Keeping P.A.C.E. | May + June 2024

Keeping P.A.C.E. | May + June 2024

Jul 2, 2024 | Uncategorized

THE PACE OF THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE

Summer break is a time for travel and exploration, fun, personal growth and making memories for a lifetime but before we wish you a wonderful break we have to say; we have so enjoyed watching your educational journey throughout the 2023-2024 school year! Before we all hit the road for an amazing summer break let’s reminisce about some of the highlights from the last few months of school.

MAY + JUNE HIGHLIGHTS

Our grade 1 classes continued with their multiplication unit outdoors! They gathered materials after being given a multiplication question and had to show groupings for each and count their answer before receiving their next equation.

From May 1-3, our grade 5 students participated in an overnight field study at Albion Hills Conservation Field Centre. Higher-level learning is greatly enhanced by opportunities to interact outside of the typical classroom environment. Grade 5 students furthered their understanding of scientific concepts linked to ecology, astronomy, and living things, while immersing themselves in activities such as wilderness survival skills, geocaching, nature art, or trail biking. An interdisciplinary and hands-on approach to learning allows our students to make meaningful connections required for problem solving, while supporting the development of healthy leadership and communication skills.

Inspired by the hit TV shows Dragon’s Den, our grade 6s participated in their entrepreneurial culminating activity, Owl’s Hollow, in their Global Perspectives course. We were blown away by our student’s amazing creativity and innovative designs!

Following their visit from their mentor engineer, our grade 8 students took their research, feedback and Climate Science ideas and created a model of a city 100 years in the future. The teams showed their finished products by virtually presenting to a panel of engineers. The engineers were very impressed with our students’ ideas and models, giving them wonderful feedback for their designs. Congratulations to all our teams that put their heart and soul into this endeavour and experienced what it would be like to be an engineer – your future is bright (and well built!).

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Our grade 1s got a visit from Cathy of Cathy’s Composting who provided a fantastic vermicomposting (the processing of organic wastes through earthworms) workshop. The students learned about the life science behind worms and how they are beneficial to our environment. Students even went home with their own worm kit to help start their own composting bins!

From May 8-10, our grade 6 students enjoyed an exciting program at Albion Hills Conservation Field Centre to build upon last year’s experience. Students furthered their understanding of concepts related to biodiversity, predator/prey relationships, cartography, and human interactions with the environment. They enhanced their leadership skills and communication methods while participating in this immersive experience, bringing home memories to last a lifetime!

On May 15, P.A.C.E. hosted its annual Music Festival at the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts. Special thanks to our Choral Director, Ms. Fuller, our Music Director, Mr. de Lara, and to our Producer and school Director, Ms. Gruchy, for putting this wonderful performance together!

On Wednesday, May 22, 2024, P.A.C.E. Music Director and Conductor, Mr. de Lara, led 75 P.A.C.E. music students to Canada’s Wonderland and featured our grades 7 and 8 ensembles and our P.A.C.E. Concert Band.

P.A.C.E. music students performed an array of repertoire ranging from concert marches to movie soundtracks, pop and rock songs to iconic classical compositions.

In May, P.A.C.E. convened the U10 track and field meet at the indoor track at York University. There were 22 schools and hundreds of athletes. Some notable results were:

  • Tristan (grade 3) – 5th place running long jump
  • Lucas (grade 3) – 4th place in standing long jump
  • Olivia (grade 4) – 5th place in the 100m and 3rd place in running long jump
  • Sophia (grade 4) – 3rd place in the 100m and 2nd place in running long jump
  • Gloria (grade 4) – 1st place in running long jump

Congratulations to all P.A.C.E. athletes!

Our grade 5s made their way to the Japanese Cultural Centre to create tangible connections between concepts learned in their Theme unit on Japanese art forms and traditions. By engaging in hands-on activities, observing traditional demonstrations, and interacting with knowledgeable guides, students gained insights into the historical, social, and artistic contexts shaping Japanese art. Through the participation in the Tea Ceremony, exploring Japanese cuisine, writing system and the art of Origami, students gained insights into its cultural significance and the rituals involved.

To complement both their Space and Ancient Egypt Units in Theme, our grade 3s visited the R.O.M. where they participated in a guided tour and had the opportunity to hold a real meteorite from space, test their knowledge on the characteristics of the planets, and even venture into a blow-up planetarium to lay under the stars. Students then made their way to the Ancient Egypt exhibit, where they worked together to complete a scavenger hunt as they explored various artifacts from the past!

This year’s House Day was cut short due to a lot of rain, however everyone had a fun and memorable experience! Congratulations to Theta for winning this year’s coveted House Cup!

Congratulations to all grade 7 students for their participation in the Let’s Talk Science engineering competition. For the challenge, students used engineering processes to design a prototype to help test climate change. The students also participated in the Ultimate Quiz which tested their knowledge in general sciences, math and computer technology.

Of the 6 teams that competed, three were recognized for their creativity and innovation. Congratulations to team PACE 2A and PACE 3B for receiving the award of distinction for their engineering design, and to team PACE 1B who placed 3rd in Canada for a combination of an exceptional engineering design along with a high score in the Ultimate Quiz!

Well done Grade 7s!!

Our grade 5s put their financial literacy skills to the test when they were tasked with creating a grocery list for the week. Using various flyers, students worked together to plan out breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks for their family’s of four, keeping their budget in mind. With the help of Excel spreadsheets, students planned, organized, and calculated to see if they could stay within budget!

SETTING THE PACE

The 2023-2024 school year was AMAZING! We have a lot of achievements to be proud of and we hope you have a fantastic summer – much deserved! Congratulations!

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.

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

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

Jun 13, 2023 | Uncategorized

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.! We’ve shared so many challenging and exciting learning experiences these past few months–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 let’s take a minute to acknowledge our amazing group of grads! Congratulations to our  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“, 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, 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 “racket” was about this May–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 Tournament to observe the reenactment of Feudalism during that period of European history. It was a ‘Knight’ 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.  After four years, students and staff returned to the stage to host the 30th Annual P.A.C.E. Music Festival. 

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.  Thank you for being a part of this musical tradition.

A heartfelt “thank you” 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. 

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.’s 2023 school show, The Addams Family. This wonderful musical showcased our students’ 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.’s talent and creativity and as we congratulate all the participants, we also thank them for sharing their artistry with us.

Cathy’s Crawly Composters 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 & S’mores
  • Swimming 
  • Movie nights
  • Beach days 
  • Great times with friends and family 

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

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.

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

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

Jul 3, 2022 | Uncategorized

THE PACE OF THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE

We can’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! 

Before we say so long until the 2022/2023 school year let’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 ‘up’lifting project!

To complement their Theme Unit on the Middle Ages, our grade 4s traveled to Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament  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.’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 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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