October 2025

Language

As I mentioned before, we finally finished listening to Season 1 of the Six Minutes podcast! 🎉 Along with writing thoughtful responses, students explored how to write podcast reviews — discovering how sharing opinions helps others decide whether a show might be their next great listen. 💬⭐

This week marked an exciting milestone — students submitted the first drafts of their And Then It Happened... stories for review! ✨ Next week, after receiving feedback 🧐, they’ll dive into Book Creator to bring their incredible stories to life with creativity and flair. 🌟📖

In the meantime, some students have already embarked on a new storytelling adventure — crafting their very own choose-your-own-adventure narratives! With unexpected twists and turns, they’re exploring different genres and sharpening their creative writing skills in fun and imaginative ways. 🚀✍️

To wrap up our busy week, we played a challenging (and hilarious!) game of Scattergories 🎲, testing our quick thinking and vocabulary skills. From tricky letters to creative answers, it was a blast — and we can’t wait for more rounds as the year goes on! 💡😄

Math

This week, our mathematicians were busy bees 🐝 — creating, exploring, analyzing, and extending all kinds of repeating, increasing, and decreasing geometric patterns! 🔺🔹 Students also worked on writing pattern rules, remembering that when sharing a rule, it’s important to explain where it begins and what happens to each term along the way. 🧠💬

We also put our data management skills to good use by graphing what was happening in different patterns 📈, helping us see connections between our learning in different Math units. 💡

To wrap up the week, we took our creativity digital with a Minecraft coding challenge! 💻🎮 It was a fantastic way to apply logic and problem-solving while having fun — and there’s more coding to come as we connect math concepts to mathematical modeling. ✨

Next week, we’ll jump into the exciting world of number patterns 🔢 — the adventure continues! 🚀 Don’t forget, there’s always extra practice waiting in the Additional Practice section of Google Classroom if you’d like to sharpen your skills. 💻⭐

Science

This week in science, we kicked things off with some lively discussions about our next units and shared our ideas for our KWHL charts — what we Know, Want to know, How we’ll learn it, and what we’ve Learned! 💭🧠

For our Grade 4 scientists, we dove into key terms like habitats, communities, and species 🌎, and discovered the differences between aquatic (water-based 🌊) and terrestrial (land-based 🌳) habitats. Meanwhile, our Grade 5 energy experts ⚙️ explored the question, “What is energy?” and learned about the difference between kinetic (movement) and potential (stored) energy. ⚡🏃‍♂️💡

Social Studies

This week, we continued our important learning about land acknowledgements, treaties, and — most importantly — the actions we can take toward reconciliation. ❤️💭 Students shared thoughtful ideas about how we can all show respect, understanding, and a commitment to learning from the past while working together for a better future. 

As a class, we also put our learning into action by writing announcements that we’ll share with the school next week for Treaties Recognition Week! 📢 We can’t wait to use our voices to help others learn and reflect on the meaning behind the words we say every day. 💬🌍

Physical Education

This week in Phys. Ed, our volleyball skills have really started to shine! 🌟 We’ve been working hard on our bumping, volleying, and teamwork, and it’s amazing to see how much our collaboration and confidence have grown. 🙌💬

During our lively game of Keep-Up, some groups managed to keep the ball going for 10 hits in a row — incredible focus and teamwork! 🔥👏 The nets went up this week and we embarked on our first game. It was a little overwhelming to realize just how high our serves have to go to get over the net but some of us were able to make it.  🏐😄

Game faces ready… we’re set for some serious fun ahead! 💥✨

Health

This week, we had a special visit from a counsellor with Kids Help Phone, and it was such a meaningful experience! 💬✨ We learned all about the amazing work the organization does and the many ways they’re there to listen, support, and help when someone needs it. 🤝💙

We also talked about what we can do when we’re feeling stressed or anxious, and everyone walked away with new ideas to add to our growing mental health toolboxes 🧰 — strategies to help us stay calm, positive, and balanced. 🌿😌

It was a wonderful reminder that it’s okay to ask for help and that we’re never alone. 💛

The Arts

This week in the Arts, our classroom was full of rhythm, colour, and creativity! 🎶✨ Every group shared their own 4-beat rhythm for the class to follow — and some of them really put our listening skills to the test with tricky eighth notes and exciting pitch changes! 👏🎵

We also had a blast playing the familiar song “From Wibbleton to Wobbleton”, exploring note values and experimenting with pitch to make the tune even more lively and expressive. 🎤🎼

On the Visual Arts side, we took some time to finish up past projects — from Querkles to our fall trees showcasing warm and cool colours 🍁🎨. It was definitely a busy catch-up session, and now most of us are ready to jump into the backgrounds for our continuous line portraits! ✏️🖌️

The Wrap-Up

What a busy (and blustery!) week it’s been! 🌬️ As a quick reminder — Daylight Savings Time is this Sunday, so don’t forget to “fall back” and enjoy that extra hour of sleep! 😴🍂

📸 Photo proofs were sent home on Monday, and picture retakes are coming up on November 10th, so mark your calendars! 🗓️ Notices for parent/caregiver–teacher interviews will also be going home soon, and Progress Reports will be sent home on November 12th. 📝✨

With the colder days creeping in 🧤🧣, please make sure students are dressed warmly — we’ll still be heading outside for recess and fresh air! ❄️☀️

Have a cozy, restful weekend — you’ve earned it! 🌟🍎💙

Language

Our classroom has been buzzing with imagination this week! 🧠💭 Students are putting the finishing touches on their very own “And Then It Happened…” stories, and wow — they are fantastic! 🎉✍️ We’ve been learning how to apply our understanding of different text forms and genres to create, revise, edit, and proofread our own writing. I had the chance to read a few drafts, and I can already tell we’re going to have an amazing class anthology once everyone is done! 📖💫

Meanwhile, our Six Minutes podcast journey is almost at the finish line! 🎧 Next week, we’ll finish the first season with our final responses, and then we’ll dive into writing reviews that show others exactly how we felt about the twists and turns of the podcast! The last few episodes are about to get wild — and we can’t wait to see how it all ends! 🤯🔥

Math

This week, we kicked off our new unit on patterns — and the class has been on a roll! 🎉 Students started with a quick assessment to help me see where we’d begin, and then they jumped right into creating their own geometric patterns. 🎨🔺 They also had the chance to figure out the pattern rules of their classmates’ designs and extend those patterns even further.

We explored different patterns — repeating, increasing, and decreasing — and were reminded how important it is to explain where a pattern starts and what happens with each term. 💭🧩

The fun continues next week as we dive into number patterns! 💫 Patterns are everywhere — in art, music, and even in nature. 🌿👀 This weekend, see if you can spot a pattern around you!

Social Studies

In Social Studies, we’ve been getting ready to launch our first unit — and our learning has already begun! 📚 Soon, some of our classmates will be sharing about the Land Acknowledgement on the morning announcements 🎤, so we took time this week to learn more about what land acknowledgements really mean. We explored their purpose, their significance in different communities, and what they should be inspiring us to do. 💭

After watching a CBC Kids video 🎥, we realized that land acknowledgements aren’t just words — they’re a call to action. So, we got started by exploring Native Land Digital and learning about treaties through Kayak Magazine, and specifically the Williams Treaty of 1923. 📜 Students have been asking thoughtful questions, sharing ideas, and learning more about what it means to be treaty people.

This important work will continue throughout November, especially as we recognize Treaties Recognition Week during the first week of the month. I encourage families to take time together to learn more about the land we live and learn on. 🌿

Physical Education

Exciting news — I’ve heard the volleyball nets are going up soon! 🙌 Students have been working hard, and their skills are really improving — way to go, team! 

This week, we also focused on team building through fun cooperative challenges like Wall Ball. These activities had us moving, laughing, and most importantly, communicating with each other. 💬🤝

We’re learning that great teamwork starts with great communication — and we can’t wait to see those skills shine when we jump into volleyball games soon! 🏐🔥

Health

This week in Health, we started with a calming Mindful Moment on Monday led by Ms. Thomas — the perfect way to set a positive tone for the week! 🌿✨ Students continued exploring myths and facts about mental health and well-being, busting misconceptions and sharing great insights. 💭💬

We also got creative by folding cootie catchers inspired by the idea of the Invisible Backpack. Using them, students discussed the things that lighten their backpacks — like kindness and laughter — and the things that can make them heavier, such as stress or worry. They were challenged to keep these conversations going at home with their families. 🏠❤️

We’re now getting ready for our Kids Help Phone visit on Monday 📞 and continuing to fill our mental health toolboxes with strategies to help us care for ourselves and others. 🌈💪

The Arts

We’ve been busy in the classroom bringing creativity to life with the Arts! 🖌️ Students are putting the finishing touches on their Querkles masterpieces and our stunning fall trees — bursting with warm 🍁 and cool ❄️ colours. We also began exploring continuous line portraits, and wow — these one-line wonders are full of personality! ✍️

In just a few weeks, we’ll be welcoming families for parent/caregiver-teacher conferences, and I can’t wait for you to see how our walls have transformed into a gallery of imagination and colour. 🌈✨

In music, our talented student duos took the lead with some awesome 4-beat rhythms! 🥁 They mixed quarter and eighth notes with different pitches that had everyone moving and grooving. 💃🕺 The fun continues next week as we match beats to words in a familiar tune — get ready to tap along! 🎵

Creativity never stops here — and we’re loving every beat and brushstroke! 💖

The Wrap-Up

🎉 What a Week It’s Been! 🎃

Can you believe next week is already the last week of October? Time flies when you’re having fun! On Friday, get ready to show off your best moves at our Halloween Dance! 🕺🎃 Please remember —loot bag order forms went home last week and are due by Tuesday. 🛍️

On Monday, we’re excited to welcome a Kids Help Phone counsellor who will visit our classroom. 🧠💬 Students have been thinking about questions on mental health and well-being—come ready to chat and learn!

Our Kindness & Caring Assembly is happening on Thursday afternoon. 🌟 Students voted for this month’s award winners, and wow—so many amazing acts of kindness made it a tough decision! 💖

We’re continuing our journey to build a strong, caring classroom community and grow the skills we need to work together and learn.

Have a fantastic weekend, everyone! ☀️✨

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! 😊