Hello Rideau Families!

On behalf of our teaching team, I would like to thank our families, students and support staff for an incredibly warm welcome back to school. We are grateful for the extra care and attention (Coffee! Treats!) and all of our messages of support. Thank you, families, for partnering with us.

Today was an exceptionally fun day for staff and students. We saw many wonderful and creative costumes among both students and staff. You can check out our accounts on Instagram to enjoy a showcase of teacher costumes😊! Our youngest students took part in a school-wide Halloween Parade, followed by a fun assembly where we danced to and sang spooky songs together, as well as reviewed safety tips for trick or treating.

As we resume normal operations across the system, we appreciate your patience and understanding as there will be some adjustments to timelines and activities over the short term. More is explained below.

Remembrance Day Activities

This year, we will be collecting non-perishable food items for the Veterans Food Bank from November 3 to 7. If your family can help feed our needy Veterans, please bring in donations and deposit them in the boxes outside the front office or in any of the Veterans Food Bank Boxes on all floors of our school before days end on November 7.

Families planning to attend the ceremony this year, please arrive and enter through the parking lot doors between 10:00 am and 10:15am to be seated in the gym. Seating on Friday, November 7 is on a first to arrive, first choice of seat basis.

I would like to show appreciation to our grade 6 teacher Ms. Kimberley Lewis for leading this year’s events.

Athletics Updates

Basketball practices will resume next week as per our previous schedule. Any games that may be scheduled for the remainder of the season will be considered exhibition games. We will let

you know how this impacts our athletes at Rideau Park as this will require coordination across schools. More information will be provided as soon as possible.

Gym Strip Orders

Orders have been received by the office during the strike. Support staff will distribute items to students over the course of next week. If there are any issues with sizing, please contact Ms. Jackie Cochrane for support.

If you missed ordering with Top Marks during our September order window, we will not be able to accommodate individual requests as they only provide us with bulk ordering. The school has some limited items and sizing available for purchase. Please contact the office if you are interested in exploring this option.

Individual Program Plans (IPPs)

If you did not yet receive a finalized version of your child’s IPP prior to the teacher strike, please know that our system has extended the deadline for teachers to complete documents and review them with families until November 28. If you have any questions, please reach out to your child’s teacher directly.

Picture Re-Takes

LifeTouch is working with schools across the system to reschedule photo retakes. We anticipate that we will be

offered a date later this month or in early December. We will keep you posted!

Rideau Park Staff – Baby News!

Mr. Carl Pocock and his family welcomed their third child in mid-October. Mr. Pocock is proud to share this news with all of you.

Rideau Park Parents Association – School Council Update Healthy Hunger

Regular fun lunches are back! Please login to healthyhunger.ca to place your orders.

• Nov 6 - Mary Brown's Chicken (orders close SATURDAY Nov 1)
• Nov 20 - Chick Fil-A (FYI - peanut oil fryers)
• Dec 4 - A&W
• Dec 18 - Little Ceasar's Pizza

As a final note, and on behalf of all teachers at Rideau Park School, we are so proud to be a part of our very special

community of students, families and staff.

Key Dates

• Nov 3-7, 2025: Veteran’s Food Bank Drive
• Nov 6, 2025: Hot Lunch – Mary Brown’s Chicken
• Nov 7, 2025: Remembrance Day Service at 10:15am
• Nov 10-12, 2025: Fall Break
• Nov 19, 2025: School Council Meeting at TBD
• Nov 24-28, 2025: Scholastic Book Fair
• Nov 27, 2025: Parent-Teacher Conferences (PM)
• Nov 28, 2025: No School for Students, Parent-Teacher Conferences (AM)

Sincerely,

Andrea Riquelme

Principal, Rideau Park School