Bishop Roborecki School

24 Pearson Place   S7L 4S7    

Phone: 659-7180      Fax: 659-2059

                                                          Principal: Glenn Hunks                                  Community Education Coordinator: Danielle Dutka

                                                          Vice Principal: Duane Johnson                      Home & School Chairperson:  Eileen Eremondi

                                                          Office Coordinator:  Michelle Talbot               Pastor: Fr. Kevin McGee 

                                                          www.scs.sk.ca/rob                                         Home/ School Liaison:  Doris Turcotte

DATES TO REMEMBER

December 3 – School Mass at St. Patrick Parish – whole school is walking ( 9:10 – 11:00 a.m. )

December 3 – Family Craft Night

December 4 – CDD – No School for Students

December 7 – Enchanted Forest Tour

December 8 – 11 – Santa Shop

December 10 – Family Meal Evening at Bishop Roborecki School

December 18 – Last Day of School for Christmas Break

January 4 – Students Return to School from Christmas Break

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

…ADVENT BEGINS….Sunday was the First Sunday of Advent.  The Church begins a new year with the start of Advent. During the 4 weeks leading to the birth of Our Lord, on Christmas, we prepare our hearts to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.  We have chosen to prepare our hearts and minds by collecting items for other groups that support many people in times when the challenges to make their way are the greatest.  We have invited everyone to participate, and the smallest of donations helps us create something very significant.

As a reminder, we are collecting this week for Ronald McDonald House, baking items. For the week of Dec. 7^th to 11^th, we will be collecting coffee, teas, coffee mate, sugar cubes and juice boxes for the Friendship Inn.  And for the week of Dec 14^th to the 18^th we would appreciate donations such as canned soups, peanut butter, dry cereals and baby food for the Saskatoon Food Bank.

We have a “drop off” for these items at the front of the school.  Thank you for all that you will be doing.

…AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM…We are fortunate to have an After School Program at Bishop Roborecki.  This program supports our student and their families.  I think we are fortunate to have this option available for our school community.  We are hosting the After School Program Christmas Party on Tuesday, December 8^th from 3:30 till 5:00.  This is for the After School Program participants.  I feel that this is a time to share some of the details about the funding of this program with you.  The funding for this program is from two sources.  One source is our School Division and the other is from the RBC Royal Bank.  Bishop Roborecki  After School Program is one of 198 after-school programs in Canada that is supported by the RBC’s After School Grants.  The RBC and its employees believe that helping kids stay in school is important.  They also believe that youth who stay in school have opportunities to grow, learn and prepare for their future.  I believe that as a Catholic school their priorities match ours.

To be selected for a grant, a program must offer structured and supervised activities for children.  The program must also focus on what RBC calls the “three S’s” –safety, social skills and self-esteem.  I would like to congratulate our staff for taking these ideas and creating a program that uses the principles of the grant award and combines them with the beliefs of the Greater Saskatoon Catholic School Division.  Please join me in thanking and complimenting D. Dutka, our Community School Coordinator, and the program facilitators – K. Unser, J. Shirley and M. Roberts.

…FAMILY ADVENT MEAL…We have had to move the date of our Family Advent Meal.  We had originally scheduled it at St. Pats Parish Hall.  The church had a fire last week and consequently all groups using the basement had their activity cancelled or postponed because of the damage caused by the fire.  We will be hosting our annual FAMILY ADVENT MEAL on THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10^TH.  The meal will be held at BISHOP ROBORECKI SCHOOL.  Doors to the school will be opened at 5:00 P.M.  All guests are asked to enter through the front doors and will be escorted to their seats.  We plan to serve the meal starting at 5:30 P.M.  You will be asked to indicate if you plan on attending.  We will be sending a note with an RSVP attachment home on Thursday.  Please look at your family’s calendar and plan on joining us for some Advent/Christmas cheer.  We are planning on serving Turkey, buns, salads and desserts.  We look forward to seeing you all.

…CELL PHONE USAGE…I would like to remind all about our Cell Phone Policy.

·         Students are asked to put their cell phones in their backpacks when they arrive at school, and leave them there while they are at school.

·         Students needing to use their phone during the lunch break need to ask their teacher for permission to use the phone.

·         Students being observed using their phone will have it confiscated and turned over to Mr. Hunks or Mr. Johnson.  They will have it returned at the end of the day.

·         If a student has their phone confiscated a second time, it will remain with Mr. Hunks or Mr. Johnson for two days.

·         If a student has their phone confiscated a third time, it will remain with Mr. Hunks or Mr. Johnson until a parent/guardian is able to come and pick up the phone.

….LAST STUDENT DAY, DECEMBER 18^TH…Please mark your calendars.  December 18^th is the last student day this year.  Classes resume Monday, January 4^th 2010.  Students will be dismissed at 2:10.  The After School Program will be operating that day.

…7 HABITS FOR SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS…We will be focusing on Habit #4:  THINK WIN, WIN for the remainder of this year – 2009.  We see this habit as:  I balance courage for getting what I want with consideration for others want.  This is probably the most difficult Habit to develop.  Please help by using this phrase with your children.  It can be helpful when planning is happening, or when we ask children to reflect on a problem while trying to create solutions.

Community School Coordinator Update

Can you believe we are in to December already?!!  This month is about celebrations and family.  This Thursday, December 3^rd, we will be hosting our Family Craft Night in the school gym.  Families can attend to make crafts for the price of $1 per craft.  All people attending will receive a free bookmark. 

Plan to attend “Families to the Forest” on Monday, December 7^th, at 7:30 p.m.  A bus will be picking us up at the school at 7:30 p.m. and will be touring through the Enchanted Forest.  This opportunity is on a first come first serve basis.  Please reserve your seat early with Michelle Talbot, 659-7180, or Danielle Dutka, 659-7817. 

The ASP will be having its Christmas party on Tuesday, December 8 from 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. with our sponsors from RBC.  Details about the party will be sent home with all ASP participants.

KHL Hockey at Bishop Roborecki

Bishop Roborecki is fortunate to again be hosting KHL Hockey.  This is a program designed for students aged 10-12 who are not already signed up in Saskatoon Minor Hockey League.  We will be asking a maximum of 16 students to sign up.  Everything from transportation to equipment will be supplied.  In order for this program to be a success we are asking for a parent/caregiver to volunteer as a coach for our KHL team.  The coach will be paired with one staff member for support.  Games will be played on weekdays after school in early 2010.  A schedule will be provided as soon as possible.  If you are interested in coaching Bishop Roborecki’s KHL hockey team please call Miss Danielle Dutka at 659-7817. 

Boys and Girls Club

The Boys and Girls Club is proud to announce that Roselle C., an eight-year-old in Miss Maurice’s grade three class and member of the Boys and Girls Clubhouse in Confederation, is this year's winner of Microsoft Canada's 13th annual Holiday Greeting Card Contest. Roselle's artwork will appear on Microsoft Canada's corporate holiday greeting cards.  To capture the true spirit of giving, children from Boys and Girls Clubs across Canada were invited to design a holiday card based on the theme "My holiday wish..." Roselle's card was chosen from over 800 entries.  Congratulations Roselle!

Message from CSCC

Thank you to everyone for their outstanding support of our fall fundraiser, Winter Wonderland. Response was tremendous and allowed us to make our goal for this fundraiser. Congratulations to our highest selling student, Emily K. in Pre-K who will receive a $25.00 cash incentive. Good job! Our Pre-K AM class was the highest selling class and will receive a special class treat as well. Congratulations to all!

Be sure to mark Thurs. Dec. 3rd on your calendars - the first annual CSCC Family Craft Night will take place that evening at the school. There will be pizza pre-orders out soon, and every child in attendance will have the opportunity to do one bookmark craft for free! All other crafts including pins, bracelets, ornaments and much more will only cost $1 each! A wonderful, inexpensive night out for your family while supporting the students of our school. See you then!

Lastly, Dec. 8th - 10th will be the dates for this year's Santa Shop. More information on this will be out soon, but the students have already been working hard at earning their Santa Dollars. So start putting your gift lists together because the shopping opportunities will be great!

Community News

“Schools Win Twice” Raffle Winners 2009

Prize # 1 -   6 night Disneyworld Vacation                    #92686 Chris Lozinski Saskatoon

Prize # 2 -   San Diego or Palm Springs Vacation          #63277 Cary Goy         Hudson Bay   

Prize # 3 -   Toronto or Victoria Vacation                    #82233 Lisa McCallum Saskatoon

Prize # 4 -   Laptop Computer                                      #94451 Deirdre Statham         Saskatoon

Prize # 5 -   John Deere 726E Snow blower                 #25722 Michelle Lee   Saskatoon

Prize # 6 -   Samsung 32” LCD TV                                 #90339 Tracy Roy       Saskatoon       

Prize # 7 -   Gary Fisher Tarpon Bike                           #63151 M. Waskowic   Saskatoon

Prize # 8 -   Samsung 19” LCD TV                                 #60181 Brian Krushelnski         Saskatoon

Prize # 9 -   Gary Fisher Mako Bike                              #69931 Janna Haughian          Saskatoon

Prize # 10 – Wii Sports                                                #44620 Michele Simmons        Saskatoon

Prize # 11 – Harmon GPS                                              #14951 Gwen Murphy   Saskatoon

Prize # 12 – Harmon GPS                                              #26579 Meagan Lamontagne Saskatoon

Prize # 13 – DSi                                                           #54513 Thomas Waslen           Saskatoon

Prize # 14 – Pizza for a year (1 per month)                   #67926 Holly Li                       Saskatoon

Prize # 15 – Pizza for a year (1 per month)                   #94227 Zachary Heilman-Uhanchuk Saskatoon

Prize # 16 – Cineplex Galaxy Gift Card                                    #11561 Alyssa Cratty               Saskatoon

Prize # 17 – Cineplex Galaxy Gift Card                                    #55526 Cher Robertson           Saskatoon

Prize # 18 – Sony Digital Camera                                  #26065 Perry Szabo    Saskatoon

Prize # 19 – Sony Digital Camera                                  #56765 Kristine Goettler        Pike Lake

Prize # 20 – Portable DVD Player                                 #93508 Jenn Maksymontch     Wynyard

Prize # 21 – Portable DVD Player                                  #85342 Crystal Horvath          Warman

Prize # 22 – Portable DVD Player                                 #63821 Wes Dahlseide            Saskatoon

Prize # 23 – Panasonic CD Blaster                                #47148 Louise Wiebe  Saskatoon

Prize # 24 – Panasonic CD Blaster                                #60523 Glenn Boulet   Vanscoy

Prize # 25 – Optex 7 Digital Photo Frame                    #58554 Brian Wiwchar            Saskatoon

Prize # 26 – Optex 7 Digital Photo Frame                    #60008 Pete Klassen   Regina Beach

Members of the Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools Board of Education are:

Debbie Berscheid, Humboldt

Ron Boechler, Saskatoon

Diane Boyko, Saskatoon

Jim Carriere, Saskatoon

Jennifer Carruthers, Biggar

Tom Fortosky, Saskatoon

Lisa Lambert, Saskatoon

Alice Risling, Saskatoon

Wayne Stus, Saskatoon rural

Fred Wesolowski, Saskatoon

In Saskatoon seven trustees are elected at large, rather than in wards, and represent electors in all areas of Saskatoon. The remaining three trustees represent electors in Biggar, Humboldt and the rural areas surrounding Saskatoon. Each year, the Board of Education sets up a trustee/school liaison program so trustees can efficiently communicate and liaise with each school in the division.

For the 2009-2010 school year, trustees T. Fortosky and A. Risling are assigned to Bishop Roborecki School.

You may contact these trustees or any others on the Board of Education to discuss school division matters.

Trustees on the Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools Board of Education have acclaimed Diane Boyko of Saskatoon as board chair. This is Boyko’s second one-year term as chair. She was first elected to the school board in 2003 and was re-elected in 2006 and in this fall’s municipal election. Along with Boyko, nine other incumbents have returned to the Board of Education for three-year terms. In Saskatoon’s municipal election on Wednesday, Oct. 28, the seven trustees representing the city were re-elected. They are: Ron Boechler, Boyko, Jim Carriere, Tom Fortosky, Lisa Lambert, Alice Risling and Fred Wesolowski. Three other trustees were acclaimed when nominations closed in September. They are Debbie Berscheid, representing Humboldt; Jennifer Carruthers, Biggar; and Wayne Stus, rural Saskatoon. Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools serves approximately 15,000 students in 45 schools in Saskatoon, Humboldt, Biggar and Viscount. It provides a distinctive, faith-based education for those who choose it.

St. Patrick

Advent Penitential Service - Thursday, December 17 - 7:00 PM

Christmas Eve Masses       Thursday, December 24 - 7:00 PM and 9:00 PM

Christmas Day Mass          Friday, December 25 - 10:30 AM

Boxing Day                        Saturday, December 26 - 5:00 PM

Holy Family Sunday           Sunday, December 27 - 10:30 AM

New Year's Eve                 Thursday, December 31 - 5:00 PM

New Year's Day                 Friday, January 1 - 10:30 AM

IMPORTANT NOTE - NO MASS ON SATURDAY, JANUARY 2ND

Epiphany                          Sunday, January 3 - 10:30 AM