Lord Strathcona Public School Family Update
February 6, 2026
Principal's Message
For the first time in 2026, we had a week with no snow days! Hopefully we have turned a corner with the weather and we continue to have full classrooms through the month. It is a busy month for celebrations and important events, with Black History Month, Ramadan, Lunar New Year, Valentine's Day, Mardi Gras and the 100th day of school all coming up. On top of that we have out winter movie night coming up this Thursday (more info below) and Family Day next Monday.
Also this Friday, we will send home Term 1 Report Cards and Kindergarten Communications of Learning. This is an important opportunity to reflect with your child on their accomplishments and growth over the first half of the year and to set goals for second term. If you have any questions about your child's report card please reach out to their educators.
G. Seiveright, Principal
Upcoming Dates
Feb. 12 - Movie Night (see below)
Feb. 13 - Report Cards sent home
Feb. 16 - Family Day (No School)
2026-2027 School Year Calendar Survey
The Limestone District School Board is developing the 2026-2027 school year calendar. With Labour Day falling later than usual in 2026, the creation of a balanced and consistent calendar has presented more challenges than in typical years.
In collaboration with our coterminous boards—the Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School Board and the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board—we have prepared four calendar options for consideration. We are seeking feedback from members of the Limestone community to help guide our final decision.
For more information about the four options and to submit your feedback, click here: School Year Calendar Survey. The survey will be open until Feb. 9.
School Council Movie Night
Our School Council is very excited to announce a free Family Movie Night, on Thursday February 12! Please note that parents must stay with their children for this event to supervise. Doors will open at 5:30 - more info is below; the movie will be selected by students next week!
Ramadan
Ramadan is fast approaching and we would like to wish our Muslim students and families Ramadan Mubarak! Our school looks forward to supporting those who are observing fasting, and to honoring the cultural importance of Ramadan. We recognize the diverse religious backgrounds and values represented in our school community and the importance of being sensitive to the needs of all students and their families. We are committed to supporting your child, should they be fasting during Ramadan. As we recognize that the two daily nutrition breaks are likely the most difficult periods to endure while fasting, we would like to provide the option of an alternate quiet space for students to go to instead of their regular classrooms. The room will have books, magazines, games and other things to keep students busy. Of course, this will be a choice for students- they may remain in their regular classrooms. Please make sure your child's teacher knows if you would like them to access this alternate space.
Bus Cancellations
As we have seen several times already this year, sometimes buses are cancelled due to inclement weather. The decision to cancel buses is made by TriBoard, in consultation with the Limestone District School Board, early in the morning. This decision may be based on active weather in the morning, forecast weather for later in the day, or road conditions. When buses are cancelled in the morning they are cancelled for the full day. We will send an email to families in the morning when buses are cancelled, but you can also sign up for notifications at https://triboard.ca/snowdays/ . Please remember that if you drive your children to school on inclement weather days our supervision begins at 8:45 a.m. and students must be picked up by 3:30. If they are staying home due to weather or bus cancellations, please report the absence through SafeArrival to avoid an attendance call.
Possible School Time Change
We are considering a change to our school day for next year. This minor change would align us with our neighbouring schools, which would help resolve some shared staffing issues. The change would mean starting 5 minutes later (9:05) and ending 5 minutes earlier (3:25). It would not change the time students are in class, but would shorten each recess by 5 minutes. This would still be within Ministry Guidelines, and would increase our supervision abilities. We also find that the last 5 minutes of recess are when the majority of conflicts happen, so we would hope this change would reduce conflicts on the yard. This proposed change would not take effect until September, and must be approved by the Board. Any feedback on this proposal can be directed to Mr. Seiveright.
Lord Strathcona Daily Schedule – with proposed changes
Current times (2025-26) |
| Proposed changes for 2026-27 |
8:45 | Yard Supervision/Buses arrive | 8:50 |
9:00 | First Block | 9:05 |
10:40 | First Nutrition Break | 10:45 |
11:00 | First Recess | 11:05 |
11:25 | Second Block | 11:25 |
1:05 | Second Nutrition Break | 1:05 |
1:25 | Second Recess | 1:25 |
1:50 | Third Block | 1:45 |
3:30 | Dismissal | 3:25 |
Immunization Update
Dress for the weather!
Families are rem
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 3:10. 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.
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 upcoming Movie Night!
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, March 5 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.
Kindergarten Registration
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
Time | Activity/learning block |
|---|---|
8:45 a.m. | Supervision begins on the yard |
9:00 to 10:40 a.m. | 100-minute learning block |
10:40 to 11:25 a.m. | Recess and nutrition break |
11:25 a.m. to 1:05 p.m. | 100-minute learning block |
1:05 to 1:50 p.m. | Recess and nutrition break |
1:50 to 3:30 p.m. | 100-minute learning block |
3:30 p.m. | Dismissal |
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.
