WELCOME BACK EVERYONE! 

August 29th, 2025

We hope everyone is ready for school! This week the team at ALC has been working hard to get the school all ready for your arrival on Tuesday, and we are so looking forward to seeing you all!

When students in Grades 1-6 arrive on Tuesday (weather permitting) teachers will be on the field with class signs. There will also be lots of other staff waiting to help students find their way. Kinder students will head to the Kinder Yard where the Kinder Teams will be waiting for them!

IF the weather does not cooperate and it is raining, we will shift the this plan: RAINY DAY ARRIVAL. Ms Trish will still be on the pavement helping guide anyone who is not sure where to go. At each door there will be a staff member waiting to guide students to their classes inside.

You may have noticed the new fence around the yard. While it is lovely, there is no opening for students to go through. Everyone will need to walk around using the path by the basketball courts. At dismissal time, teachers for classes in Grade 1-3 will line their classes up by the ball diamond, and we invite parents to meet the classes there. We do ask that you use the ball diamond as the boundary so avoid congestion and confusion on the yard.

Just a reminder as you receive the emails from teachers. The teams from last year worked very hard to create classes and place students. Most of our classes are at cap or very large (junior division) movement at this time is very challenging. While we understand that class placements can cause some angst and worry, but please give your child some time to adjust to being in their new class. 

See you all on Tuesday!

August 26th, 2025

Welcome to the 2025-2026 school year! We are excited to be having everyone here and can’t wait to see the faces of our students!

This message contains a lot of information to help prepare families for the first day of school. 

We ask all families to review the ALC Student Handbook before the start of school.

TOURS FOR NEW STUDENTS AND FAMILIES: On Wednesday August 27, we are offering tours for new students and families. At 10:00 we will be holding a Kindergarten Tour. At 1:00 we will hold a tour for students in Grades 1-6. If you have children that are in Kinder and also 1-6, please come at 1:00 and we will hold a mini tour for the Kinder student at the end of the larger tour.

ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL:  When students in Grades 1-6 arrive on Tuesday, September 2, there will be signs with class/teacher names on the field. Students are asked to line up behind the sign for their class. If your child forgets their class number OR teacher, not to worry. There will be lots of staff and our Grade 6 ambassadors outside to support. On Tuesday morning, adults are welcome to come onto the field to help students find their line. Kinder students can be dropped off at the Kinder Yard. The Kinder Team will be outside as of 9:00 to begin greeting students.

Our arrival and dismissal procedures will remain the same as in previous years (students are dropped off at the fence on Hobin (Grades 1-6), and Kinder students can be dropped off and picked up at the Kinder Yard.  Please take a look at this attached document for more details.Please see this attached document for specific details on dismissal. We do ask that parents not gather around the bus loop. Bus arrivals and departures are a busy time, and keeping that area clear helps us to ensure students are safe.

PLEASE NOTE: Students are not to be dropped off or picked up at the front door at arrival and dismissal times. We also ask that parents driving their children not park in the school parking lot at drop off and pick up times.

EARLY PICK-UPS: If you are picking your child up early, we ask you to please let the office know beforehand so we can arrange to have your child at the office when you arrive. We also ask that if you are picking up early, please try to arrange for that to happen prior to 3:15. The office gets very busy at the end of the day, and pick ups close to dismissal are difficult to navigate. You can email the absence line and your child's classroom teacher to make this process as smooth as possible for everyone. alcabsence@ocdsb.ca

WHAT YOUR CHILD NEEDS: 

• We have 2 nutrition breaks, so your child needs lunch and snacks to get them through the day. Please keep in mind that over the next few days, they will likely be running and playing more with their friends, and they might find themselves a little hungrier than you might expect. Packing a couple extra snacks might be a good idea.

• Refillable water bottle

• Indoor shoes

• School supplies (voluntary, but helpful) 

  • 12 sharpened pencils

  • 3 erasers

  • 2 boxes of crayons (K-2)

  • 2 boxes of pencil crayons (3-6)

  • 1 box of markers (K-6)

  • Child friendly scissors

  • 5 glue sticks

ACCEPTABLE USE OF TECHNOLOGY: In order to access and use technology at school, students new to the OCDSB, in JK, Grade 1 and Grade 4 will need to have a completed Appropriate Use of Technology form on file. That form can be found here.

MEDIA RELEASE: All students will need to have a completed Media Release form on file. That form can be found here

TRANSPORTATION

Parent Portal is OpenOSTA’s Parent Portal is now open. Parents/guardians can login and review their child(ren)’s 2025-2026 transportation information. Parents/guardians are reminded to check the Parent Portal regularly to confirm the route’s status, keeping in mind that OSTA continues to make route adjustments for efficiency and coverage. For help using the Parent Portal, please direct families to OSTA’s Parent Portal guide.

Those who create an account in the Parent Portal are automatically subscribed to OSTA’s email list. This is a great way to stay up-to-date on what’s happening with student transportation. You will need your child’s Ontario Education Number (OEN) to add a student to your Parent Portal (BusPlanner) account. The OEN can be found on your child’s report card. If your child is new to the Ontario education system you may not yet have an OEN. You can contact the school office for this information if you do not already have it.

Carpooling, walking or biking to school: Where possible, families are encouraged to connect with one another to carpool, walk or bike  to school if it’s safe to do so. OSTA has prepared walking route maps you may find helpful. If you are able to arrange carpooling, please let the teachers of all the students know the plan, and set up a meeting place for all of the children that will be travelling together. This will help us ensure everyone is going with who they are supposed to be going with.

BIKERS: If students are biking, riding a scooter or skateboarding to school, please make sure they have a lock to lock up their bike/scooter and are wearing a helmet.

Please remember that all bikes, scooters, and skateboards must be walked on school property- this includes parents. 

Student safety

All drivers are asked to slow down and be extra cautious for students who may be walking or biking to school. Students should also be reminded about traffic safety when heading to school.

CLASS ASSIGNMENTS: Homeroom teachers will be connecting with families between 2:00 and 3:45  on Friday August 29, 2025. If you have not heard from your child’s teacher by 4:30, please email Trish at tricia.eddy@ocdsb.ca. Please wait until 4:30 to reach out, giving teachers and email services time to send those messages to you.

CLASS CHANGES: While teachers spend a lot of time trying to create balanced classes in the spring, inevitably there are some students who are not happy with their class placement once school starts. There are several considerations that are required when classes are made, and this year all of our classes are at the Ministry cap, or are very large. Moving students from one class to another is a very complex process, and while we do not want to see students unhappy, our flexibility to make moves is very limited. We ask that you give students a chance to settle in over the next couple of weeks before trying to advocate for a class change. Very often, the class they have been placed in really is the one that will be best for them, they just might not see it on the first day. While peer groups might be the primary element of importance for them, their teachers from last year have thought long and hard about where they have been placed to ensure their success, and it will likely work out for the best for them.

Recycling at ALC- Recently the OCDSB learned that the company that provided plastic and aluminum recycling for schools is no longer providing the commercial services they once did. Unfortunately they are the only company in the city that offers this service, leaving all schools in the city without a way to have their plastic and aluminium recycling picked up. As a result, we are encouraging families to use reusable containers as much as possible. We will also be encouraging students to bring their recyclables home each day to recycle at home. While we understand the inconvenience of this, at this time it is the only way we are able to ensure we continue to teach students the importance of recycling.

We know the first few days bring on a lot of anxiety and stress. We are here to help, so if there is something we can do to ease the transition into the new year, please don’t hesitate to reach out.