Keeping P.A.C.E. | September + October 2024

THE PACE OF THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE

Here we are again! After a summer filled with incredible experiences and valuable lessons, we’re excited to reconnect, refreshed and ready to dive back in. September and October have already brought a wealth of learning opportunities. Fall is a beautiful time for connection and growth, and we can’t wait to embrace the possibilities this new school year holds!

SEPTEMBER + OCTOBER HIGHLIGHTS

A huge congratulations to our elementary ultimate frisbee team for their impressive 3rd place finish at the SSAF tournament! This coed team, made up of students from grades 6 to 8, demonstrated remarkable skill and determination, even in rainy conditions. They competed fiercely and earned their well-deserved medal! Well done, team! You’ve made your school and coach, Ms. Knight, incredibly proud.

Our grade 5 students have completed their first French presentation of the year called “My Profile”. The presentations were interesting and fun!

Les élèves de la cinquième année ont complété leur première présentation de l’année intitulée « Mon profil ». Les présentations étaient intéressantes et amusantes.

P.A.C.E. hosted its annual “House Day,” marking the start of a year-long series of friendly and fun-filled competitions for the coveted House Cup! It was a fantastic morning for both students and staff!

Our grade 7 science students explored the processes of osmosis and diffusion in cells. Using dialysis tubing as a model for the membrane, they observed these processes in action and applied their problem-solving skills to identify which chemicals passed through. Great job, grade 7s!​

Our grade 2 students did an amazing job with their Superhero presentations! The costumes were incredibly imaginative, and the performances were captivating. Way to go, grade 2 superheroes!

P.A.C.E. hosted its annual Terry Fox Run! Before the event, students stretched under the guidance of Grade 5A and 5B students. As they ran, teachers marked our Canadian province and territory boards—created by the Grade 4 students—with blue marks for every 5th lap completed. In total, students ran an impressive 3,330 km!

On Monday, October 7, the grade 7s visited a historical site near Midland, Ontario, to explore the relationship between the Wendat peoples and French Jesuit priests. They began with a short film featuring Indigenous and French actors presenting different perspectives on this history.

The students toured the kitchens, discussed available foods, visited the forge to see metalworking, explored two chapels—one for First Nations and one for Jesuit priests—and viewed the burial site of Jesuit Martyrs St. Jean de Brébeuf and St. Jean de Lalande. They concluded the morning by learning about the Wendat matrilineal society around a fire in a longhouse.

In the afternoon, they played LaCrosse, a game developed by Indigenous peoples, and practiced writing with feather quill pens, creating impressive artwork. While they had learned about this period beforehand, experiencing the site firsthand brought the history to life in a way that pictures and stories could not.

To conclude their Phylogenetic Tree Unit in Theme, our grade 3s explored the fascinating world of Reptilia. During an informative presentation, they learned about, observed, and even touched various snakes, a turtle, and a bearded dragon. At the Reptilia Zoo, students were thrilled to see frogs, crocodiles, geckos, a Komodo dragon, tortoises, and more—all up close and personal!

Our grade 8 students visited the Cosmodome located in Laval, Quebec to experience what it would be like to be an astronaut.

They were given the opportunity to try different simulators to see what an astronaut does to train for space travel. They used their problem-solving skills to perform STEM activities and experiments similar to those conducted in space. They were also introduced to virtual missions in which they took on specific roles in the space ship, such as a pilot or mission specialist, or in the control tower, as a flight director. The goal of this mission was to fly safely to the moon Europa. Excellent work grade 8s!

Congratulations to all of our athletes who competed in the SSAF Cross Country event! Thank you to Ms. St. Denis and Mr. De Lara for coaching our runners.

To complement their Global Perspectives unit on the Victorian Era, our grade 6s visited Black Creek Pioneer Village to enhance their learning about how the 19th century was a time of rapid change and many new inventions. Students participated in a scavenger hunt and made up their own inventions. Afterwards, they had a tour of the village and learned about how life was different in the Victorian Era compared to today’s world.

Our grade 6 students showed creativity and imagination as they presented their models of different types of cells in science class! Some of the students chose to learn more about parasitic protozoans such as Malaria and African Sleeping Sickness and taught the class about these infectious microbes.

SETTING THE PACE

What an extraordinary start to our 2024/2025 education journey ! We have achievements to be proud of but still have work to do. As we look ahead we are excited for: 

• November 1 – U14 SSAF Flag Football Tournament
• November 3 – ES/MS VEX IQ Robotics Qualifier Event
• November 7 – Annual P.A.C.E. Awards Assembly
• November 8 – U10 Soccer Tournament
• November 11 – Remembrance Day Assembly
• November 12 – Beaver Computing Challenge (grades 5-8)
• November 13 – Cultural Event (grades 5 & 6)
• November 21 – Canada Jay Mathematical Competition (grades 6-8)
• November 22 – U12 Soccer Tournament; Grade 8 Report Cards Distributed; Term 2 Begins
• November 29 – Grades 1-7 Report Cards Distributed
• December 3 – Science Odyssey (grade 5)
• December 5/6 – Virtual Parent-Teacher Interviews (school closed)
• December 10 – U14 Dodgeball Tournament
• December 12 – Holiday Music Concert
• December 13 – School closes at 12pm
• December 14 – January 5 – Winter Break (school resumed on January 6, 2025)

Keep pace with what’s going on with our students with our bi-monthly blog updates. For an insider’s view into your child’s enriched learning experience, join the P.A.C.E. community on Instagram.