October 2025

Language

This Week in Language: Plot Twists and Podcasts! 🎧📚

It was another action-packed week in Language as students dove deeper into the world of storytelling. Using the hilarious And Then It Happened stories, we worked together to uncover the key elements of a narrative—character, setting, climax, problem, and solution. Students took turns reading aloud (with plenty of dramatic flair! 🎭) and showed off their detective skills by answering questions about the text. 🕵️‍♂️✨

By Friday, imaginations were running wild as students began filling out their graphic organizers to plan their own stories. Plot twists incoming! 🌀✍️

We also tuned into our class podcast 🎙️ and wrote thoughtful reading responses. But before pencils hit the paper, students were reminded to check their last rubric and apply that golden feedback—whether it was remembering to capitalize proper nouns 🔠 or using details from the text to support their ideas. 📖📝

The mission this week? Take all that feedback and level up our writing. So far, mission accomplished! 🚀✅

Science

In Science this week, we wrapped up our first STEM unit by putting our creativity and problem-solving skills to the test! Students finished and shared their design pitches, presenting innovative solutions for real people facing real-world problems. 🛠️🌍

From brainstorming to building, it was amazing to see how each student used the design thinking process to bring their ideas to life. The pitches were thoughtful, clever, and sometimes even a little outside the box (in the best way)! 🎁🚀

As we move forward this year, we’ll keep that design mindset front and center—using it to tackle challenges across different areas of the science curriculum. Because science isn’t just about facts… it’s about solutions! 💭🔬✅

Math

This week, we wrapped up our Data Management unit with a quiz—and wow, did our brains get a workout! 🧠💪 Students focused on creating and reading stem-and-leaf plots, making sure they could not only find the greatest and least numbers, but also dig deeper into what the data really means.

We challenged ourselves to go beyond the basics and ask: What conclusions can we draw from the data? What decisions can we make based on what we see? 🤔📈

Thursday was all about teamwork as students paired up to review and prep for the quiz. 🧑‍🤝‍🧑📝 Below, you’ll find a few snapshots of the action, including our practice problem that was similar to the one on the quiz. 📷✨

Next week, we’re jumping into Patterning with a quick assessment to see where everyone’s at. Get ready for some number patterns and brain-teasing fun! 🔢🌀

Physical Education

This week in Phys. Ed, we kept the energy high as we continued to bump, serve, and volley our way through volleyball skills! 💥 Our students are getting stronger, faster, and more confident with every hit. 🙌

To add a little extra excitement, we kicked off a volleyball challenge to see which group can keep the ball up the longest—and let’s just say, the competition is ON! 😄🔥

But volleyball isn’t just about skills—it’s all about teamwork. So, we also got creative with some hula hoop challenges to highlight the importance of positive communication and collaboration 🗣️💫. Whether we were passing the hoop down the line or problem-solving together, students showed that great things happen when we work as a team! 🤝✨

Way to go, team players! Can’t wait to see those rally records keep climbing next week! 🏆👏

Health

With our Kids Help Phone Counsellor visit just around the corner, we’ve been diving into some meaningful conversations about mental health and wellbeing. This week, we kicked things off by reading a story all about the “invisible backpack” we all carry 🎒—the thoughts, feelings, and experiences that we bring with us each day.

Students were curious, kind, and thoughtful as we unpacked what’s inside that backpack and explored some of the tools we can use to help lighten the load 🛠️💡. From breathing exercises to talking it out with someone we trust, our toolkits are starting to fill up with healthy strategies!

We also played a fun game to explore myths vs. facts about mental health — and wow, do our students know how to bust a myth! 💥😄

The best part? This conversation is just getting started. As we look ahead to our special guest’s visit, students are continuing to build their own mental health toolkits to support their wellbeing, both inside and outside the classroom. 💚🌈

Let’s keep talking, sharing, and supporting each other. After all, a little kindness and understanding can go a long way! 😊

The Arts

This week in The Arts, our creativity was in full swing — and things got colourful AND musical! 🖌️🎧

In Visual Arts, students started creating stunning tree art that showed off their understanding of cool and warm colours. 🌞❄️ Using warm colours to represent the sun and cool colours for the background, our trees beautifully captured that fall feeling as we shift into cooler days. 🍁🌬️

To add a twist, students incorporated patterns into their backgrounds — a perfect sneak peek into our next math unit! Who knew art and math could make such a great team? 📐🎨

Over in Music, we kept the rhythm going strong with our 4-beat rhythm practice 🥁—but this time, with a techy twist! 💻🎶 Using Chrome Music Lab, students explored beats and created catchy patterns that had us all grooving.

Next week, the challenge is on! 🎯 Students will perfect their 4-beat rhythm, experiment with different pitches, and share their beats with the class. We can’t wait to hear the creativity come to life! 🎤🎼

Stay tuned — the beat (and the art!) goes on! 🥳🎨🎶

The Wrap-Up

Notices went home this week for the upcoming Halloween Dance and Loot Bags for interested families.🕺🍬

We're also getting ready for our Kindness and Caring Assembly on Thursday, October 30th 💖🤝. That means we'll be voting next week! Students will be choosing someone who they feel consistently shows kindness and caring, and they'll need to explain why they made their choice — we can’t wait to hear their thoughtful nominations! 🗳️🌟

Wishing all our families a wonderful weekend filled with fun, rest, and maybe a little pumpkin spice! 🎃🍁💤

See you next week! 😊

Language

This week in Language, we dove deeper into the exciting world of narratives! Students have been sharpening their story sense by reading short stories and identifying key elements like characters, setting, problem, climax, and solution 🕵️‍♂️📚. With each new story, we’ve been exploring what makes it engaging and how all the parts fit together. Even more importantly, we’ve been thinking about how we can use those same elements to craft our own stories.

That’s right — the brainstorming has begun for our very own “And Then It Happened” stories! Some students even started sketching out their ideas using a graphic organizer ✍️🧠, laying the groundwork for the wild, funny, or mysterious tales to come. The creativity is already flowing, and we can’t wait to see where their imaginations take them!

We also kept up with our podcast listening and responses 🎙️👂. As we near the end of Season 1, things are definitely heating up — and some sharp-eyed (or should we say sharp-eared?) students have noticed something cool: the same narrative elements we’ve been studying are popping up in each episode! 🎉 Connections like this are what it’s all about — recognizing how stories move from one place to the next and applying that to our own work.

More storytelling fun to come next week!

Math

This week in Math, we kept the momentum going with more graphing fun! From bar graphs to stacked bar graphs, our data skills are getting sharper by the day. We also explored the world of infographics — those colourful, eye-catching visuals that help us understand data in a clear and engaging way 🎨🔍. Students had the chance to analyze how information can be presented in different formats and were tasked with creating their own infographics based on water. 

Then we got into something new: stem-and-leaf plots! 🌱🍃 It may sound like gardening, but it’s actually a cool way to organize data and see number patterns more clearly. With all this learning, we’ve decided to push our quiz to next Thursday, giving everyone more time to practice and feel confident going in 💪😊.

If you haven’t already, students are encouraged to check out the Additional Practice in Google Classroom for a sample of the types of questions that will be on the quiz. 📝💻

Science

This week in Science, students have been busy typing up their design thinking project pitches and bringing them to life in Google Slides 💻✨. The focus? Keeping things short, clear, and impactful, with images that help tell the story of their problem, solution, and potential impact 💡📸. It’s been great to see how thoughtfully they’ve been crafting their presentations!

With that nearly wrapped up, some of us have started exploring some exciting new topics! Using the TDSB Virtual Library 📚, students are diving into texts connected to our next science units: Habitats and Communities for our Grade 4s 🐾🌿, and Conservation of Energy for the Grade 5s ⚡🔋.

Next week, it's all about sharing pitches in small groups and getting started on these brand-new science adventures! 🧠🌟

Social Studies

This week, we took part in a powerful workshop on The Mush Hole — the play that our Grade 5s had the chance to see at the Young People’s Theatre. The Mush Hole tells the story of the Mohawk Institute, Canada’s oldest Residential School, which operated in Brantford, Ontario from 1828 to 1970. It was a place where many First Nations children from Six Nations and other communities were sent, with the goal of forcing assimilation into European Christian culture — leaving a lasting legacy of trauma.

The workshop helped everyone gain a deeper understanding of the experiences of residential school survivors and the impact of this history. It was a thoughtful, meaningful experience that sparked empathy and awareness in all our students.

Our work around truth and reconciliation continues throughout the year and will be woven into our learning not only in Social Studies but across many subjects as we grow together 🌱🤝.

Physical Education

Volley Vibes Only! 🏐✨ Even though it was a shorter week, we still made the most of our time in the gym — hitting the court once for some volleyball action! 🎉 Students practiced their volleys, bumps, and serves, working hard to control the ball and pass smoothly to one another 🤾‍♂️🤾‍♀️.

It’s awesome to see how much their skills are improving already — teamwork and hand-eye coordination are definitely leveling up! Can’t wait to get back at it next week!

The Arts

This week in Music, students explored some of the fundamental elements of music using drum sticks 🥁. They learned all about quarter notes, half notes, whole notes, eighth notes, and even sixteenth notes — and put those beats to work by creating fun 4-beat patterns for their classmates to try! Some of those rhythms were so catchy, there were definitely a few feet tapping along 🎵👣.

Over in Visual Arts, students focused on wrapping up their Querkles, Pixel Art, and drawings inspired by Jarrett Lerner 🎨🖌️. We didn’t quite get to our exciting cool and warm colour projects this week — the shorter week and all the creative energy elsewhere kept us busy — but no worries, those colourful adventures will be coming up next week!

Can’t wait to see what creative beats and colours next week brings!

The Wrap-Up

Just a quick reminder — tomorrow is a PA Day, so there’s no school for students on Friday, October 10th, 2025! Plus, with the Thanksgiving holiday on Monday, October 14th, we’re in for a nice, long weekend to rest and recharge 🍁🦃😴. I hope everyone gets some well-deserved relaxation!

Looking ahead, Picture Day is happening next Wednesday — say cheese! 📸😊 Don’t forget to check out our What’s On at Victoria Village PS page for all the latest calendar updates and important info.

Scholastic orders were placed today! As soon as they arrive—hopefully by next week—they’ll be sent home, just in time for some cozy fall reading.

Next week, we’ll also be starting important conversations around mental health and well-being 🧠💬. And exciting news — in a couple of weeks, we’ll have a Kids Help Phone Counsellor joining us virtually for a special session, where students can learn new tips and tricks to build their wellness toolkit 🛠️.

Have a fantastic long weekend, everyone! We’ll see you refreshed and ready to go next week!

Language

What if part of your favourite podcast became a book? That’s exactly what we imagined this week as we wrapped up more episodes of the Six Minutes podcast! Students put their creativity to the test by designing book covers—complete with subtitles and visuals they felt captured the story. From mysterious taglines to dramatic illustrations, their final products are fantastic!

We also kept building our writing muscles with response writing, using feedback from last week to level up our work. ✍️ It’s been amazing to see students growing as writers!

Then on Friday… enter one of my all-time favourite series—And Then It Happened! 📖 After hearing a hilarious short story, students got into groups to imagine and visualize the infamous “bicycle built for three.” Let’s just say the designs were as wild and wonderful as the story itself!

The Six Minutes podcast continues, but next week we’re flipping the script—students will get ready to learn about the elements of narratives and start writing their own And Then It Happened stories. I can’t wait to see what chaos, comedy, and creativity the students will come up with!

Math

This week in Math, we dove deeper into multiple and stacked bar graphs, becoming pros at interpreting data with confidence! 🔍 We also explored the world of mode, median, and mean—turns out, there's more to "average" than meets the eye! ➗📈

With all this data knowledge building up, we're almost ready to wrap up the unit. Next week, we’ll be creating our own infographics 🖼️ to show off what we’ve learned—and we’ll finish it all off with a quiz ✏️. Get those graphing brains ready!

Science

This week in Science, our Design Sprint was in full swing! Students put the finishing touches on their prototypes, turning creative ideas into real-world solutions. 🛠️✨

But the innovation didn’t stop there! Students also began crafting their 3-slide pitch decks—getting ready to showcase their brilliant designs and explain the "why" behind their work. 🎤📽️

I can’t wait to see these unique solutions come to life as students step into the role of real-world problem solvers! Stay tuned!

Social Studies

This week in Social Studies, we continued our important conversations around the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action. We explored what these calls mean—and more importantly, how we might take action right here at school.

Students shared incredible ideas full of empathy, awareness, and a genuine desire to make a difference. 🌱 Their voices showed just how powerful small actions can be when we work together toward understanding and change.

I'm proud of the thoughtful conversations and look forward to turning ideas into action in the weeks ahead.

Physical Education

This week in Physical Education, we were on the move—literally! We kicked things off with a high-energy game of 10 Second Tag that had everyone sprinting, dodging, and laughing. ⏱️

Then it was time to bump, set, and get ready—because we’ve officially started our volleyball unit! Students practiced their volleying and bumping skills, and the teamwork was already shining through. 🏐 ✨

Can’t wait to see those rallies get longer and the serves get stronger! 💪

The Arts

This week in Visual Art, some students put the finishing touches on their Querkles, while others dove into the colorful world of pixel art—talk about a pixel-perfect week! 🖌️🟦🟥

Next up, we’ll be exploring warm and cool colours as we get inspired to create some cozy fall-themed art. 🍁🍂

Over in Music, students were given another period to finally wrap up their Genres project! Next week, students will share their work with each other, discovering all the different sounds and styles that make music so awesome. 🎤🎸 Next week, we will also be tuning up for more musical adventures with percussion—stay tuned! 🎵

The Wrap-Up

Next week is packed with awesome activities, so be sure to check out our What’s On at Victoria Village Public School page for all the details!

Here’s a sneak peek: 🎉 First Lego League kicks off next week on Monday for grade 5 students who applied! 🤖✨ We’re excited for a fantastic season ahead! 

On Tuesday morning, the National Ballet is coming in for a special workshop—how cool is that? 🩰✨ Then, our Grade 5s are off to YPT on Thursday morning for a fun trip.

Thursday is a big day with pizza lunch 🍕 and the Terry Fox walk/run in the afternoon—get ready to move and make a difference! 🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️

A reminder for families interested in purchasing Scholastic Books, they are due on Thursday, October 9th, 2025 📚. Families can browse and order directly at the Scholastic website using our classroom code RC186231. Orders will be placed on October 9th and should arrive at school the following week to be sent home. 

It’s a short week with a PA Day on Friday, October 10th, followed by a super long weekend thanks to the Thanksgiving holiday on Monday, October 13th.

Have a fantastic weekend, everyone! I’ll see you back at school on Monday! 😊