You're invited to the Spring Fair!!!
Thursday, May 21st!
Elder's Mills Annual Spring Fair event is almost here!
Please see the flyer below for details.
Let us know if you plan to attend to help us plan for crafts and cake and more!
Scan the QR Code or follow this link to RSVP!
See you then and there!
Track and Field!
On Thursday, May 21, students in Grades 4 to 8 will take part in Elder’s Mills Public School’s annual Track and Field Day. All events will be held on school grounds. In the event of inclement weather, the meet will be postponed to Friday, May 22.
Track and Field Day is a wonderful opportunity for students to challenge themselves, demonstrate perseverance, and enjoy being active with their peers. Each student will participate in two track events and two field events of their choice as part of the Physical Education curriculum. Participation is expected for all students.
We encourage everyone to approach the day with a positive attitude, try their best, and consider stepping outside their comfort zone by exploring a new event. Whether students are aiming for a personal best or simply enjoying the experience, Track and Field Day is a celebration of effort, teamwork, and school spirit.
In school, we run the following events:
Track events | Field Events |
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Students will be outdoors for the full day, from 8:45 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Throughout the day, they will follow a schedule, remain with their class group, arrive at their events on time, and participate to the best of their ability.
To help students stay comfortable and safe, please ensure your child is dressed appropriately for physical activity, including running shoes and comfortable athletic clothing such as shorts and a T-shirt. We also encourage students to wear their school spirit wear or school colours to show their Elder’s Mills pride.
As students will be outside for most of the day, please apply sunscreen to your child before school. Students should also bring a refillable water bottle, a hat, and sunscreen so they can reapply it as needed throughout the day.
We are looking forward to a great day of community building with our Eagles!
The Snack Shop Fundraiser!
The Student Advisory Council Snack Shop Fundraiser has gained the interest of so many students! Vouchers are available for purchase on School Cash Online. Vouchers sold last week will be ready for use by Tuesday, May 5. Sales will open again next week for redeeming the week of May 18.
A few notes on how the Snack Shop works:
- Vouchers only. No cash purchases.
- First floor classes - Tuesdays and Thursdays
- Second floor classes - Wednesdays and Fridays
- Vouchers available for purchase on School Cash online every two weeks until the end of May
- Snack Shop closes June 11
- All items are $2.00
- Two items per student per visit
Hot Lunch News!
The last block of X-Press BBQ lunches is open on School Cash online. The last day to place orders for this block is May 10th. Families interested in this option for Thursdays, will find details on School Cash online.
Families planning to move or students not returning in September
As we begin our planning for the 2026-2027 school year, we kindly ask you to inform the school office if your family has plans to move over the summer, or if your children will not be returning in September for any reason. This information helps us to ensure a smooth transition for all students and to make necessary staffing arrangements for the upcoming academic year.
Your cooperation is greatly appreciated and helps us in planning effectively for the new school year. Thank you for your support.
Planning an extended absence or vacation?
Please let the school know by sending an email to elders.mill.ps@yrdsb.ca. Families must communicate extended absences in writing.
School Council News and updates:
Volunteer/Get Involved:
The School Council invites you to get involved. Please reach out if you are interested in volunteering to support the upcoming Spring Fair event planned for May 21, 2026. Email School Council at elders.mills.ps@sc.yrdsb.ca
The next School Council meeting this Monday, June 1, 2026. Hope to see you there!
COBS Bread Dough Raiser Program
The Elder's Mills Public School community has the opportunity to participate in the COBS Bread Dough Raiser program. Each time the families of Elder's Mills Public School purchase a product at COBS Bread Kleinburg and they mention they’re raising dough for Elder's Mills Public School, their staff will process a % donation of the total sale back to the school. We hope that if and when our community shops at COBS Bread Kleinburg they will remember to mention the school!
Any funds raised continue to support the goals in the school's Fundraising plan which include program enhancements such as technology, field trips, athletics and more! Support the Vaughan Food Bank:
Visit the School Council pages on the website for upcoming dates and events: https://eldersmills-ps.yrdsb.ca/school-council
EQAO INFORMATION
Webinars for Parents and Guardians
- EQAO Math Night for Parents and Guardians
(May 13, 2026, 6:00 PM)
This session will focus on math questions that Ontario students encounter when they participate in Ontario’s large-scale assessments taken by all students in Grades 3, 6 and 9. During the webinar, EQAO staff will describe how such questions help assess the skills students are learning in their mathematics class. Staff will also highlight valuable insights from EQAO research into assessment results that can help parents and guardians support their children’s math learning.
- EQAO Math Session for Parents and Guardians of Grade 9 Students
(May 20, 2026, 12:00 PM)
This session will focus on how EQAO assesses Grade 9 students’ math learning through a look at questions from the Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics. Participants will learn how assessment questions help assess the skills students are learning in their mathematics class. Staff will also highlight valuable insights and resources that can help parents and guardians support their child’s learning.
- EQAO Literacy Session for Families: Focus on Reading
(June 3, 2026, 6:00 PM)
This session will explain how EQAO assesses students’ reading skills at key stages of their education. EQAO staff will discuss reading samples and questions from the literacy components of the primary- and junior-division assessments and the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test. Participants will learn how these reading passages and questions help assess the skills students are learning in class. Staff will also highlight valuable insights and resources that can help parents and guardians support their child’s learning.
- Screen Time & Academic Achievement on EQAO Assessments
(June 9, 2026, 6:00 PM)
EQAO is pleased to welcome the TARGet Kids! Research Team (www.targetkids.ca) as they present their work examining the relationship between children’s screen time and other health behaviours and academic achievement over time on EQAO's large-scale assessments of reading, writing and mathematics. Team members from EQAO and TARGet Kids! will answer participants’ questions about this important research. Live English to French translation will be available to participants.
- EQAO Literacy Session for Families: Focus on Writing
(June 11, 2026, 12:00 PM)
This session will explain how EQAO assesses students’ writing skills at key stages of their education. EQAO staff will discuss writing prompts and questions from the reading components of the primary- and junior-division assessments and from the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test. Participants will hear how these prompts and questions help assess the skills students are learning in class. Staff will also highlight valuable insights and resources that can help parents and guardians support their child’s learning.
YRDSB MONTHLY MATH NEWSLETTERS
May Newsletter: Sparking Joy through Outdoor Math Adventures
Welcome, families! As the weather gets warmer let's take our math conversations outside! This month, we're exploring Math in the Outdoors and discovering how the natural world around us is filled with rich mathematical opportunities. From counting pebbles to measuring shadows, bringing math outdoors makes learning hands-on, engaging, and incredibly joyful.
Connecting it Back to the Classroom
Using math to directly observe and interact with nature can help students to understand concepts in measurement, spatial sense, number sense and patterning; all concepts they are exploring in the classroom. Students can engage with the math at home and outdoors by estimating the height of trees, measuring the perimeter of a garden using standard and non-standard units of measurement, finding patterns they see in nature, within buildings structures, or having them identify properties of shapes (edges, vertices, diameters, circumferences) in natural objects. Students can even collect and organize data about observed animals, plant types, or weather patterns, and then display that information in a graph or table
Engaging in Outdoor Math Conversations at Home
The great outdoors is your ready-made math classroom! Here’s how to spark meaningful math conversations:
- Counting Collections:
- Ask your child to collect a certain number of natural items (e.g., "Find 10 smooth stones," "How many dandelions can you count in this patch?"). Practice skip counting by 1s, 2s, or 5s.
- Sort or organize some found in nature items in different ways
- Measurement Adventures:
- "How many steps from the front door to the big tree?"
- "Can you find a stick that is double the length of your shoe?",
- “Can you determine the distance around the tree?”
- Geometry in Nature:
- Challenge students to find different shapes in nature (e.g., circular spiderwebs, shapes in leaves, rectangular brick patterns, archways in buildings).
- “Can you find an object with a line of symmetry?”
- “Where might you find some examples of parallel lines and perpendicular lines in your surroundings?”
- “ What angles might you see in the branches of the trees?”
- Pattern Detective:
- “What patterns can you see on this bug’s wings or this flower?
- Looking for repeating or growing patterns in plants, or even the arrangement of seeds in a pinecone. Challenge students to determine what might come next in the pattern.
- Can you find a pattern in the way the tree branches grow? Describe the pattern using numbers or a rule
- Estimation Games:
- Look at larger numbers and ask ,“How many leaves do you think are on that branch?"
- “Estimate how long it will take us to walk around the block." ,
- How many trees might there be in the forest?”
A Fantastic Resource for Families: Canadian Outdoor Learning Resources
This website helps students (and adults!) learn about trees in Canada through interactive tools and games. You can use it to identify different types of local trees, review diagrams on how to help forests grow, or use the interactive map to help you find the trees you are interested in. You can also access this website: https://www.york.ca/environment/forests/outdoor-education to learn more about outdoor education in York Region and download printable nature‑based activities that are ideal for family nature walks.
By embracing math in the outdoors, you'll be fostering mathematically curious and capable thinkers who appreciate the beauty and order of our natural world.
Happy outdoor math adventures!
YRDSB Accepting Applications for Board Committees
York Region District School Board is accepting applications for membership on two advisory committees that provide important family and community perspectives at the Board level.
Parent, Family and Community Engagement Advisory Committee (PEAC)
Applications open May 14 - June 10, 2026.
Parents, caregivers and family members are invited to apply for membership on PEAC. The committee offers families a meaningful opportunity to share their perspectives and support family engagement at the Board level to improve student achievement and well-being.
Learn more about PEAC, eligibility requirements and how to apply on the Parent, Family and Community Engagement Advisory Committee (PEAC) webpage.
Equity and Inclusivity Advisory Committee (EIAC)
Applications open May 11 - June 15, 2026
Family and community members can apply for one of eight positions on EIAC. The committee supports YRDSB’s commitment to providing equitable and inclusive learning and working environments in all schools and workplaces of the Board.
Learn more about EIAC, eligibility requirements and how to apply on the Equity and Inclusivity Advisory Committee (EIAC) webpage.
YORK REGION SUMMER PROGRAMS 2026
York Region offers subsidies for recreation programs, day camps and youth overnight camps. Recreation programs and day camp subsidies provide children from families with low income the ability to take part in programs offered by the municipal recreation departments. The youth overnight camp funding helps eligible youth ages 12 to 17 attend an approved overnight camp.
Available Subsidies for:
- Positive Leisure Activities for Youth (PLAY)
- Summer day camp funding
- Youth overnight camp funding
York Region does not guarantee space in programs or camps. Please visit the York Region website for registration and information or call Access York at 1-877-464-9675 or https://www.york.ca/support/financial-assistance/recreation-subsidies
2026-2027 SCHOOL YEAR CALENDAR
Here are a few key dates for you as you plan for the 2026-2027 school year:
| Holiday | Date |
|---|---|
| Labour Day | Monday, September 7, 2026 |
| 1st day of 2026-2027 school year | Tuesday, September 8, 2026 |
| Thanksgiving Day | Monday, October 12, 2026 |
| Winter Break | Monday, December 21, 2026 to Friday, January 1, 2027 |
| Family Day | Monday, February 15, 2027 |
| Mid-Winter Break | Monday, March 15, 2027 to Friday, March 19, 2027 |
| Good Friday | Friday, March 26, 2027 |
| Easter Monday | Monday, March 29, 2027 |
| Victoria Day | Monday, May 24, 2027 |
| Last day of 2026-2027 school year | Tuesday, June 29, 2027 |
ELDER'S MILLS IS A SCENT-FREE/FRAGRANCE FREE LEARNING AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT
There are staff & students in attendance who suffer from life-threatening asthmatic conditions to air pollutants. Exposure even to minimal odours may cause potential life-threatening reactions. Very common severe chemical triggers are: perfume, cologne, scented products and personal care products (such as hairspray). These products may cause severe reactions for students. The safety and well-being of all of our staff and students is a priority.
In order to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone, we request that our school community refrain from wearing scented personal products at school and all school events. Please ensure that all caregivers and family members are also aware.
Lost and Found
The lost and found bins at the school are overflowing. These items will be gathered for donation on the last Thursday of each month. 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.
On the Horizon:
May
May is Jewish Heritage Month, Polish Heritage Month, Dutch Heritage Month, Asian & South Asian Heritage Month and Armenian Heritage Month
Character Trait: La Responsabilité
10 Mother's Day
11 - 19 Grade 3 EQAO @ EMPS
13 Grade 5/6 and 6 Field trip
14 Grade 4 Field trip - Singh
15 Grade 4 Field trip - O'Driscoll
18 Victoria Day - School Closed
20 Grade 7 Spring Immunization Clinic
20 Grade 4 Field Trip
21 EMPS Track and Field Day - Grade 4 - 8
21 SPRING FAIR
25 - June 2 Grade 6 EQAO @ EMPS
27 Eid-ul-Adha
SAVE THE DATE - JUNE 9TH - SPRING CONCERT!
