Bateman Bobcat Banner 

Monday, January 27, 2025

Upcoming Events:

• Tuesday, January 28: RBPS Kindergarten Information Night (6:30 PM)
• Wednesday, January 29: Lunar New Year
• February: Black History Month
• Thursday, February 6, 6:30 PM: Parent Presentation (Arabic Language): Supporting Student Success: A Shared Partnership Between Home & School
• February 10 - 13: RBPS ‘Food From the Heart’ Food Drive
• Tuesday, February 11: RBPS School Council (6:30 PM)
• Wednesday, February 12: Term 1 Report Cards / Kindergarten Communication of Learning sent to parents via email
• Friday, February 14: PD Day (No school for students)
• Monday, February 17: Family Day (No school for students)
• Tuesday, February 18, 6:30 PM: Parent Information presentation on Gr 1 - 6 Human Growth and Sexual Health Curriculum
• Tuesday, February 25: Toonie Tuesday in support of the Education Foundation

  Quick Links:

• Please report your child’s absence or late arrival using School Messenger, or by calling 1-833-202-1417
• SchoolCash Online
• Media Permission Forms

Welcome to Kindergarten Information Evening: Tuesday, January 28 at 6:30 PM

On Tuesday, January 28, we invite all parents / guardians of children who will be starting Kindergarten in September 2025 to an in-person Kindergarten information event at Robert Bateman School. If you have neighbors, friends, or family with young children (turning 4 before January 1, 2026) you are welcome to share this information with them. We hope to see many future RBPS families at this event.

Morning Arrival

Thank you to all the parents who have been working to ensure that your child(ren) arrive before 8:30 AM (but not before 8:15 AM). As mentioned in a previous Banner, most classes start with either Math or Language right at 8:30. In addition, most of our Primary students (and many of our Junior students) start the day with small group support in these key subject areas. Late arrivals mean that students miss this key instruction, and can disrupt the flow of the school day for the entire class. We have already noticed a reduction in the number of late arrivals, and are grateful for your cooperation in reducing late arrivals.

Conflict / Unkind Behaviour / Bullying Assembly

Later this week, the Grade 6 Leadership Club will host an assembly for students in Grades 1 - 6 on understanding the difference between conflict, unkind behaviour, and bullying, and how to respond to each of these. The Grade 6 students have been working with Mr. G to organize an interesting and informative assembly, and we appreciate their leadership in bringing this message to their peers.

Black History Month

Every February is recognized as Black History Month in Canada. It’s a time to celebrate Black culture and history and to applaud the achievements and significant contributions Black Canadians have made to build Canada and to make this country the diverse, welcoming and strong nation it is today. Every February, Canadians are invited to participate in learning opportunities, festivities, and events that honour the legacy of Black Canadians, past and present.

RBPS ‘Food From the Heart’ Food Drive

From February 10th to 13th, RBPS is holding a 'Food From the Heart' drive to support the Pavilion Food Bank. Students will collect non-perishable food items in their classrooms, with daily suggestions for donations (see below). The class that collects the most food will win a movie and popcorn party! Donations can also be made through SchoolCash Online. We hope that many parents and families will take part in this opportunity to make a difference, while teaching our students important lessons about giving back to the community.

Supporting Student Success: A Shared Partnership Between Home And School: Arabic-Language Parent Presentation (Thursday, February 6, 6:30 PM)

On Thursday, February 6, our Multicultural Liaison Officer (MLO) Wejdan Osman will host an Arabic Language presentation for parents. In this presentation, she will discuss a variety of topics and strategies for parents to use at home to support their children’s success at school.

دعم نجاح الطلاب: شراكة مشتركة بين المنزل والمدرسة: عرض أولياء الأمور باللغة العربية (الخميس 6 فبراير، الساعة 6:30 مساءً)

في يوم الخميس 6 فبراير، ستستضيف مسؤولة الاتصال متعدد الثقافات وجدان عثمان عرضًا تقديميًا باللغة العربية لأولياء الأمور. ستناقش في هذا العرض مجموعة متنوعة من المواضيع والاستراتيجيات التي يمكن للوالدين استخدامها في المنزل لدعم نجاح أطفالهم في المدرسة.

Voluntary $10 RBPS Student Fee

Thank you to families who choose to donate $20 for the voluntary 24/25 RBPS student fee. 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.

In September, we requested a voluntary donation of $20, but given that we are approaching the halfway mark of the school year, we have changed the requested amount to $10 per family. This fee can be sent electronically using Schoolcashonline, or sent as cash / check with your child(ren). I would like to emphasize again that this fee is voluntary, and if you paid the $20 fee earlier in the fall, please disregard this request.  Information on which families choose to make this donation will not be shared (i.e. there will be no lists of names in the classrooms). Thank you in advance for considering this request.

Webinar for Parents on EQAO Math Assessments

Join EQAO staff for a free live webinar to learn about the math questions that Ontario students encounter when they participate in Ontario’s large-scale assessments. EQAO assessments are written by all Ontario students in Grades 3, 6 and 9. During the webinar, staff will show how the math questions help assess the skills students are learning in their math classes. Staff will also share valuable insights from the past three years of assessment results, which can help parents and guardians support their children’s math learning.

Registration link is here.

Note: the same webinar will be offered on Tuesday, January 28 from 6:30 – 7:30pm and on Tuesday, February 18 from 6:30 – 7:30pm. Choose your preferred date when you register.

RBPS Activities (In every Banner, we highlight a different activity at RBPS.)

Activity Name: At-Home Online Access for Extra Practice: English Reading (RazKids), French Reading (Je lis, je lis) and Math (Knowledgehook)  

What is it?:  At RBPS, we have invested in providing engaging online extra support in math and reading. Please contact your child’s homeroom teacher to receive login information to access these resources.