October 31 Family Update

Lord Strathcona Public School Family Update

October 31, 2025

Principal's Message

Daylight Savings Time ends this weekend, so don't forget to set your clocks back an hour Saturday night! Even with the days getting shorter and colder, it is hard to believe that we are already through two months of the school year. Time is flying by and students continue to work hard on literacy and math skills, setting and reaching their goals and making great progress. Our first reporting period of the year is coming up, with Progress Reports and kindergarten Initial Observations going home on Nov. 13. These early snapshots will let families know how a student is progressing towards achievement of curriculum expectations, and will share important strengths and next steps in learning. Progress Reports give families a great opportunity to have a discussion with students around all that has been accomplished so far in the year, and what goals make sense for the rest of the term. If you have questions about your child's Progress Report please reach out to their teacher.

G. Seiveright, Principal

Upcoming Dates

Sun. Nov. 2 - Daylight Savings Ends - clocks back 1hr.

Tues. Nov. 11 - Remembrance Day Assembly - 10:00 gym

Tues. Nov. 11 - School Council 4:00 library

Thurs. Nov. 13 - Progress Reports and Kindergarten Initial Observations sent home

Fri. Nov. 14 - PA Day

Wed. Nov. 19 - Harvest Lunch

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

Nov. 26 - 28 - Scholastic Book Fair

Remembrance Day

Nov. 11 is Remembrance Day. We will have our annual Remembrance Day assembly for our students at 10:00 on that day. Students will be given poppies (sticker or pin) for the assembly, which have been provided by the Royal Canadian Legion. If you would like to make a small donation for the poppy, please send it with your child on Nov. 11 to give to their teacher. We hope that this will be an opportunity for all students to learn about and reflect on the sacrifices and ongoing work of the Canadian Armed Forces.

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 on 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.  

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

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:

• Wed. Nov. 5: Tony's Hamburgers (order closed)
• Wed. Nov. 12: Tony's Panzerottis (order by Nov. 2)
• Wed. Nov. 19: Tony's Pizza slices
• Wed. Nov. 26: Tony's Subs

All orders and payments must be made online using School-Day. Ordering is open now for the first 4 lunches. You must order before the deadline (10 days before the lunch). LATE ORDERS CAN NOT BE ACCEPTED.

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.

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.

School Council

In October we had the first meeting of the year of our School Council. At the meeting the following members were elected to the Council Executive:

Hello from our Lightning School Council!

Chair/Secretary/PIC Rep: Bethany Hufnagel

Treasurer: Carrie Fenton

Bingo & Fundraising Coordinator: Angela McGinnis

Our next School Council meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 11 at 4:00 p.m. in the library. We are trying a different time for our meeting 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.