Ottawa Carleton District School Board

Elementary schools will have a PA Day on Friday, January 22 for assessment, evaluation and report card preparation. There will be no elementary remote or in-person classes on this day.

Dunlop Public School will be closed to students and staff on Friday, December 18, 2020. This includes the Extended Day Program. Parents are asked not to bring their children to school.

May this Festival of Lights bring peace and joy to all in our community celebrating Hanukkah.

The OCDSB will once again be celebrating coding activities during this year’s Hour of Code, taking place from December 7th to 13th.

The OCDSB was thrilled to present a Speaker Series on Resilience with Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe on December 9th.

At its annual organizational meeting on December 1st, the OCDSB elected a chair and vice chair of the Board of Trustees for the 2020-2021 year.

This rare and special live stream will feature Kanahus Manuel from the west coast (Secwepemc and Ktunaxa) who will be speaking to OCDSB students grades 9 to 12 and staff on current events taking place on Indigenous lands in British Columbia.

This is an unprecedented time, and this year, more than ever, our communities need help. The OCDSB is a proud supporter of the United Way.

The OCDSB Indigenous Speakers Series proudly presents a webinar with Isaac Murdoch, for OCDSB grade 9 to 12 students and staff.

The OCDSB is hosting an online post-secondary education (PSE) opportunities event for students in Grades 11 and 12.

In the spring, our graduating class finished high school in a year that none of us expected. Now, it's time to celebrate their achievement. On Thursday, December 10, 2020, all OCDSB secondary schools will be providing a virtual commencement ceremony for our graduates of 2020.

World Children’s Day was first established in 1954 as Universal Children's Day and is celebrated on November 20th each year to promote international togetherness, awareness among children worldwide, and improve children's welfare.

We are committed to providing a safe, caring and inclusive learning environment for all students – each and every one. Bullying is a serious, and far too prevalent issue that we all need to work together to address.

To all those celebrating Diwali, may the beauty of the festival of lights fill your home with happiness and may the new year bring joy, peace, and prosperity in your life. Happy Diwali!

November 8th is National Aboriginal Veterans Day. It is a time to remember and commemorate the contributions of Indigenous veterans in the First and Second World Wars, as well as the Korean War.

The OCDSB Indigenous Speakers Series proudly presents a webinar with Riley Yesno, for OCDSB grade 7 to 12 students and staff.

The first week of November (November 2nd - 6th, 2020) is Treaties Recognition Week. This annual recognition honours the importance of treaties, treaty rights and relationships. Treaties Recognition Week responds to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action to increase treaty awareness.

Due to the restrictions that COVID 19 has placed upon our community, the application process has been adjusted from past years. All applications will be submitted digitally on the school website. Links for submitting documents will appear within 48 hours of each school's information webinar

On November 3rd and 4th, the OCDSB Indigenous Speakers Series presented a webinar to recognize Treaties Recognition Week. Two sessions were offered, one for Elementary and one for Secondary.

The OCDSB is looking for parents and interested community members to serve on its Parent Involvement Committee (PIC). The committee meets 6 times per year to advise on policies and issues of concern to parents, and to make suggestions to the Board regarding parent engagement that supports student achievement.

Thursday, October 22nd, is the 20th anniversary of Child Care Worker and Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day. At the OCDSB we recognize the education, skills, commitment and dedication of child care staff and educators of young children.

Due to ongoing plumbing issues at Manotick PS, we will need to undergo immediate repairs on Friday, October 23rd.

We know that Halloween will look different in Ottawa this year, but we will still welcome ladybugs, superheroes, witches and monsters in OCDSB schools next week.

On October 15, 2020, the OCDSB is taking part in Spirit Day, an annual campaign led by GLAAD. Each year, millions around the world “go purple” for Spirit Day to support 2SLGBTQ+ youth in a united stand against bullying.

With so much emphasis on online learning, it is important for students to realize the responsibilities that are associated with the internet.

We know how important it was for students, families and staff to get back to school. It's been a good start and there has been lots of change. We'd like to hear from OCDSB students, parents/guardians, educators and staff on your experiences so far this year.

Every year for the month of October, Islamic Heritage Month is recognized in Canada. This celebration of Muslim history, culture and religion is a time for all of us to reflect, celebrate and learn about these contributions together.

October is Hispanic Heritage Month in Ontario. This month is an opportunity for staff, students and community members to celebrate the contributions of Hispanic-Canadians in communities across the OCDSB and Ontario.

October 5 is World Teachers’ Day! Join us in recognizing all OCDSB teachers and supporters of learning for their incredible work in our district.

October is National Principals’ Month! This month, the OCDSB recognizes the outstanding work of our Principals and celebrates their incredible leadership in launching this school year.

Interested in a career as a casual Custodian at the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board? The OCDSB will be holding a job fair at the Confederation Education Centre on Saturday, October 3rd, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Join us! The OYAP Advisory Board is currently seeking new members looking to get involved in shaping the future for our apprentices.

OCDSB students and staff will be participating in Orange Shirt Day on September 30th. Orange Shirt Day is a movement across Canada helping to educate students and communities on the history and legacy of Canadian Residential Schools.

"We want children to laugh, to feel at ease, and safe." Starting kindergarten is an exciting and nervous time for students and parents alike. Especially this year.

Today, the Ottawa Student Transportation Authority (OSTA) shared an important update for OCDSB families. Due to severe driver shortages, some yellow bus routes will be cancelled for OCDSB students, starting Sept. 14th. In addition, the agency also noted that some grade 7-12 students have been transitioned to public transit.

Many people have questions about class size and how many students they can expect to see in their child's class this year.

The OCDSB is in the process of staffing for the new school year. Many people have asked questions about what these staffing changes mean, why they are necessary and why is this happening so close to the start of the school year. We wanted to explain the process in a little more detail.

We’re excited to welcome students back to school. Our new Return to School Schedule provides a detailed explanation of our plans to safely transition students back to school.

In celebrating Capital Pride, Youth Ottawa and the OCDSB wanted to share a video showcasing 2SLGTBQ student voices. The video is a reel of student films from the Rainbow Bridges Project. This was an experiential, for-youth-by-youth project where high school students involved with the school’s GSA (gay-straight alliance or gender and sexuality alliance) worked together to innovate new ways of creating safer schools.

The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board has been advised by the Ottawa Police Service that charges have been laid against Majed Turk, an individual employed by the OCDSB. He has been charged with sexual offences in relation to events dating back to July 2013 involving two female students. These are in addition to charges against Mr. Turk announced by police in July.

In his engaging presentation Dr. David Tranter discussed critical strategies to promote student and parent well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thank you for the cooperation and patience as we move one more step closer to the start of the school year. The Confirmation of Attendance process is now complete. We understand how challenging it was to make this decision under such short timelines and we are deeply grateful for the cooperation from OCDSB families.

Dear OCDSB Families, With new direction from the Ministry of Education and lots of good feedback from the community, we have updated our Return to School plan. Our plan is still built on three models of instruction...

Thank you to everyone who completed the Confirmation of Attendance form. We had a 91% response rate which breaks down as follows...

The Ministry of Education has just released an important Policy/Program Memorandum (PPM) with new requirements for Remote Learning which will affect the OCDSB Return to School plan.

On July 30th, the Ontario Ministry of Education announced that it was not yet safe for our secondary schools to return to conventional learning and the OCDSB and some other districts would open using an Adaptive Model.

We are looking forward to welcoming students and staff safely back to school beginning on September 3rd.

School starts on September 3rd. This year, the return to school is complicated as we try to safely navigate COVID-19.

The 2020-2021 School Year Calendar has been approved by the Ministry. School year calendars are distributed to all students at the beginning of each school year. The school year calendar lists school holidays and other important dates.

As part of our commitment to employee wellbeing, OCDSB administrative departments have scheduled a common two-week vacation period for many staff from 27 July 2020 to 7 August 2020 inclusive.

Are you (or someone you know) interested in being on the Education Foundation of Ottawa (EFO)’s Board of Directors? The EFO is currently seeking 7 Board of Directors positions. As a local registered charity, EFO is committed to leveling the playing field for students of the OCDSB. Learn more about this opportunity to help support OCDSB students in need!

The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board recently launched a survey to gather feedback on the experience of parents/guardians, students and staff with the Learn At Home model that was implemented in March-June 2020. This survey also gave parents/guardians, students and staff an opportunity to share their thoughts on the plans for the next school year.

On Thursday, July 16, 2020, the Board considered an appeal filed by Trustee Donna Blackburn in regards to a Code of Conduct decision. In considering the appeal, the Board reviewed both the decision regarding the breach of the Board Member Code of Conduct, and the decision of the Board imposing sanctions.

On July 9 and 10, the Board of Trustees held a Special Board meeting to discuss plans for school reopening in September. The meeting began with parent delegates speaking about their experiences and sharing their thoughts ahead of the trustee discussion. The Board also received additional written statements from parents which were shared with trustees.

The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board has launched a survey to gather feedback on the experience of parents/guardians, students and staff with the Learn At Home model that was implemented in March-June 2020. This survey also gives parents/guardians, students and staff an opportunity to share their thoughts on the plans for the next school year.

The OCDSB is still accepting applications for our Co-op Program for the 2020-2021 School Year.

We are proud to celebrate their incredible success and achievement of our graduating students. Watch a message from OCDSB Education Director Camille Williams-Taylor to the Class of 2020.

The OCDSB is offering Virtual Summer International Language Classes through the Continuing Education department. These classes are designed for children in Grades 1 to 8 and will be delivered through the use of a variety of online tools.

Anyone who wishes to apply for a Cross Boundary Transfer and did not do so during the application period of February 3rd to 18th, 2020, will need to complete the following form: OCDSB 118E Elementary School Transfer Application OCDSB 118S Secondary Student School Transfer Application

The response to Grade 6-8 Virtual Elementary Summer School has been significant. In order to have time to staff, create classes, communicate with parents and to ensure everything is ready for July 2nd, registration will be closing on Monday, June 8th.

It’s a sad reality in Ottawa that too many families struggle with food security. While grocery shelves may be nearly full, not everyone can afford a stable supply of healthy and nutritious food.

June is National Indigenous History Month, including National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21. This month is an opportunity to reflect upon the history, contributions, culture and strength of First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples.

In June, the OCDSB is celebrating Pride Month, which recognizes the impact that 2SLGBTQ+ people have had around the world, across our communities, and in our District. We are proud of our diversity and committed to providing a safe, welcoming environment for all students and staff.

The human rights and dignity of every person must be protected, and that can only be done when we individually and collectively take action to disrupt and dismantle the systems that perpetuate racism and oppression. The OCDSB commits to this work and to actively engage in the listening, learning and collaboration necessary to build a better way forward together.

OCDSB schools have raised more than a quarter of a million dollars for cancer research through participation in the 2019 Terry Fox School Run.

The OCDSB Indigenous Speakers Series proudly presents Jesse Thistle, author of the bestselling memoir, From the Ashes. Tune into the livestream on Friday, June 5 at 1 p.m.

The Ottawa Citizen and Sun are hosting a citywide celebration of the Class of 2020. Find out how to participate!

The Newsbrief is meant to provide the highlights of the decisions made at the Board meeting for the benefit of our community. The notes do not serve as the official record of the meeting. Please refer to Board or Committee minutes.

Over 1100 students shared 521 thoughts and assigned 22,556 ratings on how we can celebrate the class of 2020 while following physical distancing recommendations.

The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) recognizes the dignity and worth of every person in our community. Every person has the right to be free from racial discrimination and harassment. When allegations are made that an individual has not been treated in accordance with these principles, it is essential that they be taken seriously and addressed in accordance with both the law and the policies of the organization.

The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) will be accepting registration for Summer School 2020 starting Monday, May 4, 2020

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.

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.

We wanted to provide answers to many of the questions that you have been asking about assessment, evaluation and end of year activities.

The Director’s Citation Awards recognize outstanding and significant staff contributions to the District and its students, over an extended period of time, showing a level of imagination, enthusiasm, and professionalism that constitutes a worthy model for others.

A tentative agreement has been reached between the Ontario Government, Ontario Public School Boards' Association (OPSBA) and Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF) teachers.

Our thanks to all students and parents/guardians who participated in our recent Thoughtexchange. We asked about your experiences with learning at home - how it is working for you; what questions you have; the challenges have you experienced and your ideas for improvements. We had a tremendous response:

April is Autism Awareness Month, and while typical school celebrations and recognition ceremonies are not possible at this time, we wanted to highlight that Thursday, April 2nd, 2020 is World Autism Awareness Day.

The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) has reached tentative central agreements with the Government of Ontario, the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association and the Council of Trustees’ Associations. Separate tentative central agreements have been negotiated for ETFO’s teacher/occasional teacher and education worker members.

Time is running out to recognize amazing volunteers making a difference in our school communities. Nominate them for the 2020 OCDSB Volunteer and Community Member Recognition Awards!

In keeping with a commitment to good governance, transparency and accountability, the Board of Trustees (Board) of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board has recently approved revisions to its Code of Conduct and has established a policy for the appointment of an Integrity Commissioner.

The proposed calendar for the 2020-2021 school year is now available on our website. Please note that this is subject to Ministry Approval, which is received on or before May 1st of each year.

In a special OCDSB board meeting Tuesday, Justine Bell was sworn in as new trustee for Zone 10, Somerset Kitchissippi, for a term ending November 14, 2022.

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.

At its annual organizational meeting on December 2nd, the OCDSB elected a chair and vice chair of the Board of Trustees for the 2019-2020 year.

Ottawa Public Health requires proof that your child has received proper immunization. Under the Immunization of School Pupils Act, students attending school in Ontario are required to be vaccinated against nine (9) diseases or have a valid exemption. Parents are required to report all immunizations done at the doctor's office to OPH. Under this Act, OPH has the authority to suspend students for whom OPH does not have a record of immunization from attending school.