School Reminders:

1. No school on Monday, May 20th. See you all on Tuesday, May 21st after the long weekend! 
2. As we begin planning for the next school year, please inform the office if you are moving or if your child will be attending another school in September.
3. There can be absolutely no parking or dropping off/picking up of students in the parking area by the caretaker’s entrance (by the garbage bins) off Willow Heights Blvd or in the staff parking lot for safety reasons.
4. Please remind your child(ren) to check the lost and found bin at school for any missing items. We are starting to get quite a collection!

Food Truck Festival – June 4 – 4:30 – 6:30 pm

Please join us for our Food Truck Festival on Tuesday, June 4th from 4:30 – 6:30 pm. Not only will you be able to enjoy culinary delights from the food trucks shown below, but your family will also be able to enjoy music, yummy treats, temporary tattoos, games, enjoy a visit with Markham Fire Fighters and see their fire truck and more! Children must be accompanied by an adult. No pets allowed.

Thursday, June 27, 2024 Early Dismissal in Elementary Schools

All schools in the York Region District School Board are committed to improving student achievement and well-being.  On Thursday, June 27, 2024, an early release day will take place to allow elementary staff to take part in meetings during the afternoon of that day.  These meetings will allow for school staff to engage in culminating activities regarding the review and revision of the School’s Improvement Plan as well as year-end and transition activities that support student success.  

As has been our practice in the past, students will attend school during the morning of Thursday, June 27, 2024 only.  Students will be dismissed early that day at 11:30 am.  Arrangements will be made to ensure that students who are normally bused to and from school will receive transportation at this time.  Families whose children attend after school child care should make appropriate arrangements to address this change in schedule.

Family Engagement Evening – Embracing Diversity, Celebrating East Asian Heritage

This event will feature:

• Captivating cultural musical and instrumental performances by talented students, along with interactive cultural demonstrations and activities
• The “Standing in the Doorway” traveling exhibition that explores the history of Chinese immigration to York Region
• Exploring community resources that support East Asian students and families

Applications Open for Board’s Parent, Family and Community Engagement Advisory Committee

York Region District School Board is accepting applications for membership on the Board’s Parent, Family and Community Engagement Advisory Committee (PEAC). PEAC supports parent and family engagement at the Board level in order to improve student achievement and well-being. Applications are due June 12, 2024.

Interested parent and family applicants are invited to attend a virtual information session to learn more about this family engagement opportunity on May 29, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. For more information on the application process and instructions on how to join the virtual information session, please visit the YRDSB Parent, Family and Community Engagement Advisory Committee webpage.

Program Registration – Indigenous Languages & International Languages

Elementary Classes (SK to Grade 8)

Registration opens Thursday, May 30, 2024, and will close on Monday, September 9, 2024. Classes will be held in-person at various YRDSB school locations and online.  

Secondary Credit Courses (Grades 9 to 12)

Registration will open mid-July and will close the 3rd week of class. Remote learning will be in real-time using Google Classroom to deliver both synchronous and asynchronous learning opportunities.

We thank you for your ongoing support.  

If you have any questions, please email ILIL@yrdsb.ca.

Summer Adult English Classes

Adult Non-Credit English as a Second Language (ESL) classes are available on an ongoing basis including the summer semester from June 17 to July 26, 2024. Online and in-person classes throughout York Region are available from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. & 6 to 9 p.m. 

Please contact 905-731-9557 or uplands@yrdsb.ca for more info.

Don’t Miss Out – Yearbook Orders Due May 15th

School Reminders:

1.  As we begin planning for the next school year, please inform the office if you are moving or if your child will be attending another school in September.
2. There can be absolutely no parking or dropping off/picking up of students in the parking area by the caretaker’s entrance (by the garbage bins) off Willow Heights Blvd or in the staff parking lot for safety reasons.
3. Please do NOT send your child to school if they are sick or feeling unwell.
4. Students should not be bringing sports equipment from home to play with at recess (e.g., basketballs, soccer balls).  When safe to do so, students are able to bring school equipment outside to play with that has been purchased from Board approved vendors.
5. Students should know the phone number of at least one parent/guardian. If your child does not know the number, please work on this with them.

DATE CHANGE for our upcoming FOOD TRUCK FESTIVAL.  

Due to YRDSB Staff Awards ceremony taking place on June 5, our festival will now be taking place on JUNE 4th from 4:30 – 6:30 pm.  Please stay tuned for further details.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Applause for the LAPS Spring Concert

Thank you to our staff, students and families for making the LAPS Spring Concert a huge success! This type of event requires a great deal of time from staff and students with respect to planning, organization, practice and the final performance. The students were able to show off their musical talents and our audience saw the progression from a class recorder performance up to our concert band.

Thank you to our School Council!

We would like to thank our School Council for contributing some of their fundraised monies to support the purchase of 23 Chromebooks for the school. These were purchased through a Cost Sharing initiative with the Board.Thank you to all of our students and their families for supporting the fundraising initiatives from the School Council to make this possible.

Happy Mother’s Day!

We wish all of our Lincoln Alexander mothers and mother figures a very Happy Mother’s Day today!

School Reminders:

1.  As we begin planning for the next school year, please inform the office if you are moving or if your child will be attending another school in September.
2. There can be absolutely no parking or dropping off/picking up of students in the parking area by the caretaker’s entrance (by the garbage bins) off Willow Heights Blvd or in the staff parking lot for safety reasons.
3. Please do NOT send your child to school if they are sick or feeling unwell.
4. Students should not be bringing sports equipment from home to play with at recess (e.g., basketballs, soccer balls).  When safe to do so, students are able to bring school equipment outside to play with that has been purchased from Board approved vendors.
5. Students should know the phone number of at least one parent/guardian. If your child does not know the number, please work on this with them.

Our Spring Concert is on Wednesday!!

 The Spring Concert takes place this Wednesday, May 8^th at 6:30pm and we look forward to celebrating many of our LAPS musicians.  

 The Grade 7 and 8 Concert Band will be performing as well as Ms Smith, Ms Jain, Ms Zhang, Mr. Papadimitropoulos, Ms Deterville, Mrs. Akinrinola and Mr. Riha’s classes. 

Important Information & Reminders:

•  The Concert Band should arrive by 6:10pm and head to the music room.
• All other students, please arrive by 6:15pm. Where your student should meet their class will be posted in the LAPS foyer. 
•  Please remember that our audience expectation is that all audience members stay for the duration of the concert. Our concert is approximately 1 hour in length.  It is quite disruptive and disheartening to see audience members leave before the concert ends – please plan accordingly.
• The concert may not be recorded, and we gently remind all cell phones to be on silent.  
• Our book fair will be open before the concert from 4pm to 6pm, please stop by the library!

Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to sharing a night of performances with you on Wednesday night.  

 Sincerely, 

The LAPS staff 

May 6-10 is Children’s Mental Health Week!

Please take a moment to view the resources below from the YRDSB Mental Health Team.

The YRDSB Central Mental Health Team is proud to be offering the Learning about Mental Health Presentation Series (LAMPS). The objective of the series is to promote and enhance mental health literacy. The second virtual session is “Technology and Mental Health”  on May 29 from 6 – 7 p.m. The presentation will focus on the connection between technology and mental health. Topics will include screen time and social media. These sessions are offered to any parent/guardian. Translation will be provided in 6 languages. Online Registration

The family toolkit includes:
1) Community workshops and resources
2) Five themes supported by various resources that support health/mental health and well-being while promoting Within, Between & Around Us and small and intentional actions that support positive mental health.
3) We invite you to consider how to use these resources to best support you and your family.

Save the Date!!

School Reminders:

1.  As we begin planning for the next school year, please inform the office if you are moving or if your child will be attending another school in September.
2. There can be absolutely no parking or dropping off/picking up of students in the parking area by the caretaker’s entrance (by the garbage bins) off Willow Heights Blvd or in the staff parking lot for safety reasons.
3. Please do NOT send your child to school if they are sick or feeling unwell.
4. Students should not be bringing sports equipment from home to play with at recess (e.g., basketballs, soccer balls).  When safe to do so, students are able to bring school equipment outside to play with that has been purchased from Board approved vendors.

 

A Message from your LAPS School Council

Dear Families,

We are excited to remind you of our fundraising campaign with Mabel’s Label.  It is super easy to support LAPS while keeping your kids’ items coming home!  

Mabel’s Label provides various types of personalized label, and they will ship the products directly to you for FREE.

There’s no end date to this campaign, and the school will receive 20% of your order amount (pre-tax). So please feel free to order anytime you need something for school, camps, daycare or even around the house! 

Help us spread the word!

To order your personalized labels:

Go to: campaigns.mabelslabels.com and search for Lincoln Alexander Public School (Markham).

Thank you for supporting LAPS!

LAPS School Council. 

Kindergarten Registration

If you know of any children who were born in 2020 in your family or children of friends/neighbours, please share the word that they are able to register their child for Kindergarten now.  More information on registration can be found on the YRDSB Kindergarten page: https://www2.yrdsb.ca/schools-programs/elementary-school/kindergarten 

We are hosting a Discover Kindergarten evening at the school for all children (and their families) who are registered to start Kindergarten in September 2024.

School Reminders:

1.  As we begin planning for the next school year, please inform the office if you are moving or if your child will be attending another school in September.
2. Parents/guardians/caregivers should not park in the school parking lot, this is for staff parking only
3. There can be absolutely no parking or dropping off/picking up of students in the parking area by the caretaker’s entrance (by the garbage bins) off Willow Heights Blvd or in the staff parking lot for safety reasons.
4. Please do NOT send your child to school if they are sick or feeling unwell.
5. Students should not be bringing sports equipment from home to play with at recess (e.g., basketballs).  When safe to do so, students are able to bring school equipment outside to play with that has been purchased from Board approved vendors.

School Communication

Dear Lincoln Alexander Families,   

The York Region District School Board recognizes the value that technology can bring to support student achievement and well-being while enhancing communication with families and the community at large. At Lincoln Alexander Public School, we recognize that learning can be enhanced by technology and we have created opportunities to leverage digital tools that support teaching, learning and communication. Using technology and social media also gives educators and families an opportunity to teach students about the appropriate and responsible use of these tools. 

All communication from the school comes via:  

• School Website: http://www.yrdsb.ca/schools/lincolnalexander.ps/Pages/default.aspx 
• Electronic email communication from: lincoln.alexander.ps@yrdsb.ca 
• School Twitter Account: @LAPS_Yrdsb 
• School Blog https: https://lincolnlink.blog/

Parents are encouraged to ensure that they are receiving communication that comes directly from Lincoln Alexander Public School.   

Family Engagement Evening

Understanding the Ontario Education Systems – Part 2

家长教育信息交流会:了解安省教育体系-系列讲座之一二 (동양계학생을 돕는 그룹) 온타리오 교육제도 이해하기-2부

Welcome to our second SEAS “Family Engagement Evening” event supporting families and caregivers to develop a deeper understanding of the Ontario Education System.

In this session, we are discussing report cards, assessment and evaluation, at both elementary and secondary levels.

Presentations will be available in English, Mandarin, Korean and Cantonese.

Date: Thursday, April 25, 2024

Time: 6:30 – 8:00pm

Location: Markville Secondary School, 1000 Carlton Road, Markham, ON L3P 7P5

Please use this link to register by Monday, April 23, 2024

School Reminders:

1. Please remember that there will be an early dismissal for students on Monday, April 8 at 12:00 pm due to the solar eclipse. Buses will be adjusted and students who normally take the bus home will still take the bus. Lunch will be delivered at 11:30am.
2. School Immunizations for students in grades 7 & 8 will be taking place on Friday, April 12. 
3.  As we begin planning for the next school year, please inform the office if you are moving or if your child will be attending another school in September.
4. Parents/guardians/caregivers should not park in the school parking lot, this is for staff parking only
5. There can be absolutely no parking or dropping off/picking up of students, in the parking area by the caretaker’s entrance (by the garbage bins) off Willow Heights Blvd. 
6. Please do NOT send your child to school if they are sick or feeling unwell.
7. Students should not be bringing sports equipment from home to play with at recess (e.g., basketballs).  When safe to do so, students are able to bring school equipment outside to play with that has been purchased from Board approved vendors.

Reminder About Early Dismissal on April 8, 2024

Dear Families, 

As was communicated on February 13, 2024, on Monday, April 8, 2024, a full solar eclipse will occur, which will block the sun’s light in some areas. 

The effects of the eclipse will occur in York Region between roughly 2:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., which coincides with the regular dismissal times for our schools. 

Out of concern for student safety, all students in elementary and secondary schools will be dismissed early on the afternoon of April 8, 2024. 

Transportation services such as busing and taxis have been adjusted to coincide with the early dismissal on April 8, 2024. Transportation services will return to their regular schedule on April 9, 2024. Please contact the main office at your school if you have any questions about transportation services.

If you have any questions about child care services for that day, please contact your child care provider directly. 

The Government of Canada website has additional information related to solar eclipses that you may review. 

Please know that this decision was made with student safety at its centre. 

Eid-ul-Fitr

To those LAPS families celebrating on April 10, Eid Mubarak!

Eid-ul-Fitr, also known as the Festival of Breaking the Fast, marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. It symbolizes the culmination of a month-long spiritual journey characterized by fasting, prayer and self-discipline. 

During Eid ul-Fitr, Muslims gather with family, friends and community members to engage in special prayers, express gratitude for the blessing received during Ramadan and extend acts of charity to those in need. It is a time to come together and celebrate shared faith and strengthen connections within their communities.

Affirmation April from the Student Leadership Team

Positive affirmations are simple, positive phrases or statements that children can repeat to themselves regularly. These affirmations help to counteract negative self-talk and promote positive thoughts and feelings.  It helps individuals to gain confidence, contributes to a growth mindset, develops believing in yourself and builds self-esteem.  Examples of affirmations include:  I am going to have a good day… I am loved… I am enough…My mistakes help me learn and grow…It’s okay to not know everything… It is okay to make mistakes… I deserve to be loved…

Some ways that families can use affirmations in their home include: 

1. Leaving notes in their lunch/backpack
2. Together look with your child in a mirror and use the positive self-talk affirmations to talk to ourselves in a kind and positive way. 
3. Start each day with repeating your affirmations 

Our student leadership team encourages our LAPS families to make affirmations part of their daily routine!

Hold the Date – Spring Concert – May 8, 2024

Parent/caregiver series supporting learning about mental health.

The YRDSB Central Mental Health Team is proud to be offering the Learning about Mental Health Presentation Series (LAMPS). The objective of the series is to promote and enhance mental health literacy. The second session is “Technology Use and Mental Health, a Presentation for Parents and Caregivers” and will occur virtually on May 29th from 6 – 7 p.m. The presentation will focus on the characteristics of anxiety, and some general strategies that may be beneficial in supporting your children and their anxiety. 

These sessions are offered to any parent/guardian. Translation will be provided in a limited number of  languages.  If your preferred language is not offered, we recommend watching with a friend or family member who is able to translate.

To register please visit this link. 

Please Register by May 28th, 2024

Parent/caregiver series supporting students of Chinese Heritage.

The YRDSB Community Care Social Work series will provide a number of parent/caregiver virtual events to build community, support mental health, and promote healing. 

The first session in the series is offered for any parent/guardian of students of Chinese Heritage. Parents, caregivers are invited to join this workshop and engage meaningful conversations that help students strive at school. Tips on ways that help strengthen family relationships and emotional wellbeing will be shared. This will be a free virtual event. 

Keep the Door Open (Repeated Session): Understand Your Child’s Inner World 

April 23, 2024 at 6:00pm-7:00pm Mandarin Session

Registration for Mandarin Session  

April 23,  2024 at 7:00pm-8:00pm Cantonese Session

Registration for Cantonese Session 

Please email charmaine.tong@yrdsb.ca if you have any questions or difficulties in accessing the registration link. Thank you

Sikh Trails In Canadian Landscapes

Please join us to commemorate our Sikh Heritage Month Celebration with the Sikh Educators Voice Alliance and Sikh Student Association. 

 Our focus is on Sikh Trails in Canadian Landscapes. At this event, the Sikh Educators Voice Alliance (SEVA) and Sikh Student Association (SSA) will provide time and space to highlight and promote Sikh histories, language and identity and to build unity through community.

 Exhibits:

• Keynote Speaker: Kulvir Singh Gill 
• Artifacts
• Artwork / Spoken Word by YRDSB Students
• Gatka Performance
• Bhangra Performance
• Community Partners and Vendors

All are welcome to come learn, celebrate, and grow with us. 

 When: Saturday, April 27, 2024, 1- 4 p.m.

 Where: Middlefield Collegiate Institute, 525 Highglen Ave, Markham, ON L3S 3L5

 This event is an opportunity for parents, families and YRDSB staff members to network, share, and learn about ways to affirm and create positive spaces for students of Sikh identity. 

Light refreshments will be served. Please fill out the Registration Form by April 22, 2024.

School Reminders:

1.  As we begin planning for the next school year, please inform the office if you are moving or if your child will be attending another school in September.
2. Please remember that there will be an early dismissal for students on Monday, April 8 at 12:00 pm due to the solar eclipse. Buses will be adjusted and students who normally take the bus home will still take the bus. Lunch will be delivered at 11:30am.
3. School Immunizations for students in grades 7 & 8 will be taking place on Friday, April 12. Please see last week’s post for more information.
4. Parents/guardians/caregivers should not park in the school parking lot, this is for staff parking only
5. There can be absolutely no parking or dropping off/picking up of students, in the parking area by the caretaker’s entrance (by the garbage bins) off Willow Heights Blvd. 
6. Please do NOT send your child to school if they are sick or feeling unwell.
7. Students should not be bringing sports equipment from home to play with at recess (e.g., basketballs).  When safe to do so, students are able to bring school equipment outside to play with that has been purchased from Board approved vendors.

Message from YRSDB About the April 8th Eclipse

Dear families,

On Monday, April 8, 2024, a full solar eclipse will occur, which will block the sun’s light in some areas. 

In York Region, we will experience effects of the eclipse between roughly 2:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., which coincides with the scheduled dismissal times for our schools. We have heard concerns regarding the potential for students being outside and inadvertently looking at the sun, which may cause serious health problems, such as loss of eyesight. We have also heard concerns of traffic and students walking home during peak darkness. 

Out of concern for student safety, on April 8, 2024, all students in elementary and secondary schools will be dismissed early. Student after school activities will also be cancelled for that afternoon.

Students at Lincoln will be dismissed at 12:00pm. Lunch will be delivered at 11:30 am so any students who have ordered for that day will still receive their order.

Transportation services such as busing and taxis will be adjusted for the early dismissal. The schedule for student transportation in the morning of April 8 will remain the same. Transportation in the afternoon will be modified to align with the early dismissal time and will be communicated to families. 

As you may have seen, some Ontario school boards moved a preexisting April PA Day to coincide with the eclipse on April 8. This is not possible for our board due to contractual obligations, prior commitments and because there is no preexisting April PA Day. 

We are working with child care providers to determine their plans for the day. If you have questions about child care, please contact your child’s child care provider directly. 

The Government of Canada website has additional information related to solar eclipses that you may review. 

Please know that this decision was made with student safety at its centre. If you have any questions, please contact your child’s school.

YRDSB

April Student & Community Mental Health Newsletter

This month’s newsletter is “The Connection Between Physical and Mental Health”.

School Reminders:

1. Grade 8 graduation photos are being taken on Wednesday, March 27.
2. There is NO SCHOOL on Friday, March 29 (Good Friday) and Monday, April 1 (Easter Monday).
3. Please remember that there will be an early dismissal for students on Monday, April 8 at 12:00 pm due to the solar eclipse. Buses will be adjusted and students who normally take the bus home will still take the bus.
4. School Immunizations for students in grades 7 & 8 will be taking place on Friday, April 12. More information can be found below.
5. Parents/guardians/caregivers should not park in the school parking lot, this is for staff parking only
6. There can be absolutely no parking or dropping off/picking up of students, in the parking area by the caretaker’s entrance (by the garbage bins) off Willow Heights Blvd. 
7. Please do NOT send your child to school if they are sick or feeling unwell. 
8. Students should not be bringing sports equipment from home to play with at recess (e.g., basketballs).  When safe to do so, students are able to bring school equipment outside to play with that has been purchased from Board approved vendors.

September 2024

 As we begin planning for the next school year, please inform the office if you are moving or if your child will be attending another school in September.

Grade 8 Graduation Photos – March 27

This is a reminder of the Grade 8 graduation photos being taken this week. If you have a child in grade 8, please ensure that they have a white shirt at school to wear for their photo.

School Immunization – Grade 7 & 8 Students – April 12

Summer Institute Registration 

Looking for summer learning and fun activities for students entering Senior Kindergarten to Grade 8? Summer Institute offers academic, recreational and athletic programs and activities with intentional links to the Ontario Curriculum. 

The program runs for six weeks during July and August. It is offered at nine school sites around York Region. 

For more information on dates, programs and locations, please visit the Summer Institute webpage.

Registration opens March 27, 2024, at 4:00 p.m. Families can register online.

Sikh Student Association (SSA) Launch Event Invitation

Korean Community Engagement Night

Supports for Students with Autism and their Families

This session will support parents, guardians and families with:

• Understanding Autism 
• Process for diagnosis 
• YRDSB referral process 
• School supports
• Community resources

Date: Wednesday, May 1, 2024

Time: 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Location: Unionville High School, 201 Town Centre Blvd, Markham, ON L3R 8G5 

Please register by Apr. 28, 2024.

This free information session is organized by Inclusive School and Community Services in partnership with Student Services of York Region District School Board. For more information, please email shani.blake@yrdsb.ca or pauline.guo@yrdsb.ca  

Please note that Childcare will not be provided.

Mabel’s Labels

Our school is fundraising with Mabel’s Labels! If you’re not familiar with Mabel’s Labels, they are personalized, durable, waterproof labels. They are great for everything from shoes, clothing tags, water bottles and backpacks. You can customize them with your name and a design, and they are dishwasher, laundry and microwave safe. 

Mabel’s Labels also offers clothing stamps, silicone bands for water bottles and medical alert labels.This Is a great way to ensure your items don’t end up in the lost & found or mixed up. To reduce the spread of germs, we highly recommend labelling but they are also useful for everyday life. 

To support our fundraiser, visit campaigns.mabelslabels.com and select Lincoln Alexander Public School (Markham). You can pick out whatever labels or products you want, and it will ship for free directly to your house! Thank you for supporting us!

Nowruz is the first day of the Iranian New Year. It is celebrated on the Spring Equinox and lasts for 13 days. To our families who celebrate Nowruz ,we wish you a happy celebration.

Holi is a Hindu festival of colours that is celebrated each March. Holi is celebrated during the last full moon in the lunar month of Phalguna, marking the end of winter and honouring the triumph of good over evil. Happy Holi to those celebrating!

Easter is a Christian holiday that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We wish all of our families who will be celebrating next weekend a very Happy Easter.

We are so happy to welcome our students back to school today! Just a couple of important reminders as we begin the week:

1. Our Make it Sow Fundraiser ends tomorrow, March 19th.  Great timing as the first day of Spring is this week and we had some wonderful spring-like weather over the March Break as a preview of what is to come. Please see the information below if you would like to place an order.
2. We will continue to have tarmac only recesses until the Board sends out the message that we are able to use the fields once again. We do have some Board-approved balls that are available for students to use during tarmac only recesses. Students can see Mr. Nana to obtain these for use during recess times.

Make it Sow Fundraiser

To ORDER:
Please visit the website: https://makeitsow.com/shop/#code-submission
Enter the Group Code for customer access: LAPS_2024
Please ensure you add the Student’s first name and Teacher’s name in the Referrer/Student section on the checkout screen. This will allow us to properly distribute the orders accordingly.

SEEDS DELIVERY:
The cut off date for this fundraiser is March 19, 2024. After that, within a two-week period*, the school will receive the seeds, and they will be sent home with your child.

*Subject to change depending on processing and delivery times beyond our control from the distributor.

Lastly, Make It Sow has a bonus PLANT A TREE program. For every ten master packages we sell, one tree will be planted on our behalf. Now is a good time to tell neighbours, friends and relatives who want to grow flowers or gardens this spring about our new fundraiser. Any of these products will make a great gift.