Monday, May 24 – Victoria Day Holiday – No School
Social Media and Mental Health Presentation – Link Still Available
Professional Support Services – Virtual Drop In Hours
Monday, May 24 – Holiday: The Victoria Day holiday is Monday, May 24 and there will be no school on this day. Students and families are encouraged to step away from computers and screens and to enjoy the day, the weather, and the outside.
June 4 – PA Day: There will be no school on June 4 as it is a Professional Activity Day for staff who will begin to prepare assessments and report data for the final reports for students.
Social Media and Mental Health Presentation: On May 20 our Grade 4 – 8 students and all Lambton-Kingsway parents and families had the opportunity to listen to Scott Ste. Marie speak about social media and mental health. He spoke about the importance of managing social media interaction and the impact that social media can have on an individual’s mental health. Social media is relatively new, and we are only beginning to learn how to safely manage and engage with it. Scott has made his YouTube link live for the next week. If you missed the presentation, it is available here. Please click on the following private Youtube link for access to the presentation. The advice that Scott provided to our students included:
- Be critical of what you are consuming
- Set goals for yourself and not to compare yourself to others
- If following something or someone makes you feel badly, mute and unfollow
- Pre-scroll and post-scroll check
During the evening presentation, Scott spoke about a phone contract that parents can use if they choose to provide children with their own phone.
Delaney Ruston – Screenagers: In 2016, Delaney Ruston MD, created the award winning film, Screenagers about family life, social media, video games and academics. In 2019, Screenagers, The Next Chapter was released. With present lockdown orders and greater use of computers and hand-held devices for learning and communicating, it is even more important to take time away from our screens. Since the release of these films, Dr. Ruston continues to write a blog providing suggestions and ideas to support families and teenagers during this time. The latest blog is entitled, This One Tiny Change Will Really Help Your Kids.
Grade 8 Graduation Planning: Grade 8 is a special year for all students as it signals the end to elementary learning and the beginning to Secondary School. At Lambton-Kingsway we are working to plan a graduation event for our students following the guidelines that have been communicated by Toronto Public Health and the Toronto District School Board. On June 24, we will be gathering virtually through Zoom beginning at 6:00 p.m. Grade 8 parents will have received an email with a link to provide for student images to be used during the presentation. If you did not receive the email, you can click this link to provide permission. As further details become finalized, they will be communicated by Grade 8 teachers to students and families. We thank our graduation committee and parent volunteers for all their efforts to make this year special for our students.
Professional Support Services – Virtual Drop In Hours: If you are the parent or caregiver of a child with special or complex needs our Professional Support Services are here to assist you. Each Wednesday evening from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. TDSB resource staff is available. More information is available through the TDSB website or this link.
LKS Parent Council 