LKS Parent Council

Lambton-Kingsway Students and Parents,

We hope that our Lambton-Kingsway families have been able to enjoy the break from school although we know this holiday, like last year’s, has been a little bit different for everyone.  Yesterday, the Government of Ontario announced that students would learn remotely with an expected return to in-person learning on January 17.  Prior to the Winter holiday, students were given the opportunity to practice connecting to their Google classroom in preparation for the possibility of this occurrence.  In the past two days, teachers have made contact by email or through google classrooms and will begin lessons and instruction on January 5 for all students. 

Much information has already been communicated to families in the last few days through emails from the TDSB.  Below are a few highlights as the students and teachers at Lambton-Kingsway JMS prepare for remote learning.

Online Classroom Expectations:  Online classrooms are an extension of our school classrooms and the expectations for our students remain in place.  Teachers will review expectations with students on January 5, but generally we expect students to be on time, be actively engaged during class time and be respectful and accountable in their actions.  From the beginning of the year, we have built community in our classrooms.  We will work to maintain that community online through our google classroom experiences with our students.  Students are reminded to communicate with teachers via the chat function if they are taking a break (i.e., washroom, nutrition, etc.) or if they encounter technical difficulties.  We want our students to remain connected with us as much as possible and strongly encourage students to keep their cameras on whenever possible.

Schedule of the Day:  Wednesday, January 5 is a Day 3 on our schedule.  We will be following the regular schedule of the day, beginning at 8:30 a.m. and ending the day at 2:55 p.m. (Grade 7, 8) or 3:10 (Kindergarten to Grade 6).  Although we cannot duplicate the in-person learning experience our goal is to provide rich learning opportunities for students.  Following the regular schedule means that specialty teachers such as French, Music, Science will continue to provide learning experiences. 

Chromebooks and iPads:  If a student needs a Chromebook or an iPad to participate in online learning, please contact the classroom teacher who will begin the process of distribution of a device from the school.  Parents or older students will need to collect the computer from the school once it is prepared for home use. 

Mental Health and Well-Being:  We strive to support our students the best that we possible can in these uncertain and challenging times.  As parents, you know your child best and what supports are needed.  We recognize that too much screen time is not healthy for students.  There may be periods of time when students are able to work on assignments away from their device while the teacher remains available for questions or to provide support to individual students.  Teachers will also include breaks throughout the day.  If necessary, you can access further supports and resources directly on our TDSB website.

Communication Updates:  In recent days you have received several emails providing updates and directions about the TDSB plan for supporting our students in your learning.  We will do our best to keep you informed of any future changes.  We ask all parents to carefully watch your email inbox for messages from the school or the TDSB.  If you have any questions, please contact the main school office or review the TDSB website.

During the pandemic, students and staff have been challenged and faced adversity and they have responded with resilience and confidence.  Our students and teachers have participated in online learning previously and have learned a great deal about themselves, about our ability to overcome challenges and about how we learn best.  We will use these experiences and more to make daily learning as engaging and effective as possible for our students.  There may be bumps in the road, as with any task, but we will support our students through this round of remote learning.  We ask parents to check-in on the well-being of your child and have conversations about their online experience and if you have questions or concerns please bring them forward to your child’s teacher. 

We are well prepared to continue our teaching and learning at Lambton-Kingsway JMS.