Ottawa Carleton District School Board

Dear OCDSB Families, Whether your child is just entering Kindergarten, starting their graduating year or enjoying the exciting years in between, OCDSB staff is looking forward to welcoming them to school on Tuesday, September 5th, 2023. You will find a few helpful links to support you and your child as you prepare for the upcoming school year on our website.

Dear Families, Congratulations - we have reached the end of the school year. The past few weeks have been filled with leaving ceremonies, commencements, and celebrations. We have consistently been inspired by our community of curious, creative, and compassionate students – by their motivation to learn and their support for one another. And to the parents, caregivers, grandparents, foster parents: thank you for your love, support, time, energy, and contribution to our schools and students.

Dear Families, It’s hard to believe we are just days away from the end of the school year! What a year it has been. A reminder that the last day of school is Tuesday, June 27th, for secondary students, and Thursday, June 29th for elementary students .

Dear Families, OCDSB Appoints Dr. Pino Buffone as Director of Education We are excited to welcome Dr. Pino Buffone back to the OCDSB as the new Director of Education. With over 29 years of experience in public education and 6 years as Director of Education with the Renfrew County District School Board, Pino will start his new role on August 1, 2023 . Visit our website to learn more.

Dear Families, Last Wednesday, I had the opportunity to attend the Black Youth Forum. My sincere congratulations to the students who organized this fantastic event and to the staff who supported that work.

Dear Families, OCDSB Staff-Recommended Budget On Wednesday, May 31, 2023, the OCDSB presented the staff recommended budget for the 2023-2024 school year. The total operating budget is approximately $1.1 billion and the capital budget is $140.3 million. In preparing this budget, the focus of our work this year was to find budget savings opportunities, while maintaining the high quality of programs and services that we offer. There will be opportunities for further discussion and public delegations at the next Committee of the Whole (Budget) meeting on June 6 at 7:00 p.m. Learn more.

Here We Grow Again! The OCDSB is excited to announce that the Ontario government has granted approval to proceed to award the tender for construction for two new schools. With these much anticipated approvals in place, the OCDSB can now move forward with the construction of a new elementary school in Findlay Creek and a new high school in Riverside South.

Dear Families, A reminder that Monday, May 22nd is Victoria Day. There will be no classes or childcare on this day, and all OCDSB schools and administrative sites will be closed.

OCDSB Strategic Plan Open House: May 15th. Many of you have shared thoughts about priorities for the next OCDSB strategic plan. Join us on Monday, May 15th, 6:00 p.m.- 8:00 p.m. at the Ottawa Technical Secondary School (485 Donald St) for an in-person public meeting where there will be an opportunity to review the draft 2023-2027 Strategic Plan.

Dear Families, Thanks to everyone who was able to attend school based events for Education Week. There have been many exceptional open houses, performances, activities, and events to celebrate student learning and well-being. The engagement of parents and guardians in these opportunities makes all the difference.

Dear Families, Another great week of learning in OCDSB schools. At Glebe Collegiate Institute, young historians have been participating in Project True North, shedding light on individuals whose voices, stories, and contributions have been missing from common narratives about Canadian history - see how these students are uncovering untold stories from WWI.

Dear Families, It is always fantastic to hear about the success of former OCDSB students! This week, CBC radio interviewed a local musician known as TALK, who has just released a new song called “Afraid of the Dark”. TALK, otherwise known as Nicholas Durocher, is a graduate of South Carleton High School.

Dear Families, With the change in weather, many students are now walking and biking to school. Please watch carefully for walkers and cyclists on the way to and from school.

Dear Families, Thank you for your patience and understanding as we have worked to communicate information about power outages, school closures, and changes to programming over the past few days. Crews are working hard to clean up affected areas and restore power to schools that were affected by outages.

Dear Families, Public meetings have always been an important part of our culture at the OCDSB. We encourage community engagement and the healthy and respectful debate of issues and ideas.

Dear Families, We hope you and your families had a wonderful March Break, and that you have enjoyed this first week back at school. Here are a few things to note for the week ahead.

Dear Families, As we head into March Break, I want to wish everyone a safe and happy week, whatever your family plans might be. A reminder that Daylight Savings begins on Sunday, March 12th, so don’t forget to set your clocks ahead one hour!

Dear Families, It’s been another exciting week of learning in our schools. While two school news stories we’ve heard this week share something unexpected in common - chocolate - both provide a special glimpse into the experiential learning happening in schools across our district. Around 240 grade 8 students at Fisher Park Public School collaborated to launch “Fisher and the Chocolate Factory”, where our young entrepreneurs learned the art of chocolate-making to raise funds for a great cause.

Dear Families, Thank you to everyone who supported Toonie Tuesday this week. Our colleagues at the Education Foundation are still counting toonies, but we are hopeful that we reached the goal of $80,000.

Mental Health Matters - Understanding mental health and how to support your child is so important. The OCDSB’s mental health professionals have compiled this resource list to support families looking for information and supports.

Dear Families, Thank you for your patience and understanding as we rescheduled the Kindergarten and High School information nights and other events scheduled for yesterday evening due to the weather. New dates and times for these events will be shared as soon as they are available on our school websites and District website. You can keep an eye on our Kindergarten Information Nights and High School Information Nights page for updates.

Dear Families, Thank you to everyone who has participated in the OCDSB 2023-2027 strategic plan consultation process. It has been so energizing to connect with you and have a chance to hear your stories, thoughts and ideas.

Dear Families, Today is International Holocaust Remembrance Day, which honours and remembers the over six million Jews murdered and countless other victims of the Holocaust. At the OCDSB, it is our obligation to educate, prevent, challenge and address antisemitism in all its forms. Educating students about the Holocaust, equipping staff members with helpful resources and lessons, and sharing additional information with families is an important part of this responsibility.

Dear Families, Today, January 20th, is an elementary Professional Activity Day. Secondary schools have a regular day of learning. As secondary schools move towards the end of the semester, students are engaged in exams. Please watch for communication from your child’s school for more information.

Dear Families, This week, the OCDSB opened a new school. Congratulations to the staff and families of Shingwàkons Public School who managed a mid-year move to the new building in the Fernbank community in Stittsville. It’s great to be part of a growing school district - this is one of five new school construction projects underway. The other elementary schools are in Half Moon Bay, Findlay Creek, and two new high schools are planned, one in Stittsville and one in Riverside South.

Dear OCDSB Families, I hope you had a nice Winter Break. On behalf of everyone at the school district, I wish you a very Happy New Year. The start of a new calendar year is often a time for reflection, renewal and new beginnings.

Dear Families,  As we head into the winter break, we hope you are able to enjoy some much needed rest and relaxation. Please remember that all OCDSB schools and administrative buildings are closed on Friday, December 23 due to the incoming winter storm. We look forward to seeing all our students back at school on Monday, January 9, 2023.

In the coming weeks many families in our OCDSB community will be celebrating holidays or marking important occasions together. We would like to send our warmest wishes to all who will be observing these and other celebrations throughout the winter holiday season.

The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board stands against antisemitism. We are aware of the vile, antisemitic statements and messages targeted at Trustee Nili Kaplan-Myrth. Many of these statements have included antisemitic slurs, epithets, threats of harm, aggression, and in some cases, illegal activity. This is unacceptable and inexcusable.

The OCDSB Board of Trustees is very pleased to announce it has appointed OCDSB Executive Officer Michele Giroux to serve as Director of Education and Secretary of the Board on an interim basis, effective January 9, 2023.

Dear Families, This was a challenging week for the OCDSB community. The Board of Trustees considered whether to mandate masking for students and staff. The meetings generated a lot of discussion, both inside and outside of the Boardroom. After much debate, the motion did not pass. This means that wearing a mask in OCDSB schools and buildings is not mandatory, but it continues to be strongly encouraged.

Dear Families, On Tuesday, trustees were officially sworn in as members of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board for a four-year term during the Inaugural meeting. Congratulations to Trustee Lyra Evans, who was elected Chair of the Board and Trustee Justine Bell, elected Vice-Chair. To learn more about your Trustees and how to contact them, visit our website.  

We look forward to the swearing-in of our newly elected and returning Trustees at our Board Inaugural Meeting on Tuesday, November 15. All are welcome to join us in-person at 133 Greenbank Road at 6:30 p.m.

Dear Families, A reminder that Friday, November 4th is a PA Day for all elementary students, and a regular school day for secondary students. The OCDSB does not have any CUPE bargaining units, and will not be directly affected by any strike action tomorrow. Next week will be a regular week for all OCDSB schools.

Join us on Saturday, November 5th from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Ridgemont High School. Dr. Michael Cheng will join us from CHEO for a keynote address, sharing how to build resiliency in our children in a world of uncertainty. Over a dozen workshops will be available after the keynote session, with most offered in English and several offered in Arabic and Somali. Register now and visit our website to learn more.

Dear Families, OCDSB Parent Conference - November 5th: 2022 (In-Person) Register Now! for our in-person Parent Conference planned for Saturday, November 5th from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Ridgemont High School. Dr. Michael Cheng from CHEO will share strategies on building resilience in children and youth in a world of uncertainty.

Dear Families, We hope you enjoyed a restful long weekend. Here are a few reminders for the week ahead.

Dear Families, OCDSB Cares: An Anonymous Reporting Tool for Students The OCDSB is excited to launch OCDSB Cares - a new safety reporting tool. Students can always report concerns to the school, but OCDSB Cares also allows secondary students to electronically report concerns about the health, well-being and safety of themselves or others. When a message is sent by text (613-704-2628), the system receives an encrypted, scrambled number only.

Dear OCDSB Families, OCDSB Welcomes Students Back to School. Last week we were thrilled to welcome our students back to school. Read our latest School News Story to see how classes across the OCDSB kicked off the school year with team activities, outdoor learning, and more.

Dear OCDSB Families, Thank you for everything that you did to help make this first week of school a success. As we settle into school routines, we all navigate a range of transitions. Setting aside some time to check in with your child(ren) about their feelings about the return to school is a great way to understand where they are at and to help them feel connected. These tips and strategies might be helpful to you.

Welcome back! We are looking forward to seeing students back on Tuesday, September 6th. Heading back to school is exciting, and it is also an adjustment. Here are a few helpful strategies to help families prepare for a successful return to school. You can also watch the recording of Dr. Jean Clinton on “Love Builds Brains: Bringing Joy Back to Learning” which is full of practical tips to support the return to school with hope, optimism, and joy.