Sept 8-10 ~ Running Club begins, grade 3-8

Sept 15 ~ School Picture Day

Sept 17 ~ Intermediate Leadership Day

Sept 21 ~ Parent Council Information night and elections 6:00

Sept 27-Oct 1 - Terry Fox Week

Sept 30 ~ Race Around the Park - running club event at Lancaster after school (tentative)

Oct 1 ~ PA Day, no school for students, school year improvement planning for staff

Oct

Another school year is here and we have already launched into learning at Lancaster. Staff and students have been busy and engaged this week to build a foundation for a wonderful year ahead. Establishing routines, building connections and having a good dose of "fun" together. Students, staff and families have all recognized that this week can feel tiring as we re-introduce a new level of cognitive load. Getting used to new daily routines, family schedules, lunch making, more daily social interactions are all ways that we are re-engaging our brains and bodies into 'back to school". Hopefully this weekend has brought some downtime and a chance to reset and recharge for all of us.

Thank you for the patience and understanding of our families with the ongoing roof work that is being completed at Lancaster. The start-up has gone smoothly and students have been arriving to school safely and ready to learn. We have again included the map of the parking zones to help inform parents around appropriate drop-off and pick-up locations. We will continue with the practice of having families establish family plans with their children for drop-off and pick-up routines. This allows us to abide by Public Health start-up guidelines for schools to provide a safe return to school. Staff are on property to receive students starting at 8:15 when supervision begins and can help students gather in their cohort lines. At the end of the day staff are able to visually see students connect up with their caregivers at the end of the day along the back pathway. Less congestion on the schoolyard and clear site lines help tremendously with this process, thank you for your co-operation. See more information in this newsletter and upcoming editions about how to support safe routes to school, including our partnership with the City of Kingston and KFL&A Public Health.

We will continue to share elements of school life through our Twitter account - you can see our Twitter feed through our school website, or by activating notifications on your Twitter account to be notified when Lancaster has a new tweet. Other whole-school messages will continue to arrive through your School Messenger app, please ensure you have selected yes to receiving email messages to ensure you are receiving the full complement of information coming out to families. If you are not receiving school communication through email please contact the office.

Seeing the students in the building, classroom learning beginning, and experiencing our first running club practice for grades 3-6 and has been a delight. September looks wonderful Lancaster!

Your leaders in learning,

Lani Fox and Sara O'Hearn

We have enjoyed a wonderful partnership with the Lancaster School Activity Council over the past few years. Together we look at how best to serve the needs of students and families in our community. Often parent council plays an integral role in determining how to support teachers and bring special learning experiences into the school.

We warmly welcome all parents to be a part of any and every school council meeting, whether you are an elected member or a parent who would just like to listen in and hear more about what is going on at Lancaster. Meetings usually include an administrator's sharing component, reports from members in particular positions (treasurer, chair, events co-ordinator, etc.) and some discussion items. We will start with virtual meetings until such a time that we can have parents on-site. Meeting links will be posted by the SAC so that parents can elect to join.

Our first meeting for School Council will be held on Tuesday Sept 21st at 6:00. Please contact to have the meeting link sent to you or to inquire further about opportunities within the council.

At this time of year, all schools work with the Limestone District School Board Staffing Committee to ensure that the number of students and class organizations across the District meet the requirements to provide the best learning environment possible for all of our students. Each spring, schools are granted a number of classrooms and staff based on projected enrollment. In the first week of September, the numbers are re-examined to see if the projected number of students is close to the actual number. This year, Lancaster has fewer students than we were projected to have due to student moves or transfers within the system. This means that we will be required to re-organize our school from 17 classes to 16 classes.

In order to ensure that our school organization meets the Ministry of Education guidelines, it will be necessary to move some students to other classrooms. Not all students and/or classrooms will be affected. Our staff puts in a tremendous amount of thought and care in the spring to create class lists, while considering a number of factors, and will take these factors into account again as we make some adjustments to class lists. Families will be informed by letter of any change that impacts their child(ren) by Sept 17th. Our new organization will be in place for the week of September 20th.

As students start in their new classrooms, we will work together to ensure a smooth transition for all, while continuing to provide rich learning experiences in warm, inviting classrooms. We understand that change is unsettling but know that the adults (staff and parents) play a significant role in modeling and empowering our students to embrace the opportunities embedded in change. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact us. We appreciate your ongoing support and understanding.

Before your child heads off to school by themselves (or with friends), there are a few safety precautions you can take.

Build Familiarity:

• Teach your child to recognize and obey traffic signals and pavement markings.
• Choose the safest route between home and school and practice walking it with your child until he/she can demonstrate traffic-safety awareness.

Adopt the Buddy System:

• Have your child communte with a sibling, friend or neighbour following physical distancing guidelines. Connect with street neighbours or hire an older student to walk your child home.

Embrace Cycling Safety:

• If your child is biking or scootering, make sure they have a helmet, bell and lock, and that their bike is in good working order.
• Teach your child hand signals and to get off and walk when crossing the road at intersections.
• Remind your child to get off and walk once they get to school property.

Have an Emergency Plan:

• Make sure your child knows what to do and who to contact if they have an emergency. Put a list of important numbers in their backpack.
• Remind them of safe ways to access help in the neighbourhood.

Remind your child to:

• Stick to well-traveled streets, use the same route every day and avoid shortcuts through wooded areas, parking lots or alleys.
• Keep the trip distraction-free. Have them put headphones and devices in backpacks so they can stay alert to what's happening around them.
• Carry backpacks and bags close to their body, not dangling by the straps.
• Don’t wear shoes or clothing that restrict movement.
• Cross streets only in crosswalks; never enter streets from between parked cars or from behind shrubbery.
• Always look both ways before crossing the street.
• Walk — don’t run — across intersections. A flashing “walk” signal does not mean it’s safe to cross.
• Don’t speak to strangers; if a stranger approaches, tell a teacher, a school principal or a trusted adult. Switch direction or cross the street if they feel unsafe.

Love tasty baked goods from Cobbs Bread?? Every time you visit Cobbs Bread Bakery at 770 Gardiners rd. in Kingston simply let them know you are supporting Lancaster School’s Fundraiser and they will donate 10% of your sale to us!

Let’s “Raise some Dough”!