October 16, 2026 Principal Message

Good afternoon, Robina Families,

We hope you had a wonderful long weekend last weekend! We were excited to see our students back at school on Wednesday! There is SO MUCH on the go next week.

• Mrs. Spence is excited to be hosting our BOOK FAIR this week! The book fair will be open during the day and during our recess breaks Tuesday - Friday. It will also be open late on Thursday and Friday evening.
• Parent-Teacher Interviews will be next Thursday! The school is always a busy place that evening. Our Mental Health Capacity Building Team (MHCB) will be in the gym hosting drop-in family activities, and the BOOK FAIR will be open!
• The School Council is hosting a Halloween Dance next Friday. This is a fun dance where the community really comes together! Make sure you purchase your pre-sale tickets in the same place you get your hot lunches!

Have a wonderful weekend,

Mr. Coffin

Bear Tracks Ice Melter

Order Deadline: November 12th

Delivery Date: TBA once order is placed

Pickup location: Devon TBD

We are selling 16 kg pails of Bear Tracks Ice-Melt for $31.50 each.

How to order:

- Fill out the order form.

- e-Transfer your total to rbesfundraising@gmail.com.

- You will be contacted once the pickup date and times are confirmed.

RBES Halloweenie Dance!

Get your costumes ready! We are excited to invite all RBES families to our Halloweenie Dance on Friday, October 23rd, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM.

• Admission: $10 per family
• Food: Hot dogs available for $2 each (Pre-orders available via the Hot Lunch Website)

Come out for a night of music, fun, and community connection. We can't wait to see all the great costumes!

The Scholastic Book Fair is Coming to Robina Baker!

Mark your calendars! The Scholastic Book Fair is returning to Robina Baker Elementary from October 19 – 23. Get ready to discover exciting new reads, popular series, and fan-favourite characters. Best of all, every purchase made directly benefits our school by helping us add new books and resources to our classrooms. Stay tuned for details on shopping hours and schedules!

Being Kind To Yourself Is Good For Your Kids

Did you know we can think up to 3,000 words per minute…but only speak about 150? That means there’s a whole lot of conversation happening inside our heads every day!

As parents, we hear a lot about self-care, but it can feel expensive, time-consuming, and hard to prioritize when we’re busy worrying about everyone else.

But what if one of the best ways to support our kids starts with how we talk to ourselves?

Instead of chasing self-esteem, which can take a hit when we make mistakes, there is research that points to something more helpful: self-compassion!

Why Self-Esteem Isn’t the Whole Story

Self-esteem often depends on how well we think we’re doing. We might even get defensive or avoid admitting when we’re wrong.

Self-compassion offers a different approach:

• Self-kindness: Treating ourselves with kindness instead of beating ourselves up.
• Acknowledging we are human: Remembering that messy days and mistakes are part of living and learning, not a sign we’re failing.
• Mindfulness: Noticing our stress without letting it take over.

What the Research Shows

Research links self-compassion with lower anxiety and stress, and a better ability to bounce back after mistakes. When we’re kinder to ourselves, it can also be easier to admit when we’re wrong; and learn from it..

The 2-for-1 Parent Hack

The best part? It costs nothing and takes very little time to put it to the test.

When we speak kindly to ourselves out loud, our kids hear it, too. We’re showing them how to handle mistakes, frustration, and hard days with a little more kindness.

I hate the thought of my own kids having an inner voice as mean as mine can sometimes be to me. So maybe we can start changing that, one thought at a time.

Not just for ourselves, but for them, too.

We don’t have to get it right all the time. We just have to keep practicing.

Remember - I am around to help brainstorm other ideas about how and when to be kind to ourselves.

Warmly, 

Chantel Handfield

Your Family School Liaison

Here is a really great online seminar to learn more about how to be kind to yourself. It is online and runs by donation Think Kind, Be Kind: Shifting Your Inner Narrative

Student Accident Insurance

Did you know that Black Gold School Division's insurance partner offers optionalVoluntary Student Accident Insurance?

Coverage is completely voluntary, paid for by parents, and separate from the blanket accident insurance plan held by the Division. For details on available coverage and to compare plans, please visit StudyInsured Website.