Felicitations to the EMPS Regional Cross Country Team!!!
Correction/Update on October 28:
Fall Fun and Halloween Costumes @ EMPS - Friday, October 31st, 2025:
Students are invited to wear Fall colours (black, orange, red, browns etc…) or our School Colours/clothing on Friday, October 31st. For students who celebrate Halloween, if they wish to come to school on Friday, October 31st in costume, they are invited to do so.
When planning costumes, please keep the following in mind:
- that no replica weapons of any kind are allowed
- costumes should be respectful of others
- symbols or objects representative of a person’s culture or religious beliefs should not be worn as a costume nor should costumes that caricature social identities through stereotyping
- in the spirit of Truth and Reconciliation, it is important that costumes do not trivialize and devalue the lives of Indigenous peoples in Canada
- costumes should not should not overemphasize the scary aspects
- No Halloween masks are to be worn and students should only use single use make-up (no sharing of make-up).
- Costumes should be of simple design (to limit personal items being brought to school)
- Please do not send your child to school with or in:
- A long or restrictive costume (these can lead to trips and falls)
- An inflatable costume
- A costume that requires adult assistance to take on/off
- Any items to share with others (candy, treats, food, toys, gift items, etc.)
Students must be able to wear their running shoes and outdoor clothing as per usual.
CORRECTIONS/UPDATE - OCTOBER 28
LAST WEEK FOR Big Box Fundraising Event!
This campaign is a fun and simple way to support our school, and each box offers great value your family and friends will love.
Options available to families are:
- All Occasion cards
- Birthday Cards
- Holiday Cards
- Big Box of Candles
Card Boxes $35.00 each and Candles $40.00
Our campaign ENDS THIS WEEK!!! All orders and payments must be submitted on School Cash Online no later than October 26, 2025, midnight.
Prizes!
- If the school sells 75+ boxes:
- The top-selling family will win $50 in books from the November Scholastic Book Fair for their class
- If the school sells 150+ boxes:
- For every 3 boxes your family has sold you’ll be entered into draw to win one of four $25 gift cards
- If the school sells 400 boxes:
- There will be a special draw for a Samsung 8” Tablet
- Families who sell 10 boxes or more will be entered into this draw; for every 10 boxes, your child’s name will be entered
- There will be a special draw for a Samsung 8” Tablet
- For families with more than child, the youngest child’s sales will determine the number of entries into all draws. You are encouraged to make your payment in School Cash online under the account for your youngest child.
There’s no limit — the more boxes you sell, the more entries you get!
Product Preview Links
Thank you for supporting our students through this exciting initiative. Your participation makes a difference. The school earns approximately 30% of each sale in support of our fundraising goals as outlined in our Fundraising plan. These goals include enhancements in the areas of STEM, Music, Technology, Arts, Library, Athletics and more.
We hope you enjoy sharing these beautiful card and candle sets with your friends and loved ones!
Hot Lunch - XPress BBQ opens once more!
Xpress BBq items are available on Wednesdays for a limited time, purchased directly through
School cash online. Details outlined below:
Xpress BBQ - $12.00 ($12 X 5 WEEKS = $60.00)
After popular demand, we are so excited to bring back lunch from BBQ Express.
In addition to the LunchBox option, this lunch will be offered on Wednesdays
EMPS will offer a BBQ Chicken lunch on Wednesdays starting November 05 and will last five weeks.
Families have the option to purchase:
- an individual portion sized, lightly breaded BBQ Chicken breast, cooked on a skewer, with rice and potatoes. Chicken is Halal and the skewer is removed; or
- same as above as a gluten-free option where the Chicken is not breaded
Please go to School Cash online if you are interested in placing an order.
Please note the BBQ express is a 5-week commitment.
Late Orders and Refunds cannot be accommodated.
All funds raised will support the school's fundraising plan which includes enhancements to school programs in Literacy, STEM, Music, Physical Education, Athletics, Clubs and Activities and more!
Thank you for your support!
Getting Ready for Progress Report Conferences/Parent-Teacher Interviews
Progress Report Conferences will be held on is on Thursday, November 20 and Friday, November 21. You will have an opportunity to meet with your child(ren)’s teacher(s) in person, and learn more about the classroom. Edsby is the online tool supported for scheduling elementary interviews/conferences. Families will receive an invitation to sign up for a meeting time once the schedules are available.
Edsby is a cloud-based platform that lets families easily reserve times to meet with your child(ren)’s teachers. YRDSB in partnership with Edsby have created a secure platform that protects the privacy of information for families.
Families that already have an Edsby account may use their previously created account. The username is the full email address that is on file at your child(ren)’s home school and the password is
the one created at activation. If you have forgotten your password, you can find resources on the Board website to help, including how to reset your password.
Families who do not have an Edsby account will need to create one to access the online appointment scheduler for their child’s teachers for Parents’ Night. An up-to-date and valid email address must be provided to your child’s home school. For help creating an Edsby account, instructions can be found on the Board website. An email from York Region District School Board with instructions on how to create an Edsby account will be sent to your email inbox. If you do not receive the email, please check your junk mail folder to ensure you do not miss this opportunity.
If you have any questions about this process please contact our main office for support. If you have any challenges with meeting in-person on the scheduled days, please contact your child’s teacher.
For help signing up for Parent-Teacher interviews, please visit our board website.
Timelines:
October 27 - 31 - Parents/guardians to create Edsby accounts if they don't already have one.
November 4 - 11 - Parents’ Night schedule opens for booking. Log into your Edsby account. An invitation to book appointments will be sent to your Edsby account and a notification to your email. Instructions for signing up for interview slots are found here.
November 11 - Interview Scheduler closes at (4:00 p.m.)
November 20 - 21 Progress Report Interviews/Conferences
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 voluntarily 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.
School Council
If you wish to connect with School Council, please email elders.mills.ps@sc.yrdsb.ca
Support the Vaughan Food Bank!
The School Council has a bin set up in the main hall of the school to collect donations all year long. The theme for the month of October is Canned Fruit.
School Spirit Wear
Shop online by following this link: https://stores.inksoft.com/eldersmills/shop/home
In the Community:
Remembering Through Story: A Journey of Life and Holocaust Education:
Join us for a special afternoon with award-winning author Kathy Kacer, as she presents a live reading from her powerful book, Hidden on the High Wire - a powerful story of courage and survival during the Holocaust. Guests will have the opportunity to take home a signed copy of the book! Follow this link for more details:
https://www2.yrdsb.ca/remembering-through-story-journey-life-and-holocaust-education
On the Horizon...
October - Integrity
20 Diwali
23 Regional Cross Country Meet
24 PA Day - No Classes for Students
29 Grade 8s to Cold Creek
31 Hallowe'en / Fall Spirit Day
November
5 Take Our Kids to High School Day - Grade 8s
11 Remembrance Day
13 School Photo Retake Day
13 Boys Intermediate Volleyball Tournament
14 Girls Intermediate Volleyball Tournament
19 Progress Reports go home
20 Progress Report Conferences in p.m.
21 PA Day - No Classes for students