
La Salle Family Update (7-12)
June 28th, 2024
Dear La Salle Families,
What an incredible year for La Salle with so many so many academic, athletic and art achievements! Thanks to our students, families, and staff for coming together to create this vibrant community.
We will tell you below about how we wrapped up our school year, and would like to ask your help as your child wraps up their year: as they empty their backpacks, if you find library books, textbooks or uniforms please return them to the school.
During our professional development day, we had to say goodbye for now to the following staff: Jenn Tracy, Derek Morris and Carrie Day from intermediate. Peter Bertelsen, Debbie Chase, Jesse Graham, Sean Kelly, Taylor Macpherson, Greg Thome, Jaz Graham, Emily Burget, Rick McLeod, Tim Lucas, Tom Watson, Tom Watkins, Ryan Beauvais and Gage Roberts on the secondary side. Thank you for all you have done to support the La Salle community, we wish you well in your next endeavour and/or also hope to welcome you back in the near future.
During the day, we welcomed back and/or said welcome to the following staff: Lisa McFarlane, Angela Davy, and Nicole Maxwell for our intermediate team and on the secondary side Carlos Alberto, Adam Bonsall, and Kat Goslin.
When it comes to fundraising, our efforts continue year round. If you are in need of gift cards please consider using Fundscrip outlined under the fundraising section of this newsletter. If your child would like to order La Salle clothing, you are also able to do so during the summer.
This summer, the office will be open the next two weeks from 9am to 2:30 with secondary report cards being available for pick up the second week of July, please see the message below. Student services staff will be back in the building the last week of August to help support anytime table changes. On Wednesday August 28th, we look forward to welcoming our grade 9s for an orientation day led by Ms. De Rooy, reminder communication will be sent out closer to the day. The drop in orientation will occur from 9am to 11am. Students will be able to tour the school, get their time table, a lock and locker as well as a t-shirt. There is a $20 fee which will help cover the cost of Grade 9 Day at Grass Creek Park (tentative date is September 19) and the cost of the lock. If you need assistance with this fee, please reach out closer to the day.
Finally, please note the calendar for the 2024-2025 school year updated later in the news letter. If you are booking vacations for your family, please do not book them during the exam periods as students are required to attend the final assessment period.
We hope you enjoy a safe and happy summer, Knights! See you on September 4th!
Jen, Mike, & Kirsti
Report Card Information
Elementary report cards were sent home with students on Wednesday, June 26th.
Secondary reports will be available for pick up in the office on July 10th & 11th between 9:00am and noon. Marks can be accessed starting on July 5th through Aspen by students and parents. Please see the attached documents for support logging into Aspen.
LISS Summer Project
While travelling past LISS this summer you may notice work happening on the roof as well as the crane out front. On July 2nd, 3rd, 9th and 16th the front of the building will not be accessible.
Experiential Learning
On the fields, in clubs and classrooms, team work makes the dream work, just as these "drafters" are doing in the photos below.
Students in Mr. Watson's math class created homes to demonstrate their mathematical understanding of space and measurement.
The Golden Feather Award is presented to English students in grade 9 for excellence in reading! It is usually for most books read in each class, but can also be about other reading achievements. For example one recipient this year was a self proclaimed non-reader, and even wrote their grade 8 speech about how reading is a waste of time! But they got started on some non fiction science books and ended up reading about 10 books, and loves reading now.
Some final projects really do make students smile. We hope you are all proud of these accomplishments as well as others throughout the school year. We look forward to seeing what you all do next!
Another fabulous project coming out of the tech classrooms at La Salle!
Jordan had an amazing co-op at Shoppers Drug Mart and said good-bye to some very supportive co-workers! Thank you to all of the co-op organizations and supervisors who have supported La Salle in the past, present and future to provide opportunities for students to thrive in the workplace.
Grade 7 students enjoyed their own "Era's Tour" by ranking music from Mr. Morris, Ms. Roth and Kirsty's grade 7s years.
Some of our incredible students are excited and ready to hit the beach or in this case the splash pad over their lunch hour!
Head, shoulder, knees and toes and ribs! Students used anatomical structures to create their art work.
Celebrating Our Graduates
Summer Time Happy Dances 😃
Grade 9 Drop-in Orientation
Drop In orientation for all grade 9s is on Wednesday, August 28th from 9-11 am.
Students will get a tour of the school, their timetable, a lock/locker, and a t-shirt.
Please bring $20 fee to cover the cost of the lock and the Grade 9 Day at Grass Creek Park which will be on September 19.
Where to turn for support this summer
Where to turn for support
this Summer
In the Community
Kids Help Phone
Call: 1-800-668-6868
Text:686868
Website: kidshelpphone.ca
*Supports all Ages up to 18 years
Maltby Centre (Kingston)
Call: 613-546-8535
31 Hyperion Crt. Unit #100, Kingston, Ontario
*Supports all Ages up to 18 years
Sexual Assault Crisis Centre Kingston (SACCK)
Phone: 613-545-0762
Website: sackingston.com
*Supports all Ages 12 to 18 years
One Roof Kingston
Drop by 620 Princess Street
Supports include:
-Access to Housing supports, Counselling supports, Supportive agency groups, Community resources, Caring Adults & More
*Supports Ages 16 to 24 years
Addiction and Mental Health Services (Kingston)
Phone: 613-544-4229
Website: amhs-kfla.ca
*Supports Ages 16 to 18 years
Naseeha- Mental Health helpline for Muslim youth
Phone:1-866-627-3342
Website: naseeha.org
*Supports all Ages up to 18 years
Indigenous Crisis Line
Phone: 1-855-242-3310
Website: hopeforwellness.ca
*Supports all Ages up to 18 years
Alateen Meetings (Support for teens affected by someone else’s drinking) Meetings are at 6pm the 2nd Thursday of each month at
One Roof (620 Princess Street, Kingston)
*Supports all Ages up to 18 years
Sexual Health Clinics:
KFL&A Public Health
Phone: 613-549-1232
221 Portsmouth Ave., Kingston, Ontario
Walk-in Clinic- Tuesdays & Thursdays 1pm-3:30pm
*Supports all ages
Kingston Community Health Centre
Phone: 613-542-2949
263 Weller Ave., Kingston, Ontario
Walk-in clinic-Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays & Fridays 9am-12pm & 1:30pm-4pm
*Supports all ages
**If you are experiencing an emergency, please call 911 or
go to your nearest hospital’s Emergency Department**
Remembering Juliette Côté
As many of you are aware the South Frontenac, friends and family suffered a devestating loss this spring with a boat accident on Bob's Lake. Unfortunately, this resulted in loss of life for three young individuals, one of them being La Salle alumni, Juliette Côté. Staff who had the pleasure of knowing Juliette reflected on how she was always willing to give back and help others. La Salle staff donated items to create backpacks for the FAST 101 Fighting Against Sex Trafficking, an organziation her family knows she would have also supported. If you would also like to support this organization, please join their Facebook group, email fast101@lionhearts.ca or visit https://www.fast101.ca/ . If you would like to reach out to a La Salle memeber for more information please contact Kristin Lawlor.
Interested in Summer Learning / Opportunities 🔽
Summer STEM Opportunity for Indigenous Youth (for Credit)
Virtual Ventures which runs under the Faculty of Engineering and Design at Carleton University, has partnered with the Thompson Island Cultural Camp in Akwesasne to host a for-credit overnight land camp for Indigenous youth in Grades 8-12. Over the course of 10 days, students will participate in interactive STEM activities led by Indigenous community leaders and university instructors. The camp focuses on land-based learning to promote the preservation of cultural teachings and to help students see themselves in STEM, all while earning a high school credit.
Please see the details below:
Date: July 8th - July 18th, 2024
Location: Thompson Island Cultural Camp, Akwesasne
Cost: FREE!
To learn more about Virtual Ventures, visit here.
To learn more about Thompson Island Cultural Camp, visit here.
Summer Math Camp Opportunity for Grades 7-10
Upcoming Events
- August 26-30: Student services staff available
September 3th: PA Day
September 4th: First Day of Classes
October 11th: PA Day
October 14th: Thanksgiving Day
La Salle Fundraisers
Lower fees for sports or school activities?
LOWER FEES?!
We invite you to learn about our program to reduce your family's school fees for athletic fees and school trips. See the FREE MONEY poster and this Tips video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-N-MHYP5Ttg, which are located on the school website under Secondary/Athletics. Hear from from two LSS families:
" Over the years our family has had great success using the LSS Fundscrip program as we have saved over $1000 on our sports fees plus given over $250 towards the LaSalle Athletics Bursary Fund! The program offers a variety of gift cards from hundreds of retailers so you can buy what you need plus I love that you spend $100 on a $100 gift card and the earnings are like magic that adds up over time. I highly recommend looking into the program."
"This is SUCH a great program, I tell everyone about it. We have saved almost $630 on sports plus given the 20% contribution to LaSalle Athletics. It’s a no brainer really, just need to spend a few minutes learning how to do it. Thank you!"
Before you shop... learn more about reducing the cost of school trip fees or school athletic fees. The rebate adds up over time, so don't delay! Watch this video for more information https://www.fundscrip.com/how-it-works, then learn more at the school website under Secondary>Athletics https://lasalle.limestone.on.ca/secondary/athletics.
LISS Online School Clothing Orders
Community Connections
Community Based Mental Health Resources
Looking for a list of mental health support resources that are available in the Kingston area? Please access the pdf file linked for you below. Questions? Feel free to reach out to us.
Mental Health Support
There are many community organizations, including The Maltby Centre, that offer a variety of resources to support students and families. The Maltby Centre (https://maltbycentre.ca/) provides mental health and autism services to children and youth, and works with clients in schools, homes, and other locations.
Other supports include:
- School Mental Health Ontario (*Added new SMH Resource Document below!)
- Youth Diversion
- Kids Help Phone
We continue to see many students who struggle to safely and respectively use social media. Please monitor your student's phone usage, especially at night. Many students admit to staying up quite late each night, and therefore coming to school quite tired. Thank you for your vigilance and helping your student get the most out of their day.
Food Sharing Project
Help us provide healthy food for students at your school
The Food Sharing Project is a registered charity that has been serving the area for almost 40 years. We are the organization which provides nutritious food and equipment to schools across Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox and Addington for their in-school breakfast, lunch and hearty snack programs.
Each week of the school year, our team of 12 volunteers pack about 450 boxes of fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, dairy and protein foods which are delivered to every school in KFL&A, including yours. In 2019, prior to the onset of COVID-19, we sent food with a value of $12,000 to schools each week and in 2022, that amount rose to $21,000 per week.
The 2022-2023 school year has been unprecedented for The Food Sharing Project. Due to increasing demand and the skyrocketing costs of food, we are facing a significant budget shortfall as we are now sending out over $25,000 in food every week. We need your help to ensure that students do not go through the school day hungry. Please consider making a donation to help us continue to get healthy food to students at your school.
Educators and research tell us that when they can eat nutritious food at school, students are more engaged in their learning, can focus better on tasks and can have more positive social interactions throughout the day. They are also more willing to try something new, which can lead to better food choices as adults.
Every donation, regardless of the amount, will make a difference for students in your school. Please go to www.foodsharingproject.org and click on the DONATE button to make a secure online donation today. Thank you.
School Advisory Council
Our next school council meeting will be in September. New members are welcome to join. The meeting will be held in student services.
Elected council for the 2023/24 school year:
Chair: Marsha Valente
Secretary: Stephanie Gratto
Members at Large: Stephanie Saunders, Laura Doherty, Todd Lamothe
Much appreciation to this team for their volunteer time in supporting our school!
2024 - 2025 School Year Calendar
The following key dates have been approved:
- First Day of School: Wednesday, September 4, 2024
- Winter Break: December 23, 2024, to January 3, 2025
- March Break: March 10, 2025 to March 14, 2025
- Last Day of School: Thursday, June 26, 2025
The 2024-2025 school year consists of 195 days;
- Secondary - 177 instructional days, 7 PA Days and 10 exam days.
- Elementary - 187 instructional days and 7 PA Days.
Professional Activity Days - no classes for students:
- Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024
- Friday, Oct. 11, 2024
- Friday, Nov. 22, 2024
- Friday, Jan. 31, 2025
- Monday, Mar. 31, 2025
- Friday, May 30, 2025
- Friday, June 27, 2025
La Salle Intermediate & Secondary School
Email: lasss@limestone.on.ca
Website: https://lasalle.limestone.on.ca/
Location: 773 Highway 15, Kingston, ON K7L 4V3, Canada
Phone: (9-12) 613-546-1737 613-542-9733 (7-8)
Twitter: @LaSalle_LDSB