Rideau Public School - Weekly Memo Sept. 22 - 26
Fall is here
Good afternoon Rideau Families,
Fall is at our door, starting officially on Monday. With it, cooler weather and colours in the trees. It is truly a beautiful season.
PARENT COUNCIL - Last week, we had our Parent Council AGM and elected our new council. All nominees were acclaimed in their position:
- Chair – Rebecca Welfare-Lister
- Co-Chair – Teena Hartwick
- Secretary – Kate Alldred
- Treasurer – Christian Muise
- Fundraising Coordinator – Taylor Napier
- Events Coordinator – Alicia Childs
- Environmental Chair – Leilan Baxter
- Communication Officer – Haley Somerville
- Kindergarten Representatives – Sarah Paulson, Michael Velasquez
Let's congratulate them in their commitment to the school. Parent Council is also made up of a great number of members at large who support school initiatives and help us make Rideau a great place for our students.
OPEN HOUSE - Don't forget to join us on Thursday for our fall open house from 4:30 - 5:30. It will be the chance for you to visit the school and meet your child/ren's teacher(s). We look forward to see you there. (There is no food served at this event).
PEANUTS & NUT PRODUCTS - This is a gentle reminder that we have students with severe allergies to peanuts and nut products. Please do not send food that contain nuts or peanuts to school.
FRONTENACS - On October 5th, 2025 our school is hosting a Frontenacs' game fundraiser. This is always a great event for school spirit and cheering on our national sport. To buy your tickets, follow this link. We hope to see many of you there.
FRANCO-ONTARIAN FLAG - On September 25, it is the celebration of the flag that represents the French communities in Ontario. You might have seen it before. It is green and white, has a Fleur-de-lys and a Trillium. It has been flown proudly since 1975 and represents Franco-Ontarian communities officially since 2001. A song accompanies it: Mon beau drapeau was recorded by French Speaking artists in Ontario. Students will have the chance to learn more about it this week.
FALL STUDENT CRAFT SALE - On the same day as the clothes sale, students will have the chance to sell their creations. Read the article below for more details.
BOO BASH - Mark your calendar, Boo Bash will be on October 29 and 30 this year. Be ready for some spooky fun!
DATA VERIFICATION FORMS - This is a gentle reminder to complete them and send them back to school.
POTENTIAL CHANGE TO SCHOOL HOURS - we are exploring the possibility of changing our school hours slightly, starting 5 minutes later and finishing 5 minutes earlier. This will help with buses that arrive after the bell, giving them more time to be here on time without having to pick up the children any earlier. It would not affect home time as buses will leave the school at about the same time. What this will do is reduce the non-instructional time in the two breaks by 10 minutes, aligning with what other school in the area are doing. This will also help us with our supervision schedule pressure. The number of instructional minutes will not be affected and will continue to respect Ministry expectations. There will be a survey later this fall seeking your feedback on this proposal.
Have a great week!
Valerie Arsenault, Principal
Week at a Glance
Monday, September 22
- Fall Equinox
- Cross-country practice at recess
Tuesday, September 23
- Rosh Hashanah
- Nothing to mention
Wednesday, September 24
- Cross-country practice at recess
Thursday, September 25
- Fete du drapeau Franco-Ontarien
- Open House (4:30 - 5:30)
Friday, September 26
- Dress in your Rideau Colours (green and yellow)
- Fire Drill
Looking Ahead:
September 30 - National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (wear an orange shirt)
October 1 - Cross-country Sydenham Race
October 2 - Dassain, Yom Kippur, Field trip Matthews and Guardado
October 6 - Zhong Qu Jie, Bus Patroller Training for older students
October 7 - Sukkot, BRAVE workshops
October 8 - Terry Fox Run, BRAVE workshops
October 9 - BRAVE workshops
October 10 - PA Day - no school for students
October 12 - Shemini Arzeret/Simchat Torah
October 13 - Thanksgiving - no school for everyone
October 15 - Field trips (Bettas, Parson, Walker, LeBlanc)
October 16 - Cross-country Regionals
October 20 - Diwali Krisna Chaturdasi, Southern Deepavali
October 21 - Diwali Amavasya, Northern Deepavali
October 22 - School Photos (Picture Day), Cross-country District
Parent Council Corner
Our new council has been elected! To reach our chair, email Rebecca at welfarerebecca@yahoo.ca.
Here are the minutes of our June meeting: Parent Council Meeting Minutes 2025 06 03
Our next meeting is October 7 at 3:45 pm.
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!
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!
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
Health Curriculum Exemption
As part of LDSB's commitment to ongoing transparency and communication with families, please follow the link to Form 325-D on the LDSB website. It outlines the Human Development and Sexual Health curriculum expectations for Grades 1-8. Families can request to have their child or children exempted from instruction related to Human Development and Sexual Health expectations by completing and returning an exemption form for each child (Form 325-B) five school days before the start of instruction. Prior to instruction, your child's classroom teacher will inform parents/guardians when the expectations related to the Human Development and Sexual Health expectations in Strand D will be covered. For a more detailed overview of this process, please refer to Administrative Procedure 325: Exemption From Human Development and Sexual Health Instruction (listed under the Policies and Procedures section of the LDSB website), or contact the school.
Music Lessons
Deborah Schuurmans is offering piano lessons at Rideau again this year.
Email to debschuurmans@gmail.com .
Or text Deb at 613 532 8983.
Lessons will start September 16th.
Chris Giguère is offering guitar lessons at Rideau again this year.
Email (preferred): cwgigs@gmail.com
Telephone: 613 329-4931
Infos cours de guitare 2025 2026 (en)
2025-2026 LDSB School Year Calendar
A PDF version of the 2025-2026 School Year Calendar is available online.
Daily Schedule
Time | Activity/learning block |
|---|---|
8:50 a.m. | Supervision begins |
9:05 a.m. | Entry bell |
9:05 to 10:45 a.m. | First instructional block |
10:45 to 11:30 a.m. | Recess and Nutrition Break |
11:30 a.m. to 1:10 p.m. | Second instructional block |
1:10 to 1:55 p.m. | Recess and Nutrition Break |
1:55 to 3:35 p.m. | Third instructional block |
3:35 p.m. | Dismissal |
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.
