Together in Education Family Update
May 2021
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
KINDERGARTEN SUPER HEROES!!
What do you do when you are worried?
A different kind of class picture....throwback a few centuries!
Thank you Ms. Lalonde for exploring executive functioning with Junior classes!
MESSAGE FROM YOUR ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM
These last few weeks have been full of learning activities within our remote classrooms - class spirit days, adopting a class pet, student video creations to share a favourite learning lunch, math challenges using breakout rooms, exploring with virtual field trips, class cooking events, student presentations and guest speakers, math lessons and practice, and various assessments using quizzes, projects and 1:1 student conferences. There is a lot of learning going on! We are proud of how students have continued to keep the momentum of learning going. Please do find a balance of enjoying this beautiful weather and engaging in your studies. We all need time to connect through learning and class conversations and time to "disconnect" into nature and personal downtime.
Attendance:
Please continue to complete attendance for your child if you know they will be away. We are still doing call-outs as attendance is taken each day. Please make sure your child checks-in with their teacher in some way throughout the day so that they are not accidentally marked absent. If this does occur please call the school to have attendance modified. Thank you in advance.
Last Week for Government Supports for Students:
The new COVID-19 Child Benefit announced in the 2021 Ontario Budget will provide direct payments to families and students to help with additional costs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
If you received a payment through the Support for Learners program, you do not need to apply. Starting on April 26, 2021, we will begin issuing additional payments of:
- $400 for each child or youth up to Grade 12
- $500 for each child or youth up to age 21 with special needs
If you missed applying for the Support for Learners program, you will have the opportunity to apply for this new round of payment. Applications will open from May 3, 2021 to May 17, 2021.Learn more on the government’s Support for Learners webpage.
Ms. Fox, Ms. O'Hearn and your Lancaster team
2021-22 SCHOOL YEAR PLANNING
VIRTUAL SCHOOL REGISTRATION: The opportunity to enroll is extended until June 4th. Here is the registration link. Please note, if your student will be attending in-person school, no action is required on your part.
IN-SCHOOL MODEL: Elementary schools (Kindergarten to Grade 8) will offer full-time in-person learning. Students will continue to be cohorted, or grouped, with their classmates and homeroom teacher. Continued masking and additional hand hygiene measures are anticipated. Specialized teachers (classes such as French, the Arts, and Health and Physical education) will continue to visit classrooms as required as implemented for this year. This model could change based on a variety of factors.
More information about 2021-22 School Year Planning can be found by clicking the button below.
REMOTE LEARNING SURVEY FOR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES
*Families are asked to complete a separate survey for each student in your family who is currently attending a Limestone school. Students in Grades 4 to 12 will have received an invite to participate via their Limestone email. The board hopes to capture authentic student voice from students themselves who are directly affected by remote learning. Younger students may require support from family members to complete the survey. The survey is open until May 28, 2021 and will take no more than 5 to 10 minutes to complete. Click the button below or this the link to access the survey: LDSB Remote Learning Survey May 2021 - Families
MENTAL HEALTH STRATEGY SURVEY - SNAPSHOT
More than 1,300 students provided input into the Limestone District School Board’s recent survey to help inform its Mental Health and Substance Use Strategy.
The voluntary survey, which was shared with students, families, community partners and staff earlier this year, is intended to help us better understand student mental health, well-being and substance use. The Board is currently drafting its Mental Health and Substance Use Strategy for 2021-2024. This strategy helps the board make decisions about how to support student mental health and well-being at school.
Recognition of Dates and Months of Significance During May
Kid's Inclusive Resource for Educators and Parents
ASYMPTOMATIC COVID TESTING AVAILABLE TO STUDENTS
As part of the Ministry of Education’s enhanced COVID-19 school protocols, school boards are required to offer voluntary asymptomatic COVID-19 testing to students, staff and bus drivers.
Families must book appointments for students using the assessment centre’s existing booking process (online or by telephone). Please ensure you use the online booking link provided below, or, if you are booking by telephone, indicate you are a Limestone student or staff member at time of booking. Walk-ins are not permitted. Testing of asymptomatic family members is also not permitted under this program.
- Kingston Assessment Centre (KHSC) or 613.548.2376. Appointments are available from 4-4:30 p.m. daily. Should there be no registrations, or insufficient registrations, scheduled by 10 a.m. the same day, testing will be cancelled for that day. Staff will be invited to reschedule on a different testing day.
- Napanee Assessment Centre (LACGH) or 613.354.8254. Appointments are available from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily via drive-thru.
Students may continue to attend school while awaiting asymptomatic test results provided they pass the daily COVID-19 screening.
Parent Session - Helping your Child with School Anxiety
Dear Lancaster Families
In these last few weeks of learning students have been engaging a wide variety of learning activities - class spirit days, math challenges in break out rooms, making a vidos of creating a favourite sandwich, adopting a class pet, exploring virtual field trips, working hard at procedural writing, student presentations and guest speakders, and various assessments in the form of quizzes, tests, and 1:1 reading evaluations. There is a lot of learning going on! We encourage families to find a balance that works for getting outside and enjoying the wonderful sun, and engaging in studies to continue the learning momentum. We all need time to connect through learning and laughter, and time to "disconnect" into nature and personal downtime.
Attendance:
Please continue to complete attendance for your child if you know they will be away. We are still doing call-outs as attendance is taken each day. Please make sure your child checks-in with their teacher in some way throughout the day so that they are not accidentally marked absent. If this does occur please call the office to have the attendance modified. Thank you in advance.
Last Week for Government Supports for Students:
The new COVID-19 Child Benefit announced in the 2021 Ontario Budget will provide direct payments to families and students to help with additional costs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
If you received a payment through the Support for Learners program, you do not need to apply. Starting on April 26, 2021, we will begin issuing additional payments of:
- $400 for each child or youth up to Grade 12
- $500 for each child or youth up to age 21 with special needs
If you missed applying for the Support for Learners program, you will have the opportunity to apply for this new round of payment. Applications will open from May 3, 2021 to May 17, 2021.Learn more on the government’s Support for Learners webpage.
Ms. Fox, Ms. O'Hearn and your Lancaster Team