Weekly Memo - October 12-16

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Posted on 2026-10-11 13:03:21.588 +0000 UTC

Rideau Public School Weekly Memo October 12-16

Bonjour Rideau Families,

I hope you are enjoying the long weekend with family and friends.

Let's see what is new at Rideau...

New Attendance Policy - Starting last Monday and to be in compliance with a new ministry policy, attendance has to be taken every time a class changes location. For instance, if the class goes to gym, the attendance (that was taken in the morning) must be taken again when the students arrive to the gym and again when they return to class. This initiative is to ensure all students are accounted for and no one gets lost in transition. We are all adjusting to this new model of tracking students throughout the day.

Frozen Jr - Mr. Davison has revealed the title of this year's musical! See poster below. The production will be held during the last week of April. Sign up sheets will go on shortly for students who are interested to perform. As with all Rideau's production, I am certain this will be a huge success.

Clothes Sale - It is coming fast! October 24 is the used clothes sale at the school. We need many hands to make this event happen. Follow the link in the posters below to sign up and help.

Library All Hands on Deck - Our library fairy is gathering the troops on October 26 for some work in the library. High school students looking for volunteer hours are welcomed to help as well as parents who have some extra time on their hands. See poster below.

Boo Bash - Our annual Halloween celebration will be October 29 and 30 this year, from 5:00 to 8:00 PM. For those new to us, Boo Bash consists of an evening of fun activities for students and parents. People (adults and children) come dressed up in their Halloween costumes and play various carnival games in the gym to the sound of some spooky music. In the hallway, there are an amazing bake sale and crafts activities. Lights are on for the first hour or so to make sure the little ones are not scared and then, we turn off the lights for some Halloween vibe. It is a great event for the whole family.

Brave Workshops - Our school is committed to supporting the well-being of every student. This year, we are proud to offer Brave Education workshops the first week of November, which align with our school’s strategic plan, as well as the Ministry of Education’s Policy/Program Memorandum 169 and PPM 144. These workshops will help our students develop essential social-emotional skills, promoting healthier relationships and fostering positive interactions throughout our school community.
Workshops
Setting Healthy Boundaries
Bullying, Conflict, and Relationships
Building Emotional Regulation
For at-home resources, please visit Brave’s resource page.

Parent Involvement Committee (PIC) -This is the committee of parents who operate at the board level. Their meetings are:

October 22, 2026
November 12, 2026
January 21, 2026
April 8, 2027
May 27, 2027

Data verification - Please continue to return this form to school. That information is essential to keep our records up to date.

Food insecurity - With the never ending increase in the cost of food, many families are experiencing food insecurity. Here is a list of supports within the city. If you know of anyone in need of support with food, share this link with them https://kingston.food-help.ca/

This week

October 12 - Thanksgiving (no school)
October 13 - Fort Henry Cross Country
October 15 - 16 - Classes at Fruition Berry Farm

Coming up

October 20 - District Cross Country, classes at Fruition Berry Farm
October 21 - Fire Drill
October 22 - Picture Day
October 24 - Used clothes sale
October 26 - PA Day
October 29 - Some classes to Gould Lake, Boo Bash
October 30 - Boo Bash
November 1 - All Saints Day
November 2-5 - Brave presentation
November 3 - Parent Council Meeting
November 8 - Diwali, Bandi Chhor Diwas
November 9 - Picture retakes
November 11 - Remembrance Day
November 13 - Progress Reports go home

Make the most of this beautiful weekend!

Valerie Arsenault

Principal

Parent Council Corner

If you would like to stay informed on various school activities and Parent Council Events, join this Facebook Group

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

Future meetings

December 1, 2026
January 12 2027
February 2, 2027
March 2, 2027
April 6, 2027
May 4, 2027
June 1, 2027

Here are the minutes for Parent Council Minute AGM September 29, 2026

Parent Council Minutes June 2, 2026

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

Information & Events

Oct 24 2026 Sale Poster FINAL (A4)

DONATE

Oct 22/23, 8:00am-5:30pm

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 24, 9am-1pm

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

Pre-loved kids clothing 0-14 & Books

Rideau Public School Gym

Open to everyone, help us spread the word in the Kingston Community (through your socials, word of mouth, parent group chats, day cares, hockey teams, dance groups etc etc!)

Facebook event

Facebook Page

Instragram Posts

Volunteers needed

Oct 23: Sorting

We need help! Oct 23 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.

October 24: Take down

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

Contact Isla if you have questions! milne.isla@gmail.com