School's Out for Summer!!!
Updated: Jul 11
Royal Oak Community School
June Newsletter
Happy Summer, Royal Oak! We have so much to celebrate and be proud of in this incredible past school year, and the tears from students and teachers on our last day of school attest to this. We are so lucky to have a community where saying goodbye and even, see you later, is so hard!
The month of June was jam-packed with incredible experiences for our students and families, and the newsletter below outlines the highlights from such events as Camp Wahanowin, Week without Walls, Alice in Wonderland, Graduation and more.
Importantly, there is change afoot for the upcoming year that we hope continues to enrich the experience of every child and family at Royal Oak. From newly updated spaces (a new Grade 5/6 classroom and French room!), to expanded aftercare (Friday’s too!), there is much to look forward to. Our website is currently being updated and improved, but shortly, you will see our 2023/2024 school calendars as well as a new format for finding the information you need daily.
One change I want to linger on a little longer however, is to highlight staff departing from our team, and to welcome new ones. As many of you know, Kelly Satran, our amazing Special Education Resource Teacher (SERT) and her husband, Kyle, are welcoming their first baby in July. Ms. Satran will be on leave for the 2023/2024 school year spending time with her new little one, and we are fortunate to welcome Pierrette Rouse to our team. Pierrette has been teaching for 27 years, and has worked in every possible position inside the walls of a school. She brings immense experience, commitment and a promise to continue the wonderful work of the SERT position at Royal Oak. We say goodbye to Jason Walloschek and Jessica Bigda for the 2023/2024 school year, and these farewells are always hard for us. Jason moves on to teaching in the public board in Niagara, while Jessica is taking a one year leave with plans to return to us in 2024/2025. Whenever these changes happen, we are fortunate to simply grow the Royal Oak community, as these are not goodbyes! Jessica will be back with us soon and Mr. W will remain a supply teacher, visitor and friend to the school always. In the role of Grade 3/4 teacher next year, we welcome Leah Tobin, who many of you know well from her work as a Brock Teacher Candidate in the Early years room for Term 2 and 3. Leah is already known and loved by the students as our EY helper, Summer Camp Director, and also through her many weeks of working in the Grade ¾ to get to know the students and program inside and out. In the role of Grade 7 ⁄ 8 teacher next year, we welcome Mara Castelli. Mara is a graduate of the 6 year Consecutive Education program at Brock, and has ample experience in the Upper Junior Grades. She has also shadowed Mr. W over the last few weeks and knows the returning students and program well. In mid-August, all families can expect to receive an email from their child’s teacher, but contact information is below for each staff member if you wish to reach out and welcome them sooner!
Many of our families were able to join us for our final gathering of the school year at Graduation on June 15. This was an incredibly memorable evening, with performances from every child in the school, child-led videography and importantly, a beautiful speech and farewell from our Grade 8 Valedictorian, Ruby Elltoft. Our Graduating Grade 8’s leave a big hole in our community, and their kindness, inclusivity, leadership and spark will be dearly missed. We look forward however to seeing the ways our new “oldest students” step up to the role of leaders and changemakers.
This summer, Royal Oak will be busy every day hosting children from the community in 8 weeks of Summer Academy, while Admin meetings have already begun to plan for a successful school year ahead. It is a time of dreaming of new opportunities and growth for the families that join us, and for reflection as well. We deeply value your input through this process and encourage you please to reach out to Julia or Laureen to chat about any experiences/offerings you hope to see in the year ahead. Alternatively, please take five minutes to share your thoughts with us in our “Help us Improve” form. We exist because of our community and for it, and strive to exceed your expectations wherever possible. Help us Improve!
I hope for you and your family that summer is also a time for dreaming and for reflection, for play and fresh air, and for new experiences.
I will miss each and every one of our kiddos until the fall, but am only ever an email away. Happy Summer, Royal Oak!
Warm regards,
Julia Murray
Looking Ahead
Royal Oak Uniform Store-revamped! The Royal Oak Uniform store is open for summer from today, June 21 until August 15. It will close August 15 so all orders can be filled in time for the new school year, and we aim to get new pieces to you the first week of school. Please note, a purchase of a Physical Education shirt and one Royal Oak sweatshirt is mandatory, though you are welcome to purchase more for ease of use. Our Uniform Store has moved so please use the Google Form here to order your mandatory gym shirt and other uniform items: https://forms.gle/vNbmJfWmobbfdLcS7 Tuition for 2023/2024 For all returning families, the first tuition payment is due on August 1, 2023. This is the date for all families, regardless of your choice of payment schedule. For our returning families, the $500 re-enrollment fee to hold your child’s space will be deducted from this first invoice. For our new families, $250 of your registration fee will be deducted from this payment. Please note, for families using etransfer, the etransfer password is ROCS and tuition etransfers go to finance@royaloakschool.ca Report Cards Report Cards are completed for Term 2 and 3 and will be emailed home on June 23rd. Please look at your email for your child’s report card and email the school if you have any questions. Please also note- for the 2023/2024 school year, we will have three report cards instead of two. A shorter, more condensed Progress Report will go home on November 24 to highlight Term 1. A Term 2 and Term 3 Report Card will go home February 23 and June 21 respectively. Lost and Found Lost and Found items can be seen at the school by appointment over the summer. If your child has lost something or forgot an item at the school on the last day of school, please email the school office to book a time to come and look. |
The New (and Old) Faces of ROCS
Position | Teacher | Email(s) |
Early Years | Ms.Krista McMackin Mrs.Karyll Justo | |
Grade 1/2 | Ms. Robin Forlin | |
Grade 3/4 | Ms. Leah Tobin | leahtobin@royaloakschool.ca |
Grade 5/6 | Ms. Brittany Nyenhuis | |
Grade 7/8 | Ms. Mara Castelli | maracastelli@royaloakschool.ca |
Physical Education | Mr. Jack Addams-Williams | |
French | Ms. Morgane Chaudoreille | morganechaudoreille@royaloakschool.ca |
Administrative Assistant | Ms. Ireri Espinosa-Boily | |
Assistant Head of School & Admissions Coordinator | Ms. Laureen Dennis | laureendennis@royaloakschool.ca |
Head of School | Ms. Julia Murray | juliamurray@royaloakschool.ca |
JUNE UPDATES
Coffee Cafe and Community Bake Sale Success
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As part of the fundraising effort to raise money for our annual Week Without Walls and overnight camp trip to Camp Wahanowin this year, the staff and students of ROCS hosted Friday morning Coffee Cafe’s and the annual Community Bake Sale.
We raised a whopping $2500 that was used to help students pay for the camps. We want to say a big thank you to all those that participated by contributing their time and baked good for this event. A huge thank you, especially to Ms. Dennis for her leadership
Alice in Wonderland
The Alice in Wonderland production at the Niagara-on-the-Lake Community Centre was a great success. We are so proud of all of our students who participated and made this a night to remember. Thank you to Ms. Bigda and Madame Chaudoreille for creating and painting the backdrops, Ms. McMackin for coordinating the music component and, especially, Ms. Nyenhuis for directing this beautiful production. Please save the date for the next year’s production of Moana, that will be performed in April 2024.
Camp Wahanowin
Grade 3 to 8 students had such a fun time at the yearly overnight camping trip. This year they went to Camp Wahanowin and enjoyed water sports like kayaking and canoeing, aerial activities like high ropes, trapeze and ziplining, cooperative sports and games and sing-a-longs. We look forward to next year's trip at the end of May.
Week Without Walls
The lower school had a blast with their Week Without Walls trips and activities. Students were able to experience community based activities such as guest speakers and trips to the beach and Safari Niagara. They also participated in art and science projects.
GRADUATION & YEAR END CABARET
On Thursday, June 15th, Royal Oak Community School saw their biggest graduating class to date with 10 Grade Eight students and 3 Kindergarten students, moving on to their future goals. ROCS students celebrated this important right of passage through music, led by Ms. McMackin. We want to wish all of our ROCS students a wonderful summer and we can’t wait to see how everyone is doing come September. |
Announcing Royal Oak School
Summer Academy
This summer, ROCS is hosting its first Summer Academy for Ages 4 to 8. This Summer Academy will prepare students for the coming year with fun activities that are language and math focused. Each week students will be immersed in different themes that will challenge and extend their learning.
Please email admin@royaloakschool.ca for more information.
A Look Ahead at ROCS
Tentative September 2023 Calendar
