February Newsletter

St. Daniel Weekly Update

February 16 -  February 20, 2026

Prayer

Loving Creator,

We come before you with hearts full of gratitude for the gift of the Holy Family. As we reflect on their example of love, faith, and unity, we seek your guidance in nurturing our own families and communities.

Amen  

Twenty-Second Week of School

Monday’s announcement reminded our Lions that Tuesday would be "Comfy Cozy" Pajama Day! It’s always wonderful to see these Spirit Days spark such genuine excitement. As it turned out, Tuesday became a "Pajama Snow Day"—for many, a perfect combination. While we were also cheering for a Canadian Women’s Hockey victory over Team USA, it wasn’t meant to be this time. We’re keeping our spirits high, knowing the most important battle for Gold is still ahead!

On Wednesday, report cards went live on the parent portal. It’s a far cry from my days in Grade 1 at St. Joseph’s in Bowmanville, where teachers would pin our report cards directly to our shirts! How times have changed. By Thursday, the energy reached a fever pitch for Jersey Day. We caught some of the Men’s and Women’s Olympic hockey action, and our teams certainly didn’t disappoint—the atmosphere in the school was electric.

The school was filled with joy on Friday morning as we celebrated Valentine’s Day (falling on Saturday). It was heartwarming to see the students' excitement as they exchanged handmade cards with friends and staff; their smiles truly brightened the day.

We also want to express our sincere appreciation to Mme. Roy, Mme. Corrine, and their friends for their planning, effort, and hard work in organizing the successful Winter Carnival events, which were immensely enjoyed by all participants.

Family Trivia Night at St. Daniel!

Get ready for a fun-filled evening of Bingo & Trivia at St. Daniel School on Thursday, February 26! Gather your family or team up with another family or friends (teams of 2 to 6 people) for a night of friendly competition, prizes, and community fun!

Time: 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM (Doors open at 5:45 PM)
Cost: $10 per team
Register your team on School Cash Online
Hosted by Mr. Hynes – Prizes to be won!

The night kicks off with a few rounds of Bingo, followed by exciting Trivia—so get your team names ready!

Get creative with your team! Pick a fun team name, and if you’re feeling extra spirited, dress up in matching outfits or costumes!

Concession Table Available – Bring cash for snacks & drinks! Remember to bring your water bottles.

Come out for a great night of laughter, learning, and a little friendly competition! See you there!

Pancake Tuesday

In celebration of Shrove Tuesday (February 17, 2026), the school is excited to announce that we have organized a special event where we will be making and serving pancakes to the entire student body! This is a cherished annual tradition, marking the day before Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent.

Details:

• When: Shrove Tuesday, February 17, 2026

• What: Each student will be served one freshly made buttermilk pancake, topped with a drizzle of pure maple syrup.

• Preparation: The pancakes will be prepared and served by our dedicated staff.

Important Dietary Information:

We prioritize the health and safety of all our students.

• Allergy Accommodations: We have taken specific steps to account for students with gluten-free dietary restrictions, and separate, safe preparations will be made for these individuals.

• Other Concerns: If your child has any other food allergies, sensitivities, or dietary concerns beyond the standard gluten-free requests that your child's teacher is not already aware of, please reach out directly to your child's classroom teacher immediately. This will allow us enough time to ensure appropriate, safe alternatives are available.

Ingredients Transparency:

For the standard pancake mix used for the majority of the students, we are sourcing the ingredients directly from the following commercial product. We encourage parents with any concerns to review the ingredient list:

• Pancake Mix: Krusteaz Buttermilk Pancake Mix, 4.53 kg.

  • Link to Product Information: https://www.costco.ca/krusteaz-buttermilk-pancake-mix%2C-4.53-kg-.product.100417303.html

We look forward to a fun and delicious Shrove Tuesday celebration for the whole school community!

Ash Wednesday

Our school community is invited to join us for our Ash Wednesday Liturgy, which will be held on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, beginning at 11:00 AM.  This special service marks the beginning of the liturgical season of Lent, a time of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving in preparation for Easter.

We are incredibly proud of Ms. Hebert's class, who has been working diligently and enthusiastically to prepare and present this meaningful liturgy to the entire school. Their hard work ensures that the service will be a beautiful and reverent way for all our students and staff to enter into the Lenten season. The liturgy will include the blessing and distribution of ashes, a powerful symbol of repentance and mortality, reminding us of our reliance on God's mercy. We look forward to gathering as a community to reflect and begin this spiritual journey together.

EDI

 Kindergarten teachers are to administer the Early Development Instrument (EDI) to SK students.  

The EDI is a short online questionnaire completed by Kindergarten teachers across Canada and internationally. It measures the children’s ability to meet age appropriate developmental expectations. More information can be found on the Offord Centre website. 

The questionnaire was developed at McMaster University with the help of principals and kindergarten teachers. It asks questions about five areas of child development: 

1) physical health and well-being; 

2) social knowledge and competence; 

3) emotional health and maturity; 

4) language and cognitive development;  

5) general knowledge and communication skills. 

This parent letter  is shared with all Year 2 parents/guardians before February 10th, 2026. 

This year, all kindergarten classes in your child’s school and Ottawa Catholic School Board will be involved in the study. It is your choice whether your child’s information is included. If you do not want it included, please contact the school, no later than Wednesday, February 20.

Black History Month

 This February, we'll be celebrating Black History Month!

Throughout the month, we'll also be learning about influential Black historical figures. 

This week we will speak about  Donevan Bailey, Measha Brueggergosman, Perdita Felicien and 

 Lucille Hunter.

Mental Health Resources for Parents

Digital Well Being Resource: https://screentimenetwork.org/sites/default/files/resources/Dear%20Parents.pdf

School Mental Health Ontario:

https://smho-smso.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Helping-your-child-manage-digital-technology.pdf

Media Smarts, New Device Contract:

https://mediasmarts.ca/family-guidelines-new-tech-devices

Common Sense Media, Parental Controls Guide

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/articles/parents-ultimate-guide-to-parental-controls

Census

Every child deserves to feel supported, included, and able to succeed at school. The OCSB Student Census helps us better understand who our students are so we can plan programs, resources, and supports that truly meet their needs.

The survey opens on February 24, 2026.

Parent Engagement Sessions

We know you may have questions. We invite you to join one of our Parent Engagement Sessions to learn more and ask questions.

• Thursday, January 29, 2026, Virtual Session, Sign Up (Noon or 7:00 pm Sessions).

• Wednesday, February 4, 2026, at 6:30 pm, In-Person Session (West), St. Paul High School.

• Thursday, February 5, 2026, at 7:30 pm, In-Person Session (East), Lester B. Pearson High School.

For the in-person sessions, Multicultural Liaison Officers will be on-site to provide interpretation in Arabic, Spanish, French, Mandarin, and Tigrinya, helping ensure all families feel welcome and supported. Child-minding will also be available for children who can use the washroom independently.

Key Dates

• Opt-out period: February 2 to February 13, 2026. The opt out form will be emailed to parents of K-12 on Monday February 2, 2026.

• Survey open: February 24 to March 13, 2026.

Who Completes the Census

• Kindergarten to Grade 3: Parents and guardians will receive a survey link by email and complete the census for their child.

• Grades 4 to 12: Students will complete the census themselves during class time, with support if needed.

Four Things to know

• It is short: The survey takes less than 10 minutes to complete.

• It is voluntary: You may skip any question, and you may choose to opt out during the opt-out period.

• It is confidential: The census is not anonymous, but individual responses are not shared with teachers or schools.

• It helps us plan: Your answers help OCSB understand student needs and improve programs and supports.

Questions

If you still have questions, please join a Parent Engagement Session, visit our Student Census webpage, or email research@ocsb.ca.

FSL Pathways Grade 3 and Grade 6 Information

As was done last year, your grade three and six families will select their French Pathway using Google forms.

Grade three and six parents received a link via School Messenger on February 11, 2026. Parents are asked to fill in this important form by March 6, 2026. 

Snow Days

In the event that extreme weather results in the cancellation of school buses, parents are required to submit their child’s absence to the safe arrival 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.

KG Transportation Information for 2026 -2027

Please see the information provided by OSTA.

St. Daniel Catholic School Council  

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

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 .

Volunteers

Snowsuit Fund

The Snowsuit Fund provides new snowsuits to children aged 0-15 who are Ottawa residents and considered low-income. Eligibility criteria include proof of the child's age, household income, and address. Families can apply for the program by appointment only through the Snowsuit Fund website. There is a nominal $10 fee to help cover administrative costs.

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

Family Day       February 16   Holiday 

Pancake Tuesday  February 17

Ash Wedneday    February 18

Dental Screen Letter Sent Home     February 20

Future Dates

Luv to Groove  February 23- February 27

Trivia Night   February 26