their questions, observations, and reflections show strong critical thinking and a growing awareness of how the past helps shape the world we live in today.

I'm looking forward to seeing how their inquiries continue to grow and develop.

Physical Education

This week in PE, we kicked off a new unit: Ball Hockey!  Students jumped right in and worked hard on building their fundamental skills.

Throughout our lessons, students practiced:

• Stick-handling skills 🏒

• Passing skills 🤝

• Shooting skills 🎯

A big focus was on managing and controlling our sticks, the ball, and our passes. Students learned how to keep their sticks low and safe, maintain control while moving, and aim their passes to teammates with accuracy. 👍

It was great to see teamwork, focus, and lots of effort from everyone as we begin this unit. We’re looking forward to continuing to build these skills and applying them in game-like situations soon! 😄🏒

Health

This week in Health, students focused on making healthy food choices by learning how to read and interpret ingredient lists and nutrition tables. We discussed how this information can help us make more informed decisions about the foods we eat and better understand what’s really in the products we see every day. 🧐🍎

📺 Students also had the opportunity to make connections to their learning in Language and Media, considering how advertising can influence the way we are marketed to and how that impact can affect the choices we make. These conversations sparked great thinking about persuasion, messaging, and consumer awareness.

🔍 Next week, we will dive deeper into how advertising companies can skew or twist information to convince people that products are healthy, even when they may not be. This will help students continue developing critical thinking skills and become more informed, thoughtful consumers. 🌟

The Wrap-Up

What a great week! Who would believe that the first week is already in the bag? ⏰ I am so proud of the hard work the students have shown—jumping right back into learning isn’t always easy, but they rose to the challenge and did an amazing job. 💪📚

⛸️ As a reminder, students will be skating once a month for the next three months. Please be sure to check our class calendar for the dates. The first skating day is January 23rd, so keep an eye out for the permission form on the EMA if you haven’t already received notification.

Scholastic Book Club flyers went home earlier this week. Interested families can order online using the class code: RC186231. Orders are due on January 23rd, 2026. 

📖 We are also in the process of scheduling a visit to the Toronto Public Library! This will be a great opportunity for students to explore library services and learn how to use the library more effectively. Stay tuned—the date will be added to the calendar shortly.

🌟 Have a wonderful and well-deserved weekend! Next week will be a shorter one, with a PA Day on Friday, January 16th. 😊