Ottawa Carleton District School Board

On May 10th, we recognize Bear Witness Day / Journée de l’ourson témoin, which honours the memory of Jordan River Anderson and engages the community in ensuring the proper implementation of Jordan’s Principle.

The OCDSB is holding a policy and practice review of the Police Involvement in Schools Policy. This includes a review of the School Resource Officer role in schools as well as a review of all activities that involve police in school that are identified as legally discretionary.

Indigenous secondary students and families in the OCDSB are invited to join the next event in this year's Indigenous Youth Symposium, a speed painting session with Jordyn Hendricks, 2-Spirit Michif artist.

May is Speech and Hearing Month. OCDSB Speech-Language Pathologists offer assistance to develop your child's communication skills, including articulation, receptive and expressive language, social skills, fluency skills, voice and resonance, pre-literacy and literacy skills, executive functioning skills and augmentative and alternative communication.

The OCDSB is pleased to partner with Youth Ottawa on the Active Citizenship Initiative, which invites students to get involved and take action on local community issues.

May 5th is the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and Two-Spirit People (MMIWG2S). Today, the OCDSB honours and remembers all missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people.

Asian Heritage Month and South Asian Heritage Month are an opportunity to reflect upon the long and rich history of Asian Canadians, their contributions to Canada, and their role in communities across the District.

Jewish Heritage Month is an opportunity to remember, celebrate, and educate future generations about Jewish Canadians and the importance of their role in communities across the District.

As we approach the end of the 2020-2021 school year, we are pleased to recognize some of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board's most exemplary staff members through this year’s Director’s Citation Awards and Employee Recognition Awards.

May 3-7 is Education Week in Ontario and the theme is #StrongerTogether. This week, we recognize and thank all OCDSB staff, students, families and partners. Together, we have navigated so many transitions and worked together to support student learning and well-being.

Wednesday, May 5 is Support Staff Appreciation Day, a day for special recognition of the amazing work of all the support staff in our schools and administrative offices.

The OCDSB is offering Virtual International Language Classes this summer for students in junior kindergarten to grade 8. These classes are free for Ontario residents and provide an opportunity for students to learn a new language or maintain the language of their home or heritage.

May 1 is National Principals’ Day! The OCDSB celebrates all of the outstanding Principals and Vice-Principals across our District who truly embody our OCDSB Culture of Caring, Innovation and Social Responsibility.

The OCDSB Grade 6-8 Summer School Program for 2021 is now open for registration. Two non credit programs are available for OCDSB students currently enrolled in Grades 6-8. More information, including details on how to register is available on our website.

The OCDSB is seeking feedback on plans for the opening of a New Half Moon Bay Elementary School, to be located at the south/west corner of Kilbirnie Drive and River Mist Road, with a tentative opening date of September 2022, pending approvals and construction timelines. We are gathering feedback through an online survey to inform the development of a final staff recommendation to be presented to the Board of Trustees in June 2021.

You may have had some questions about what kinds of activities are still available to families during the Stay-at-Home Order in Ottawa. Ottawa Public Health has helped provide answers for a few common questions below.

In February, we collected feedback from students, families and staff in our Winter Survey, where 12,365 participants shared 17,052 thoughts. We thank everyone who participated for sharing your comments with us. We have continued to review the feedback and work to address the comments and concerns that were voiced. Learn more about the work we are doing.

May 3-9 is Mental Health Week. It offers an opportunity to reflect on the steps we can all take to support our mental health, cope with these challenging times, and find the help we need.

We’ve received some questions about carbon dioxide (CO2) levels and monitoring in schools. We have connected with our HVAC experts and wanted to share some information with you.

For session #2 of the OCDSB Black Excellence Discussion Series, we invite four professionals to share their experiences and offer career advice for students.

Indigenous students and families in the OCDSB are invited to join the next event in this year's Indigenous Youth Symposium, featuring special guest Aalla.

The OCDSB Indigenous Speaker Series proudly presents a virtual talk with Jaime Morse for OCDSB staff and students in grades 7-12.

To enable easy and secure access, OCDSB parents and guardians will now receive their child's report card directly in their email.

Following the orders of the Ontario government, effective Monday, April 19, 2021, all OCDSB elementary and secondary schools will close to in-person learning until further notice.

National Volunteer Week is April 18-24. The OCDSB thanks all volunteers who have contributed their time to support our students, schools and communities.

Wednesday, April 14th is the International Day of Pink. It is a day where communities across the country, and across the world, can unite in celebrating diversity and raising awareness to stop homophobia, transphobia, transmisogyny, and all forms of bullying.

Annually, the OCDSB recognizes the valuable contributions of our community members, parents, and businesses through the OCDSB Community Recognition Awards. Nominations are now open for the 2020-2021 awards. Nominate a volunteer by Friday, April 16, 2021.

For all those observing, we wish OCDSB families a blessed Ramadan. Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar. It is a period of prayer, fasting, charity-giving and self-accountability for Muslims all over the world.

The Ottawa organization Refugee 613 has translated information from the Ontario Stay-at-Home order in multiple languages.

Registration is now open for OCDSB Extended Day Programs (EDP) for the 2021-2022 school year. EDP operates before and after the regular school day, providing children in Kindergarten to Grade 6 the opportunity to participate in activities that complement what happens during the school day.

All elementary and secondary schools will be closed for in-person learning after the April break. OCDSB in-person students will begin remote learning starting on Monday, April 19, 2021 until further notice.

Dear Parents and Guardians, With the school Spring Break and warmer weather right ahead, we wanted to take this opportunity to connect with you and share some important tips and reminders to help you continue to keep yourself, your family, and our community safe.

Alongside the Jewish community and others around the world, we observe Yom HaShoah and recognize those who lost their lives and loved ones in the Holocaust.

In Ontario, April is recognized as Sikh Heritage Month. This month is an opportunity to learn about and celebrate the history, culture, and contributions of Sikh Canadians.

The OCDSB Grade 9-12 Summer School Program for 2021 is now open for registration! Offerings include eLearning, Reach Ahead, Co-op and more (available on a first-come, first-served basis).

Today, the OCDSB and other Ottawa school boards received a letter from Dr. Vera Etches, Ottawa Medical Officer of Health.

The month of April is recognized as Autism Awareness Month. The goal of this month is to help in the building of stronger, more inclusive communities for people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This month also includes World Autism Awareness Day on April 2 and Autism Ontario’s Raise the Flag for Autism campaign on April 6. The OCDSB will celebrate autism awareness throughout the month of April.

Today, the Government of Ontario released new data showing a significant increase of COVID-19 across the province. Rapidly-spreading variants have the potential to overwhelm our hospitals with more younger adults now becoming infected.

March 31 is the International Trans Day of Visibility. We all have a role to play to ensure that trans and gender diverse students have a safe learning environment.

Starting out in 2007, Earth Hour is now the world's largest grassroots movement for the environment, inspiring millions of people to take action for our planet and nature.

On March 31, Indigenous students and families in the OCDSB are invited to join the second event of this year's Indigenous Youth Symposium, where special guest Silla, from the musical group Silla and Rise, will share about their journey through music and the beauty of Inuit culture.

The Ottawa Black Educators Network will be hosting the first Black Parents Network session, Stronger Together: Building Relationships to Support Black Students. Black parents and parents of Black children are invited to join this interactive session on Saturday, March 27.

March 21st is recognized as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The OCDSB benefits from and is enriched by the diversity of perspectives, experiences and lived realities of the students, staff and families that make up our community.

The OCDSB is holding a policy and practice review of the Police Involvement in Schools Policy. This includes a review of the School Resource Officer role in schools as well as a review of all activities that involve police in school that are identified as legally discretionary.

The Ontario government has given approval to the OCDSB to proceed to award the tender for construction of a new Stittsville Secondary School.

On Thursday, March 11th, flags will be lowered at OCDSB schools in recognition of the first National Day of Observance for COVID-19 in Canada.

The OCDSB’s International Certificate Program is designed to recognize and honour students in grade 9-12 who demonstrate a commitment to being motivated, engaged and active global citizens. On March 23, 2021 at 7:00 p.m., the OCDSB will hold a virtual information session for students in grades 8-11 and parents/guardians

The OCDSB will host a Black Youth Virtual Sharing Circle on March 24, 2021 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. for Black OCDSB secondary students. Students are invited to share their voices and stories by joining this virtual discussion on the barriers around mental health services for Black youth.

The OCDSB is committed to promoting and protecting the human rights of students, families, staff and the wider community. There are a variety of policies and procedures that relate to some aspects of human rights, but we need a central human rights policy that sets the standards and clearly outlines how they will be enforced.

What does Black Excellence mean? How can we work together as a community so that African, Black, African-Caribbean (ABC) students can envision and feel empowered to reach their goals and achieve their full potential?

March 8 is International Women's Day, a global day of recognition celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women and girls, and raising awareness of the work left to be done.

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, on February 16, 2021, Board Chair Lynn Scott wrote a letter to Health Minister Christine Elliott and Education Minister Stephen Lecce requesting the prioritization of education workers as part of the Ontario vaccination strategy.

The OCDSB is planning to welcome students and staff back to school in September 2021. We believe that student learning and well-being is best supported through in-person learning.

On March 1st, 2021 at 3:30 p.m., the OCDSB is pleased to present a webinar with Dr. Clyde Ledbetter Jr., Mentorship Program Manager at Jaku Konbit. This webinar will discuss ways in which Black youth (and their allies) can use Black Future Month to create effective strategies to enhance the well-being of their local and global community.

The OCDSB Indigenous Speakers Series proudly presents two webinars with Theland Kicknosway for OCDSB staff and students. The first session will be held on Tuesday, March 2nd, for Grade 7 to 12 students. The second session will feature Theland and his mother Elaine talking about "Boys with Braids", and will take place on Tuesday, March 9th, 2021.

Report cards are now available to parents through the secure online Report Card Portal.

Is your child exploring future career pathways or considering a career in the trades? On February 25th, 2021 the OCDSB hosted a virtual event for parents and students with Job Talks Executive Director Dr. Jon Callegher. Watch the recording now!

The Sankofa Centre of Excellent Graduation Coach Program is committed to advancing the academic success of African, Black and Caribbean students in the OCDSB.

Every February is recognized as Black History Month in Canada. It’s a time to celebrate Black culture and history and to applaud the achievements and significant contributions Black Canadians have made to build Canada and to make this country the diverse, welcoming and the strong nation it is today.

On February 23, 2021, the Education Foundation of Ottawa will be hosting their annual Toonie Tuesday event to raise critical funds for OCDSB families in need.

On Monday, February 1st in-person learning will resume for OCDSB elementary and secondary school students.

We have just been advised that OCDSB schools will re-open on Monday, February 1st. The information was included in a provincial media release. The District will provide a more detailed update on plans for a safe re-opening. Thank you for your continued support as we manage this transition.

Students attend a designated school based on geographic and programming considerations.

The Middle French Immersion Registration period takes place from Monday, February 8 to Tuesday, February 16, 2021.

On January 26, 2021, the Board of Trustees approved a motion to provide students with free menstrual hygiene products in school washrooms across the district. This initiative was led thanks to the advocacy of students.

The Ontario government has announced that schools in some regions of the province will be able to resume in-person learning next week. Ottawa was not included on this list. Elementary and secondary OCDSB students will continue with remote learning. In-person learning will be maintained for students in specialized program classes.

The OCDSB Virtual Night School Program for 2021 is now open for registration! This program is open to students in all school boards and adult learners. The key dates are highlighted below, including the schedule for 2021. More information, including how to register and a list of our course offerings, is available on our website.

The Ontario government announced today it has expanded the list of individuals eligible for emergency child care services during the remote learning period

The province has announced that remote learning for elementary students will continue for the next two weeks. In-person learning is scheduled to resume for both elementary and secondary students on January 25, 2021.

We would like to thank everyone who joined us on January 21st for our Speaker Series session on Screen Time During the Covid-19 Pandemic: Information for Parents and Caregivers with Dr. Michael Cheng.

The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board is hosting Welcome to High School Virtual Information Sessions to help familiarise parents/guardians and students with the various personalized learning experiences available at OCDSB High Schools.

Registration is now open for Kindergarten starting in September 2021. If your child will be four years old by December 31, 2021, they are ready to begin their learning journey with the OCDSB.

Today, the Government of Ontario announced a province-wide shutdown to stop the spread of COVID-19. This affects schools and students will not return to school in person on January 4th as planned.

On December 10, OCDSB Superintendent of Instruction Prince Duah participated in a discussion hosted by the Administrators’ Black Caucus of Ontario. The theme was "Black Men in Educational Leadership: Disrupting Anti-Black Racism."

I am proud to share with you our 2019-2020 Director's Annual Report to the Community. This year, the full report is available in a new digital format, which reflects on some of the highlights of a very unusual school year.

The City of Ottawa is currently reviewing the electoral boundaries of municipal wards. Many people have asked how this impacts the electoral boundaries for school board trustees. Municipal ward boundaries establish the framework for determining electoral zone boundaries for school boards.

The OCDSB is committed to delivering a curriculum that respects and promotes diversity and is culturally relevant and responsive. The delivery of education must honour the best interests of each child, and must ensure that no child experiences harm from the words or actions of instructional leaders or others.

On Thursday, November 26, the Ontario government announced it is launching targeted voluntary testing of asymptomatic students and staff in regions of the province which currently have a high number of active COVID-19 cases.

The review of suspension data is an essential step in the OCDSB’s commitment to creating a culture of caring and social responsibility.

Today, we received a letter from Dr. Vera Etches which we are delighted to share with you. The letter acknowledges the importance of public education in our community and most importantly, the work that each of our staff members do to keep our schools clean and safe.

Youth Ottawa and the OCDSB were proud to present the online Rainbow Bridges Film Festival on November 19th. We showcased the student films from last year’s Rainbow Bridges participants, and had a few surprises!

The top scholar at the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board for the 2019-2020 school year is Sheel Ayachi.

Today, the OCDSB is excited to share that the Government of Ontario has announced it will fund the construction of a new high school in Riverside South.

Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Abdirahman Abdi and the Black community who continue to grieve the loss of a loved one following today’s court decision.

We have been informed of a series of allegations relating to the school climate at Nepean High School. The allegations span a period of several years and involve both current and former students and staff. The allegations address issues of racism and inappropriate conduct of staff involving students.

We have been hearing your questions about COVID-19 and have assembled a list of questions and answers for you.

The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board is proud to announce the launch of our new Indigenous, Equity and Human Rights Roadmap - 2020-2023.

The rise in cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa is concerning. Right now, some students are already in 14-day self-isolation while others are at home awaiting test results. While we all must continue to do our part to stop the spread of COVID into schools, more families will experience this in the weeks ahead.

We have received many questions about students with previous conditions like seasonal allergies or what to do if your child tests negative for COVID-19 and when they can return to school.

The OCDSB is excited to welcome 17,000 students to our new virtual schools – OCV Elementary and OCV Secondary to their first day of school on Friday, September 18th. Our secondary school will support approximately 4,000 students. OCV Elementary has been divided into six campuses, which allows us to better organize the 13,000 students according to their home school.

The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board would like to extend deepest condolences to the family and friends of Dave Smith, who recently passed away at the age of 87.

At a Special Board meeting on Wednesday, August 26, Trustees approved the OCDSB 2020-21 operating budget of $1,008.3 million, capital budget of $97.9 million and the use of $5.4 million in recently announced Ministry grants to address incremental instruction and school operation costs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Government of Ontario has confirmed funding for the building of two new elementary schools in the Fernbank area and south Barrhaven.

The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board has been advised by the Ottawa Police Service that Majed Turk, an individual employed by the OCDSB, has been charged with one count of sexual assault, one count of sexual interference and one count of criminal harassment.

The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board has censured Trustee Donna Blackburn under the Board Member Code of Conduct and strongly recommended she offer her resignation.

The Ottawa-Carleton District Board will hold a Special Board Meeting on Monday, June 29, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. to deal with a Code of Conduct complaint.

We are a caring community and we must remember to reach out and support each other; we must acknowledge that what is happening is not okay; and we must remain committed to speaking out against racism in all its forms.

The OCDSB has released the first summary report of its Valuing Voices – Identity Matters! survey of students from kindergarten to grade 12. The results demonstrate the rich diversity of the OCDSB student population and provide data the school board will need to consider as it prepares its Indigenous, Human Rights and Equity and Indigenous Roadmap to be released in fall 2020.

All OCDSB schools will remain closed for the rest of this school year, per Ministerial order. This provincial decision was based on advice from the Chief Medical Officer of Health. Staff, students and families will receive more information today.

An update on the formal investigation into a complaint regarding an alleged incident between a trustee and a young person in March 2020.

On Sunday, April 26, Education Minister Stephen Lecce announced that all publicly-funded schools will remain closed to students until at least May 31, 2020.

Over the past few weeks, we have been working to contact students to check in and make sure things are okay. However, we haven’t been able to reach all families. If you have not spoken with your teacher or principal, please email them as soon as you can. You can also contact our Family Reception Centre, which supports families whose primary language is not English: 613-239-2416 or familyreceptioncentre@ocdsb.ca

We are committed to a Culture of Caring. Everyone deserves an opportunity to learn. With school closures due to the COVID-19, we were suddenly forced to move learning online. Unfortunately, not all OCDSB students have access to a computer or wifi.

We have received many questions from students and parents about assessment, evaluation and reporting during this time.

The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board has been made aware of reports of an incident in a community park that involved a Trustee and a resident. We are not aware of all of the details related to this specific incident, but we are very concerned about the allegations of racism and bias that this has generated.

OCDSB Learn At Home is the second phase of a province-wide learning strategy to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. OCDSB Learn At Home is a way to focus student learning on key concepts so that students can finish their academic year and be supported to advance to the next year or graduate.

On April 6 th , all OCDSB schools will move to Phase 2 of Learn at Home. This is a period of transition for all of us. We are continuing to take a phased approach to our Learn At Home and will focus on teaching and learning in two week blocks. This will give us an opportunity to hear how it is working for our families and students and make any necessary adjustments. We are fortunate to have such caring educators who have been checking in with students and families over the past two weeks. We’ve encouraged our staff to work together and to be thoughtful and age appropriate about the number of points of contact for both students and families.

Dear OCDSB Families: Today, the Government of Ontario announced that schools and child care centres will remain closed to students until Monday, May 4, 2020. As these dates come closer, this decision will be re-evaluated based on public health advice and the closure may be extended if necessary.

Dear OCDSB Families: As we kick-off a new week, I wanted to touch base and let you know about our progress to date. As you can appreciate, developing a plan to support learning for 75,000 students while schools are closed, is a challenging task. There are still many questions about next steps and we anticipate further direction from the Ministry of Education, but there is lots to report on.

Dear OCDSB Families: I wanted to provide an update of our current progress on supporting student learning during the COVID-19 closure and some information about possible next steps. I know that there are many different perspectives on this issue, and at the OCDSB, we are working to find a path forward that meets the many needs and perspectives.

Dear OCDSB Families, Please find attached a letter from the Minister of Education which contains information relating to the closure of schools in response to COVID-19.

As you know, the OCDSB has been closely monitoring the development of the coronavirus (COVID-19). We remain committed to keeping families informed about this situation and how it impacts our schools, families and staff.

Our sincere condolences to those affected by the tragic plane crash in Iran. To our community, locally, nationally & internationally, we offer our deepest sympathy and support to those whose family, friends, colleagues & loved ones were victims in this tragedy. Together we mourn.

The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board takes the health and safety of students and staff extremely seriously. In accordance with expanded provincial lead testing requirements in 2017, all designated drinking locations in OCDSB elementary schools were tested in 2017 and 2018 and we anticipate that the expanded testing in secondary schools will be completed in 2020.

The OCDSB is pleased to announce the appointment of two Superintendents of Instruction who will begin their new role with the school district effective, January 6, 2020.

Get free access to Voilà Live’s Virtual Immersion Campus. Every evening, from Monday to Thursday, OCDSB students have access to live teachers online to practice their French and get homework help in French, English and Math

New guidance regarding the restriction of cellphones in schools has been released today from the Ontario Ministry of Education.

On Wednesday, Aug. 21, the Ontario Ministry of Education issued its revised elementary health and physical education (HPE) curriculum. This approach will take effect starting in the 2019-2020 school year.

Check out the new OCDSB mobile app It makes staying connected with your children’s school(s) easy and accessible.

The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board has been advised by the Ottawa Police Service that an individual employed by the OCDSB has been charged with offences related to sexual assault between 2000 and 2018. These are in addition to similar charges against the same individual announced by the Ottawa Police Service in August 2019.

In the afternoon of Friday, January 29, an alarm alerted OCDSB staff to an issue at MacSkimming Outdoor Education Centre. A fire was detected and authorities were contacted. The Ottawa Fire Services responded immediately. No injuries were reported.