Aldergrove News, May 1, 2026

Message from Admin 

Dear Aldergrove Families,

As we welcome the month of May, there is a wonderful sense of energy in the building. This is always an exciting and busy time of year at Aldergrove, with lots of learning, celebration, and special events ahead. I’m pleased to share a few important highlights as we begin the month together.

Celebrating Heritage and Inclusion

May is recognized as Polish, Jewish, Dutch, and Armenian Heritage Month. Recognizing and celebrating heritage months supports our ongoing commitment to inclusion and belonging, helping students understand that our diversity is something to be valued, respected, and learned from.

Aldergrove Plays – June 4

Planning is well underway for Aldergrove Plays, taking place on June 4, and we are looking forward to an evening of fun, connection, and community building.

• Event details have already been emailed home, so please keep an eye out for that message.
• Register for the Aldergrove Plays and badminton through google form.
• Purchase food at schoolcashonline

We hope many of our families can join us for this special evening together.

Badminton Team Updates

Our Badminton team continues to train with focus and determination as they prepare for the upcoming Area Tournament. The commitment shown by our students has been excellent, and we are proud of their hard work and positive attitude.

EQAO Information

May is also the month when EQAO assessments take place. More detailed information will be shared later this month. Families of students in Grades 3 and 6 are encouraged to watch for upcoming emails with important dates and information.

Eco Team in Action

Our Eco Team continues to make a visible and meaningful impact on our school environment. They are currently working on beautifying the front garden, which is already beginning to look phenomenal. Their efforts reflect care, responsibility, and pride in our shared space.

Theme of the Week

Growing Together Through Learning and Community

Quote of the Week

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”
 — Helen Keller

Thank you, as always, for your continued partnership and support. We are looking forward to a busy, joyful, and successful month ahead at Aldergrove.

Warm regards,

Mr. Louca                         Mr. Pamayah

Principal                           Vice Principal

Aldergrove Plays on June 4, 2026 3:30-6:30
 

1. Register for the Aldergrove Plays and badminton through google form.
2. Purchase food at schoolcashonline

Event: 3:30 to 6:30 pm

Location: Aldergrove P.S.

Food Availability:  4:00 to 6:00 pm

• Ice Cream Truck: Purchase on-site
• BBQ: Pre-order and Pre-purchase (Big Flames BBQ Food Truck) 

Register and purchase food today!

Safety Message from St. Benedict Catholic Elementary School

The administration at St. Benedict Catholic Elementary School has asked us to share a safety concern. They have noticed many of our students and family members are crossing through their kiss-and-ride and parking lot areas on the way to school in the morning. They are concerned for and ask that you please only use sidewalks and walkways and refrain from walking through these areas of their school to ensure everyone’s safety. Thank you for your cooperation.

Notice To All Bus Families

This is just a reminder to all bus families, for information on bus routes, stop locations, bus times, late arrivals, registering a complaint, safety and general information, please visit the Student Transportation Services website (http://www.schoolbuscity.com/) or contact the York Region Student Transportation Services School Bus Information Line at 1-877-330-3001, accessible 24 hours a day.

To view all updates regarding late buses please visit the school bus city website at www.schoolbuscity.com and click on “Today’s Late Buses” or click here. In the Search field, search for “Aldergrove” or your bus number. 

2026-2027 Kindergarten Registration

Bright Beginnings, Endless Possibilities

Kindergarten Registration Opens January 16, 2026

Is your child turning 4 or 5 in 2026? Or do you know someone who is? 

Mark your calendars and follow these simple steps. 

1. Find your home school. 

Use our school finder to find your home school - the school in your neighbourhood. 

2 .Register for Kindergarten. 

You can register online, in person, or by phone or email.

Visit www.yrdsb.ca/kindergarten to access the online registration portal or download the registration form. Once you have completed your application, the school will contact you to make an appointment to review and verify the required documents. 

3. Register early for Before and After Care 

All schools offer before and after-care programs. Check your school’s website or our before and after care directory for details. Contact providers early to secure your spot. 

4. Explore and Prepare for Kindergarten

Kindergarten is where big dreams start small. Learn how Kindergarten helps children develop the academic and social skills they need to thrive in Grade 1 and beyond. Our skilled and caring teams of certified teachers and early childhood educators work together to support every child in a welcoming, inclusive environment.

Ready to Begin?

Start your journey at www.yrdsb.ca/kindergarten.  

Learning Commons Update

This week, Ms. Cao’s Grade 3/4 class came into Makerspace to work on STEM projects utilizing forces and pulleys and gears. Grade 3 students were able to engage in a building task where they had to build a throne for Ms. Cao to sit on that would support her weight.  They were also allowed to build a race car out of popsicle sticks, elastics and hot glue to demonstrate kinetic and potential energy.  They tested their cars on various surfaces to check the effect of friction of materials on the motion of their car.  Students also got to blend coding and robotics with building STEM and testing forces. They built a sled that a DASH robot could pull and test its strength and how it moves over different surfaces. Then, they had to attach another DASH robot to demonstrate a dual pulling force on the sled to see how durable it was. Students also had the opportunity to engage in some Eco-motivated STEM when they built a Bee Hotel using a tin can and rolled paper to encourage bees and other insects to find a safe place.  Lastly, students got to participate in an Egg drop challenge ensuring they considered the effect of gravity on the structure they built and the weight of the egg inside. It proved difficult to keep the egg inside their structure to protect their egg buddy. 

Grade 4s engaged in building large scale STEM projects with a Fairy Tale theme.  Some students were given a task themed around “The Three Little Pigs” and were asked to build a house that either rotated away from the Wolf, or was lifted up on pulleys away from the Wolf.  Another task was themed after “The Gingerbread Man” where students had to build a boat that was attached to a pulley system to safely pull the Gingerbread Man across a body of water.  Another group were given a task themed after “Rapunzel” where they had to design a system utilizing a pulley and gear system to lift a small bucket up to the top of Rapunzel’s tower to deliver her Uber Eats. Lastly, students were asked to build a dancing grandma utilizing gears to build a Grandma-bot that would fake out the Wolf from “Little Red Riding Hood” to make sure she wouldn’t get eaten again! 

Students in Kindergarten to Grade 2 learned about ways to help the Earth in honour of Earth day, and the impact that humans are having on the planet.  We focused on the importance of sorting their waste properly at school and at home to reduce landfill waste and increase items for recycling. 

Mental Health Awareness @ Aldergrove

Students from Grade 1-8 were asked to engage in Learning for Mental Health surrounding topics of Self Care, or Identifying Problems. The lessons were inspired by content from School Mental Health Ontario. If you would like access to the PDFs that coincide with the slides they were given, please follow the links below. 

Grade 1-5 - Self Care: https://smho-smso.ca/online-resources/self-care-101-for-students/

Grade 6-8 - No Problem too Big or Too Small: https://smho-smso.ca/online-resources/no-problem-too-big-or-too-small-student-help-seeking-resource/

Working with our Public Health Nurse, we have applied for a Grant to help support Mental Health in the school.  Along with SPIRIT, we will be making “Mental Health Toolkits” for Grade 3-6 that will include strategies for supporting daily well-being (e.g., breathing exercises, positive affirmations, etc), as well as some options for fidget to support focus. We hope that these toolkits will promote conversation and understanding of mental wellness needs throughout the day. 

SPIRIT team will also be supporting the start-up of a Board Game club for Grade 3-4 where students can sign up and come and play some games once or twice a week.  Students will learn the importance of communication, following rules, turn taking, and winning and losing well.  Our SPIRIT members will be bridging this learning with students providing supportive vocabulary and conversations.
 

Literacy at Home

Whether you are sparking ideas during a car ride, organizing thoughts at the kitchen table, or practicing spelling with a hands-on game, these activities make writing feel like a natural part of your day. Have fun exploring these ideas together. 

The Alternate Ending: After watching a movie or reading a story, ask them to create a different ending to the movie or story.  It’s a great way to practice cause-and-effect and creative problem-solving. 

The "How-To" Challenge: Ask your child to write (or dictate) the instructions for a simple task, like making a sandwich or brushing their teeth. Then, follow their instructions exactly as written. If they forget to say "open the jar," you can’t open it! It’s a fun way to show them why logical steps and transitions are so important in writing.

Photo Sequence Shuffle: Take 3 to 5 photos from a recent family trip or event and show them to your child out of order. Ask them to arrange the photos to tell the story of what happened. Once they have the order, have them "write the captions" for each stage: Beginning, Middle, and End. This helps them see that good writing is just a series of connected moments.

Sensory Spelling: Fill a tray with salt, flour, or shaving cream. Have your child use their finger to "draw" their words. The physical sensation helps the brain remember the letter shapes.

Flashlight Finder: Tape spelling words or letters around a dark room. Give your child a flashlight and "call out" a word. They have to hunt for the word and "trace" each letter with the light beam as they spell it out loud. It turns a boring list into a high-energy nighttime mission.

Spelling "Word-Chain": Start with a word (e.g., Apple). Your child has to think of a word that starts with the last letter of your word (e.g., Egg). Take turns back and forth, but here’s the catch: you must spell the word out loud to "lock in" your turn. How long can you keep the chain going? 

Etymology Detective: Challenge your older child to find the "root" of a difficult word. If they are stuck on a word like biography, help them find that bio means "life" and graph means "write." Once they understand the "code" behind the word, it will help them remember how to spell the word. 

Coming Up!

May 2026

• May 4: Women's Conference (Gr 7); Intermediate Badminton Areas
• May 6: Cricket for Grade 5-6
• May 7: Making a Difference Program
• May 8: Markham Concert Band Performance & Workshop (9:00 AM–11:30 AM).
• May 10: Mother’s Day.
• May 12: Making a Difference Program
• May 14: Aldergrove Show: Dreams 1:30 PM. Families invited
• May 15: Spirit Day: Count On Me (Wear numbers for Mental Health Month)
• May 18: Victoria Day (Holiday - No School).
• May 19: Immunization Clinic for Grade 7.
• May 20: Grade 6 EQAO Day 1; Gauss Contest for Grade 7&8
• May 21: Regionals Intermediate Badminton; Grade 6 EQAO Day 2.
• May 22: Grade 6 EQAO Catch-Up; Cricket for Grade 5-6
• May 25–26: Grade 3 EQAO (Days 1 & 2).
• May 27: Eid-ul-Adha (Significant Faith Day); Grade 3 EQAO Catch-Up.
• May 29: Grade 1 Field Trip to Space Center; Pride Flag Raising Ceremony (12:40 PM).

June 2026

• Jun 1: Ontario Day; Cricket for Grade 5-6;
• Jun 2: Junior Track and Field Day
• Jun 3: Intermediate Track and Field Day
• Jun 9: Grade 8 Grad Trip to Wonderland.
• Jun 12: Junior Badminton Areas.
• Jun 15: Junior Track and Field Areas (at Stouffville Arena).
• Jun 21: Father's Day & National Indigenous Peoples Day.
• Jun 25: Last Day of School for Students/ Early Dismissal &.PA Day
• Jun 26: PA Day