February Newsletter

St. Daniel Weekly Update

February 2 -  February 6, 2026

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father,

We thank You for the gift of solidarity and kinship, which binds us together in love and understanding. Help us to build strong bridges across generations. May we continue to honor the lessons of those who came before us and inspire the hearts of those who follow.

Amen  

Twentieth Week of School

The weather gap between the GTA and Ottawa is truly something else. On Sunday, my twin brother—a retired Principal who spent over 30 years with the DCDSB—called to warn me about an expected 60 cm of snow. He mentioned they were closing schools across Toronto and the Durham Catholic board, noting it was only the second time in his memory that happened. I vividly remember the first time back in the late 90s when I was teaching there! Given how rare those days are in the GTA, I couldn't help but give him a classic, gritty Ottawa response: "Welcome to the club!"

On Tuesday, our dedicated Girl's Badminton team finally had the opportunity to participate in their highly anticipated tournament. The day was a resounding success, filled with excitement and fantastic play from all members of the squad. Their performance was truly outstanding, consistently demonstrating a level of skill and teamwork that placed them significantly ahead of much of the competition.

This elevated level of play is a direct testament to the commitment and unwavering dedication of their coach, Mr. Hynes, who has spent the last couple of months rigorously training the team. Once again on behalf of both the Girls and Boys Badminton teams, a sincere thank you.  

On Wednesday, OCSB Mental Health Worker Gavin Simmons-Feigel hosted an insightful workshop for parents on fostering healthy relationships with technology. He discussed the impact of excessive screen time on local youth, the addictive qualities of social media and gaming, and shared practical strategies for supporting students in our digital age. We are posting below, resources from his presentation.

The school was buzzing with excitement on Thursday following the Senators' big win—just as Mrs. Anlar predicted! Notably, the same Grade 6 student who correctly called the Blue Jays' winning streak this past fall was behind this latest prediction. We will be checking in with our "resident expert" on Monday for his official Groundhog Day forecast.

While the morning chill kept us indoors, we were glad to finally enjoy the fresh air once temperatures rose in the afternoon. With Monday being Groundhog Day, we are all eager to find out: are we in for an early spring or six more weeks of winter?

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

Grade 6 Hot Chocolate Sale

The Grade 6 class will be selling hot chocolate on Friday, February 13th and Friday, March 6th at lunch recess.  The cost will be $2.  All proceeds will go toward the Grade 6 leaving ceremony and end of year trip.  Please bring exact change. Cash online will also be available.  Also, if you would like to donate a little more to their fundraiser the 6s would be very grateful.  Thank you from the Grade 6 students and teachers.    

The ingredients used are: cane sugar, dairy product, pure cocoa, salt, and vanilla flavour (Nestle Carnation Hot Chocolate)

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.

Grade 6 Transitions - Frank Ryan / Notre Dame/ St. Paul Parent Info Evening

It is time to begin planning for the exciting transition to intermediate and secondary school. To support our Grade 6 students planning to attend  Notre Dame, or St. Paul in September 2026, each school will be hosting an Information Evening for parents and guardians.

Notre Dame on Wednesday, February 4, at 5:45 PM, and St. Paul on Tuesday, February 10, at 6:00 PM.

These evenings provide a wonderful opportunity to hear from staff and students about academic programming, extracurriculars, and leadership roles. A comprehensive subject overview will be provided, and staff will be available throughout the event to address any questions as you prepare for the 2026-2027 school year.

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 will receive a link via School Messenger February 11, 2026. This is the same day as the Report Card goes home via Compass. Parents will be 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

February 2                 Ground Hog Day

February 4                 Grade 6 Parent Night Notre Dame

Future Dates

February 10               Grade 6 Parent Night St. Paul

February 11               Report Cards go live Parent Portal

February 11               FSL Pathways sent home Grade 3 & Grade 6 Parents

February 13               Canada vs Switzerland

February 13               Grade 6 Hot Chocolate Sale

Febraury 13               St. Daniel  Winter Carnival Day

February 15               Canada vs France