UPPER CANADA DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD
UCDSB Launches First Travelling EQAO Math Gameshow of the Year

The energy was high at Bridgewood Public School in Cornwall last week as the UCDSB Teaching and Learning Team, joined by two student hosts, kicked off the first EQAO Math Gameshow of the 2025-26 school year.

The game shows are hosted through Microsoft Teams using the Knowledgehook platform. Each class joins the meeting and works together to answer the questions posed by the hosts. Students are encouraged to take their time and show their work. As a group, they pick the multiple choice answer they think is correct.

Bridgewood PS students Hassan Humayun (Grade 3) and Anibel Taillon (Grade 6) helped set the tone for the event by welcoming classes, explaining the rules, and cheering on participants as they worked through math challenges. Their enthusiasm and encouragement kept the energy high and made the experience engaging for everyone involved.

District-Wide Participation

Seventy-one Grade 3 classes and 63 Grade 6 classes took part, with a total of 134 classes from across 53 of our 55 elementary schools.

This year marks an exciting shift for the program. Instead of broadcasting from the Brockville board office, each gameshow will now travel across the district, hosted from a different UCDSB school each time. Doing this provides more schools and students with the opportunity to get involved in hosting and more motivation to take part.

How We Got Here

The Math Gameshow is part of a bigger effort to make EQAO-style practice meaningful and engaging. Last school year, the Teaching and Learning Department launched weekly district-wide activities Multiple Choice Mondays, Writing Wednesdays, and Thinking Thursdays that gave Grade 3 and Grade 6 classes a chance to work through practice tasks together.

On top of that, the district hosted four virtual game shows in math and writing, connecting more than 50 classes each time through the Knowledgehook platform. These interactive events created a sense of community while supporting curriculum and skills development.

Supporting Strong Instruction

All of this work builds on the UCDSB's ongoing commitment to high-quality instruction. Through professional learning, classroom resources, and Learning Partner support, the district continues to help teachers strengthen literacy and numeracy instruction across all classrooms.

What's Next

The next UCDSB Math Gameshow will be hosted from Duncan J. Schoular Public School for Grade 6 on the morning of December 12 and Montague Public School for Grade 3 in the afternoon, as the team continues to travel across the district bringing math learning to life in creative, interactive ways.

Stay tuned more fun (and math!) is on the way.