September 19 Family Update

Lord Strathcona Public School Family Update

September 19 2025

Principal's Message

It has been a wonderful September getting to know students and families as we enjoy the beautiful late-summer weather. I look forward to meeting more families at our Open House on October 2 (more info below). There is lots of information in this week's newsletter, so be sure to have a good look, and reach out if you have any questions.

G. Seiveright, Principal

Open House

Our annual Open House will be held on Thursday, October 2, from 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. We hope that all families can join us to meet your children's educators, see their classroom, and learn about some of the work that they have begun. Right after the Open House our School Council will have their first meeting of the year, so we hope that many of our parents and caregivers will be able to stay! (See below for School Council Info)

At our Open House, School Council will also be hosting a Hand-me-Down table. Families are invited to drop off and pick up gently used clothing items for the upcoming school year. Any clothing left over at the end of the event will be dropped off to a local charity.

School Council

Hello from our Lightning School Council!

Every school in Ontario invites parents to be part of their school team. This is your invitation to join our Lord Strathcona Public School Council!

Are you a parent/guardian who likes to hear what is going on at the school each month? Do you enjoy making decisions on how to raise money? Do you want to meet parents from the school community? Do you want to meet other families and be more social? Are you a kindergarten parent who wants to find out more about our school?

If you answered YES to any of these questions, we can't wait to meet you at our first meeting!

WHEN: Our First School Council meeting of the year will be held after our Open House on October 2 at 5:30.

ELECTIONS for new 2025 School Council

* Please stop by the school or email us to put your name in the election - you can also put your name forward at the first School Council Meeting.

Are you of Indigenous descent? We would love to have your voice at our table! Please contact the school if you are interested in joining us. There are also opportunities for our Indigenous families to network with other families in LDSB! Let your voice be heard!

We can't wait to meet you!

Terry Fox Run

This year marks a significant milestone—the 45th anniversary of Terry Fox’s historic Marathon of Hope. Every September, schools across the province participate in the Terry Fox School Run as a way to remember the courage and determination of Terry Fox. The Terry Fox School Run is more than an event, it is a powerful educational experience that encourages students to embody the values Terry championed: courage, perseverance, compassion, and hope.

It fosters civic responsibility, character development, and engagement in causes greater than oneself; values that align closely with the ministry’s commitment to student well-being and success. 

To learn more about the Terry Fox School Run please visit Terry Fox Foundation School Run – Inspiring the Next Generation.

Our annual Terry Fox Run will take place this year on Friday Sept. 26. Students will learn about Terry, who ran across Canada to raise money for cancer research, and will run with students across Canada in their own fundraiser. Students are encouraged to bring a small donation with them on the day of the run, a 'Twonie for Terry', or if you would prefer you can make a donation online at the link below:

https://schools.terryfox.ca/LordStrathconaPSKingston

Fire/Safety Drills

We completed our first Fire Drill of the year this week on Wednesday. Students exited quickly and quietly and everyone in the building was accounted for in 5 minutes. Great work! We will have two more Fire Drills in the fall (including one next week), and three more in the spring. We will also have a lockdown practice drill in the fall and spring. Families will be notified ahead of time, and students will be prepped for this drill by their classroom educators in age-appropriate ways.

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.

To Register for the Lunch is Ready program visit https://foodsharingproject.store/product/opt-in-for-all-school-sep-to-dec-2025/ or use the QR Code below. You must register to receive a free lunch!

Parking Lot

Please remember that our parking lot is for staff parking only. Parents dropping off or picking up students are asked to park on Jane Av., Westmoreland Rd., or Seaforth Rd., and walk to the school from there. The Kingston Unitarian Fellowship church across the street also generously allows us to use their lot for pick-up and drop-off. Please be very careful if you have to cross McMahon Av. There is no parking in front of the school on either side of McMahon Av. as it is a bus zone. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Human Development and Sexual Health Instruction

As part of LDSB's commitment to ongoing transparency and communication with families, please follow the link to Form 325-D on the LDSB website. It outlines the Human Development and Sexual Health curriculum expectations for Grades 1-8.  Families can request to have their child or children exempted from instruction related to Human Development and Sexual Health expectations by completing and returning an exemption form for each child (Form 325-B) five school days before the start of instruction. Prior to instruction, your child's classroom teacher will inform parents/guardians when the expectations related to the Human Development and Sexual Health expectations in Strand D will be covered. For a more detailed overview of this process, please refer to Administrative Procedure 325: Exemption From Human Development and Sexual Health Instruction (listed under the Policies and Procedures section of the LDSB website), or contact the school. 

Daily Schedule

Final School Organization

The Elementary Staffing Committee has approved our school organization as follows:

Liz Raven- Kindergarten

Marlene Feenstra- Early Childhood Educator

Charlotte Brehl- Kindergarten

Laura Hull - Early Childhood Educator

Deb Pepper - Grade 1

Jenn Chanook- Grade 2

Lukas Burch- Grade 3

Elizabeth Whitehead- Grade 3/4

Chris Schukei- Grade 4/5

Jaymee Shepherd - Grade 5/6

Caroline Reid -Grade 6

Rita Fabbro- Core French Teacher

Al Claros - Core French Teacher

Sufian Ijaz - Subject Teacher

Colin Carter- IST

Sarah Carter - SST

Lindsay Bell, Stephanie Leeder - MLL Teachers

Robin Walker, Brooklin Magee, Nicole Vellis, Socheath Keo, Sarah Mather, Diane Salamone - Educational Assistants

Scott Dwyre, Mark Jones - Custodians

Tina Goslin - Office Administrator

Greg Seiveright - Principal

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!

MEDICAL CONDITIONS

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

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 kids 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

City of Kingston Early Years Survey

The City of Kingston is currently engaging with families regarding early years programming in the city and Frontenac County.  The link to the engagement survey is below and is open until September 30.

 https://getinvolved.cityofkingston.ca/child-care-early-years-service-system-plan

2025-2026 LDSB School Year Calendar

A PDF version of the 2025-2026 School Year Calendar is available online.

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.