Together in Education Family Update
January 4-8
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
Happy new year to you all! Over the next few days of transition to remote learning, we will be looking to support one another and do our very best for the students and families we serve. We have always put wellness and connection first, and we will continue to put our emphasis here. Staff will be in touch with families/students on Monday with plans for asynchronous activities and moving into a combination of synchronous and asynchronous learning for students over the week, as directed by the Ministry of Education. Device allocation for students who require borrowed technology will begin on Monday.
If there is something that you need that we can help with, please don't hesitate to reach out. Here's wishing you all a wonderful 2021, and we look forward to seeing everyone online and eventually in person.
Your Lancaster Team
Upcoming Dates:
Monday, January 4th (Day 5)
- staff will be reaching out to students/families
- device allocation pick up for those students who require a device this week
Tuesday, January 5th (Day 1)
- device allocation pick up for students who require a device this week
Wednesday, January 6th (Day 2)
Thursday, January 7th (Day 3)
Friday, January 8th (Day 4)
How Do I Borrow a School Device?
- If you need a device (K-3 ipad/chromebook or 4-8 chromebook) for a student in your home, please email lancd@limestone.on.ca as soon as possible with your child's full name and name of classroom teacher, and also notify your child’s classroom teacher of this request when they contact families on Monday.
- We will be distributing devices for student home use beginning Monday, January 4th in the afternoon and continuing through the week as needed - families will be contacted.
- Connection instructions and IT support information will be provided with your borrowed devices.
What Should We Expect on Monday January 4th?
- Lancaster staff will meet virtually on Monday morning to finalize details regarding our transition to our remote learning plan.
- Educators will contact all students/families to verify that LDSB student logins work from home and that students can access virtual platforms (Google Classroom or Microsoft Teams).
- Educators will post asynchronous learning tasks for students to access and will provide a schedule for the week that will incorporate asynchronous and synchronous learning periods as students are brought online.
- Planning time subject teachers will coordinate with homeroom teachers to develop the schedule for the week and to share access to learning links from the homeroom platform.
- Staff will distribute devices on Monday, Jan. 4th
- If you have any additional questions or requests, please contact your child's teacher or the office.
- More information about the LDSB pivot to remote learning can be found at the link below
What If I Don't Hear from my Child's Teacher?
Government Support for Learners
The Government of Ontario is providing one-time funding for parents to help offset costs during the 2020-2021 school year. Eligible parents or guardians will receive a one-time payment of:
- $200 for each student up to age 12
- $250 for each student or youth up to age 21 with special needs
- NEW $200 for student age 13 to Grade 12 including students who are in secondary school that are over age 18
Applications open on Monday, January 11, 2021. The deadline to apply is February 8, 2021. Learn more on the government’s Support for Learners webpage liked below.
Accessing Communication Tools
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