ADS Newsletter October 25,2024

Hello Acton Families!

It brings me great joy to be back in our school to see the students thoroughly engaged in school activities and studies. I have missed the staff and students very much. I would like to thank you for your encouraging emails and well wishes during my leave. Your support and concern was comforting.

I am indebted to former Superintendent Mark Zonneveld for stepping into the role of Principal for me in the interim; he had school full speed ahead when I arrived last Friday. There are exciting field trips happening, and sports teams in the gym, on the field, and in the rink ( we have a terrific Ice Hockey team this year after many years’ hiatus). Planning is underway for an innovative theatre production and a Holiday Market and Music Night.

Next Wednesday we will recognize our students with our annual Awards Night. Next to Commencement, this is my favourite night of the year. We have some many excellent students who will be celebrated on stage. I look forward to those spotlight moments and to seeing all of the proud parents in the audience.

Have a wonderful autumn weekend; temperatures are dropping but there is still plenty of sun.

My Best,

Kelli Pfeiffer

Hallowe'en Costumes

With Halloween approaching, we’re reaching out to provide information about how our school will be celebrating the day and also to provide some guidance to ensure a safe and respectful environment for all students and staff on the day. [insert activities at school] Please note, there is no expectation for your child to dress up in a costume. If your child(ren) choose(s) to dress up in a costume for Halloween, please ensure that they are contributing to the positive climate that our school is cultivating around recognizing Halloween.

Reminders:

● Costumes that mimic the traditional attire of an ethnic, religious, racial or gender group/identity are inappropriate and unacceptable at our school.

● Costumes that are intended to, or have the impact of, inciting fear and anxiety for others are not acceptable costumes.

● Replica weapons and costume masks should not be brought to school.

Thank you for your support. If you have any questions please contact a member of the school admin team.

Vaping Awareness and Prevention Campaign

Youth vaping continues to rise and has long term health effects. The 2023 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health survey reports that vape/electronic cigarette use significantly increases with each grade level. The Halton District School Board (HDSB) and Halton Region Public Health (HRPH) are launching a vaping campaign to educate youth about the harms of vaping and where to go for help. Public Health nurses will be running a Vaping Awareness and Prevention Campaign on November 6th at Acton District. For information and resources, please click here.

It’s that time of year again! ---> Take your kid to Work Day!

November 6, 2024 is the date of this event. Grade 9 students across Canada will go to work with a parent, relative, or other trusted adult.

The Halton District School Board is proud to be involved in Take Our Kids to Work Day, now coordinated through The Students Commission of Canada. Since 1994, Take Our Kids to Work™ has grown from a regional program into a nation-wide project involving millions of Grade 9 students and hundreds of thousands of workplaces. This year, based on the strong support for the 2023 event, we expect that even more students and workplaces will participate as all of our grade 9s go to work to explore a variety of pathways and opportunities.

Please ensure that the Take Our Kids to Work Day Permission Form is signed and returned to your students’ period 3 teacher: Mr Zimmerman, Mr Fraser or Ms Hayes by Friday, November 1.

Discover the exciting opportunities available for incoming high school students! Throughout November, the HDSB will host High School Information Nights to share insights into academic courses, extracurricular activities and pathways to post-secondary education. Join us November 7, 2024 to explore!

Grade 12 Biology students are participating in an unique opportunity provided by AMGEN & The University of Toronto. Students have been learning how to use biotech tools in preparation for undertaking genetic engineering processes to produce proteins - mimicking the process of insulin creation. More details can be found at: https://amgenbiotechexperience.net/ca/eng

The Entrepreneur Within

Students from grades 9-12 attended the HDSB’s first ever Entrepreneurship conference in Oakville this week.

From a panel of GTA super entrepreneurs, to testing ideas and building apps; students came away with a treasure trove of information,

The ADS Intermediate Band is sounding great! They are practicing for the Holiday Concert in December. The band meets Wednesdays after school in the music room. Talk to Mr. Landry for more info.

The Grade 7 classes participated in Take Me Outside Day on Friday. Both classes were learning in the forest for their science and French classes for an entire block. The leaves on the ground in the forest were the perfect backdrop for our learning. Great work out there Grade 7’s!

Our Library is looking for BOOK donations. Do you have books that are taking up space and that you would like to donate to a good cause? We are looking for books for ALL ages for our Library and to sell at this year's Holiday Craft Sale in November. Money raised will be used to support events in our school and for donation to The Downie Wenjack Foundation. Please bring your gently used books to the school and drop off in the wood bin in our front foyer. Your generosity is much appreciated.

Lights, stage, action—it’s your time to shine!

Did you know that right here in Georgetown, there's a thriving community theatre that's been bringing stories to life for over 60 years? Georgetown Community Theatre is not only a hub for local productions but also home to an incredible Youth Company. We produce five exciting shows every year—three driven by our community and two by our talented youth!

We are always on the lookout for energetic, creative individuals like YOU to help make our productions unforgettable. Whether you're interested in acting, directing, building sets, painting, costumes, writing, make-up, or working as stage managers and technicians for lights and sound, there’s a place for everyone!

No experience? No problem! All roles are supervised and offer hands-on learning. This is a fantastic opportunity to grow your skills, gain real-world experience, meet some new friends and have a blast while doing it. Plus, if you're a student, your hours with us will count toward your community volunteer hours!

We’d love to hear from you, and to join our growing theatre family!

Check us out online

https://georgetownlittletheatre.ca/

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

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

Social Work Support at ADS

HDSB Social Workers work with students, families, and school communities to promote student well-being, mental health, and academic success.

ADS has one social worker to support our students: Lisa O’Halloran. Students can self refer by emailing our Social Worker anytime. Please see the flyer for more information on services provided.

Some of the services we are currently delivering for high school students, and actively seeking referrals, include: *please make sure your student is using thier HDSB email log in if wanting access to these services*

Monthly drop-in sessions covering a variety of learning skill topics, including time management, organization, effective study skills, managing attention/focus, managing stress, etc. For a full list of available topics, dates/times, and Google Meet links, please use this link. There is no need to register in advance for these sessions.

Small Group intervention - these groups provide an opportunity to meet virtually with peers who may be experiencing some of the same challenges with managing their assignments and other responsibilities. You will have the chance to delve deeper into why you might be getting stuck and learn ways to shift your thinking and create behavioural change. There will be a number of start points for these groups. Self-referrals can be made throughout the first semester. Following the group sessions, you will have the option of accessing individual sessions for additional support. There will be two different group offerings:

Navigate the Chaos group - this group is intended for students who experience difficulties with managing their approach to tasks and assignments and navigating the sometimes chaotic day-to-day of high school life…. Do you find your school life chaotic or overwhelming? Do you often feel like you don’t know where to start? Are these challenges getting in the way of your goals? If so, this group might be for you - Self refer here
Productivity over Procrastination group - this group is intended for students whose primary difficulty is putting things off and delaying getting started on tasks. Do you often put things off until the last minute? Do you find yourself scrambling to complete tasks, despite your best intentions? Does this cause you stress or impact the outcome? If so, this group might be for you - Self-refer here

If you have any questions about these services please contact
Lisa Sedore, (sedorel@hdsb.ca), Larissa Pipe (pipel@hdsb.ca), or Laura Belford (belfordla@hdsb.ca)

We are writing to share information provided by Halton Region Public Health:

As we head into the Fall and Winter, and temperatures cool, people tend to spend more time gathered indoors. This makes it easier for infectious diseases like viral gastroenteritis to spread quickly in the community and at school. Viral gastroenteritis is an infection caused by a variety of viruses (e.g., norovirus, rotavirus, adenovirus, etc.) that results in vomiting and diarrhea.

Halton Region Public Health has provided guidance on enhanced cleaning procedures and other measures we can implement to significantly reduce the risk of spread at school. We ask that families review the resources provided by Public Health and reinforce these measures at home so that we can all help keep our community healthy. Students, families and staff can also contact Halton Region Public Health directly by phoning 311 or visiting halton.ca.

As always, please contact the office if you have any questions or concerns.