May 29, 2026 Principal Message

Admin Corner

Good afternoon, Robina Families,

We had a week full of joy this week! On Wednesday night, we tried something very new and hosted our very first Spring Concert and Wellness Activity night. The students were so proud to share some of the Wellness Stations they’ve worked on all year as well as showcase their wonderful musical talents from Mr. Scott’s classroom. The weather was HOT, which did make our music room feel quite stuffy! Despite this, everyone showed up with a positive attitude. The HOT weather did allow us to really enjoy KONA ICE, who was able to come out to the event. This was a kickback fundraiser for our school, so thank you for supporting this. They will be back on the last day of school to provide an ice cup for all our students! If you have any feedback about the event, we’d love to hear it! Click here! 

As I mentioned in the previous Principal Corner, we are working hard behind the scenes in planning for next year! We have our staffing set, and our teachers are diligently working through our class lists.

There are a few people who will be exploring new opportunities next year:

• Ms. Joosee, our wonderful librarian, will be retiring at the end of this year. She is excited to journey on the new road ahead. 
• Mrs. Patten and Mrs. Russell both stepped into our EIPK program midway through the year. We are so grateful to them for supporting our youngest learners this year. 
• Mrs. Wright also jumped into a Grade 1 classroom this year, halfway through our year. You will still see her in the community as she has taken a position at Riverview Middle School for next year. 
• We are wishing Ms. Jaden, our FSLW all the best as she heads out on maternity leave! We appreciate all the support you’ve provided us this year!

We’d also like to welcome and acknowledge a few shifts within our building:

• Mrs. Sheri Gerhart will be joining us and teaching Grade 1. Ms. Gerhart comes to us with experience teaching in Beaumont. We are excited for you to join our wonderful staff.
• Ms. DeFrancesco will be taking on teaching a Grade 2/3 split next year. Ms. DeFranchesco, or as many of our students know her, Ms. Angela, was formally our Success Coach with the Mental Health Capacity Building Team. She knows our building well and is excited to join the teaching team at Robina.
• Mrs. Porter, our current Complexity Lead Teacher, will continue in this role as well as will be teaching our K3 morning Kindergarten classroom.
• Mrs. Gerard will be taking on the EIPK program
• All of our other teaching staff are remaining in their current assignments and are excited to continue to support Robina in the fall. 
• A full list of our classroom assignments can be found here. Please note that assignments are subject to change. 

Finally, we are balancing our budget. Please take a moment to log into PowerSchool and check your account for any remaining school fees that may still be sitting in your cart. Completing these payments helps us finalize our upcoming school activities and resources.

If you are experiencing any issues with the payment system or have questions about your fees, please don't hesitate to contact the school office at 780-987-3705 for assistance. Thank you for your cooperation!

Warmly,

Mr. Coffin & Mrs. Kirton

You Pour Your Heart Into Our School—Let Us Pour You a Coffee!

Our school is powered by the kindness and dedication of our volunteers. On Wednesday, June 10, we want to celebrate you! Please stop by our coffee station between 7:45 AM and 8:45 AM for a complimentary breakfast treat and a warm drink.

Whether you’re rushing to work or heading home after drop-off, we hope this little "Pick-Me-Up" reminds you just how much we appreciate your "tea-riffic" support! It’s just a small way for us to say thank you for being the "premium blend" that makes our school community so special.

We want to say thank you to all of our volunteers who so generously gave their time and energy this year!  If you have come to the school to help out, gone on a field trip, supplied food or treats to the classes, photocopied, laminated, worked hot lunch, put away library books, read to kids, tied skates, or gone on a walk (you get the idea), we hope you can stop by for a little “Pick-Me-Up”:

• When: Wednesday, June 10 | 7:45 AM – 8:45 AM
• Where: The Front of Robina Baker
• What: Fresh coffee, tea, and muffins to-go!

Dive In! Swimming Lessons & Free Swims at Robina Baker

We are thrilled to announce that our students will be heading back to the Devon Community Pool this June! Swimming is a fantastic part of our Physical Education and Wellness program, helping students build confidence and physical literacy in the water.

Key Details You Need to Know:

• Grade 1–4 Lessons: June 15–18 (Daily 30-minute sessions).
• Reduced Cost: Thanks to our successful Spell-a-Thon, the fee is only $30 (down from $39.47).
• Free Fun Swims: Scheduled for June 23 for most grades (Kindergarten runs June 15–18).
• Volunteers Needed: We need parent helpers to meet safety ratios—please let us know if you can join us in the pool!

Action Required: Please visit ourSwimming Lessons and Free Swimspage to view the full schedule, check volunteer requirements, and access the PowerSchool permission forms.

Important Deadlines:

• June 5: Permission forms (including swimming levels) due via PowerSchool.
• June 12: All fees must be paid to participate.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to the school office at 780-987-3705. We can’t wait to see the kids in the water!

Upcoming Field Trips

The end of the school year is always an exciting time filled with field trips! Please check your PowerSchool account frequently to sign outstanding permission forms and clear any associated fees.

The following upcoming field trips are now active and posted on PowerSchool:

School Supplies

Your teachers are excited to offer the opportunity to purchase quality standardized school supplies through School Start for the 2026/2027 school year. This process will save you both time and money. More info available here:

School Supply Info

☀️💸 CASH FOR SUMMER IS HERE! 💸☀️

RBES School Council is wrapping up the year with one last fundraising hoorah, and this one could put some extra cash in your pocket for summer! 🍉🍦🌴

🎟️ 50/50 Raffle

📅 May 26 – June 19

🎉 Fundraising in support of the new school park

PLUS… the class with the highest sales total will win an 🍦 ICE CREAM PARTY 🍦 courtesy of your School Council fam!

Help us finish the year strong while supporting an exciting new space for our students to play, connect, and grow. ❤️

Good luck, RBES families, let’s make this the biggest one yet!

https://www.rafflebox.ca/raffle/rbpfc2026

📝 School Supply Shopping Made Easy for 2026-2027!

It seems way too early to think about school supplies for next year, but School Start already has early order incentives up and running!

To save you both time and money, Robina Baker Elementary School is offering two easy ways to get your child's supplies ready for the upcoming school year:

Option 1: Order Online via School Start – Let the pros do the work! You can order a base package plus any teacher-required additional items (like pencil cases or calculators). Supplies are packaged and delivered directly to your home.

💻 Online: Order directly at School Start.

📞 Phone: Call 1-800-580-1868.

📧 Email: Print, fill out the list, and email it to info@schoolstart.ca.

Option 2: Shop for Yourself – Prefer to hunt for deals yourself? You can view and download the grade-specific shopping lists directly from our website.

💡 Bonus Fundraiser: If you purchase school labels through Mabel’s Labels, your child’s gear stays organized all year and Robina Baker earns cash back!

For full details, links to the shopping lists, and to place your order, head over to the official Robina Baker School Supplies Page.

Library Corner: 

• ALL library books will be due on Friday, June 12th.  Please be sure to send them to school that week. 
• Missing books - I know some of you are searching for missing books. They usually show up at some point. If not, they will be marked as lost and the amount will be added to your Powerschool account. 
• Please email me, not your teacher, if you have any questions or concerns about library items.  trudy.joosse@gshare.blackgold.ca   
•  Amazon Wishlist. We have a wishlist for the library!  If you would like to buy one of these books for the library, please don’t forget to have Amazon send us a gift note with your name on it.  I like to acknowledge the person who purchased the book.  Thanks!
• Happy Reading!

Summer Programming:

Grade 1-6 Summer Camps

Teen Tuesdays

Family Events

Registration will take place on Friday, June 5 @ 9:00 am

Details to follow

Transportation registration for the 2026-27 school year is open! 

Early birds who register by June 30th:

- Save money through early bird discounts
- Guarantee a spot on the bus on the first day of school

To register: 
https://www.blackgold.ca/apply-for-transportation-Black-Gold-Students

Learn more about early bird savings: 
https://www.blackgold.ca/transportation-fees-and-info

Preschool Registration

Black Gold School Division is accepting registrations for Preschool in 2026-27.

When little learners need a little more - we're here! Every child grows differently. Our early intervention preschool programs provide specialized support so children can build confidence, skills, and a strong start to school.

If you've wondered about your preschooler's speech, learning, behavior, or development, a free screening can help you explore next steps.

For more information - including a link to a FREE developmental screening, visit our preschool website page, here.

Free Summer Camp

We are offering FREE Squirt Camp — a great 3-day introduction to camp packed with fun, adventure, and activities designed to create memories that will last a lifetime! 

Dates: August 5–7, 2026

Drop-off: 10:00 AM | Pick-up: 2:00 PM

Registration Deadline: June 18, 2026

Discount Code: FREEcamp (value: $125)

Website: Covenant Bay Squirt Camp

To secure their spot, families simply need to pay a $50 non-refundable deposit at the time of registration.

Spots are limited to 30 students, so we encourage families to register early. We would love your help spreading the word by sharing this opportunity with your students and their families. 

For more information or to register, please contact us at registration@covenantbay.ca.