Welcome back!
Dear Gator Families,
Welcome to Amherstview Public School!
We are so excited to work together for an amazing school year filled with learning, wonder, and fun!
Please read through this newsletter carefully as it includes important information about school start-up and first day information.
Our educator staff have been busy setting up spaces and planning for learning, our office administrator staff have been busy with many tasks including new registrations and class lists. Custodial staff have been busy with summer cleaning and repair and projects happening over the - a big shout-out to Mr. Frink, Mr. Cruse, and the team of casual caretaking staff who have worked hard to get AVPS ready for students and staff.
Merci to the team of families and staff who have been hard at work in taking care of our kindergarten gardens so they grew all throughout the summer and are lush heading into the fall!
Welcome/Placement Letter to Families:
Every year we experience a significant amount of movement in and out of our community due to family moves and transfers. In September, the school organization may change once we have true numbers to work with, and as such teacher/grade/student placements may require rebalancing in the first few weeks of school. On the PA Day, Tuesday, September 2nd - families will receive an email from your child's classroom. Student log-in information for Aspen will be available through your child’s classroom teacher once the school year begins.
This e-mail will include:
- Your student's class placement
- How to provide medical information to the school (if applicable)
- Arrival and/or dismissal meeting places for Day 1 (maps)
Friendly Reminders:
School property:
- is peanut-free/nut-free
- is scent-free
- welcomes service dogs only (on leash)
- has accessible parking spots by permit only
- is reserved for staff and student use only between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm
School Supplies and Labelling:
Our school will provide the necessary supplies that you will need for learning. However, if you are looking for back-to-school suggestions from LDSB, here are a few things to think about bringing with you on the first day:
- Backpack
- Labelled water bottle
- Lunch bag with a peanut-free/nut-free lunch and snacks
- Personal pencil case to hold any supplies you may want to bring (pencils, erasers, scissors, ruler, pencil crayons, etc.)
- Indoor shoes (with non-marking soles) to be left at school
- Extra clothes (for our Kindergarten/primary kiddos)
To avoid your student's clothing ending up in the lost and found, please consider labelling items, such as indoor and outdoor clothing, indoor and outdoor shoes, containers, school supplies, etc. (see the link below to our school's fundraiser with Oliver's Labels).
First Day of School Welcome Committee!
School staff will be outside to greet students and families and help ensure that students find their meeting spot on the first day of school.
It's going to be a great year at Gator Town!
As always, should you have questions about your child's learning, please connect with classroom educators. Any general questions or wonderings about the school, don't hesitate to reach out!
The school e-mail address is amstv@limestone.on.ca
Admin Team Brigid Steele P, Drew Boyce VP & the AVPS Gator Staff Team
Important Dates:
- Monday, September 1st - Labour Day
- Tuesday, September 2nd - PA Day - Class Placement Email Sent to Families
- Wednesday, September 3rd - First Day of School!
- Friday, September 5 - It's Gator Gear/School Colours (Green & Gold) Friday!
We encourage you to wear your Gator Gear/School Colours (Green & Gold) on Fridays.
School Organization and Class Placements
All students have been placed into a tentative classroom organization. All classes and staffing are tentative until at least the second week of September. This means that the class and teacher your child starts out with on the first day of school may not be the same class/teacher in mid-September. Should there be a reorganization of staff and students, information will be shared with families. Classes and staff changes take place based on actual enrollment, which is sometimes different from the projected enrollment that staffing is based on in the spring. Student and family moves impact how many students are at AVPS. We will do our best to minimize disruption to student learning and will take direction from the LDSB should changes be required. Changes may be needed if classes are too small or too large, based on Ministry of Education class size requirements, which are mandated from the province.
Once school starts, class numbers will be reviewed by a central committee of the LDSB to determine what, if any, changes need to be made. Any reorganization will happen after the second week of school. Families are encouraged to speak to children about the potential for change. As adults, we have the opportunity to model healthy emotions and mindsets around change, helping students to work through the emotions that may arise as an important life skill.
Thanks to all AVPS students and families, in advance, for your understanding and flexibility as we determine class sizes and placements.
This Week:
Monday, September 1st
- Labour Day
Tuesday, September 2nd (Day 1)
- PA Day - No School for Students
- Class Placement Email Sent to Families
Wednesday, September 3rd (Day 2)
- First Day of School!
Thursday, September 4th (Day 3)
Friday, September 5 (Day 4)
- It's Gator Gear/School Colours (Green & Gold) Friday!
Upcoming Dates:
September 2025
- 1st - Labour Day Holiday
- 2 - PA Day No School for Students
- 3 - First Day of School for Students
- 16 - Bus Patroller Training
- 25 - School Advisory Council meeting 6-7 pm in the AVPS Library and online (link to follow)
October 2025
- 10 - PA Day No School for Students
- 13 - Thanksgiving Holiday
- 16 - School Photo Day
- 17 - School Photo Day
November 2025
- 13 - Progress Reports go Home
- 14 - PA Day
December 2025
- December 22 - January 2 - Winter Break
January 2026
- 5 - First day of school 2026
- 30 - PA Day No School for Students
February 2026
- 13 - Term 1 Report Cards go Home
- 16 - Family Day Holiday
March 2026
- 16-20 - March Break
April 2026
- 3 - Holiday
- 6 - Holiday
- 17 - PA Day No School for Students
May 2026
- 18 - Victoria Day Holiday
- 29 - PA Day No School for Students
June 2026
- 18 - Tentative Grade 8 Graduation Ceremony
- 19 - Tentative Grade 6 French Immersion Farewell 2 p.m.
School Year Calendars
AVPS School Advisory Council (SAC)
Dear Parents and Guardians,
We invite you to join our first School Advisory Council meetings on Thursday September 25, 2025 which will take place from 6-7 pm in the AVPS Library and online (link to follow).
We will hold elections for the 2025-2026 SAC Executive on September 25, 2025.
The School Advisory Council is a group of parents, guardians, staff, and community members who work together to support and enhance our school environment. Through these monthly meetings, we discuss important topics, share updates, and make decisions that shape our school community.
Your insights and ideas are invaluable to us. We believe that a range of perspectives strengthens our efforts, and we would love to see more voices represented. Whether you have suggestions, or questions, or simply want to listen in, your involvement makes a real difference.
Please consider joining us. We look forward to welcoming new and returning faces!
Lyndsay Johnson & Danielle Preston
Co-Chairs, School Advisory Council
AVPS SAC Executive Team for the 2024-2025 School Year
Co-Chairs – Lyndsay Johnson & Danielle Preston
Co-Treasurers – Gelareh Monajemi/Karlee Peterson
Fundraising Chair – Sarah Bryant
Secretary – Matt St. Jean
Kinder Rep – Britta Flood
Division Rep – Lisa Cassidy
Members at Large – Amanda Arbuckle, Kaileigh Babcock, Jennifer Low, Marsha Snyder, Erin Blanchard
Prevalent Medical Conditions
To help us gather important medical information about your child, we ask that you select the correct Plan of Care form below, complete it and return it to the school as soon as possible. If you require us to administer daily medication, you will also need to complete the necessary paperwork for us to be able to do this.
Daily medication will need to be dropped off at the school. Students cannot carry medications in their backpack, at any time. Please call the school to make arrangements for drop off.
**Be sure to also include the supplementary forms if medication may need to be administered by school staff.
Health and safety of our kids is our first priority. Thank you for helping us stay informed on your child's medical conditions and Plan of Care.
Supplemental Forms
Click below for necessary supplementary forms needed including:
- Form 314-A1 - Authorization and Request for Administration of Prescribed Medication Medical Procedures
- Form 314-A2 - Administration of Medication
- Form 314-A3 - Administration of Epi-Pen
- Form 314-B1 - The Administration of Medication and or Medical Procedures to Students Record of Procedures
- Form 314-B2 - Medical Procedure Form
New Requirements Regarding Cell Phones and Vaping
To promote healthy and welcoming school environments, the LDSB, along with all Ontario school boards, is currently revising its Code of Conduct to reflect new guidelines from the Ministry of Education about cell phone/mobile device use and vaping in schools as per PPM128: The Provincial Code of Conduct.
More information is available on LDSB's website.
Create a Lunchbox Account
Amherstview Public School uses Lunchbox for hot lunch orders. Please create a Lunchbox account online.
The Lunchbox Terms and Conditions are available on the Lunchbox website.
School Hours
Main Office: General hours are 8:15 a.m. - 4:15 p.m.
School Hours: Our school day starts at 9:05 a.m. and ends at 3:25 p.m. We operate on a balanced day schedule with three instructional blocks of uninterrupted learning time separated by two recess/nutrition breaks.
Schedule
9:05 to 10:45 a.m. - Instruction
10:45 to 11:25 a.m. - Recess/Nutrition Break
11:25 a.m. to 1:05 p.m. - Instruction
1:05 to 1:45 p.m. - Recess/Nutrition Break
1:45 to 3:25 p.m. - Instruction
Late Arrival? Early Dismissal?
End of Day Dismissal Changes for Students: As you can appreciate, the office can be very busy at the beginning and end of each day. We ask that you notify your child's teacher (note, email) about changes to regular routines ahead of time. If there are unforeseen changes, please notify the office before 1:30 p.m. This will allow us to relay the information to the classroom in a timely manner.
If you plan to pick your child up during one of our recess/nutrition break times
10:45 a.m. to 11:25 a.m. or 1:05 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. please write a note or send an email to your child's teacher so that we will be aware that your child needs to come to the office. Please do not go to the yard to pick your child up as school staff need to ensure that student attendance is tracked through the office.
Please continue to buzz at the front door for pick-ups and drop-offs during the day.
Reporting a Student Absence
Reporting Absences: There are three options to use to report a student absence:
- call the automated attendance phone line at 1-855-257-9349
- use the SchoolMessenger App on your phone (see below), select "Attendance" then "Report and Absence"
- use the SchoolMessenger website portal (see below).
SchoolMessenger App: Download the SchoolMessenger App to stay connected. 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. *New families will be able to create their account after the first day of attendance.
The first time you use the app, you must select 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.
Parking for Families and Visitors and Pick Up for Walkers
- When the bell rings at 3:25 p.m., walkers will be dismissed from the meeting spot and staff will release students to parents/guardians as they see them. Please ensure your child makes eye contact with or waves to their educator before leaving.
Human Rights Reporting Tool
Harassment, discrimination, and hate have no place in Limestone schools. As a school board, we are committed to providing all students, staff, and families with a positive school community environment.
As a reminder, the LDSB has the Student Human Rights Incidents and Reporting Tool available to students and families to report any incidents or complaints.
Gator Gear
Order your Gator Gear online through our online eStore.
Allergy Alert
Attendance Matters
Visitors
All visitors must buzz at the front door and sign in in the visitor book in the front foyer. Once this is done, please proceed to the main office to receive a visitor tag. Please note all volunteers require a CPIC with vulnerable sector check.
Indigenous Self-Identification
Please see the link below for more information and to self-identify, if you wish: https://ldsb.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9U2iaUl9GIFILb0
Join Team Gator
Looking for Paid Yard Supervisors & Food Share Volunteers
Criminal Police Background Check (CPIC) with vulnerable sector check required.
We are also looking for volunteers to assist with food preparation for our Food Share program. Please email the school if you are interested in helping out!
