This Diwali, students and staff shared positive messages focusing on the importance of light, as well as examples of symbolic representation of light in our lives. We shared moments that bring happiness and strategies we use to strengthen our connection with one another. We celebrated the festival with local and authentically made foods, created rangolis, painted clay pots and lit sparklers as we reflected on the triumph of good. Special thanks to Tandori Kona Restaurant, Maharaja Sweets and Golden Samosa Bakery!
We are excited to begin our PA’s “Student News Broadcast” by planning, recording and editing. This is our fourth year of reporting important events, celebrations and successes that occur at school every week. All news is planned and recorded by PA students. Students learn about newsworthy material, journalism, ethics, broadcasting, producing and the importance of working as a team to create something that the entire PA school can be proud of and enjoy. This is a great opportunity for students to practice leadership skills, be engaged with the events that are happening at school, be resourceful and look for new interesting news stories!
Welcome back to learning, playing and making new friends! Students have been busy inside and outside the classroom! In fact, recess time is arguably one of the most important and dynamic parts of a student’s day. It serves as a time to engage in self directed play, where students practice social skills and form new and important friendships. Supervisors and our newly established student Safety Scouts actively engage with students, assisting in the establishment of recess rules and facilitating problem solving methods while encouraging sportsmanship, teamwork and safe play.
The grade 5/6 students led our “Orange Shirt Day” assembly, where they shared their knowledge of Canadian and Indigenous history. Specifically, they shared details about Residential schools- honouring the stories shared by Indigenous authors and storytellers. PA students and staff connected deeply to Phyllis Webstad’s “‘The Orange Shirt Story” story, held a moment of silence and pledged to be an Indigenous ally.
Being the Head of School for a day was an item available at the Pythagoras Academy Online Auction, and Sophie Jiang from grade 3 was the lucky winner of this item. On June 7th, 2022, Sophie officially became the Head of School for the entire day! During the course of the day, she was able to experience the daily tasks and have fun as the Head of School. In this role, Sophie got to sit in the Head of School’s office, visit different classrooms to oversee activities, enjoy a special lunch and even give students 5 minutes of extra recess!
Megan Zhao from grade 6 interviewed Sophie, and Sophie reported that she really enjoyed the opportunity of being the Head of School for a day.
If you wish to see how enjoyable and rewarding Sophie’s day was, please watch this video.
Grade ones have been working on their shoebox city where they have learned about and added different parts to their city. They also created pamphlets that described interesting events, natural resources, and directions to get to their cities using cardinal directions. Grade ones also considered the needs and wants of our population when adding a variety of buildings to their model cities and took care to offer many choices of restaurants and shops. They used problem-solving skills to fit everything into the space given.
Finally, students invited our parents to join their model city picnic where they showcased their city to parents and persuaded them why they should visit the cities. Of course, they had some fun sitting under the sun and having some snacks with our parents afterward. It was a perfect picnic day for grade ones!
As part of our inquiry into how plants adapt to seasonal changes, students enjoyed reading the story Leaf Man by Lois Elhert. Inspired by the imagery in the book, we headed out into the school grounds to collect natural materials such as sticks, seeds, rocks and leaves to create our own leaf creatures. Students used their imaginations to build leaf birds, leaf squirrels, leaf monsters and many other interesting creatures. After photographing their creations, they returned the materials to nature and used their photos to write about their creatures. They drew ideas from their imagination pockets and used the 5-finger planning technique to add details and share their feelings about their special leaf creatures.
Ms. Malone’s grade three class is excited to be exploring the learning process of Genius Hour, a practice first started by the company Google, where students are developing their creative and critical thinking skills through learner-led individual projects. Each week, students have used their inquiry blocks to generate an actionable question by reflecting on personal interests and curiosities. Students’ joy for learning and sense of wonder are evident as they research their chosen topic, becoming analytical thinkers who can ask questions and solve problems. Their projects are inspired by their own interests and creativity. Topics range from inquiries into animal adaptations and care, the benefits of art and skateboarding, and the use of Minecraft Education as a virtual platform to share exhibits on historical and other knowledge-based topics. This week, students are taking their first step toward implementing their plans, eagerly awaiting the day when they will share their knowledge with others. Students have been reflecting on the process each week through Seesaw posts and will be inviting their families and peers to view their final products at the conclusion of their Genius Hour exploration. Ms. Malone and Ms. Bolt have been working collaboratively to ensure that this experience benefits grade threes students’ development as confident leaders in their personal learning journeys.
Grade 1 students are participating in various activities, designed to build the skills of aiming for accuracy that will help them progress through a target games unit.