Project Week 2026 at École St Mary’s School

By Serena Lapoinnte
 
With a theme like Toy Story 5, École St Mary’s School certainly brought out the fun for
this year’s Project Week festivities, which wrapped up on Thursday last week with the
highly popular Showcase Night. From 4:30 pm until 6:30 pm, students got to show off
their creations to their family, friends, and community.
Madison Bryson has been teaching grade four at École St. Mary’s School for four years,
and Project Week is something she looks forward to experiencing with her students.
She said it all started on Monday with a school-wide assembly where students tried to
guess the theme. Staff gave them clues until they finally figured it out.
“This year’s theme is Toy Story since the fifth movie is coming out. We thought it would
be a fun theme to use. On Monday, they got to participate in Toy Story-themed
activities, and on Tuesday, they started working on their projects, and they’ve been
working on them all week,” she explained.
Bryson said once the theme was out in the open, students were given a guiding
question and spent the rest of day one playing themed games and figuring out what
they wanted to do. “They get to be hands-on and create a project based on the
question. It is amazing to see the creativity and how different all their projects are, and
what they can come up with based on a single question.”
She said watching her students use their imagination and creativity to come up with
something unique was a proud moment. “You walk around the school, and each group
has something different, even though it’s all based on the same question, but everybody
was able to create something different from each other.”
The guiding question had students creating a game or a toy, themed like Toy Story.
Some students created a game based on an existing game, while others made
something completely different. There were games that involved a computer with an AI
competitor to play against, various board games, truth or dare, bean bag toss and cup
toss, and even bowling.

Some games were more physical, including carefully falling to the ground, while others
were mental, having to remember cards or make smart moves to win. There were
games made for one player and some that needed two or more contestants. Students
created trifold poster boards to explain their creations, providing rules and instructions,
as well as a treat upon completion.
Bryson said each year they do something different, but that this year was more game-
related than the previous three she’s been part of. A couple of years ago, they did a
Willy Wonka theme, which featured some games. “Last year, it was creating a

sustainable life, and it was related to Wild Robot because that movie was just coming
out. They made some greenhouses and gardens for that one. So, it varies year to year.”
As her students put their projects together, Bryson said the excitement was growing and
that everyone was looking forward to showcase night. “That’s the highlight for them.
They’ve been waiting for people to be able to play their games. We presented them in
class today, and they just want everyone to come try them and to see what they have
created. They are proud of what they have done.”
Ten-year-old Maylee is one of Ms. Bryson’s students. She created a bowling game
featuring handmade characters to knock over instead of basic pins. “It was really fun. I
love bowling, and I thought it would be a good idea. It was really good to see people try
my project.” Mayor Ray Hilts enjoyed giving the game a roll (pictured).
École St. Mary’s School principal, Sarah Whelen, said changing up the timetable for the
week and letting the kids become the creators of their own learning makes for a busy,
but rewarding, opportunity. “Our school is built on collaboration, connection and
creativity, and Project Week hits all of those. The kids get time to plan and execute a
project, game, or design that brings our classmates or the community together. It’s
inclusive and focused on their own learning and how they want to promote each of their
projects or games, and then they get to present it, which is amazing.”
She credited the hard work of staff in making the week a reality for students. “They have
been going to the dollar store on preps, and lunch breaks, and some were up late last

night figuring out stuff for the kids,” said Principal Whelen. The amount of work that went
into the week was over the top, but the result made everything worth it. “It’s been
tough,” she laughed. “But it’s so exciting to see the kids learning come to life and for
them to be able to present and showcase what they know and what they’ve learned
over the last few days.”
As the principal, Whelen said she tried her best to play all the games and check out all
of the toys. “I’ve been trying to get around. I spent a whole day yesterday in classrooms
playing the games, and some I had to save for tonight. I am so proud of them and their
hard work. They are so smart!”
With another successful Project Week coming to a close, Whelen said seeing her
students smiling from ear to ear during the showcase, as they walked attendees through
their games and projects, gave her a big smile too. “We have a wonderful school
community of sharks here, and I’m always so proud of them!”