Weekly Update: Dec. 5, 2025

Snowy Start & Big Hearts: Weekly School Update

We’ve had a fantastic week and an amazing start to December! The snowy weather has arrived, and it’s bringing lots of excitement as we look forward to two more great weeks ahead.

Next week, we’re thrilled to host an exciting chess tournament. A big thank you to Mr. Alcock for all the hard work in organizing this event for our students and those from the surrounding community.

Our Jingle Bell Walk was a huge success! It’s always wonderful when we can raise awareness and support local families through our food drive. A heartfelt thank you to Mrs. Wilson for leading this initiative.

We are also looking forward to an exciting last two weeks of December at Molly Brant, with Spirit Week running from December 15–19! Get ready for fun activities and lots of school spirit as we celebrate the season together.

Finally, the Regional Assessment and Resource Centre has opened registration for its popular Virtual Parent Workshop Series. This free series is designed for parents and guardians of students in Grade 7 or 8 with learning disabilities or ADHD. Registration is open until January 16, and space is limited—so we encourage you to register early! Please see the poster below for details.

Stay warm, stay kind, and stay connected—here’s to two great weeks ahead!

Attendance Matters!
We recognize that, as the weather changes, attendance can sometimes become trickier. Student attendance is one of our TOP priorities and we are happy to work with individual families to develop plans to improve attendance. Please reach out to the school to discuss a plan for your student.

KSS Christmas tree pick-up Fundraiser

Season's greeting everyone,

Once again, Kingston SS will be doing our annual Christmas Tree Pick-up fundraiser - January 9-10, 2026 - $15.  Please forward this email to any of your friends or neighbours who might be interested in this service.

The signup website has been changed this year to help us facilitate payment and donations (as some of you have requested).  We continue to use PayPal as the payment facilitator ... you do NOT need a PayPal account to pay ... PayPal simply allows us to accept all forms of electronic payments including VISA and MasterCard.  Hopefully, you find the new website familiar and easy to use.

This is the link to signup and pay.  Thank you for your support of KSS Athletics.

https://forms.gle/pXdAzyfd1xvt2L5x6 

Sincerely,

Dave Loken & Denis Aseltine

GRADE 8 FAMILY INFORMATION NIGHT

Kingston Secondary School will be hosting a information night for families of grade 8 students planning to attend KSS next September. This event will take place on Tuesday, December 9th @ 6:00pm.

A Note on Field Trips

Many classes have been or will be going on field trips to local parks, museums, Gould Lake and more -- a reminder that these trips are selected by the classroom educators (s) as part of the learning and programming so students are expected to attend. If cost is a barrier, please reach out to your child's teacher or the office and we can discuss a plan.

Stay Connected
Please keep checking School Day for updates about field trips and other activities. We’re heading into a busy season full of exciting opportunities for our students!

The weather has changed and colder days are setting in. Please be sure that your student is dressed for rain, snow and more. We love getting outside so being dressed for the weather is very important - students will be outside for a minimum of 40 minutes per day.

Brainworx is for students in grades 1-6, runs twice a week for 30 minutes after school on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and/or Thursdays.

The Junior Coach program is for students in grades 7 & 8, runs once a week after school on Mondays for 1 hour. 

Both programs are run by live, trained volunteers and are offered at no cost to families - it is FREE to join.

📌 Who are these programs for?

• Students in grades 1–8
• Those looking for extra literacy support
• Families seeking fun, free after-school learning opportunities

✨ What can families expect?

• Live volunteer storytelling to spark engagement
• Vocabulary-building activities to support language development
• A dynamic approach of movement, games, reading, and discussion
• Mentorship and meaningful connections
• Support for student growth through social-emotional learning (SEL)

👉 Families can register here: brainworx.start2finishonline.org/student/signup

Courteous Communication

All communication between school, students and home (in person, on the phone or digitally) must be courteous and respectful. All students, families and school staff have the right to be safe, and to feel safe, in their school community. With this right comes the responsibility of all members to contribute to a positive school climate.

KLF&A Public Health Childhood Illnesses and Exclusions

Unsure when to keep your child home when they are unwell? The KFL&A Public Health guidelines have changed and include different symptoms since Covid. Vomiting and diarrhea remain 48 hours symptom free before they can return to school. Other childhood illness exclusions can be found here: https://www.kflaph.ca/en/health-topics/common-childhood-illnesses.aspx

End of Day Routines:

• If your child has alternate pick up arrangements, or will not be taking the bus at the end of the day, please ensure that you communicate with the classroom teacher (send a note) or with the Main Office if a change occurs during the day. We cannot guarantee we can follow-through on last minute changes after 2:20 pm

Reminder: No dogs on property

Kindly be reminded that dogs are not permitted on property during school hours, even if they are leashed.

Parking on Lyons Street: A Message from the City of Kingston

As the weather changes, more families may choose to drive to and from school. Please remember that stopping in school bus loading zones or no-stopping areas can result in high parking fines. We encourage families to respect posted signage and use alternative locations for pick-up and drop-off.

 If you have concerns or questions, please emailcontactus@cityofkingston.ca

Molly Brant School Swag:

If you are interested in purchasing Molly Brant spirit wear, please visit this site: https://specialtytrophies.ca/4g/MollyBrantES

School Advisory Council

Our Council Executive is as follows:

Chair: Amber Ewart

Treasurer: Jodie Radolfi

Secretary: unfilled

Indigenous Rep: Lillian Todd

Parent Involvement Committee Reps: Amber Ewart/Lillian Todd

Member(s) at Large: Erin Parker, Joanna Anderson

Our next meeting is Tuesday, January 6 @ 5:30 in the Molly Brant library.

🍲 Dinner on a Dime - Affordable Cooking Parent Engagement Nights🍴Hosted by Your MBES School Advisory Council

Molly Brant Elementary School parents are invited to join us for a fun and friendly night of hands-on cooking where we’ll learn how to make yummy, family-friendly meals, that cost $10 or less per person — together! 

👩‍🍳 What to Expect:

• Hands on Step-by-step cooking demonstrations to create fun and healthy meals using affordable food staples 
• Tips for saving money and reducing food waste
• Recipes to take home and try again
• A free night to connect with other parents/caregivers and build a community of support 

📅 Dates: January 12, February 17, March 9, April 13
🕕 Time: 5:30pm
📍 Location: MBES kitchen 
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Open to: Parents/Caregivers of Molly Brant Elementary School students  

Pre-Registration is required, so sign up today 
📧 Email project lead (Amber) at amber_e62@hotmail.com or message us directly on the page https://www.facebook.com/MollyBrantSchoolAdvisoryCouncil 

Let’s cook, learn, and connect together! ❤️

Cell Phones

Students may bring phones to school but they are to remain switched off, out of view and are not to be used during the day unless directed by the teacher for instructional purposes. If students brings cell phones to school, teachers will ask for them to be locked up (in a lock box) for the day. If students do not want to lock up their phones, they should be left at home.

If a student needs to call home for an emergency during the school day, they must do so using the office phone. Failure to follow the school’s cell phone expectations will result in phone call/meetings with parents/caregivers.

A reminder, that the school is not responsible for lost or damaged devices.

Thank you for your cooperation with this!

School Day Payment System

This year we will use the School Day online system for all field trip permissions and all payments to the school (i.e., hot lunch, field trips, special events, etc.). When teachers or the school creates an event, an email is sent to applicable parents. This email comes from School Day, and may go to your junk mail folder unless you identify it as a recognized sender.

All School Day events are required to have an end date. For field trips, this is usually the day before the trip, but for events involving the ordering of food, the end date must give staff enough time to coordinate with our providers and order food. Please ensure that you complete any orders/permissions before the end date.

Families will need to register for School Day www.school-day.com and use a ten-digit secure code to link you and your child(ren). These forms will be sent home next week.

Please contact your child's teacher or the office if you require assistance.

Upcoming Dates:

December 9 - Sistema Holiday Concert @ 4:00

December 9 - KSS Grade 8 Family Information Night 6:00–7:30 PM

December 10 - Molly Brant Chess Tournament

December 11 - Grades 8s to visit KSS

December 15 - Photo Retakes

December 18 - SAC Pancake Breakfast for students (and PJ day)

WINTER BREAK (Dec. 22 - Jan. 2) - See everyone on January 5, 2026!

Public Health Information:

Vision: kflaph.ca/SchoolVision

Routine Immunizations / Vaccine Reminder: kflaph.ca/ImmunizationReporting

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.