ADS Newsletter
april 2nd, 2026

Grade 12 Graduation will be on Thursday June 25 at 5pm here at Acton District School.

Grad packages are now ready for purchase on School Cash Online for $50 and the package includes:
A Gown and Class of 2026 Cap
Grad Breakfast (June 5th-more details to follow) and commemorative gift
Decorations
Photobooth and Photos
Printing Services

Please order your packages as soon as possible and before the deadline on June 2nd.

Please visit This Link to purchase the graduation fee.

PROM CLASS OF 2026 - CELESTIAL SOIREE-gRADES 11/12

Acton District School presents Celestial Soiree Prom, in celebration of the graduating class of 2026. Date: Thursday May 14, 2026 Time: 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM Venue: Victoria Park East Golf Club 1096 Victoria Road South, Guelph Permission forms will need to be completed and returned to Mrs. Hunt in the office before ticket will be issued. Guests who are not students at Acton District are welcome, however you must complete the guest form and have it approved by Ms. Pfeiffer. Failure to do so will result in a ticket refund and no admission to Prom. We look forward to seeing you all at Prom. It will be an evening to remember!

Purchase your tickets here!

Spring OSSLT April 8th and 9th 2026

A reminder that students in grade 10 who are taking English this semester, and any grade 11 or 12 students who have not yet met the Literacy Requirement for graduation, will be writing the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) on Wednesday April 8th and Thursday April 9th this spring.

Students have been invited to join a Google Classroom to complete practice activities and help them prepare for the test. Two helpful websites to help students practice include the EQAO Practice Test website found here, and Ontario Literacy website with practice activities here. Students will also complete practice activities in grade 10 English class ahead of the test.

If you have questions about the OSSLT, please feel free to contact me via email at: andrewa@hdsb.ca

Manie Musicale is a world-wide francophone music phenomenon that has almost 1 million students taking part, including Acton District students!

All Grade 7 & 8 students, as well as high school students currently taking French classes, have been moving and grooving to 16 songs and voting on their favourites.

This week, we had a spirit week to celebrate some of the fun themes of the songs. These included beach days, tattoos, eyes, hats, and jeans. Ask your student the significance of each of these themes! Here are a few photos of the fun.

The HDSB Discriminatory & Harmful Language Protocol provides clear expectations for how staff respond when harm is caused. Should incidents of discrimination or hate occur in our schools, HDSB staff are committed to responding quickly using the Discriminatory and Harmful Language Protocol. This protocol responds to discriminatory language used against people based on the protected grounds in the Ontario Human Rights Code. This protocol will be followed by students and staff to promote a school environment free from discriminatory language.

https://www.hdsb.ca/our-board/human-rights-equity/discriminatory-harmful-language-protocol/

Annual Used Bike Swap

Join us for the annual Used Bike Swap, hosted by the Halton Hills Bike It Team. Clean out your garage or find a bargain bike.

Sale date is Saturday April 25, 2026, from 10am to 12pm at the Gellert Centre Parking Lot, 10241 Eighth Line, Georgetown. Browsing early is permitted but sales will not start until 10am.

Donated bikes, trikes and cycling equipment will be accepted by volunteers April 20 through 24 from 5 to 7pm at the Gellert Centre parking lot. Look for the Hey Rey bin. Donations will also be accepted the morning of the sale (April 25) from 8 to 11 a.m.

Take part in a great recycling initiative that gets used bikes and trikes into the hands of those who need them while also raising cash for our local food banks.

Prices

Kids bikes: $10 and up
Youth bikes: $20 and up
Premium youth bikes and adult bikes priced individually.

Cash sales only. All bikes sold as is. Proceeds from all sales will be donated to local foodbanks.

Questions? email hhcycling@haltonhills.ca For this and other Bike it events check out haltonhills.ca/cycling.

2026 Summer Co-op Program Information Session - March 30

HDSB students who are currently enrolled in, or who are interested in enrolling in, SHSM or OYAP are invited to attend our 2026 Summer Co-op Program Information Session on Monday, March 30 at 7 p.m. This will be a virtual event. Attendees can access livestream through the HDSB website (hdsb.ca) or HDSB YouTube channel. Registration is not required.

The 2026 Summer Co-op Program will run from June 29 to July 31 and includes two mandatory in-person, in-class days. This session will provide an understanding of the enrolment process and criteria for participation. The program is a two-credit co-op opportunity available to students currently registered as SHSM or OYAP students within the HDSB. It is also available to qualifying Student Success candidates as a one-credit or two-credit co-op option. Student Success candidates must have secured summer employment and the program registration must be completed by the candidate's Student Success teacher.

Those interested in attending the information session can submit a question before or during the session through this Google Form.

Hello Halton Hills,

In honour of Youth Week (May 1st - 7th), please join us in celebrating and recognizing the contributions youth have made in our community.

We will recognize and generate awareness of the value and impact youth have made in Halton Hills through storytelling. We invite you to share a story about a youth, 12-24 years of age who lives, works, or goes to school in Halton Hills, who has made a positive impact on the Halton Hills community.

The story can include but is not limited to:

· The positive impact a youth’s actions have had on someone

· An accomplishment or achievement

· A random act of kindness

· A story of overcoming adversity

· An act of advocacy

· Volunteerism

· Community Involvement

We will celebrate these impactful stories and highlight a few to share at our Youth Week Open House Event, “The Story of Our Youth”, scheduled for Tuesday May 5th, 2026 at the Halton Hills Youth Centres in Georgetown and Acton. Youth, family, friends and members of the community are invited to the Open House Event. More details to follow. With permission of the youth, select stories will also be shared through social media and community displays.

If you would like to submit a story, please complete all fields in the online Submission Form by Wednesday, April 22nd, 2026.

We ask that you notify the youth prior to submitting a story. We will contact the youth before publishing any stories on social media.

Story Submission details for “The Story of Our Youth:

· Complete all fields in the submission form

· Open to youth ages 12-24 years old that reside, work, or go to school in Halton Hills

· One individual may submit stories for multiple youth

· Each story should be a maximum of 200 words

· Submission deadline is Wednesday, April 22nd, 2026

· Complete online submission form

· “The Story of Our Youth” submissions will be shared at the Youth Open House event during Youth Week on Tuesday May 5th, 2025 at the Georgetown and Acton Youth Centres

Help Us Celebrate 100 Years of Acton District School!

In 2027, Acton District School will proudly celebrate 100 years of learning, community, and shared history — and we need your help to make this milestone truly special.

As we prepare to showcase the last century of this incredible school, we are looking for artifacts, photos, memorabilia, and memories from past students, families, staff, and community members. Whether it’s an old class photo, yearbook, trophy, program, story, or personal keepsake, we would love to see and share the moments that helped shape Acton District School over the last 100 years.

If you have items or memories you are willing to share, or would like more information, please reach out to the school:

519-853-2920
actds@hdsb.ca

Thank you for helping us honour the past and celebrate the legacy of Acton District School. We can’t wait to celebrate this exciting milestone together!

Warm regards,
Acton District School

Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA)

For the 2025/2026 school year, Halton Region Public Health will be enforcing Ontario’s Immunization of School Pupils Act (external link)

(ISPA) for students born 2008 to 2013, and 2016 to 2018 who are missing immunization records with Public Health. Get more information on immunizations required for school attendance.

Have you received a vaccine letter from Public Health?

Halton Region Public Health has mailed letters to students born 2008 to 2013, and 2016 to 2018 who are missing immunizations records required by the Immunization of School Pupils Act (external link)

(ISPA).

You may have received a letter because:

Your child’s immunizations have not been reported to Public Health.
Your child is missing a required vaccine.
Your child received vaccines that do not meet the requirements of Ontario's routine immunization schedule.

Please note:

Some vaccines, such as Influenza, Hepatitis B, and Human Papillomavirus (HPV), are recommended by the Ontario Publicly Funded Immunization Schedule but are not required under the ISPA for school attendance.
If you have recently reported your child’s immunization record, you may still receive a letter due to processing times.
If 4 to 5 weeks have passed since your submission, we encourage you to login to ICON to review your child’s record and make sure it includes your updates, and that there are no additional vaccines required.
All immunization records submitted to Public Health are individually reviewed and processed by staff.
We are currently experiencing a high volume of record submissions, and the processing time is 4 to 5 weeks.
Call 311 (or if outside of Halton Region, 905-825-6000) to reach our call centre and speak directly with a public health nurse.
Students and/or parents/guardians are encouraged to login to Immunization Connect Ontario (ICON) to verify the online record has been updated, and to make sure no additional vaccines are required.

We thank you for your patience during this time.

A reminder that suspension lists will be sent to schools approximately 4-5 weeks prior to the suspension periods:

- Secondary school cohort: Students born in 2008 – 2011 (grades 9 to 12)
- Suspension period: April 30th to May 28th

Schools do NOT have immunization records on file, all records are kept and must be updated with Halton Region Public Health. If you have questions about your child's immunizations, please contact Halton Region Public Health by calling 311.

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

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

Summer School 2026 – Registration Opens April 15!

We’re pleased to share some details about Summer School 2026 through the Halton District School Board (HDSB). This is a great opportunity for students to earn credits, upgrade marks, or get a head start on next year’s learning.

📅 Registration Dates – Please Mark Your Calendar

Registration Opens: Wednesday, April 15

Registration Closes (myBlueprint): Wednesday, June 10

Families are strongly encouraged to register as early as possible once the system opens on April 15, as courses can fill quickly. After June 10, myBlueprint will close for regular registration.

📚 Program Details

Full Credit: June 29 – July 27

Co-op: June 29 – July 31

Session 1: June 29 – July 13

Session 2: July 14 – July 27

Class Time: 8:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. (in-person and online options available)

🏫 Course Options Include:

Full Credit & Half Credit courses ( details will be found in myBlueprint on April 15)
Reach Ahead (HDSB only)
Upgrades (HDSB only)
Summer Co-op (HDSB only)
Travel Credits
Credit Recovery (not offered for 2026)
In-person locations (limited busing provided from Acton DS to Elsie MacGill SS (Milton)

📝 How to Register

HDSB students: Register through myBlueprint

📌 Remember: Registration opens April 15 and closes June 10. Please ensure you complete registration within this window to secure your child’s spot.

School Cash Online

At Acton District., we use School Cash Online for all payments made to the school. It is recommended that you set up your account so you are prepared for any fees that pertain to your student throughout the school year.

Some of the benefits of using School Cash Online include:

· Ability to pay by credit card and Visa debit or echeck(out of bank account)

· Receive reminder emails so you never miss a payment due date

· See only items available to purchase online that are applicable to your student(s)

· Uses Google Translate in over 100 languages to assist you when making purchases

· Make an online donation and receive your tax receipt by email

· Support available 24 x 7

Visit hdsb.schoolcashonline.com to sign up today and have the ability to track all payments made. You will need the Halton student number for your student (not the OEN) in order to set up an account. Please contact the school at 519.853.2920 if you don’t have your student’s number.

Secondary Pizza Day May 15th, 2025

Extended Absence Reminder

Parents/guardians who withdraw students during school time are advised that, depending on the timing and length of the absence, academic performance of your student may be affected. It is the student’s responsibility to catch-up on missed work.

In secondary school, any absence that is longer than 3 consecutive days is referred to as an extended absence. If you know that your student will be away for more than 3 consecutive school days, please print this Planned Absence Form and fill it in with the information requested 2 weeks prior to the planned absence (hard copies are available in the office). Students should ask their parent/guardian and teachers to fill in the form and once it is complete, the form should be handed in at the main office. The Vice Principal will then review the form and it will be given to the attendance Administrative Assistant for attendance to be entered (absences longer than 3 days are not able to be entered into School Messenger by parents). If you have any questions about this process, please reach out to the main office at 905-847-6875. Thank you.