Remembrance Day Ceremony: 
On Tuesday, November 11, staff and students at EMPS observed Remembrance day with an assembly. The presentation included messages about peace and hope and reflect the diversity of our communities. Student soloists played the Last Post and Reveille. Thank you to the team of teachers, students and staff for organizing this important opportunity for remembrance.
Our Scholastic Book Fair is Coming!
We’re excited to welcome the Scholastic Book Fair from November 17–21! This year’s Fair will feature French-language books only.
Students will have a chance to browse during their class library visits, but purchases can only be made:
- Evening of Wednesday, November 20
- During the day on Thursday, November 21
Please note: No purchases will be made during the school day. 
If you are not able to visit the Book Fair in person and would like to support by making purchases, please call the school to connect with the librarian.
All sales help our school earn new learning resources—thank you for your support!
Elementary Progress Reports - A message from YRDSB
Dear families,
This year, you will receive a printed copy of your child’s Progress Report. The report cards will be sent home with your child on Wednesday, November 19, 2025 in time for Parent Teacher Interviews. This year, elementary teachers are writing report cards with a new program.
Families will also receive an electronic copy of their child’s report card no later than November 28, 2025. You will receive an email when your child’s Progress Report is available in the YRDSB Family Dashboard. Students in Grades 4-12 will receive an email at the same time and will be able to access an electronic version of their report card directly through their YRDSB GAPPs account.
If you are unsure who your child’s subject teachers are, you can find this information in Edsby. Log in and go to your child’s profile to view their current teacher assignments.
Thank you for your ongoing support of public education.
Coat Rack Maintenance – Reminder
Our caretaking team will be removing damaged coat hooks and installing new ones on Friday, November 21. To prepare for this work, students will be asked to clear their coat rack areas throughout the week and bring home any personal items they may have stored there.
Classroom teachers will support students with this process to ensure the racks and surrounding floor space are cleared before the maintenance begins.
Thank you for your cooperation as we work to keep our school environment safe and well-maintained!
EMPS IS A FRAGRANCE AND SCENT-FREE ZONE
Staff, students and all other persons who are invited to or who work on Board property are asked to be considerate of those who are sensitive to fragrant chemicals by refraining from chemical-based scented products and replacing them with unscented alternatives. This will reduce the use of fragranced products in our environment.
We have staff and students at Elder’s Mills who have respiratory issues such as asthma, allergies and bronchitis. Their reactions to chemicals from scents and fragrances can be more frequent, uncomfortable and intensified when exposed to strong fragrances. Your attention and consideration of this is appreciated.
With Progress Report Conferences and the Book Fair open to families next Thursday and Friday, your attention to this matter is important in supporting the well-being of our school community and is greatly appreciated.
Lost and Found
The Lost and Found bins are overflowing. All items will be gathered at the end of the month. Families are welcome to stop by the school at any time to check for missing belongings—please remember to begin your visit at the office. You will also have another great opportunity to look through these items during the Progress Report Conferences on November 20 and 21.
School Hot Lunch Program – Important Reminders
The Lunch Box program is available for families to make weekly lunch orders for students.
Please note that lunches missed due to a student’s absence will be held for one day only. Families may arrange for parent pick-up or for the lunch to be given to a sibling. After one day, any unclaimed lunches will no longer be kept.
The School Lunch Box program accepts weekly orders and also offers an option to cancel. For full details, please refer to the program’s guidelines.
Thank you for your cooperation!
Our next School Council meeting is planned for Monday, December 1, 2025. Details and a virtual meet link for families who wish to join virtually will be shared as the date approaches.
Lunch Clubs Are Here: Our School Council volunteers will be starting a variety of lunch clubs in the coming weeks! Several activities are planned to begin this week, with more details to come soon. Some of the clubs being considered include Reading Club, Creative Club, Chess Club, Running Club, Yoga Club, and Soccer Club, with more to follow! Students are encouraged to listen to morning announcements for information about activities that interest them and to sign up when opportunities are shared.
Volunteering at Our School: We truly value the time and support our volunteers bring to our school community! A reminder that all volunteers are required to have a current Vulnerable Sector Screening (VSS) completed through York Region Police services before volunteering in the school or on school trips. This requirement helps ensure a safe and caring environment for all students. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact the school office for information on how to obtain or update your screening.
Coming Soon….
Parent Connections: A Coffee Chat Series
We are pleased to share our Parent Connections: Coffee Chat series; an informal and welcoming space to connect with parents, school admin, sharing and exchanging ideas. Each session will include time for focused discussion on specific topics (shared in advance) as well as opportunities for conversation and connection.
Our first Coffee Chat in the series of three will be hosted on Thursday, December 4 from 11:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Come prepared to discuss and exchange ideas on the following topics:
- Building Smoother Morning Routines
- Managing Screen Time
Stay tuned for details on how to RSVP as the date approaches.
Future Coffee Chat dates:
Tuesday, April 7, 2026
Friday, June 12, 2026
If you wish to connect with School Council, please email elders.mills.ps@sc.yrdsb.ca
EMPS Supports the Vaughan Food Bank!
The School Council has a donation bin set up in the main hall year-round to collect non-perishable food items. With many families joining us for Progress Report Conferences next week, this is a great opportunity to bring in a donation.
Thank you for supporting families in our community!
Winter Weather
With winter weather here, we want to share a few important reminders.
Students should come dressed appropriately for the weather and for outdoor play. Students can stay warm by wearing layers of loose-fitting clothing, a hat, scarf, jackets, snow pants and mittens or gloves. Students may also want to bring extra pants and socks in case they get wet.
Recess
If students are well enough to come to school, they are expected to go outside for recess. Our students benefit from spending time outside and being active. We monitor weather conditions throughout the day. If there are extreme weather conditions, we may consider a shortened or indoor recess.
When an extreme cold or inclement weather day is declared, school transportation (including buses and taxis) is cancelled in the morning and afternoon. Schools will remain open. Please notify the school if your child will not be attending school on those days. Students will not be penalized for missing school on these days.
There may be rare instances when emergency weather events occur and we need to close all schools and Board locations. Please take the time to make plans in the event of an emergency school closure. Information about transportation cancellations and Board closures will be shared through local media, board and school websites and on X @YRDSB.
Our process for extreme cold, inclement weather and emergency weather days is outlined in the board’s Severe Weather policy.
Holiday Heroes Toy Drive @ EMPS!
Elder’s Mills is proud to support the YRP Holiday Heroes Toy Drive!
We invite all students and families to join us in making a difference this season. We are collecting new, unwrapped toys to support children and youth in our community. Donations can be dropped off at the school until Tuesday, December 2nd.
Thank you for your kindness and generosity! Your support helps brighten the holidays for families in need.
On the Horizon:
La Justice
November is Hindu Heritage Month, Lebanese Heritage Month
12 - Dec 4 EMPS Holiday Heroes Campaign
19 Progress Reports sent home
20 Progress Report Conferences
21 PA Day - No classes for students - Progress Report Conferences
24 - 5 Dec - Grade 3 Gifted Screening Window - details to be shared with Grade 3 families coming soon
December
1 School Council Meeting
9 Winter Concert at Emily Carr SS - SAVE THE DATE!!!
19 Last Day of Classes 2025
22 - January 2 Winter Holiday Break
Photos of stuff happening at EMPS and Flyers of stuff happening in the Community:
