May Newsletter

St. Daniel Weekly Update

May 4 -  May 8, 2026

Prayer

Loving God,

Thank You for our Catholic school, where we learn, play and share Your love each day. Bless our teachers, friends, and families. May we grow together in faith and wisdom, guided by Your light each day.                                                           

Amen     

Thirty-Second Week of School

We began this week with a dedicated professional development day focused on the safety and well-being of our students. Our staff participated in intensive training for Erin’s Law, Safe Schools, and the Commit to Kids program, ensuring we are fully prepared to support a culture of protection and care.

Building on this foundation, we are proud to introduce the Kids in the Know® education program to our students. This program is designed to teach practical, age-appropriate personal safety strategies that help children build lifelong safety habits. We believe that for these lessons to be truly effective, they must be integrated into a child's daily life both at school and at home. To keep you informed, teachers will send home detailed information letters before beginning these lessons, allowing you to stay connected to the vital skills your child is learning.

On Wednesday, our Girls’ Basketball team took to the court for their tournament. Mme. Roy was incredibly proud of their competitive spirit and the exemplary way they represented our school community. They secured a hard-fought victory—a moment I’m sure the players will cherish for a long time!

Safety remains a top priority, and on Thursday, we completed our second lockdown practice of the year. These drills are essential to keep our students safe. We take these practices very seriously and will continue to provide ongoing education for our students regarding both lockdown and fire drill procedures.

We wrapped up the week with a chilly Friday morning and a rather somber sports report over the announcements. Mme. Rachel was heartbroken to see her Oilers eliminated, and with recent losses for the Blue Jays and the Charge, our favorite teams are definitely in need of a reset. We’re all crossing our fingers for some more positive news in next week's report!

Important Student Safety Update

Following our comprehensive staff training session this past Monday, we are pleased to announce the launch of the Kids in the Know® personal safety program. This vital initiative incorporates Commit to Kids training to empower our students with age-appropriate personal safety strategies.

Because safety is most effective when integrated into a child’s daily life, our teachers will be delivering seven specialized lessons. To ensure you are fully informed and can support these conversations at home, your child’s teacher will send home a detailed information letter before the lessons begin. We presented this to the Parent Council on May 6.Together, we can help our students build the habits they need to stay safe and confident.

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.

Parent Hub

The Parent Hub on the OCSB website is a one-stop shop for essential information. 

Junglesport

Please see the following letter and consent form for the Junglesport Activity that will take place from May 19 - May 22, 2026.  We have sent a hard copy to all parents and guardians.  We ask that all forms are returned to the school by April 24, 2026.

Frank Ryan Open House

Please see information.

Upcoming Special Week!

Education Week Highlights: May 4 – May 8, 2026

We have an inspiring week planned, filled with community, faith, and school spirit! We start Monday with student-led prayers on the announcements and a liturgy.  On Tuesday a whole-school Mass at St. Basil’s at 10:00 AM (students will depart via bus immediately after arrival). Wednesday is packed with activity, starting with a Muffin Breakfast from 8:15 – 9:00 AM, featuring perler bead magnet sales. On Thursday, we invite students to participate in Smudging Ceremonies led by Mrs. Roque in the far field during Block 1. We wrap up the week with more student-led reflections and a high-energy Educators vs. Students basketball game outside during Block 4 on Friday. We look forward to everyone participating!

Please see the Catholic Education Week letter.

We will be sending hard copy permission forms home for the Education Week Mass on April 21, 2026.  We would ask that these forms be returned to the teachers no later then April 29, 2026.

Muffin Breakfast

KG Transportation Information for 2026 -2027     

Please see information from OSTA.  OSTA

St. Daniel Catholic School Council  

Next Meeting:  May 6, 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. Classes are available for students in Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8, and is free for Ontario residents.

Families can learn more and register here: Summer International & Indigenous Languages - Continuing Education at the OCSB "

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

Catholic Education Week    May 4 - May 8, 2026

Mass St. Basil    May 5

Basketball Teacher Game vs Students  May 8, 2026