December 2007 updated - Ross Doan Public School

Ross Doan Public School
From the Principal’s Desk
York Region District School Board December 2007 Issue 5
Ross Doan P.S. ‘Remembers.’ On November 9th our students participated in a
Remembrance Day ceremony which was attended by Corporal Leslie Wride (Ms. Wride’s
grandfather), Private Jack Dunn (Ms. Mackie’s step-father) and Mrs. Pamela Gruson
(Ms. Gruson’s mother). As well, all of our visiting guests gave a special presentation /
panel discussion to our older students in the library. Our students are to be
commended for their involvement in our ceremony in such a respectful manner! Special
thanks to students and teachers in the following classes: Mrs. Knight, Ms. Goldberg,
Mrs. Mast, Mrs. Wengle, Mr. Scarlato’s Drama Club and to Mrs. Blackman for
coordinating this assembly.
It is with mixed emotions that I inform you that Mr. Lee’s last day with us will
be this Friday, November 30th. Mr. Lee will be joining the YRDSB’s Regional
Technology Team as a Resource Teacher. We know you will join us in thanking him for
his commitment to our students and in wishing him all the best in his new position.
Joining our Ross Doan team in our Community Class will be Ms. Jessy Grimas.
Ms. Grimas has experience working with special needs students. Please join me in
welcoming Ms. Grimas to Ross Doan.
“Children “Children have have an an advantage advantage in in school school when when their their parents
parents
encourage encourage and and support support their their their school’s school’s activities.”
activities.”
(Zeigler, (Zeigler, (Zeigler, 1987)
1987)
REMINDERS:
∗ Term One report cards will be sent home on Wednesday, November 28th. Teacher
interviews will be scheduled on the evening of Thursday, November 29th and
Friday November, 30th. Please contact your child’s teacher(s) to book an
appointment.
∗ Our annual Food Drive and Mitten Tree continues until Dec. 4th. All donations will
be sent to the York Region Children’s Aid Society.
∗ Please ensure your chid(ren) are dressed appropriately for outdoor recesses.
Hats, gloves and warm boots are a must for our cooler weather.
Our School Plan for Continuous Improvement includes 3 areas one of which is:
Effective Schools
Our school goal in this area is to improve and sustain a positive school climate and build
strong relationships within the Ross Doan Community. Strategies include:
Promoting and modelling our YRDSB’s “Character Matters” attributes, modelling and
promoting “Why Good Behaviour is Important” motto, our daily “Anti Bullying” message,
and involving our students in Pro Social extra curricular opportunities.
1957-2007
Administrative Staff
Principal
Mr. Bruce Baynham
Secretaries
Mrs. Wendy Forsythe
Mrs. Rana Hijazi
Phone: 905-884-4022
Fax: 905-884-4025
www.rossdoan.ps.yrdsb.edu.on.ca
Superintendent
Dr. Beate Planche
Phone: 905-884-4477
Trustee
Mr. Peter Luchowski
Phone: 416-575-7543
Daily Schedule
Warning Bell 8:53 a.m.
Entry Bell 8:55 a.m.
Period 1 9:00-9:40 a.m.
Period 2 9:40-10:20 a.m.
Period 3 10:20-10:50 a.m.
Recess 10:50-11:20 a.m.
Period 4 11:20-12:00 p.m.
Period 5 12:00-12:40 p.m.
Lunch 12:40-1:40 p.m.
Period 6 1:40-2:20 p.m.
Period 7 2:20-3:00 p.m.
Period 8 3:00-3:30 p.m.
Dismissal 3:30 p.m.

2008 - 2009 Kindergarten Registration
Junior and Senior Kindergarten registrations will begin on Monday, January 14, 2008 at 10:00 a.m. Registration
forms will be available on that date.
� Children born in 2004 are eligible for Junior Kindergarten
� Children born in 2003 are eligible for Senior Kindergarten.
Placements will be made on a first-come first-served basis. All registrations are numbered in the order in which
they are received as complete. Original documents will be required and should be brought on the day of
registration.
Please note that registrations will not be processed without the proper documentation.
� Proof of Age and Citizenship Status (i.e. Canadian Birth Certificate, Permanent Resident Card)
� Proof of Residency (i.e. Offer to Purchase, Tenant Agreement, Property Tax Bill)
Students new to Canada will be required to attend an interview at the Reception Centre as indicated below before
registration can be processed:
� Students who have entered Canada under a work permit or as a refugee
� Other students new to Canada in the last 6 months (landed immigrant, permanent resident)
We ask parents to communicate this information to any neighbours who may have pre-school children eligible
for registration in the new year.
PROMOTING SUCCESS FOR ALL STUDENTS OF ABORIGINAL ANCESTRY
In support of the Ministry of Education’s directive, the York Region District School Board is providing an
opportunity for students to self-identify their Aboriginal ancestry so that expanded supports can be provided
to First Nation, Métis and Inuit children. The process is voluntary and the information gathered will be kept
confidential.
The self-identification process will help the Board collect data to determine if students of Aboriginal ancestry,
especially those who experience gaps in their education, are receiving the appropriate level of support to
achieve their full potential.
Students who are already attending a public school in York Region can register by completing an Aboriginal
Self-Identification Form which can be obtained from their school. New students can record their Aboriginal
status when they register on their Student Registration Form.
For further information, please contact any of the following individuals at:
(905) 727-3141 (Aurora/King)
(905) 895-7216 (Newmarket/East Gwillimbury)
(905) 722-3201 (Georgina)
(416) 969-8131 (Toronto/Markham/Richmond Hill/Vaughan/Whitchurch-Stouffville)
Chris McAdam, Sharon List or John Malloy, Superintendents of Education
José Fernandes, Administrator, Community and Cultural Services Unit
Barry McKillop, Aboriginal Education Liaison Officer
Elizabeth Bigwin, Aboriginal Education Office, Ministry of Education, Liz.bigwin@ontario.ca
Page 5 Ross Doan Public School

MOVIE NIGHT
FEATURING
“Surf’s Up”
WHEN: Tuesday, December 4
WHEE: The School Gym
TIME: 3:45 p.m. TO 5:15 p.m.
TICKETS: $4.00 per student/adult
Thank you! Thank You! Thank you!
Thanks to all our Ross Doan students, parents, teachers and
community members for the outstanding efforts made in
supporting this year’s Trick –or-Treat for UNICEF Campaign.
As noted on the school house poster outside the office, we have collected many
bricks which represent money brought in by our students. This year our school
has raised more than $1985.00 which will go towards helping children in the two
African countries of Rwanda and Malawi.
Thank you for your generosity and wonderful support for this worthy cause. And
a very special thank you to Mrs. Knight for organizing this year’s campaign.
New Phone Numbers?
Playground Safety
WAY TO GO ROSS DOAN!!!!
If you have changed your home, work or cell
phone numbers, please make sure that our office
is aware of that change. Students’ safety is our
top priority. In case of
emergencies we should be able to
contact the parents/guardians of
our students without delay.
Reminder
Toonies for Terry
Thanks to the generosity and support of
our students, their parents and the
community, our school was able to raise
approximately $396 for the Toonies for
Terry foundation. A special thank you to
Mrs. Gibeau, Mrs. LaMarche and Mrs.
Argintaru for coordinating this event.
Frozen Yogurt
Date Correction
Please note that the frozen
yogurt date for
March will be on:
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Order Deadline:
Friday, December 7, 2007
For safety reasons, medication should not be kept in
backpacks or in classrooms. If your child is taking
medication, it is essential that the office is notified and
an “Administration of Medication” form is completed. In
the interest of the health and safety of your child,
medication will only be administered at school when the
proper documentation is in place.
Children play hard and accidents can happen. We dispense band-aids and ice packs for the usual bangs and
bruises. When a more serious injury occurs, we call parents immediately. If necessary, we call an ambulance to
transport the child to the hospital.
We need your support to continue to develop a culture of safety and security on the school yard. Please help us to
discourage behaviour that leads to fights and needless injuries such as teasing, insults, and physical aggression.
Self-control is a tough lesson that needs lots of reinforcement. Please take a few minutes to review safe play
with your child.
Page 5 Ross Doan Public School

Bus Cancellation
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.
Since busing 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.
Decisions are based on several factors including precipitation, air temperature and road conditions.
Please note the following:
• A decision to cancel school bus transportation may be system wide (where all buses in York Region are
cancelled) or municipality specific (where buses in one or more municipalities are cancelled).
• Even though transportation in your municipality is running, if your child attends school in a different York
Region municipality where transportation is cancelled, your child will not be transported to/from school.
• Even though your child attends school in a different York Region municipality where transportation is running, if
transportation in your municipality is cancelled, your child will not be transported to/from school.
• If buses are cancelled in the morning, they will be cancelled in the afternoon.
Therefore students transported to school by parents will require the same
transportation home.
Parents, students and school staff are asked to access the following radio and television stations after 6:00 a.m.
to receive bus cancellation information:
RADIO
590 AM 640 AM 680 AM 860 AM 1010 AM 1050 AM 102.1 FM 1540 AM 1580 AM 88.5 FM 89.9 FM 92.5 FM 93.1
FM 94.1 FM 94.9 FM 95.9 FM 97.3 FM 98.1 FM 99.1 FM 99.9 FM 101.1 FM 104.5 FM 100.7 FM 107.1 FM
TELEVISION
CITY TV THE A-CHANNEL CFTO TV THE WEATHER NETWORK GLOBAL NEWS
A bus cancellation message will also be available at www.schoolbuscity.com and by calling 1-877-330-3001.
The above procedure is not applicable to school charters. Please confirm the cancellation of these trips with
school administration.
Thank you for your support as we focus on providing safe transportation for all of our students.
Student Transportation Services of York Region
320 Bloomington Road West, Aurora, Ontario L4G 3G8
905-713-2535, FAX: 905-713-2533
Web site: www.schoolbuscity.com
Winter Break
The winter vacation break starts
on Monday, December 24, 2007;
we return to school on Monday,
January 7, 2008. We wish
students, parents and members
of our community a safe, happy
and healthy holiday.
Our next
School Council Meeting
will be on
Monday, December 17, 2007
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Place: Library/Room 146
Page 4 Ross Doan Public School

Ross Doan Public School is proud to announce that we will be partnering with The Director’s Cut to provide
a unique opportunity for our students to experiment with digital film and imaging software and hardware.
Conceived and operated by the husband and wife duo of Bryan and Lori Goldmintz, former educators in
the public school system, The Director’s Cut presents templated workshops to introduce the “digital kid” to
everything from publishing storybooks, to comic books, to podcasts and more!
This winter Ross Doan will be offering the amazing lunch-time workshop series, Comic Relief.
During these exciting workshop sessions, students will become authors, digital illustrators, digital photographers
and creators. They will brainstorm ideas, take and edit digital pictures, and comicfy themselves using Apple
laptop computers to create an original one-of-a-kind, published comic book to take home.
The cost of this program is $90 for 6 lunch-time sessions. Our first session is tentatively scheduled to
begin on Wednesday, January 16, 2008 and will run for 6 consecutive Wednesdays.
Depending on family response, a second session may also be offered after March break.
Interested parents should complete The Director’s Cut registration form included in this newsletter and
return it to the school, along with the required post-dated cheque, no later than Friday, December 7 th . Because
enrolment is limited to 12-15 students per session, it may be necessary to select participants through a lottery
system.
If you have any questions about this exciting opportunity for your children to truly immerse themselves in
the digital media age, please contact Mrs. Gail Blackman, our Teacher-Librarian,
905-884-4022, Ext. 142.
TumbleBookLibrary is an on-line collection of
animated, talking picture books that teach children the joy
of reading in a format they'll love. TumbleBooks are
created by taking existing picture books, adding animation,
sound, music and narration to produce an electronic picture
book that children can read, or have read to them.
Ross Doan P.S. Library has subscribed to the TumbleBook
Library. The collection can be accessed on-line from every
computer in our school and from home through a direct link
To logon to this exciting website, go to
www.tumblebooks.com
(Select School/Public Libraries.)
username: rossdoan
password: books
For further information, please contact Gail Blackman, our
Teacher-Librarian.
Announcing an exciting new
lunch-time opportunity
for our Grades 3 and 4 Students!!!
Arts @ Baythorn
Does your child enjoy learning through the Arts?
All grade four students interested in learning through
the arts (Drama, Dance, Music, Visual Arts) are invited
to an
Arts Information Evening
Thursday, January 17, 2008
7:00 p.m. @ Baythorn Public School
Applications Available January 18, 2008 online
at www.baythorn.ps.yrdsb.edu.on.ca
Interested in receiving e-Newsletters?
It’s fast and easy to do!
If you are interested in receiving e-newsletters from
our School and School Council please visit either our
school website:
http://www.rossdoan.ps.yrdsb.edu.on.ca/
or our School Council website:
http://www.rossdoan.ps.yrdsb.edu.on.ca/council.htm
and register under the Main Navigation Tab (e-Forms)
and follow the directions.
Page 5 Ross Doan Public School

Christianity
We’re on the Web!!
www.rossdoan.ps.yrdsb.edu.on.ca
Ross Doan Public School
101 Weldrick Rd. W.
Richmond Hill, Ontario
L4C 3T9
Phone: 905-884-4022
Fax: 905-884-4025
Celebrating Multiculturalism In December
December 2 First Sunday of Advent - Begins the period of preparation for Christmas
December 25 Christmas (Western) - Celebrates the birth of Jesus about 2000 years ago in Bethlehem.
Christians believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the son of God
Islam
December 19 Hajj - pilgrimage to Mecca is undertaken once in a lifetime for those who can afford it
December 20 Eid-ul-Adha - the Festival of Sacrifice honours Prophet Abraham’s willingness to
sacrifice his son Ishmael to God
Jainism
December 20 Maun-agiyaras - a day of fasting, silence and meditation
Judaism
December 5 - 12 Chanukah - Festival of Lights celebrates religious freedom by commemorating the victory
of the Jews over Antiochus who tried to outlaw the practice of Judaism
Kwanzaa
December 26 Kwanzaa - is a seven day cultural celebration initiated by African Americans
Zoroastrianism
December 26 Death of Prophet Zarathustra - founder of the Zoroastrianism faith

Triple P stands for ‘Positive Parenting Program’. It is a system that emphasizes the development of positive
attitudes, skills and behaviour. This helps prevent problems arising and fosters family relationships that
encourage children to realize their full potential. These seminars address:
• Understanding general parenting issues, why children tend to behave in certain ways under certain
influences, and what they best respond to.
• Dealing decisively and effectively with behaviours such as aggression, non-cooperation and
disobedience.
• Recognising and managing situations that might be less obvious such as sadness, anxiety, difficulty with
separation and problems mixing with other children.
In around 90 minutes each, this series of three seminars will leave you feeling more confident and
competent and ready to deal with common child behavioural and emotional issues.
Where: Ross Doan P.S. Room 163 Cost: FREE
The Seminar Series is a set of 3 presentations that does not require attendance at all three - people
can attend the presentation(s) that interest them. Childminding is not available as these seminars
are for adults only.
The presentations are approximately 90 minutes in length and run from 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Seminars include:
Wed. January 16th Power of Positive Parenting
Wed. January 23rd Raising Confident Competent Children
Wed. January 30th Raising Resilient Children
If you would like to attend any of the above sessions, please fill in your information below and return to the office
Parent/Guardian Name: _________________________________________________________
Phone #: ________________________________
Child Name: __________________________________ Grade: _________________________
Homeroom Teachet__________________________________________
Please contact Mr. Baynham at (905) 884-4022 if you have any questions.