Weekly Memo - October 13 - 17

Rideau Public School - Weekly Memo Oct. 13-17

Good Afternoon Rideau Families,

Although I am not familiar with everyone's tradition for Thanksgiving weekend, I can share that in our house there is a turkey in the oven. We are looking forward to sharing a meal together as a family and taking the time to give thanks for everything we have. A moment of reflection in a world that is too busy most of the time. I hope you also have the chance to spend some time with your family this weekend.

Clubs for students are ongoing with Cross-Country still running strong. Volleyball will soon begin. Lego Robotics will be on Thursdays from 3:45 to 4:45 for students in grade 4-6. Sewing Club is a hit again this year. There is talk of an environmental club. Student Council members have been elected and we will meet this week. Thank you to everyone volunteering their time to engage our students!

BGC is offering basketball. Look at the poster below for more information.

CLOTHES SALE - this is coming up fast on October 25th. If you can help the day before, there is no need to sign up for sorting, just find us in the gym! If you would like to help with porch pick ups or have any questions please email milne.isla@gmail.com

FRESH FROM THE FARM - The order deadline is October 17, 2025 and the delivery date will be shared when we have a specific date. Here is the link to order. See the poster below.

FRONTENACS - The School raised $700 through this event. These funds will go toward subsidies for field trips and special events at the school.

ACCESSIBILITY - The Limestone District School Board is committed to fostering accessibility and inclusion for all. They are currently developing our next Multi-Year Accessibility Plan and invite feedback from students, staff, families, and community members.

Your input will help ensure goals reflect the diverse needs and lived experiences across all school communities. Please visit bit.ly/LDSB2025-2029AccessibilityPlan to provide input. The survey is open until November 10, 2025

CHANGES TO SCHOOL SCHEDULE - I have received the responses from last week's survey. Here is a summary:

The survey responses show a nearly even split between strong support and strong opposition to the proposed schedule change, with 20 strongly supporting and 21 strongly opposing. The most frequently mentioned concerns and feedback themes relate to time, work schedules, breaks/recess, before/after care, and transportation/bus issues. Key insights are:

• Many parents are concerned about reduced break and recess time, which they feel may negatively impact students' ability to eat, play, and recharge.
• Transportation and bus timing are significant factors, with both support and opposition often linked to how the change affects bus schedules and family logistics.
• Adjustments to before/after care and supervision are frequently mentioned, as families worry about the impact on their work schedules and the availability of care options.

I get from the responses that I did not clearly explain that drop off time would not be affected as there would be staff outside at 8:50, as usual and the buses would not leave any earlier. Any comments related to Before and After School Care is beyond my purview as the board contracts those programs and the city manages them. As for extending free time outside before and after school, there lies the problem, it is difficult for us to cover the number of minutes of supervision we already have therefore we cannot add more non-instructional minutes to our day. In fact, the proposed change in schedule aimed to reduce the number of minutes of supervision.

Based on the responses, we will not move ahead with the proposed change and keep our hours as they are.

I want to thank everyone who took the time to respond and share their reasoning.

HALLOWEEN - October is often filled with fall related topics and activities. One of them is Halloween. Please make sure you let your child's teacher know if you would prefer they not participate in Halloween-related crafts or activities. Children will be allowed to wear a school appropriate costume on the 31st or to wear orange and black if they wish. This is completely optional for children.

These are all the news for this week.

Valerie Arsenault, Principal

Week at a Glance

Monday, October 13

• Thanksgiving
• No school

Tuesday, October 14

• Fire Drill

Wednesday, October 15

• Field trips (Bettas, Parson, Walker, LeBlanc)
• Cross Country practice

Thursday, October 16

• Cross-country Regionals

Friday, October 17

• Wear your Rideau Colours (green and yellow)

Looking Ahead:

October 20 - Diwali Krisna Chaturdasi, Southern Deepavali, Junior classes on field trip

October 21 - Diwali Amavasya, Northern Deepavali

October 22 - Cross-country District

October 23 - School Assembly

October 25 - Clothes sale

October 29 - SCHOOL PHOTOS (this is a change from the original date), Boo Bash

October 30 - Boo Bash

October 31 - Halloween

November 1 - All Saints Day

November 2 - All Souls Day

November 5 - Guru Nanak Jayanti

November 11 - Remembrance Day Assembly

November 13 - Progress Reports go home, Bus Safety Presentation

November 14 - PA Day

Parent Council Corner

Our next meeting is November 4 at 3:45 pm. Babysitting available.

This is our yearend School Council Official Report 24 25 from 2024-2025.

The next meetings this year will be:

December 2, at 3:45

January 13, at 3:45

February 3, at 3:45

March 3, at 3:45

April 7, at 3:45

May 5, at 3:45

June 2, at 3:45

FRESH FROM THE FARM

📅 Order Deadline: October 17, 2025
📦 Delivery Window: November 3 – December 4, 2025
📍 Pick-Up Only at the School (orders are too heavy to send home with students)

40% of all sales go directly to enhancing student experiences at our school. We are excited to use this fundraiser to contribute to the cost of purchasing new iPads. Thank you for helping us make a difference—your support means everything! Follow this link!

To reach out to parent council, email Rebecca at welfarerebecca@yahoo.ca.

Here are the minutes of our September meeting: Parent Council Minutes September 17, 2025

Basketball

Hot Lunch Orders

Wednesday's hot lunch will have fewer options comes October. We will keep our most popular: Chicken nuggets and Mac & Cheese.

STUDENT CRAFT SALE - CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

Is your student creative and crafty? Would they like a chance to become entrepreneurs and sell their own creations at our Fall Student Craft Sale on October 25th?

During the sale, Rideau Public students will be able to sell their own crafts at a Student Maker table which will be set up and hosted by a member of the Parent Council.* 
As their 'vendor fee', each participating Student Maker will also have to donate ONE item they submitted for sale to the Parent Council fundraising table, from which all proceeds raised will go towards future student initiatives at the school.
It's a great opportunity for kids to be creative, connect with their peers, and learn business & marketing skills all while having fun! 
Participation is open to all Rideau Public students from JK - Gr 6. 
To sign up a Student Maker, please fill out the following form:
Student Craft Sale (Fall 2025) - Student Maker Sign Up
[NOTE: Sale day attendance is NOT required.]

* Council member to be responsible for handling cash box; parent volunteers also able to assist!

Clothes Sale

Second hand clothing swap

Rideau is hosting a second-hand clothing swap to help keep items circulating locally in the Kingston community. Good for your wallet, good for the planet! See info, posters, and links below for details and share widely!

DONATE

Oct 23 and 24th, 8:30am-4:30pm

Clean clothing (sz 0-14), Books, and Tiny toys (smaller than your fist)

Drop off donations @ Rideau Public School (look for signs near Toronto St entrance)

Rideau students can bring small bags to school with them!

SHOP

Sat Oct 25th , 9am-1pm

All sales are pay what you can. All $$ goes to the school

Pre-loved kids clothing 0-14 & Book

Rideau Public School Gym

Open to everyone, help us spread the word in the Kingston Community!

Facebook event

Instragram Posts

Volunteers needed

Oct 24th: Sorting

We need help! Oct 24th anytime between 2:30-until it's done (~8pm)! Come for 15 min or come for 5 hours. Pop in for a few minutes before or after pick up, with or without kiddos! Every little bit helps! No need to sign up, just show up!

Fun fact: The kids who came to help last year had a great time, bring your kids so they can be a part of this event that supports our community and the environment.

Oct 25th: Take down

Swing by the school at 2pm to pick up a few boxes of leftover items to donation locations

2025-2026 LDSB School Year Calendar

A PDF version of the 2025-2026 School Year Calendar is available online.

Daily Schedule

Allergen Awareness - Nut-Free School

Thank you for packing nut-free snacks! Please communicate with teachers before sending any treats in for your student's class.