Welcome Back!
We hope everyone enjoyed a restful long weekend and had a chance to soak in the beauty of the season—crisp mornings, changing leaves, and maybe even a few cozy moments indoors. As we return to school, there's a fresh energy in the air and plenty to look forward to. Fall is a season of growth, reflection, and togetherness, and we're excited to continue building meaningful connections and celebrating learning with our students and families.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at welba@limestone.on.ca
Warmly,
Ms. Fraser, Mrs. Swan-Pressnell, and Ms. Hart
Reminder: Staying Connected with the School
If you're trying to reach us by phone and we’re unable to answer, please leave a brief voice message. There are times during the day when staff are away from the desk or busy supporting students, and your message helps us respond promptly once available.
For any changes to your child’s dismissal plans, we kindly ask that you contact the school before 3:00 PM. These updates are best communicated by phone or voicemail to ensure they’re received in time and directed appropriately.
Thank you for helping us keep communication smooth and students safe!
Help Shape Our Accessibility Plan
The Limestone District School Board is committed to fostering accessibility and inclusion for all. We are currently developing our next Multi-Year Accessibility Plan and invite feedback from students, staff, families, and community members.
Your input will help ensure our goals reflect the diverse needs and lived experiences across our school communities. Please visit bit.ly/LDSB2025-2029AccessibilityPlan to provide input. The survey is open until November 10, 2025
From Frost to Puddles: Dress for the Day
As the weather continues to shift, our mornings are starting off chilly before warming up later in the day. We kindly remind families to send students with a few extra layers—such as a sweater or light jacket—that can be added or removed as needed. It’s also a great idea to pack an extra pair of socks and a change of clothes, just in case of any unexpected puddle adventures during outdoor play. Staying warm and dry helps everyone enjoy the day to the fullest!
Welborne Food Share Program
We’ve recently seen a noticeable increase in the number of students accessing our Food Share program, with many seeking additional support throughout the day. While we’re grateful to be able to offer this resource, we want to ensure it remains available for those who truly need it. We kindly ask parents and guardians to check in with their student to see if they are relying on the Food Share at school. If your family is in a position to send extra snacks for your student, we would greatly appreciate it—this action helps us preserve this vital program for students facing food insecurity. Thank you for your continued support and care.
This initiative is an extension of The Food Sharing Project, which is funded entirely through community fundraising. If you would like to support these efforts and help provide nutritious food to students across all schools in the greater Kingston area, you can contribute by selecting 2025-2026 Food Sharing Project Support from the products listing in your School-Day account.
Supporting Student Safety Through Practice and Care
Safety is a shared priority in our school community, and we want families to know that we continue to practice emergency procedures with care and intention. Tomorrow, we’ll be holding a lockdown drill as part of our seasonal safety requirements. Each fall and spring, we complete three fire drills and one lockdown drill. We’ve already completed two fire drills this fall, and our students have shown excellent focus and teamwork.
Teachers guide students through these routines thoughtfully, ensuring expectations are clear and questions are addressed in a supportive, age-appropriate way.
Upcoming Events
Every Wednesday!
- Welborne Wednesday - Wear your spirit wear or colours
Wednesday, October 15
- Cross Country Meeting
Lego Robotics Club - See Mr. Large
Rocket League - Grades 5-8 - See Mr. McDonough
Musical Theatre - Grades 2 to 6 - See Mr. Large
Senior Girls Volleyball - See Mrs. Frenette
SAC Snapshot
Our meetings are held virtually, typically on the last Monday of each month from 6:15–7:00 PM. The next meeting will take place on Monday, October 27th. The meeting link will be shared in The Welborne Word ahead of each session and remains the same throughout the year.
We encourage all families to join us—your voice matters, and your involvement helps strengthen our school community.
Hot Lunch Ordering
We’re excited to share that hot lunch orders are now open through School-Day! Please note that, due to the holiday weekend, this week’s ordering window is shorter than usual. Orders for Edo Japan and Sub Day will close at midnight this Thursday.
Hot lunch schedule:
- Tuesdays – Sub Day from Tony’s Pizza (order by the Thursday prior)
- Wednesdays – Edo Japan (order by the Thursday prior)
- Fridays – Tony’s Pizza or Chicken Fingers & Fries (order by the Sunday prior)
Please note: Due to storage constraints, we’re unable to hold meals for students who are absent, unless they are returning later the same day.
Reminder: Scheduling Meetings with Staff
We kindly ask families to schedule meetings in advance if they wish to connect with their child’s classroom educator or a member of the Administration team. This helps our staff stay focused on supporting students and maintaining a positive learning environment throughout the day.
To arrange a meeting, please call 613-389-0188 and leave a message if Ms. Hart is unavailable, or email us at Welba@limestone.on.ca.
Thank you for your continued support and partnership—we truly appreciate it!
Supporting Smooth Morning Transitions
Timely arrival plays a key role in helping students begin their day with confidence and ease. We ask that all children arrive on time and join their class cohort in their designated zone. Late arrivals can disrupt classroom routines—especially as students are still learning the flow of morning entry and settling in.
If your child does arrive late, please ensure they sign in at the office and proceed promptly to class. To support a calm and focused transition, we kindly encourage parents and guardians to keep drop-offs brief. A quick goodbye helps us guide students directly to their classrooms and maintain a consistent start to the day.
If you remain in the front lobby with your child, we assume you are actively engaged with them. In these moments, staff may step away to assist other students who are already in the process of transitioning to class. This helps us ensure that all children receive timely support and direction.
For our Kindergarten families, please make sure a staff member is present with your child before leaving the building.
Thank you for your cooperation and continued support in helping all students start their day successfully!
Report An Absence
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.
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.
Visitors to Welborne Avenue Public School
We welcome visitors to our school. We do ask that all visitors, parents/guardians included, sign in with the main office and remain in the front lobby until directed/escorted by a staff member.
All LDSB elementary schools are equipped with a Safe Welcome system which requires all external doors be locked during the school day. All visitors are required to report to the school’s main entrance and request access using an intercom and buzzer system.
When it is necessary for a student to leave school during the day, a note is required from a parent or guardian. The note must be given to the homeroom teacher or the office. If parents/guardians of students are coming to pick up/drop off your child, you are asked to wait at the main office. If necessary, office staff will alert your child’s classroom. These measures are in place to help keep all students safe and minimize disruptions to learning.
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. Additional information and a permission form has been sent home to families of students in grade 7 and 8. Students must return these forms to their homeroom teacher.
