Keeping P.A.C.E. | May + June 2022

Keeping P.A.C.E. | May + June 2022

THE PACE OF THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE

We canโ€™t believe the 2021/2022 school year has come to a close! As we reflect back over the past year we are filled with pride, gratitude and are humbled by the individual and collective success of our students! As we wrap up this fun and successful school year we wanted to wish our entire P.A.C.E. community a wonderful fun-filled summer filled with memories to last a lifetime!ย 

Before we say so long until the 2022/2023 school year letโ€™s take a look back at a few highlights from the end of year!

MAY + JUNE HIGHLIGHTS

P.A.C.E’s improv team competed at the Canadian Improv Games (regional round). They competed by performing 4 different scenes – theme, life event, story and character. All scenes had a different format, but the rules of improv applied to all – agree and say “YES”! We are so proud of our team!

P.A.C.E.’s drama department had great success at this year’s NTS DramaFest. P.A.C.E.’s show “She Stoops to Conquer” won three awards- an award of merit for Tsid who played Mrs. Hardcastle, an award of excellence for the entire acting ensemble and the coveted Outstanding Production award!

In their unit on “Habitats and Communities”, each of our grade 3 students created a scenic representation of an animal of their choice and its habitat showing lifelike details including a food chain, as well as biotic and abiotic factors needed for the animal to survive. Each student also took the proud position of being a biologist to investigate the adaptations found in the animal to help it survive and how they interact with other animals.

The pulley and gear system project was a great addition to our simple machines unit in grade 4 science class. In small groups, the students enthusiastically built working devices that used pulleys and gears, such as an elevator, flagpole, sailboat, and many more and gained high-level insights into tools that have been used since ancient times. Subsequently, these well-designed working models were tested and presented to the class! It was a very โ€˜upโ€™lifting project!

To complement their Theme 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.

Our Grade 1s had their vermicomposting workshop with Cathy’s Crawly Composters! They learned about the important role of red wiggler worms for composting and even created their own vermicomposting kits.

To end their novel study on The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, grade 3 students participated in a gallery walk where they showcased their masterpieces. From elaborate models of various scenes in the novel, to clever depictions of different chapters in comic strip format and brand new book cover designs, the student’s artistic talents were brought to life!

The grades 7-11 Music students performed live at the Canada’s Wonderland Music Festival! All of the grade 7 and 8 ensembles and concert band students performed the themes and interpreted the songs with great enthusiasm and energy. It was amazing!

Congratulations to all elementary and high school music students for participating in the 29th annual P.A.C.E. Music Festival and for continuing this P.A.C.E. musical tradition. Your attention to detail in rehearsal and performance was amazing and you should all be extremely proud! Thank you to P.A.C.E.โ€™s Music Director and Conductor, Mr. De Lara, and to our Grades 1-4 Choral Director and Music Teacher, Ms. Fuller, for your dedication to excellence.

In their Life Skills and Science classes, our grade 8s learned to make homemade ice cream!

SETTING THE PACE

We have had an extraordinary end to our school year and are so excited for our students to enjoy a well deserved summer break! And to our graduates, while this chapter at P.A.C.E. has come to a close, we cannot wait to see what the future holds for you as you move into the next chapter of life!

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 2022

Keeping P.A.C.E. | January + February 2022

THE PACE OF THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE

What a fun, successful start to 2022 we have had! P.A.C.E. students have completed some amazing student-led fundraising initiatives and our amazing faculty continues to think outside the box and bring in fun, engaging and stimulating learning experiences to the classroom. We have had lots of interesting and insightful discussions with experts from outside our schools walls via virtual meetings!ย 

Letโ€™s dig into what has been happening at P.A.C.E. this winter!

JANUARY + FEBRUARYย  HIGHLIGHTS

Our grade 2 class was busy bringing in warmth and sunshine as they celebrated their very own virtual Beach Day!

In January we announced that in 2021, P.A.C.E. came together to raise an incredible $9,004 for cancer research for our Terry Fox School Run. The Terry Fox Foundation is so grateful for our commitment and dedication. It is wonderful to see that Terry continues to inspire millions of students across the country. Thank you all for your thoughtful donations!

On January 31 the grade 3s received a virtual visit from Ms. Eleanor Chun, the author of the book titled The Invisiblesย – a story about balancing our screen time. Prior to the visit, Ms. De Caro read the story to her students, except for the last two pages. Students then created their own ending to the story, and some of them had the opportunity to share their own endings with Ms. Chun. She was very impressed with the grade 3s creativity. Ms. Chun after the visit finally read the complete story. The author also offered signed copies of the book to the students.

A mental health expert virtually met with both of our grade 5 classes to provide them with a workshop on mental health leading up to #bellletstalk day. The students had the opportunity to ask deep and meaningful questions about mental health matters concerning them and we’re so happy to have provided our students with this experience, from which they really benefitted!

Our grade 5s conducted their Global Issues charity project! In partnership with the North York General Foundation, the purpose of this initiative was to raise funds for The Phillips House – the home of North York General Hospital’s child and adolescent outpatient mental health programs. The grade 5 students raised funds by creating and selling unique items to family and friends through their own, individual websites.

The grade 5s also wrote “thank you” cards to the people who helped them organize their charity events. Gratitude can move mountains in this world and we are so proud of the grade 5s.

Our AP Biology class completed a new unit in molecular genetics. The students built complex models of DNA and learned about how the structure of DNA contributes to our knowledge of life. The students applied the knowledge of DNA to techniques used in bioengineering. We are very proud of this exciting and innovative subject matter.

Our grade 8 science class started a new physics unit on Thermodynamics. Students learned how to apply the three laws of thermodynamics to everyday activities. In this lab, students looked at the effects of antifreeze and salt on the melting point of ice! A very โ€˜coolโ€™ experiment for the winter season!

We had a blast in Grade 1 with our first big research project in Theme class! The students chose a mode of transportation they were interested in learning about, conducted thorough research, gave an oral presentation, and built a 3D model. Their incredible models were worthy of being in a museum, so we held a gallery walk! Students took turns presenting the construction of their 3D models to visitors.

To combine the Grade 1 Theme Unit on Multiculturalism with Logic class, students worked collaboratively to complete a word search focused on Australia. From famous cities to the cutest of animals, students honed in on their word search skills while diving deeper into the continent of Australia.

SETTING THE PACE

We have had a wonderful, educational and FUN start to 2022. Thanks to Ontarioโ€™s Wiarton Willie’s claim that an early spring is on the way on Groundhog day, we are excited to look forward to SPRING at P.A.C.E! As we approach March and April we look forward to:ย 

  • March 4 – school closes at 12pm (March Break begins)
  • March 21 – School resumes
  • March 24-25 – parent/teacher interviews
  • March 29 – Grade 9 CPR training
  • March 30 – Grade 10 CPR training
  • March 31-April – P.A.C.E. Model UN
  • April 5 – Euclid contest
  • April 6 – Mathematica Centrum contest
  • April 12 – Fryer, Galois and Hypatia contests
  • April 15 – Good Friday (school closed)
  • April 18 – Easter Monday (school closed)

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.

2020-2021 ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT HIGHLIGHTS

2020-2021 ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT HIGHLIGHTS

2020-2021 ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT HIGHLIGHTS

As we take a moment to pause and reflect on the performance of our students throughout the 2020-2021 school year, we are filled with pride and admiration.ย 

Despite ongoing worldwide and personal challenges, as a community, we not only endured the most trying year in our history but we rose to the challenge and conquered!ย 

We could not be more thrilled to present our 2020-2021 Academic Achievement Highlights, found here. Achievements 2021

In the words of this generation’s greatest disruptor, Steve Jobs, โ€˜Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you havenโ€™t found it yet, keep looking. Donโ€™t settle. As with all matters of the heart, youโ€™ll know when you find it.โ€™

Keeping going P.A.C.E.!

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 2021

Keeping P.A.C.E. | November + December 2021

THE PACE OF THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE

As we write this blog we are both reflecting on the past (hoping you all had a wonderful winter break and holidays) AND looking forward to all the exciting changes coming in 2022.ย 

We are so grateful to have spent the first half of the school year live and in-person with most of our students. We canโ€™t wait to see whatโ€™s in store for the rest of the school year. Letโ€™s jump into some highlights:

NOVEMBER + DECEMBERย  HIGHLIGHTS

Our AP Biology students are learning some important concepts through experimentation. The students were collecting data and calculating the rate and extent of diffusion through cell membranes.

Our Grade 1s conducted a science lab to learn more about our sense of touch and how it sends messages about what we are touching to the brain. In this experiment, the Grade 1s blindly reached into a box to feel werewolf skin (fake fur), spider legs (twisted pipe cleaners), zombie brains (Jell-O), and worms (cold spaghetti). Then, they described the texture of the 4 objects and took guesses of what they could really be before the big reveal!

To complement our Characteristics of Living Things Unit in science, the Grade 1s visited Round the Bend Farm! It was a fun-filled day of scavenger hunts looking for different parts of plants, identifying living and non-living things, and using our senses to observe our surroundings. The students trekked through a forest to a corn maze, fed a variety of farm animals, got to see pumpkins of all shapes and sizes and so much more! Each of them even brought home a gourd! Let’s just say it was a ‘gourd’ day!

Our grade 9 computer science students wrote the Beaver Computing Challenge (BCC)!ย The BCC is held by the University of Waterloo’s Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing. The BCC is a problem-solving contest with a focus on computational and logical thinking, and its questions are inspired by topics in computer science.

Our grade 3s made their own tangram sets in Logic class! The Tangram is a deceptively simple set of seven geometric shapes made up of five triangles (two small triangles, one medium triangle, and two large triangles), a square, and a parallelogram. When the pieces are arranged together they suggest an amazing variety of forms, embodying many numerical and geometric concepts!

On November 17, some of our grade 10 and grade 12 students participated in the Canadian Intermediate and Senior Math Contests. These contests are held by the University of Waterloo and are designed to give students the opportunity to have fun and to develop their mathematical problem-solving ability. Good luck to all participants!

P.A.C.E. held its annual awards assembly to celebrate the outstanding achievements of its students during the 2020-21 school year. Congratulations to all, well deserved!

Our grade 7 and 8 music students watched a live video performed by members of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra followed by the featured musician delivering a brief lesson in music terminology and background on their own instruments. It was inspirational! We are grateful to have learned from Shane Kim on violin, Camille Watts on flute and Steven Woomert on trumpet.

The P.A.C.E. Concert Band is composed of music students from grades 9, 10 and 11, as well as a select group of students from grades 7 and 8. On December 6th, members of the band recorded a performance for this year’s virtual P.A.C.E Winter Concert, which was presented on December 8th to all P.A.C.E. students and staff. The band performed classic winter holiday theme songs, along with concert band arrangements ranging from movie soundtracks, Pop and Jazz.

After 2 years of little to no performing, Mr. De Lara and his students were so grateful to have the experience and opportunity to rehearse and perform music once again!

SETTING THE PACE

We have had a very successful close of 2021. As we embark upon 2022 we are invigorated, solution-minded and up for thinking outside the traditional box! January and February will host:ย 

  • January 13 – Caribou Math Contest (grades 1-3)
  • February 16 – Canadian Computing Contest (grades 10-12)
  • February 17 – CPR Training (grade 9)
  • February 21 – Family Day (school closed)
  • February 23 – Cayley, Fermat and Pascal Math Contests (grades 8-11)
  • February 25 – Term III Begins
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 2021

Keeping P.A.C.E. | September + October 2021

THE PACE OF THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE

School is back in session at P.A.C.E. and we are off to a fun-tastic start! We absolutely love when our halls are filled with eager young minds ready to learn!ย 

We are excited to announce that starting in September 2022, P.A.C.E. will be introducing SK!. We could not be more excited to offer our unique educational experience to some of Ontarioโ€™s youngest students!

Without further adieu letโ€™s jump into our fall highlights and see what our amazing students have been up to!

SEPTEMBER + OCTOBERย  HIGHLIGHTS

Our grade 1 Logic class began learning about word search strategies! The students became word detectives and searched the room for various words on their list. They used their detective skills and worked together to find all the words around their classroom. Way to ‘quack’ the case grade 1s!

Our grade 8 science students are studying Botany. In their first activity, the students are using microscopes to observe phytoplankton and algae in water systems. Algae are a fundamental part of the marine ecosystem and essential to all other life in the oceans! They really ‘krilled it.’

In September, P.A.C.E held a virtual election for its 2021-2022 student council.

Our grade 2 students thoroughly enjoyed delivering their superhero presentations this month, and sharing their superpower in front of the class.

On National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, after learning about the history of Indigenous children and residential schools and reading the story โ€œStolen Wordsโ€ by Melanie Florence, students had the opportunity to design and create their own talking sticks. We discussed the importance and meaning of Sharing Circles to the Indigenous culture, and then participated in our own. Students listened respectfully, with open ears and hearts, while they each shared their thoughts and feelings on all that they had learned about the history of Orange Shirt Day. It truly was a moving and emotional day for the students.

Our grade 3s are learning to crack their friends’ coded messages in Logic class! First, the students created a “class code” and then they each shared their messages. Way to go grade 3s – what a bunch of wise-quackers!

Our grade 3s worked in pairs and groups to study and prepare for their upcoming Theme test on the Phylogenetic Tree. With the use of their whiteboards, students had the opportunity to practice labelling and drawing different types of bird beaks, feet, and bones. So ‘egg-sighting!’

Our grade 8 students participated in a unique botany experiment! The students climbed the trees at Bruceโ€™s Mill Conservation Park for a Treetop Trekking experience. The students sampled the river to identify organisms that feed on algae, they identified different species of trees in the area and tested soil to determine the health of the ecosystem.

On October 14, P.A.C.E. hosted its 22nd Terry Fox Run to raise funds to help find a cure for cancer. Over the years, P.A.C.E. has raised over $91,000 for the Terry Fox Foundation, and 2021 was just as much of a success as previous years! Way to go P.A.C.E community!

Our grade 5s also received a virtual visit from Terry’s brother, Fred. Fred Fox met with our grade 5s through a live streaming event to provide words of encouragement and some exclusive information on Terry Fox and his dream of making a lasting impact.

SETTING THE PACE

As we look ahead to the end of 2021 we are excited for the following:ย 

  • November 7 – Commencement (class of 2021)
  • November 8 – Beaver Computing Challenge (grade 9)
  • November 11 – Remembrance Day Assembly (virtual)
  • November 16 – American Math Contest (by invitation only)
  • November 18 – Awards Assembly
  • November 19 – Term 2 begins
  • December 2&3 – Parent/Teacher Interviews (school closed)
  • December 10 – School Closes at 12 p.m.
  • December 13-31 – Winter Break (school closed)
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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