Lord Strathcona Public School Family Update
June 5, 2026
Principal's Message
The start of June has brought beautiful weather and lots of activity to Lord Strathcona! Yesterday our track and field athletes travelled to Caraco Field to compete in the Regional meet against athletes from schools across the District. Our Lightning students did very well, showing amazing determination and sportsmanship, and made us all very proud! Great work everyone, and thank you to our coaches for all your time and work with the team.
There are lots of events still to come before the end of the year. In this newsletter you will find information about our Family Barbecue, along with Jump Rope for Heart and Spirit Days. We will also have several class events and celebrations, our Discover Kindergarten event, and our grade 6 graduation at the end of the year. We know the days will fly by, with so much happening around the school!
G. Seiveright, Principal
Upcoming Dates
June 10 - Discover Kindergarten - 4:00 - 5:00
June 12 - Jump Rope for Heart
June 18 - Family BBQ - 4:30 - 6:00
June 24 - Grade 6 graduation celebration - 4:30 - 5:00
June 25 - last day for students
June 26 - PA Day
Wednesday, September 2 -First Day of School 2026-2027
Family Barbecue
Our School Council is putting the finishing touches on our Family Barbecue, set for June 18, 4:30 - 6:00 p.m. Families are invited to join us for dinner provided by Gino's Food Truck, paid for by the many volunteer hours at community Bingo - thank you volunteers! Families are asked to bring lawn chairs or blankets to sit on, and plates and cutlery for your family. We will have live music, and children will be able to play on our outdoor equipment. All children must be accompanied by a parent/guardian.
Kindergarten and Grade 1 families are asked to bring a dessert to share.
Grades 2, 3 and 4 families are asked to bring a salad or side dish to share.
Grades 5 and 6 families are asked to bring drinks to share.
Students are bringing home a letter with more information today - please return the bottom portion of the letter by next Friday indicating how many people from your family will be attending (one reply per family).
We hope to see everyone there!
Spring Spirit Days
We have two spirit days coming up in June, for students and staff. Next Friday, June 12, celebrate the World Cup coming to Canada! Students are invited to wear a favourite soccer jersey or shirt, either from a country they cheer for or a team they have played for! No jersey? No problem! Wear your favourite team colours or a Lord Strathcona shirt to be part of the fun.
On the last day of school, June 25, we invite all students to wear your favourite summer clothes! Bright shirts, shorts and sunglasses will be seen all over the school. It will be a great way to say goodbye to the school year and hello to summer vacation! (No bathing suits please!)
Jump Rope for Heart
If you, your friends, or your family can donate, please visit https://jumpropeforheart.crowdchange.ca/122045 or use the QR code below to reach the fundraising page. Any amount is welcome and appreciated. Another option is to please bring $2.00 to school, which will be collected by teachers. Donations will be accepted until Friday, June 12th. Thank you in advance for your support of the Heart and Stoke Foundation!
Kindergarten Registration is now open!
Save the Date: June 10 at 4:00 will be our Discover Kindergarten Open House for Registered JK students. If you know anyone with a child who turns 4 in 2026, tell them to register for school now!
School Safety Drills
Each fall and each spring, we have three practice Fire Drills along with one practice lockdown drill. These safety drills help us to prepare for an emergency, and to identify any issues that may arise in a real situation. We have already completed two fire drills this spring, and all students did a great job of exiting the building quickly and safely. We will plan to do our lockdown drill on June 17 during the morning block. Teachers will prepare students in age-appropriate ways, so that everyone is properly prepared, and not frightened by this drill. We will also have one more fire drill before the end of the year.
Summer Hours
The last day of school for students is Thursday, June 25. Friday June 26 is a PA Day. The office will be open the week of June 29-July 3 (closed July 1 for Canada Day). We will be back open on Tuesday, August 25, a week before school starts on September 2.
Parking Update
At pick up and drop off, many of our families park in the parking lot across the street, at the Kingston Unitarian Fellowship. Please note that there will be a major renovation starting June 8 and that parking lot will be closed off for the remainder of the year. Street parking is permitted in the neighbourhood on Jane St., Westmoreland Rd., Seaforth Rd., and McMahon Av., east of the school. Drivers must obey all posted parking notices. Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding.
Hot Lunch
Hot lunch has returned to Lord Strathcona for term two! We will be offering lunch for purchase every Wednesday. We have switched providers and all lunches listed below will be from Paradiso Pizza.
The next scheduled lunches are as follows:
- Wed. Jun. 10: Grilled Cheese
- Wed. Jun. 17: Personal Pizza
All orders and payments must be made online using School-Day. You must order before the deadline (Sundays before the lunch). LATE ORDERS CAN NOT BE ACCEPTED.
Bus Cancellations
Even though the winter weather is behind us, sometimes buses are cancelled due to driver shortages or other factors. The decision to cancel buses is made by TriBoard, in consultation with the Limestone District School Board, early in the morning. 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.
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.
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.
Today!
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 yard equipment and paying for buses for all our field trips! Over $750 million has been raised for charities across Ontario through Charitable Gaming.
School-Year Calendar 2026-27
The Ministry of Education has approved the school year calendar for the 2026-2027 school year. The school year will start on September 1 (P.A. Day) and the first day of classes for students is on September 2, 2026. A printable calendar along with the 5-day cycle calendar are posted on the Board website here: https://www.limestone.on.ca/school-year-calendar
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 our Fruity Fridays and our year-end family barbecue!
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 School Council meetings have wrapped up for this year. We will share information in September about a schedule of meeting, elections, and how you can be involved. 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
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 |
Beginning 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:
2026-27 School Year Schedule | Activity/Learning Block |
|---|---|
8:50 a.m. | Supervision begins on the yard |
9:05 - 10:45 a.m. | 100-minute learning block |
10:45 - 11:25 a.m. | Recess and nutrition break |
11:25 a.m. - 1:05 p.m. | 100-minute learning block |
1:05 - 1:45 p.m. | Recess and nutrition break |
1:45 - 3:25 p.m. | 100-minute learning block |
3:25 p.m. | Dismissal |
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.
2025-2026 LDSB School Year Calendar
A PDF version of the 2025-2026 School Year Calendar is available online.
