Rideau Public School - Weekly Memo Oct. 20 - 24
Good Afternoon Rideau Families,
It is a blustery afternoon where I live. Leaves are flying away on a true fall day.
Our students did really well at Regional last week in cross-country running. A huge thank you to our coaches Mme Morawiec and M. Cameron as well as to all the parents who went and cheered for our little Rhinos.
Thanks to the hard work of our library fairy, new books are steadily appearing on our shelves. Volunteers needed!
The Rideau 100 Library Project is so proud of all our new library books, purchased with money raised through the Scholastic Book Fair and other fundraising initiatives, as well as many donations from school families and staff. The books are very slowly making their way to the shelves of our library and our students are thrilled to see new books every time they visit the library!
We are looking for volunteers with availability during or before/after the school day this week to help prepare new books for circulation (the books need cards, card pockets, and category stickers; it's very easy and a volunteer will show you how to do it!). There are lots of new books waiting to hit the shelves. Please email Cat London (catlondon@gmail.com) if you are available and willing to help for even half an hour to help get these wonderful new books into the hands of our eager readers.
LOST AND FOUND - as always, our lost and found is well stocked. Please take a moment this week to come and claim what belongs to your children. Everything with a name in it is being returned to its right owner.
There is even a brand new winter jacket in the mixed, unfortunately with no name. You know Mabel's Labels is an easy way to identify your child's clothes. No ironing needed, just peel and stick. The best part is that they work!
CLOTHES SALE - This is coming up fast on October 25th, see details below! At our last Parent Council meeting, we learned that snack and lunch supplies from our school food program are disappearing faster than ever — times are tough for many families. We agreed that 100% of the profits from our next PopCycle sale will go directly to our school’s snack and lunch program. Donate, shop, help sort, or spread the word - every little bit helps! If you can help on the 24th, 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. Scroll down for more details.
RIDEAU WEAR - we will soon have the Rideau Wear online store open with new clothing. Stay tuned for more information.
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
ARTICLE - Someone shared with me this interesting and informative article on screen time and test score. It is worth a read.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/screentime-test-scores-9.6935108
HALLOWEEN - As I mentioned last week, 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.
I wish you an amazing week!
Valerie Arsenault, Principal
Week at a Glance
Monday, October 20
- Diwali Krisna Chaturdasi
- Southern Deepavali
- Junior classes on field trip
Tuesday, October 21
- Diwali Amavasya
- Northern Deepavali
Wednesday, October 22
- Cross-country District
Thursday, October 23
- School Assembly
- Clothing drop off
Friday, October 24
- Wear your Rideau Colours (green and yellow)
- Clothing Drop off
Saturday, October 25
- Clothes sale
Looking Ahead:
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 4 - Parent Council Meeting 3:45
November 5 - Guru Nanak Jayanti
November 11 - Remembrance Day Assembly
November 13 - Progress Reports go home, Bus Safety Presentation
November 14 - PA Day
November 18 - Dental Screening (JK, SK, Grade 2)
November 19 - Dental Screening (JK, SK, Grade 2)
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
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.
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!
Kids are hungry. At our last Parent Council meeting, we learned that snack and lunch supplies from our school food program are disappearing faster than ever — times are tough for many families. We agreed that 100% of the profits from our next PopCycle sale (after covering gym rental and custodial costs) will go directly to our school’s snack and lunch program.
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!
Can't make it to drop off? We offer a limited number of porch pick ups, please read instructions carefully and fill out this form
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! 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
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.
