I hope everyone has had a wonderful start to 2023, and enjoyed their winter break. 

One of the most important roles of school board trustees is communicating with the public. I hope to use this newsletter as one way to keep you updated on Board news, to communicate my role as trustee and how I can support you, and to answer some of the questions I am often asked as a trustee. 

Communicating with the public includes both sharing information and attending events to build relationships with families, but also ensuring I am available to you. If you have questions about Board policies or budget, concerns about your community, ideas and suggestions, or have a question and don’t know who to call, please feel free to reach out. I am happy to assist you. 

Our Board of Trustees is made up of 12 trustees elected during the municipal election process, and one Indigenous trustee appointed through a separate process. Eight of the 12 elected trustees are new this term, and we are all looking forward to connecting with families and fulfilling our roles to support student achievement and well-being. 

What do Trustees Do?

In addition to communicating with the public, we are also responsible for:

Establishing a Multi-Year Strategic Plan. This plan sets out our priorities as a school board and guides our direction and decision making as a system.

Setting policy. Policies govern the operation of our schools and organization, including field trips, school transportation, homework, caring and safe schools and much more. You can find out which policies are up for review in our meeting agendas, or which policies are out for comment on the website. Your participation in this process is important to ensuring our policies are serving our communities and align with our priorities. 

Setting an annual budget. I look forward to sharing more information about this process with you in the coming months as we engage in budget consultations. 

Participating on Board and Advisory Committees. You can find the dates and agendas for these meetings on the Board website. You are welcome to attend and observe any public Board, Advisory and Board Committee meetings. 

Hiring the Director of Education. This process is governed by the Director of Education Selection Policy, and we will keep you updated as this process progresses. In the meantime, I am deeply grateful to Interim Director of Education Scott Yake for his commitment and service.

Advocating for quality public education. I became a school board trustee because I believe in public education. I believe in the potential of each and every one of our students and our responsibility to nurture their learning, growth and achievement. Our decisions as a board are centred on our commitment to deliver the best for our students. 

What’s Happening in YRDSB

Kindergarten registration opened January 20 for families with children who will start Kindergarten in September 2023. 

French Immersion registration is open from January 20-February 6 for students entering Grade 1 in September 2023. 

Student trustee elections are currently underway. All students in Grades 5-12 will have an opportunity to vote for the student trustees who will represent them next school year. 

In February, we recognize Black History Month, celebrating the contributions of Black people to the fabric of our society. I encourage you to visit the Board’s Centre for Black Student Excellence webpage and newsletter to learn more about upcoming events during Black History Month and what’s happening in the Board to celebrate Black excellence. 

Family Day and the March Break are also approaching and we hope everyone enjoys the break.

There are a number of other events for families coming up and I encourage you to check the Board calendar.

New Schools

One of the other questions I am asked, particularly in growing communities is about new schools or capital projects. I can let you know that in our municipality the following capital projects have received approval:

• Blue Willow Public Sch​​ool Kindergarten Addition, proposed to open January 2025. 
• Kleinburg/Nashville Elementary Sch​​ool, proposed to open September 2024. 
• E.J. Sand Public Sch​​ool replacement, proposed to open September 2023.

There are many ways you can stay up-to-date with what’s happening in our school board. Visit the newsroom or website homepage at www.yrdsb.ca. Listen to our podcast. Follow the Board on Twitter, Instagram or YouTube. Read your school newsletters and emails. I look forward to staying connected with you. 

Best regards,

Estelle Cohen, Trustee, Vaughan Wards 4 and 5

We wanted to share with our community regarding the upcoming School Council Meeting on Thursday, February 2nd 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.

On Sunday, January 22^nd it will be Lunar New Year!  We will recognize Lunar New Year at the school on Monday, January 23^rd.  We welcome all those who celebrate the holiday to dress up in traditional New Year clothing, if they wish. And we welcome all our students to get into the spirit, even in the absence of traditional clothing, by dressing in red on Monday, January 23^rd.  The colour red is thought to symbolize good luck, so please help us usher in the Year of the Rabbit with some colourful good fortune!

Kindergarten registration for September 2023 begins on January 20, 2023 for the 2023-24 school year.  Children who turn four or five years old during 2023, live within the school boundary, and whose parents or guardians are public school tax supporters will be eligible to register for Kindergarten.

There are several ways you can register for Kindergarten:

• Online – Families can access the online Kindergarten registration information at yrdsb.ca/kindergarten. It is recommended that families use a laptop or a desktop, rather than a mobile device to complete this registration.
• By email – Families can download the Elementary School Registration Form at yrdsb.ca/kindergarten and email the completed form to rosedale.ps@yrdsb.ca.
• In-person at the school – Families may visit the school office to drop off or complete a registration form.

If you require support to complete the registration form or have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the school office at 905-882-1864 or by email at rosedale.ps@yrdsb.ca.

Once you have completed your application, the school will contact you to make an appointment to review and verify the required documents.

Our Kindergarten programs are caring and welcoming where children learn through exploration, play and inquiry. You can learn more at www.yrdsb.ca/kindergarten.  We look forward to welcoming new students and their families to our school in September!

Our School Council is excited to share with you the return of Spirit Wear! Rosedale Heights P.S. hoodies can now be ordered on SchoolCash Online through Monday, January 16th. We want to see our students, staff and community show off their school spirit with some amazing RHPS clothing … some great new gear for a great New Year!

Hoodies will be available for $30 each in navy blue or purple, in a range of size (Youth: S/M/L/XL; Adult: S/M/L/XL/XXL/XXXL).

Items are made specific to our school’s order and cannot be exchanged. We invite and welcome our parents, guardians and students to visit the school office during regular office hours to look at actual product samples for the purposes of sizing correctly. Orders will be open until 3:30 p.m. on Monday, January 16th. (Please note, no late orders can be processed.)

Let’s see your Rocket Pride in 2023!

Order today … before it’s too late! Pizza can be ordered on School Cash Online.  If you have any questions, please contact the school office.

Our Junior student leaders are excited to share with you that they will be holding a special seasonal Spirit Day next week. They officially declare Wednesday, December 21st to be Winter Holiday Spirit Day!

All students are invited and encouraged to wear their finest, festive, winter wear. Antlers are perfect for the occasion! Ugly sweaters are welcome, too. Festive hats will fit right in. Or even come to school in your comfiest holiday pajamas! Or simply display your spirit by wearing your most wintery apparel. Let’s show off our Rosedale Heights P.S. School Spirit this Holiday Season!

We have received this letter of appreciation from the Richmond Hill Community Food Bank, thanking us for our support during our recent Food Drive.  Inasmuch as this acknowledgement was sent to the school, the real thanks go out to you.

We gratefully share this letter with you, and extend our own thanks to our students and staff for supporting this most worthwhile cause, and of course, our generous Rosedale Heights P.S. community.

Great job Rosedale Heights P.S.!

For those students who missed Photo Day in November or require photos to be redone, Photo Retake Day will be held on Wednesday, December 14 2022 with Edge Imaging.  Full class photos will also be taken that day.

As a reminder, if you are having your photo retaken, remember to avoid wearing anything green (so you don’t blend into the background).  And don’t forget to smile!

We wanted to share with our community regarding the upcoming School Council Meeting on Thursday, December 8th at 7:00 p.m. in the staff room (the school library is in use with the Book Fair). 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.