April Newsletter

St. Daniel Weekly Update

April 6 -  April 10, 2026

Prayer

Father God, 

I don’t want this Lent to pass by as just another season—I want to be changed. Strip away anything in me that keeps me from fully surrendering to You. Fill me with Your Spirit and renew my mind so that I may grow in faith, love, and obedience. Open my heart to Your Word, and let my prayer life deepen in intimacy with You. Help me to quiet the noise of the world so I can hear Your voice more clearly. Make me more like Jesus, day by day. 

Amen.

Twenty-Eighth Week of School

I often think back to Grade 5, when a few classmates spent a tedious amount of time flipping our classroom bulletin boards upside down for April Fools' Day. It was a labour of love—carefully unpinning every letter and picture just for a laugh. While I found it hilarious, my teacher unfortunately lacked the sense of humor to match the effort.

Fast forward to this year, and the spirit of the day is still alive. A Grade 1 student—a dedicated Maple Leafs fan—approached me on Monday to ask if we were attending the "Wednesday morning parade." I told him no, but gently reminded him of the date: April 1st. He paused, a grin spreading across his face, and conceded, "Good one!" Even two staff members fell for it, concerned they’d missed the permission slips. It was a wonderful reminder that a sense of humor makes the workday much brighter. As Charlie Chaplin once said, "A day without laughter is a day wasted."

I would like to share with our community just how moving this past Thursday was as our Grade 5/6 class presented the Stations of the Cross through a series of beautiful tableaus.

The entire school demonstrated incredible respect, listening intently as each reader shared their story and concluded with a thoughtful prayer. This presentation is a cherished St. Daniel tradition—one that our primary students look forward to participating in when they reach the junior grades.

We all found the experience deeply moving and are truly grateful for the dedication and hard work Ms. Herbert’s class put into this performance. Thank you for leading us in such a meaningful reflection.

Wishing the entire St. Daniel community a very Happy Easter.

Parking

We ask that Parents do not use the Parking lot behind the school to drop off or pick up students.  That Parking lot is for staff only.  Please use the lot in front of the school.  If that is full. Please walk-a-block.

Kindergarten Charity Magnet Sale for Makonsag

As part of our learning about Indigenous history and our commitment to the Calls to Action, our Kindergarten students are excited to host a charity sale during the Muffin Breakfast on Wednesday, May 6th, from 8:15–9:00 AM. The students have been hard at work creating unique Perler Bead Magnets, which will be available for $2.00 each or any donation (cash only). All proceeds will be donated to Makonsag Child Care Centre, an Ottawa-based non-profit that provides vital, culturally enriched early education for Indigenous children. Makonsag—which means "little bear cubs"—focuses on fostering a strong sense of identity and heritage through language and community support. Please consider bringing a few loonies or toonies to the breakfast to support our students in this meaningful act of Reconciliation and community care.

KG Transportation Information for 2026 -2027

Please see information from OSTA.

St. Daniel Catholic School Council  

Next Meeting:  April 9, 2026   6:30 PM Learning Commons 

Summer International Languages Program 

"OCSB Continuing & Community Education is excited to announce that registration is now open for Summer International Languages Program - Elementary!

This program offers students the opportunity to learn a new language or strengthen their home language through engaging activities such as music, art, storytelling, and cultural exploration. It is a meaningful way for students to build confidence, develop language skills, and connect with diverse cultures in a welcoming and inclusive environment.

The program runs from June 29 - July 31, 2026, at various OCSB locations, with classes available for students in Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8, and is free for Ontario residents.

Families can learn more and register here: https://conted.ocsb.ca/summer-programs/summer-international-languages-elementary "

REMINDERS

Arrival / Dismissal Drop off / Pick up

Please be aware of 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 for 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 .

Breakfast Program

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.

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: 

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 oftentimes 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

Easter                   April 5, 2026

Easter Monday    April 6, 2026