Our performing arts students, writers, technicians, and designers are receiving wonderful recognition through the extremely popular Cappies Program. Created over six years ago as a way to spotlight the many creative actors, writers, and designers attending North American secondary schools, the Cappies (the word is a derivative of the organization's offi cial title, Critics and Awards Program) are given to the students by the students and provide a unique collaborative learning experience while also fostering more community recognition of student achievement in theatre arts.

Each year awards are presented at a special gala that features student performances and excerpts from some of the best secondary school shows of the season. More than 16 cities are running their own versions of the Cappies, including Ottawa. The Ottawa Citizen spearheaded the launch of the program in Ottawa, Canada's Capital Cappies, in partnership with our District and the Ottawa-Carleton Catholic School Board.

Ottawa began participating in 2006 and the performances and reviews are well underway again for this year.  

"The literary and performing arts are areas of our curriculum that have gone unrecognized by the public for too long," says Barrie Hammond, principal, secondary curriculum. "We're thrilled that through the Cappies Program the talents of secondary school students in the region will be highlighted.”

OCDSB Steering Committee Members:
Barrie Hammond (Program Chair)
Secondary Principal, Curriculum Services
613-596-8211 ext. 8524

Greg Wysynski (Program Treasurer)
Instructional Coach for the Arts
613-596-8211 ext. 8535

For more information and amazing photographs of last year’s performances:
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/entertainment/cappies/index.html