Bateman Bobcat Banner - Monday March 17, 2025

Upcoming Events:

• February 28 - March 30: Ramadan (Ramadan Mubarak to those observing)
• Tuesday, March 19: RBPS School Council Meeting (6:30 PM)
• Friday, March 28: PD Day (No school for students)
• Monday March 30: Eid-al-Fitr (Projected)
• April: Autism Awareness Month
• April: Sikh Heritage Month
• Tuesday, April 15: RBPS School Council (6:30 PM)
• Friday, April 18: Good Friday (No school for students)
• Monday, April 21: Easter Monday (No school for students)
• April 22 - April 25: Talent Show Auditions
• Tuesday, April 22: School Council Family Math Night (6:30 PM)

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 Back

Welcome back to all of our RBPS Bobcats and families. We hope you all enjoyed your March Break, and were able to spend quality time with your family.

Spring officially arrives on Monday afternoon, and we can expect a mix of both warm and cool wet weather in the month(s) ahead. Students will go outside for recess (or outdoor play, in Kindergarten) when there is light rain, and will stay indoors when there is heavy rain, so please continue to make sure your child(ren) are dressed for the weather. 

Ramadan Mubarak

March 1 marked the beginning of Ramadan for Muslims around the world. Here at RBPS, we are working to ensure that our learning environment is supportive to all students, including those students who will be fasting. All students, whether fasting or not, are welcome to remain in their classrooms during the lunch period. For students who are fasting and would prefer to spend their lunch period in a space where students are not eating, the 2nd floor art room is open and supervised. Students may choose to spend their lunch periods in the art room, where they may read, quietly chat with friends, or engage in other quiet activities. For students in Grades 5 and 6, parent permission to go to the art room for the lunch period is not required, For students in Grade 4 and below, we would ask that parents send an email, or call the office, to indicate that their child(ren) have permission to use the fasting space.

RBPS School Council News

School Council Meeting

All parents are invited to attend the RBPS School Council meeting on Tuesday, March 19 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 join using this meeting link. We hope to see many parents at this meeting. 

Family Movie Night

As mentioned in an email sent before the Break, the RBPS School Council Family Movie Night will be postponed to later in the spring. If you pre-ordered tickets or food, you can either request a refund by email, or defer your order towards the upcoming rescheduled Family Movie Night.

Robert Bateman School Climate and Inclusion Committee

Our next meeting of the RBPS School Climate and Inclusion Committee will be taking place soon. In this committee, which include the Principal (Mr. G.)  and a mixture of teachers, EAs. ECEs, and parents, we listen to all the voices that make up our RBPS community, talk about how we can reduce and eliminate barriers to build a more inclusive and equitable community.

If you are interested in joining the next committee meeting, please respond to this email, or reach out to Mr. G. by telephone at 613-737-3169.

Congratulations Junior Boys & Girls Volleyball Teams

On Tuesday, March 4 and Thursday, March 6, the Junior Girls and Boys Volleyball Teams competed in the regional tournaments. Both teams had a mix of wins and close  losses, and both teams made it to the ‘Final Four.’ Of particular note was how well both teams demonstrated teamwork and a positive attitude: even parents and coaches from other teams remarked on the positive attitude of our Bobcats, and the sportsmanship they displayed throughout all their games. Thanks to our volunteer drivers for getting our players to the games, and thanks to our coaches Mme Boudreau, Mme Irus, and Ms Petten for all you work in preparing the teams, and thanks to our players for representing RBPS with pride!

Voluntary $10 RBPS Student Fee

Thank you to families who choose to donate 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 student. 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.

Upcoming Talent Show at RBPS

Back by popular demand from many students, the staff at RBPS will be organising a “Welcome to Spring Talent Show” in May (specific date TBD). Tryouts will take place the week of April 22-25. Students in all grades are welcome to audition. The committee will only see students who have a planned and practised routine, under 2 minutes. There will be no improvising, which means that students will need to practise ahead of their audition. Talents could include singing, dancing, telling jokes, playing an instrument, doing magic tricks, reciting a poem, showcasing some martial arts, or another special talent. There will be more information about the date for tryouts in the next Bobcat Banner. Until then,if your child is interested in showcasing their talent, it’s time to start rehearsing. 

Grade 1 - 6 Health Curriculum: Human Development and Sexual Health 

As mentioned In the email sent to all parents the week before March Break, all Grade 1 - 6 instruction for the Human Growth and Sexual Health will take place between April 2 - May 2. At our parent information meeting a few weeks ago, we shared the specific curriculum expectations for each grade: a copy of that information can be found here. If you have any question about the specific dates / times for your child(ren)’s instruction, please refer to the email sent on March 4, or reply-sender to this email. 

*Please note: Parents who choose to exempt their child from Health instruction will have the option of their child remaining in the class and not participating, or collecting their child at school to go home. We are unable to provide alternate supervision for students to remain in school outside of their class during Health instruction.