Keeping P.A.C.E. | May + June 2023

Keeping P.A.C.E. | May + June 2023

THE PACE OF THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE

This year has come and gone so quickly but the imprint will last forever here at P.A.C.E.! Weโ€™ve shared so many challenging and exciting learning experiences these past few monthsโ€“thank you for always giving it your all P.A.C.E. students! Below we have recapped all the significant and exciting things that took place in May and June!

And letโ€™s take a minute to acknowledge our amazing group of grads! Congratulations to ourย  graduating class of 2023 – we are confident as you move forward on your education journey that you will find success as long as you stay true to yourself! We will miss you, however, we will be cheering you on in your next adventure!

MAY + JUNE HIGHLIGHTS

Inspired by the story of “The Dot“,ย our grade 1 artists created their own stunning dot artwork. They used oil pastels to create such vibrant colours! Our students learned that everyone makes their own mark in the world and that no mark made is ever too small!

From May 3 to 5, our grade 5s visited Albion Hills Field Centre,ย where they had the opportunity to enjoy a nature-themed overnight field trip! Students participated in activities such as practicing wilderness survival skills, nature hike, thick tread mountain biking, ephemeral nature art, eco Jeopardy, campfire and a guided night walk!

You may have been wondering what all the โ€œracketโ€ was about this Mayโ€“our very own Yannis and Bradley finished in 1st place in boys doubles at the SSAF U14 Badminton Championship!

To complement their Unit on the Middle Ages, our grade 4s traveled to Medieval Times Dinner and Tournamentย to observe the reenactment of Feudalism during that period of European history. It was a โ€˜Knightโ€™ they will surely never forget!

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To finish their Theme Unit on Ancient Egypt, grade 3 students had the opportunity to be the teacher for the class! Each group collaboratively worked together to pick an Egyptian god/goddess, conduct research, put together a presentation, and share their findings with the class and teach their peers. The students were excited to compare what they learned in class to their findings on their field trip to the Royal Ontario Museum!

The P.A.C.E. community was treated to a special evening of music and dance on Wednesday, May 10th at the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts.ย  After four years, students and staff returned to the stage to host the 30th Annual P.A.C.E. Music Festival.ย 

The memorable evening of music could not have happened without the hard work and dedication of our talented music students, and support from P.A.C.E parents.ย  Thank you for being a part of this musical tradition.

A heartfelt โ€œthank youโ€ to our Production Manager Ms. Reay; Stage Managers Ms. Taft and Mr. Obradovic; Assistant Production Managers Mr. Rovet and Ms. Abela; and Stage Crew Members Eleanor, Rohan, Polina and Matteo. Each of you helped from start to finish and assisted behind the scenes to create smooth transitions for an amazing performance.

A special thanks to our Choral Director Ms. Fuller and our Music Director Mr. de Lara for teaching and inspiring all students to embrace the art of music and performance.ย 

Finally, thank you to our producer and director Ms. Gruchy for providing the guidance and leadership with all of our programs and supporting all of our music endeavors! It was simply extraordinary to see P.A.C.E. return to the stage!

Our grade 6s worked diligently on creating their very own products and business plans. The teams presented their inventions to a panel of judges at our Panther Pit Competition (inspired by the hit TV shows Dragon’s Den and Shark Tank). We are so proud of their amazing creativity and innovative designs.

Our grade 3s went on a field study to the Royal Ontario Museum. Students explored the Ancient Egypt exhibit through a group scavenger hunt, had a private tour throughout the exhibit to learn more about the lives of Ancient Egyptians, and participated in a lab where they identified the ancient culture from which various artifacts originated.

On Tuesday, May 23rd, 80+ students consisting of grade 7, grade 8 and concert band music students returned to the stage and performed live at the annual Canada’s Wonderland Festival of Music.

Adjudicated by Garry Page, Mr. Page complimented all the students on their sense of music interpretation and attention to detail while performing all musical selections with true style and enthusiasm.

Thank you to Mr. Hosein for his assistance with supervision throughout the day, and to our Music Director and Conductor Mr. De Lara for sharing his guidance, knowledge, and gift of music to all P.A.C.E. students.

On May 26, our drama and music students came together to present P.A.C.E.โ€™s 2023 school show, The Addams Family. This wonderful musical showcased our studentsโ€™ talents in acting, singing, dancing, choreography, piano playing, costume and set design, and tech. It was a product of several months of hard work that truly paid off. This show had everything: enchanting costumes and make-up, captivating choreographies, quirky characters and incredible singing, all supported by stunning back-drops and effective sound and lights cues.

Thank you to to Mr. de Lara for his indispensable tech expertise that elevated the entire production; to Ms. Niece for her dedication in helping with everything from set and costume design to recording the show; to Ms. Fuller for her dedication to helping our singers improve and excel at their craft; and to Mr. Obradovic whose vision and stage mastery gave us another unforgettable theatrical experience.

 

A performance like this is a true celebration of P.A.C.E.โ€™s talent and creativity and as we congratulate all the participants, we also thank them for sharing their artistry with us.

Cathy’s Crawly Compostersย brought vermicomposting to our grade 1 classroom! In their theme unit, The 4Rs, the grade 1s have been learning about our impact on the planet. They learned about the importance of red wiggler worms and composting. Students also had the option to have their own worm kit to continue vermicomposting at home!

SETTING THE PACE

We have had a very successful school year and are so proud of you! As we look ahead to July and August we are excited for:

  • Camp fires & Sโ€™mores
  • Swimmingย 
  • Movie nights
  • Beach daysย 
  • Great times with friends and familyย 

We wish all the same and more for our P.A.C.E. Community! Have a wonderful summer break!

Keep pace with whatโ€™s going on with our students with our bi-monthly blog updates. For an insiderโ€™s view into your childโ€™s enriched learning experience, join the P.A.C.E. community on Instagram.

Keeping P.A.C.E. | March + April 2023

Keeping P.A.C.E. | March + April 2023

THE PACE OF THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE

April showers bring May flowers and a ton of community engagement, exciting learning experiences and personal growth and development! From the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts, a Science Odyssey, Badminton and French Speech Competitions to designing and building amusement park rides, we have been very busy bees! We cannot wait to see whatโ€™s in-store for the remainder of the year, but letโ€™s recap some of March and April highlights.

MARCH + APRILย  HIGHLIGHTS

On March 3rd, 2023, P.A.C.E. competed in a French speech competition that took place at Branksome Hall at a regional level and was able to score first place in the core French category. P.A.C.E.โ€™s representatives will compete once more on May 6th at a provincial level at Glendon campus. Best of luck to the participants.

Le 3 mars dernier, P.A.C.E. a participรฉ ร  une compรฉtition rรฉgionale dโ€™art oratoire ร  Branksome Hall au centre-ville. Les deux รฉlรจves de P.A.C.E. Yustina et Lauren ont rรฉussi ร  obtenir la premiรจre place au concours en Franรงais de base. Les deux participantes vont reprรฉsenter notre รฉcole ร  Glendon le 6 mai prochain au niveau provincial. Bonne chance aux deux participantes et ร  notre รฉcole!

Our grade 2s celebrated the end of their unit on Indigenous Studies! Students worked together to reach a common goal of brainstorming and recording facts about a specific animal. At the same time, they practiced group-work skills of listening and respecting the ideas of each other and took turns speaking as each student held the “talking stick”.

Our grades 1-5 students visited the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts for a cultural experience! Students saw the show Afrique en Cirque by Cirque Kalabante – a show that symbolizes the strength, agility and joy of life found in African youth. Students thoroughly enjoyed experiencing different African cultures through music.

For their Space Unit in Theme, our grade 3 students explored and investigated the effects that outer space can have on the growth of tomato seeds. With the help of their five senses, students used their investigative skills to observe tomatoes and their seeds. They created inquiry questions and made predictions about which pack of tomato seeds have gone to space, and how that environment might have an impact on the way the seeds grow.

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On April 12, the P.A.C.E. U12 badminton team competed in the SSAF North Qualifier. All team members are to be commended for displaying great sportsmanship throughout a tournament full of competitive matches. Special mention to:

  • Phyllis who came placed second in the girlsโ€™ singlesย 
  • Owen who placed second in the boysโ€™ singles

And big congratulations to the following players who placed first in their division and went undefeated during the day:

  • Ayden and Shawn in boysโ€™ doubles.
  • Michael and Marie in mixed doubles.
  • Zachary in boysโ€™ singles.

Good luck to all players when they compete in the championship tournament in May.

A heartfelt thank you to Mr. Rovet for organizing and convening this qualifying round, and to the coach, Ms. Pajak, for her time and dedication to the team.

Our grade 7 science students have been using their engineering skills to design and build amusement park rides in their Structure and Design unit. Students presented their projects to the class and discussed the forces involved in maintaining a strong and stable structure.

P.A.C.E.โ€™s Science Odyssey proved to be a wonderful success, with students sharing their discoveries in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. We had 80 exhibits, approximately 75 judges and a total of 400 evaluations! Parents, faculty members and senior science students volunteered their time to serve as judges. April 14th marked the culmination of months worth of work on the part of our burgeoning scientists who predicted, designed, executed and analyzed findings from a physical experiment or working model of their own interest. Congratulations to all on an outstanding celebration of the world of science.

Our grade 1s practiced their food vocabulary in French by creating menus for their very own restaurants! They had a blast practicing learned vocabulary in a creative and fun way!

From April 18-21, our grade 7s traveled to Quebec City to enhance their French cultural experiences as well as to complement the grade 7 History curriculum which deals with, among other things, โ€œBuilding the Canadian Nation.โ€ Students found the program to be challenging, enjoyable and memorable!

Our grade 8 science students embarked on a journey to space! The students spent 3 days at a space camp in Laval, Quebec, training to be astronauts by using simulators to mimic space walks, learning about the science behind surviving in space and conducting space simulated missions to Europa, a moon of Jupiter. The experience was out of this world!

SETTING THE PACE

What a fantastic couple of months! We have achievements to be proud of but still have work to do. As we look ahead to May and June, we are excited for:ย 

  • May 1-12 – AP Exams (grades 11-12)
  • May 3-5 – Albion Hills Overnight Field Trip (grade 5)
  • May 9 – U12 Badminton Finals
  • May 10 – Music Festival at the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts
  • May 11 – U14 Badminton Finals
  • May 11 – Chem 13 Contest (grade 12)
  • May 12- Field Trip to Medieval Times (grade 4)
  • May 17 – Gauss Contest (grades 7-8)
  • May 17 – Jr. Reach for the Top Tournament
  • May 18 – Field Trip to the ROM (grade 3)
  • May 18 – Avogadro (grade 11)
  • May 19 – Formal
  • May 22 – Victoria Day (school closed)
  • May 23 – Canadaโ€™s Wonderland Music Festival
  • May 26 – U10 Track and Field Meet
  • May 31 – Matilda Performance
  • June 2 – House Day
  • June 8-9 – Fire Safety Workshops (grades 1-8)
  • June 14-20 – Final Exams (grades 9-12)
  • June 19 – Year-end Field Trips (grades 1-8)
  • June 20 – Last Day of School (school closed at 12pm)

Keep pace with whatโ€™s going on with our students with our bi-monthly blog updates. For an insiderโ€™s view into your childโ€™s enriched learning experience, join the P.A.C.E. community on Instagram.

Keeping P.A.C.E. | January + February 2023

Keeping P.A.C.E. | January + February 2023

THE PACE OF THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE

HELLO to 2023! Weโ€™ve had so many intriguing learning experiences to kick off the New Year! We cannot wait to see whatโ€™s in store for the remainder of the year, but first letโ€™s dive into January and February highlights.

JANUARY + FEBRUARYย  HIGHLIGHTS

Our grade 7 science students have been learning about how elements in the periodic table bond with one another. Using molecular kits, they created 3-D models of molecules. This was also an amazing team bonding experience.

Our grade 8 science students observed electrons in an atom becoming excited. When atoms are heated, the electrons in the outer shell will move so quickly they will jump up to another energy level. This process converts heat energy to light energy, producing different colours of light. Two of the favourites were lead nitrate, which produced a beautiful green colour of light, while lithium nitrate produced a dark red flame. It was an ionic experience for sure.

Students experienced exciting live music and insightful video documentary, while learning about the challenges musicians encounter in practice, rehearsal, and performance. How do musicians prepare themselves and handle the pressure? Students had the opportunity to meet TSO musicians, learn how they mentally, emotionally, and physically prepare and cheer them on as they perform in their moments.

In their Oceanography unit, grade 3 students made predictions about the effects of salinity on the buoyancy of two different objects – an egg and old pennies. Students hypothesized, recorded observations through drawings, analyzed their data in charts, and drew final conclusions.

The grade 1 students went on a field trip to the Ontario Science Centre to participate in a workshop on strong and stable structures. There was no “tension” between these teammates while they engineered their strong and stable bridges, towers, and arches!

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Our grade 7 science students have been learning about mixtures in their chemistry unit. Following the procedure, they created mixtures, made observations on their physical properties and classified them as either a solution, suspension, emulsion or a colloid.

As part of their unit on forces, our grade 3 science students created arcade games using mostly recycled materials! Students created arcade style games and identified what forces would be used in the project and how Newton’s laws could be identified throughout.

Our grade 1 students read the story Enemy Pie, written by Derek Munson, and discussed the meaning of friendship and how people can quickly become friends, even if they were unsure about them at the start. After reading, they created their very own Enemy Pie Recipe to guide themselves in making new friends, especially new friends who they might not have thought could be their friend. The students were very thoughtful and creative in coming up with โ€œingredientsโ€ and images to match.

SETTING THE PACE

What a fantastic start to 2023! We have achievements to be proud of but still have work to do. As we look ahead to March and April we are excited for:

  • March 1 – Cultural Event (grades 1-5)
  • March 3 – School Closes at 12pm for March Break
  • March 20 – School Resumes
  • March 23-24 – Parent-Teacher Interviews (school closed)
  • March 27 – Graduation Photos
  • March 30-31 – P.A.C.E. Model UN
  • April 7 – Good Friday (school closed)
  • April 10 – Easter Monday (school closed)
  • April 12- Senior Reach for the Top Tournament
  • April 14 – Science Odyssey (grades 6-9)
  • April 18-21 – Quebec City (Grade 7)
  • April 19-21 – Montreal Space Camp (Grade 8)
  • April 25-28 – East Coast of Canada (Grades 9-12)

Keep pace with whatโ€™s going on with our students with our bi-monthly blog updates. For an insiderโ€™s view into your childโ€™s enriched learning experience, join the P.A.C.E. community on Instagram.

Keeping P.A.C.E. | November + December 2022

Keeping P.A.C.E. | November + December 2022

THE PACE OF THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE

As we say Goodbye to 2022 and a Big HELLO to 2023 we just wanted to take a quick minute and look back on our students’ final learning lessons, achievements and personal successes of 2022!

NOVEMBER + DECEMBER HIGHLIGHTS

The grade 11 students presented their French work about the effects of social media on friendship. The presentations were excellent and very informative.

Les รฉlรจves de la onziรจme annรฉe ont prรฉsentรฉ leur travail en franรงais ร  propos des effets des mรฉdias sociaux sur lโ€™amitiรฉ.Les prรฉsentations รฉtaient excellentes et trรจs intรฉressantes.

The grades 7-11 Music students visited Roy Thomson Hall ย to experience MOMENTS – a live concert performed by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.

Students experienced exciting live music and insightful video documentary, while learning about the challenges musicians encounter in practice, rehearsal, and performance. How do musicians prepare themselves and handle the pressure? Students had the opportunity to meet TSO musicians, learn how they mentally, emotionally, and physically prepare and cheer them on as they perform in their moments.

Our grade 5s prepared themselves for their Science Odyssey which took place on November 29th. Students were required to follow the scientific process to either create a working model or conduct an experiment on a topic in science.ย 

In order to help them prepare for this endeavour, the grade 11s and 12s mentored them by listening to their progress and giving them feedback on their projects. Many of the grade 11s and 12s have also participated in the Science Odyssey, which gives them a wealth of knowledge to give to the budding, young scientists.

Our grade 3s are learning how to code! Students have been practicing a hands-on approach by using code to navigate through a maze of their own creation.

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Our grade 2s had a wonderfully โ€˜pawsitiveโ€™ and exciting learning experience meeting a wide variety of interesting and unique animals from Pawsitively Pets! They enjoyed holding the animals, petting them and learning about each one and their unique characteristics.

And congratulations to the U20 dodgeball team in their nail biting finish against TCMPS to clinch the finals and win the championship! Fighting back from an 0-2 deficit in the sets, the team persevered and fought back to win the next 3 sets. The team showed commitment, sportsmanship and teamwork. Thanks for making your coach and your school proud!

Our grade 5s went on a field trip to The Community Safety Villageย located within Bruce’s Mill Conservation Area! They participated in three workshops run by first responders – Emergency Preparedness, CPR Basic Training, and Internet Safety.

After creating their own sequels for their novel study on The Summer of the Swans, grade 3 students had the opportunity to share their new books at their class book fair. From designing a new title and front cover, to writing a persuasive โ€œtrailerโ€ and critic quote for the back cover, students warmed up by the fire to share their creations.

Just before the holiday break our grade 7s had started their chemistry unit! Their first experiment involved the students mixing together different substances to determine if a physical or chemical change took place. They used precision and accuracy when collecting the data from each reaction. Well done Grade 7s!

SETTING THE PACE

What a fantastic end to 2022! We have achievements to be proud of but still have work to do! As we look ahead to January and February we are excited for:ย 

  • January 3 – School Resumes
  • January 24 – Cultural Event (grades 6-7)
  • January 27 – Festival of Words at the RHCPA (grades 1-7)
  • January 30 – Session 2 Extracurriculars Begin
  • February 1 – Musical Theatre Performance
  • February 2 – UT MUN
  • February 8-10 – Albion Hills (grade 6)
  • February 9 – Graduation Photos (grade 12)
  • February 15 – Canadian Computing Contest (grades 10-12)
  • February 15 – CPR course (grade 9)
  • February 20 – Family Day (school closed)
  • February 22 – Cayley, Fermat, and Pascal Contests
  • February 23 – P.A.C.E. Innovation Challenge

Keep pace with whatโ€™s going on with our students with our bi-monthly blog updates. For an insiderโ€™s view into your childโ€™s enriched learning experience, join the P.A.C.E. community on Instagram.

Keeping P.A.C.E. | September + October 2022

Keeping P.A.C.E. | September + October 2022

THE PACE OF THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE

HELLO 2022/2023 SCHOOL YEAR! We are super excited to have everyone back at it once again. We really hit the ground running and could not be more impressed with everyoneโ€™s willingness and eagerness to grow, adapt and learn this term! Letโ€™s take a look back at a few highlights from the start of the year!

SEPTEMBER + OCTOBER HIGHLIGHTS

In September P.A.C.E. held its 2022-2023 student council elections! We are so proud of all candidates. Congratulations to all!

Our students began the annual competition for the coveted House Cup in a special school event called, “House Day”. A sea of colours could be found across campus as students proudly sported their assigned house colour [Delta (blue) Theta (yellow), Sigma (Purple), Omega (red)], with each team hoping to earn house points through friendly competition against their friends on the other side. The sound of energetic music, laughter and cheering filled the school and our grounds instilling a contagious sense of school spirit. The student council executive, along with multiple high school volunteers, organized yet another incredibly successful House Day complete with outdoor sports, trivia, minute-to-win-it, huckle buckle, dodgeball and the much-loved teachers versus students basketball game.It was a fabulous fun-filled morning for staff and students!

P.A.C.E. hosted its 22nd annual Terry Fox Run! Since 1995, P.A.C.E. has proudly raised over $100,000 for the Terry Fox Foundation. We’re grateful for all of the support from the P.A.C.E community to help us continue to donate to this meaningful cause.

Pendant la session de franรงais, les รฉlรจves de la dixiรจme annรฉe ont fait le rรฉsumรฉ de La Belle au Bois Dormant de Charles Perrault et ont fait des illustrations qui reprรฉsentaient ce conte de fรฉes.

During French class, the grade 10 students did the summary of The Sleeping Beauty of Charles Perrault and complemented their work with beautiful illustrations. Check out Lauren Brownโ€™s!

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Our Elementary Ultimate Frisbee team played in their first SSAF tournament of the year. It was a cool day, but the team showed dedication and perseverance and placed 3rd in a very competitive tournament. Well done!

And congratulations to the U20 P.A.C.E. Ultimate Frisbee team for finishing in 1st place at the SSAF U20 Ultimate Frisbee Tournament!

In our extracurricular sketching program, students have been learning about shadows and light through the sketching of 3D shapes. Check out their cubes!

The grade 3s visited Forsythe Farms to expand upon what they’re learning in their Soils Unit in Science class. Students had the opportunity to feed animals and learn about how manure is used to add nutrients to soil; compared properties of the soil at the farm compared to the soil found in the nearby forest; and examined the rate at which different soils drain water.

The grade 8 science students participated in a Botany field study at Bruce’s Mill Conservation Area. They collected soil and leaf samples to analyze the health of ecosystems, and took to the trees for some tree top trekking. It was in-tree-guing!

The grade 9 students are studying Ecology in science! To complement the unit, the students visited Bond Lake, an important part of the watershed system on the Oak Ridges Moraine. Using a map as their guide, they located different sites and landmarks around the lake, and collected soil and water samples to determine the impact of urbanization on the environment. Did you know that the Oak Ridges Moraine was created 15000 years ago from continental glaciers, spans 160 km, is a natural filter of rain water and feeds 65 different rivers with clean water? And lucky for us, only a 10 minute hike from our school.

The grade 6s took a field trip to Black Creek Pioneer Village to complement their study on the Victorian Era. Students participated in activities that are reminiscent of the Victorian Era and experienced a day in the life of a student during that time in history.

SETTING THE PACE

What a start to the 2022/2023 year! We have achievements to be proud of but still have work to do! As we look ahead to November and December we are excited for:ย 

  • November 2- Toronto Symphony Orchestra at Roy Thomson Hall (grades 7-11)
  • November 7 – Beaver Computing Contest (grades 7-9)
  • November 10 – American Mathematics Contest (AMC10 and AMC12 – by invitation only)
  • November 10ย  Grade 12 parent evening (university applications)
  • November 11 – Remembrance Day Assembly
  • November 16 – Canadian Senior and Intermediate Mathematics Contests (Grades 10 and 12 by invitation only)
  • November 17 – Awards Assembly
  • November 17 – Gray Jay Contest (grade 8)
  • November 18 – Term 2 begins
  • November 23 – Vaccination Clinic (grades 7 and 8)
  • November 25 – Famous PEOPLE Players (grade 4)
  • November 25 – Term 1 Report Cards Distributed
  • November 29 – Science Odyssey (grade 5)
  • December 1-2 – Parent and Teacher Interviews (school closed)
  • December 7 – Music Concert
  • December 8 – Financial Literacy Test (by invitation only)
  • December 9 – January 2 – Winter Break (school closes on December 9 at 12:00 p.m.)
  • January 3 – School Resumes

 

Keep pace with whatโ€™s going on with our students with our bi-monthly blog updates. For an insiderโ€™s view into your childโ€™s enriched learning experience, join the P.A.C.E. community on Instagram.

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