October 10 Newsletter

We are very pleased to have had the nice September weather continue into early October. We hope all of our members of the Frontenac community have a great Thanksgiving with friends and family. To stay current with all events happening at Frontenac, please read our latest updates below and as always, click this link to see our daily morning announcements for upcoming events and activities all year long at FSS!

Honour Awards

On Wednesday, October 8th we celebrated many academic achievements of our students from the 2024-2025 school year. At this event, we recognized those students who were on the honour roll and/or earned subject awards as well as other special awards. Any students who were unable to attend should stop by the student services office next week to pick up their certificates. Congratulations Falcons!

FSS Attendance Policy

We'd like to thank parents for their ongoing assistance with attendance at FSS. Please continue using the Safe Arrival app to approve student absences, before or the day of the absence. For all absence and late reporting a day or more after please email Kerri Merriam at merriamk@limestone.on.ca. In your email please include your students full name, reason for the absence/late and the date. This helps to manually track the information outside of the automated Safe Arrival system. If students are signed out of school, they should not be on school property (i.e. parents cannot sign students out of class to study in the FSS library, or to spectate a sporting event on school property). Please contact the school if you have any questions or concerns regarding student attendance.

Parent/Guardian Night, Oct. 15- Sign up on School Day

Frontenac will host our semester 1 parent/guardian night on Wednesday, October 15 from 5:30pm-8:00pm. This evening consists of two optional workshops (5:30-6:00pm) as well as parent/teacher conferences (6:00pm-8:00pm). Bookings are open now. Schedule your interviews on School Day. The plan for the evening is as follows:

5:30pm-6:00pm- Optional Family Workshops

• Thriving as a Falcon- This workshop will be geared toward supporting students who are new to F.S.S. Whether you are in grade 9 or new to the area, come learn about the support available and how to thrive at school this year! Location: FSS Cafeteria
• Navigating the Post-Secondary Application Process- This workshop is to support grade 12 families who are looking at applying to college, university or entering the trades for next year. Come learn the basics about applications, finances and the transition to next year. There will be an opportunity for families to ask questions after the presentation is over. Location: Library Learning Commons

6:00pm-8:00pm- Parent/Teacher Conferences

• Appointment bookings opened on School Day October 8th. Parents are always encouraged to reach out to teachers via email or to leave a message with our Student Services team to facilitate a connection if you missed out on Parent Teacher night. We look forward to seeing many families for the evening at FSS on October 15th.

FSS Arts

On Sep 29-30, 46 Frontenac students from grades 9-12 participated in the second annual Frontenac Arts Camp. The theme this year was the integration of art and nature, and the weather couldn’t have been more compliant. It was gorgeous. The students built shelters, shot arrows, painted, wrote poetry and canoed outside in the beautiful surroundings of Camp Iawah. Between camp activities, students played volleyball, tetherball, and jumped on the trampolines; they also randomly broke out into song and dance, helped along by Ms Martin and Mr Runions. Students had a chance to bunk overnight with their friends and the food at camp was top notch, there was something for everyone.  

Some highlights of the camp included the evening skit performances, where each house team showed their version of our theme. We saw talent shows, light humour, dark humour, a psychotic octopus, and some very overly dramatic spoken word. The teachers were not to be outdone either. They  showed off their talents, teamwork, and flexibility and of course Misters Tremblay and Runions had to perform a Dirty Dancing lift, of sorts. The evening closed around the campfire with Mr Tremblay leading the whole camp in a large game of Traitors.

Another highlight of the camp was the leadership of our senior students. They stepped up to the plate, corralling their groups and making sure that everyone was included in all the activities. 

A huge thank you goes out to Mr Davey for ensuring this program happened this year and for recertifying his NLS so that the students had a chance to go in the water and canoe. Thanks to all the arts teachers in the school, including those who do not teach arts courses, for providing such enriching opportunities at Frontenac. We can’t wait to see everyone out at the Coffee House on October 22. 

Math Tutoring and Support

Need some extra support in math? Every Monday evening from 7:00–8:00 pm in Room 118, our FSS math teachers run a Math Tutorial to help students strengthen their skills, review concepts, and prepare for upcoming assessments. This drop-in program is open to all grade levels and provides a supportive environment for students to ask questions and build confidence.

FSS to Europe

Frontenac is heading to Central Europe!  We still have a few spaces available for this year's March Break Trip. Come see the landmarks and experience the culture of Germany, Prague, Slovakia, and Vienna with Ms. Cavers, Mr. Conway, Ms. Dembinski, and Mr. Tallon.   For more information, check out the full itinerary here www.eftours.ca/2893818VH, or email Ms. Cavers at caverse@limestone.on.ca for details! For students who are already enrolled, don't forget to check our Google Classroom and hand in your paperwork to Ms. Cavers as soon as possible! 

FSS Business Department

The Grade 12 Sports and Entertainment Marketing class had the valuable opportunity to gain insight into the municipal decision-making process surrounding the future of Centre 70. City Councillor Wendy Stephen visited the class to share her expertise and walk students through the steps the City of Kingston takes when evaluating potential uses for public spaces. During the session, students also had the chance to present their own creative ideas for the site, engaging in a meaningful dialogue with Councillor Stephen about community planning. Senior business students are invited to take part in an exciting experiential learning opportunity at the Canadian Tire Centre. This full-day field trip will offer students a behind-the-scenes look at careers in the sports and entertainment industry, a visit to the Tanger Outlets, and will conclude with an Ottawa Senators game. Students enrolled in a senior business course next semester who are interested in joining the trip should speak with Mr. Stephen or Ms. McCormick in the Business Office for more details.

Specialist High Skills Major in Business Now Offered at Frontenac Secondary School

We’re proud to offer the Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) in Business at Frontenac Secondary School—an exciting opportunity for students to gain real-world experience, develop sector-specific skills, and explore career pathways in business. If your child is interested in learning more about this exceptional program, they are encouraged to speak with Ms. McCormick in the Business Office.

Business Competition

The Waterloo Financial Literacy Competition will be held in early December this year. It is a great opportunity to learn about a diverse range of financial literacy topics. If students are interested in signing up, please see Ms. Wang for more information. 

OPHELIA Club - Girl's Night is coming!

The Ophelia Club invites all female students to join us for a fun and relaxing evening at Frontenac on Friday, November 28 from 5pm-11pm.

Enjoy a night filled with exciting activities, including:

• Games
• Karaoke
• Therapy dogs
• Pizza
• Zumba
• Arts and crafts
• A school-wide scavenger hunt...and much more!

Cost: $20 per participant
Spots are limited, so be sure to register early.

To sign up and get more details, check your email from School Day. We can't wait to see you there!

OSSLT at FSS

On Wednesday, November 19th, and Thursday, November 20th, grade 10 students at Frontenac will be writing the Ontario Literacy Test. Successful completion of The Literacy Test is a graduation requirement in Ontario. Students at Frontenac will be preparing for this test through a series of lessons in their regular classes geared towards reading comprehension and written communication. They will also be provided numerous resources, including access to online classrooms and supports. Information about the test, as well as practices tests and resources can be found at https://www.eqao.com/the-assessments/osslt/.  Grade 11 and 12 students who still need to demonstrate their literacy requirement will write the test on Wednesday, November 26th. Stay tuned for further information. 

FSS PAL and School to Community

The FSS School to Community program and the PAL class headed to LCVI for a Special Olympics Soccer tournament. Despite the cool weather, the students lit it up on the field, with many impressive goals and memories of a fun day!

FSS Student Council News

The Student Council FSS Merch Shop is now open on School Day!  The shop will remain open for orders until Thursday, November 13th.  Orders received by this date will arrive in time for the holidays.  Ask a member of Student Council if you have any questions.

Upcoming Events at FSS:

October 10th: PA Day (No school for students)

October 13th: Thanksgiving Monday

October 15th: Parent/Guardian Night

October 22nd: FSS Coffee House (Library)

October 30th: Parent Council Meeting 6:30pm (Library)

November 10th: Photo Retakes at FSS

November 11th: Remembrance Day

November 14th: PA Day (No school for students)