Have a Wonderful March Break!

Dear Royal Oak Families,

The last day of the Second Term is tomorrow, and it is hard to believe how fast it has flown! It feels like 2026 just arrived and yet, when we return from the break, Spring will have officially sprung, and Term 3 will be upon us. Though the school is closed from March 9-20 inclusive, our March Break camp is running in week two from March 16-20, and limited spaces are still available. Please email camps@royaloakschool.ca to sign up!

There is so much to celebrate as we head towards the break, including the truly wonderful performance on Friday of “Frozen Jr.,” our musical. It was such a treat to watch each of the children shine in their roles, whether as “Summer” or “Winter”, or in a lead. For our last day today, the students enjoyed a dress down day, pizza day and a watch party of their performance - a perfect way to say goodbye before the break!

This month, we acknowledge many important religious and cultural celebrations in our community, and wish Ramadan Mubarak! Chag Purim Sameach! Happy Holi! Eid Mubarak! to all who celebrate. As we will be on holiday during Eid al-Fitr and Nowruz, we warmly invite families who celebrate these occasions to connect with your child’s teacher if you would like to help enrich our community’s understanding of these important celebrations in your family.

As we move into Term three, I do have a few announcements regarding approaching deadlines for the upcoming school year. The first is for FAST applications, which will be open to returning families until March 30. Families who have already applied will be contacted shortly with their assessments for the 2026/2027 school year.

The other reminder is that though we have moved the deadline for re-enrollment intentions and deposits from March 30 to April 30 to account for the very short month here at the school...this time will be here before we know it! Your re-enrollment plans with the $500 deposit are essential to help us plan for staffing, classroom renovations or upgrades and programming. NEW THIS YEAR - families that pay the re-enrollment deposit before April 30 will have it deducted from their first tuition payment in July, families that miss the deadline will have it added as fee.

Please fill our your Re-enrollment plans here at your earliest convenience: Re-enrollment Form 2026/2027

Please also note the new 2026/2027 school year calendar linked in our updates below as we look ahead to the upcoming school year!

As we say goodbye to Term 2, I wish each of you a happy, safe and healthy March Break with time for rest and relaxation.

Warm regards,Julia

Julia

Julia Murray, Head of School

Welcome back Pierrette!

Our amazing Special Education Resource Teacher, Pierrette Rouse, who was part of our staff in the 2023/2024 school year and the 2025 school year, is back. Pierrette joins us once again in the SERT role to support our students both one on one, and in the classroom, and we are so lucky to have her rejoin our community. Please don't hesitate to reach out to Pierrette directly about her caseload, her time with your child or any questions you might have regarding our Special Education program at ROCS.

pierretterouse@royaloakschool.ca

Important Reminders

Last Chance to Register for March Break Camp

There are a few days left to register for March Break camp! Royal Oak's March Break is from March 9-20. We will be hosting March Break Camp through the second week (March 16-20). Camp is $50/day, and you can register for individual days or the entire week. Please register HERE before March 11th.

Camp Wenonah and Week without Walls update

March 20th is the deadline for the Camp Wenonah and Week without Walls permission forms and non-refundable deposit. The Camp Wenonah deposit is $200, and Week without Walls is $100. These payments can be paid by e-transfer to admin@royaloakschool.ca . The Camp Wenonah permission form can be accessed HERE . Please reach out to Mrs. Hill if you have any questions about Week without Walls, and Ms. Dennis for Camp Wenonah.

We’re excited to share the details for this year’s Week Without Walls, happening June 1–4 while our older students are away at Camp Wenonah! This four-day experience is packed with hands-on learning, local exploration, and plenty of fun.

Students will enjoy a tour and workshop at the Niagara Pumphouse Arts Centre, step back in time with a visit to Fort George, spend a full day soaking up splash pad and park fun, and share lunch together at Bricks & Barley. We’ll also enjoy a phenomenal full day exploring the incredible facilities of Niagara Parks Commission — plus, students will travel in style with a full day of a chartered WeGo Bus just for Royal Oak!

The cost this year reflects the expanded programming and big trip experiences: $160 for students in JK and up, and $50 for Pre-K students (who will join us on June 2 and 4). For families with students in JK and up attending Week Without Walls at school, a $100 non-refundable deposit is required by March 20 to help cover upfront booking costs.

If your child will not be attending Week Without Walls, please let us know by March 20 so we can adjust our numbers, as activity providers require confirmed counts in advance.

We can’t wait for four unforgettable days of adventure, creativity, and community!

Murder Mystery Fundraiser: The Chateau Affair

You're invited to step back into the glamour and intrigue of the Roaring Twenties at The Chateau Affair, an immersive murder mystery cocktail party set within the elegant Château des Charmes winery.

Guests will be welcomed with a sparkling reception and canapés before the evening unfolds into a live, interactive whodunit. As secrets are revealed and suspicions rise, guests will enjoy a cash bar, mix and mingle, gather clues, and attempt to solve the mystery before the final reveal. The evening includes sweet and savory canapés, a sparkling toast, and exclusive wine tastings, generously provided by Oban Inn and Château des Charmes.

All ticket sales support Royal Oak's bursary fund, allowing any child, regardless of financial circumstance, to attend the school. Tickets are selling FAST! Get yours HERE.

Tennis Club is Back!

We're very happy to announce that Tennis club will return on Wednesday afternoons from April 29th - June 10th. Watch for sign up information after March break. $90/6 sessions. The NOTL Tennis Club's sign up for summer programming is also now open. Please check out the details below:

NOTL TENNIS JUNIOR PLAY Schedule

Wednesday Play Dates

Start Times: 4:00 PM and 5:00 PM

Session I (Spring): May 6 – June 10
Session II (Summer): June 17 – July 29
Session III (Late Summer): August 5 – September 9

Thursday Play Program (Orange & Green Ball Only)

Start Time: 4:00 PM

Session I (Spring): May 7 – June 11
Session II (Summer): June 18 – July 30
Session III (Late Summer): August 6 – September 10

Registration & Payment

Session Fee: $90 per session / per junior

Payment: e-transfer to addintennis@gmail.com to reserve your space

Register Here:

https://forms.gle/dsgNjh3YGcqsBMhq7

All new Coffee Cafe!

With the generous help of the Aubin-Clemmer family, we piloted an up-levelled coffee cafe that was a huge success! Think Starbucks coffee, bakery pastries, cold juices and drinks, and a place to enjoy them while building community with other Royal Oak families. We're excited to bring it back after March break, and raise funds for Camp Wenonah.

Join us on Friday mornings!

A special announcement from the NOTL Fire Department

NOTL Fire has launched its 2026 recruitment campaign for Volunteer Firefighters. Volunteering with NOTL Fire is a meaningful way to give back to the community in which we live. Applications close March 31st. Use the QR code in the image below for more information.

February Fun at Royal Oak!

Royal Oak Character Award Winners for February

Royal Oak's February character traits were kindness and honesty this month, supporting both Valentine’s Day and Pink Shirt Day (anti-bullying day). Getting together as a school, we discussed the importance of being kind to loved ones, friends, peers and citizens in general. We learned how to stand up to bullying and how to be considerate people. ROCS was treated to assemblies that had us talking, reading books and listening to our very own choir sing.

Our February Kindness award winners are:

Early Years - Timothy D. and Mariia K.

Primary 1 - Simon A.C. and Katherine U.

Primary 2 -Isabel U. and Cain M.

Junior Middle -Frankie A.C.

Upper Middle - Aspen Z.

Royal Canadian Legion National Youth Remembrance Contest Winners

Once again, Royal Oak participated in the Royal Canadian Legion’s National Youth Remembrance Contest. The categories were: black and white poster, colour poster, essay and poem. Each student submitted an entry, and the Royal Legion judged the works of art and writing. Every classroom winner received a framed certificate and cash presented by members of our local Legion branch who visited us to honour the winners from Royal Oak. We are so proud of all of our students for their hard work and effort, and our award winners for their achievements!

❄ A Letter From Your Frozen Directors ❄

As we thaw out from all the excitement of our production of Frozen Jr., our hearts are absolutely full. What an incredible journey this has been!

To our amazing students — you truly “let it go” and gave this production everything you had. From the first rehearsal to the final bow, your courage, commitment, and creativity shone brighter than Elsa’s ice palace. Watching you grow in confidence, support one another, and bring Arendelle to life has been the greatest gift of all. You reminded us that some people are worth melting for — and this cast certainly is!

To our dedicated co-staff — thank you for being our steady North Mountain guides throughout this adventure. Whether you were running lines, organizing backstage chaos, managing costume changes, or stepping in wherever needed, your teamwork made the magic possible. Like Anna and Elsa, this production was strongest because we worked together.

And to our incredible parent volunteers — we simply could not have done this without you. From sewing and organizing costumes, to building and painting sets, to driving these items to rehearsals, you helped turn big dreams into something real. You built the world of Arendelle piece by piece, and your generosity of time and talent did not go unnoticed. Truly, this show was powered by love (and maybe just a little bit of pixie dust and ice magic).

Productions like this take a village — and what a beautiful village we have. Thank you for believing in our students, supporting the arts, and helping create an experience they will never forget.

The cold never bothered us anyway… but your warmth made all the difference.

With gratitude and pride,

Ms.N and Mrs.Hill

A Special Thank You to these parents who volunteered their time and resources to make the show a success:

Ana Gomez and Ed Merkley

Shannon Fletcher

Victoria Gilbert

Ethan Kerr

Kendra and Nate Finlay

David and Stephane

Jillian Campagnola

Lots of Fun Inside Our Classrooms in February

Middle School

This past month has been a busy one, with much of our focus dedicated to the production of Frozen Jr. We are incredibly proud of all the Middle School students for the outstanding job they did last Friday evening. Students also recognized Pink Shirt Day, learning about the importance of kindness and compassion—not only within their classrooms, but throughout the broader community. They participated in a special kindness activity that brought smiles to everyone in the class.

Students have been thoughtfully integrating their learning across Language, Social Studies, Science, and Mathematics, applying key concepts in meaningful and engaging ways. In the Junior Middle classroom, students continued their exploration of the human body, focusing on the respiratory and digestive systems. Through this work, they examined the impact of healthy eating habits and the effects of smoking on overall health. Hands-on learning experiences—including building balloon lung models and designing digestive system marble runs—allowed students to deepen their understanding of how these systems function and interact, as well as how external factors influence the body. Building on their learning in Data Literacy, students also participated in simulated medical trials to explore how doctors test medications and evaluate their effectiveness. They further applied their measurement skills in practical first aid scenarios, where they were challenged to treat fractures and burns using a limited supply of bandages—encouraging precision, collaboration, and problem-solving.

In Language and Social Studies, students focused on grammar, word work, book reports, and Black History Month studies. They created and presented engaging slide shows highlighting notable figures who have made significant contributions to our culture and society.

In Upper Middle, students have been investigating structural design, with a focus on understanding both successful and failed structures. They explored the effects of static and dynamic loads on buildings and bridges, gaining insight into the forces that impact structural integrity. Currently, students are developing their understanding of measurement and angle relationships, which they will soon apply in an upcoming city planning assignment later this month.

In Language, History, and Geography, students worked on movie reviews, book reports, and word work to further expand their vocabulary. Upper Middle students also completed comprehensive studies on notable African American and Canadian figures, presenting their learning to the class with great success.

Ms. N and Ms. Dennis would like to wish everyone a wonderfully relaxing March Break next week.

Primary 2/3

What an exciting month in Primary 2! With so much going on in the school, there were so many amazing moments in our classroom this month. Between Frozen Jr, the NOTL Museum Trip, the United Way presentation, Pink Shirt Day, and Valentines day, Primary 2 celebrated and learned a lot in February.

In Language, Primary 2 focused on paragraph writing, reinforcing our learning of Prefixes and Suffixes, and learning through read-alouds. We have written many great paragraphs from our favourite things in life to different experiences we have had. Students have worked hard in using prefixes and suffixes in sentences and being able to identify and read them in texts. Lastly, we have read some great read-alouds that reinforced our learning in various subjects. A few of them include Bean Thirteen, Hair Love, and A Spot of Kind Words. Students have done such a great job applying these books to our learning.

Primary 2 has been diving deep into multiplication and division concepts. This month we have been focusing on learning how to multiply and divide using various strategies such as repeated addition/subtraction, using a number line, utilizing arrays, and making equal groups. We have been using many hands on manipulatives to reinforce our learning, such as snap cubes and counters. Students have also done such an amazing job in small groups, practising and developing a stronger understanding of the skills we’ve learned in whole group lessons.

In Inquiry this month, Primary 2 has been working very hard on creating an artifact for our class museum. They created a replica of an artifact to display alongside an informational paragraph they wrote about the artifact. Students have used their knowledge of paragraph writing and research skills they've been working on studying Indigenous and Settler communities.

Overall, February was filled with lots of exciting moments, balanced with deep learning. I am so excited for what March has in store for Primary 2!

The last thing I want to share is an article that was just one of the pieces of learning from our PD day:

When to resist the urge to help students

This article addresses the idea that learning and skill building happens during these moments of confusion and frustration; productive struggle. When we are too quick to provide children with help or solutions then we are indirectly affecting their confidence and perception of their own ability to complete tasks/engagement in learning. Rather, we should be using scaffolding techniques to provide productive help for children. Offering stepping stones, asking questions, or providing hints instead of answers allows children to preserve their independence and foster self-sufficiency.

Primary 1/2

Another month has come and gone in the blink of an eye! Although February is the shortest month of the year, it is often one of the busiest in a school. It is a time when we celebrate, recognize, and practice kindness, and many special days highlight individuals—past and present—who have demonstrated and fought for this important character trait.

February is also Black History Month. This year in Primary1, our focus has been on the importance of Black leaders, advocates, inventors, artists, musicians, and authors. The class developed an understanding of diversity and an appreciation for what makes each of us unique and special. The children listened to jazz music and constructed shakers to play along, learned about Garrett Morgan (the inventor of the traffic light) and designed their own inventions, and explored the work of civil rights advocates such as Viola Desmond, Martin Luther King Jr., and Michaëlle Jean (the first Black woman Governor General of Canada). They also discussed how they can become leaders. Our unit will conclude with an art activity inspired by the paintings of Jean-Michel Basquiat—a wonderful way to explore the importance of Black history in Canada.

In other subjects, writing was a focus during our Literacy Blocks. The class wrote journal entries about our trip to the Niagara-on-the-Lake History Museum and the Winter Olympics, and retold the story I Walk With Vanessa by Adam Williams, which we shared on Pink Shirt Day. Math lessons also connected to the Winter Olympics through graphing activities, as students explored data collection, questions of interest, and different types of graphs.

Our Water, Our Life inquiry unit is also coming to an end. The children conducted experiments to observe the effects of oil spills on wildlife, designed and built water filtration systems to clean melted snow collected from our yard, and created water conservation devices.

Primary1 students were also very busy in their Specialty classes this month. Music and Drama were used to prepare for our production of Frozen, in which the children appeared in several scenes as suns and snow. They did an amazing job during the show!

In Physical Education, the class participated in a Winter Olympics–themed unit to spark interest in this global sporting event. Throughout the unit, students tried a variety of Winter Olympic sports, earning points for their teams while reinforcing important values such as teamwork and sportsmanship.

During French, the class read stories such as Vas dormir, Belle au bois dormant to compare with familiar tales, and Petit Paul to introduce our current unit on jobs, community, and careers.

After March Break, our class will begin new inquiry units and writing projects—and the return of our much-loved Wonder Wednesday questions!

Happy March Break, everyone!

Early Years

What a lovely month we’ve had in Early Years! We’ve spent the past few weeks talking a lot about kindness, acceptance, and friendship, going along with the many holidays celebrated in February.

In Literacy, we are reviewing and diving deeper into CVC words and word families. Specifically we’ve been learning about words that use the short a and short o sounds. We’ve also continued our daily Heggerty lessons, where we are learning to listen to words and identify if they rhyme, what sound they hear at the beginning, middle, and end of words, breaking words into syllables. In Math, we started the month learning about data and making different types of surveys and graphs. A phenomenal real-world application of this was to track the medal count of 10 countries during the Olympics.

Currently, we are learning how to read analog clocks to the hour. In Health, we’ve been learning about the zones of regulation, identifying emotions, and strategies to help us feel "green". This month we'll be starting new units like Plant and Animal Life Cycles, Comparing Numbers, and Canadian Money. The kids have been working hard and truly deserve their two week March Break! I’m looking forward to seeing what we learn following the break.