Prayer

Lord, 

November is a month filled with planning, transitions, and anticipations. As the days unfold, I entrust every endeavor, project, and plan into Your capable hands. Guide me in every decision, and may my actions reflect Your will. Whether I face challenges or moments of ease, help me to always lean on Your wisdom and strength.

Amen

Eleventh  Week of School

This year's Remembrance Day ceremony at St. Daniel's was a truly collaborative effort, thanks to the dedication of Ms. Shawna, Mrs. Anlar, Mme. Roy, Mrs. Costantini, Mr. Hynes, and Mr. Gentle. Students from Grades 2 to 6 participated as readers and choir members, offering moving tributes through readings and song. We were honored to host several serving and retired military personnel, including CWO Robert Sullivan, who shared his experiences and emphasized the significance of Remembrance Day with our Grade 5/6 students beforehand. Mme. Roy's initiative in securing CWO Sullivan's visit through the Veterans Week Speaker Program proved invaluable. CWO Sullivan praised our school, calling the ceremony a "Gold Standard" and expressing his hope that other schools could offer similar experiences. Our St. Daniel Lions were so respectful during the entire ceremony.  We are so proud of everyone! This message was conveyed to our Lions the next day on the announcements. 

Wednesday began with a very humorous announcement.  I will share that with you.

We began with several students from Mrs. Farrell’s class singing our National anthem, and then staying to provide laughter, and chanting. 

Ahem... Attention all students, and staff! As some of you may recall, last night witnessed the clash of titans, the hockey showdown of the century (or at least the week): the Toronto Maple Leafs versus the Ottawa Senators! Yes, the legendary "Battle of Ontario" raged, and passions ran high. Especially for one particular Leaf fan – yours truly, the esteemed Principal of St. Daniel School!

Now, in a moment of perhaps overzealous optimism (fueled by copious amounts of pre-game pizza, I confess), I may have made a slight miscalculation in the Weekly Update. Let's just say my prediction of November 13th being a "very sad day for Sens fans" aged about as well as a banana peel left in the sun.

(Pause for raucous laughter and triumphant "Go Sens Go!" chants) Thank you Grade 5 and 6’s with this.

Yes, yes, the Senators emerged victorious with a decisive 3-0 win. Apparently, someone forgot to tell the hockey gods that I was rooting for the other team.

This morning, while drowning my sorrows in a very large cup of coffee (and possibly a donut or two), I issued a correction to the Weekly Update. It now accurately reflects the true tragedy of November 13th – a day of mourning for Leaf fans everywhere, especially for the poor, misguided Principal of St. Daniel Catholic School.

To add insult to injury, I will now be forced to consume a large slice of humble pie in front of St. Daniel's most devoted Sens fan, Mrs. Anlar. (Please, someone hide the whipped cream!)

But fear not, my fellow Lions! The war is not over! We shall rise from the ashes of defeat and prepare for the next epic battle on January 25th. Until then, I shall be diligently practicing my "sad trombone" impression.

Thank you for your understanding (and your amusement). I also thank Ms. Farrell’s Grade 5/6 class for bringing in several boxes of tissues for me.  There was just enough to dry up all my tears!

I was deeply moved by the Grade 3/4 class on Wednesday afternoon.  Hearing them share the prayers they wrote was a truly inspiring experience. Each prayer carried such a positive message of hope, and it was clear that everyone in the room felt the impact of their words. It was a privilege to witness such a beautiful display of faith and reflection from these young minds.

Our Parent Council shared information about the upcoming Parent Council Christmas Event on Deccember 5, 2024.  It was sent out by school messenger, and it is also in the current volume of the St. Daniel Parent Pulse.

On Friday our students were in their Den’s Groups to learn about treaties. All students signed their individual treaties which will be on display around the school. Mrs. Roque also displayed our Wapum Belt for the everyone to see in the Gym.  Usually it is on display in our Learning Commons.  Students also got to compare the 7 Sacred Grandfather Teachings with Gospel Values. This was a wonderful way to end our school week.

Anti-Bullying Week

1.   Principal Presentation   Anti- Bullying Week Synopsis

           - 1/2 hour Presentation to Grade 1-6 students (Kindergarten Students Story Time “The Golden

              Rule”) Mon-Fri

2. - Prayers Over announcements  Mon-Fri

3. - Anti-Bullying Posters Fri (Block 4)

4. - WITS Review Day  Tues

St. Daniel White Elephant Sale

Please see information regarding the St. Daniel White Elephant Sale.

Parent Teacher Inteviews / Grade 6 Bake Sale

On Thursday, November 21st during Parent-Teacher Interviews, the Grade 6 class will be holding a Bake Sale in support of their end of year activity.  Items will be nut-free and pre-wrapped.  If you would like a sweet treat while you wait to speak to teachers, please bring your coins!  

Many thanks, 

The Grade 6 Team 

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 all year long, but those who order before the deadline on November 30 will qualify for free shipping to the school where you can either pick up your order, or have it sent home with your child.  

THIS IS ALSO ON THE LANDING PAGE OF OUR SCHOOL WEBSITE.

Board General Meeting

At its Annual General Meeting on November 12, 2024, the Ottawa Catholic School Board (OCSB) acclaimed Trustees Mark D. Mullan and Cindy Desclouds-Simpson as Chair and Vice-Chair, reflecting the Board's confidence in their leadership. This acclamation underscores a shared commitment to fostering an inclusive, faith-based community dedicated to the growth and well-being of students, staff, and families.

Catholic School Board Acclaims Chair and Vice-Chair

Ottawa Public Health Message

Please see the important message from OPH.

Dental Screenings

Community Dental Screenings activities will continue over the fall at Neighbourhood Health and Wellness Hubs. 

Dental screenings are free and all ages are welcome.  Registered dental hygienists can also support clients with the Healthy Smiles Ontario and Ontario Seniors Dental Care Plan enrollments. 

Information

Grade 4 parents only 

Your child’s EQAO scores are now available on the Parent Portal. Please see this video for steps on how to access. https://youtu.be/uSgRuMoNA7E

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.

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!

St.  Basil Children’s Choir

St. Basil's would like to start a Children's Choir for children from grades 2 to 8. Rehearsals would be at St. Basil's Church on Sundays after the 10 am mass, and run from 11:15 to 11:45 am so that parents can enjoy a coffee while their children rehearse. Children will sing once a month at mass, and would still have the opportunity to go to Children's Liturgy if they so wish. If you or someone you know would be interested in joining, please contact Chantal Balthazar at chantalbalthazar@gmail.com. 

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

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 .

St. Daniel Catholic School Council  

Next Meeting:  November 19, 2024   6:30 PM Learning Commons

Council Christmas Event    Dec 5    6:00 PM - 8:00 PM   Gym/LC/Hallway

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.

Reminders:

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 

WELCOME

We would like to welcome to the St. Daniel School Community Ms. Murray and Ms. Dunlop.

Mrs. Anlar’s students gave Ms. Murray a warm welcome on Wednesday. Ms. Murray is a student teacher from the University of Ottawa.  Ms. Murray’s first placement is St. Daniel.  We wish you all the best.  Have fun!

Mrs. Costantini’s students gavre Ms. Dunlop a warm welcome on Tuesday.  Ms. Dunlop is a student teacher from the University of Ottawa.  Ms. Dunlop’s first placement is St. Daniel.  We wish you all the best. Have fun!

Important Dates

November 18 - November 22  Anti-Bullying Week

November 19   Parent Council Meeting   LC  6:30 PM

November 21  Parent Teacher Interviews / Grade 6 Bake Sale

Future Dec 5    Council Christmas Event

Future Dec 12   White Elephant Sale

Future Dec 19  St. Daniel Christmas Concert

Future Jan 25   Leafs vs Sens