Together in Education Family Update
February 16-19
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
Upcoming Dates:
BOOK FAIR LINK: https://virtualbookfairs.scholastic.ca/pages/5155386
February 1-28 ~ Black History Month
February 16-19 ~ Kindness Challenge continue @ Lancaster
Monday, February 15th ~ Family Day - no school - BOOK FAIR CONTINUES!
Wednesday, February 17 ~ I Read Canadian Day! (WHITE AND RED SPIRIT DAY)
Wednesday, February 17 ~ Term One Reports Cards go home
Wednesday, February 17 ~ Last Day for Virtual Book Fair
Thursday, February 18 ~ Spirit Day - MARS Day! Dress up with anything SPACE
Wednesday, February 24 ~ PINK SHIRT DAY
Dear Lancaster Families
Lancaster's GREAT KINDNESS CHALLENGE served to highlight a focus on friendship and the impact of giving and receiving kindness in our classrooms, in our building and in our world. The Kindness Tree in our front foyer has started to bloom with hearts, each one representing a kind gesture, gratitude, or a reflection on our intentions and the impact they can have on others. We will continue to fill up our tree with this focus on the power of positivity. Next week we will join other schools in Kingston with a pink shirt day on February 24th.
Report cards will be sent home with students on Wednesday this week. Students with IEPs will receive an IEP that reflects accommodations or modifications to their program in term one. IEPs will be updated and sent home for term two on March 22nd. The Elementary Provincial Report Card is designed to show a student’s achievement of curriculum expectations from September to February of the school year, as well as the student’s development of the learning skills and work habits during that period. It is important to remember that this reporting reflects learning that has occurred in a modified learning environment as required by the provincial public health guidelines. Parents are able to connect with their child's classroom teacher (s) throughout the year to engage in dialogue related to their child's progress. Thank you for supporting the hard work of your child and our staff to continue their learning momentum.
Your Lancaster Team
OUR GREAT KINDNESS CHALLENGE CONTINUES!
Thank you Lancaster School Council (formerly Parent Council) for your gesture of Kindness to staff this week : )
Mars Day is coming up - The Perseverance Rover Landing. Perseverance will touch down on Mars on Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021, at approximately 12:55 p.m
We celebrated Chinese New Year in creative ways!
Intermediates enjoyed a day with Gould Lake - the giggles couldn't help but show up. #coolbutstillkids
SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR IS HAPPENING!
The Scholastic Virtual Book Fair through Wednesday February 17! Find your books at the link below:
https://virtualbookfairs.scholastic.ca/pages/5155386
- FREE shipping on orders over $40 at all times, FREE shipping on all orders between 6-8pm on Wednesday, February 17
- Orders ship to your home address (Scholastic's goal is delivery within 48 hours) and word is that they are arriving quickly!
- Your support of the Book Fair helps Lancaster earn rewards towards classroom materials, equipment and supplies that benefit all our students
- Check out the curated selections with titles about Kindness to carry on from last week's theme at Lancaster, and the collection of Black Stories in recognition of Black History month!
Follow @BookDps on Twitter for more information, or the Lancaster Drive Public School Advisory Council page on Facebook for further details.
ON-LINE REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!
February is Black History Month in Canada
The Limestone District School Board is proud to recognize and celebrate Black Heritage Month during the month of February.
This year’s theme for Black History Month in Canada is “The Future is Now,” a call to action for us all to build on the legacy of those who came before us, and to recognize the transformative work that Black Canadians and their communities are doing now.
Black people in Canada have diverse backgrounds and experiences – while some can trace their roots in Canada for many generations, others have immigrated in recent decades. Black Canadians are connected by a common African history and ancestry.
Did you know that although the commemoration of Black History Month dates back to 1926 in the United States, Canada's official recognition of Black History Month didn't begin until 1996.
Did you know that the motion to recognize February as Black History Month nationally was made by Canada's first Black female member of parliament, the Honourable Jean Augustine?
Although Black History Month is officially from February 1 to March 1, schools and classrooms are encouraged to embed and celebrate past and present Black excellence and histories throughout the entire year.
As a board, we will also continue our work to confront anti-Black racism in our system, and in our communities. Earlier this school year, the Board of Trustees received a draft of the LDSB Equity Action Plan which outlines our actions and outcomes for the next few years.
School Year Calendar 2021-2022 Stakeholder Survey
Planning for the 2021-2022 school year has begun and the Limestone District School Board is seeking feedback from families on the proposed 2021-2022 school-year calendar.
The calendar is prepared in consultation with the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board and Algonquin Lakeshore Catholic District School Board stakeholders, as we share busing.
Families in our district are invited to take a few minutes to provide input via an online survey.
If families would prefer a paper version of the survey, please contact your school and a hard copy will be provided.
The survey is open for responses until Friday, February 12, 2021.
Your input is important to us and we appreciate your time in submitting your comments.
For more information, please visit the school year calendar page on the LDSB website which also provides a link to the Ministry of Education website.
Deadline for opting in/opting out is on Friday
As we shared in January, the Limestone District School Board is offering families one final opportunity to opt students in or out of their current learning model to accommodate their individual needs and personal circumstances.
Elementary families wishing to move students in Kindergarten to Grade 8 from in-person learning to LDSB Virtual School must contact their current school. Elementary families wishing to move from LDSB Virtual School back to in-person learning must notify the in-person school they would normally attend. Any elementary family looking to change their student’s learning model must do so before 4 p.m., Friday, February 19, 2021. Once schools determine staffing needs, and if space is available, approved changes would take effect during the week of Monday March 8, 2021.
Secondary families with students in Grades 9 to 12 wishing to make a change should do so before the end/beginning of each block/octomester by contacting their home school. Students cannot change once a block/octomester has begun. A list of block/octomester dates is available on the board website. Students will be transferred if space is available.
We will accommodate moves between models of learning if there is available space in the class/school. While we will try to accommodate all requests, it is important to note that due to class-size limits, students moving from virtual learning to in-person learning may not be accommodated in their home school. Families will be notified of any transfer outside their student’s home school before a change is made. Where space is not available, students may be placed on a wait list. Families who are currently on the wait list will be accommodated first.
Provided space is available, we will do our best to accommodate families to the maximum extent possible.
Thank you for your continued patience.
KFL&A Public Health Immunization Announcement
KFL&A Public Health will be postponing the enforcement of the Immunization of School Pupils Act for this school year and will not implement suspension actions this spring. Nevertheless, we ask that parents report any required vaccine(s) that a student has already received by the proposed deadline of February 18th, 2021.
Students missing vaccines, can see their regular health care provider as soon as possible and then update their record with KFL&A Public Health.
Students without a health card or doctor can book an appointment to receive free vaccines at KFL&A Public Health clinics. Go to //kflaph.ca/Appointments to book an appointment.
We recognize this may be a stressful time however we encourage families to provide the requested information due to the heightened importance of protecting against vaccine preventable disease outbreaks in our school communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Supporting Students with Social Media
A reminder about social media platforms:
* users are to be 13 years or older to hold an account
* ask your child how they know each of their contacts (be sure they know who they are connecting with)
* be sure to 'follow' your child and monitor their posts
* be sure you look through posts and photos with your child from time to time to ensure they are making wise choices and are being safe
Teaching our kids about the internet is another safety skill that we need to ensure we are explicitly teaching to our kids. Thanks for your partnership with this. A cyberbullying parent resource is attached below to support parents.
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