Together in Education:Family Update
December 4th-December 15th
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:
Dates of Significance
Hanukkah ~ December 7th-December 15th
Shab-e Yalda ~ December 21st
Day of Remembrance & Action on Violence Against Women ~ December 6th
* Please contact Mrs. Knowles at knowlesjo@limestone.on.ca if you would like any dates added to this list (we will update on a bi-weekly basis).
Lancaster Events
Crochet Club ~ December 4th @ morning recess
Greenlees/Smith/McLinton/Cancian to BSS presentation of High School Musical 11:15 - 2:45 ~ December 5th
VanDyke/ Vreeken to BSS presentation of High School Musical 11:15 - 2:45 ~ December 6th
Crochet Club ~ December 7th lunch recess
Jingle Bell Walk ~ December 8th
Holiday Hat Day ~ December 8th
Dress as a teacher/student day ~ December 13th
Crochet Club ~ December 11th @ morning recess
Crochet Club ~ December 14th @ lunch recess
Grade One-Three Primary Holiday Concert ~ December 18th
Holiday & Festive Colour Day ~ December 18th
Jersey Day ~ December 19th
Holiday Fit-Go ~ December 20th
Holiday Sweater & PJ Day ~ December 22nd
Last Day of Classes ~ December 22nd
Holiday Break ~ December 22nd-January 7th
Hot Lunch ~ Tuesdays
December 5th ~ 3 piece chicken fingers
December 12th ~ Pizza
December 19th ~ Panzarotti
Primary Holiday Winter Concert
We are delighted to share that Lancaster will be hosting a primary winter concert for all students and families in grades one to three on Monday, December 18th. Afternoon concert will start @ 1:45pm and evening concert will start @ 6:20pm
Prior to the concert, the Junior Ministry of Caring will be selling holiday ornaments. All proceeds will be donated equally to the Kingston Humane Society and Food Bank.
The Junior Ministry of Caring is seeking a donation of a few holiday trees to display ornaments. If you have a tree that you are no longer in need of the Junior Ministry would be greatly appreciative! We will be using the tree to display ornaments for the holiday sale.
Holiday Spirit Days
Jingle Bell Run & Walk
Students will be participating in the Jingle Bell Run on Friday, December 8th. Starting at 1:30pm, Neighbors in the community will be given the opportunity to make a donation related to the Ministry of Caring initiative of clothing or food donations. These donations will then be collected to be brought back to the school at the end of the walk.
Choices At Seven
Dear Families of Grade 6 and Grade 7 Students,
We would like to provide you with information about the Application Process for the LDSB Choices at 7 Programs for the 2024-25 School Year. You can find updated Choices at 7 Information on the Board website, www.limestone.on.ca under the Programming tab. Once there, you will learn about about the application process, dates for applying, FAQ’s, etc. for the following programs: Extended French Immersion, ATLAS, LEAP and Challenge. Questions regarding the programs can be emailed to the registrars at: choicesatseven@limestone.on.ca. In addition, Choices at 7 Open Houses for the ATLAS, LEAP and Challenge Programs will be held at the schools in December. The Open Houses are an opportunity to learn more about the programs, the schools in which they are located, to ask questions, and to make decisions as to whether a program is an option for your child. Please check the website for the appropriate Challenge site to apply to, based on your home address.
December 12, 2023 - Challenge Open House at Loughborough Public School, 6 pm
December 13, 2023 - Challenge Open House at Odessa Public School, 6 pm
December 14, 2023 - ATLAS, LEAP and Challenge Open House at Calvin Park Public School, 6 pm
Dates for the Open Houses for Extended French Immersion will be shared in the New Year on the Limestone District School Board website
Bayridge Open House
Bayridge Open House ~ Tuesday, January 16th @ 6:00 pm
Ministry of Caring
A sincere thank you to the Lancaster Parent Advisory Council for supporting the Senior Ministry of Caring initiative in creating our updated mural which was recently installed.
We are grateful for the funds which allowed us to purchase the majority of our materials, including 4 wood panels, primer and sealant.
Be sure to stop by and check it out. Students poured their hearts into this.
Senior Volleyball
Congratulations to Lancaster's Senior Boys and Girls Volleyball Teams. We would like to thank Ms. McLinton, Mrs. Cancian and Madame Take for coaching!
School Day Online Payments
We are paperless and cashless at Lancaster. We use the platform School Day for online payments (field trips, milkshake days, etc) and for digital permission slip signatures. ALL families are required to sign up using their child's individual match key that will be provided within the first weeks of school.
How Do I get Information From The School?
LDSB schools and school board use School Messenger to send key messages, alerts and general communication to families. Lancaster uses this platform and will continue to use our Together In Education to provide updates to families. These newsletters are where we will share school-specific information and highlights of student work and events in the building. This newsletter is sent out via School Messenger and posted on our school Twitter account and website.
SchoolMessenger App: Download the SchoolMessenger App to stay connected. Use your mobile device to download and install the free SchoolMessenger blue app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store, the SchoolMessenger website portal, or from within the LDSB mobile app. *New families will be able to create their account after the first day of attendance.
The first time you use the app, you must select Sign Up to create your account. Please ensure you use the same email address your student’s school has on file. If you do not use that same email address, you will not be able to create an account.
Safe Arrival
Please use the Safe Arrival system to report your child's absence; do not call the school to report an absence. If your child is going to be absent from learning, please ensure you use the Safe Arrival system to report the absence. If your child will be late, you can register for a late arrival.
How to report your absence:
1. Toll-free telephone
- Call 1-855-257-9349 toll-free to report an absence using the automated phone system.
2. School Messenger App
- Use your mobile device to download and install the free SchoolMessenger blue app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store, the SchoolMessenger website portal, or from within the LDSB mobile app.
- The first time you use the app, you must select Sign Up to create your account. Please ensure you use the same email address your student’s school has on file. If you do not use that same email address, you will not be able to create an account, or may not be able to see the "Attendance" option. You may have already created an account when we introduced the Communicate broadcast system.
- Select Attendance, then select Report an Absence and follow the prompts.
- Visit the SchoolMessenger website portal.
- The first time you use the app, you must select Sign Up to create your account. Please ensure you use the same email address your student’s school has on file. If you do not use that same email address, you will not be able to create an account, or may not be able to see the "Attendance" option. You may have already created an account when we introduced the Communicate broadcast system.
- Select Attendance, then Report an Absence and follow the prompts.
School Year Calendar
The Ministry of Education has approved the Limestone District School Board’s 2023-2024 School Year Calendar.
The following key dates have been approved:
First Day of School: Tuesday, September 5, 2023
Winter Break: December 25, 2023, to January 5, 2024
March Break: March 11, to March 15, 2024
Last Day of School: Thursday, June 27, 2024
The 2023-2024 school year consists of 194 days;
Secondary - 177 instructional days, 7 PA Days and 10 exam days.
Elementary - 187 instructional days and 7 PA Days.
Professional Activity Days - no classes for students:
Monday, Sept. 25, 2023
Friday, Oct. 27, 2023
Friday, Nov. 10, 2023
Friday, Feb. 2, 2024
Friday, April 12, 2024
Friday, May 31, 2024
Friday, June 28, 2024
Printable 2023-2024 School Year Calendar here.