Bateman Bobcat Banner
June 20, 2022
Upcoming Events:
- Tuesday, June 21 - Grade 3 - 6 Track and Field Day
- Friday, June 24 - Olympic Day (Jump Rope for Heart) Kindergarten - Grade 6
- Wednesday, June 29 - Term 2 Report Cards available online
- Wednesday, June 29 - Rescheduled Pizza Day
- Thursday, June 30 -Last day of school / School closes for the summer
- Tuesday, August 30 -School office opens
- Thursday, September 1 -Information on class assignments sent to parents
- Tuesday, September 6 -First day of school for 2022 / 2023 School Year
Final Bobcat Banner of 2021 / 2022:
There are only nine school days remaining in the 2021 / 2022 school year, so this will be the final Bateman Bobcat Banner of 21/22. It has been an eventful year, as we moved between periods of in-person and remote learning, and shifting COVID protocols based on the guidance of Ottawa Public Health.
Through it all, we have valued your partnership as we work together to provide a relevant, engaging, and challenging education for your child(ren). On a personal note, I am humbled by and grateful for the warm welcome I have received from the Robert Bateman school community in my first year as Principal, and I look forward to welcoming back the returning Bobcats and their families in September.
To those who are moving on from Robert Bateman, including the Grade 6 families and Grade 3 families leaving the PSN class, the entire RBPS staff wishes you all the best, and we hope that the time you spent as Bobcats will serve you well in the future.
On behalf of the entire staff, have a wonderful summer, stay safe, and - for those of you who are returning - we will see you in September.
Jeff Griesbach (Mr. G)
Grade 3 - 6 Track and Field Day: Tuesday, June 21
On Tuesday, June 21, students in Grades 3 - 6 will participate in a Track and Field Day. This will be our first track and field day in over two years, so the focus of the day will be on re-learning the various events, and having fun while supporting classmates. We will be spending most of the day outside as we rotate through the various events, so please send your Grade 3 - 6 child with running shoes (no sandals), a sun hat, sunscreen, and a water bottle.
Olympic Day (Jump Rope for Heart) - Friday, June 24
On Friday, June 24, RBPS students from Kindergarten - Grade 6 will participate in an ‘Olympic Day,’ in support of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. This event was formerly called “Jump Rope for Heart Day,” but we have expanded this event so it involves many more activities. Students in K-5 will rotate through a variety of activities and stations, with the students in Grade 6 taking a leadership role in running these activities.
As we prepare for Olympic Day this Friday, students are invited to bring in loonies, toonies, or other donations this week in support of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. Parents are also invited to donate online to the Robert Bateman fundraising page: thank you for your support of this initiative.
Student Support for Ukraine
On Tuesday, June 28th, all students at Robert Bateman School will be given a sunflower seed potted in a paper pot. It is our hope that this pot will be planted and a sunflower will grow to show support for Ukraine.
This initiative was launched by the students in Ms Petten’s and Mr Duc’s classes: these students wanted to do something to show their support and help the families and children who are suffering in Ukraine. They have been busy making the pots, and creating announcements and posters to explain and promote this initiative. We are happy to support this student initiative, not just because it is a worthy cause, but also because we want our students to know that they have the power to make positive change and help those in need.
Anybody would like to donate can bring $2, $1, or any other amount to school next week. Donations will be given to the Red Cross of Canada, Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis Appeal. (Parents are also invited to donate online). All students are welcome to bring home a sunflower regardless of donation (there will be no tracking of who does or does not donate).
Thank you in advance for your support.
Staff Farewells
The end of the school means saying goodbye not just to our Grade 6 students, but to staff members who will be leaving the RBPS family.
We say farewell to our Registered Early Childhood Educators Ms Amanda Sinclair-Goldstein and Ms Tombra Guembe. Both Ms Amanda’s and Ms Tombra’s term assignments come to an end this month, and we thank them both for all their support of our ‘Kinder Bobcats.’
We also say farewell to Mr. Josh Brown, Mr. Danial Campbell, and Ms Stephanie Rivington, as their Long-Term Occasional (LTO) teaching assignments conclude this month. We thank Mr Brown for his work with the Grade 3/4 class, Mr Campbell for his work with the Grade 1/2 class, and Ms Rivington for all she has done with our PSN class: you will be missed, and we wish you all the best in your teaching careers ahead.
Farewell to Ms Kendra Brooks, who will be moving to the new Fernbank Elementary School, and to Ms Brittany Uhrig, who has secured a full-time contract at Stittville Elementary School (Congratulations Ms Uhrig!) You will both be missed, and your new schools are fortunate to have you on staff.
And a special farewell to Mr. Chris Duc, who after 30 years of teaching will be retiring at the end of this month. Thank you Mr Duc for all you have done for so many students over your long teaching career, and we wish you all the best as you begin this next chapter.
Our staffing process for all employee groups (Teachers, Educational Assistants, and Early Childhood Educators) is currently underway, and we look forward to sharing the names of the new RBPS staff for 22/23 in the next Bateman Bobcat Banner, which will arrive in late August, 2022).