Good Afternoon ACPS FAMILIES!
WELCOME TO WEEK 5 @ ACPS, and to OCTOBER
WEEKLY ATTACHMENTS
Each week, you will be able to click on a link to access all documents you may require. In the link below, please find the following key information. There are more than 15 important items in this week’s list.
CLICK THIS LINK FOR WEEK 5 ATTACHMENTS
IMPORTANT: FRENCH IMMERSION BOUNDARY CHANGE FOR HIGH SCHOOL
As part of the process for the proposed French Immersion boundary change for Langstaff SS and Thornlea SS, notice needs to be sent to families (both elementary feeder schools and secondary schools) informing them of a public meeting on Wednesday October 22, 2025 at 7:00 pm.
As per policy 108, a notice needs to be circulated to “each affected school and in local newspapers indicating the date, location and time of the public information session, at least two weeks before the meeting date”. The newspaper notice will be advertised starting Monday October 6th.
PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR THE PDF OF THE NOTICE OF THE MEETING
ACPS SCHOOL COUNCIL – VOLUNTEERS NEEDED, AND CHECK OUT INSTAGRAM!!!
ACPS School Council is bringing back hot lunches and are looking for volunteers to help with distributing lunch. As lunch times for all grades have been combined, we need more hands to ensure the lunches are distributed quickly. The popular pizza option will be moved to Wednesday, to help parents packing lunches break up the week, and the council is especially looking for help to make this happen. The other hot option will be moved to Friday.
The lunch partners are yet to be confirmed, be rest assured that the council is looking to ensure the food being delivered provides value without sacrificing quality.
All proceeds go towards fundraising for the school, including athletics, trips, programs, events, instruments, books, and technology. If you have are interested in helping out or have questions regarding hot lunches, please contact our Hot Lunch council reps this year:
Chris Kam - ckykam@gmail.com
Zhen Wang - wangzhenmaggie@hotmail.com
Stay up to date with all the exciting school council events—like pizza lunches, the year-end BBQ, and fundraisers—by following our official School Council Instagram (@acps_school_council)! Every activity helps us give back to the school community, including funding new and updated technologies for students to use.
GRADE 5 & 6 CLUB
RICHMOND HILL FIRE DEPARTMENT NEWS
Dear Principals,
As we begin a new school year, Richmond Hill Fire & Emergency Services would like to extend a warm welcome back to you and your teams. We deeply value the role schools play in shaping safe, informed communities, and we’re here to support you in that mission.
While recent events have reminded us of how quickly fire can impact lives, our focus remains on prevention, education, and empowerment. Fire safety is a shared responsibility - and schools are uniquely positioned to help students and families build habits that save lives.
To support your efforts, we’ve attached a Fire Safety Handout with key messages and practical tips that can be shared with families.
🔥Key Fire Safety Messages to Share:
Prevention
- Never leave cooking unattended—it’s a leading cause of home fires.
- Charge devices on non-combustible surfaces; avoid modifying batteries.
- Use battery-operated candles when possible; supervise real ones carefully.
- Plug space heaters directly into walls and keep them clear of flammable items.
Detection
- Install working smoke alarms on every storey and outside all sleeping areas.
- Place carbon monoxide alarms near sleeping areas. Starting January 1, 2026, CO alarms will be required on every storey of a home.
- Test alarms monthly and replace them as per manufacturer guidelines.
Escape Planning
- Create and practice a home fire escape plan with all household members.
- Choose a safe meeting spot outside and remind children never to re-enter a burning building.
- Include pets and individuals needing assistance in fire drills.
For more information, families and educators can visit RichmondHill.ca/Fire.
📬Additional Resources for Schools
We’ve also included our fall newsletter, which highlights RHFES programs and services available to schools - including free presentations and classroom visits tailored for elementary students. This edition also features Ontario’s upcoming #TestYourSmokeAlarmDay, happening this Sunday, September 28th. To support this province-wide campaign, the newsletter includes links to brand new teacher resources developed in partnership with the Ontario Fire Marshal and Ministry of Education to help spread the message and engage students in meaningful fire safety learning. You’ll also find Fire Prevention Week resources to support classroom activities, plus a poster for our Open House on October 4th - we’re looking forward to seeing you there!
We encourage you to explore these offerings and consider integrating them into your school’s safety education efforts. Teachers may also find Sparky.org and Sparky Schoolhouse helpful - both offer free, curriculum-friendly fire safety materials including games, videos, printable activities, and lesson plans for students in kindergarten through grade five.
Thank you for your continued leadership and commitment to student safety. If you’d like to book a presentation or learn more about our programs, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
ACPS CALENDAR
We have an updated ACPS Calendar for you to click on and follow all ACPS related events. CLICK HERE FOR THE UPDATED CALENDAR.
INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGES FOR STUDENTS
Dear Families,
Please note that the registration for YRDSB’s Indigenous Languages and International Languages for Elementary students will reopen on EDSBY on Tuesday, October 7, 2025.
When registering your child on EDSBY, please make sure that you use your laptop or computer as the phone app is NOT supported and will result in a failure to complete your registration.
For registration and more information, please visit the following website:
https://www2.yrdsb.ca/schools-programs/ilil/elementary-classes
BIKE BUS @ ACPS
One of our ACPS Parents, CJ, has organized an ACPS BIKE BUS!!! If you and your child(ren) would like to join, and ride to ACPS, please check out THIS AWESOME FLYER for details.
MONTHLY MATH NEWSLETTER
OCTOBER Newsletter:
Sparking Joy through ESTIMATION
Welcome, families! This month, we're exploring a fundamental skill that we use all the time without even realizing it: Estimation. Estimation is about making an educated guess based on what you already know. This month, we encourage you to have "estimation conversations" at home. Notice something in your environment that can be estimated (e.g., the number of apples in a bag, the size of a tree). Ask questions such as "What makes you think that?", "How did you come up with that guess?" “Do we think that is a reasonable estimate?” to develop reasoning skills and number sense.
Connecting it Back to the Classroom
Students are developing estimation strategies as early as kindergarten. Developing estimation skills builds a strong sense of quantity and an understanding of the relative size of numbers or the how muchness of a quantity. At its core, estimation is a form of problem-solving. Students use their prior knowledge to make reasonable predictions, then reflect on the accuracy of those predictions. This process is key to mathematical reasoning. By engaging in estimation at home, you're not only reinforcing classroom learning but also making these abstract concepts relevant in your child's world.
Engaging in Estimation Conversations at Home
Estimation can happen anywhere, anytime!
Here are some simple ideas to get you started:
Inside your Home:
- Primary Ideas
- How many grapes do you think are in this bowl?”
- “How many minutes do you think it will take the toast to pop?”
- “How many steps do you think it takes to get from the kitchen to your bedroom?”
- Junior Ideas
- “Estimate how many pieces of cereal it would take to fill this cup.”
- “How many minutes do you think it will take for the water to boil?”
- “If we poured this cup of water into a bigger container, how many cups do you think we’d need to fill it?”
- Intermediate Ideas
- “Estimate how many drops of water are in a full glass. How could we check your estimate using reasoning?”
- “If this fan fills the room with air in 20 minutes, how long do you think it would take for a fan half its size?”
- “Estimate the height of the fridge in cm, then check with a measuring tape. How close were you?”
.In the Community:
- Primary
- “How many steps do you think it will take us to get to the end of the street?”
- “How many benches do you think are in the park?”
- “How many cars will pass by in the next minute?”
- Junior
- “How long do you think it will take us to get to the grocery store?”
“How many steps from here to the playground? Let’s estimate, then test it.”
“Estimate the height of the slide at the park—what could you compare it to?”
- “How long do you think it will take us to get to the grocery store?”
- Intermediate
- “How tall do you think that tree is? How could you estimate using a nearby object or a strategy like using your shadow?”
“If the store is 3 km away and we’re driving at 40 km/h, how long will it take to get there? Estimate first, then calculate.”
“How much space do you think a row of parked cars takes up on the block (in metres)? What’s your reasoning?”
- “How tall do you think that tree is? How could you estimate using a nearby object or a strategy like using your shadow?”
A Fantastic Resource for Families: Estimation 180
Estimation 180 is a fun way to build your child’s number sense at home. Each day, you and your child can look at a picture or situation (like a stack of cups, a bowl of fruit, or a jar of objects) and make a reasonable estimate of the quantity. The goal isn’t to get the exact answer but to think about what makes sense, explain reasoning, and compare estimates. This simple routine encourages math talk, problem-solving, and flexible thinking in everyday situations—like estimating how many steps to the car, how many crackers are in a box, or how long it will take to walk the dog.
Estimation is a powerful tool for developing numerical literacy and a deep understanding of the world around us. By making it a regular part of your family conversations, you'll be fostering mathematical thinking in a fun way!
Happy estimating!
ON THE HORIZON…
- Thursday October 9 – Intermediate Boys Volleyball tournament @ ACPS after school
- Monday October 13 – THANKSGIVING DAY – no classes for students today
- Wednesday October 15 – ACPS School Cross Country Meet @ Richmond Green Park
- Thursday October 16 – Intermediate Girls Volleyball tournament @ ACPS after school
- Monday October 20 – Diwali
- Friday October 24 – PA DAY – no classes for students
- Friday October 31 – Halloween
Have an EXEMPLARY weekend😊
Merci,
Mr. Arin Otis
Principal
Adrienne Clarkson PS | 68 Queens College Drive | Richmond Hill, Ontario | L4B 1X3 | 905-709-3554
InspireLearning!
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