November 13 Family Update

Lord Strathcona Public School Family Update

November 13, 2025

Principal's Message

Our first snow day of the year came early this week, and reminded us that winter is just around the corner. I will email families on days that all buses to Lord Strathcona are cancelled, and you can also sign up to receive notifications of cancellations to your child's specific route, at https://triboard.ca/. If your child is going to stay home on an inclement weather day, please remember to report their absence through School Messenger to help us track attendance and ensure student safety.

A reminder that tomorrow is a PA Day for students, so there is no school. We will see everyone back on Monday!

G. Seiveright, Principal

PA Day - tomorrow! Friday, November 14

Upcoming Dates

Fri. Nov. 14 - PA Day - No School for students

Wed. Nov. 19 - Harvest Lunch

Wed. Nov. 19 - jk/sk/gr. 2 Dental Screening

Fri. Nov. 21 - LDSB Pink Shirt Day

Nov. 24 - 28 - Student Census week (gr. 4-6)

Nov. 26 - 28 - Scholastic Book Fair

Dec. 3 - School Photo Retakes

Harvest Lunch

We are very happy to share that School Council and the Bayridge SS Culinary class are bringing Harvest Lunch back to Lord Strathcona PS this year! This special and popular event will take place in the gym next Wednesday, November 19. All students will be invited to participate in the lunch, which includes chicken (halal), mashed potatoes, gravy, a veggie and cookie for dessert. This meal is free to students thanks to funding from School Council and Charitable Gaming @PlayYGK. Lunch will take place during middle block (11:30 - 1:00).

See Yourself in Limestone – Student Census Survey

Limestone is committed to creating safe, inclusive, and supportive learning environments for all students. To help us better understand how students’ identities and experiences relate to their achievement and well-being, we are launching our second See Yourself in Limestone Student Census Survey this fall.

The census is a voluntary and confidential survey for students in Grades 4 to 12, running from November 24 to 28, 2025. It gathers information about students’ identities and their experiences at school. This data is then paired with academic information to help us understand what school is like for different groups of students.

Important information for families:

• The survey is optional.
• Responses are confidential and students can skip any questions they do not wish to answer.
• Students will complete the survey during class time.
• Students who do not participate will be provided with an alternative activity.

Families who do not want their student(s) to complete the survey must contact their school principal by Friday, November 14, 2025. Opting out means the student will not receive the survey in their e-mail inbox.

By better understanding students’ identities and experiences, we can remove barriers and better support students in accessing what they need to succeed.

Learn more about the Student Census and how it supports equity in Limestone: limestone.on.ca/student_census

Winter Gift Shop

Our annual Gift Shop will be open again this year for one day in December! All students will have the opportunity to visit the gym and select one gift for a family member, which we will help them wrap and send home. We are now accepting new and gently used gift items including home decor, games, or other small gift ideas. We are also looking for donations of gift wrap, tissue paper, and gift bags, to help with the wrapping. Thank you for your support - we look forward to this event!

Dress for the weather!

Families are reminded that we have 50 minutes of outdoor recess every day. Along with this, many classes enjoy gym time outside and also may use our many yard spaces as an outdoor classroom. Remember to send your students to school every day prepared for the weather. We will still go out in light rain or snow, so make sure that children have boots, coats, and mitts/hats as necessary. It is so much fun outside, especially when students are dressed for the weather!

Hot Lunch

Hot lunch has returned to Lord Strathcona! We will be offering lunch for purchase every Wednesday, beginning on October 22. The next scheduled lunches are as follows:

• Thurs. Nov. 20: Tony's Pizza slices - Date changed due to Harvest Lunch! (Order closed)
• Wed. Nov. 26: Tony's Subs (Order by Sunday Nov. 16)
• Wed. Dec. 3: Tony's Hamburgers
• Wed. Dec. 10: Tony's Panzarottis

All orders and payments must be made online using School-Day. You must order before the deadline (10 days before the lunch). LATE ORDERS CAN NOT BE ACCEPTED.

Scholastic Book Fair - Save the Date

We are happy to share that our Scholastic Book Fair will be back again this year. Mark your calendars for November 26-28. More information will follow closer to the date of the Book Fair.

Office Hours

Please note that our Office Administrator is on lunch from 11:30 - 12:30. Phones may not be answered during this time, and it may take longer than normal to answer the front door. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Busing Information

You can check your busing information and apply for any changes to transportation at https://triboard.ca/ . All students must be registered for the bus in order to be able to ride. Please note that new applications and any changes take several days to process, so be sure to have alternate transportation plans in place. Please be at your child's bus stop 10 minutes before their scheduled pick-up/drop-off time to make sure you are there on time.

School Council

Our small but mighty School Council continues to meet to discuss events and fundraisers at Lord Strathcona, bring up issues with administration, and plan special opportunities for students and families. This includes the Harvest Lunch next week along with the Holiday Gift Shop in December.

Our Lord Strathcona School Council includes the following executive members:

Chair/Secretary/PIC Rep: Bethany Hufnagel

Treasurer: Carrie Fenton

Bingo & Fundraising Coordinator: Angela McGinnis

Our next School Council meeting will be held on Thursday, January 15 at 4:00 p.m. in the library. We are trying different times for our meetings this year in the hopes that new interested parents and caregivers will join us! All LSPS parents/guardians are invited to join us.

School Council Facebook Group

NEW this year is an unofficial Facebook Group for Parents and Guardians in the LSPS community to connect. Any parent or guardian is welcome to join at the QR code in the image, or by following the link: Facebook.com/groups/LSPSparents This will be a place to find reminders of upcoming events and to build connections with other families in the community. This group is not monitored by the school and is not a place to ask student-specific questions or raise concerns. Please feel free to share the link with any LSPS parent or guardian you are connected with - the more the merrier!

Daily Schedule

Allergen Awareness - Nut-Free School

Thank you for packing nut-free snacks! Please communicate with teachers before sending any treats in for your student's class.

2025-2026 LDSB School Year Calendar

A PDF version of the 2025-2026 School Year Calendar is available online.