Bateman Bobcat Banner
Monday, January 9, 2023
Upcoming Events:
- Monday, January 9: First Day of School for 2023
- January: Tamil Heritage Month
- Thursday, January 19: RBPS School Council Meeting
- Friday, January 20: PA Day (No school for students)
- Thursday, January 19: Black Excellence Day
- Friday, January 27: International Holocaust Remembrance Day
- Tuesday, January 31: RBPS Kindergarten Information Night
- February: Black History Month
Welcome Back!
Welcome Back and Happy New Year! We hope that all our RBPS families had a relaxing and enjoyable break. We would like to extend a special welcome to families who are joining RBPS from Findlay Creek: we hope your child(ren)’s time as ‘Bateman Bobcats’ will be filled with many new friendships and learning opportunities.
In the final Bobcat Banner of December, we mentioned that Ms Ana Henriquez accepted a full-time position as the Office Assistant at Hopewell Public School. We are pleased to announce that Ms Sandra Wells will be joining the RBPS team as our new Office Assistant starting next week on Monday, January 16. For this week, a temporary office assistant will support Ms Stephanie in the office.
Vimy Ridge Public School - Interim Accommodation Measures
Starting this week, approximately six families from the Findlay Creek neighbourhood will be joining the Robert Bateman school community. Those of you who were RBPS parents last year received various emails in the winter and spring of 2022 describing the overcrowding at Vimy Ridge Public School (Vimy Ridge has a capacity of 687 students, and its current enrolment is over 1100 students, with almost the entire field covered in portables). The Ontario Government has approved funding for construction of a new elementary school in Findlay Creek, but building this school will take some time.
In the spring of 2022, the OCDSB approved a plan to relieve the overcrowding problem at Vimy Ridge School by sending all new Findlay Creek Kindergarten - Grade 6 students to Robert Bateman Public School, and all new Grade 7-8 students to Roberta Bondar Public School. Robert Bateman has a current enrollment of 265 students, with a capacity of over 500 students, so we have more than enough room to welcome additional students (but we do not anticipate a sudden influx of new students: increases are expected to be gradual as new families move into the neighbourhood). After the new school is complete, students joining us from Findlay Creek will have the option to either attend the new school, or remain at Robert Bateman until they complete Grade 6.
There will also be a second school bus starting this week, in order to transport students from the Findlay Creek neighbourhood.
If you have any questions about this accommodation change, please reach out to me directly at (613) 737-3169 or by replying to this email.
Black History Month Activities
At Robert Bateman School and across the OCDSB we are committed to ensuring that students, staff, and families from all backgrounds and all identities are represented in the curriculum and celebrated in the school community. Black History Month is an important part of this commitment, where we recognize the importance of our ongoing commitment to addressing the current and historical erasure of Black experiences in curriculum and learning activities.
We will be starting our celebration of Black History Month early this year as we welcome Just Jamaal the Poet to RBPS on Monday, January 16 for a presentation on Polyphonic Poetry for our Grade 4 - 6 students. More updates on Black History Month events will be shared in the weeks ahead, including events specifically tailored for our Kindergarten - Grade 3 students.
RBPS School Council: Thursday, January 19
All parents are invited to attend the RBPS School Council meeting on Thursday, January 19, 2023 at 6:30 pm in the school library. This meeting will use a hybrid (in-person and virtual) format; any parent who would like to attend virtually is invited to send an email to [email protected] in order to receive the meeting link. An agenda will be shared with parents in the next week.
Welcome to Kindergarten Information Evening: Tuesday, January 31 at 6:30 PM
On Tuesday, January 31, we invite all parents / guardians of children who will be starting Kindergarten in September 2023 to an in-person Kindergarten information event at Robert Bateman School. If you have neighbours, friends, or family with young children (turning 4 before January 1, 2024) you are welcome to share this information with them.
Translations of School Communication
In the past, all email communication from RBPS was sent out in multiple languages (English, Arabic, Somali, Urdu, and Spanish, based on the most common languages spoken by RBPS families). After speaking to parents, we learned that most people preferred to use the translation app on their phone or computer, rather than read the translated version, and so we have switched to sending correspondence (including this Bobcat Banner) in English only. We are reaching out to see if this approach is working for all families. It is important to us that all families are able to receive and understand all the information we send, so please let us know if you would prefer to receive school email with a translated copy. We also recognize that parents who are not able to access this Bobcat Banner will not be able to reply to this email: if you have friends / family / neighbours who speak a language other than English, we would greatly appreciate if you are able to check whether they are able to access school communication, and whether they would prefer translated emails.
Staff Profiles
Starting this week and for the rest of the year, we will feature a different staff member in every edition of the Bateman Bobcat Banner. This will be a chance for all families to learn about the amazing staff who make up the RBPS team!
Staff Name: Stephanie Steward
Role: Office Administrator
Time at Robert Bateman: 14 years - But if you count time as a volunteer and a parent, it’s actually 17 years
Background: She grew up in 5 different towns in northern Ontario and northern Quebec with her 2 brothers and 1 sister. She has 2 daughters, one is a nurse and social worker and one is a teacher and she is a very proud Nana to 3 grandchildren.
Interesting Fact: She was a piano teacher for more than 10 years