Together In Education
January/February 2017
Lancaster Drive Public School and Parent Council
Email: lancd@limestone.on.ca
Website: http://lancaster.limestone.on.ca
Location: 1020 Lancaster Drive, Kingston, ON, K7P 2R7
Phone: 613-634-0470
Twitter: @LancasterPSLDSB
NEW YEAR NEWS....Message from Your Administrative Team
Welcome back to our students and families! We hope that you all enjoyed time with family, friends and each other over the holiday break. Before the winter break Lancaster students explored and celebrated the spirit of generosity and giving. Classes researched where some of the greatest needs were in Kingston and thought of strategies to bring warmth and kindness to others. Students dug into the generosity challenges and through their hard work classes earned money to purchase snowsuits, brought in generous food donations for the South Frontenac Food Bank, delivered boxes of essential items to Lily's place, raised money through bake sales for Ryan's Cases for Smiles at KGH, and produced snowman artwork for the doors of residents at a local retirement home. Sharing the results at our December Character assembly brought many heartwarming moments. Our primary students were also hard at work to prepare for our Winter Concert. Classes shared songs, skits and carols that brought us together as a school community in such a positive way. We are so very proud of our Lancaster crew!
For many, the month of January bring an opportunity for a health dose of goal-setting and self-reflection. Students are taking time to do some self-assessment and setting both personal and academic goals to continue their growth as learners. As a staff we continue to set direction in the area of math instruction and looking at best practices to create learning environments where students are thinking critically, collaborating with others, and persevering through challenge. Look for our math at home section in this newsletter for ways to support your child's learning.
Our school volleyball teams had some very successful seasons and basketball is well under way with skill development as they prepare for upcoming tournaments. We continue to offer opportunities for enrichment and mental and physical wellness with Wellness workouts, BOKS active sessions, Junior Yoga, Colouring club, Instrumental music, and the ever popular chess club. Literacy Week activities helped to engage the whole school in what it means to be a literate learner and how important reading can be in finding out about and connecting to yourself and the world around you.
Your administrative team,
Lani Fox, Principal & Sara Wellwood, Vice-Principal
Primary Concert: "People all over the world...join hands...start a love train" : )
That's a wrap...all volleyball seasons successful!
Our "Shop with a Cop" contest winner!
Letter from your Parent Council Co-Chairs
Happy New Year! We are excited to get things rolling this new year and have some exciting plans to share. Please see updates and up-coming event information below.
UPDATES:
Teacher Appreciation - The teachers enjoyed a welcome back gesture in the staff room on the first day back in January. Thanks to Serena Millings for planning and setting up very early on a Monday morning!
Teachers also received a letter from parent council to share updates for 2017.
Chapters Community Night - A fabulous turn out! Our teachers are amazing and, as always, made the event especially exciting for our students. We raised $1312.51 to go towards books and materials for classroom libraries! Thank you to all who volunteered and attended.
Bake Sale Charity Donation - The kind grade 5 girls who organized the bake sale at our Chapters community night have chosen the local charity "Ryan's Cases for Smiles." This is a volunteer run program that sews special pillow cases (out of themed fabric) for children in hospital at KGH. Our $100 council donation will be in addition to the girl’s bake sale total of $160 for a grand total of $260! “Ryan’s Cases for Smiles,” organizer Liz Withers (who was invited to do a classroom visit and spoke at a recent assembly), was very happy to hear about the donation and plans to include the girls by inviting them to go shopping and help her select fabric. :-)
EVENTS:
International Night - Rescheduled on Monday, January 30th – 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Thank you to all the families that have signed up to host a country! This evening will be an opportunity for us to celebrate and learn about Lancaster’s vibrant diversity and our global community. Please join us! Event Coordinator: Allison Slate
Building Connections - NEW DATE - Thursday February 23, 5:30-7:30 p.m. - This event will be by invitation only, to keep it smaller scale and allow sensory sensitive students to participate with ease. We are offering a pizza dinner, an organized Lego activity (B&G club) and a carousel of parent sessions. Volunteers are needed. Please contact, Allison Slate (allislate@hotmail.com) or Donna Banting (donna.banting@limestone.on.ca)
Fundraising Family Formal Night - NEW DATE - Thursday March 23, from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Plans are in the works to offer several exciting activities that will include an art show (student art), music/dancing, refreshments, photo booth and silent auction. Currently, volunteers are needed to help with silent auction donations (contact Vinay Singh at vishwas101@yahoo.com) and art enrichment day (parent classroom volunteers are needed to help with art projects on March 2nd. Please contact Donna Banting.)
Event Coordinator: Vinay Singh
Announcements
- Next Parent Council Meeting - Tuesday February 7th at 6 p.m.
Should you require further information, or have something to share, we are always available at lancd_council@limestone.on.ca
Donna Banting and Corrie Allingham
LDPS Parent Council Co-Chairs
UPCOMING EVENTS
- Jan 23-27 Literacy Week - activities throughout the week
- Jan 24 - Dudley and McDougall/Willoughby to Gould Lake
- Jan 24 - SPIRIT DAY: International Dress/Tourist Day
- Jan 25 - Community Police Officer, Val Hurting, in to read to classes
- Jan 26 - SPIRIT DAY: Favourite Book Character Day
- Jan 27 - Digital Literacy Day
- Jan. 30 - The Taste of Lancaster Drive PS (International Night), 5:30 - 7: 30 pm
(flyer below) - Jan 31 - Bayridge Secondary visits Grade 8 classes
- Jan 31 - HOZA presentation
- Feb 3 - PA Day - Reporting focus
- Feb 14 - SPIRIT DAY: Red, White and Pink Day
- Feb 20 - Family Day - no school
- Feb 23 - "Building Connections" event 5:30-7:30 (New Date)
- Feb 27 - Term 1 Report Cards go home
- March 23 - Fundraising Family Formal Night (New Date)
Loading up food donations for the South Frontenac Food Bank...that was A LOT of food!
Loose Parts exploration...check out my dragon!
Intermediate Debates: Should GMO's be used? What are the qualities of a strong leader? Sir John A Macdonald vs. Justin Trudeau
Math Connections at Home
Mathies.ca, hosted by Ontario Association for Mathematics Education (OAME), is designed for Ontario K – 12 students and parents. This website includes games, learning tools, activities, and additional supports for students to explore, build and enhance their mathematical thinking. A parent ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ section includes: “How can I help with the learning of mathematics?”, “What mathematics activities can we do together?”, “What digital supports are available?” and “What additional support is available?”
Math and Picture Books
Reading to your child is both a wonderful way to spend time together and also an effective way to engage your child in conversation. Students of all ages love stories and love to talk about stories. “Literature provides students with opportunities to make connections with their own lives, provides a context to think and practise mathematics, and enriches students’ view of the world of mathematics.” A Guide to Effective Instruction in Mathematics, Kindergarten to Grade 6.
Listed below are a few titles to begin the conversation about mathematics at home. These picture books are connected to several math strands of the Ontario mathematics curriculum from your child’s report card:
- Caps for Sale, by Esphyr Slobodkina (Number Sense and Patterning)
- The Doorbell Rang, by Pat Hutchins (Number Sense)
- Count to 10 with a Mouse, by Margaret Wise Brown (Number Sense)
- Is a Blue Whale the Biggest Thing There IS? by Robert Wells (Number Sense and Measurement)
- Actual Size, by Steve Jenkins ( Measurement)
- One Grain of Rice, by Demi (Number Sense and Multiplication and Division)
- Grandfather Tang’s Story, by Ann Tompert (Geometry)
- Stone Soup, by Heather Forest (Data Management and Probability)
If you and your child are more comfortable in a language other than English, then read to your child in that language.
Your local public library may be helpful in choosing books connected to mathematics.
The link below may also be helpful to access digital books online in a number of languages:
International Digital Library: http://en.childrenslibrary.org/
Kindergarten Registration
In the Limestone District School Board we are committed to your child's development from Kindergarten to graduation. Together, we can help your child realize his/her dreams.
In Limestone Kindergarten classrooms, children are involved in many activities designed to help young learners explore, discover and grow.
The Limestone Board is unique in offering both English and French Immersion programs in both Junior and Senior Kindergarten.
Children may start school in September if they turn age four (Junior Kindergarten) or age five (Senior Kindergarten) by December 31 of that year. Those students who are already enrolled in Junior Kindergarten do not need to register again. We welcome Junior and Senior Kindergarten students to our schools year-round, but we encourage parents and guardians to pre-register children in February for the upcoming school year. Please contact your local school to register your child for Kindergarten in September.
You may print and complete the Kindergarten registration form from the LDSB website or get one at the school during office hours. When you register please bring along the following items:
- Proof of your child's age (birth certificate, baptismal certificate or passport)
- Proof of address (driver's licence of parent/guardian, household bills, federal government forms)
- Proof of immunization (child's immunization record - visit KFL&A Public Health for more information)
- Your child's Ontario Health Card (optional)
2016-2017 Parent Council Executive
Parent Council Balance
The Parent Council account balance
as of January 20, 2017 was
$6,651.06
All funds in the Charitable Trust account
(Operation Love Lancaster)
have been distributed.
Submitted by Jennifer McKee, Treasurer
Parent feedback sought on 2017-2018 school year calendar
(Taken from the Limestone District School Board Website)
The Limestone District School Board has begun the process of setting the school year calendar for 2017-2018. The Board is requesting feedback about the 2016-2017 school year calendar and possible options for the 2017-2018 school year.
Each year, school boards are required to prepare, approve, and submit to the Ministry of Education a proposed calendar. The regular school year is the period between Sept. 1 and June 30 and shall include a minimum of 194 school days of which 7 days are designated as Professional Activity Days. The remaining school days are instructional days. A board can also designate 10 instructional days as examination days.
The Ministry template for the 2017-2018 school year includes 194 school days between Labour Day, September 4 and June 29. The template also outlines a winter holiday break from Saturday, Dec. 23 to Sunday, Jan. 7, with students returning to school after the Break, on Monday, Jan. 8. The Ministry template has a March Break from Saturday, March 10 to Sunday, March 18.
The process for deciding on the calendar for the next year begins with the School Year Calendar Committee made up of LDSB stakeholders representing the following groups: trustees, parents, unions, federations, non-union employee groups, human resources, and administrators, who meet in January and February to provide input for a proposal to take to the Tri-Board Student Transportation. School council and parent input is also a valuable part of this process.
Representatives from the three Boards in the Tri-Board Transportation Consortium (LDSB, Hastings & Prince Edward District School Board and Algonquin & Lakeshore Catholic District School Board) meet to discuss the pros and cons of their proposals. A common draft calendar is then taken by each Board’s representative to their respective Board of Trustees for approval. It is anticipated that a draft calendar will be presented to Limestone Trustees in April 2017. The calendar is then sent to the Ministry of Education for approval before it is released to the LDSB community.
Your input is important to us and we appreciate your time in submitting your feedback and comments. You can take the survey here. This survey needs to be completed online or on paper by Friday, Feb. 10, 2017.
An Invitation from UP Bayridge
What’s UP with the Parents of Bayridge?
We are proud to introduce UP, United Parents of Bayridge. We are a group of parents working with the school and local community organizations to support our families with exceptional children. (i.e. Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, Autism, Mental Health issues, Learning Disabilities, etc.) We are parents who wish to share information with families in need. Our goal is to bridge the gap for families and services available in our community. Please join us on this learning journey.
We are excited to host our Community Speaker Information Nights in this upcoming year. Each night we will invite a Community Organization to share their programs and expertise with our families.
The presentations will be held in our Learning Commons at Bayridge Public School. Childcare will be provided upon request. (Please email request to shunkville@live.ca).
UP Calendar February 2017 – May 2017
Wed, Feb 8, 2017 at 6pm: “Extend a Family” – We will review day programs, summer programs that EAF provides
Wed, March 1, 2017 at 6pm: “Frontenac Mental Health Services” – We will review the organization and services provided
Wed, April 5, 2017 at 6pm: “Pathways Children & Youth” - We will discuss Pathways Autism Services Overview, Diagnostic Information and Tax/Funding info related to Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Together we can only go UP!
Parent Council is on Remind!
Do you use Remind to keep up-to-date with classroom and school news? Well, you can now join Parent Council on Remind as well. There are several ways you can join us.
In the Remind app, join us at: @ldps-pc
Take out your phone and text @ldps-pc to this number: 613-699-6185
E-mail ldps-pc@mail.remind.com
On the web, go to: https://www.remind.com/join/ldps-pc
Help Wanted!
Parent volunteers are essential to maintaining a rich learning environment. If you can help in any way, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Laurie Gedke-Kerr at: laurie.gedckekerr@queensu.ca
Inclusive Education
Navigating Special Events
Special events can be tricky for children with special needs. As a parent, I want to encourage social engagement, offer new experiences, and foster a sense of belonging. However, all of that can backfire quite easily at a noisy, crowded, unpredictable event, making me think twice before attending with my son. I remember a movie night at Lancaster a couple years ago that initially seemed to go fairly smoothly, though I could see the tension building up in my son as the night progressed. Someone bumped into him, too many people were talking, a drink got spilled near where he was sitting. But he held it together and was smiling as the event drew to a close, when suddenly something beyond my control did not go as my son expected and he threw himself to the floor and wailed. There was no way to calm him down amidst the hustle and bustle of everyone gathering up their families to head home, so I just nodded and smiled as people stepped over the tired, teary, over-stimulated puddle at my feet.
I am not a fan of leaving while my son is distraught since it seems to mark the event as a failure; if he can regain his composure and possibly even experience a happy moment before we exit then the memory at least has a chance of being a positive one. Successful experiences are so essential to building self-esteem and an openness to new adventures, and recovering from pitfalls is a huge part of success. When events are filed as unsuccessful however, it can be a real set-back that takes much time and effort to overcome.
For this reason we often skip the large events and opt for those offered specifically for children with special needs. LDPS will be holding just such an event on Thursday, February 23, called Building Connections. This invitation-only event will provide a chance for exceptional learners and their families to gather together for an evening of activities, information sharing and socializing. The children will have a chance for a fun night without the overstimulation of a busier event. And if there are some outbursts, they will take place in a supportive environment of parents, staff and peers who understand the challenges at hand. This can be a relief for parents as well: dealing with a distraught child is stressful enough without worrying about the judgement of onlookers.
Tempting as it is to stick with the specialized events that are more likely to go smoothly, it benefits everyone to have people with special needs integrated into mainstream society as much as possible. In planning any event, giving some thought to those with special needs can go a long way to making it more enjoyable for all. Considerations such as offering a quiet space with softer lighting and quiet activities can help those who need a break from the hubbub. Where possible, minimizing overall noise, bright lights, and crowdedness can increase everyone’s enjoyment. Accessibility is another important consideration, as is offering activities that are adaptable for a range of abilities. Being fully inclusive is a challenge but it is a worthwhile one, just as it is worthwhile for our children to accept the challenge of experiences outside of their comfort zone.
My son was invited to a birthday party this past weekend by a child from his integration class – meaning a little outside of his comfort zone. The party promised to be busier than the ones he is used to with the small, familiar group from the autism class, and I wondered how other parents would respond if my son became overwhelmed and had a meltdown. Which is exactly what happened! And the birthday boy’s family? Completely sweet, understanding and supportive, even going so far as to sit on the floor to chat with my son while he hid under the table… He wanted to leave, said nobody liked him, and his day was ruined. But everyone gave him the time, space and encouragement he needed to stick it out, and in the end he turned it around and left with a smile, saying he was happy to have gone. Another successful experience under his belt.
~ Emma Garrard, Inclusive Education Coordinator
"You should never view your challenges as a disadvantage.
Instead, it's important for you to understand that
your experience facing and overcoming adversity
is actually one of your biggest advantages."
~ Michelle Obama
Useful Links
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People for Education
To sign up for their bi-weekly newsletter:
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LDSB Family Lending Library
limestone.on.ca/lending_library
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Limestone Link
www.limestone.on.ca/
Limestone_Link/
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Council Calendar
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School Calendar