Dr Roberta Bondar Public School

Dr. Roberta Bondar
Public School
401
Grand Trunk Ave, Vaughan, Ontario L6A 0T4
T: 905.417.8046 F: 905.417.8492
April 2017
From the Administrative Team
April is here! There are amazing things happening at Dr.
Roberta Bondar. Here is what you need to know:
We continue on our math journey to implement a comprehensive
math program to students. Staff are engaging in math
professional development. Staff are working with a math
curriculum consultant as well as exploring a variety of
resources that improve mathematical thinking and problem
solving. Staff are also working in professional learning
communities to further their knowledge and understanding in
different areas of math. In addition to this, our staff are
working with staff at Stephen Lewis SS to bridge the gap
between high school and elementary school in relation to math
learning.
A huge thank you to our School Council for organizing an
amazing evening at Sky Zone Trampoline Park. Our students
have an amazing amount of energy as could be seen throughout
the evening. The intermediate students dominated the
dodgeball court as they competed against the grade 8 teachers,
Ms. Howes and Mr. Gold. An evening like this promotes
mental well-being, community spirit, and friendship.
SAVE THE DATE: AMAZING RACE MATH NIGHT PART
TWO is coming on Thursday, April 27. Get ready for another
amazing night of puzzles, challenges, games and problem
solving using the same format as the actual television show,
“The Amazing Race.”
As we begin to see June in the not so distant future, it is very
important to let us know if you are moving so we can use that
information to make accurate class placements. Please call the
office to let us know if you are moving.
Wendy Howes
Principal
Joe Gold
Vice Principal
CONTACT
dr.roberta.bondar.ps@yrdsb.ca
FOLLOW
@DrRBondarPS

Dr. Roberta Bondar
Public School
Ms.W.Howes
Principal
Mr. J. Gold
Vice Principal
Mr. P. Valle
Superintendent of Schools
T: 905.764.6830
Ms.L.Aversa
Trustee
T: 905.727.0022
Inside this Month’s
Dr. Roberta Bondar Public School
Newsletter
Click each of the following to access the timely and thoughtprovoking
information contained within this newsletter:
A Message from our School Council Chairs
Library Corner
Tea and Chat
A Message from the Healthy Schools Committee
Literacy Corner
Math Corner
Bondar @ Sky Zone
Important Dates
at DRBPS
April
2 World Autism
Awareness Day
3 School Council
Meeting (6:30 p.m.)
7 World Health Day
12 International Day
of Pink
14 Good Friday
(No School)
17 Easter Monday
(No School)
22 Earth Day
25 Character Assemblies
27 AMAZING RACE
MATH NIGHT
28 Spirit Day (Sports Hat/
Wacky Hat Day)
Are You Planning on Moving?
In planning for next year’s classes, it is most helpful to know if your child or
children will be attending another school in September 2017 (high school not
included). If your child(ren) will not be returning, please complete and return
to your child’s teacher. If your child currently attends Dr. Roberta Bondar P.S.
and you have moved out of the school’s attendance area, please contact Mrs.
Taylor at the school office. Mrs. Taylor will advise you on how to make arrangements
for your child’s September placement at their new school.
Student Name: _____________________________________________
will not be returning to Dr. Roberta Bondar P.S. in September 2017.
Next School: _______________________________________________

EQAO Dates
Assessments of Reading, Writing and Mathematics for the
Primary and Junior Divisions will be taking place from May 23
to June 5, 2017.
Save the Date
Our second annual AMAZING RACE MATH NIGHT is happening
on Thursday, April 27. Last year families had an evening
jam packed with math fun and competition. The feedback was
truly awesome. Stay tuned for more information coming your
way soon.
A Message from our School Council Chairs
Happy Spring!
Our next school council meeting is on Monday, April 3rd, from 6:30 p.m.– 7:30 p.m., in the school library. We look forward to
seeing lots of new faces! Our meetings are quite informative and provide parents with lots of insight on what's happening in the
school and with the kids. It's a great way to get informed and involved!
School Council is happy to announce that the 2nd Annual Fun Fair will be held on Thursday, June 15, 2017, from 5:00 p.m.–8:00
p.m. Bouncy castles, food trucks, raffle draws, and vendor tables are just a few of the things that you will get to enjoy this year at
the fair!
We are looking for parents and Bondar family members to help out in many ways to make this fair even bigger and better than last
year. We are looking for the following:
volunteers to do face painting at the fair
volunteers to manage a shift at various tables during the fair (welcome table, snack table, Raffle table, etc)
prize donations for the raffle draw (gift cards, prizes, baskets, vouchers for services, etc). If you own a business, please consider
donating a prize for the raffle draw
Pizza and sub lunches continue monthly and ordering for May will be available on SchoolCashOnline only from April 1–10.
Please make sure to get your orders in and make sure you get a receipt to confirm your order has gone through. We are always
looking for volunteers to help out at lunch for an hour on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
If you are able to help in any way, please contact us at:
bondarrocketsschoolcouncil@gmail.com
As always, a HUGE thank you to all the parents that have been volunteering and helping out with lunches and school council
activities. Without your help, we wouldn't be able to bring these activities to the school for our kids!
Bondar Rockets School Council

Library Corner
There is so much to look forward to this Spring in the Dr. Roberta Bondar Library! The students and teachers continue
with the school’s reading programs, Blue Spruce, and Silver Birch Programs. Voting for Blue Spruce will happen in
April. Grades 1 and 2 will have a special voting day to vote for their favourite picture book author.
Battle of the Books
Battle of the Books is moving into full swing! We continue to have a great turnout of Grades 4, 5 and 6 students.
Congratulations to all the Battle of the Book participants who have read 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 books! What a huge accomplishment!
Students have been put on practice teams and have been practicing answering “Battle Questions” since March
break. Practicing “Battle Questions” is great opportunity to practice student knowledge in a supportive environment. We
are so very proud to see students cheering on each other and giving on another pointers as they prepare for Battle of the
Books! Keep up the great work and reading!
Thank You!
There are so many people who help our school Library run smoothly day after day. Thank you to Library crew who come
out at morning recess. The Library Crew is made up of Grades 4 to 8 students who shelve books, collect Kindergarten
books and keep the library tidy! If your child would like to join Library Crew, they can come to the Library at morning recess.
Thank you to our school volunteers, Mrs. Kim, Mrs. Kline, Mrs. Woodard and Mrs. Shuhandler who help on a weekly basis.
These volunteers get non-fiction books back on the shelf, check in books, and process new library books. Your support
is greatly appreciated and we thank you very much for your support in the DRBPS library.
MakerSpace Monday
The MakerSpace Schedule will be the following for April. Students can come out and create with Lego, K’nex, Makey
Makey, and Little Bits technology.
Monday, April 3 — Grade 4 | Monday, April 10 — Grade 5 | Monday, April 24 | Grade 6
Coming this May!
This May, two book authors will visit Dr. Roberta Bondar Public School. Grade 7 and 8 students will hear Alessia
Dickson on May 5. Alessia is an accomplished teen author who is still attending High School. She has written The
Crystal Chronicles and we are very excited to hear her presentation!
If you would like a sneak peak at Alessia’s
accomplishments, check out
http://www.alessiadickson.ca/
Our second author in May is Michael Wade.
Michael Wade will be presenting to
Grades 3 to 6 on May 8. Michael and
Laura Wade publish the popular And
Then It Happened book series. We
have a hard time keeping the books
on the shelf before his visit... we
just can’t imagine what the bookshelf
will look like after his
visit!
We are looking forward to
an exciting Spring.

Information Session for New Canadians
We are planning an Information Session for New Canadians and other parents or guardians interested
in finding out more about the Canadian Education System. The session will take place on
Thursday, April 27, 2017, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
The following topics will be discussed at the Information Session:
Understanding the Canadian Education System
How you can help your child at home
Any questions you have about education or community resources
Please let us know if you would like to attend this Information Session by completing the form below and returning
it to your child’s teacher or by calling Ms. DiGregorio or Ms. Politis at 905-417-8046.
If you need an interpreter, please let us know and we will do our best to provide a Settlement Worker who speaks
your language and is available. If you are interested in discussing other topics, please indicate this as well. If you
have any questions, please feel free to contact us.
I will attend the Information Session on Thursday, April 27 2017, 5:30–6:30 p.m.
Name: _______________________________________
Phone Number: ________________________

A Message from the
Healthy Schools Committee
Have you heard about Sneak it in Week? Well it is an initiative
organized by ParticipACTION to encourage Canadians to sneak in
more physical activity into their day. This year it runs from April
3–April 7 and is easy to partake in. All you have to do is get your
heart beating faster for 10 minutes each day. An easy way to do this
is walk to school each day. With the weather getting warmer, you
can find countless activities that will get you moving.
Here are just a few:
Gardening | Flying a kite | Dog walking | Washing your car | Fishing
Research shows that even tiny bouts of physical activity are
associated with increased fitness. You’ll be rewarded with a longer,
happier, more fulfilling life. Since Canada is celebrating its 150th
birthday this year, we can even aim for getting active for 150
minutes per week by doing 3x 10-minute active sessions per day
five days a week! So get active Bondar and sneak it in!
Board Policies and Procedures
Policies and procedures govern the operation of the Board and our
school. To ensure they remain current, the Board reviews policies
and procedures on a regular cycle. Seeking feedback from staff and
community members, including parents/guardians, is an important
part of the review process.
All policies available for comment are sent to school council chairs,
and are posted on the Board website along with information about
how to provide feedback. The policies and proposals currently
available for comment include:
The following policies with investigative components:
Professional Misconduct and Progressive Discipline
Respectful Workplaces and Learning Environments
Supporting Community Concerns
A proposal for next steps on the process for addressing concerns
raised by students, staff and community members.
To learn more, visit www.yrdsb.ca/aboutus/policy/
YRDSB Survey for
Parents/Guardians
We will be inviting parents/guardians to participate in a
survey May 1-19, 2017. This survey provides an important
opportunity for parent/guardian voice. Results will
be used to guide planning to support student achievement
and well-being.
You may complete the survey online or on paper. The
online survey will be available in English. Paper surveys
will be available from the school office in English,
Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Farsi,
Gujarati, Hebrew, Korean, Punjabi, Russian, Sri
Lankan Tamil, Urdu and Vietnamese.
We value your input and encourage you to complete the
survey. The information you provide will be anonymous,
considered confidential and kept in strict accordance
with all relevant legislation. Information about
how to access the online survey will be sent home with
students at the end of April. Please contact the school if
you have any questions.
Wacky Hair Day
From orange hair to hair pouring out of a bottle, the students
at Dr. Roberta Bondar showed off their spirit on
wacky hair day. Throughout the day the students saw
and were impressed by each other's creativity put into
their hair. Not only were students participating, but so
did staff members. We have awesome spirit at Dr.
Roberta Bondar.

ELL Information
Here are a few free websites students can explore. Some of
these websites are designed for students and adults who are
learning English.
Young Students
Clifford stories, activities and games
http://www.scholastic.com/clifford/
Information about a variety of topics
http://www.cbc.ca/kidscbc/#/home
Older Students and Adults
News for Level 1, 2, and 3 learners
http://learningenglish.voanews.com/
Podcasts about various topics
https://www.eslpod.com/website/index_new.html
News and various topics
http://www.cbc.ca/calgary/learning-english/stories.html
Triple P
Positive Parenting
Seminar Series
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 easyto-understand
and practical strategies have been shown to
help families in all types of situations.
Location:
Charlton Public School
121 Joseph Aaron Blvd., Thornhill L4J 6J5
Raising Confident and Competent Children
Encouraging respect and cooperating
Learning to be independent
Learning how to develop healthy self-esteem
Learning how to be good problem solvers
Thursday, April 6, 2017, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
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 905.738.5497 ext. 213
This presentation is brought to you by Discovery P.S. in
partnership with Blue Hills Child and Family Centre and
Literacy Corner
A Parent Guide: Reading and Writing with
Your Child (Kindergarten to Grade 6)
Note to Parents: With your support, your child
will grow up to become an excellent reader
with strong writing skills – and what a difference
that will make when he or she enters college,
university or the workforce one day! You don't need a lot of
special skills to help your child learn to read and write. Just
spending time with your child doing everyday activities makes all
the difference in the world. Whether your child is just starting out
or can already read and write, there is always room for more
learning. As your child grows older, he or she will enjoy new opportunities
and new successes because a first teacher – you – took
the time at home to actively talk, play and listen. All this helps reinforce
what your child learns at school.”
This guide was created to help you support your child with reading
and writing. All tips are based on Ontario's curriculum and
are connected with what your child is learning in school.
Please access the following link to obtain a copy:
www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/parentGuideLitEn.pdf
Math Corner
A Parent Guide: Doing Mathematics with Your
Child (Kindergarten to Grade 6)
Note to Parents: You are an important partner in
your child's mathematics education. When you
find ways to engage your child in thinking and
talking about mathematics, you are providing
an important key for unlocking his or her future success. Today,
critical thinking, problem solving, reasoning ability and the ability
to communicate mathematically are essential skills. These processes
are the foundation of mathematics instruction in Ontario
schools.
This resource is available through EduGains and provides instructions
for activities at home with everyday materials, tips for supporting
your child and much more!
This resource is also available in multiple languages. Please access
the following link to obtain a copy:
www.beta.edugains.ca/newsite/lns/offeredotherlanguage.html
“The greater the support that families provide for their children's learning
and educational progress, the more likely that their children will do
well in school and continue on with their education.”
Karen Mapp and Anne Henderson, 2002
A New Wave of Evidence:
The Impact of School, Family, and Community
Connections on Student Achievement

Vaughan Community Health Centre's 4 Day
SUMMER
CAMP
The Summer Camp program is designed to provide children with an opportunity to develop new
friendships, gain new experiences, learn basic life skills, and have fun. The program will be held
onsite at the VCHC and offsite at varying locations such as parks, recreational facilities, etc.
*Please note that VCHC’s Summer Camp program is not an accredited camp and is facilitated by
VCHC’s Community Health Workers.*
Tuesdays to Fridays | 9:00am-3:30pm
Session 1
For children 6 to 8 years of age
July 4 - July 21, 2017
Session 2
For children 9 to 12 years of age
July 25 - August 11, 2017
Eligibility Criteria and Registration Requirements
1) Child must live in York Region and be between the ages of 6-12.
2) Child's household income must be $70,000 or less (based on a family of 4).
3) Parents' Notice of Assessment is required with registration package. If you do not have your Notice of Assessment for the
most recent year, please speak with Stacey.
4) A commitment of 3 weeks in attendance is required.
5) The fee for the summer camp program is $30.00 per session/ per child. Fees are to be paid in full before the child starts the
session.
6)
If you are interested in having your child participate in this program, please call Stacey at 905 303 8490 Ext. 151 STARTING
MARCH 14, 2017 at 10:00am.
Priority will be given to participants who have not attended the Summer Camp Program in the past.
Location:
9401 Jane Street, Suite 106
Vaughan ON
L6A 4H7
www.vaughanhealthcarechc.com

OUR COACHES
Our tennis coaches are certified by
Tennis Canada and the Ontario Tennis
Association and are members of the
Professional Tennis Association.
Our professional coaching staff are
dedicated to providing you with the
foundational skills needed to quickly
get you playing and enjoying the game
of tennis. The benefits of learning
proper technique will greatly enhance
your skills and put you on a path to
enjoy the exciting sport of tennis for
a lifetime.
TENNIS
LESSONS
Don’t miss
our
EARLY BIRD
SPECIAL!
$
160*
The Richmond Hill Lawn Tennis Club is a
community-based, non-profit organization
offering affordable tennis programs to the
Richmond Hill community.
Our mission is to make organized
tennis available to residents of all ages
and skill levels. We are committed to
enriching the lives of our community
through the game of tennis.
www.RHLTC.ca
161 Newkirk Rd, Richmond Hill
Tel: 905-252-2277
Email: lessons@rhltc.ca
KIDS & YOUTH
AGES 5-17
ADULT LESSONS
SMALL
CLASS SIZES

Mike Bowcott,
President
WELCOME
to the Richmond Hill Lawn Tennis
Club. We are extremely proud to
offer you the opportunity to learn
the game of tennis while you enjoy
healthy exercise, social interaction
and fun competition. Our programs
are designed for all ages and skill
levels and we encourage you to
bring your whole family out to
discover the exciting world of tennis.
TENNIS LESSONS
First classes: Week of May 1
Number of Classes: 8
For complete lesson schedules and
descriptions, visit our website www.RHLTC.ca
Assessment Date: April 22, 2017 2:00-4:00 pm
BEGINNER
Wednesday 5 pm
Friday 6 pm
Saturday 1 pm
BEGINNER
Tuesday 6 pm
Thursday 5 pm
Saturday 1 pm
KIDS AGES 5-8
KIDS AGES 8-12
INTERMEDIATE
Tuesday 5 pm
Thursday 6pm
Saturday 4 pm
INTERMEDIATE
Monday 6 pm
Tuesday 4 pm
Saturday 4 pm
ADVANCED
Wednesday 5 pm
Saturday 2 pm
Don’t miss
our
EARLY BIRD
SPECIAL!
$
160*
Early bird deadline
is April 23 th , 2017
Regular rate $200
Rates apply to both
Kids and Adult lessons
Spaces are limited. Register today!
www.RHLTC.ca/Lessons
Junior Programs
We are running a Junior House League
on Saturday mornings! Participants in our
lesson program can join the league at no
cost.
Learn to love tennis! We are offering free
one-hour lessons on Saturday evenings to
introduce kids to the game of tennis.
Sign-up required.
Be part of the growing Tennis community.
No experience necessary!
RHLTC.ca/JuniorPrograms
BEGINNER
Tuesday 6 pm
Friday 5 pm
Sunday 2 pm
BEGINNER
Tuesday 6 pm
Friday 6 pm
Saturday 1 pm
YOUTH AGES 12-16
INTERMEDIATE
Monday 6 pm
Wednesday 4 pm
Saturday 5 pm
ADULTS 17+
INTERMEDIATE
Tuesday 5 pm
Thursday 6pm
Saturday 2 pm
ADVANCED
Wednesday 5pm
Thursday 5pm
Saturday 1pm
ADVANCED
Monday 6 pm
There’s even more times online!
RHLTC.ca/Lessons
We also offer
Private Lessons and
a Junior Tennis League.
We believe that learning is enhanced when
limited class sizes are combined with the
opportunity for active matchplay.
Please visit our website for complete
lesson schedules and descriptions.
For More Information
Email us at lessons@rhltc.ca
Call us at 905-252-2277