Rider's Digest
December 12 - Weekly Newsletter for Landing Trail School
Welcome to our weekly newsletter, designed to keep
parents informed with a convenient week-at-a-glance overview.
Find all the links to school-related resources at the end of this newsletter.
"Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success."
– Henry Ford
Dear Landing Trail Families,
As we move through the final weeks of December, I want to thank families for your continued support and partnership during a very full time of year. Our school remains focused on maintaining consistent routines for students while also providing meaningful opportunities for community connection.
Food Bank Drive: December 2–17
Our annual Food Bank Drive continues this week. Donations can be dropped off at the tables near the office or brought to school events, including the Winter Festival. Landing Trail School and Gibbons School are working together to support the Gibbons and Bon Accord Food Bank, and we are grateful for the generosity shown by our families.
Students are still working toward our collective goals:
- 1,500 items: a school-wide popcorn day
- 2,000 items: Mr. Paziuk & I will spend the day in costume
Thank you for helping us support families in our local community.
Winter Festival: December 16
A reminder that our Winter Festival takes place on Tuesday, December 16, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. This is a family-friendly, self-guided event for all Pre-K to Grade 4 families. Please ensure students are dressed appropriately for the weather. Additional details are included in this newsletter.
December Activities and School Routines
December remains a busy month, and we appreciate families’ support in helping students arrive prepared, rested, and ready to learn each day. Classroom learning continues alongside seasonal activities, and staff are working to maintain a calm, structured environment for students as we approach the winter break.
I would like to thank our staff, parent volunteers, and PIA for their continued efforts behind the scenes. Your time, flexibility, and commitment make a meaningful difference for our students and school community.
Thank you for your ongoing partnership. We look forward to finishing the month together in a positive and steady way.
With gratitude,
Louise Loh, Principal
Teaching of the Month - Wisdom
December is always a special time at Landing Trail. Our halls are filled with excitement, music, and moments of joy as we prepare for Christmas together. As we continue focusing on our Teaching of the Month—Wisdom—students have been learning how to use wise choices to care for one another and strengthen our school community. Whether it’s showing kindness, helping a friend, or contributing positively to class and school events, our students are demonstrating that wisdom is not just what we know, but how we act. We are proud of the thoughtful, caring ways our learners are living out wisdom during this meaningful season.
Candy Cane Sales
Our Candy Cane Sale was a huge success! A big thank you to our Grade 4 Leadership students who took the lead in organizing, selling, and supporting this event. Their responsibility, teamwork, and positive attitude truly shone through. We are so proud of the leadership they demonstrated and grateful for the effort they put into making this fundraiser run smoothly. Great job, Grade 4s!
Tarra Larson
Modelling Matters
(From The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt)
The best way to teach healthy tech habits is to model them. Setting aside “unplugged time” as a family during dinner, walks, or game nights shows kids that real connection matters more than scrolling.
SPARK (Social-Emotional Learning, Positive Play, Accountability, Relationship Repair, Kindness)
What Happens in SPARK: Reflect, Repair, Practice, Play
Each SPARK session has a clear structure that helps students practice new skills in meaningful ways.
Morning recess focuses on reflection, repair, and practice. Students talk or write about what happened, why it happened, and what they can do differently next time. If something or someone was harmed, they make a repair plan. They also role-play or rehearse new strategies to use going forward.
Noon recess focuses on cooperative play. Students participate in guided games that require communication, teamwork, and emotional control. Adults give real-time coaching to help students practice positive relationship skills while having fun.
We are looking forward to our 3rd Annual Winter Festival on Tuesday, December 16, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. This family-friendly, self-guided event is open to all LPS and LT families, including siblings. Students who attend on alternate days are welcome to participate, as long as they bring an adult who can accompany them through the crafts, winter activities, and games.
All activities are free, thanks to the generous support of PIA fundraising and the school. While there is no cost to attend, families are encouraged to pay it forward by bringing a donation to the Food Bank.
A few reminders:
• Dress for the weather.
• Parents attending the festival are responsible for supervising their children.
• LT parents may pick up children from classrooms at 9:30 a.m. and return them at 2:10 p.m.
• Any LT student leaving before 2:55 p.m. must be signed out at the office.
We are excited to celebrate the season together as a community. Details were emailed earlier this week.
PowerSchool App
You will require a District Code to access your child's profile on the PS App.
District Code: JDQX
Find the PS App for Google here.
Find the PS App for Apple here.
Looking for more information on Outcomes-Based Reporting? Click this link to find out more.
Logos Steering Committee
NEXT MEETING: January 20 @ 3:15 pm (Landing Trail School)
If you are interested in helping with planning or volunteering, please e-mail: logoscommittee@gmail.com
We are so encouraged by the positive response to our smudging opportunity! With such strong interest from students, we will now be dividing into two groups to accommodate the large numbers. We began on Monday, September 22nd. Students will have the opportunity to participate in optional smudging at the end of the day (around 2:45 pm) on Mondays and Wednesdays.
Smudging is a traditional Indigenous practice that uses the smoke of sacred medicines (such as sage, cedar, sweetgrass, or tobacco) for purification and reflection. Participation is always voluntary: families may choose to have their children participate, observe respectfully, or not take part at all.
This practice supports our commitment to Truth and Reconciliation, helping students grow in respect, understanding, and a strong sense of belonging.
Parental permission is required for a child to participate (Click this link to give consent).
Get your LANDING TRAIL SPIRIT WEAR! The online store is open with a great variety of clothing and accessories to be purchased.
Register at the following website and start shopping NOW!
https://landingtrailschool.entripyshops.com/
- Shoppers will be able to place orders year-round.
- There is no cut-off for orders. Entripy will process all orders that it receives in a timely fashion.
- Each time an order is placed, you will input a shipping address. Entripy will ship the order to the address that you have specified.
- Entripy accepts credit and debit payments using Visa and MasterCard.
- Note: All sales are final
- NO Sizing Kit is available.
