Hello Acton Families,

I have been hanging out at the rink lately. The Bearcat Hockey Team is practicing three mornings a week and looking good! With their new jerseys on, they are coming together as a team. It's our first season with a team after a decade! I hope to attend every game. Thank you Mr. Fraser (and his Dad) Hugh Fraser–our coaches extraordinaire.

Tomorrow we have a wonderful float to launch in the parade–look for the Gingerbread Train with the Bearcat on the back (of course). So much fun for both staff and students. Thank you Mr. Fraser, Mr. Brown, Ms. Thatcher, Ms. Medeiros, Ms. McKellar Ms. Toniolo and dozens of students!

Earlier this week we held our annual Remembrance Day service in the cafeteria. This gathering is always so respectful, calm and thought provoking. The student audience is at their best.  The event allowed students on our Equity and Inclusion Team and our Leadership Team to express recognition and gratefulness for those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom and the life we now enjoy. Led by Mr. Brown, as our M.C. We laid wreaths and spent time in reflection. Mrs. DaSilva’s art class outdid themselves this year. Last year we had a spectacular display of figures from the World Wars in uniforms created from simple brown paper. This year clear simple plastic wrap became a stunning tribute to the fallen, as 6 figures carried a casket. Each figure had a ghostly presence and within each had a small beating heart visible through the covering. Amazing!

Mr. Evoy faithfully takes a group of students to the cenotaph to lay a wreath on behalf of our school. Thank you Mr. Evoy for making sure we represent ( see photos below). Lots to be proud of every day here at Acton District.

Upcoming is our fantastic community school Holiday Craft Sale on November 23rd. This was a traditional event held here at Acton District that we haven’t had offered in a few years. Well, we’re bringing it back!! Our DECA Club of young entrepreneurs is taking the lead on the massive organization required for this event. We have teamed up with 50 vendors to host the sale in our school to help with your holiday shopping. website for this event is linked here  Thank you to Mrs. Houston and her fabulous DECA Team!

Hope to see you all this weekend at the parade! 

Ms. Pfieffer

Photos of Melina and Zain from our student council representing ADS at the Remembrance Day Parade on Saturday. Also a photo with HDSB Board Trustee Jeanne Grey and students and teachers from MSB and Robert Little. 

A group of student representatives from ADS attended the Remembrance Day ceremony at the Acton Cenotaph on Remembrance Day.

As a tradition we were invited to lay our poppies at the cenotaph at the end of the ceremony and spent some time thanking veterans and Legion members. 

Secondary Acton District School students will be writing the Literacy Test on Tuesday November 19th and Wednesday November 20th.  Any Grade 10 students taking English this semester,  and any grade 11, and Grade 12 students who still need to meet the literacy requirement, will have the opportunity to participate in the OSSLT on the scheduled dates. There is a semester two dates scheduled to capture students taking English next semester.

Grade 12 Biology Students finished their Biotechnology Unit with 100% of students seeing successful results! Over a three week period, students completed a full biotech series - beginning with DNA extraction and recombination - and ending with the production of purified red fluorescent protein. A fantastic hands-on experiment that developed invaluable lab skills and developed our molecular genetics understanding. Thanks are given to AmGen Education & the University of Toronto! 

Grade 10 Food & Nutrition Students participated in 2 field trips! First we took a virtual tour of satellites, farms and food production facilities across Canada to highlight the ways of sustainable farming. Students then spent the day at the Royal Agricultural fair - learning to cook Spanish tortillas alongside Chef Coulson Armstrong, before exploring the many agricultural career options available to helping feed Canadians while caring for our environments, and continuing scientific advancements! 

Last call to donate your gently used books to the Acton District Library. We are collecting books for all ages and of all genres to sell in the Acton Craft Fair that will be held on Saturday November 23rd. Please bring  your books to the school drop box located in the front lobby. Proceeds will go to support events in our school library as well as the Downie Wenjack Foundation. 

For our Grade 7 and 8 Families

Want to learn more about the provincial report card and how you can help your child at home with their learning? Join me online for a virtual session on Monday November 25th @ 2:00 pm.  It is hosted by myself, Erika Fellner-Stagg. I am the ESL teacher for Sam Sherratt, E.W. Foster, Acton Elementary, MSB and Boyne. While I support students learning English at a variety of levels, this session is general information, so all parents and guardians are welcome to attend. Please RSVP to fellnerstagge@hdsb.ca and the Google Meet link will be emailed to you closer to the session date. Looking forward to seeing you online!

With temperatures still keeping us guessing, winter weather could surprise us any time! To stay prepared, families are encouraged to review the HDSB Inclement Weather Reminders to know how we communicate important updates about school closures and bus cancellations. A printable version of this information is also available. If your child is bused to school, please ensure you know which transportation zone you are located in. Let’s stay connected and safe when wintry conditions arrive!

Please visit our Student Services Page on our website for the most up to date information:

https://act.hdsb.ca/student-services

• November 18 Grade 7 & 8 Progress Reports go home

• November 19 & 20 Grade 10 Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test

• November 23 Acton District School Holiday Craft Sale

• November 29 PA Day (Elementary & Secondary) 

    Grade 7 & 8 Student Led Conferences, and Secondary Staff             Learning Day

• December 2-6 Grade 12 Graduation Photos (Please watch out for link)

• December 4 Holiday Music Night

• December 12 Secondary 15th Week Distribution 

• December 19 Hockey Tournament Day (School VS. Police)

• December 23- Winter Break
  January 3

• December 20 Last Day of Classes in 2024 (early dismissal) 

• January 6 First Day of Classes After Holiday

• January 22 Secondary Last Day of Classes for Semester 1

• January 23 - 29 Secondary Semester 1 Final Evaluations (Exams)

• January 30 Secondary Final Evaluations (Exam) Review Day

• January 31 PA Day (Secondary Only) – No Classes