May Newsletter

St. Daniel Weekly Update

April 27 -  May 1, 2026

Prayer

Father, we call upon the prince of peace, the Lord Jesus Christ to keep the whole world in a place of peace despite all these challenges. We know we find peace in you. A peace beyond understanding, a peace that at times doesn’t make sense to others. This Easter, O King of glory, let peace overtake our fears and our worries. Let peace and faith arise in us anew, and draw us ever close to the prince of peace.

Amen

Thirty-first Week of School

Our Lions arrived Monday morning to a chilly surprise—it seems winter is overstaying its welcome. One student even staged a formal "protest," demanding the cold stop immediately! Mother Nature clearly wasn’t listening, as the cold continued throughout the week….. But only in the morning.

The lingering cold reminds me of a favorite family story. My parents were married in Toronto on April 16, 1956, and they always insisted they tied the knot during a "blizzard." I recently fact-checked the records and found it was only about 5 cm of snow. Sorry, Dad—I guess by Toronto standards, that qualifies as a city-stopper!

On Tuesday, our Boys Basketball team gave it their all at their tournament. Facing off against some truly "gigantic" opponents—who, according to one Lion, were even taller than Mr. Oliver—the team showed incredible heart. Mme. Roy was immensely proud of their effort and is already looking forward to building on this year's momentum.

Wednesday was a big day at the OCSB Swim Meet. While this event now runs every two years due to its growing popularity, the excitement was higher than ever. A massive thank you to Mr. Hynes and our dedicated Educational Assistants for their hard work in making this such a success for our swimmers!

"What an incredible day Wednesday was! Thanks to Mme. Corinne, our school was treated to an amazing hour of Hoop Dancing that completely stole the show this spring. Seeing the whole school participate together was moving and powerful. We’d love for our Lions to head home and tell their families all about what they learned and felt today!"

It was wonderful to see our “Girls at Bat” club members out on the field this past Thursday! The girls did a fantastic job catching, throwing, and sharpening their baseball skills.

Mrs. Boyle and Mr. Hynes are both extremely impressed by the group’s enthusiasm. Every lunch hour has been a joy, and it is great to see the girls having so much fun while working hard. Keep up the amazing work!

The bookfair was such an exciting time for our Lions.  Thank you Mr. Ryan and our Parent Volunteers for all the work and effort that goes into this week.

Reminder

April 27 is a PD Day.  No school for students.

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.

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.

Lockdown Practice

Please see letter.

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.  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.

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

April 27  PD Day

April 29  Girls Basketball Tournament 

April 30    Lockdown Practice