September 2025

Can you believe the second week of school is already behind us? Time really does fly when you're learning, laughing, and logging into Google Classroom for the first time! 🎉

This week, our students officially joined Google Classroom and took their first steps into the world of technology with a fun intro session led by Ms. Lambert. From logging in like pros to exploring digital tools, they're already showing off their tech-savvy skills. 💻✨

Here’s what we were up to this week:

Language

What a week it's been in Language! 📚

Our listening journey with Six Minutes is heating up — Holiday finally knows the truth about where she came from (cue gasps and wide eyes! 😲), but of course, this only leads to more questions. The mystery deepens, and our curiosity grows with each episode. We’ve been moving through episodes quickly, and along the way, we’re learning not just about Holiday’s world, but also about writing conventions, structure, and strong responses. ✨

Students have been busy crafting thoughtful responses to the podcast, reflecting on the twists, turns, and character revelations. And as tradition now has it, I’ll be diving into their writing this weekend with my trusty Saturday morning coffee ☕ in hand — providing feedback, cheering on strong ideas, and nudging everyone to polish their work just a little bit more. 📝

Speaking of polish — we revisited an ever-important checklist this week: before submitting, students were reminded to double-check their spelling, grammar, punctuation, that they've answered the question and that their writing says what they truly mean to say. ✔️🔍

On Friday, we took a creative turn and visualized while we listened — students let their imaginations run wild and drew scenes inspired by the podcast. 🎨🖍️ It was a quiet, focused time full of creativity and thoughtful interpretation.

The adventure continues next week as we press play on more episodes. Stay tuned — the story (and our writing skills) just keep getting better! 🚀

Math

What a fantastic (and slightly sneaky!) week of math fun we’ve had!

We kicked things off on Monday with a real brain-stretcher: Kaprekar’s Constant. Students chose 4-digit numbers, rearranged the digits to create the greatest and least possible values, and then subtracted them… again and again… until something very interesting started to happen. 😲 While a few students wrestled with regrouping, it was a brilliant way to explore place value, subtraction, and perseverance — all in one magical math moment.

On Tuesday, we kept the pattern party going with How Many 7s? — hunting for number patterns in unexpected places. Eyes narrowed, dry-erase markers moved quickly, and a few lightbulbs definitely went off! 💡

Wednesday brought us back into algebra territory with some tougher challenges. It was exciting (and occasionally frustrating!) to see students stretching their thinking and showing real grit when things didn’t come easily. 🧠💪

Then came Thursday, when we shifted gears for a round of Which One Doesn’t Belong? — a deceptively simple-looking task that turned into thoughtful conversations about Math reasoning. We focused on the power of communication in Math — explaining our thinking clearly, listening to others, and justifying our ideas. 🗣️➕💬

And on Friday… we stacked cups. But with a twist! 🧃 Students worked in teams to build cup towers using only an elastic band and four pieces of string — no hands allowed! The laughter was real, the teamwork was strong, and the problem-solving was creative. A perfect STEM-style finish to our week! 🎯🏗️😂

Next week, we’ll be diving into our first Math assessment and then jumping into our first unit: Data Management. 📊 It’s been amazing to watch students’ confidence grow as mathematicians — they’re questioning, experimenting, and showing so much curiosity. Can’t wait to see where the numbers take us next!

Science

This week, our creativity was in full swing as we continued our design sprint! Students first thought carefully about who they wanted to design a solution for—and then things got wild with a round of Crazy 8s! This fast-paced ideation challenge had everyone sketching 8 ideas in just over 5 minutes. That’s right—eight ideas. Five minutes. Pure creative chaos! 🌀💭 Next week, we’ll be fleshing out those ideas even more as we move closer to bringing our designs to life!

When you visit during Curriculum Night, you’ll notice our Skyscrapers 🏙️ proudly displayed on the bulletin board just outside the classroom. They look phenomenal ✨ and we can’t wait for you to see the creativity and effort that went into each one! 

Physical Education

We’ve been on the move this week in Phys. Ed—and wow, did we get our steps in!

Inside the gym, we played energetic games of Bench Ball! Think dodgeball meets teamwork: players try to throw the ball to teammates standing on a bench, who then catch it from a distance. Once you catch it—up you go on the bench too! We’re working on our throwing accuracy, catching skills, and communication as a team. Spoiler alert: there were some very dramatic catches!

Outside, we switched gears with a classic round of Capture the Flag—and let’s say, the flags weren’t the only things flying. Many showed off their speed, strategy, and stamina in a blur of colour as they raced by.

And speaking of stamina… some students laced up their runners and kicked off cross-country training with the KM Club during morning recess. 

The Arts

In Visual Arts, our name tags are officially complete! Students explored line and colour to design unique, eye-catching name tags—we can't wait for you to see them on display. We also dove into a new activity focused on value (the lightness or darkness of a colour), and students are now bringing their Animal Querkles to life with amazing focus and creativity. 🐘🎨

In Music, a big shout-out to all the students who brought in a song for their assignment! It was nice to hear how excited some were as they connected with their chosen pieces—identifying genre, exploring emotions, and unpacking the messages behind the music. Next week, we'll continue our work and share these songs and presentations in class, and then... it’s time to make some noise as we head into percussion! 🥁

The Wrap-Up

That’s a wrap on another fantastic week in our classroom! 🎉

Be sure to check out our What's On at Victoria Village page to stay in the loop—Curriculum Night is coming up on September 25th, just before the PA Day on the 26th. Students are invited to join their caregivers in class that evening to show off all the amazing work they’ve been doing. We can’t wait to welcome you!

Our snack program kicks off next week—yum! 🥪🍎 If you haven’t already, please get those forms in so your child doesn’t miss out.

We’ll also begin meaningful conversations about truth and reconciliation next week as we prepare to observe Orange Shirt Day on September 30th. 🧡

Have a restful weekend, and we’ll see you Monday for another week full of learning, laughter, and discovery!

Welcome back to a brand new school year — we’re so excited to kick off another amazing adventure in Grade 4/5! It’s been a fantastic first week getting to know each other, learning new routines, and beginning to build our awesome classroom community.

I sent home a welcome email earlier this week with some important info. If it didn’t make it to your inbox, please feel free to reach out at arianna.lambert@tdsb.on.ca, and I’ll be happy to resend it!

Now... drumroll please 🥁 — here’s what we were up to this week in Room 201!

Language

What a week! We kicked off the year by getting to know each other in a fun way —with a round of “Would You Rather?” Students made some tough (and funny) choices and shared their reasons with confidence. It was such a fun way to learn more about each other—turns out we have some strong opinions on the power of invisibility vs. flying! 

Then came the big adventure: we started the Six Minutes podcast! 🎧 In just a few episodes, we’ve already met Holiday, the mysterious girl pulled from the water, the Anders Family, and the secretive Badger. We’ll be diving into Episode 10 next week, and students are hooked! One student even said it felt like “watching a movie because you can actually see what’s happening.” How cool is that?

We’ve been talking a lot about visualizing—creating mental images as we listen—and it’s awesome to see students making connections and really seeing the story unfold in their minds. That skill will be super helpful as we dive into reading, too! 📚✨

All in all, a fantastic first week full of laughs, mystery, imagination, and great conversations. Can’t wait to see where our next week takes us! 

Math

What a week in math—it was full of challenges, teamwork, and even a little ice cream talk!

We kicked things off with the 1–100 Challenge, where students explored the number chart to uncover hidden patterns. It was amazing to see how spotting those patterns could actually help with solving bigger problems. (Spoiler alert: Math is sneaky like that. 😄)

Next up was the Canoe Problem—a critical thinking adventure that had students figuring out how to get a group across a river with some constraints for the canoe. With limited space and eager “travellers,” this challenge brought out fantastic collaboration and some very creative thinking. 🚣‍♂️💭

Then came the Ice Cream Challenge—yes, there was Math involved, even if we were also dreaming about mint chocolate chip and cookie dough. 🍦 This activity had students considering how many possible double-scoop combinations could be had in an ice cream shop with 5 flavours, 8 flavours, 10 flavours and then 15 flavours. Once again, patterns helped a few groups solve this challenge quickly and with ease. 

Finally, we dove into the Algebra Challenge, where students stretched their thinking around operations and variables. There were some serious “aha!” moments as students solved for different symbols and discovered how algebra can actually make Math make more sense.

Throughout it all, students showed curiosity, perseverance, and great math minds at work. Most importantly, this week was about building confidence—and we’ve already got some incredible mathematicians rising to the challenge!

Can’t wait to see what math magic next week brings! ✨📊

Science

We kicked off our first week of Science by diving into the world of Design Thinking—because believe it or not, scientists and designers have something in common: they solve real problems for real people! 🧠✨

Students began by brainstorming problems they see in the world around them—from homelessness to climate change—and then each student chose one that mattered to them. Using the 5Ws and How (Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How), they began telling the story of their chosen problem. It was awesome to hear their thoughtful reflections and creative thinking already starting to shine. 💡🌍

But that’s not all…

We also took on the Skyscraper Challenge! 🏗️ After learning about some of the tallest skyscrapers in the world (hello, Burj Khalifa! 👋), students had limited materials, limited time, and unlimited ambition to build the tallest freestanding structure they could. The results? Some teams reached heights of over 60 cm—not bad for a pile of tape, straws, and a whole lot of teamwork!

From dreaming up world-changing ideas to building structures that scrape the ceiling (almost), this week was all about thinking big, planning smart, and working together.

We can’t wait to keep exploring the Design Thinking process next week—our future inventors and engineers are just getting started!

Physical Education

We laced up our sneakers and kicked off a fun-filled first week in Physical Education!

This week, we focused on learning the routines that will keep our gym time running smoothly—how we enter the gym, warm up our bodies, and get ready for action. Students did a great job picking up the flow and getting into the groove! 

To start the month, we're diving into collaborative games, where the focus is on teamwork, communication, and building a positive game environment. First up: Defender Ball! 🔵🛡️

Here’s how it works:

Each team has a cone they need to protect. While some in the group play defence, the others try to knock over those pins by throwing balls from other areas on the court. Sounds simple, right? The twist is—you have to work together to protect your zone and strategize how to aim, throw, and dodge! It's fast-paced, exciting, and gets everyone moving.

Along the way, students learned how to manage frustration, support their teammates, and reset when things didn’t go as planned (hint: a few jumping jacks helped us refocus and re-energize! 💥🧘‍♂️).

It’s been a great start to the year, and we’re pumped to keep moving, playing, and growing stronger—together!

The Arts

It’s been a colourful and musical start to the year in the Arts!

In Visual Arts, we kicked things off by learning about one of the building blocks of art: the line! Students explored how lines can convey movement, emotion, and personality—and then applied that knowledge to their very first creative task: Word Art Name Tags! Each student designed a vibrant nametag using various types of lines and pops of colour to showcase their unique style. The results? Totally frame-worthy! 🎨🖍️

Over in Music, we took a listening journey through different genres—from rock to blues, jazz to hip hop, and everything in between. Students learned that music tells stories from all around the world and across time. There were definitely some foot-tapping and head-bobbing moments as we explored new sounds together! 🎧🌍

And for our first music homework assignment:

🎵 Find a song you love, figure out what genre it fits into, and get ready to share it for an upcoming task next week. Time to build those playlists!

It’s been a creative and inspiring start to the year—and we can’t wait to keep drawing, designing, listening, and learning!

The Wrap-Up

As we close out a productive and engaging week in the classroom, I’d like to extend a sincere thank you to all families for your support. It has been a pleasure watching students learn and collaborate so thoughtfully with one another.

Please note that a few important notices were sent home in student backpacks this week:

📄 Sick Kids Hospital Notice: Information regarding respiratory viruses — including prevention tips and guidance on symptoms — was provided to help support the health and well-being of our students and families as we enter the cooler months.

🍎 Snack Program Details: An update outlining our school snack program was also sent home. It includes information about how families can participate and use School Cash Online for donations.

I hope everyone enjoys a safe, restful, and enjoyable weekend. I look forward to welcoming all students back to class on Monday, ready for another great week of learning.