St. Daniel Weekly Update

May 12 - May 16, 2025

Prayer

Dear God,

Hope is our calling, O Lord, and the destination of our pilgrim journeys. As we mark this Jubilee Year of hope, keep our eyes focussed on Jesus, and on the hope he reveals to us. May our hope lead us to love genuinely and to live generously. In the dignity of every human being, may we honour your presence. In our stewardship of creation, may we care for your creatures, large and small. As we strive to respond to the poverties of our world, may we be bearers of your compassion. As we live as people of solidarity, may we help to heal the divisions of our world. In our lives as peacemakers, may we share the “Shalom” which is your gift to all people. Hope is the flame that has been entrusted to us; may we keep it burning brightly, to enlighten the path of our pilgrim journey. All our hope is in you, O God, in the name of Jesus our Lord and companion. 

Amen

Thirty-third Week of School

May 5 - May 9 is Catholic Education Week.  I wanted to share with you some information about this very special week.

The theme for this year’s Catholic Education week is: Pilgrims of Hope. You might remember that Hope was the focus of our OCSB Spiritual Theme last year. As we reflected on Hope, we learned that it is much more than just positive thinking or wishing that things will turn out well. Our hope is in God. We know God loves us and has a wonderful plan and purpose for each one of us. We trust him as we wait in expectation and excitement. Hope is God’s gift to us and the way we grow and spread this hope, is our gift to God.

So what exactly does it mean to be a Pilgrim of Hope? 

A pilgrim is someone committed to taking a spiritual journey to a sacred place. In a way, our life is like a pilgrimage. Along the journey, every pilgrim faces challenges that require commitment and perseverance, much like the obstacles we encounter in life. These experiences ultimately help us grow stronger and wiser.

As we learn to let go of unnecessary burdens and focus on what truly matters, each step teaches us valuable lessons about ourselves, the world, and our relationship with God. This is how we grow in wisdom. As we walk with God in our everyday lives, God gives us the grace to walk in hope and to share it with others.

This week, we’ll walk in one Spirit with pilgrims from all across Ontario who are also celebrating Catholic Education Week. Through our daily reflections, prayers, and actions we will open our hearts to Hope and learn how we can better KNOW IT, SHOW IT and GROW IT. 

Tuesday featured a special whole-school mass at St. Basil Church. We deeply appreciate everyone who helps make these gatherings so meaningful. One of our readers even sported a Leafs jersey and later confessed his nervousness about reading while wearing it – a story I can't wait to share with my twin brother!

Our Open House was a resounding success. The St. Daniel community enjoyed choir performances and plenty of delicious muffins. It was also wonderful to witness Father Daryold leading the Smudging Ceremony for our classes. The morning weather was perfect for all our planned activities. Later, during Block 2, our Junior FSL students had an engaging and interactive experience with "La boite a rythme," filling the hallways with incredible drumming. Our students certainly have rhythm!

Thank you to the families who submitted donations to Ryan's Well, to build more wells for children around the world. We are so pleased to announce that we have raised $1000 for the Ryan’s Well Charity.  The cheque presentation took place on Wednesday, May 7 during Block 4, and was presented to Ryan!

Thursday brought a celebration of excellence for one of our St. Daniel Lions, complete with a much-loved sundae party! We thank our Junior Classes for their surprise visit, and extending their congratulations.  It certainly made his day!!!!!

 Speaking of celebrations, Thursday also featured an exciting basketball game between our enthusiastic students and the determined Educators. The sounds of laughter and cheers echoed from St. Daniel's schoolyard.  While our Educators put up a strong fight, the Raptors probably don't need to worry just yet! The staff have already discussed the game, will work on different plays (Yes Mrs. Farrell’s cover on the basket play will continue to be in our playbook), and begin training next week for next year's rematch.

Thursday was also a very special day, as Mrs. Boyle made the announcement that a new Pope had been chosen. Our Director of Education also sent a letter to our entire OCSB community.  Here is what the letter said.

“Today marks a moment of profound significance for Catholics around the world as we welcome Pope Leo XIV as our new Holy Father. Cardinal Prevost was elected on day two of the conclave, becoming the leader of 1.4 billion Roman Catholics. This historic occasion invites us to reflect on the strength and unity of our global Church, and to join together in prayer for our new spiritual leader.At the Ottawa Catholic School Board, our Spiritual Theme - Open Doors, Build Bridges, Nourish New Beginnings- guides us in how we respond to moments of change and hope. As we celebrate this new chapter in the life of the Church, may we continue to open our hearts to one another, build bridges within our school communities, and embrace the opportunities for renewal that faith brings.Thank you for all you do to support our students, families, and each other. Let us move forward together, inspired by our faith and committed to living out our Spiritual Theme in all that we do”. 

Blessings, Thomas D'Amico, Director of Education, Ottawa Catholic School Board.

On Friday our Grade 4, 5 and 6 students went on a class trip to the Science and Tech museum. It was a great day for everyone.  The Primary students were very happy as well, they got the entire yard to themselves!

We had a relaxing DEN last block on Friday. A video was shown to our students teaching them how to do Christian meditation.  We then did a guided meditation on the topic of PATIENCE.

Fire Drill Practice

Now that the Spring has arrived, we must complete 3 more practice fire drills.  Our first planned drill will be on the 16th of May, the second practice will take place on the 30th of May, and finally our last practice will be on the 4th of June.

EQAO

Please see the following information regarding EQAO assessments for Grade 3 and Grade 6 parents.

Framework Document

EQAO Testing May 26th - May 30th, 2025  Grade 3 / Grade 6

September Planning

Planning for September is well underway.  To help with staffing and scheduling, please let us know as soon as possible if your family (JK - Gr. 5) is planning to change schools in September.  You can call the school at 613-225-4603 or email us at Daniel@ocsb.ca.  Please include if your children will attending another school in Ottawa or if your family will be moving outside of Ottawa, please let us know the province or country where you will be living.

There is no need to respond if your family plans to return to St. Daniel in the fall.  We'll be happy to have you back!

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

BOOKFAIR

The Bookfair will be held May 26 - May 30.  Information will be shared with our community soon.

School Climate Survey

It is once again time for the School Climate Survey to be administered. This is a Ministry of Education requirement. There will be three school climate surveys - one for students (grades 4-12), one for staff and one for parents/guardians. The parent survey will be “live” on Wednesday May 7. The student and staff survey will be “live” May 26 - June 13. For the student survey, there are 2 versions so that students respond to an age-appropriate survey, accessed when the school code is entered.

This is the Parent letter 

This letter contains the following information:

1) Information about the survey in general

2) Information about consent for the student survey

3) Invitation for parents to complete the parent survey with the link included

4) Contact information for the research team from Ottawa U should there be questions about research or ethics 

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 year round. 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.

Summer Camps

Game On 2025 Summer Camp

June 30-July 4 (4 day-camp; $199 cost; St Pius location only)

July 7-11; 14-18; 21-25 & July 28-August 1

Ages: 7-13 yrs

Price: $249 (Sibling: $239, first child pays full price)

9:00 am – 4:00 pm (Pre-camp 8:30 – 9:00 am; Post-camp 4:00 – 4:30 pm)
Locations - St Pius HS (Nepean) & St Mother Teresa (Barrhaven)

The Goal of Game On is for campers to actively participate in a variety of sports with the FOCUS on FUN!

The sports include: basketball, volleyball, soccer, badminton, tchoukball, ultimate, disc golf, floorball, target games and others. Adult educators as head instructors. Professional sport-specific instruction with the aim to develop and improve Fundamental Movement Skills by experienced Physical Education teachers. Includes camp t-shirt (one per camper), daily/weekly prizes & Friday Pizza Day.

Game On Camp Information

Game On Summer Registration

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: May 20, 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

May 11 Leafs vs Panthers  (Please let our Lions stay up late to watch)

May 16  Fire Drill Practice (weather permitting) 

May 19  Victoria Day 

Future Dates  May 20   Parent Council Meeting

Future Dates  May 26 - 30   EQAO Testing Grade 3   Grade 6

Future Dates  May 26 - 30   Book Fair

Triduum Schedule