Prayer

Holy Father, We come before You with hearts full of gratitude for the bountiful harvest season.  Thank You for the abundance of food, the beauty of creation, and the hands that have worked tirelessly to bring forth this blessing.  May we cherish and share these gifts with others, reflecting Your love and generosity.  Guide us to be stewards of Your creation, always mindful of Your grace.

Amen.

A Message from St. Dominic Food Drive Team

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who generously contributed to our food drive in support of the Cumberland Resource Center. Your kindness will make a real difference in the lives of local families facing hardship.

Cross-Country Team

Congratulations to our amazing Cross-Country team for their strong performance at the school board event on Tuesday, October 15th! Your dedication and sportsmanship shone through, making St. Dominic proud.

St. Dominic Clothing 

As was shared earlier this week,  St. Dominic clothing is once again available to order. Please check out our web store at https://st-dominic.secure-decoration.com/ to order your clothing.  There are items in children’s sizes as well as adult sizes.  A portion of the sales will come back to the school to buy some new gym equipment.

If you order by November 8th, 2024 you can choose to have your items shipped to the school and save on shipping.  It can be shipped to your house all year for a small shipping fee.  Also, note there is a spot you can click so the school will call you instead of giving it to your child, if you want the clothing to be a gift or a surprise.

Halloween

On October 31st, students are welcome to celebrate Halloween by wearing their costumes to school. Please remember:

• No masks or weapons

• Minimize accessories to avoid losing or forgetting them before trick-or-treating

• If you prefer not to wear a costume, students can show their spirit by wearing black and orange should they wish.

Let's have a fun and safe Halloween!

Dressing for the Weather

As the weather gets colder, please ensure your child is dressed appropriately for spending time outdoors, as a significant portion of the day is spent outside. To help reduce lost items, please clearly label all of your child's outerwear, including coats, hats, and mittens, with their name or initials. 

Spirit Week

The St. Dominic Spirit Squad has organized a fun Spirit week for the week of October 28th to November 1st.  Have a look at this poster Spirit Week for details. 

Picture Day

Smile!  Picture day is October 30th for all students.

Choir

We are very excited to announce that we will have a school choir this year.  Students in grades 2 to 6 are invited to participate.  

A Reminder from the Eco Club

The St. Dominic Eco Club has been hard at work reminding their fellow students that we are a litterless lunch school.  That means that we try to minimize single use plastics in our lunch kits. Our yard has been filled with discarded candy and snack wrappers lately and members have also been generously volunteering their recess time to pick up this waste. It is so wonderful to see such dedicated young environmentalists working hard for our school community.

Reporting your child’s absence

A friendly reminder to please inform the office of your child’s absence, either by calling the school at 613-424-3760 or by email at dominic@ocsb.ca.  

School Council News

St. Dominic School Council's Annual Pumpkin Carving Contest!

• Our annual pumpkin carving (or decorating) contest is back! Decorate or carve your pumpkins and submit at the link below before 11:59pm on October 31st! Everyone who submits an entry will be entered into a random draw for one of two $50 Indigo gift cards.

• Students can enter as many times as they like (one entry per pumpkin please). For more information, email info@stdominicCSC.com.

• Enter using the following link: https://forms.gle/sGd64e12ozUeoiQP6

DYK: Our school is fundraising with Mabel’s Labels! 

• If you’re not familiar with Mabel’s Labels, they are personalized, durable, waterproof labels. They are great for everything from shoes, clothing tags, water bottles and backpacks. You can customize them with your name and a design, and they are dishwasher, laundry and microwave safe.

• Mabel’s Labels also offers clothing stamps, silicone bands for water bottles and medical alert labels.

• To support our fundraiser, visit campaigns.mabelslabels.com and select St. Dominic School Council (Orleans).

• Thank you for supporting us!

Calling Volunteers! If you are interested in volunteering this school year with any council-led events, please reach out to us at info@stdominiccsc.com. This includes things like pizza days, family BBQ, book fair and more!

Parish News

Rite of Enrolment for First Communion/Reconciliation

The Rite of Enrolment is the first formal stage in the preparation of children for First Communion/Reconciliation.  Parents bring their children to the Good Shepherd Church and present them to the community. The faith community to which the child belongs has the duty and privilege of witnessing and supporting them through the journey of sacramental preparation. Parents accept the responsibility of supporting their children and the parish community promises to support the children and their families through their love, prayers and example. This experience is an essential step in the preparation for the sacraments. This year, the enrolment for children wishing to celebrate the sacrament of First Communion/Reconciliation will be on Saturday, October 19th and Sunday, October 20th, 2024.

Choose ONE of the following mass times to participate in the Enrolment Ceremony:

Saturday, October 19, 2024 at the 5:00 p.m. mass

Sunday, October 20, 2024 at the 9:00 a.m. mass or 11:15 a.m. mass

We ask that you arrive 15 minutes early since the Enrolment Ceremony will take place at the beginning of mass.

Please sign in when you arrive.  Late arrivals cannot be enrolled at that mass.

CONFIRMATION NEWS 

Registration forms for the sacrament of Confirmation at The Good Shepherd Parish are due by October 27, 2024. 

The Rite of Enrolment is the first formal stage in the preparation of children for Confirmation.  Parents bring their children to the Church and present them to the community. The faith community to which the child belongs has the duty and privilege of witnessing and supporting them through the journey of sacramental preparation. Parents are asked to present their children at a regular Sunday mass. The children express their desire to prepare for the sacrament that they will celebrate in the Easter season. Parents accept the responsibility of supporting their children and the parish community promises to support the children and their families through their love, prayers and example. This experience is an essential step in the preparation for the sacraments.  This year, the enrolment for children wishing to celebrate the sacrament of Confirmation will be on November 9th and 10th.  Choose ONE of the following mass times to participate in the Enrolment Ceremony:

Saturday, November 9th, 2024 at the 5:00 p.m. mass

Sunday, November 10th, 2024 at the 9:00 a.m. mass or 11:15 a.m. mass

We ask that you arrive early to sign your name and the Enrolment ceremony will be after the Homily.

Please sign in when you arrive.  Late arrivals cannot be enrolled at that mass. 

Please also see the attached flyers for more information.

Important Upcoming Dates

Spirit Week: October 28th - November 1st

Picture Day - October 30th

Hallowe’en: October 31st

Remembrance Day Ceremony: November 11th @ 10:45

October 7th Newsletter

Prayer

God, we thank you for the gift of life and the blessings you have bestowed upon us. As we will soon gather with loved ones this Thanksgiving, we are grateful for the abundance in our lives. We ask that you bless our families, friends, and community. May we always remember those in need and share our blessings with others. Amen.

A Message from St. Dominic Food Drive Team

Thank you to those who have sent in food items for our Thanksgiving Food Drive.  There is still time to support the Cumberland Resource Center, The final collection will take place Wednesday, October 9th 2024.

Each grade is asked to contribute the grade specific item that the food bank has

highlighted as some of their greatest needs.

Kindergarten-Crackers and cereal 

Grade 1-School snacks 

Grade 2-Canned meat 

Grade 3- Canned juice (tomato, apple)

Grade 4-Canned fruit and vegetables

Grade 5-Rice and pasta

Grade 6-Canned tomatoes, spaghetti sauce

Should you wish to further contribute, other items that are in great need include:

tomato paste, flour/sugar, vegetable oil, gluten-free products, soap/shampoo/

toothpaste, laundry soap, toilet paper, diapers sizes 5 and 6, pull-ups (L and

XL)/Goodnites.

We thank you for your generosity and continued support.

Terry Fox Run 

Our heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported our Terry Fox Run! It was a beautiful day for a walk or run, and thanks to your generosity, our school community raised over $3300 for the Terry Fox Foundation. Your contributions will make a real difference in the fight against cancer.

Homework Help

The Cumberland Branch of the Ottawa Public Library (Ray Friel Centre, 1599 Tenth Line Rd) will be hosting Homework Help sessions on Thursday evenings between 6 pm and 7:30 pm, starting on September 19. United for Literacy volunteers will be present to help students in grades 1-10 with all subjects. Kids should come with their homework and work material. A parent/caregiver must remain in the library while their child is being assisted.

This is a drop-in program; registration is not required. Families are not required to stay for the entire duration of the session – come anytime between 6 pm and 7:30 pm! 

International and Indigenous Language Program

Please see this flier from our Continuing Education Department regarding Saturday Language school at St. Matthew’s High School.  

Virtual Event for Parents

Do you want to help your child navigate today's world with confidence and resilience? Join award-winning educator Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe for an inspiring session filled with tools and strategies. 

On Thursday, October 10th at 6:30 PM, the OCSB is hosting Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe to speak with parents on:

• Building Resilience, Nurturing Well-being Empowering our Children for Positive Health - A Virtual Event 

This is a virtual event for all parents and interested community members. Follow the link above more information and how to access this event.

Reporting your child’s absence

A friendly reminder to please inform the office of your child’s absence, either by calling the school at 613-424-3760 or by email at dominic@ocsb.ca.  

School Council News

St. Dominic School (Parent) Council is back and in full swing! We kicked off our first meeting of the school year and are happy to announce our 2024 – 2025 School Council elected members:

Co-Chairs: Danielle Fleming & Lindsay Nubel

Treasurer: Christine MacKinnon-Roy

Secretary: Kateri Milan-Martin

CSPA Rep: Ally Stoll

Parish Rep: Angella Ok-Stone

Parents at Large: James Blaskie, Alyssa Gee, Anika Jaura

We are also super excited to have Kim Kenna and Sherri Rayner joining us as Teacher Representatives and Laurie Woodward as our Support Staff Representative. All parents and guardians are always welcome to every council meeting which takes place the 3rd Thursday of each month at 6:30pm at the school – next meeting will be Thursday October 17th at 6:30pm.

A few October things to watch for from School Council

• Pizza Thursdays are back! School Council is pleased to be offering pizza days again starting October 24th – orders are open now through School Cash Online until October 17th so make sure to get your orders in for this session (will run until the end of January and then we will reopen School Cash Online for Session #2 – February through June).

• Annual Pumpkin Carving Contest – as has become a tradition, School Council will hold a virtual pumpkin carving contest where kids and their families can submit pictures of their carved or decorated pumpkins and have a chance to win a gift certificate (anyone who enters is automatically entered into the random draw for one of two gift cards). Keep an eye out for the opening of that contest coming up soon!

Calling Volunteers! If you are interested in volunteering this school year with any council-led events, please reach out to us at info@stdominiccsc.com. This includes things like pizza days, family BBQ, book fair and more!

Good Shepherd Parish News

Good Shepherd Parish is an integral part of our school community, and we encourage you to read the Parish Highlights for the latest on the parish’s upcoming events.  

Important Upcoming Dates

Tuesday, October 8th @ 11am - Thanksgiving Mass in the gymnasium

Friday, October 11th - PD Day, Christian Community Day (no school for students)

Monday, October 14th - Thanksgiving (school is closed)

October 17th - Pizza orders due

September 20th Newsletter

Prayer

Lord, we long for unity in our community. We thank You for the diversity that exists among us and pray that we would use it to build bridges instead of walls. Bring us together as one body, unified in purpose and vision, working together to make a difference in our world. (Today’s Prayer)

Allergy Policy

To ensure the safety and well-being of all our students, we maintain a strict peanut, nut, sesame,fish and shellfish-free environment at our school. We kindly request your cooperation in ensuring that your child's snacks and lunches are free of these allergens, which include hummus (sesame tahini) and hamburger-type buns (& other bagels or breads with sesame seeds). Thank you for your understanding and partnership in creating a safe and healthy space for everyone.

Fire Drill Practice

We successfully conducted our first fire drill of the school year yesterday morning. I am pleased to report that our students did exceptionally well, and we were able to evacuate the building quickly and safely. We will continue to practice fire drills regularly throughout the year to ensure that our students are prepared in case of an emergency. 

Reporting your child’s absence

Reminder to please inform the office of your child’s absence, either by calling the school at 613-424-3760 or by email at dominic@ocsb.ca.  

A Message from St. Dominic Food Drive Team

With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, we are gearing up for a successful food

drive to raise food for our fellow neighbours. In keeping with our school board’s

theme: "We are called to open doors, build bridges, and nourish new

beginnings" we ask that you think of your neighbour, the Cumberland Resource

Center, as family and join us in the collective effort of bringing in canned or

non-perishable goods. Please send in any goods with your child over the next two

weeks. The final collection will take place Wednesday, October 9th 2024.

Each grade is asked to contribute the grade specific item that the food bank has

highlighted as some of their greatest needs.

Kindergarten-Crackers and cereal 

Grade 1-School snacks 

Grade 2-Canned meat 

Grade 3- Canned juice (tomato, apple)

Grade 4-Canned fruit and vegetables

Grade 5-Rice and pasta

Grade 6-Canned tomatoes, spaghetti sauce

Should you wish to further contribute, other items that are in great need include:

tomato paste, flour/sugar, vegetable oil, gluten-free products, soap/shampoo/

toothpaste, laundry soap, toilet paper, diapers sizes 5 and 6, pull-ups (L and

XL)/Goodnites.

We thank you for your generosity and continued support.

School Fees

Thank you to those who have paid their school fees.  School fees can be paid via School Cash Online.

Homework Help

The Cumberland Branch of the Ottawa Public Library (Ray Friel Centre, 1599 Tenth Line Rd) will be hosting Homework Help sessions on Thursday evenings between 6 pm and 7:30 pm, starting on September 19. United for Literacy volunteers will be present to help students in grades 1-10 with all subjects. Kids should come with their homework and work material. A parent/caregiver must remain in the library while their child is being assisted.

This is a drop-in program; registration is not required. Families are not required to stay for the entire duration of the session – come anytime between 6 pm and 7:30 pm!

Terry Fox Run 

Thank you to all who have been able to contribute to our fundraising efforts, either by participating in our Toonie for Terry drive, contributing online or purchasing a Terry Fox Foundation t-shirt.   There is still time to donate directly to our donation page at the following link:  St. Dominic Terry Fox Run  .  Our run date is Friday, September 27th.   We are also still looking for volunteers to help.  Please contact Mr. Lauder at ian.lauder@ocsb.ca if you can help 

School Council News

A reminder that our first meeting will take place on Thursday September 26th at 6:00 pm at the school (in the Learning Commons) We will close out the previous year, hold elections for the current year and start looking ahead at our plans for 2024 - 2025. We look forward to seeing lots of parents and guardians of our St. Dominic Dragons!

For more information about School Council, please email us at info@stdominicCSC.com or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/stdominicCSC.

St. Dominic School Council

Good Shepherd Parish News

Good Shepherd Parish is an integral part of our school community, and we encourage you to read the Parish News for updates on upcoming events and activities.

Upcoming Dates

Wednesday, September 25th - Franco-Ontarian Day

Friday, September 27th - Terry Fox Run

Monday, September 30th - Orange Shirt Day

Tuesday, October 8th @ 11am - Thanksgiving Mass in the gymnasium

Friday, October 11th - Christian Community Day (no school for students)

Sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Communion: To the parents of children in

grade 2, this is an important year in the life of your child. They will celebrate the Sacrament of

First Reconciliation followed by the Sacrament of First Communion after Easter. Preparation

for these sacraments will begin with an information and registration meeting. This meeting

will be held on Tuesday, October 1st at 7:00 pm. The meeting will occur at The Good

Shepherd Church and will be for parents only. We would like to remind you that a copy of

your child's baptismal certificate is required to register for sacramental preparation. The

registration form may be downloaded from our parish website. Please bring it to the meeting

with your baptismal certificate and payment of $40.00.

Sacrament of Confirmation: Through Confirmation we are strengthened with the gifts of the

Holy Spirit in order to live as disciples of Jesus Christ, to build up the Church, and defend the

faith by word and deed. If your child is baptized and in Grade 6, he/she may prepare to be

confirmed. The preparation for this sacrament is a family affair and involves the parent and

child. The most important component of the process is weekly attendance at Sunday mass at

The Good Shepherd Parish. Parents, if you wish that your child be confirmed in 2025, you

must attend the information and registration meeting on Wednesday, October 9th at 7:00 pm

at The Good Shepherd Church. This meeting is for parents only, but candidates may attend

with parents. The preparation process, resources, and expectations for your family will be

fully explained.

Parish Youth Group: The youth group will meet every Friday from 7pm to 8:30pm,

beginning on September 20th. These weekly meetings provide students in grades 5 to 8 a

safe place to have fun, cultivate friendships and learn more about the Catholic faith. Youth

nights consist of games, talks and snacks! If you have any questions, please contact Joseph,

our Youth Coordinator, at youth@thegoodshepherdparish.com.

Parish Breakfast: The Knights of Columbus will host a parish breakfast on Sunday,

September 29th after the 9am and 11:15am masses. Tickets are $7 per person and $20 per

family. All are welcome!

Mass Times: Please join us for weekly mass on Saturdays at 5pm and Sundays at 9am and

11:15am. Daily mass is celebrated from Tuesday to Saturday at 9am.

Inspired by the Word of God and in communion with the Universal Church, the mission of

the Good Shepherd Parish is to build a thriving Catholic community upon the foundations

of worship, fellowship, discipleship, social action, and evangelization.

Visit https://www.oawfest.com/events for more information. The session is free. Registration is required.

September 6th Newsletter

Principal’s Message

It was a great week welcoming students to the 2024-2025 school year.  We are privileged to lead the St. Dominic school dream team of educators as we strive to offer our students an enriching and fun learning experience.  We look forward to seeing you at the various events we will be hosting this year.  Wishing you a wonderful school year!

Warm regards,

Carrie-Anne Gravel (Principal) and Dan Rigley (Vice-Principal)

Parent Portal and School Messenger

It is important that all parents register on the OCSB parent portal.  If you have not yet done so, please visit the following site, for a step by step guide.  

In addition,  please be sure to register for School Messenger as all school messages are sent via Messenger. 

YOU ARE RECEIVING THIS NEWSLETTER TODAY BECAUSE THE EMERGENCY FEATURE OF MESSENGER WAS USED.  ALL FUTURE COMMUNICATION WILL BE SENT USING THE REGULAR FEATURE.  THIS MEANS IF YOU ARE NOT REGISTERED FOR SCHOOL MESSENGER YOU WILL NOT BE RECEIVING COMMUNICATION FROM THE SCHOOL.  

Parent’s Homework

Please have a look at the following document.  It contains many links that will be helpful to sign up for many school and school board applications.  

List of supplies

A list of school supplies was shared with families.  For easy reference, here are the lists of supplies per division.  

Kindergarten Primary Junior

Please label your child’s items.  An identified water bottle makes it so much easier to return to its owner!  

Reporting your child’s absence

Please be sure to inform the office of your child’s absence, either by calling the school at 613-424-3760 or by email at dominic@ocsb.ca.   Informing of us of your child’s absence is extremely helpful and also avoids an unnecessary attendance call from our automated service.  Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

School hours and tardiness

Our school hours are from 9:15 am to 3:45 pm, and it is crucial that students arrive promptly to make the most of their educational experience.

Attending school on time has numerous benefits for your child's academic progress and overall development. When students arrive punctually, they have the opportunity to settle in, prepare for the day ahead, and engage in valuable classroom activities right from the start. This sets a positive tone for the rest of the day and allows them to fully participate in all learning opportunities.

Regular and timely attendance also helps students build important life skills, such as time management, responsibility, and discipline. By consistently attending school on time, students develop a strong work ethic and establish a routine that will benefit them throughout their lives.  Of course, appointments do happen and we understand that scheduling them outside of school hours can be challenging.  

School Fees

We will be keeping the school fees amount to $30 per student to a maximum of $75 per family. School fees help offset the cost of guest speakers, special presentations (e.g. Scientist in School, music performance) and various crafts.  Student fees can be paid via School Cash Online.

Drop off / Pick up

The parking lot and the bus lane are not accessible to parents at the start of the day between 8:50 and 9:15 and again at the end of the day between 3:20 and 3:45.   If you are driving your child during these peak hours please park on the side streets and walk. Thanks to those parents who have found a new routine.  Your cooperation is keeping everyone safe.  

Meet the Educator Evening

We are excited to invite you to our "Opening our Doors" event on Wednesday, September 11th from 5:30 to 6:30 pm. This informal gathering is an opportunity for you to drop in, meet our dedicated team of educators, and get a glimpse of where your child spends their day. Since educators are still getting to know their students, please remember that this evening is not a formal interview;  it is more an opportunity to connect, meet the educators and learn more about our school community. We look forward to seeing you there!

Terry Fox Run 

 As is in past years, St. Dominic students will participate in the Terry Fox Run and will be  collecting donations for this very worthy cause.  Our run date is Friday, September 27th.  More details will be sent in a separate communication. 

Smile - Picture Day 

  Mark your calendars!  St. Dominic’s picture day is October 30th. 

Volunteers  

Your school needs you!  Please consider volunteering.  There are many tasks and activities which require volunteers, ranging from a few hours a week to once in a while, ie: field trips or school events.  Please note that all volunteers require a yearly Volunteer check.  The form is to be completed online and can be found at https://www.ocsb.ca/contact/volunteers/.

School Council News

St. Dominic School Council would like to welcome you back to our amazing community (and extend a very warm welcome to all our new families)! Next week you will see some important information being sent out (sent home with your child as well as electronically) about School Council, including what we do, how you can be involved and our upcoming meetings.

School Council is a great way to meet new families, get a behind the scenes look at what's happening at St. Dominic and across the OCSB, as well as have a tangible impact on your child's education. You do not have to have a specific role on Council (though you're more than welcome) to attend our monthly meetings - parents are always welcome. The Council supports the school financially, organizes community and school events, and provides advice on matters affecting students' learning. Parents and guardians can get involved by attending meetings, volunteering for events, running for elected positions, and/or participating in activities and fundraising efforts.

Our first meeting will take place on Thursday September 26th at 6:00 pm at the school (in the Learning Commons) We will close out the previous year, hold elections for the current year and start looking ahead at our plans for 2024 - 2025. We look forward to seeing lots of parents and guardians of our St. Dominic Dragons!

For more information about School Council, please email us at info@stdominicCSC.com or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/stdominicCSC.

All OCSB elementary schools are closed throughout the summer. Register for school using our online form. If you have questions, contact our Admissions Department by email at admissions@ocsb.ca or by phone at 613-228-3338.