Bishop Roborecki School

First Student Bus Hot Line – 343-3300. Please feel free to phone this number anytime there is severe weather, and check if your child’s bus is running

St. Augustine once said, “to be faithful in little things is a big thing.” Dedication to family sounds like a simple thing, and it is. We see Bishop Roborecki School Community as our family. Our plans for this year include an increased awareness of the values that help to make us all successful. Gratitude, faithfulness and respect – these are all simple virtues. They are also very difficult. They take great energy and patience. As we look forward to Thanksgiving, I am reminded of all the examples of these virtues being demonstrated by students, staff and parents here at school. I am very thankful for a school community that shares these values. Our dedication to the virtues of gratitude and faithfulness is found in our focus on the virtue of –respect- this year. We have told our students that one of the most important words this year is “respect.” All we ask for, is to have each of us be aware of the value and influence respect has in our lives. Our hope is that you and your family have a blessed and thankful Thanksgiving.

The schools throughout Saskatchewan mark the week of Oct. 19 – 24 as Education Week. The theme is, “Achieving My Inner Best”. We have a number of activities planned to highlight this message and celebrate our student successes. We are arranging to have a keynote speaker join us and share their thoughts about this topic. We hope that each child sees their journey and accomplishments as a recipe for their own success. We will let you know when the Assembly will take place and would hope that you have a chance to join us. We will be asking our students to describe “what makes me special” and then displaying their responses throughout the school. When you’re visiting the school, take a look for your child’s opinion, they will be very special. We will finish the week with the Superstar Challenge. You may remember last year’s, it was very successful, and the students requested that we run it again. If you want to come by and help Mr. Hunks with this event, send a note with your child.

To prepare our students and staff for emergencies, we have rehearsed Fire Drills and Lockdown Procedures. Next week, Wednesday, October 14, we will practice evacuating our school and walking in an orderly manner to Confederation Park School. This will take place at 1:15 in the afternoon. The Evacuation Rehearsal will last about 30 minutes from start to finish. If you plan to come to the school that afternoon, please come to the front entrance. All other entrances will be locked. If you have questions please contact Mr. Hunks or Mr. Johnson.

We are a Community School, and as such, we have additional programs in place to support our students and their families. The CHEP Lunch is one of those. I have had a number of questions about the lunch program. Here are a couple of points that may help in understanding this program.

…This program has been developed over the years to respond to children going hungry and how that negatively impacts their learning. Over the years we have had a great volunteer, Mrs. Stalker providing lunches for our students. This year, we have a Nutrition Worker, Mrs. Roy, who is an employee of our School Division, providing lunches. Because of this change is staffing, we have changed the delivery of the lunches. In some respects, this change has created more interest in the lunches. One trait that is surfacing amongst the students suggests that students are choosing this lunch over the one provided by their parents. We are asking that if a child has a lunch sent with them, that they eat what their family provides. We are constantly reviewing this program, if there are changes to be made, we let you know.

…I have been asked, by families, if students can purchase this lunch. Right now, we do not run the lunch program that way. We consider the program to be an “emergency lunch option”. If you are interested in this idea, I would ask that you contact Mr. Hunks or Ms. Dutka, and we could explore this option for our community.

· The front of the school has parking restrictions. Please follow the restrictions and avoid parking in the School Bus loading zone.

· Students are asked to use the Mud Room entrance to enter and leave the school. The front entrance is to be used when their parents are with them or there is a “special “ pick-up at lunch or the end of the day.

I would like you to know what strategy we are using when we interact with students to solve problems. We use this 8 Step Plan to help students, inform students and to build plans so they can be more successful. These are the steps: get the students attention… “this is what I see you doing or what seems to be the problem”… “what is the school rule or what does your teacher expect?”… “what is your job?”… “how will you fix the problem?”... “what will it look like when you are successful?”… “do you need any more help from me?”… “can I count on you to do a better job?”

Research suggests, that the more times a child hears the same message, the more successful they can be. Our hope is that they can make better decisions, which minimizes the times that an adult has to speak to them about their “bad choices”.

We are sending home a Student Health Update form. We have some information that there are a number of our children in our community that have sensitivities or allergies to nuts or nut product. If your child is severely affected by nuts, please give your child’s teacher a note to follow up the Health Form, explaining the issue. If there are other complications related to peanuts, etc for your family, please contact Mr. Hunks. Like other schools, we may have to respond to the health and safety of our students by creating a Nut Alert status. If that is the case we will inform you through the school newsletter.

If children arrive at school before 8:30 they are asked to remain in the Mudroom on the West-Side of the school. Those doors are open by 7:45 in the morning. At 8:30, students are invited in to the school and are expected to be in their classroom and following the teacher’s expectations.

We restrict the use of the Front Doors of the school to our Pre-k and Special Needs students and those children accompanied by a guardian. We do this to keep our little ones safe from all the traffic that could potentially use the front doors. It is a small area and does not allow small children to wait safely for their transportation and facilitate the number of people accessing the Front Office at dismissal times. We have reminded students of our expectations. If there are extraordinary circumstances for students and families that this practice challenges, you are asked to contact Mr. Hunks.

We would ask that you respect the Parking Restrictions that are near the front entrance of the school. We ask that you do not park in the area that our School Bus loads students from. We appreciate that the availability of parking around the school is quite limited but we would hope that you would help us try to keep our students safe. Thank you.

Tuesday, October 20 is Picture Retakes. This will also be the day for the Kindergartens in the A group to have their photographs taken at Bishop Roborecki.

Thanks to all parents and students who have returned their “Schools Win Twice” raffle tickets! Reminder – due date for books and/or money is on Tuesday October 13^th. We still have spots remaining for our afternoon parenting class on Thursday afternoons. Childcare and lunch is provided. Please call me to register; 659-7817.

Interested in boxing? Over the age of 13? Saskatoon Tribal Council is opening a Boxing Club for youth. The first 40 to register are FREE! Call Luc at 242-0006 for more details.

Need sports equipment for your child? Saskatoon Sports Council is having a Used Sports Equipment Give-Away Day on October 20^th at 121 Gyles Place. All equipment will be given away free of charge. Equipment available; hockey, soccer, baseball, golf clubs, etc. Call Heather at 975-0871 for more details.

This month is “in motion” month. Get your family active for 30 minutes per day. This week is “walk-to-school week”. Encourage your child(ren) to walk to and from school everyday. Physical activity promotes learning and reduces risk of disease in adulthood. We will be getting active at our school every Friday this month at lunch hour. Encourage your child to join the movement!

“Our WINTER WONDERLAND fundraising catalogue will be going home with students this week. Please sell, sell, sell! There is an enclosed prize pamphlet that shows the prizes you and your child can work towards, as well, the highest selling class will receive a Pizza Party Lunch and the highest selling student will receive a $25.00 cash incentive! All these great prizes and motivators plus the knowledge that all of those profits are going back into our school. ALL ORDER FORMS MUST BE RETURNED BY FRIDAY, OCT. 30^th! Orders received after that date may not be included so don’t miss out! Help your school!

Thank you to all parents and guardians who returned their Volunteer Questionnaire Form! Look forward to a call in the months ahead! We are currently looking for volunteer help for the following events:

WINTER WONDERLAND FALL FUNDRAISER – week of November 30^th (exact date to be determined) during the day organizing and distributing student orders (2 – 3 hours)

SANTA SHOP – Tuesday, Dec. 8^th, Wednesday, Dec. 9^th and Thursday, Dec. 10^th – Morning or afternoon shifts available (assist students with their shopping lists, help with gift wrapping) (approximately 3 hours per shift)

CSCC FAMILY CRAFT NIGHT – Thursday, Dec. 3^rd – evening shifts (assistant participants with completion of various Christmas crafts, assist with food and beverage service) (1 hour shifts)

There are more exciting events coming up after the Christmas holidays – watch for more information on those in future newsletters. If you’re able to commit to a shift at any of these great events – please contact Eileen at 382-2353. No prior experience needed – just a willingness to work with other volunteer parents in ensuring that our children have a great time!

We are also still in need of more board members. Our Annual General Meeting was held Oct. 5^th but we didn’t obtain enough volunteers to form the full board. Open for election are Vice-Chair, Treasurer and Members at Large. Commitment requirement is one meeting per month, ongoing activities as per your position, and assistance on individual events as per your availability. Not a large commitment – but a lot of fun! Give yourself the opportunity to meet other parents, establish a wonderful working relationship with staff and have a say in what goes on in our school. Watch for more information regarding the nomination process in the days to come.

The next meeting of the Catholic School Community Council (CSCC)/ Home and School will be on Tues. Nov. 3^rd at 5:30pm in the staff room. All interested parents/guardians are welcome to attend.

The Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools Foundation invites you to our 16^th Annual “Share the Spirit” Gala Evening on Friday October 30^th, 2009 at 6:30 pm at the Sheraton Cavalier. This is an evening of fine dining, entertainment and lively bidding on auction items. Tickets are $110.00 per person ($50.00 tax receipt). Thanks to our supporters, our Foundation’s investment in our students has surpassed $2.5 million dollars in disbursements which have provided opportunities in leadership, learning and spiritual growth that are not funded by provincial grants or municipal taxes. Contributions of silent auction items, in-kind services or any financial support are most welcome. Posters are displayed at your school.

Sponsored by Mother Teresa School. Saturday, November 14 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at Mother Teresa in the gym.

The ORCA Synchro Club is accepting registrations for Fall Synchronized Swimming Programs. Classes range from 1-2 hours. Come and TRY SYNCHRO FREE. Contact Crystal Meakin for details @ 651-1581 or orcasynch@yahoo.ca

All present and past students, parents, teachers, administration, service and support staffs are invited to attend St. Gerard School’s 50^th Anniversary Celebration (1959-2009) being held on Saturday, October 17, 2009 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at 205 Montreal Avenue North. The program will include a liturgy, power point presentation, and a walk down memory lane followed by snacks, fellowship and games.

Girl Guides of Canada-Guides du Canada - Saskatoon Area: Sparks, Brownies, Guides, Pathfinders, Rangers, Women. No tryout, no cuts - yet it may be the greatest team she’ll ever join! Register anytime at our Area Office - 801 Preston Ave. For more information about the program: Call us at 652-3275 Or visit our Area website at www.saskatoongirlguides.ca Girl Greatness Starts Here!

Saskatoon Whitewater Kayak Club Fall ’09 Youth Kayak Programs - Youth Introductory/Intermediate Kayak Course: Developed for youth, this 8-eek program will guide your child through the steps to becoming a star kayaker. Our program starts with the basics of kayaking and helps your child build confidence in themselves both as a paddler and an individual. By the end of the program your child will be able to navigate their kayak through a slalom course with ease and be ready to take on our Spring Whitewater Camp.

Youth who have already taken an SWKC program are welcome to join and our staff will make a program to suit your needs. Sessions run Sunday evenings from 5:00 to 6:30 at the Harry Bailey Aquatic Centre.

Youth Introductory Christmas Kayak Camp - Developed for youth, this tremendous 3 day kayak camp held over the Christmas break is a great way to escape the cold and try a new sport. This camp also makes a great Christmas gift or stocking stuffer!!!! The camp runs for three days at the Harry Bailey Aquatic Centre from 1:00 to 2:30 in the afternoon.

Wrestling for Kids! Try Amateur Wrestling for Boys and Girls with the Pups division of the Saskatoon Wrestling Club. Join other kids from K to Grade 8 in our program. Try it for 2 weeks free. Starting Tuesday, Oct 13^th, Walter Murray Collegiate wrestling room. For more information:

The Saskatoon Youth Orchestra invites young musicians who play orchestral instruments to join them for a free lesson with one of our music specialists and the opportunity to play with the orchestra, on the afternoon of Saturday, October 24, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at Aden Bowman Collegiate. Players of flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, French horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba, percussion, violin, viola, cello, double bass and harp are invited to call 955-6336 or email syo@sasktel.net to make a reservation. This opportunity is offered to serious students who have at least two years experience on their instrument and who may be interested in playing in an orchestra. There is no charge for this event. Call Saskatoon Youth Orchestra at 955-6336 or email syo@sasktel.net for more information.

Bethlehem High School’s God Squad youth group will be participating in “Halloween for Hunger” in our school neighbourhoods. Their ‘trick or treating’ will be to collect food for the Food Bank. We will be in the neighbourhoods from 4-6 p.m. on October 31^st.