Message from Administration
We hope everyone is enjoying the crisp autumn weather (most days) and the vibrant start to the school year. It was wonderful to see so many families at our Meet the Educator/Curriculum Night on October 8th. Thank you for coming out to connect with our staff and supporting your child's learning journey.
Our school community has been bustling with activity and achievement this month. We are thrilled to celebrate the incredible success of our Terry Fox School Run, where our school community raised $871 for cancer research! Thank you to everyone who participated and donated to this meaningful cause. Looking ahead, our hot lunch program starts next week on Oct 20th.
Extracurriculars and student leadership are also in full swing! We are so proud of our 58 students who represented DCPS at the Cross Country Area meet, and a big congratulations to the 4 students who qualified for the upcoming Regional meet! Musical talent is also shining, with our Grade 1–4 and Grade 5–8 choirs starting rehearsals. In addition, our intermediate boys', girls', and co-ed volleyball teams have been practicing daily and showing great teamwork in games against other schools. In the coming weeks, students can also look forward to the launch of our Reach for the Top Trivia Club. Finally, we want to give a special shoutout and express our heartfelt gratitude to our Grade 7 and 8 student lunch monitors, who generously volunteer their time each day to assist in our Kindergarten to Grade 3 classrooms.
Sumir Bansal Joanne Trim
Principal Vice Principal
Hot Lunches Begin Next Week
On Mondays & Fridays, families can place orders from Kids Kitchen for delivery to the school.
Tuesdays - Pizza Pizza | Wednesdays - Kome Shokudo | Thursdays - Mother’s Deli |
Oct 20, 27 | Oct 21, 28 | Oct 22, 29 |
Terry Fox Run Update (from Ms. Iaboni’s Grade 6/7 Class)
We recently had our Terry Fox Walk/Run on October 2nd. Leading up to it, Ms. Iaboni’s class created posters and made announcements every day to raise awareness about Terry Fox and the importance of cancer research. The whole school designed and created shoes with inspirational words and images about Terry. It was amazing to see everyone participate in the run and have fun. The money we raised during the run was almost $900 dollars, wow! Thank you, everyone, for your participation and donations to such a great cause and thanks to Ms. Channa for organizing this amazing event!
Cyber Security
Who Controls Your Child's Device
If your child is using the primary account on their device, parental safeguards may be easier to bypass than you think. Check that they're set up under a family account with app download approvals and Screen Time or Family Link enabled.
Click here to read more: Who Controls Your Child’s Device?
Lace Up for iWALK Month this October!
October is International Walk to School Month (iWALK), a global celebration that encourages families to choose active transportation for their daily commute. As a proud walking school, Donald Cousens Public School encourages all students and families to lace up their sneakers, grab a scooter, or ride a bike to and from school!
Walking to school offers fantastic benefits for our whole community:
- Health & Well-being: A morning walk helps students start the day energized and focused, ready to learn, while building lifelong habits of daily physical activity.
- A Greener Planet: Replacing car trips with walking cuts carbon emissions, lowers localized air pollution, and keeps our neighbourhood environment cleaner.
- Safer Streets: Less vehicle traffic around the school zone during peak drop-off and pick-up hours reduces congestion, making street crossings significantly safer for everyone.
Living too far to walk the whole way? Try the "Drive Grey, Walk Green" strategy—park 5–10 minutes from the school and enjoy a short walk together for the rest of the way!
DCPS Library Learning Commons
The DCPS Library/Learning Commons has been full of activity this month! We welcomed all classes to choose their library books throughout the first three weeks of school.
Kindergarten to Grade 4 students will be visiting the library each week.
Grade 5-8 students can visit the library during our open book exchange times throughout the week. They may also visit during morning recess.
Kindergarten to Grade 3 students have a library bag that was given to them with their name on it to keep their book safe. On their library day, please make sure your child returns their book and their library bag so that they can choose a new book to bring home!
To help ensure our books stay in great shape for everyone to enjoy, please review these simple Book Care Rules with your child at home:
- Keep the books in a safe spot
- Keep them clean & dry: Please enjoy snacks and drinks before or after reading, rather than while holding the book, to prevent accidental spills.
- Use a bookmark: Avoid folding down page corners. A simple piece of paper or a fun bookmark works perfectly!
- Protect from pets and toddlers: Keep books safely out of reach of curious pets or younger siblings who might accidentally rip or chew them.
- Gentle pages, clean hands: Remind your child to wash their hands before reading and to turn the pages gently from the corners.
Our first Makerspace challenges were shared with students, and they had fun exploring their creativity and using different materials! One challenge was to add things that represent our school on the Lego wall.
Thank you for encouraging their love of books and learning at home!
- Ms. Channa
Congratulations to Ms. Ducheck!
ETFO Voice is the official quarterly magazine and online platform of the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO).
In the most recent issue, our very own Ms. Ducheck received the Environmental Education Award. From the ETFO website: “This award may be granted to an active ETFO member to recognize their outstanding commitment to the care and protection of the environment.”
CONGRATULATIONS, Ms. Ducheck, and THANK YOU for all the work you do with our students and staff at DCPS, and for your commitment to environmental and Indigenous learning.
School Mental Health Ontario
As part of our continued commitment to supporting the well-being of our students and families, we encourage parents and caregivers to explore the wealth of evidence-based tools available through School Mental Health Ontario (SMHO). Their dedicated parent and caregiver hub, "By Your Side," offers practical, everyday resources designed to support student mental health and overall family well-being. To support our diverse school community, many of these high-quality resources are available in multiple languages. The website provides free webinar series, informative blog posts, and expert guidance on highly relevant topics, including stress and anxiety management, navigating digital technology, and promoting positive mental health at home. We invite you to visit the School Mental Health Ontario Parents and Caregivers Page to access these valuable materials and learn more about how we can work together to nurture our children's emotional health.