If your child is goingto be absent or late toschool, please ensureyou call 905.417.8046to let us know. Whenyou leave a message,please clearly stateyour child’s name (spellthe last name), grade,and teacher.

Calling inan Absence?

IMPORTANTDATES ATDRBPS

MARCH

followingClick each of the to access the timely and thought-

provoking contained within this newsletter:information

� School Council Message

� Healthy Schools Committee

� P.A. Days

� Library Corner

� Literature Corner

� Athletics Corner

� Important Information

� Tea and Chat

� On the Newsstand

� Weather Alerts

� This Month at DRBPS

Inside this Month’sDr. Roberta Bondar Public SchoolNewsletter

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 2016 (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 ar-

rangements for your child's September placement at their new school.

Student Name: _____________________________________________

will not be returning to Dr. Roberta Bondar P.S. in September 2016.

Next School: _______________________________________________

Interested in becoming a School Assistant?School assistants provide supervision inside while the students are eating

their lunch in the classrooms, and outside on the playground while the chil-

dren are at play. This is a paid position ($11.97 per hour + 4% vacation pay),

requiring one hour of work per day. Our lunch hour is 11:55 a.m.–12:55 p.m.

daily. Requirements include a volunteer screening by the York Region Police

and a statement of good health from your family doctor. If you are interested

in this position, or know someone who would be, please contact the school of-

fice at 905.417.8046 or via e-mail at dr.roberta.bondar.ps@yrdsb.ca.

/

7 CouncilSchoolMeeting

8 Bounce EntertainmentDance-A-thon

March Break14 :18 No School

19 Earth Hour Vaughan

23 Movie Night

25 Good Friday:No School

28 Easter Monday:No School

29 Character Assemblies

StampChinese New Year

Ethan in Ms. Ahmad’s Kindergarten class.

His grandfather designed the Chinese

New Year stamp for Canada Post.

Click to learn more.HERE

A Message from the HealthySchools CommitteeMARCH is here and we're ready to focus on our NUTRITION! Since the month of

March is officially Nutrition Month, Bondar will be participating in our weekly

campaign focusing on specific lunch and snack initiatives. They are as follows:

� Crunch n' Munch Mondays

Parents are encouraged to prepare healthy snacks that pack a healthy

CRUNCH. Some ideas are roasted chickpeas, kale chips, pumpkin and

sunflower seeds, and veggies like carrots, celery, broccoli, cucumbers, fennel,

or peppers.

� Whole Grain Wednesdays

WHOLE GRAINS are important sources of dietary fiber, B vitamins, and

minerals and should be a part of our daily food intake. Some snack ideas

include whole grain cereal, whole grain crackers, brown rice cakes, popcorn,

and oatmeal.

� Feel Good Fridays

Fridays will be dedicated to FEELING GOOD about ourselves and focusing on

our mental health. Students and staff are encouraged to get more sleep, connect

with others, and practice healthy thinking.

All homeroom classes will have the opportunity to enter Bondar’s DPA (Daily

Physical Activity) Contest by submitting a creative and original DPA idea. All

submitted ideas will be included in our Bondar DPA binder and the winning class will

lead their DPA activity during the next assembly. Entry forms will be placed in

teachers' mailboxes. The deadline to submit an activity is Thursday, March 31st, 2016.

School-Wide DPA

Bondar will participate in school-wide Daily Physical Activity for the month of

March! This will help encourage students to be more physically active in their daily

lives and promote healthy lifestyle choices. We can't wait to see everyone s funky’

dance moves!

Additional Elementaryand Secondary P.A. DaysAs a result of provincial labour negotiations,

a P.A. Day has been added for all York

Region District School Board elementary

schools on Friday, May 6, 2016 and second-

ary schools on Friday, June 3, 2016. Click

HERE to see the full updated school year cal-

endars on YRDSB s website’ .

These additional P.A. Days are mandated by

the Ministry of Education. On these dates,

teachers will be taking part in professional de-

velopment on provincial education priorities

identified by the Ministry of Education.

Eco IdeaClear some clutter in your home AND help the

environment… This is a winning situation for

everyone!

Rotary Club of Newmarket fundraiser —

Electronic Waste Recycling Day!

It takes place on March 12th at the parking lot

at 70 Davis Drive. E-waste is any electronic

device that comes with a plug. Old computers,

computer accessories, desktop printers,

televisions, audio and video equipment, wire

and batteries. Bring them along and help us fill

the bin.

Student Book RecommendationStaff Book RecommendationEve of the Emperor Penguin, andPenguin and AntarcticaBy

The Magic Tree House

Eve of the Emperor

Penguin

Penguins and Antarctica

Eve of the Emperor

Recommended by

Mary Pope Osborne

It is a very adventurous book! If you love

traveling, then you will like all the books

in the series, ! This

book is about a brother and a sister who go

to their tree house and to Antarctica to find

the fourth secret of happiness to cure and

make Merlin happy.

comes with a non-fiction book,

. When you read

the book, you can use

the non-fiction fact tracker and read

information about the place or the topic.

This fact tracker is about Antarctica and

different animals that are in Antarctica. So

read as much as you can and !

in Ms. Davis’ Grade 3 class

ENJOY

Anika

WonderBy

Recommended by

RJ Palacio

Ten-year-old Auggie was born with a facial

abnormality. After years of being home-schooled,

Auggie’s parents enroll him in Beecher Prep

Middle School for Grade 5. Auggie is dreading

starting school and just wants to be accepted by

his peers and teachers. This book is written from

a variety of different perspectives (Auggie, his

classmates, his family) that each describe the

journey of Auggie’s first year in school and all

the obstacles and achievements that happened

during the year. Can Auggie convince his

classmates that he is just like them on the inside,

despite what is on the outside?

I recommend this book because it teaches

children (and adults) about friendship, courage,

perseverance, and the choice of being kind.

Ms. Roebuck

Dance Night at DRBPS

Athletics Corner

The Intermediate girls basketball team had a great year. The girls

played exhibition games before the area tournament andtwo ,

worked each game to improve their skills and teamwork. We

hosted the area tournament and came in second in the regular

round a heart-breaker in the championship gamebefore losing

against Anne Frank. The girls showed tremendous teamwork and

sportsmanship.

Team members: Savannah, Nicole, Julie, Ashley, Linda, Cathy,

Sema, Taija, Lois, Jeyatha, Hana, Songul, Lauren, Michelle, and

Abesha. GO GO!ROCKETSThe Senior Boys Basketball team had a very exciting season this year. The boys hosted Gibson in January and played two

exciting games where they tested out the skills that they had been working on during practice. They also attended a teamthree-

tournament at Maple Creek which tested the boys teamwork and perseverance. On February 17th they attended the Area, ’ ,

tournament at Carnegie. The boys demonstrated exceptional teamwork and character. Unfortunately they lost a heartbreaker,

in the finals. Although we did not move on to the Area Finals the coaches and Dr Roberta Bondar community are, the .

extremely proud of all the hard work and determination that the Senior Boys showed throughout the season. Thank you very

much to Mr. Dais and Ms. Murdoch for your commitment to the team!

We areNut Sensitive.Please only sendNUT-FREEsnacks and lunches.

Striving to Create a Safe Environment

for Students with AllergiesWe ask that you avoid sending any foods that may

contain peanuts and/or nuts. Please check the list of

ingredients for peanut oil/butter/sauce/flour/meal,

mixed nuts, ground nuts, goober peas, artificial nuts

and mandalona nuts. Examples include: cookies,

chocolate, granola bars, some cereal bars and choco-

late nut spreads. Avoid products that say “may con-

tain peanut/nuts”.

Does Your child Require an EpiPenin Case of an Emergency?Students are required to have two EpiPens at school.

One to be kept in the office and one on their body.

In the event that one is administered and an ambu-

lance does not arrive within 15 minutes, we need to

ensure your child’s safety by being able to administer

another dose of epinephrine. If you have not sent in a

second EpiPen, please do so as soon as possible.

Dressing for Colder WeatherAll our students will be expected to be outside be-fore, during and after school in all weather condi-tions (i.e., rain or shine, snow or heat).

Students need to come to school dressed to play out-

side during recesses. Boots (for rain or snow), rain

jackets, hats, mitts, scarves and snow pants will help

make recess an enjoyable time. It is advisable for chil-

dren to keep extra pants and socks at school in case

they get wet. To avoid adding to our clothing collec-

tion in the Lost and Found Bin, please be sure to la-

bel all articles of clothing.

Recycle Your Batteries at BondarBatteries are made from a number of different mate-

rials including acid, lead, nickel, lithium, cadmium,

alkaline and nickel metal hydride. When you throw

your batteries out, they go to an incinerator or land-

fill where their casing can disintegrate, releasing

toxic chemicals into the surrounding environment.

The leaking material can contaminate the soil and wa-

ter damaging our environment. Now you can make a

difference: Recycle your batteries at Bondar!

Please place your used batteries in the box just out-

side the office.

ImportantInformation

DRBPS

Public Health Respiratory:and Enteric IllnessStudent absences have increased recently within several schools in

York Region, related to illnesses with respiratory and enteric symp-

toms.

To protect staff, students and families from getting ill, remem-ber to:� Stay at home when you are sick, and keep your child home if they

are sick� Keep healthy by eating healthy foods, being physically active and

ensuring your immunizations are up-to-date, including the seasonal

flu shot� Avoid close contact with people who are sick� Wash your hands often with soap and water or using an alcohol-

based hand sanitizer when soap and water are not available� Cough and sneeze into your sleeve or a tissue, not your hand, and

throw away used tissues immediately� Avoid touching your face� Clean and disinfect common surfaces

Symptoms of respiratory and/or enteric illness can include:� Headache� Chills� Fever (over 38 degrees Celsius or 100 degrees Fahrenheit)� Muscle aches and fatigue� Runny nose� Sneezing� Sore throat� Watery eyes� Loss of appetite� Nausea and vomiting� Diarrhea

If you or your child are sick and do not improve, contact your health

care provider.

Many viruses are commonly active at this time of year, for example

norovirus and influenza (flu). Both viruses are very contagious and

can be spread by contact with contaminated surfaces, such as door

knobs or eating utensils. For more information, read the norovirus and

flu fact sheets online at the following links:

Norovirus Fact Sheet

Flu Fact Sheet

and

Chat

We are interested in starting up a new Tea and Chat program at Dr. Roberta Bondar P.S. The purpose of this program is toprovide an opportunity for people in our school community to get together and discuss topics that matter to them.

Who? Any parent, guardian, caregiver, grandparent, aunt, uncle… can attend.

What? yAn informal gathering of people in our school communit to learn about and discuss topics that they areinterested in. It is also an opportunity to get to know each other and learn from each other. A teacher will bepresent to facilitate the presentation/discussion.

Where? , .Dr. Roberta Bondar P.S. in the Conference room

When? Our First Tea and Chat gathering will take place on Wednesday, March 30 10:00 11:00am., –

. . 3.Agenda: 1 Welcome 2 Topic: Exploring Educational Websites for Students Suggestions for future topics

If you our , please let us know by March 21st in one of the following ways:would like to attend first Tea and Chat

� C ,all Gina DiGregorio (teacher at Bondar P.S) at (905) 417-8046 or

� Email Gina at , orgina.digregorio@yrdsb.ca

� C .omplete the form below and return it to the school with your child

Please indicate what topics you are interesting in discussing or learning more about.

If you cannot attend the session, but are interested in future sessions, please let us know what topics you would befirstinterested in discussing or learning about f you are interested in presenting a topic that you think others mayor, similarly, ibe interested in, please call or e-mail Gina or complete the form below.

We look forward to meeting you!

� I am interested in attending the Tea and Chat gathering on Wednesday, March 30 at 10:00-11:00 at Dr. Roberta Bondar P.S.first

______________________________________________________ ___________________________________Name: Phone #/e-mail:

___________________ _______________________________________________I would like to discuss/learn about the following topics:

� I am attend the Tea and Chat but I may be interested in attending future sessions.not able to first

______________________________________________________ ___________________________________Name: Phone #/e-mail:

be interested in ___________________________ _______________________________________________I would the following topics:

� I am interested in presenting the following topic at a future Tea and Chat gathering:

_________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________

______________________________________________________ ___________________________________Name: Phone #/e-mail:

Tea

Enjoying the Fresh AirAll our students will be expected to be outside before, during

and after school in all weather conditions. Students need to

come to school dressed to play outside during recesses. Boots

(for rain or snow), rain jackets, hats, mitts, scarves and snow

pants will help make recess an enjoyable time. It is advisable

for children to keep extra pants and socks at school in case they

get wet. To avoid adding to our clothing collection in the Lost

and Found Bin, please be sure to label all articles of clothing.

Please remind your child about the importance of actually wear-

ing the warm clothes you send at morning recess and lunch re-

cess.

Bus CancellationsIf the condition of the roads necessitates the cancellation of bus

service, local radio stations will be informed as early as possible

and will broadcast this information to the community. Please be

advised that if buses are cancelled in the morning they will not

run after school — regardless of the weather. Review your plans

as to what your children will do in the event of late buses or can-

cellations. The following radio stations announce cancellations:

AM 640 AM 680 FM 88.5 FM 90.3 AM 1010AM 1540 FM 92.5 FM 93.1 AM 1050 FM 99.9FM 97.3 FM 98.1 AM 1530 FM 100.7 FM 104.5FM 107.1 AM 590

Check the WebYork Region District School Board's main website is:www.yrdsb.edu.on.ca

All transportation information can be accessed through:www.schoolbuscity.com

Weather AlertsOur school website is easy to navigate, hasinformative news, and is very user friendly.

http://drrobertabondar.ps.yrdsb.ca/

On the

NewsstandMarch

http://www.theweathernetwork.com/ca/forecasts/school-day/ontario/dr-roberta-bondar-public-school-maple