Kingston Secondary School Snapshot
December 8, 2020
Move set for December 15, 2020
Classes are scheduled to begin for both Module Vanier and KSS students on December 15, 2020 which is the beginning of Octomester/Block 4. The last day of classes at the current Module Vanier and KSS is December 11, 2020. Students at Module Vanier and KCVI will have a scheduled (asynchronous) remote learning/turnaround day at home on December 14, 2020 to allow for the setup of physical classrooms at the new building to welcome students to school the next day.
Know your zone for the first day of school
Remember to bring home your personal belongings
How to access the new KSS site
Please see the attached graphic for assistance.
School buses to KSS and Module Vanier will enter off Kirkpatrick Street and use the paved bus loop to drop students off in the morning. In the afternoon, buses will be parked in the rear parking lot for loading for dismissal.
Staff will park in designated parking areas in the rear parking lot by entering off Kirkpatrick Street. For now, until student parking passes are provided, students should park on adjacent side streets (ensuring they adhere to city parking restrictions). KSS will issue student parking passes in January 2021. Accessible and short-term parking for families/visitors who attend KSS during the school day (to pick up or drop off students) with an appointment is available near the main entrance.
Families will NOT be permitted to enter the KSS site to drop or pick up students at arrival or dismissal time. Families are asked to drop and pick up students using the paved lay-bys on Kirkpatrick Street (away from the paved entrance to KSS) or adjacent city streets such as Kingscourt Avenue. Families should also avoid the Lyons Street as that area is used by school buses, staff and families entering Molly Brant Elementary School.
Thank you for your patience and support in ensuring student safety during arrival and dismissal.
No final tours possible due to COVID-19
After a long journey, students and staff from Kingston Collegiate & Vocational Institute (KCVI) and Module Vanier will make the move to the new Kingston Secondary School (KSS) site on Tuesday
We understand there has been community interest for last day walk throughs or tours of the KCVI building. Unfortunately, this is not possible, due to COVID-19 safety protocols. Non-essential visitors are not allowed in our schools. Further, those wishing to attend the exterior of the building for the “last bell” are asked not to congregate outside school entrances or park on adjacent roadways as this will disrupt an already busy and staggered student dismissal due to COVID-19. It’s important to note that public health units are also advising against non-essential travel outside of home regions.
An Integration Committee including representation from students, school councils, staff and trustees, provided input on how to honour and include artifacts and other memorabilia from both KCVI and the former Queen Elizabeth & Collegiate Vocational Institute (QECVI) into the new KSS. A team of board, school and community volunteers have been working to collect and catalogue hundreds of pieces of memorabilia and artefacts from both KCVI and QECVI as part of the KCVI/QECVI Legacy Project. Some of these items will be showcased in the new school, however, due to the volume of items, some others will be available for viewing on the KCVI/Legacy Website. In addition, memorabilia displays will be installed in phases after the transition is completed. Further input from the Integration Committee will be sought early in 2021. In the future, additional items may be offered up as part of an online fundraising auction to support the KCVI Launch Fund that assists students in beginning their post-secondary experience and/or for building or program enhancements. This work has been delayed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Alumni were offered an opportunity to tour the school during KCVI’s 225 reunion celebration in 2017. To help mark this significant anniversary, the Limestone District School Board produced a video to celebrate the tradition of excellence in athletics, arts and activities at KCVI: Celebrating KCVI 225: Where Tradition Meets the Future. Alumni have been sharing many memories and reminisces on the KCVI Turns 225 Facebook page as well.
Although students and staff will be moved to the new building, many items will continue to be moved over to KSS in phases as this work is also impacted by COVID-19. Once this work is complete, the process to dispose of the building will continue with the building closing in 2021. The KCVI building was declared surplus by the school board in August 2020 and will follow the disposition process as outlined in Ontario Regulation 444/98 Disposition of Surplus Real Property.
School bus transportation eligibility
School bus transportation is available to eligible students currently attending KCVI and Module Vanier or those who will attend KSS for special programming.
For information on school bus eligibility to the KSS site, please visit Tri-Board Student Transportation or call 613.354.1981 or 1.866.569.6638.
Families who are eligible need to complete a Tri-Board busing application if they are brand new bus riders. To apply for busing, please visit the Tri-Board website. If you have any questions about busing to the new school, please call Tri-Board.
If you already ride the school bus, no action is required. If you are currently riding a bus but will walk, cycle or take Kingston Transit to the new school, no action is required.
Kingston Transit routes servicing KSS
Both KCVI and Module Vanier students may continue using their free Kingston Transit passes once the new school opens.
Kingston Transit has provided maps on which routes will service KSS. Transit will shift bus resources from the KCVI area to the KSS area to support peak demand at school dismissal time.
The transit passes will be key for students who live within 3.2 km of the new school and are not eligible for school bus transportation. School bus transportation is available to eligible students currently attending KCVI and Module Vanier or those who will attend KSS for special programming.
If your student doesn't have a Kingston Transit pass and needs one, they can obtain one from the Cataraqui Centre or Kingston City Hall. If this poses a barrier for students, please contact the school for assistance.
For information on school bus eligibility to KSS, please see below.
Walking & cycling paths around KSS
There are many options to get to and from the Kingston Secondary School site by bike or by walking using new and expanded city trails and pathways.
The new Leroy Grant Multi-use Pathway is an accessible asphalt pathway that connects Third Ave. to John Counter Blvd. through Champlain Park. The pathway feeds directly into the grounds of KSS through Champlain Park.
The sidewalk network in the area adjacent to the school is quite robust as sidewalks are located on one or both sides of street (with the exception of one or two small pieces within the neighbourhood).
For those who prefer to cycle, there are a couple of ways to get from KCVI area to KSS and back:
- If starting in the inner harbour/downtown area, the K&P trail (beginning in Doug Fluhrer Park) takes you Elliott Avenue, which has cycling lanes that take you to Lyons Street, or further west to a pathway that leads to the grounds of Molly Brant Elementary School.
- If starting in the Queen’s University/Sunnyside/Alwington area, you can take the buffered bike lanes along Brock/Johnson Streets (depending if starting from the east or west) to Macdonnell Street, then head up Macdonnell, which leads right into the Leroy Grant multi-use pathway beginning at Third Avenue and Connaught Street.
Kingston Secondary School Snapshot
613.548.4811
Module Vanier
613.544.7698
Website: bit.ly/KSS_LDSB
Location: 145 Kirkpatrick Street, Kingston, Ontario, Canada