Welcome Back New and Returning Students and Families
As we prepare for September 3rd, our excitement is building for the start of a brand-new school year! We've missed the joyful energy of our students and are eager to reunite, learn, and grow together as a vibrant community.
The air is filled with hope and anticipation as we look ahead to all that 2025–2026 has in store. Inside this newsletter, you’ll find key information to help ensure a smooth and successful beginning to the year—and beyond.
To those joining the Welborne family for the first time—welcome! Each week, we send out a newsletter like this on the first school day to keep families informed, engaged, and connected.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at welba@limestone.on.ca
Ms. Fraser, Mrs. Swan-Pressnell, and Ms. Hart
Daily Schedule
It is very important that children arrive on time for school and gather with their class cohort in their designated zone. Lateness causes disruptions to the classroom routines, particularly as children are learning the flow of entry and opening routines.
Our Yard and Where To Line Up on The First Day!
Supervision on the school yard begins daily at 8:50. On the First Day of School, you will see pylons around the yard with teacher names on them. Please locate your child's teacher's name. This is where they will line up to enter the school.
If you arrive and are unsure of where to go, please find a staff member to support you. Many staff members will be outside to welcome you and answer any questions you may have.
We will begin this school year with our traditional Primary, Junior, and Intermediate areas of our schoolyard. Kindergarten students also have their own area.
Teachers will ensure each student knows where their "area" is on the yard is and where to line up on a daily basis.
Drop-off and Pick-up Routines
Walking to the Yard in the Morning
- Parents/Guardians may escort students to the yard until they are under the supervision of school staff beginning at 8:50 a.m.
- We ask that parents drop their children off at the foot of the path and then students can make their way to their zone.
- For the first few days, staff will endeavour to be flexible, especially for students new to Welborne who are just learning the routines.
Pick Up at the End of the Day
- Please arrange to meet your child in the same place every day. If your child is meeting with siblings or an older student to walk home, please help them to arrange a meeting spot. Older students will be dismissed out their own door and will walk around the outside of the school to meet younger students.
If you need to speak to your child's class teacher, please understand that this cannot happen during drop-off or pick-up time, as teachers must remain vigilant when on duty. Please email welba@limestone.on.ca or call the office and we will help to connect you with the teacher.
Active Transportation
- Where possible, families will be encouraged to make use of active forms of travel (walking, biking). Bike racks are located at the front of the school.
Transportation by Bus
- If eligible, families should have received bussing information from Tri-Board detailing pick up and drop off locations and times.
- 25-26 Bus Details Available Online the 2025-2026 Tri-board student portal is open! Login to view important details, such as your student’s stop location and pick-up time.
- Log in / Create Account
- Applications submitted by our deadline of August 6 will be processed for the first day of school. Depending on volume, late applications received after this date may not be processed until the second week of school or later. Apply Online
- You are also encouraged to sign up for Tri-Board notification emails or to download their app to stay information of delays or cancellations. https://triboard.ca/alerts/
Driving Students to School
- Parking Lot Access Reminder
To ensure the safety of our students and staff, the school parking lot will be closed to parent and guardian vehicles during drop-off and pick-up times. These periods see a high volume of pedestrian traffic, and only school buses, vehicles with accessible parking permits, and staff vehicles will be allowed entry. We appreciate your cooperation in keeping our school community safe. - If you are dropping off your child by vehicle, please observe the city parking signs and try to use one of our many entrances, including the pathways in the neighbourhood located on Bicknell Crescent, Glen Castle Road, or Nordic Avenue (see below).
What You Need to Bring on The First Day of School
- Indoor shoes - to be left at school.
- Lunch bag - students should bring a lunch that they can open themselves. For our newest learners, please start practicing opening containers and snack items to ensure your child can open all packaging independently.
- Water bottle - labelled with their name. Fountains are available for refilling bottles as needed throughout the day.
- Backpack
- Hat or other form of sun protection
All items must be labelled with your child's name.
*For our Primary students (Kindergarten to Grade 3), in addition to the above items, children should bring a change of clothes (underwear and two pairs of socks included) in a large ziplock bag labelled clearly with their name. This change of clothes will stay at school in case of emergencies.
Report a Student Absence
One of our greatest priorities is ensuring that all students arrive safely to school every day. To improve our safe arrival process, Limestone District School Board has made some changes to our SafeArrival absence reporting management system. All parents/guardians are asked to report their student’s absence regardless of the reason.
How to report an absence
In some instances, students may need to be away from school for illness, appointments or other events. Parents/caregivers can use the SafeArrival system to report a full day absence, an extended student absence and also a late arrival to school. When reporting an absence for a secondary student parents/caregivers will also be able to select an early departure. To report an absence, use one the following methods:
School Messenger application
- Use the email address you provided to the school.
- Use your mobile device to download and install the free SchoolMessenger blue app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store, the SchoolMessenger website portal, or from within the LDSB mobile app.
- Tap Sign Up to create your account. Please ensure you use the same email address your student’s school has on file. If you do not use that same email address, you will not be able to create an account, or may not be able to see the "Attendance" option. You may have already created an account when we introduced the Communicate broadcast system.
- Select Attendance from the menu, then select Report an Absence and follow the prompts.
SchoolMessenger SafeArrival website portal
- Use the e-mail address you provided to the school.
- Go to the website SchoolMessenger website portal.
- Click Sign Up to create your account. Please ensure you use the same email address your student’s school has on file. If you do not use that same email address, you will not be able to create an account, or may not be able to see the "Attendance" option. You may have already created an account when we introduced the Communicate broadcast system.
- Select Attendance from the menu, then select Report an Absence.
Interactive toll-free telephone
- Call 1-855-257-9349 toll-free to report an absence using the automated phone system.
- Follow the instructions to report an absence.
These options are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For any school day in the school term up to the cut-off time on the day of the absence. Future absences can be reported at any time using any one of these methods.
Please do not call the school directly to report your student's absence.
Reporting late arrivals
Parents/caregivers are instructed to report late arrivals using the new Late Arrival option, including the expected arrival time to school. When a student arrives, they are expected to sign in at office and staff make the amendment in our student information system. When a student leaves early, again they are expected to sign out (with parental permission) and again the amendment is made in our system. This method allows us to best track student attendance to ensure safety.
The SafeArrival system makes it easier for you to report your student’s absence, reduces the time it takes for our school staff to verify student attendance, and responds to unexpected or unplanned student absences. This time savings makes it faster and more efficient to account for all students and their safety.
Additional resources
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Using the SchoolMessenger App for Safe Arrival
- Setting Preferences in SchoolMessenger/SafeArrival
- Watch the video tutorial on how to create a SchoolMessenger account
- Watch the video tutorial on how to report absences in SchoolMessenger
School Organization Information
Our school organization (the way the classes are organized) remains tentative until approved by a board level committee at the end of the second week of September. If changes are necessary, families will be notified as soon as possible.
A Warm Welcome to New Staff!
Welcome to Mrs Jeannette, Mrs. Mulholland, Mrs. Fox, Ms. Godinho Ferreira, Ms. Lowe, & Ms. Paugh. Returning to Welborne are Mr. Mallen and Ms. Kayla. The entire staff list is here: https://welborne.limestone.on.ca/our_staff
Important School Advisory Information
Parents, guardians and caregivers play an important role in the educations system. One way for you to be involved and share your ideas is to join the School Advisory Council, also referred to as "School Council". School Council Elections will be held on Monday, September 29th. The first meeting will take place directly after the elections.
Recent feedback indicates that the preference is for these meetings to remain virtual, but this will be an agenda item for the first meeting. Stay tuned for more information!
Celebrating Our Incredible Welborne Caretakers!
A huge thank-you to our amazing caretaking team for their dedication and hard work throughout the summer—and every single day. Thanks to their efforts, the floors shine, every corner is spotless, and our classrooms are gleaming with readiness.
We’re all set to welcome students back, and it wouldn’t be possible without the care and commitment of Derek Taylor, Al Le Roy, and Kim MacNeil.
You make Welborne sparkle—literally!
Your 2025-26 Admin Team
From Left to Right:
Mrs. Swan Pressnell - Vice Principal
Ms. Fraser - Principal
Ms. Hart - Office Administrator
Peak at the Week
Monday, September 1
- Labor Day - Schools are closed
Tuesday, September 2
- P.A. Day - No classes for students
Wednesday, September 3
- First day of school
Looking Ahead
Wednesday, September 10
- Welborne Wednesday - wear your Welborne spirit wear or colours!
Wednesday, September 17
- Welborne Wednesday - wear your Welborne spirit wear or colours!
Wednesday, September 24
- Welborne Wednesday - wear your Welborne spirit wear or colours!
Thursday, September 25
- Terry Fox Walk - more details to follow
2025-2026 LDSB School Year Calendar
A PDF version of the 2025-2026 School Year Calendar is available online.
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.
Prevalent Medical Conditions
Welborne Avenue PS plays an important role in supporting students with prevalent medical conditions to fully access school in a safe, accepting, and healthy learning environment that supports well-being.
Parents should be aware that:
- common over-the-counter pain relievers such as Aspirin are not supplied to students by the school.
- all medication must be kept at the office (with the exception of EpiPens and asthma inhalers for emergency use).
- if, in the opinion of your doctor, your child may require medication during the school day, a prescription label or note from the doctor will be required.
- a permission form for the dispensing of medication, signed by the parents, is to be kept on file in the school office.
- a small amount of prescribed medication will be kept at the school; and
- a record of administration shall be maintained in the school office.
Should a student require medication during school hours, parents/guardians are required to fill out the appropriate authorizations' forms.
The authorization forms can be found here: https://www.limestone.on.ca/medical-procedures
Grade 7 and Grade 8 Lunch Privileges
Historically, the students in grades 7 and 8 have the opportunity to get parent permission to leave the school property during recess/eating break on designated days. For the first few weeks of school, all students will remain at school during recess time as routines and relationships are established. Additional information and a permission form will be sent home to families of students in grade 7 and 8 later this month.
Hot Lunch
We will resume hot lunch in October. You will be able to order selections through your school-day account.