Together in Education Family Update
March 29-April 1
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
Mother Nature had its own April Fools' Day joke with April SNOW!
Intermediate session with Ms. Lalonde on executive functioning skills
Literacy centers help us focus on specific skill building
Practicing our sounds to help us build decoding skills
Now that's some air....heading to space : )
Preparing our seeds and ready to see them grow!
Morning sun to start our day creating
Puzzles with friends as we work on perseverance, logic and problem-solving
He made it to the third layer...lots of cheers when he met this challenge
Dear Lancaster Families
Many of our Lancaster students will be taking part in a project in partnership with one of our community members, Brian Melady, to help create his next fence project with the theme of HOPE. We have had some intermediate students create a mini session to share with other classes to help explain the project and brainstorm ideas with students to help them make personal connections to what hope means to them. Look for student-created signs to start filling the fence over the next few weeks.
Earlier this week information about Plantables was sent out to families, please do consider placing an order for your or giving one as a gift. Orders go out every week, right to your door and ready to plant. Money raised will go towards student-focused experiences and initiatives that help make days brighter at Lancaster - outdoor yard equipment, specialized paint, items for cruise week, etc. Lancaster has scheduled a repainting of our pavement games in the fall of 2021 after our roof work has been completed.
Tomorrow we celebrate neurodiversity and autism acceptance with multicolor day. Pick a favourite colour or put on a little splash of everything! In this newsletter we have also included a very useful resource for educators and parents recently developed by KidsInclusive to help support the development of children in a multitude of areas - strategies that are useful for many different neurotypes! See also an opportunity for families to register and take part (as individuals or as a family) in the Limestone Race Weekend.
We hope all of our families were able to share some time together this weekend, head outside, finish up (or start) a job around the house, and perhaps just "be". Looking forward to seeing our Lions tomorrow and enjoying the week ahead!
Ms. Fox, Ms. O'Hearn and your Lancaster Team
Kid's Inclusive Resource for Educators and Parents
Daily Screening and What to Do
We remind everyone of the importance of daily Covid screening and to keep children home even if they are experiencing ONE of the symptoms of Covid. Siblings also need to remain at home as per KFL&A guidelines. With VOC on the rise, it is critical that we follow these steps. There have been cases popping up in other schools and so far, we have been fortunate that our safety diligence has paid off. We want to keep our classrooms and our school open, so please follow the below guidelines. We understand that it can be an inconvenience, however, the consequence of not following guidelines will be an even greater hardship. We are SO thankful for everyone's grace and understanding as we continue to navigate challenging times. Staff and their families are required to follow the same guidelines. We really are in this together.
Here are the guidelines from KFL&A which can also be found HERE.
**If they have any symptom(s), a COVID-19 test is recommended. Your child/student must stay home and self-isolate until:
• They receive a negative COVID-19 test result, or
• They receive an alternative diagnosis by a health care professional, or
• It has been 10 days since their symptom onset.
LDSB does not require a doctor's note or negative Covid test for your child to return to class, as we trust that all families will follow guidelines and do their part in keeping everyone safe.
ASYMPTOMATIC COVID TESTING AVAILABLE TO STUDENTS
FAMILY FUN RACE OPPORTUNITY - KRRA
The Kingston Road Runners Association (KRRA). The KRRA is the original running club in the Kingston area - active since 1981. We usually hold the largest event in our racing series with over 800 people competing in downtown Kingston at the end of April. This year all of the events will be virtual with the ability to run/walk/hike the distances anytime in the month of April. The Limestone Race Weekend has a 2K, 5K, 10K, 1/2 marathon & the Limestone Spring Challenge. The event is pleased to once again support Start2Finish, a Running & Reading Club for deserving elementary school children (currently in three local schools) & The Boys & Girls Club of Greater Kingston.
The Tom Compton Memorial Run which is usually a Kids 2K has been changed to an open event. There will be no age restrictions and we are hoping that children, families and grandparents might find the event a motivating reason to participate. The registration is only $10.00 and all finishers will receive a medal (April 16th registration deadline).
We are hopeful that the 2K event might fill a void for elementary students who are missing some of the regular sports. The longer distances might be of interest to older or high school students. Of course, all events are open to staff who might be up for a challenge. Please pass this along to any interested students, families, staff and coaches.
More information is found here at the website http://krra.org/events/krra-limestone-race-weekend/.
Thank you for your time and for all that you do to support students in their education.
Tara
Tara Burggraf & Janet Shephard
Race Directors
Upcoming Dates:
- April 5 ~ Easter Monday
- April 6 ~ SPIRIT DAY: Multicolour Day to celebrate Neurodiversity and Autism Acceptance
- April 12-16 ~ Spring Break Week
Student Attendance
ON-LINE REGISTRATION FOR STUDENTS NEW TO LDSB IS NOW OPEN!
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.
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