Message from Administration
We have had a very eventful few weeks!
First of all, we would like to congratulate all of the students who participated in the Cross Country Area Meet on Friday, October 10! The students represented our school with incredible effort, sportsmanship, and team spirit. We would like to recognize the Grade 7 Girls team, who placed 3rd, and the Grade 8 Girls and Grade 8 Boys teams, who both placed 2nd! These amazing results helped our Intermediate Cross Country Team capture 1st place overall and bring home the pennant! We’re also proud to share that 11 students placed within the top 15 and moved on to the Regional Meet on Thursday, October 23. Way to go, runners — you’ve made our school proud! We would also like to recognize all of the staff who supported our runners for the weeks leading up to the meet. They volunteered their time to coach (and even run with) the students before and during the school day. A huge thank you goes out to Ms. Hetherington, Ms. Liao, Ms. Lyn, Ms. Saxton, Ms. Tzogas, and Ms. Saxton. We would also like to thank Mr. Varma for his hard work as the Area Convenor for Cross Country.
Last week, our students took part in Take Me Outside Day and participated in many activities celebrating learning outdoors. This week, the Student Council organized a community-building, age-appropriate “Music and Movement” event for our Primary and Junior students and a Fall Dance for our Intermediate students. Alternative activities were also made available in the Library for students who would rather engage in quiet activities. Our Intermediate Girls and Boys Volleyball teams have been practicing hard and playing against other teams in after-school games and tournaments as they prepare for the upcoming Area Tournaments. A big thank you to their coaches for their time and commitment to the teams -- Ms. Kameka, Ms. Lung, Mr. Tredree
The fall weather has arrived! We are reminding students and families to please ensure your child has clothing to keep them warm while outside. We are asking that every student have a pair of indoor and outdoor shoes. If we can help you in any way, please speak to the school office. This helps to keep our classrooms and hallways clean and safe. Our Lost and Found has many items that have gone unclaimed. Please feel free to come to the office and ask to go down to our Lost and Found bin if you know that your child is missing something. We will also have our Lost and Found items on display during our upcoming Movie Night and during Parent-Teacher Interviews/Student-Led Conferences.
Sean Yao Joanne Trim
Principal Vice Principal
Important Dates to Remember in November:
5 - School Council Meeting (virtual), 5 pm
5 - Grade 8 Students - Take Your Kids to High School Day
6 - Movie Night
11 - Remembrance Day
14 - Gr. 7 Outdoor Education Trip to Claremont Nature Centre (Kameka)
17 - Gr. 7 Outdoor Education Trip to Claremont Nature Centre (Bouroukis)
17 - Intermediate Boys Volleyball Area Tournament
19 - Report Cards Sent Home
19 - Intermediate Girls Volleyball Area Tournament
19 - 26 - Scholastic Book Fair
20 - Gr. 7 Outdoor Education Trip to Claremont Nature Centre (Ducheck/Wills)
20 - Parent-Teacher Interviews/Student-Led Conferences (evening)
21 - Parent-Teacher Interviews/Student-Led Conferences (morning)
21 - P.A. Day - No School
24 - Gr. 7 Outdoor Education Trip to Claremont Nature Centre (Cianferro/Tredree)
26 - Intermediate Girls Volleyball Regionals
26-28 - Electronic Report Cards Sent Home by YRDSB
28 - Intermediate Boys Volleyball Regionals
Movie Night at DCPS
Donald Cousens Public School's Movie Night #1 is taking place on Thursday, November 6, 2025! We have a final update before voting closes tomorrow. Currently in first place, we have…Bad Guys 2!
If you haven’t voted yet, please do so tonight! The deadline to vote is tomorrow, Saturday, November 1. Movies to choose from include Moana 2, Bad Guys 2, Elio, Harold and the Purple Crayon, Live-Action Lilo and Stitch, and The Wild Robot.
On Monday, during our Morning Announcements, we will announce the movie that receives the most votes, to be shown on November 6. Remember to sign in with your child’s GAPPS account to vote.
Photos from Cross Country
Take Me Outside Day
Donald Cousens PS classes participated in Take Me Outside Day on Wednesday, October 22nd. Take Me Outside Day, held annually, is a national initiative encouraging educators to take students out of the classroom for at least one hour to experience learning in the natural world. For elementary schools, the value of this day is immense, serving as a powerful catalyst for holistic student development. Being outside boosts physical and mental well-being, reduces stress, and increases focus, which are vital for younger learners. Furthermore, it transforms abstract curriculum concepts into tangible, inquiry-based lessons—a math class might measure real trees, or a science lesson might observe an ecosystem, thereby deepening understanding and engagement. By connecting lessons directly to the land, Take Me Outside Day also fosters a crucial sense of place, environmental stewardship, and appreciation for the outdoors, often integrating valuable Indigenous perspectives on land-based learning. This single day champions the idea that the entire schoolyard, park, or local green space can be an expansive, dynamic, and essential classroom.
DCPS “A Awards”
Student Council is proud to announce the return of the DCPS A Awards! This special monthly award is all about celebrating the great things students do outside of their school work, focusing on Attitude, the Arts (like music, visual art, drama, and dance), and Athletics. Each month, we'll focus on a different "A," and each class will nominate one student who really shines in that area.
In October, we were looking for students who show an Attitude of Enthusiasm! What does enthusiasm look like? It means you're excited to try new things, you join in with a positive spirit, and you bring energy to your class and group activities, making DC more fun for everyone! Showing enthusiasm is important because it's contagious; your positive energy helps motivate others and makes our school a happier, more vibrant place to be!
DCPS Library Learning Commons
We’ve been having an exciting time in the DCPS Library this month! Students have been exploring their creativity through our KEVA Plank Challenge, where they used problem-solving skills to build a witch’s hat. It’s been wonderful to see their imagination in action!
We’ve also kicked off our Book Villain Contest, where students celebrate the “bad guys” of literature by identifying which book each villain is from. This fun activity helped spark great conversations about stories in the library and different characters!
Thank you for encouraging their love of books and learning at home!
Junior Division Community Building
Today, students in the Junior Division (grades 4-6) participated in the “longest paper chain challenge.” Students were divided into 6 different groups made up of students from different homeroom classes. Together they worked diligently, getting to know one another and strategizing ways to create the longest paper chains they could with a limited amount of resources provided. What an incredible way to wrap up the month of October!
Remembrance Day
We invite you to join us for our Remembrance Day Assembly on Tuesday, November 11th, at 10:30 am. This special event will take place in the school gymnasium and is an opportunity for our students, staff, and community to unite to honour and remember those who have served our country.
During the assembly, students will share readings and performances that pay tribute to the sacrifices made by our veterans and active service members. It will be a meaningful occasion for all of us to reflect on the importance of peace and the value of remembrance.
Families are invited to attend and participate in this solemn and respectful gathering as we take a moment to honour those who have fought for our freedoms.
Sparking Joy through Number Sense and Numeracy
Welcome, families! This month, we're diving into the exciting world of Number Sense and Numeracy. Number Sense and Numeracy is about helping students conceptually understand how numbers work and how we use them in everyday life. It includes learning to count, add, subtract, multiply, and divide, as well as working with fractions, decimals, and money. These skills help students solve problems, make sense of the world around them, and build confidence in math.
There are many opportunities to create joyful moments and meaningful conversations with children around numbers
Some ideas to try:
- Ask open-ended questions: Instead of "What's 2 + 3?". Try "How many different ways can you make 5?"
- Connecting math to real life: Point out numbers on bus routes or count socks while folding laundry. Math is everywhere!
- Focusing on "how" and "why": Understanding the process is just as important as getting the answer. Let students experiment with different ways to solve a problem, and have them explain their thinking. The journey is where the real learning happens.
Connecting it Back to the Classroom
Children begin developing number sense from a very young age. When families talk about math at home—whether it's counting objects, comparing amounts, or noticing numbers in daily life—children deepen their understanding of how numbers work. These conversations help them see how numbers relate to one another, represent quantities, and how each digit in a number has a value depending on its place. As children talk about numbers and practice using them, they start to build their own strategies, helping them become more confident, flexible, and fluent with math.
Engaging in Number Conversations at Home
We can use everyday items to engage in math conversations at home. Using concrete objects helps children visualize and understand mathematical concepts at home. Here are some ways you can do this together:
- Counting Collections: Gather larger collections of items (e.g., rocks, paperclips, LEGO pieces). Ask your child to estimate the total before counting, then count efficiently by grouping (e.g., by 10s, 25s, 50s, 100s). Challenge them to express the total in multiplication sentences (e.g., "I had 7 groups of 25, so 7 × 25 = 175").
- Some other questions to ask could be :
- “If we split this into equal groups of 8, how many would be in each group?”
- “What if we wanted to share this collection equally between 3 people—how many would each person get? Would there be any left over?”
- Money Matters: Use real or play money to set up a small store. Give your child a budget and a flyer, or create a menu of items with prices. Ask them to:
- Find multiple combinations to spend exactly $5.00 or stay under a budget
- Calculate discounts (e.g., “This item is 20% off—what’s the sale price?”)
- Add sales tax and figure out the total cost
- Compare prices to find a better deal
- Building with Blocks: Use blocks or building materials to explore volume, perimeter, and patterns.
Try these tasks:- Build a tower. Ask: Can you build a tower that is bigger? Build a tower that is smaller?
- Build a tower 15 blocks tall, then increase its height by 25%. How tall is it now?
- Build a rectangular prism with dimensions (length, width, height). Ask: “What’s the volume? How would it change if we doubled the height?”
- Create and extend patterns using colours or shapes. Ask: “What’s the rule for your pattern? What would the 10th or 20th item look like?”
A Fantastic Resource for Families: THE RESOURCE
A super fun resource to highlight this month is "SPLAT!" https://stevewyborney.com/2017/02/splat/ You may have heard of this activity from the classrooms; it's incredibly easy to play at home with items you already have. The idea is to give the student the total number of items, and then cover a group of the objects with a “splat,” and then ask children to figure out how many are hidden. This simple concept provides rich opportunities for children to recognize the number of objects in a small group without counting, create (compose) numbers and break into parts (decompose) numbers, in a hands-on on engaging way!
DIY "SPLAT!":
What you need: A small towel and a collection of everyday objects (e.g., buttons, dry pasta, small toys).
How to play:
"SPLAT!" (Early Learners): Place a small number of objects (e.g., 5-10) on the table for all to see. Determine how many there are. Ask all players to close their eyes while you "splat" (cover) some of the objects with the small towel. Ask: "How many did I start with? How many can you see? How many are hiding under the blanket?" Encourage students to explain their thinking.
"SPLAT!" (Primary Learners): Place a number of objects (e.g., 20 or more) on the table for all to see. Determine how many there are. Ask all players to close their eyes while you "splat" (cover) some of the objects with the small towel. Ask: "How many did I start with? How many can you see? How many are hiding under the blanket?" Encourage students to explain their thinking.
"SPLAT!" (Junior Learners): Place a number of objects (e.g, include half or quarter pieces) on the table for all to see. Determine how many there are. Ask all players to close their eyes while you "splat" (cover) some of the objects with the small towel. Ask: "How many did I start with? How many can you see? How many are hiding under the blanket?" Encourage students to explain their thinking.
"SPLAT!" (Intermediate Learners): Place a number of objects on the table for all to see. Determine how many there are. Ask all players to close their eyes while you "splat" (cover) the same number of objects withexample 2 or 3 small towels. Ask: "How many did I start with? How many can you see? What equation might represent what you see? (e.g. 3x + 4=16) How many are hiding under the blanket?" Encourage students to explain their thinking.
"SPLAT!" encourages flexible thinking and deepens understanding of number relationships, all while feeling like a game!
Remember, the goal is not perfection. It is to participate and have a positive experience. Every time you engage in a math conversation or play a math-related game, you're building a student's confidence and showing them that math is fun, relevant, and a natural part of the world aroun them.
Happy math exploring this November!
From the YRDSB:
Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services Poverty Reduction Strategy Survey
The Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services is assessing Ontario’s current 2020–2025 poverty reduction strategy and developing the next poverty reduction strategy.
We have been asked to share this survey with our school community. The deadline to submit a response is November 30, 2025. The survey should take around 20 minutes to complete.
Please email prs@ontario.ca if you have questions about the poverty reduction strategy consultation or how we collect and use your personal information.
G.I.V.E! (Get Involved, Volunteer in Education)
We are pleased to invite YRDSB parents, guardians, school assistants, and community members to take part in the GIVE (Get Involved, Volunteer in Education) training program. This engaging and meaningful program is designed to equip participants with the knowledge, tools, and skills to contribute as volunteers in diverse and impactful ways. Through GIVE, participants will strengthen parent, school, community, and student connections, fostering deeper engagement and collaboration.
Location: Catholic Community Services of York Region 50 (High Tech Rd., Richmond Hill, ON L4B 4N7)
Dates: November 10 to November 14, 2025 (Monday to Friday)
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Please click on the link to the www GIVE Fall 2025 event. The registration link is within the www event as well.
For more information or questions, please contact Inclusive School and Community Services (ISCS) at iscs@yrdsb.ca.
The Centre for Black Student Excellence - The Power of Pause: Roots for Renewal
The Centre for Black Student Excellence is inviting all students, families and staff to an evening on Wellness and Well Being. An evening filled with strategies to nourish both mind and body.
Dinner will be provided.
Date: Thursday, November 6, 2025
Time: 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Venue: Tommy Douglas S.S. Cafeteria,
Please register by November 3, 2025.
For further information, please email the Centre for Black Student Excellence (CBSE) at blackstudentexcellence@yrdsb.ca.