What's Happening at LH Frechette
We have had a great start to the school year! We have a lot to look forward to this month and this year!
Please take the time to read through the information shared here about upcoming events, updates and reminders.
The School Welcome Package
The School Welcome Package will be emailed to families and includes important information about our school. We kindly ask that you take some time to review it carefully.
Contact Information
We ask families to ensure the school office has the most up-to-date contact information. This is important in case of emergency situations. If your contact information has changed, please notify the school office.
Back-to-School Forms
Parents/guardians received an email from YRDSB Update with instructions to complete back-to-school forms. It is important that these forms are completed as soon as possible at the start of the school year as they contain information and permissions.
The forms can be found in the family dashboard at family.yrdsb.ca. Click on the arrow by your child’s name and select the start-up forms button. You can choose your language. Please follow these steps for each child. Forms will automatically populate with your child’s information through the Dashboard.
Learn how to create a Family Dashboard account if you do not have one.
The forms are also available online at https://startupforms.yrdsb.ca. You will need your child’s student number. Tips are available on the Board website. Translation is also available on the website.
Please note: You must complete a separate form for each child attending school. If you prefer to complete the forms on paper or have questions about the information in the forms, please contact the school office.
Terry Fox Run @ LHF
This year, we are excited to participate in the Terry Fox School Run on Thursday, September 24, 2026! For this year's Terry Fox School Run, we will #TryLikeTerry! Terry started a marathon against cancer and together, we can finish it. Our students will try to challenge themselves everyday with their own #TryLikeTerry challenge. Stay tuned for more details about the campaign visit the Terry Fox Foundation website. To donate to the school campaign, follow this link: https://ecoles.terryfox.ca/130869
Our school raised $1116 during last year’s event. This year we are increasing this goal to $1200.
Let’s go Sharks!
Arrival to School & Traffic Safety Guidelines
Please take note of the following procedures to help ensure a smooth, safe, and orderly start to the school day for all our students, families, and staff:
- Supervision Starts at 9:05 a.m.: Students may arrive between 9:05 and 9:20 a.m. Please do not drop off or leave children unattended before 9:05 a.m., as there is no yard supervision before this time.
- School Day Starts at 9:20 a.m.: Students arriving after 9:20 a.m. are considered late. If you arrive late, please escort your child to the front doors so they can check in at the main office for attendance.
- Bus Loop Restrictions: To keep our school buses moving safely, vehicle entry into the bus loop is strictly prohibited during drop-off and pick-up hours (9:05–9:30 a.m. and 3:30–4:30 p.m.).
- Traffic Flow & Driveways: Please pay close attention when entering and exiting school property. Use the main entrance for the parking lot and bus loop area. The southern driveway is exit-only and must not be used to enter the property.
Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our school zone safe for everyone!
Bus Transportation Reminders
Thank you for your patience during this first week of school! Please keep the following updates and tips in mind as our bus routes settle into a routine:
- Expect Initial Delays: Route timing often takes a few weeks to adjust. Please allow extra time and plan to arrive at your bus stop 10 minutes early.
- Check Bus Times & Stops: Visit School Bus City to confirm your child’s stop location, pick-up time, and drop-off time.
- Tracking Late Buses:
- Check the School Bus City Family Portal regularly for live updates on delayed routes.
- The school will send an email notification to families if a bus is delayed by more than 30 minutes.
- Contacting Us: For general busing questions, please email us at louis.honore.frechette.ps@yrdsb.ca. Please note: Our office closes at 4:30 p.m., so phone calls cannot be answered after this time.
Thank you for your continued partnership in keeping our students moving safely!
Picking Up Your Child During the School Day
If you need to pick your child up early, please keep the following procedures in mind:
- Notify Us in Advance: Send a note to your child's teacher or call the main office ahead of time.
- Arrival Check-In: Once you arrive at the school, contact the office and we will call your child out of class to meet you.
- Recess Times (11:00–11:30 a.m. & 1:20–2:10 p.m.): If you plan to pick up during recess, calling ahead is essential. Notifying us early allows us to have your child wait in the office rather than going outside to the yard, saving you time.
- End-of-Day Cutoff (3:30–3:50 p.m.): To ensure a safe and organized dismissal, we cannot sign out students between 3:30 p.m. and 3:50 p.m. If you arrive during this window, you will be asked to park and wait for standard dismissal at 3:50 p.m.
Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our school day running smoothly!
Allergies Alert!
At LHF, we are a nut-aware school. Some of our students, including children in your child’s class, have life-threatening allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, and their by-products. The medical term for this severe allergic reaction is anaphylaxis.
Students with anaphylaxis take important steps to keep themselves safe (e.g., not eating unknown foods, carrying an epi-pen, hand-washing, and eating in a separate space when needed). Our staff members are trained to recognize symptoms and to administer an epi-pen if required.
However, we cannot monitor every snack and lunch, so we rely on your support to help reduce the risk of accidental exposure. Please:
- Do not send any peanut/tree nut products to school.
- Remind your child that food is not to be shared with others.
- Do not send food items to school for sharing with classmates (e.g., birthdays or celebrations).
Your cooperation and understanding are greatly appreciated in helping us maintain a safe school environment for all students.
If you have any questions, please contact the school office.
LHF is a Fragrance-Free Zone:
Staff, students, and all visitors to Board property are asked to be mindful of those who are sensitive to fragrances. Please consider voluntarily avoiding chemical-based scented products and choosing unscented alternatives instead.
At LHF, we have staff and students with respiratory conditions that can be triggered by scents and fragrances. Reactions may include breathing difficulties, asthma attacks, and severe headaches. To help keep our school environment safe and comfortable for everyone, we ask that you refrain from sending your child to school wearing or carrying scented products.
Your attention, cooperation, and understanding are greatly appreciated.
Early Reading Screening - Grade 1 and 2
Reading is a foundational skill critical to student success, both in the classroom and beyond. We will be administering annual early reading screenings for all students in Year 2 of Kindergarten (Senior Kindergarten) through Grade 2. Early reading screening is mandated by the Ministry of Education through Policy/Program Memorandum #168.
From language and social studies to science and math, reading skills are critical to student success across their entire educational journey and having strong reading skills can ensure future career success.
Early Reading Screening will be an essential tool to identify students who are experiencing difficulties with reading so they can receive the support they need to improve their reading proficiency and give them the best opportunity for success. The purpose of Early Reading Screening is to:
- monitor your child’s development in early reading skills;
- identify children who need additional support; and,
- guide classroom instruction.
Annual screening is completed one-on-one towards the beginning of the school year. Early reading screening is one valuable tool to help us understand and communicate your child’s individual reading progress so that we can support their unique needs. Screening is not evaluated as part of your child’s grades, but instead will help identify the support they need in order to develop reading proficiency.
The screening covers various foundational skills needed for reading proficiency. For example, your child might be asked to identify letters and corresponding sounds or sound out words. The specific details of the screening will vary depending on the grade. No additional preparation is needed nor expected for the screening.
Educators will connect with you to discuss your child’s strengths, areas of need, and to share examples of their growth and progress over time. Results of the first screening will formally be communicated to you in your child’s first Kindergarten Communication of Learning or Elementary Provincial Report Card (issued in February) and will indicate whether your child has met or not yet met the screening benchmark at the time of their screening. Educators maintain ongoing communication with parents/guardians to discuss the results of classroom assessments, as needed.
A letter elaborating on the information above will be shared with Grade 1 and 2 families.
Caring and Safe Schools
Dear Families,
As the new school year is beginning, students will be attending Caring and Safe Schools Start-Up Presentations. These presentations are designed to underscore behaviour expectations as we continue to sustain caring, safe and inclusive school environments.
Presentation topics include:
- Racism;
- Bullying;
- Progressive discipline;
- Personal mobile devices such as cell phones, smart watches, and tablets;
- Vaping for grades 7 & 8; and
- Standing up for each other, including methods of reporting incidents of racism, discrimination and bullying.
Inappropriate Behaviour
In the Start-Up Presentation, students are learning about racism, discrimination, and bullying. This learning will continue throughout the school year. Instances of racism, discrimination and bullying are not acceptable and are addressed through progressive discipline. In some cases of racism and discrimination, York Regional Police may be involved.
Students will also be reminded about safe school behaviours, including what items must never be brought to school, such as peanut products, vape products/drug paraphernalia, weapons/replica weapons (including knives).
Reporting Behaviour
Standing up for one another and reporting when something does not feel safe is part of a caring and safe school environment. Students should report incidents involving other students that make them or others feel unsafe or uncomfortable, including acts of racism, discrimination and bullying. Students can report incidents by:
- Telling a caring adult;
- Using the YRDSB’s “Report It Button” (Located on our school’s website, the online Report It button allows students and families to share information about inappropriate student behaviour and incidents of hate or discrimination. Contacting Kids Help Phone (1-800-668-6868).
For More Information
For more details on these items or other Caring and Safe Schools topics, please read the Guide to the School Year or visit the Caring and Safe Schools section on the YRDSB website for more information and to access family resources to continue these conversations at home.
Thank you for helping us create a caring, safe, and inclusive school community.
The planned dates for each presentation are listed below:
Grades 1 -3: Wednesday, September 16
Grades 4 - 6: Tuesday, September 22
Grades 7 - 8: Wednesday, September 23
Safety Week
The York Region School Board is committed to ensuring the safety of students, staff, and visitors in the event of an emergency situation. As such, during Safety Week (Monday, September 28 to Friday, October 2, 2026) and throughout the school year, schools in our Board practise various safety drills, including Fire Drills, Lockdown Drills, Hold and Secure Drills and Bomb Threat Drills. It is critical that all members of our school community become familiar with emergency protocols, as they are designed to keep us all safe at school. Please refer to Board Policy #669.0 for more information about Emergency Preparedness and Crisis Management.
Practicing drills may create some anxiety for some students. If you are concerned about how these situations might impact the mental health and well-being of your child, please contact school administrators, as we have school mental health professionals available to support your child.
Mobile Devices at School
Dear Elementary School Families,
This letter is to inform you about student use of personal mobile devices in schools, in particular, students must store their mobile device out of view, and power off or set to silent mode during the school day. As you may know, in 2024, the Ontario Ministry of Education introduced a directive modifying the use of personal mobile devices in classrooms. YRDSB already has Policy and Procedure 194.0 Appropriate Use of Technology and many measures around personal mobile devices are already in place. The changes bring alignment with the new Ministry Directive. The following expectations for students’ use of personal mobile devices are outlined in the revised Provincial Code of Conduct (PPM 128), and the York Region District School Board’s Policy #668 Caring and Safe Schools.
A personal mobile device is any personal electronic device that can be used to communicate or access the internet, such as a laptop, cellphone, tablet or smart watch.
Expectations
Students are responsible for their personal mobile device, how they use it and the consequences of not following the provincial or school board policy.
Students’ personal mobile devices must be stored out of view and powered off or set to silent mode, except under the circumstances outlined below:
- for educational purposes, as directed by an educator
- for health and medical purposes
- to support special education needs
Students in Kindergarten to Grade 8 can bring a personal mobile device to school, but will only be able to use it before and after school. They may not use personal mobile devices at school during the school day, including recess and lunchtime, unless students leave school property for lunch.
Practices at School
If your child is in Kindergarten to Grade 6 and an educator sees a personal mobile device that is not stored out of view and powered off or set to silent mode, the student may be required to bring their personal mobile device to the school administrator for the school day. The personal mobile device will be placed by the student in a storage area in a location designated by the school administrator.
If your child is in Grade 7 or 8 and an educator sees a personal mobile device that is not stored out of view and powered off or set to silent mode, the student may be required to place their personal mobile device in a storage area designated by the educator for the class or period.
If your child uses their personal mobile device inappropriately, progressive discipline may apply and families may be notified.
Resources
Families play an important role in teaching children about finding a healthy balance in using technology. You may wish to access the following resources:
- Media Smarts - Four Tips for Managing Your Kids’ Screen Time
- School Mental Health Ontario - Helping Your Child Manage Digital Technology
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health - Problem Gambling and Technology Use Treatment Services
For additional information regarding Policy/Program (PPM) 128, please visit the Ministry of Education’s Cellphones and other mobile devices in schools site or the York Region District School Board’s website.
School Council
School councils play an important role in building school, family and community partnerships by providing input into relevant Board and school-level decisions and by encouraging the involvement of all members of the school community in support of student learning, achievement and well-being.
If you are interested in holding a leadership position on our School Council or nominating someone, please complete the School Council Nomination Form. This form can be found in the Back to School Forms posted in the Family Dashboard (see entry above about School Welcome Package). Please submit ti to the school no later than Friday, September 25. If you would like a paper copy, please contact the school office to request a form.
September Calendar:
Ukrainian Heritage Month, Ethiopian Heritage Month
Character Trait: Courage
12 - 13 Rosh Hashanah
19 Powley Day
21 Yom Kippur
24 Terry Fox Run
26 - Oct 2 Sukkot
30 National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day
28 - Oct 2 Safety Week
SAVE the DATE - Meet the Teacher Night - Thursday, October 1, 2026
