Good Morning Lyonsgate Families,
Thank you for submitting your registrations for the 2025.2026 school year. If you still need to submit a registration, please do so by Monday, December 16.
This registration period is for current Lyonsgate students returning for the 2025.2026 school year, any siblings those students may have that are starting school next year, and for families that have previously indicated their intention to register for the 2025.2026 school year.
When completing your registration form, please ensure that auto-fill is not entering incorrect information in any fields, and that there are no errors in your email address.
We ask for new, complete registration forms each year to ensure we have correct, up to date information for all students as required by our systems, the Ministry of Education, and Hamilton Public Health. Please do not enter “same as last year” (or similar) in response to any questions. Thank you.
Please see the email version of this update for the link to the 2025.2026 Lyonsgate registration form.
Please click the links below for updates from your children’s levels and for recent photos at Lyonsgate:
Hello Toddler Families,
Thank you for your donations to our outdoor kitchen. We continue to hope for pots and pans, cookie sheets, and muffin tins. We’ll be cooking up an outside snow storm of recipes soon!
The toddler energy is high in the classroom as we hear of wagon rides, beautiful trees, and visits to see a certain special person all in red. We can only imagine all of the special moments and memories that will be made over the next few weeks, and we can’t wait to hear all about them.
Our CityKidz toy drive is filling up! If you are able, you may bring in a toy to support a child in our community.
Thank you,
Vanessa Findlay.
Click to view and/or sign up for Toddler flower contributions
Happy December!
As winter settles in with its colder, wetter, and windier days, we want to share a little insight into the process of getting 23 children ready for the outdoors. It’s essential to approach this with patience, a sense of humour, and a calming presence. For some children, the transition from classroom to outside can feel overwhelming. To help ease this shift, we use gentle cues like “just five more minutes” or waiting for the first group to leave. This gives them a moment to mentally prepare for the next steps ahead.
When it’s time to enter the cloakroom, the children remove their indoor shoes and find their spot on the bench. We guide them through the process, starting with their snow pants, then their boots, and finally their jackets. By allowing them to keep their hands free first, they can practice zipping up their jackets. If they encounter any difficulty with the zipper, we encourage them to “park their car” — a little trick where they align the zipper pieces patiently. We are always there to lend a helping hand by getting the zipper started, empowering them to do the rest.
Their journey is completed with their hats and, finally, their mittens. We’ve discovered that this thoughtful order allows the children to feel a sense of accomplishment, minimizing any stress they might feel. We warmly invite you to ask your children to demonstrate this routine for you. They truly enjoy showcasing their skills, and it’s guaranteed to bring a big smile to their faces as they get the chance to be your little teacher.
Thank you,
Ms. Canessa.
Click to book a parent observation in: Casa North | Casa South
Click to view and/or sign up for flower contributions in: Casa North | Casa South
Weekly Update
The month of December has brought with it a flurry of activity in the Elementary environment! Last week, the classroom was bursting with singing, set painting, and costume design as the students prepared for the filming of their class adaptation of The Balloon Tree, by Phoebe Gilman. The children are eager to share the filmed performance with their families at home over the winter break. The class also enjoyed our annual tradition of having a cup of hot chocolate together to celebrate the first snow of the season to stay on the ground. Our senior students braved the change in weather and conquered the high ropes course at Adventureworks, scaling trees and walking on tightropes and wooden catwalks between the swaying pine trees. We look forward to lots more learning and fun leading up to the winter break!
Marissa and Michelle.
Monday, November 25 – Wednesday, December 11 AM: Toy Drive for CityKidz
I’m doing a toy drive. Plese donate to CityKidz a new toy for kids 9 and up. You have until Dec 11. I recommend Lego Friends or Ninjago, bedroom decorations, squishmallows and sport balls.
– Pippa
Pippa is emphasizing donations of toys for older children, ages 9-12, as there are often fewer donations for this age group, but toys for any age are welcome. You can also check out the top toy list from CityKidz. Toys donated at both campuses will be delivered to CityKidz on the afternoon of Wed. Dec. 11. Thank you!
Thursday, December 12: Upper Elementary Outing
Students in years 4-6 will practice traveling by public bus up the mountain during the afternoon work cycle, to Sam Lawrence Park, to explore its trails and take in a view of the city. For this trip, students in Year 3 of Elementary have the option to join the group as well! Students should bring their red Lyongate t-shirt, their Presto card or $3.50 cash bus fare, a water bottle, and are welcome to bring an additional nut-free snack to enjoy along the way.
