Bateman Bobcat Banner
Monday, September 23, 2024
Upcoming Events:
- Tuesday, September 24, 6:30 - 7:30 PM: RBPS School Council meeting
- Wednesday,September 25: Rowan's Law Day (Concussion Awareness)
- Thursday, September 26: RBPS Meet the Staff Event
- Friday,September 27: PA Day (No School for Students)
- Monday, September 30: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
- October 2-4: Rosh Hashanah (Shanah tovah to those celebrating)
- Thursday,October 10: Junior Cross-Country Meet
- Friday,October 11: Terry Fox Run
- Monday,October 14: Thanksgiving Monday(No School for Students)
- Friday,October 18: Photo Day
Meet the Staff at RBPS: Thursday, September 26, 2024
On Thursday, September 26, families are invited to our annual ‘Meet the Staff’ event. We will follow the same format as last year’s event:
- ●5:00 - 5:45: Parents and students are invited to visit their child(ren)s classroom, to meet their teachers / EAs / ECEs, and see their learning space;
- ●5:30 - 6:30: Families are invited to the back field for a school picnic with staff. Tables will be set up for pre-ordered pizza pick up and there will be pizza by the slice available for purchase as well as drinks (while supplies last and cash only). In addition, the RBPS School Council will have a dessert table with tasty treats available for purchase (cash only – loonies and toonies preferred). All proceeds from the pizza, drinks, and dessert table will go to support RBPS students. Parents are also welcome to bring their own food and snacks. Please also bring lawn chairs or a blanket.
In order to ensure that we have enough pizza, parents are welcome to pre-order using SchoolCash Online. (SchoolCash Online is how we process all online payments for school-related purchases - see information on how to sign up for SchoolCash Online below). For those who do not pre-order, we will also sell pizza by the slice, but cannot guarantee how long those supplies will last. All pre-orders must be received by Tuesday, September 24.
The purpose of this event is to connect with your child’s educators in order to build the foundation for a positive home-school partnership for the year ahead. Staff will not be able to speak about the progress of individual students at this event. Please also note that students must be accompanied by a parent / guardian to attend this event.
We hope to see many families at this event next week.
Instructions for signing up with SCHOOLCASH ONLINE
SchoolCash Online is the OCDSB’s secure online payment system, it is available to pay for many items throughout the school year. Simply register through this link - https://ocdsb.schoolcashonline.com/ Once you are registered, you will automatically receive an email notification whenever items are available for payment or purchase.
When you register, please note that the system uses your child’s LEGAL NAME. Should you encounter any difficulties, you can call the Parent Help Desk at 1-866-961-1803.
Voluntary $20 RBPS Student Fee
Robert Bateman PS invites parents / caregivers to contribute a voluntary student fee of $20. These fees are used to support additional activities to enrich the student programs, such as guest speakers and special presentations, and to subsidize field trips. Our request is for a voluntary donation of $20 per student (up to a family maximum of $50). This fee can be sent electronically using Schoolcashonline, or sent as cash / check with your child(ren). Thank you in advance for considering this request.
Arrival Time
We are pleased to report that over the past few weeks, almost all students have been arriving at or before the 8:30 AM bell. This makes such a huge difference for teachers in starting their Math or Language lessons right at 8:30, and means that students do not miss key instruction time. We thank you all very much for your support in helping all of our Bobcats to to arrive on-time.
School Council
Please join us for the Annual General Meeting and first School Council meeting of the 2024-2025 school year. This meeting will take place on Tuesday September 24, 2024 starting at 6:30 pm. Parents and Guardians are invited to attend, vote, and welcome to run for positions on the School Council. We will continue to hold our meetings using a hybrid model, so parents can attend either online or in-person. We hope to see you there.
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation: September 30
As a school community, we engage in learning activities to raise awareness and understanding of the lasting impact of Canada’s residential school system on Indigenous communities across Canada. This is a vital part of our commitment to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) Calls to Action.
Please note, this is not a statutory holiday in Ontario and schools will be open on Monday, September 30, with learning activities taking place. However, some Indigenous families may decide to keep their children home on that day to engage in activities with family and community.
Indigenous self identification is a confidential process and should not be a requirement for students to be away from school on this important day. As this is a day of mourning for Indigenous communities, there is no expectation that students who are away from school on this day participate in any school-related activities.
This meaningful day signals a year-long, ongoing commitment to learning that centers the truth of the harmful effects of colonialism, including the residential schools system that caused the loss of Indigenous lives, languages and traditions for generations.
Throughout this month, and this week especially, each class has engaged (and will engage) in activities and learning opportunities to give an age-appropriate understanding of reconciliation.
We encourage you to review the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action and Spirit Bear’s Guide to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Calls to Action.
Visit the OCDSB National Truth and Reconciliation Day webpage to learn more about:
- How the OCDSB is marking this day;
- Actions parents and students can take;
- Community and mental health resources for Indigenous students and families.
Robert Bateman Safe and Accepting School Team
One of our most important goals is to build a school community that is caring, supportive, and inclusive for all students. In order to support our ongoing work towards meeting this goal, we will be continuing the work of our Safe and Accepting School Team (formerly School Climate and Inclusion Committee). This committee, which is required in all schools in Ontario, is made up of Mr. G. and Mrs. Fuller, representatives of different staff groups (teachers, EAs, ECEs), parents and students (depending on the structure of the meeting, students may provide their input in advance). These committee members provide their perspectives and input on how we can ensure that RBPS is a safe, inclusive, and welcoming school. In addition, this committee plays an important consultative role in shaping our 'Student Mental Health and Well-Being Plan', including the Bullying Prevention Intervention goal within that plan. There will be about 3-4 meetings throughout the year, probably held in the early evening via GoogleMeet (First meeting date TBD) If you are interested in being on this committee, please reply to this newsletter, or reach out by telephone at 613-737-3169. We hope you are able to add your voice to this committee.
Hunt Club Park Community Association AGM:
The Hunt Club Park Community Association Annual General Meeting will be on Tuesday, September 24 at 7:00 PM at St. Thomas Moore Public School in the Library (1620 Blohm Drive). This meeting will be an opportunity for community members to take part in planning next year’s events. The Hunt Club Community Association has been an ongoing supporter of Robert Bateman School in the past through generous donations, and we are happy to promote community involvement in this organization among our parents.
RBPS Activities (In every Banner, we highlight a different activity at RBPS.)
Activity Name: Memory Rocks for Truth and Reconciliation Day
What is it?: Memory Rocks have been used in schools and communities across Canada as a tangible symbol of reflection and remembrance of the legacy of residential schools, and our individual and shared commitments to Reconciliation. Over the last couple of weeks, every class at Robert Bateman has had conversations related to Residential Schools at an age-appropriate level, and together as a class, they have decided on the message they would want to share on their memory rock. These rocks will be displayed at the front of the school later this week, as a reminder that Robert Bateman is committed to learning about and taking action towards Reconciliation.