Together in Education Family Update
Week of September 8-11
Lancaster Drive Public School and Parent Council
Email: lancd@limestone.on.ca
Website: http://lancaster.limestone.on.ca
Location: 1020 Lancaster Drive, Kingston, ON, Canada
Phone: (613)634-0470
Twitter: @LancasterPSLDSB
Dear Lancaster Families,
Staggering our entry for the first 6 days of school allows us to practice our new routines and procedures in smaller groups and give more individual attention to each student in order to make sure they are feeling comfortable being back in the classroom. Thank you to all of our families for helping make our back to school entry work so well. Please continue to "drop or pick up and go" during staggered entry if it's absolutely necessary to bring your child to school or pick them up at the end of the day, stay physically distanced and wear a mask if possible. After staggered entry please use your family plan to meet your child on the back field area or off school property and avoid lingering before or after the school day.
While there are changes to some of the routines at school, there are many things that remain the same, most importantly our care and support of students' well-being. In these first few weeks staff will be placing great focus on building relationships with students, We know that for learning take place emotional regulation must first be established. We achieve this with students by co-regulating with them, teaching them the tools they need, and providing a space that allows for care and connection.
There are many sources of information for families and schools that have been very helpful as we begin a new school year. Lancaster has been providing links to many of these Ministry, LDSB and KFL&A documents created for parents and schools as well as sharing out site-specific information.
We would like to be responsive to the needs of our families and are offering an opportunity to ask a question that may need clarification or perhaps has not yet been communicated. While we may not be able to respond to each individual question we can use these to inform our next communications out to families. Please use the "Ask a Question" button below to access the Google Form.
Your lead learners,
Lani Fox and Sara O'Hearn
Welcome Ms. Davies!!
SCHOOL ORGANIZATION AND ENROLMENT
Our school organization of 16 classes is based on projected enrolment numbers from June and is subject to change depending on our actual number of students in September. Typically, this results in some changes to our school organization that can impact staffing and classroom placements. This year, the actual numbers will also be impacted by the number of opt-out students at our school who will be enrolled in the LDSB Virtual School as of September 24th. We will continue to finalize these numbers this week as we try to accommodate requests for changes to in-person or opt-out learning as soon as we can. If you are considering a change from remote learning to face to face learning, please notify the school as soon as possible. We will keep you informed of any changes in school organization that may be necessary. We are unable take requests for in-school classroom changes at this time.
TECHNOLOGY RETURN
Technology Return
If you have school technology, we ask that you please return it with your child as soon as possible. We require all of our school devices, including the chargers and cords, back so that we can prepare them for classroom use and remote learning. Send them with your child and they can give them to their classroom teacher. Thank you!
WHEN A STUDENT OR STAFF IS SICK AT SCHOOL
All students and staff must self-screen every day before attending school using a checklist before arriving at school. If a student or staff member is experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19, they must stay home from school and should seek testing and appropriate medical attention. If a student or staff member feels sick, or develops symptoms while at school, schools will follow the following protocol:
- Students or staff who develop COVID-19 symptoms will immediately be separated from others, and the family will be contacted to arrange pick-up.
- Staff and families will be directed to consult their health-care provider and should be provided with information about COVID-19 testing locations.
- Staff and/or students who test positive may not return to school until they are cleared by KFL&A Public Health.
- Staff and/or students who test negative can return to school once they are symptom-free for 24 hours.
- Limestone schools will immediately report any suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 to the KFL&A Public Health.
- Limestone schools will participate in contact tracing through keeping records of classes, transported students, and visitors to schools.
- KFL&A Public Health will be providing a flow chart to families and schools to help provide a visual of these guidelines that will be followed.
School Communication Tools - Reminders for Families
Our Board and school use several electronic tools to help communicate need-to-know information to families in a timely and efficient way. The tools are part of the SchoolMessenger app which allows us to share important school information with families via text, phone or email message. Registered parents/guardians receive these messages through contact information that is collected in our student information system.
Parents/guardians may choose how to receive these alerts by text message, email or phone call. The easiest way to have access to all these tools is to set up a SchoolMessenger account. We encourage you to create a SchoolMessenger account on your desktop, laptop, tablet and/or download the SchoolMessenger app. While an account is not required to use these new tools, it will allow you to review your contact information and communication preferences, and it stores all of your messages in one place.
Learn how to:
- Set up a SchoolMessenger App account: set up your account, review your contact information and communication preferences, join teacher-instant messaging groups, and view all your alerts and messages in one place. Watch the video tutorial.
- Use the Communicate broadcast tool: choose how you will receive alerts including how to opt-in for text messaging. Watch the video tutorial.
- Use the Board mobile app: how to choose your schools, see your messages and report and review student absences. Watch the video tutorial.
Subscribe to school calendars: receive email alerts or download calendars or individual events to your personal calendar