A Slice of PIE

Where Life and Learning Meet

March 2025

Volume 15, Issue 7

Thanks to everyone for all the hard work you have put into our PIE community this year. To our students, parents/caregivers and staff, we hope you all thoroughly enjoy your well-deserved Spring Break! 🌷

💡 PIE Centre Spotlight 💡

PIE Champlain Heights Forest Program

The Champlain Heights forest program provides an emergent, play-based environment for children ages 5-12. This group meets twice a week in Everett Crawley Park.

With roots in the outdoor program from Windsor House School, the class has a democratic learning culture where the focus is on play-based and emergent learning with the teachers and other supporting adults, bringing inspirations for learning such as stories, nature explorations, and art projects.

There is ample opportunity for student choice, and the overall atmosphere is gentle and often changes depending on the interests of the group. As always parents are always welcome to attend and their contributions are really appreciated by everyone.

⭐ PIE Superstars ⭐

Monica 🎬

Grade 6 PIE student Monica is a very talented artist! Some of her 2D art is featured below.

Monica's portrait of Jerry Seinfeld was made for her father for his birthday. She brought it to Jerry’s stand up show and an assistant took it to Jerry and he signed it! 😀

To view Monica's piece, "Infinite Wonder" click on the link below. It is a self portrait of Monica at the Beach that she made as a gift for her mom’s birthday. 🎂

Emma 🎨

Emma, a passionate Grade 9 artist, creates daily, using art as a way to unwind in the evenings. While she occasionally paints, her main focus is digital art, where she brings her love of emo pop-punk music and RPGs like Skyrim and Fallout to life. Much of her work is inspired by her favorite bands and video games, blending bold aesthetics with intricate details. Her pieces capture the energy and atmosphere of the worlds and music she loves, making her art both personal and expressive.

🍀 March Events 🍀

🪨 qathet Kids Climb!

qathet PIE students enjoyed some time climbing at Top Out Climbing Co-op, in Townsite. If you're interested in getting involved in climbing, check out their student opportunities below 👇

🪨 Top Out Climbing Co-op 🪨

🍎 Great Big Crunch!

The Coalition for Healthy School Food is Canada’s largest school food network, consisting of over 330 non-profit member organizations and 144 endorsers from every province and territory. They advocate for a universal cost-shared school food program to ensure all K-12 students have daily access to healthy food at school.

Their goal is to build on existing programs so that all schools can provide nutritious meals or snacks at little or no cost, incorporating food education and culturally appropriate, local, and sustainable food.

They collaborate with partners across Canada to strengthen commitments from various levels of government, support networking, and share best practices for diverse school food programs. Endorsed by over 80 school boards, municipalities, and government agencies, they are committed to ensuring that every school-aged child receives a healthy meal or snack every day!

Coalition for Healthy School Food | Canada

The Coalition for Healthy School Food is a group of non-profit organizations working to ensure all Canadian children have access to healthy meals at school.

healthyschoolfood.ca

⛅ Spring Break ☔

March 15 - 30

If you are looking for things to do over Spring Break, check out some ideas below!

1. Try a FREE Spring Break Activity Package (primary) 📚

2. Volunteer some time helping someone 💛

3. Jot down some notes in this Spring Break Mindfulness Journal (elementary)

4. Grow your own rainbow science experiment (primary) 🌈

5. Take a hike!

6. Do a virtual tour of the Royal Tyrell Museum. Be sure to check out the dinosaurs! 🔎

9 Spring Virtual Field Trips - Class Tech Tips

Explore fun spring virtual field trips! Discover flowers, animals, and more engaging experiences to enrich your classroom learning.

classtechtips.com

🎓 Grad Class 2025 🎓

Please check your inboxes for emails about graduation! 📧

Let your teacher know if you plan on attending graduation ceremonies this year!

🧠 Mental Health Matters 👍🏼

Why not try the 10 Days to Happiness challenge over Spring Break? Simply sign up for the FREE program and follow for 10 days. 🌞

10 Keys to Happier Living

10 Days of Happiness

Action for Happiness developed this free coaching program during the Covid-19 pandemic. The program is based on the 10 Keys to Happier Living, and is designed to give an uplifting overview of the building blocks to happier living in just 10 days.

10daysofhappiness.org

👀 Looking Ahead 👀

World Down Syndrome Day - March 21st

We missed recognizing March 1st as a day to Spread the Word to End the Word, but with World Down Syndrome Day coming up on March 21st, and just because it is a beautiful way of describing why to end the use of the (R) word, in all contexts, I thought I would post a quote Lisa Taylor shared with us in our recent Whole School Learning Support meeting.

“The reason not to use the r-word is not political correctness or wokeness. The reason is not even empathy for the disabled. The reason not to use the r-word is because how we name one another shapes and forms us into the people we want to become. And when we use language that seeks to honour and understand, to connect and engage, we not only protect vulnerable people from becoming the butt of jokes, we protect our own humanity.”

(Amy Julia Becker)

For more info on the designation of this official day, please click this link: spread the word to end the word:

World Down Syndrome Day - Down Syndrome International

On 19 December 2011, the United Nations decided that 21 March would be World Down Syndrome Day.

ds-int.org

🌿 Tla'amin Day 🌿

"Tuesday, April 5 is Tla’amin Day. It is a day for Tla’amin citizens and our friends and neighbours to recognize the effective date of the Tla’amin Treaty. It is a day to reflect on our reconciliation journey with the City, the Regional District, the Province, the Federal Government, and with all of the people who live in our territory." Tla'amin Nation

Below you will find some resources you can access to learn about the Tla'amin Nation and and their language and culture.