Week 19 @ EMPS - Friday, January 23, 2026

Thank You for a Wonderful Movie Night!

Thank you to our school community and School Council for helping make last night’s movie night such a success. It was wonderful to see so many families come together to enjoy an evening of fun and connection.

We are especially grateful to our School Council and student volunteers for their time, planning, and support, and to our families for their participation and enthusiasm. Events like this truly reflect the strong sense of community we are proud of at our school.

Thank you to everyone who joined us! We look forward to many more opportunities to come together.

Delivery Services at Lunch Time

We have noticed an increase in food deliveries for students from services such as Uber Eats and SkipTheDishes. While we understand the convenience these services offer, they can create challenges for staff, as deliveries often arrive without a student’s name and cannot be easily matched to the correct child.

For this reason, we ask that third-party food delivery services be used for emergencies only (for example, if a student forgets their lunch and a caregiver is unable to bring a replacement).

If you are dropping off a lunch for your child or arranging a delivery in an emergency, please ensure the student’s name and class are clearly labeled on the package. We have also found it very helpful when families call the school in advance to let us know a delivery is on its way.

Thank you for your cooperation and support in helping us maintain a smooth, safe, and organized lunchtime routine for all students.

Lost and Found

A reminder that the Lost and Found bins at the school are emptied at the end of every month. Items not claimed are gathered for donation. Families are always welcome to stop by the school to check the bin for lost items. Please remember to begin your visit at the office.

Important Reminders for Student Safe Arrival Procedures

We would like to remind families to report any student absences and ask that you contact the school to inform office staff of any absences. At Elder’s Mills, absences can be reported in EDSBY, by calling the school or with an email to the school’s attendance inbox: elders.mills.ps.attendance@yrdsb.ca

As per Board Policy and Procedures #665.0, Safe Arrivals and Departures – Elementary and Secondary Students, if your child’s absence is still not verified even after exhausting different steps to connect with the family, York Regional Police will be contacted and may be dispatched to your residence.

We remind parent(s)/guardian(s) to update the school with all emergency contact information when changes are made. Thank you for your cooperation in reporting student absences.

Weather and Recess

All students are expected to go out for every recess, weather permitting. Students are to come to school ready for winter and prepared to be outdoors up to 15 minutes at morning recess and 40 minutes at lunch recess. Please support conversations with your child at home about wearing their coats, hats, gloves etc… when they go outside. Send them to school with changes of clothes (socks, hats, mitts) and indoor shoes. Thank you.

Hot Lunches

The Lunchbox program is live through: https://www.schoolcashonline.com. Orders can be placed by Sunday of each week. You may order one week at a time or several weeks all together; there are many options!

School Spirit Wear

The online store is open. Merchandise ordered will be delivered to the school every 3 weeks. All proceeds will fund school enhancements and programs. Shop online by following this link: https://stores.inksoft.com/eldersmills/shop/home

School Council

Visit the School Council pages on the website for upcoming dates and events: https://eldersmills-ps.yrdsb.ca/school-council

The next School Council meeting is scheduled for Monday, March 2, 2026. All parents/guardians are invited to attend. Meetings are hosted in the school staffroom and remotely via meet link. We look forward to seeing you!

Arts@Baythorn Arts

Applications are open on Edsby from January 12-28, 2026. Please note that late applications will not be accepted.

Collaborative workshops are being held March 4-6, 2026. These dates are firm.

To apply or for more information please visit the Baythorn Arts webpage. Please note the Edsby application link will open on January 12, 2026.

If you have any further questions, please reach out to baythornarts@gapps.yrdsb.ca.

YRDSB Monthly Math Newsletter

January 2026 - Sparking Joy through Making Connections

Welcome, families! As we settle into the new year, let's explore how to make math meaningful by focusing on making connections. This means helping students see how the mathematical concepts and strategies they learn in the classroom are connected to one another and to the world around them. When students connect math to their lived experiences, it becomes more relevant, understandable, and joyful!

Connecting it Back to the Classroom

"Connecting" is a fundamental Mathematical Process, it helps students see how mathematical ideas are related to each other, to other subjects, and most importantly, to everyday life. When students make connections, they move beyond memorizing procedures and build understanding. They begin to understand the why of different math concepts and how it applies to real-world situations. For example, understanding that counting by twos to sort socks is the same foundational math as multiplying by two to figure out how many shoes are in a room.

Engaging in CONNECTION CONVERSATIONS at Home

You don't need a formal lesson to help students make mathematical connections! Here are ways to spark conversations:

Sorting and Comparing: While folding laundry, sorting toys, or organizing a drawer, pick two items that are somewhat similar but have clear differences.This task encourages students to notice similarities and differences between objects by observing their attributes. It builds early sorting skills and lays the foundation for measurement and geometry concepts.
- Primary Foci
  - “What colour/size/shape are they?” ,
  - “Can you find something else that looks like this?”
  - “Which one is heavier? How could we check?”
- Junior Foci
  - What attributes can you use to sort these? Colour? Texture? Size? Shape?”
  - “Can you group them another way? Why did you choose that?”
  - “Can you describe the differences using measurement words like longer, taller, heavier, or thicker?”
- Intermediate Foci
  - “How could you describe these using precise measurements (cm, g,mL)?”
  - “Compare these 3D shapes—what properties do they have in common? How do their volumes or surface areas differ?”
  - “Can you create a sorting rule that uses two or more attributes at once (e.g., size and weight)?”

Comparing Speed: When going to a familiar place (e.g. the park, a friend's house, or even a different room in your home), discuss two possible routes.This task invites students to estimate and compare travel times using different routes. It introduces concepts like time, distance, efficiency, and eventually rate and ratio.

Primary Foci
- Which way do you think will be faster? Why?”, “Should we walk slowly or quickly to get there on time?”
- “Let’s time it! Was your prediction right?”
Junior Foci
- “How many minutes did it take us on each route?”
- “If we were running, would it change the time? What if we were biking?”
- “If the distance is the same, why might one way take longer?”
Intermediate Foci
- “Let’s figure out the rate: If it took 5 minutes to go 600 metres, how fast were we going (m/min)?”
- “Compare the speed of a car going 50 km/h with a bike going 12 km/h—how long would each take to go 5 km?”
- “How could we use this information to decide the most efficient route somewhere farther away?”

Which is more?: When plating a snacks, arrange them in different ways. This activity helps children develop number sense by making estimates, comparing quantities, and exploring how arrangement affects perception. It can grow into proportional reasoning and understanding percentages.
- Primary Foci
  - “Which one looks like it has more? Why do you think that?”
  - “What’s another way we could check, besides counting?”
  - “Let’s line them up to see if they match.”
- Junior Foci
  - “Can you estimate how many are in each bowl before we count?”
  - “Do the same number of items always look the same if arranged differently? Why or why not?”
  - “If I take 5 from this plate and move it to the other, what happens?”
- Intermediate Foci
  - How can we compare amounts quickly using multiplication or grouping?”
  - “How many more grapes are in Bowl A than Bowl B? What’s the difference as a percentage?”
  - “If we doubled the number in each bowl, would one still look like more? Why or why not?”

A Fantastic Resource for Families: SAME BUT DIFFERENT

A powerful tool for encouraging connection-making is Same But Different www.samebutdifferentmath.com

The main concept is about the sharing of two images( e.g.numbers, shapes, or situations) that are similar in some ways but different to each other. The challenge is to identify all the ways they are the same and all the ways they are different from a mathematical perspective. The beauty of "Same But Different" is that there's no single "right" answer. It encourages observation and discussion around the many connections based on properties, relationships, and even real-world applications. This resouce reaches across numeracy, spatial sense, and measurement concepts and strategies for all grade levels, including secondary students, making it a versatile resource.

By making connections a regular part of your conversations, you'll be developing mathematically curious and capable thinkers who see math as a powerful lens for understanding their world.