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. | 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.

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