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.

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 21^st, 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.

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

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!

Our Leadership Team is excited to share with you that they will be holding a special Spirit Day this week. They officially declare Wednesday, May 10th to be Toronto Maple Leafs Day!

It goes without saying, the Toronto Maple Leafs really need our help! On Wednesday, students are invited and encouraged to show their support by wearing a Leafs jersey or simply by wearing blue and white. Our show of support will be sure to turn things around for the Toronto Maple Leafs!

We would like to share with our community information about various upcoming presentations for parents, guardians, caregivers and community members.

Mindful Parenting: Ride the Waves (May 15th a.m. or May 16th p.m.) will focus on an understanding of the importance of mindful parenting and the role it plays in nurturing positive relationships within the family.

Many Face of Anxiety (May 23rd) will explore the signs and symptoms of anxiety along with strategies and community resources for parents.

Test and Exam Preparation (May 24th) will focus on routines and strategies for parents to help better prepare their child for effective learning outcomes.

More information on any of these free virtual presentations, including registration information, can be found in the linked flyer.

May 1^st through 5^th is Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week.  While our school aims to promote student well-being and mental health year-round, we will be emphasizing these areas in the week ahead, and we invite Rosedale Heights P.S. families to do the same.  Among the goals of Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week is: increasing awareness of the signs of child and youth mental health problems; decreasing stigma, and; understanding that help is available and it works!  We encourage families to visit YRDSB’s Mental Health Awareness landing page and in particular, access the Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week Tooklit for Families which contains resources and (a whole month of!) activities you can use at home with your children.

Each day at school, we will highlight one of five themes and engage in small and intentional actions that support positive mental health.  Mindful Mondays invite us to slow things down by pausing, reflecting and being present in the moment.  Thoughtful Tuesdays invite us to focus on our thoughts and their connections to our feelings, and actions.  Wellness Wednesdays invite us to consider what helps us feel and do well.  Take Care Thursdays invites us to consider how we take care of ourselves and those around us.  Focus Friday invites us to pause, reflect and consider situations in an intentional way.

We look forward to engaging students in various activities that support well-being and mental health this coming week … and beyond!

During the month of July, YRDSB continues to offer credit and non-credit summer school program opportunities for elementary, secondary and adult students. 

Registration is now open for the following programs:

Elementary Credit and Non-Credit Programs:

• Camp Black Brilliance (for Black Families entering JK or SK)
• Summer Institute (K-8)
• Elementary Summer School (Grades 6-8 non-credit reinforcement)
• Grade 8 Reach Ahead (credit)

Secondary Credit Programs:

• In-Person Learning
• Online Learning 

Adult Learning Programs:

• Adult Literacy and Basic Skills
• English as a Second Language
• Citizenship Classes
• Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada

For more information about summer learning programs and registration please visit www.yrdsb.ca and follow YRDSB on Twitter @YRDSB.

We wanted to share with our community regarding the upcoming School Council Meeting on Thursday, April 27th at 7:00 p.m. in the school library. We welcome everyone’s involvement and encourage those interested to attend. Minutes from the previous School Council meeting can be found here. You needn’t be an elected member of the School Council to get involved. Simply come out and lend a hand!

We thank you for your continued support of our school.

We would like to share with our community information about various upcoming presentations for parents, guardians, caregivers and community members.

Raising Competent Teens (April 5th) will focus on strategies for your child to develop communication skills, self-discipline, good routines and problem solving skills.

Getting Teens Connected (April 19th) will focus on strategies to build your child’s confidence, encourage social skills, plan and meet commitments and developing positive, supportive friendships.

Separation Anxiety (April 25th) will help parents learn about the signs and symptoms of separation anxiety. The focus will be on strategies to calm your child’s separation anxiety and how to better prepare your child for the transition.

More information on any of these free virtual presentations, including registration information, can be found in the linked flyer.