Robert Bateman PS

Dear Parent(s) / Guardian(s) of Robert Bateman Student(s);

Welcome to the 2022/2023 school year at Robert Bateman PS! My name is Jeff Griesbach (Mr. G) and this is my 2nd year serving the Robert Bateman School community as Principal. We hope that you all had a safe and relaxing summer, and that your child(ren) are excited to return to school on Tuesday, September 6, 2021. (Please note that all students, including Year 1 and Year 2 Kindergarten, will start on September 6.)

NEW STAFF: A new school year brings changes, and we are thrilled to welcome new additions to the RBPS team. In Kindergarten, we welcome Ms. Joey Cao and Mme Virginia Cortez as the English and French teachers in the Blue Kindergarten class. Over the summer, Mme Veronique Leger moved to another school, and we wish her all the best in her new adventure. We welcome three new members to our Early Childhood Educator (ECE) team: Ms Wilguite Noel in the Green Room, Ms. Muna Djibril in the Blue Room, and Ms. Stephanie Vannier in the Red Room. We also welcome back Mr Jason Hirst, who will be teaching the Grade 5/6 English class, and Ms Vera Li as our school’s Designated Occasional Teacher (DOT). In the next Bateman Bobcat Banner, we will include a full staff list, with teaching assignments.

COVID UPDATE: Following guidance from the Province and Ottawa Public Health (OPH) schools in the OCDSB will continue the transition from a COVID-19 pandemic response to a more sustainable approach.  Over the past two years, we have learned quite a bit about how to successfully manage school operations and protect health and safety. This will be very helpful in managing COVID-19 and other transmissible diseases such as influenza or gastro infection. Some of the safety protocols that will remain in place are:

• Continuation of enhanced ventilation measures;
• Daily COVID -19 self assessment tool for schools and child care settings will continue to be available and staff, students and visitors are encouraged to use it and follow its guidance;
• Schools will be a mask friendly environment where students and staff who choose to wear a face mask will be able to do so free of any harassment, and masks will continue to be provided to those who request them;
• Promotion of proper hand and respiratory hygiene will continue, hand sanitizer will continue to be provided;
• Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) will continue to be available in schools for staff and students who request them.

CLASS ASSIGNMENTS: On Thursday, September 1, we will send an email to all families with information on child(ren)’s class assignment and teacher for the 2022 - 2023 school year. On Friday, September 2, teachers will reach out via email to parents/guardians of students in their class.

School Supplies: The OCDSB has developed a common list of recommended personal use items for students. This list of supplies is voluntary;  it is a parent’s / guardian’s choice to send the following items for use by their child for the first day of school in September. We value and appreciate any items parents/guardians are able to send.

Items requested for students in all grades (Kindergarten - Grade 6) are:

• 1 pencil case
• 12 – HB pencils with eraser tip
• 2 – medium size white vinyl erasers
• 1 – box of washable, non-toxic markers
• 2 – glue sticks

In addition, parents are welcome to send the following additional items for students in different divisions:

We look forward to welcoming your child(ren) back to school next week. As the Robert Bateman Mission Statement says: “We come to Robert Batemen to love learning, strive for excellence, and prepare for our future.”  Together, we can work towards supporting every child to achieve these goals.

Sincerely,

Jeff Griesbach (Mr G), Principal

[email protected]