School Forms 2023-24

During the first week of school, a School Startup Package is distributed to all parents and guardians. Within the package is important information about the school year as well as various forms that are to be read, signed and returned to the school. (The forms in the package will also be made available to families electronically at the beginning of the school year, if they wish to complete them digitally.)

Among the forms to be signed and returned are the:

Other optional forms within package include the Request for Faith Accommodations Form, School Council Candidate Nomination Form and Volunteers in Our Schools Form.

Additionally, if your child has an anaphylactic condition please complete an Anaphylaxis Health Care Plan.  Similarly, complete an Asthma Health Care Plan, a Type 1 Diabetes Health Care Plan or an Epilepsy/Seizure Disorder Health Care Plan, as needed.  Finally, if your child has any other medical condition please complete a general Health Care Plan.  We’d kindly ask that any of these health related forms be completed and emailed to the school or sent in with your child on the first day of school, as appropriate.  Please note, these forms must be completed annually for children with an anaphylactic and/or other medical conditions.

We thank our community for their help with gathering this important information.

School Year Calendars 2023-2024

In an effort to help you plan ahead for the coming school year, we are sharing calendars that provide an overview to the 2023-2024 school year, and may support you in planning for family holidays, medical or dental appointments and other events, while minimizing disruptions to your child’s learning. Consistent attendance and punctuality are fundamental to your child’s success.

The 2023-2024 Learning Calendar outlines the school year by identifying all regular school days, school holidays, professional activity and training days, and early release days. We hope this will help you as you schedule events in the weeks and months to come. Similarly, all schools in York Region follow a Day 1-5 Cycle Calendar. For your reference, the Elementary 5 Day Cycle Calendar for 2023-2024 provides an overview of the 5-day cycle for the entire year. Each morning, the day in the cycle will be shared over the announcements as a reminder for all of our students. Those wishing to embed these calendars electronically into their own smart-devices will be able to find both Google and iCal versions here in the coming weeks.

As well, the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) has designated May 8 to June 12, 2024 as the period during which Primary and Junior Division Provincial Assessments are to occur. We would kindly ask parents and guardians of students in Grade 3 and Grade 6 to avoid booking any appointments or trips during this period. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the office.

We thank you for your support and look forward to a great year ahead.

School Information for 2023-24

The York Region District School Board has now released its online Guide to the School Year 2023-24. This detailed guide provides important information about the York Region District School Board and its schools. It includes information about who to contact if you have a question or concern, and covers a range of topics such as student assessment and evaluation, general school day procedures, items dealing with health and safety, as well as many board policies. For more information about the York Region District School Board visit www.yrdsb.ca.

Indigenous Languages and International Languages – Elementary Language Programs

The York Region District School Board offers language learning to elementary students in grade SK to grade 8 (and language credit courses to secondary students in grades 9 to 12).

Online registration is now open and available on the Elementary Program web page. The elementary program will be offered in-person and remotely.

  • In-person learning will offered Tuesday to Friday evenings, and Saturday morning.
  • Remote learning will be offered Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. Teachers will use Google Classroom to provide both synchronous and asynchronous learning opportunities.

Please see the linked flyer for more information.

It’s Not Too Late: Ordering School Photos

Edge Imaging wants to remind all parents that it’s not too late purchase your 2022-2023 school photos. School photos are the perfect way to start celebrating summer and all of the achievements you have accomplished!

Be sure to follow these simple steps and order your photos today!

  1. Find your portrait code and passcode on your photo proof sheet (don’t have it? Call or LiveChat Edge’s customer care team directly and be prepared with your child’s student number @ 1-888-416-334 or edgeimaging.ca).
  2. Go to edgeimaging.ca/order and enter your codes.
  3. Easily purchase your photos and remember this school year and everything you’ve accomplished!

Thank you so much and have a wonderful summer!

An Eco-Update

We are proud to share that our school has been awarded gold status by EcoSchools Canada.  This accomplishment designates Rosedale Heights P.S. one of 1,500 schools nationwide that unites in having a positive environmental impact.  They have shared with us that “the EcoSchools Canada team was incredibly impressed with your accomplishments and are excited to recognize your school as an environmental leader in Canada and around the world!”

We are grateful to Ms. Nishio for her unwavering commitment to this work, and her support in amplifying youth leadership in environmental and climate action among our enthusiastic student Eco-Team.  As we look ahead, we look forward to partnering with our community to nurture a ongoing sense of environmental stewardship and responsibility among our students.

Congratulations, Rosedale Heights P.S.!

Parenting Strategies for a Successful Summer Break

We would like to share with our school community information about an upcoming parenting webinar that may be of interest: Parenting Strategies for a Successful Summer Break. The virtual session will cover various areas including how parents may get ‘trapped’ in escalations and power struggles; understanding ways to avoid these traps and develop age-appropriate and do-able strategies, and; how parents can have a successful, stress-free Summer break. Parents, guardians and caregivers are all welcome to attend this free event.

This session will be held on Tuesday, June 13 2023 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. There is no cost to participate but registration is required. Please view the linked flyer for more details.

Indigenous Trustee Greeting

Aaniin (Hello), I am Indigenous Trustee for the York Region District School Board and a member of the Chippewas of Georgina Island, the only First Nation in York Region and one you may recognize YRDSB acknowledging as their “partner in education” when providing land acknowledgements.

I would like to offer greetings for the month of June, the month when we recognize and celebrate the Indigenous People of Canada, our unique status as Canadians, our history on this land and our many significant contributions. In 1996, Governor General Romeo LeBlanc declared June 21 as National Aboriginal Peoples Day. He said, “On June 21st, this year and every year, Canada will honour the native peoples who first brought humanity to this great land.” In 2017, the name was formally changed, and we now recognize this day as National Indigenous Peoples Day.

June 21 was chosen because it is summer solstice, a time of spiritual significance for Indigenous people. It is a time when the sun is at the highest point in the sky and we experience the longest day of the year, and the most amount of daylight. This is considered powerful medicine and is a time for practicing ceremonies that honour our interconnection with the land and the cosmos.

The Anishinaabe also recognize June as the month of the Strawberry moon, Ode’min Giizis. The beautiful red heart shaped strawberry offers us the teaching of reconciliation and forgiveness. It is the first berry of the season that brings us that sweetness for life. June offers us many special gifts and much to be grateful for.

People ask what they can do to celebrate Indigenous People Day and as Canadians support Indigenous people in Canada?

We can build our awareness by reading Indigenous books, listening to Indigenous podcasts, and attending Indigenous events. We can create positive change and promote public awareness by lending our support to Indigenous issues. We can also offer land acknowledgements as we do at the beginning of meetings and events in the YRDSB.

However, I believe most importantly to Indigenous people across this planet is to recognize our right to reclaim and practice our Indigenous languages and the important significance of the earth under our feet. Our traditional knowledge and our cultures exist in our languages and without the opportunity to learn them in our schools and speak them in our communities much of our ancestral knowledge will be lost forever.

Further, recognizing Indigenous relationship with the land and taking the time to build land awareness and connection is imperative. We must practice environmental stewardship and protect our greenspaces. Walk in nature, plant, or hug a tree, help a turtle across the road, sing to the water, just be with the land. It does little to offer a land acknowledgement if we do not acknowledge the earth on which we live. The earth is our mother, this is why we call her “Mother Earth” in our Anishinaabe creation stories. We are extrinsically interconnected; without her we would not exist. As her children we must care for her and protect her.  Stand with Indigenous people by honouring her, this is the most important land acknowledgement you can give.

Chi-Miigwech and Happy Indigenous People’s Day!

Your Indigenous Trustee, Lauri Hoeg

Please find linked a good resource and activity guide you may find helpful.

Message from Our Trustee

Dear Rosedale Heights P.S. Families, 

As we approach the end of the school year and the start of the summer break, I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for helping to make this school year a positive one. This is our first school year since 2018-2019 that has not been interrupted by closures as a result of COVID-19, and it has been such a pleasure to visit schools and school events over the past few months and see students, staff and families connecting and learning together. 

I think it’s important to acknowledge the effect the pandemic has had on students; and we have made it a priority to put supports in place for student learning, achievement, mental health and well-being. We also continue to work hard to create safe, inclusive and caring learning environments where our students know and feel that they matter and belong. 

June is also a time when we look ahead to transitions – students moving ahead to new grades, new schools and new adventures. Thank you to the school staff who support students through these transitions. Congratulations to all of our graduating students moving on to secondary school or post-secondary pathways. We are so proud of all that you have achieved, class of 2023, and wish you all the very best in what comes next. 

I also want to acknowledge all that you have done, as family members, to support your child and our schools – whether that’s asking your child about their learning, communicating with their educators, attending school events, reading the information that comes home from the school, sharing feedback, completing surveys, tracking down library books, volunteering on field trips and in the classroom, participating in school councils, and so much more. We are grateful for all of the ways you support your child’s learning and our public education system. 

Communicating with families remains an important priority for us. I have had the pleasure of meeting and connecting with many families throughout the school year and appreciate how important it is that we remain connected to you. In addition to communication from your child’s school, there are also many ways you can stay connected with what is happening in the Board, including our newsroom, Twitter, Instagram and award-winning podcast. We were also very pleased to launch this year the Centre for Black Student Excellence Mailing List for families looking to receive information directly related to supporting Black students, celebrating Black excellence and dismantling anti-Black racism. 

As we approach the summer, we look forward to welcoming students who will be participating in our variety of elementary and secondary summer learning programs. I wish everyone a happy, safe and restful summer break. 

Estelle Cohen, Trustee, Vaughan Wards 4 and 5

Mark Your Calendars!

We are cordially inviting all Rosedale Heights P.S. students and their families to our end of year Par-Tay! We look forward to seeing our entire Rosedale Heights P.S. community join us on the back tarmac for an evening of food, fun and festivities on Thursday, June 15th from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. There will be an awesome dance party hosted by Superfly Entertainment, dancers, games, activities, and even an amazing caricaturist to capture all the memories! (And the event is rain or shine … so it won’t rain!)

And best of all, the event is entirely free! That’s right, with your support from our Spring Fling fundraiser (thank you) you are all invited at no cost!

Additionally, if you’d like, you can skip making dinner, because we’ll have food trucks and an ice cream truck on hand, as well! Road Grill and Mary Brown’s Chicken will have their fantastic food for sale (cash and carry). An ice cream truck will also have all manner of frozen desserts to enjoy, too (cash and carry).

Be sure to mark the date down today, because we want to see all 391 students and their families at our end of year Par-tay!