October 9 2026 Family Update

Lord Strathcona Public School Family Update

October 9, 2026

Principal's Message

Happy Thanksgiving weekend! We can feel in the weather and see in the leaves that fall is here, and at Lord Strathcona we are thankful for the wonderful community and great learning taking place every day! We hope that everyone has a chance this weekend to spend some time with family and friends outside in the beautiful fall sun.

It was great to see so many families at our Open House last week. Students are so proud to show off their classrooms and work to their families, and it is a great way to stay connected with the school. We also had lots of families sign up for our Lunch is Ready program, which offers a FREE LUNCH every Tuesday! Today is the last day to register, if you haven't already. More info is below.

There is lots of important information about upcoming events in this week's newsletter, including school clothing. Please reach out to your child's teacher or to the office if you have any questions!

G. Seiveright, Principal

Upcoming Dates

Oct. 12 - Thanksgiving - no school

Oct. 13 - Regional Cross Country meet at Fort Henry Hill

Oct. 21 - Picture Day

Oct. 26 - PA Day - no school for students

School Clothing

We are very happy to share that once again this year School Council will provide a Lord Strathcona T-Shirt to every student in the school. We have sizing samples, and will size the students here at school, but if you would like a specific size for your child please reach out to their teacher next week. Our school clothing provider, Specialty Trophies, is also in the process of setting up a school clothing e-Store for us, which will include sweatshirts, long-sleeved t's and more. Once this e-store is up and running families will be able to order additional items for purchase, with free delivery to the school.

Picture Day

School photos will be taken this year on October 21. All students will have individual and class photos taken. Families can order prints if they want directly from our school photographer, which will be delivered to the school. Remember your smiles!

Hot Lunch

Hot lunch has returned to Lord Strathcona! We will be offering lunch for purchase every Thursday this year. This year we are using Gino's as our hot lunch provider. The next scheduled lunches are as follows:

• Thurs. Oct. 15: Chicken Fingers (Regular or Halal) (order closes Oct. 11)
• Thurs. Oct. 22: Gino's Pizza (order closes Oct. 18)
• Thurs. Oct. 29: Gino's Pasta (order closes Oct. 25)

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.

Lunch is Ready!

We are excited to share that once again the Food Sharing Program will be running the Lunch is Ready program at Lord Strathcona this year. Students who register will receive a free nutritious meal once per week, including a main course, fruit, and milk. Meals will be delivered to the school every Tuesday starting October 20 through December 15. Registration for the Lunch is Ready! (LIR) program opened on Monday, September 21 and closes today!

To view the menu and register your child, please visit: https://foodsharingproject.store/ . Our goal is to provide free, nutritious meals to all students at school!

School Council

We are pleased to share that our Lord Strathcona School Council for 2026-27 will include the following executive members:

Chair/Secretary: Bethany Hufnagel

Treasurer: Jay Macdonald

Bingo & Fundraising Coordinator: Angela McGinnis

PIC Rep: Lauren Hudson

Members-at-Large: Diana Guinee, Chantal Gignac

Our School Council plays an important role in supporting school events, planning and organizing fundraisers, and consulting with the Principal and school staff on a variety of important school issues. Our next meeting of the year will be on Nov. 5 at 5:00 p.m. in the library. All parents/caregivers are welcome at all meetings.

Free Community Event: An Evening with Babara Coloroso – Monday, October 26, 2026

Join us on Monday, October 26, 2026, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Napanee District Secondary School (245 Belleville Road, Napanee) for an evening with best-selling author and parent educator Barbara Coloroso. With humour, heart, and real-world wisdom, Barbara inspires parents, educators, and community members to raise resilient, empathetic children while building stronger relationships and connections. Barbara is the author of the best-selling books Kids Are Worth It! and The Bully, the Bullied, and the Not-So-Innocent Bystander. 

This free community event is open to all; however, online registration is required. Attendees are also invited to submit questions in advance through the registration form.

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.

Artificial Intelligence in Limestone

In the Limestone District School Board, we are committed to helping students develop the skills and confidence they need to navigate today’s digital world. Technology, including artificial intelligence (AI), is already part of students’ everyday lives, and learning how to use it in a thoughtful and responsible way is important for their success in school and beyond.​

​We want all students to feel safe, supported, and informed when using digital tools. Students are learning about how technology can affect learning, mental health, and well-being, and how we can help students build healthy, balanced habits with their use of technology. ​

​Students are also exploring how tools like AI can support learning and problem-solving in positive and meaningful ways. Our focus is on helping students become confident and responsible digital citizens who can use technology thoughtfully and safely to support their learning and well-being, both at school and at home.​

AI Guiding Principles:

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.

E-Scooter information from City of Kingston

E-scooters are easy to find, but they aren't toys and aren't designed for kids. In Ontario, you must be at least 16 years old to ride wherever e-scooters are permitted. In Kingston, e-scooters are not currently permitted. The City is developing a Micromobility Regulations Strategy — with updated rules around e-scooters, e-bikes and other lightweight, rideable transportation — to support safe, accessible and sustainable travel around Kingston. The strategy, which considers public engagement feedback and research into best practices, will be presented to Council for consideration later this year. Find out more at Micromobility Regulations | Get Involved Kingston by Communications & Public Engagement.

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!

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.