Le Bulletin de Roméo Dallaire Public School 550 Peter Rupert Avenue, Maple, ON L6A 0S1

Phone (905) 585-0001 Fax (289) 553-0599

E-mail: romeo.dallaire.ps@yrdsb.ca Website: http://romeodallaire.ps.yrdsb.ca

JANUARY 2018

Principal: Clelia Della Rovere, EdD

Vice-Principal: Claire Levy-Freedman Superintendent: Tod Dungey Trustee: Linda Aversa

Inside this Issue

· Winter Celebration

· Spirit Day

. Sweets and Treats Sale

· FI Grade 1 Registration

. Head Lice Screening

. Author Visit

. School Athletics

. School Travel Safety

. Kiss n Ride Procedures

· Bus Cancellations

· End of Day procedures

· Colder Weather

· Dates for upcoming events

Visitors and

Volunteers, please sign

in at the office before

entering the

building.

A Message from RDPS Administration

Welcome back and Happy New Year! During the month of December, our staff and students were very busy with many activities such as our primary concerts, spirit days, play rehearsals, sports activities and numerous clubs offered throughout the weeks. Our school community was involved in community outreach initiatives to support local needs. We received a great deal of food and toiletry items and a wide selection of toys. We collected close to 35 boxes full of goodies to give to local organizations and women’s shelters. Once again, we appreciate how our school community rallies together to help those in times of need. We would like to extend our best wishes to everyone in the RDPS community for a wonderful, prosperous and healthy 2018. With the New Year comes a new beginning for us all. As we look back on 2017, it is a good time to reflect on our goals, to celebrate our successes and to review our commitment to excellence. New hope, new goals and new expectations are always a part of a resolution that many of us make. Students should be included and encouraged to set academic and social goals for themselves. Setting high expectations is part of this process, but the expectations must be achievable as we move forward. As a staff, we also continue to reflect on our practice and set goals for improvement. In the next several months, we will continue to review our school data to update our school improvement planning process. We will continue our professional learning journey focusing on different aspects of modern learning, mathematics and mental health; our Board foci. We are excited about consolidating our own professional learning to better meet the needs of our students. On behalf of the staff, we would like to wish you the very best for 2018. Congratulations Madame O’Hara!

Please join me in congratulating Madame O’Hara on her promotion to Principal of York Hill PS effective January 2018. Mme O'Hara has been with us since our opening and she has been instrumental in building relationships and creating a safe and positive environment in our Roméo Dallaire School Community. She has led various school initiatives such as the Modern Learning – Agents of Change Projects, and different facets of the Comprehensive Math Program. She has helped raise Mental Health Awareness and organized Wellness programs for both students and staff through healthy eating initiatives, presentations, cultural events and our Mental Health Conference. Mme O'Hara’s leadership at RDPS has both directly and indirectly impacted our student achievement and well-being agenda through her varied leadership enactments. Our staff and students prepared a heartwarming assembly to honour Mme O’Hara through songs, poems and dances.

She will be missed by all! Our heartfelt thanks to you Mme O’Hara.

Bonne Chance Mme O’Hara!

Welcome Madame Levy-Freedman

We would like to take this opportunity to welcome Madame Levy-Freedman (retired Principal) who will be acting VP for the month of January until our new VP is appointed. Please join me in welcoming Madame Levy-Freedman.

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RDPS Student Council will be selling Sweets and Treats from Tuesday, January 23rd to Thursday, February 8th. Students can purchase a Valentine’s Pencil or Heart Shaped Lollipop (nut free) for themselves or they can purchase for their friends. Each sweet and treat purchased for a friend will come with a small note so your child can write a message to the friend they are sending it to. The cost for each Valentine’s lollipop or pencil is 50 Cents. Exact change would be appreciated! Sweets and Treats grams will be sold from 1:15 – 1:30pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays, by the exit doors at the back of the building, as students exit for recess. The Sweets and Treats will be distributed to each classroom teacher before Wednesday, February 14th, so that teachers

can distribute on Pink, Red and White Spirit Day (Valentine’s Day).

School Events and Information

PRIMARY WINTER CELEBRATION

Our Winter Celebration was a huge success! Students in grades 1 to 3 worked very hard in December rehearsing for their

Winter Celebration Concerts. Students sang, danced, and recognized different celebrations from around the world. We

would like to thank all of our Primary teachers, music and rotary teachers, Tech Crew students, student volunteers and our

primary student performers for a job well done.

FRENCH IMMERSION REGISTRATION

Information sessions for the French Immersion (FI) program will take place at Nellie McClung P.S. and Roberta Bondar P.S.

on January 18, 2018 at 7 p.m. FI registration will begin January 19, 2018. In order to streamline the registration process,

parents or guardians of Senior Kindergarten students entering Grade 1 in 2018, and wishing to enroll in the FI Program,

can visit or call their home school office (where your child currently attends) and request an Office Index Card - short

version. The Office Index Card must be signed by the principal of the home school. Parents or guardians then take this

form, along with one piece of identification showing their address to your designated French Immersion school to register

between January 19 and February 9, 2018. This eliminates the need to provide duplicate enrolment information or to pre-

register.

Please note: Commencing next year (Sept. 2018), Grade 1 students in the Romeo Dallaire P.S. catchment area who wish

to enroll in French Immersion will attend either Nellie McClung P.S. or Roberta Bondar P.S. based on their

residency location. In order to reduce the movement between schools for this cohort of students, they will remain at

those respective schools in FI for both Grade 1 (2018-2019) and Grade 2 (2019-2020).

These students will enter RDPS for Grade 3 FI commencing in the 2020-2021 school year. Transportation will be available

in accordance with Board Policy and Procedure #680.0, Student Transportation. Further details will be shared at the

French Immersion Parent Information Night on January 18, 2018.

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School Events and Information

HEAD LICE SCREENING on January 16, 2018

Our school will be providing lice screening to the students to minimize the cases of head lice. We have offered this

program last year and it has been highly successful in reducing the number of cases. We are thankful to our School/Parent

Council for providing this program free of charge for students. This year we are having the screening done after the winter

holidays. The lice screening is done right after holiday times as there is usually an increase in cases at these times. All

students will be checked for lice by an approved provider. If you do not wish to have your child’s head checked, please

write a note to your child’s teacher by January 16, 2017. Thank you for your support for this valuable program.

David Bouchard Author Visit on Tuesday, January 23rd

Due to the generous support of our Parent Council, our school will be hosting First Nations author, poet and educator David

Bouchard for a book talk on Tuesday, January 23rd.

David Bouchard will be sharing his message that all people are gifted and that we all have talents that we must discover and

nurture within ourselves. David Bouchard will also share how reading and writing changed his life and how literacy is one of

the most important tools available to us.

David Bouchard is the award-winning author of several books for young readers including Rainbow Crow, An Aboriginal

Carol and Nokum is My Teacher. He is a recipient of the Order of Canada and makes his home in Victoria, British

Columbia.

http://davidbouchard.com/

Students in grades 1 – 8 will learn about David’s stories and life experiences.

School Athletics

Congratulations to the following students who have made the RDPS Intermediate Girls Basketball Team: Allie T., Abbie E., Tiffany C., Maya W., Ciara F., Kierra B., Tali N., Alice N., Joanna W., Nicole W., Carina C. and Polina S.

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School Travel Planning and Traffic Meeting Update

Our first meeting took place on December 5 at 9:15 am in our school library. There were many

participants who joined us: parents, School Council Chair, school staff, School Superintendent Mr.

Dungey, York Region Board staff from planning and transportation, Town of Vaughan representatives,

York Region Health Representatives, and York Region Police. Our survey results were shared and we

thank the 51 families who provided input which was reviewed at the meeting. Recommendations are

currently being reviewed. There will be resources shared with our families with regards to safe driving,

road safety tips and walking to school resources in the next few months. Please take the time to review

these resources which have been shared with us by our community partners. These resources reiterate

the importance of safety on our roads for our drivers and walkers.

Our next meeting will take place on:

Tuesday February 6, 2018

9:30 am in the school library

All are welcome.

Keeping Our Roads Safe

Parents can report driving violations such as speeding, distracted driving, failing to stop at stop signs etc.

by clicking on the following link: https://onlinereporting.yrp.ca/RoadWatch.html

To file a report, you will need license plate information and a valid email address. All information is kept

confidential.

Please click on the link below for more information on how to keep our School Zones Safe:

https://www.vaughan.ca/cityhall/departments/bclps/General%20Documents/SchoolZoneSa

fety.pdf

School Travel Safety Items

Common Parking Violations

In addition to the most common parking violations listed below, drivers should ensure

that they are not stopped or parked so to block a fire hydrant, intersection or private

driveway.

No Stopping Zones

Do not stop at all, even for a second in a “No Stopping Zone” for

any reason. These areas are marked for No Stopping because

illegally parked cars will reduce the visibility of other drivers and

pedestrians and increase the likelihood of an accident.

No Parking Zones

You can stop briefly to drop off or pick up passengers in these

zones, but waiting in a vehicle or leaving your vehicle unattended

is not allowed. Parking in a “No Parking Zone” can also contribute

to traffic congestion and collisions, and reduce the visibility of

drivers and pedestrians.

Fire Routes

Fire routes are allocated to help Fire and Emergency Services

access buildings quickly in the event of an emergency. Blocking

these routes, even to drop off or pick up students, can be very

dangerous for everyone. You will receive a $150 fine if you misuse

a fire route.

Accessible Parking Spaces

You must have special permission to use these parking

spaces as they are for the benefit of people with a disability.

Using the space without a permit will result in a $300 fine.

No Parking 9 metres to an intersection (30ft)

This area needs to be kept clear for pedestrians and other

drivers so they have good visibility of the intersection. It is

very dangerous to park within this area.

School Area

This sign warns motorists that they are approaching a school

area. Slow Down, drive with extra caution and watch for children.

School Crossing Signs

This sign warns of a school crossing. Watch for children and

follow the directions of the Crossing Guard. Slow Down, and

drive with extra caution. You must not park within 9 metres

of a pedestrian crossing.

Parked .6 metres of private roadway

You can not park in front of or within .6

metres (2 feet) of a driveway, entrance way etc

Parked 3 metres of a Fire Hydrant

You can not park within 3 metres (10 feet) of a

fire fire hydrant. Please keep area clear for Fire

Department.

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HOW TO HELP KEEP THE KISS ‘N’ RIDE EFFECTIVE

1. Follow the on street parking by-laws, obey crossing guard and speed limits.

2. Have your child(ren) enter and exit the vehicle from the curb side of the street (right, passenger side of vehicle only).

3. The Kiss n Ride area is one way only.

4. If there is a line of cars do not block the sidewalk or driveway.

5. If the Kiss n Ride area is full, drive around the block and re-approach. DO NOT make illegal U-TURNS in the school driveway, neighbouring driveways or at intersections.

6. Your child(ren) should have their backpack on their lap to enable them to exit the vehicle quickly.

7. Never leave your car parked or unattended.

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School and Board Procedures

BUS CANCELLATION PROCEDURES

School bus service may be cancelled from time to time due to inclement weather and/or poor road conditions. In these

cases, parents and students should develop alternate care/transportation arrangements to and from school since there will

be no busses running on inclement weather days.

Since bussing schedules begin by 7:00 a.m. or earlier, all cancellation decisions must be made by 6:00 a.m. to ensure the

safety of our students. Cancellation decisions will only be made after thorough consultation with school bus companies

servicing York Region. Please access local media outlets after 6:00 a.m. to receive cancellation information.

Please check http://net.schoolbuscity.com/ for updates on late buses and cancellations.

If buses are cancelled in the morning, they will not operate in the afternoon. Therefore, students transported to school by

parents will need to be picked up at the end of the day.

THE COLDER WEATHER IS HERE

With the cold and snowy weather fast approaching, we must remind

our students of the need to dress in clothing that will keep them warm

and dry. The essentials include: a warm winter coat, snow pants,

boots, mittens/gloves and a hat. It would be a good idea to send an

extra pair of mittens and /or socks in your child’s school bag as these

items often get wet in the course of a child’s play at recess. Please

mark your child’s name on each piece of clothing brought to school.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT END OF DAY PROTOCOLS

Parents are requested not to block the sidewalk in the bus loop boarding area or block the bus lines where students are

lined up to board buses. It is difficult for the children to enter the bus loop when they must find their way around the

adults on the sidewalk. Also, this causes a safety hazard for buses and students when our supervising teachers cannot see

the students as they enter the yard or board the busses.

In addition, parents must not drive in the bus loop during bus routines. For parents parking in our parking lot or using our

Kiss n Ride, we also appreciate your cooperation in ensuring that students do not walk unsupervised in our parking lot for

safety reasons. Thank you for your co-operation for working together to follow school routines.

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Session 2 Pizza and Sub lunches begin

Jan. 9th and 16th - VIP for grade 6

Jan. 16th - Lice checks for all students (Paid for by Parent Council)

Jan. 17th - “Bully Me No More” Magic Show for all students (Paid for by Parent Council)

Jan. 19th - PA Day (no school for students)

Jan. 22nd - Intermediate Stress Workshop (CAMH)

Jan. 23rd - Author David Bouchard presenting to all students (Paid for by Parent Council)

Jan. 24th - Parent/School Council meeting 7pm in the library/learning commons- All are welcome.

Jan. 25th - Tru North Orthodontics Trip – Free Trip -Three classes from grade 3 to attend this

trip (Next trip on February 15th)

Jan. 26th - Spirit Day - Superhero/Disney Day

Jan. 26th and 29th - Scientist In The School for grade 4

PIZZA AND SUB LUNCHES WILL BE CANCELLED DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER

Please note that we cannot rely on parent volunteers to drive to the school to deliver

pizza or sub lunches when inclement weather days are announced. Please ensure

that your child brings their lunch to school during inclement weather days. Any

cancelled sub lunch or pizza day will be rescheduled at a later date.

Forest Run Public School

Invites all parents and caregivers to join us for a free parent presentation

Triple P Positive Parenting Seminar Series For parents of children birth to 12 years of age

Kids don’t come with an instruction manual! Many familiar parenting problems have very simple solutions that can be applied with some effort and focus. Triple P’s easy-to-understand and practical strategies have been shown to help families in all types of situations.

Location: Forest Run Public School 200 Forest Run Blvd., Concord L4K5H3

Wednesday, January 17, 2018 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

The Power of Positive Parenting Ensuring a safe engaging environment for children

Creating a positive learning environment

Using assertive discipline

Having realistic expectations

Taking care of yourself as a parent

Refreshments and Free Childcare will be available

To register please contact by email or phone: Oksana Majaski, Community Resource Facilitator

Oksana.majaski@yrdsb.ca or 416-568-2252

This presentation is brought to you by Forest Run P.S. in partnership with Blue Hills Child and Family Centre and York Region District School Board.

Glenn Gould Public School

Invites all parents and caregivers to join us for a free parent presentation

Triple P Positive Parenting Seminar Series For parents of children birth to 12 years of age

Kids don’t come with an instruction manual! Many familiar parenting problems have very simple solutions that can be applied with some effort and focus. Triple P’s easy-to-understand and practical strategies have been shown to help families in all types of situations.

Location: Glenn Gould Public School 675 Vellore Park Ave, Woodbridge, ON L4H 0G5

Tuesday, January 23, 2018 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

The Power of Positive Parenting Ensuring a safe engaging environment for children

Creating a positive learning environment

Using assertive discipline

Having realistic expectations

Taking care of yourself as a parent

Refreshments and Free Childcare will be available

To register please contact by email or phone: Oksana Majaski, Community Resource Facilitator

Oksana.majaski@yrdsb.ca or 416-568-2252

This presentation is brought to you by Glenn Gould P.S. in partnership with Blue Hills Child and Family Centre and York Region District School Board.

German Mills Public School

Invites all parents and caregivers to join us for a free parent presentation

Triple P Positive Parenting Seminar Series For parents of children birth to 12 years of age

Kids don’t come with an instruction manual! Many familiar parenting problems have very simple solutions that can be applied with some effort and focus. Triple P’s easy-to-understand and practical strategies have been shown to help families in all types of situations.

Location: German Mills Public School 61 Simonston Blvd., Markham L3T 4R5

Wednesday, January 24, 2018 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

The Power of Positive Parenting Ensuring a safe engaging environment for children

Creating a positive learning environment

Using assertive discipline

Having realistic expectations

Taking care of yourself as a parent

Refreshments and Free Childcare will be available

To register please contact by email or phone: Oksana Majaski, Community Resource Facilitator

Oksana.majaski@yrdsb.ca or 416-568-2252

This presentation is brought to you by German Mills P.S. in partnership with Blue Hills Child and Family Centre and York Region District School Board.

We’re hiring!

We’re hiring!

2017-2018 school yearMaple, Thornhill & Woodbridge

2017-2018 school yearMaple, Thornhill & Woodbridge

Required:a flexible & open weekday schedule (pay minimum of 3 hours per school day+ travel reimbursements if applicable)

Required:a flexible & open weekday schedule (pay minimum of 3 hours per school day+ travel reimbursements if applicable)

School Crossing Guards

School Crossing Guards

View job details at vaughan.ca

View job details at vaughan.ca

Transportation Services,Parks and Forestry OperationsJoint Operations Centre2800 Rutherford RoadVaughan, Ontario L4K 2N9

Transportation Services,Parks and Forestry OperationsJoint Operations Centre2800 Rutherford RoadVaughan, Ontario L4K 2N9

905.303.2008

905.303.2008

careers@vaughan.ca (subject line: “Crossing Guard”)

careers@vaughan.ca (subject line: “Crossing Guard”)

Candidates must have an ability to• exercise good judgment, alertness & observation skills

• endure varying weather conditions

• understand & follow instructions (written + oral)

• stand for an extended period of time

• carry & raise a stop paddle

• actively supervise children while crossing

• ability to deal effectively with children, pedestrians & school staff

+ complete a Police Vulnerable Sector Check

Candidates must have an ability to• exercise good judgment, alertness & observation skills

• endure varying weather conditions

• understand & follow instructions (written + oral)

• stand for an extended period of time

• carry & raise a stop paddle

• actively supervise children while crossing

• ability to deal effectively with children, pedestrians & school staff

+ complete a Police Vulnerable Sector Check

In-person

In-person

Email

Email

Fax

Fax