August 28 2026 Family Update

Lord Strathcona Public School Family Update

August 28, 2026

Welcome Back!

First Day of School is Wednesday September 2!

Principal's Message

Welcome Back Lightning! We are so excited to see everyone back at school next week, after what we hope was a wonderful summer break. As a reminder, school starts for students on Wednesday, September 2 this year. Our school times have changed, so school begins at 9:05 and ends at 3:25 this year. If you are walking or driving your students to school remember that supervision begins at 8:50.

Our school organization is shared below. This organization is tentative, and is dependent on how many new registrations and departing students we have over the summer. The Board looks at all school enrolments and organizations early in September, and may ask schools to re-organize classes to better accommodate students. We will share information with parents about any reorganization early in the year.

Please read through this newsletter carefully - it includes important information about busing, school hours, volunteers, school council and more. Reach out to your child's teacher or to the office if you have any questions, and we look forward to seeing our hallways filled with smiling faces again soon!

G. Seiveright, Principal

Upcoming Dates

Monday, August 31 - Office open 9-3

Tuesday, September 1 - PA Day (no school for students)

Wednesday, September 2 -First Day of School for students

Monday, September 7 - Labour Day - no school

Class Organization

School hours have changed!

In September 2026, Lord Strathcona Public School will be making a small adjustment to its daily schedule. This change aligns our school day with neighbouring schools, supports smoother coordination across the day, and does not change the amount of instructional time students receive.

School start and end times will shift by five minutes only. Supervision on the yard will begin at 8:50 a.m., with the school start time changing from 9:00 a.m. to 9:05 a.m. The end of the school day will change from 3:30 p.m. to 3:25 p.m. Details are below:

If you have any questions, please contact school administration. Thank you for your continued support.

School Council

Our small but mighty School Council meets about once every 6 weeks to discuss events and fundraisers at Lord Strathcona, bring up issues with administration, and plan special opportunities for students and families. It is a great way to stay informed and involved in your child's schooling!

Our Lord Strathcona School Council from 2025-26 includes the following executive members:

Chair/Secretary/PIC Rep: Bethany Hufnagel

Treasurer: Carrie Fenton

Bingo & Fundraising Coordinator: Angela McGinnis

We hold elections for all executive positions annually. This year our elections and first meeting of the year will be held on September 24 at 4:00 in the library. All parents/caregivers are welcome, whether you are interested in running for an executive position or not. Further meeting dates and times will be determined at the first meeting.

Volunteers

We love having volunteers in our school! Volunteers fill a variety of important roles at Lord Strathcona, including helping in classrooms, going on field trips, helping out with special events, keeping the library in order, and more!

Board policy states that people wishing to volunteer (including parents/guardians attending school field trips) are required to complete a mandatory screening process that includes a police criminal record check, sometimes better known as a CPIC that has a completion date within the last six (6) months. In most instances, a Vulnerable Sector Check CPIC will be required if the volunteer will be working regularly, directly, and/or alone, with students.  In some instances, for example if a parent/guardian is participating on a field trip to attend to the needs of their child, a CPIC may not be required (a condition of this situation must be that this parent is never alone with children other than their own). In this case, an offense declaration would be acceptable. A Vulnerable Sector Check CPIC can be obtained from the Kingston Police. The office will provide a letter to anyone requiring a CPIC to confirm that you are requesting it to work in a school.

Parking info

As you may have noticed, the Unitarian church across the street is under construction, and we can no longer use their parking lot. Our school parking lot is for Staff Parking only. Street parking is permitted as posted in the neighbourhood on Jane Ave., Westmoreland Rd., and Seaforth Rd. There is no parking on either side of the street on McMahon Ave. in front of the school. Students and families are encouraged to walk or ride bikes/scooters where possible, and to be very careful at pick-up/drop off times if driving around the school.

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. You do not need to re-apply for busing in September if your school and address have not changed, but if you have moved or your child is changing schools, you must re-apply!

Medical Conditions

This message is intended for the families of students with prevalent medical conditions where documentation is needed by the school:

Students who had a Medical Plan of Care with us last year will bring home a new form for you to complete and return as soon as possible.

For new students with prevalent medical conditions, or returning students with new medical needs: To help us gather important medical information about your child, we ask that you select the correct Plan of Care form below, complete it and return it to the school as soon as possible. If you require us to administer daily medication, you will also need to complete the necessary paperwork for us to be able to do this.

Daily medication will need to be dropped off at the school. Students cannot carry medications in their backpack, at any time. Please call the school to make arrangements for drop off.

**Be sure to also include the supplementary forms if medication may need to be administered by school staff.

Health and safety of our students is our first priority. Thank you for helping us stay informed on your child's medical conditions and Plan of Care.

Supplemental Forms

Click below for necessary supplementary forms needed including:

• Form 311-A General POC
• Form 311-B - Epilepsy Plan of Care
• Form 311-C - Diabetes Plan of Care
• Form 311-D - Asthma Plan of Care
• Form 311-E - Anaphylaxis Plan of Care
• Form 314-A1 - Authorization and Request for Administration of Prescribed Medication
• Form 314-A2 - Administration of Medication
• Form 314-A3 - Administration of Epi-Pen
• Form 314-A4-Request and Authorization for the Administration of Reliever/Rescue Inhaler
• Form 314-B1 - Authorization and Request for the Administration of Medical Procedures

Kindergarten Registration is still open!

Office Notes

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.

All parents dropping students off or picking students up are asked to wait in the foyer for your child. To help ensure school and student safety and to minimize disruptions, parents/caregivers are not allowed to go down to classrooms during the school day. If you need to pick your child up early from school, please notify the office before 3:15. After that regular dismissal routines start to get very busy and it can be difficult to get a message to classrooms. Thank you for your understanding.

PlayYGK! Charitable Gaming fundraising

Through our School Council, Lord Strathcona is a proud participant of Charitable Gaming! Through funds raised at Play! Gaming and Entertainment Centre we are able to continue our important work supporting students. Money raised from this partnership goes to covering a variety of expenses, including buses for field trips, yard equipment and Chromebooks for students! Over $750 million has been raised for charities across Ontario through Charitable Gaming.

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 (2026-2027 school year)

If you have any questions, please contact school administration. Thank you for your continued support.

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.

2026-2027 LDSB School Year Calendar

A PDF version of the 2026-2027 School Year Calendar is available online.