Keeping P.A.C.E. | September + October 2023
THE PACE OF THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE
Here’s to new beginnings! This year has started exceptionally well with some familiar and new unique learning opportunities for our P.A.C.E. students and teachers alike! From our yearly Terry Fox participation to exciting farming and leadership adventures there have been many smiles and such an overwhelming eagerness to learn through exploration. We could not be more excited to see what the rest of the 2023-2024 school year brings!
SEPTEMBER + OCTOBER HIGHLIGHTS
On Tuesday September 12, Shea Coughlan (a Terry Fox School Run Ambassador) passionately shared Terry Fox’s story with our grades 1-6 students, inspiring them to actively engage in their community by participating in the Terry Fox Run held annually at P.A.C.E.
On Friday September 22, P.A.C.E. students began their annual competition for the coveted House Cup in a special school-wide event called “House Day” – each team hoping to earn house points through friendly competition against their peers. It was a fabulous, fun-filled morning for all students and staff!
We also hosted our annual Terry Fox Run on September 22 to help raise money for cancer research. We are grateful for all of the support from the P.A.C.E. community! Over the years, we are proud to say that P.A.C.E. students have raised $106,894 for cancer research.
On September 26, our grades 6-8 students competed against 11 other schools in the annual SSAF Ultimate Frisby tournament. It was a beautiful day and congratulations to all athletes for making it to the playoffs!
On Friday September 28, we commemorated orange shirt day. Everyone was encouraged to wear an orange shirt as a way to raise awareness of the intergenerational impacts of residential schools. We aimed to honour the experiences of Indigenous Peoples and to celebrate their resiliency by recognizing ‘Every Child Matters.’
From October 4-6, our grade 8 students embarked on a leadership and team building field study at Olympia Outdoor and Challenge Education Centre. Through various custom designed activities, students worked on character development strategies to allow them to explore critical thinking, personal responsibility and integrity, as well as team leadership skills. The experience was challenging, enjoyable and memorable for all!
On October 11th, our grade 3 scientists visited Forsythe Family Farms to see soil in action! They fed the goats and sheep and learned about how the animals depend on soil to produce their food, while also helping the soil by providing fertilizer for it. Students had a chance to observe some soil experiments, including how rocks turn into soil through erosion and how water drainage is affected by the amount of space between particles. They also went on a nature walk and observed many different types of mushrooms helping decompose the organic matter back into soil. Students compared the black forest soil to the light grey soil found in the pumpkin patch while getting to choose their own pumpkin as a souvenir!
To complement their first unit in Global Perspective – Early Settlements and New France – our grade 7s enjoyed a field study at Sainte Marie Among The Hurons! Students had the opportunity to view the site of the Jesuit settlement and many historical buildings, such as a longhouse! They also enjoyed learning about quill making, and even had the chance to make their own quills and try writing with them.
Our grade 2s had a wonderful time on their field trip to the ROM. Students thoroughly enjoyed exploring, researching, and drawing a wonderful variety of minerals, gemstones, meteorites, and rocks bringing everything they have learned in theme studies to life in a beautiful and magnificent way.
To complement their Science unit – Characteristics of Living Things – our grade 1s visited Round The Bend Farm. They learned about different vegetables and the growing process, took a wagon ride, explored corn mazes, and fed a variety of farm animals. It was an a-moo-zing day!
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 November and December, we are excited for:
- November 1 – U12 Flag Football Tournament
- November 3 – U14 Flag Football Tournament
- November 8 – Beaver Computing Contest (grades 5-8)
- November 10 – Remembrance Day Assembly
- November 13 – Immunization Clinic (grades 7-8)
- November 14 – U12 Indoor Soccer Tournament
- November 16 – Canada Jay Mathematical Competition (grades 7-8)
- November 20 – U14 Girls Soccer Tournament
- November 23 – U12 Co-Ed Soccer Tournament
- November 24 – Awards Assembly; Term 2 Begins
- November 30 – U14 Boys Soccer Tournament
- December 1 – Term 1 Report Cards Distributed
- December 4 – U14 Dodgeball Tournament
- December 6 – U20 Dodgeball Tournament
- December 7-8 – Parent-Teacher Interviews (school closed)
- December 13 – Holiday Music Concert
- December 15 – School Closes at 12pm for Winter Break.
- January 8 – School Resumes
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.
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