Calvin Park Comet Communication
February 2, 2026
Term 2 Begins
February 2 marks the beginning of Term 2 for students, the half-way point of the school year! We are proud of our students for their growth and progress so far this year. Term 1 Report Cards will go home with students on Friday, February 13. Keep up the great work, Comets!
Staff Updates
Welcome to Ms. Michelle Leake, who is joining the LCVI/Calvin Park Administration Team as Vice-Principal. Ms. Leake most recently served as a curriculum consultant with LDSB and was a long-time teacher at LCVI prior to that. Welcome (back), Ms. Leake!
Welcome to Teacher Frankie Polak, joining our team for Term Two. Teacher Polak is teaching in the Challenge Program this term while Mrs. Tang is on a planned leave. Welcome, Teacher Polak!
Coffee House Was Awesome!
Big congratulations to our students for putting on an incredible Coffee House production. Whether on stage, behind the scenes, or in the band, you were amazing. Super work, Comets!
Thank you to everyone who came out to support Coffee House last week! It was wonderful to see so many families at our evening performances. Thank you for your generous donations and contributions to the Partner in Mission Food Bank.
You're Invited to LDSB Black History Month Opening Ceremony
When: Wednesday, February 4, 2026, 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Where: LCVI/Calvin Park Cafetorium, 153 Van Order Drive, Kingston
All students, staff, families, and community members are invited to join us for an evening of community, connection, and celebration with food, music, and dancing! Featuring: Kids Zone with "Ruthy's Reading Room," and a performance by Cassel Miles as Josiah Henson.
This event is presented by the LDSB and the LCVI BIPOC affinity group. We hope to see you there!
Clubs & Athletics Updates
Eco Club
Our Eco Club has been meeting weekly since October. We have worked on our Habitat Garden, Nutritower and Plant a Seed projects.
Next, we plan to focus on renewing our Ecoschools certification. For this we will continue to make progress on the above projects, but also set up food waste composting and GOOS paper programs, and organize Earth Hour and Earth Day events.
Girls Basketball Intramurals
Anyone interested in playing girls’ intramural basketball, be sure to sign up on Sports Board.
Scents at school - Calvin Park/LCVI is a scent free school. We have students and staff who experience severe physical reactions when exposed to artificially made scents. The most severe reactions stem from colognes, perfumes, and body sprays. Please not wear scents at Calvin Park/LCVI, apply them before you come to school, or apply them while at school. Thank you for your help with this.
Youth Gambling Awareness Program (YGAP)
Grade 8 CORE students have been participating in the Youth Gambling Awareness Program (YGAP) run by YMCA of Eastern Ontario. Funded by the Ministry of Health, this program is designed to raise youth awareness with regards to gambling, gaming and technology use, healthy living, and making informed decisions.
Our workshops are developmentally appropriate for elementary school students and are designed to align with the requirements of the Ontario Ministry of Education curriculum. Some of the topics discussed in these workshops include:
- Odds and probability
- Benefits and risks of technology and gaming
- Financial literacy
- Media literacy
- Dealing with peer pressure
- Harm reduction strategies
Inclement Weather Days
Please note that you can sign-up to receive notifications of cancellations to your student's specific bus route at https://triboard.ca/. If your students is staying home on an inclement weather day, please remember to report their absence through School Messenger to help us track attendance and ensure student safety.
Comet Response
This year we have introduced a new safety response school protocol called the “Comet Response.” A Comet Response may be announced over the PA system when a student is having a challenging moment and needs space and support to ensure everyone's safety. When this happens, staff clear the hallways so the student can get the help they need. During a Comet Response, classroom doors are locked as a precaution, and learning continues as usual inside the classroom. A follow‑up announcement lets everyone know when the Comet Response has ended and regular movement through the hallways can resume. Thank you to students and staff for your patience at these times. Your cooperation helps make Calvin Park a safe and supportive place for everyone.
Traffic Reminders for Drop-Off/Pick-Up
The front of our school is very busy in the morning and at dismissal. Please take care when entering and exiting the front laneway. A reminder that the front lane way is for quick drop-off and pick-up. Cars are not permitted to be parked or idling in this area. At the end of the school day, if your student is not ready to be picked-up, you must move along to maintain traffic flow.
Consider picking up your student 5-10 minutes after dismissal to help reduce congestion. Or consider dropping off/picking up your student at pre-arranged meeting spot in the surrounding neighbourhood. Thank you for your help keeping everyone safe.
School Advisory Council Update
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: We are looking for some volunteers to help with upcoming pizza lunch fundraisers. Please contact Betty Betts at bettybetts@live.ca if you are available to help with pizza days. Thank you!
Pizza Lunch Fundraiser: The School Advisory Council is running a pizza lunch fundraiser to raise funds to support Grade 8 Graduation. Slices are $3.00 each and available for pre-order on School Day. The first pizza lunch is Tuesday, February 10.
Our next School Advisory Council meeting is Monday, February 23 from 6:00 - 7:30 pm in the Library. All are welcome!
Thank you to the following people for taking on an executive role this year.
- Co-Chairs: Melissa Hudson & Yanina Kanevsky
- Indigenous Representative: TBD
- Secretary: Lisa Thibeault
- Treasurer: Bibhian Caraballo
- Fundraising Coordinator: TBD
- Volunteer Coordinator: TBD
- Public Relations/Communications Coordinator: Julia Krolik & Ali Darrach
- Program/Event Coordinator: Rechell Bernales
- Members at Large/Divisional Representatives: Betty Betts, Ali Darrach, Mark Foster, Tessa Morrison, Haley Somerville, Zannatin Tazreen, Sara Wellwood
- PIC Representatives: Melissa Hudson (LCVI) & Haley Somerville (Calvin Park)
Information For Grade 8 Students and Families
Mental Health Resources
Did you know that our students can access mental health support at school? Emily Landon is a Student Support Counselor (SSC) and Tiff Idems is a Social Worker who provide support services to our students. Sometimes, students will tell us if they or one of their friends need help; at other times, we rely on students' caregivers to help us get the fuller picture. If you think your student would benefit from speaking to someone, please connect with your child's teacher to contact the Calvin Park office. Also, please encourage your students to let their teacher know right away if any of their friends are talking about concerning topics or overwhelming stressors. They should not have to carry that weight alone, and help is available.
We are happy to partner with some community organizations, as well:
Family Foundational Services Winter 2026
Mental Health Services Winter 2026
Winter Workshops At A Glance 2026
Upcoming School Events
February 4
- LDSB Black History Month Opening Ceremony @ LCVI at 4:00 pm
February 6
- Grade Assemblies
February 13
- Term 1 Report Cards go home with students
February 26
- Calvin Park/LCVI Ski Trip
March 16-20
- Spring Break
Significant Dates
February
- Black History Month
February 11
- International Day of Women and Girls in Science
February 16
- Family Day Holiday
February 17
- Lunar New Year (Buddhism)
February 17 to March 3
- Chinese New Year
February 17 to March 18
- Ramadan (Islam)
February 18
- Ash Wednesday (Christianity/Western)
February 18 to April 2
- Lent (Christianity/Western)
February 22
- Human Trafficking Awareness Day
Our Daily Schedule
At Calvin Park PS, we have three 100 minute blocks of instructional time, in addition to two nutrition breaks and recesses. Attendance and promptness are so important for students' learning. We encourage students to give themselves plenty of time to get ready and get out the door in the morning. If a student does miss a class, they should check in with their teacher and try to catch up as soon as possible.
Time | Period / Activity |
|---|---|
8:15 to 9:05 a.m. | Period 1 |
9:05 to 9:55 a.m. | Period 2 |
9:55 to 10:15 a.m. | Grade 7 Recess, Grade 8 Nutrition |
10:15 to 10:35 a.m. | Grade 7 Nutrition, Grade 8 Recess |
10:35 to 11:25 a.m. | Period 3 |
11:25 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. | Period 4 |
12:15 to 12:35 p.m. | Grade 7 Recess, Grade 8 Nutrition |
12:35 to 12:55 p.m. | Grade 7 Nutrition, Grade 8 Recess |
12:55 to 1:45 p.m. | Period 5 |
1:45 to 2:35 p.m. | Period 6 |
2025-2026 LDSB School Year Calendar
A PDF version of the 2025-2026 School Year Calendar is available online.
