St. Daniel Weekly Update

March 31 - April 4, 2025

Prayer

Gracious God, 

During this Lenten season, open our hearts to your presence. Help us to reflect on our lives and renew our spirits with your love. May we grow in faith and understanding, walking closer with you each day.

Amen     

Twenty Seventh Week of School

Monday's unexpected snowfall, a true 'spring surprise,' wasn't welcomed by the St. Daniel community. It did, however, evoke a cherished family anecdote about my parents' wedding on April 16th, 1956, in Toronto. They faced a 'blizzard' – a mere two centimeters, yet, given Toronto's... idiosyncratic snow removal practices, likely enough to paralyze the city.

That same Monday, our Den groups convened, showcasing remarkable student collaboration. It's heartening to witness our junior students embrace leadership roles, strengthening bonds within their respective groups. The children shared the story, 'My Love, God Is Everywhere,' and reflected on Jesus' presence in their lives, offering insightful and moving perspectives. Our sincere gratitude to the Kindergarten team – Mrs. Costantini, Mme. Roy, and Mrs. Roque – for their dedication in organizing these meaningful gatherings.

Thursday began with a rare bus cancellation, a reminder to routinely check the OSTA website for updates. The evening held particular significance for twelve future Lions, as we hosted our Kindergarten information night. The anticipation was palpable, and it's intriguing to consider that these children will graduate high school in 2038-2039. Will the Toronto Maple Leafs or Ottawa Senators have secured a Stanley Cup by then? The day was beautifully sunny, and the once-imposing snow mountain had nearly vanished, leaving only traces of ice. Yet, Friday's primary topic was the impending weekend storm. We'll soon discover the extent of this final winter surge. And, of course, we can't forget the Senators' thrilling victory against the Red Wings! The playoffs are on the horizon!

PD Day

Just a reminder that April 4, 2025 is a PD Day.  There will be no school for students.

The Nepean Centrepointe Library

Program Details:

What: Fun and interactive 30-minute read-aloud sessions

Who: Each child will be paired with a teen volunteer

When: Tuesdays from 4:15 to 4:45 PM

Where: Nepean Centrepointe library, 101 Centrepointe Dr

Dates: March 25 – May 27

Registration: Required via email at NepeanCentrepointe@BiblioOttawaLibrary.ca

Kinder Information Night

Thank you to all the parents and new Lions that came to our Kinder Open House.  Before you know it, the first day of school will be here!!!!!!!

Luv 2 groove

On April the 7th and April the 8th all St. Daniel students will take part in two sessions of Luv 2 Groove.

You can visit the website https://luv2groove.com/ for more information.  

SNOW DAYS  (They can still happen)

In the event that extreme weather results in the cancellation of school buses, parents are asked to call in their child’s absence if they take a school bus.  The school will remain open.  Should you choose to send your child to school, parents are responsible for transportation to and from school that day.  School hours are from 9:15 to 3:45 p.m.  If you wish to have someone other than a family member pick your child up, a written request with your signature must be delivered to the office or by email.

PIZZA DAY SNOW DAY

We do not cancel pizza delivery on a snow day that happens to fall on a Tuesday.  St. Daniel has most of the population these days.

St. Daniel Spirit Wear

St. Daniel Spiritwear is now available to order on our new webstore.  Please go to https://stdaniel.secure-decoration.com/ to shop our expanded line of St. Daniel merch!  

The webstore will remain open all year long, but those who order before the deadline on November 30 will qualify for free shipping to the school where you can either pick up your order, or have it sent home with your child.  THIS IS ALSO ON THE LANDING PAGE OF OUR SCHOOL WEBSITE.

OSTA

Ottawa Student Transportation Authority has launched a user-friendly progressive web application to

provide real-time updates about your child’s transportation status. With this app, you’ll receive timely

alerts and notifications directly to your device via push notifications. It’s easy to set up, it’s free, and

notifications are instant. The app will replace emails when it comes to weather cancellation

notifications only; emails will still be circulated for delays, cancellations and other alerts.

Visit www.ottawaschoolbus.ca to learn more. Questions and concerns can be directed to

pwahelp@ottawaschoolbus.ca.This initiative reflects our commitment to better serving our communities and improving the well-being of our students during transportation.

Parking

As a reminder, the north side of the street in front of the school is a no-stopping zone. Please be mindful of the no-parking zone on the south side as well. We've noticed increased congestion in these areas, which creates a potentially unsafe environment for our students and neighbours.

To help alleviate this, we kindly ask that you park a block away and walk the short distance to school. Your cooperation in making our school zone a safer place for everyone in our community is greatly appreciated!

We also wanted to bring to your attention concerns about entering the back parking lot for drop off and pick up of EDP students.  Please be cautious and go very slow when entering and exiting the parking lot. 

We have installed a two way mirror to alleviate the blind spot.  

Breakfast Program

Dear Parents/Guardians,

All students are invited to attend the breakfast program.  If you do not want your child to participate in the breakfast program, kindly contact your teacher with this request.

Arrival / Dismissal Drop off / Pick up

Please be aware the procedures that are in place for dismissal and pick up.  To promote the safety of our students at St Daniel Catholic School, we have developed and implemented a plan to ensure the safe arrival and dismissal of our children. Parents and school staff have a vital role in this process. 

ARRIVAL: Children enter the gate which is located at the east end of the school . They do so between 9:00 - 9:15 a.m. Students will then proceed to the schoolyard. No adults are allowed on the school yard before, during or after school. Educators will be in these designated areas.  At 9:15 when the bell rings, students will line up with classes, and then they will proceed into the school through their designated door, and be escorted with their teacher to their classroom.  In the case of inclement weather, students will enter the school from designated doors, and be directed by staff to their classrooms. We ask your full cooperation as the safety and security of our children is a whole school approach.  

Dismissal:  Everyone will be dismissed from their classrooms between 3:38 - 3:45pm.  When the buses arrive, kinders will start boarding buses at 3:40, followed by Grades 1-6 students.  EDP students will leave at 3:44 to walk directly to EDP.  Walkers will leave at 3:44 to leave school for home.  

Drop Off /Pick UP If you are driving your child to school in the morning or picking them up at dismissal time, we ask you to park your car away from the school and WALK-A-BLOCK. We ask that you do not enter the Bus drop off zone, these are off limits to all cars between 9:00 AM - 9:30 PM and  3:30 PM - 4:00 PM .

Reminder EDP

We kindly request that students and parents refrain from entering classrooms and the junior floor area before and after school. These rules have been in place for some time and we appreciate your cooperation in following them.

St. Daniel Catholic School Council  

Next Meeting: April 22, 2025  LC

Council News: Parent Pulse

School Website

We encourage all of our Parents/Guardians to check our St. Daniel website daily during the week.  Updated information from the Board is published, as well as weekly updates from the school, as well as important dates  listed on the school calendar. Please take note that the information that is on weekly updates will also be sent via school messenger.

School Messenger

 Please sign up for School messenger to make sure you will be receiving all communication from our school. If this is not completed you may miss out on receiving some important announcements from our school. School Messenger

Parent Portal

****** VERY IMPORTANT TO COMPLETE THIS PROCESS OR YOU WILL BE UNABLE TO ACCESS REPORT CARDS 

Please visit Login - enCompass to access your students information and in future their report cards.  Please review the contact information listed.  If any changes need to be made please email Daniel@ocsb.ca with the new updates.  

Office Administrator 

Please take note that often times you will not be able to speak to our Office Administrators 30 minutes before the end of school bell at 3:45 PM. This is a very busy time.  Requests to have students be removed from the bus or ready for you to pick them up early should be done in the morning,  by communication in the agenda or a voicemail message before 12:00 PM.  Please understand that these types of requests may not be addressed if you are calling late. We would kindly ask that if you are requesting a pick up at 3:30, please wait until 3:45.

Thank you 

Important Dates

April 1         Mr. Oliver’s Twin Brother to Supply as Principal

April 4         PD Day

Future         April 7, 8     Luv 2 Groove