December 8 is a PD Day for all staff.  School will not be open to students on that day.

You are invited to join us for the first live theatre production at ND since before 2020. This entertaining show will take place on December 7.  Doors open at 6:30.  The suggested price of admission is $5, though attendees are welcome to pay what they are able.

Parents and guardians, please join us on December 19 at 8:00am, in-person, at Notre Dame for an opportunity to build community.  For this meeting, we will provide coffee and muffins, so please click here before December 15 to let us know if you are attending so that we can plan accordingly.  

We hope you can join us!

The safety and well-being of our students and staff are our top priorities. While it is our sincere hope that such measures will never need to be implemented, it is crucial for us to be prepared for any potential emergency situation. As such, we practice emergency procedures such as lockdown and fire drills. These drills are conducted in a manner that is age-appropriate and prioritizes safety.  Being prepared and informed is essential in maintaining a secure and supportive learning environment for all. 

Please join us in congratulating the Senior Boys Volleyball team who just returned from the single A OFSAA championship in Kitchener. The boys played the top ranked teams across Ontario and held their own. The first day presented some challenges but by the second day, they found their groove, beating a team from Red Lake to continue on to the quarter finals where they faced a top team from Hamilton. It went back and forth the entire match and they pushed to 5 sets. Down by only 2 points, the Eagles’ journey came to an end. Ms Smith and Ms R are so proud of how the guys represented themselves (and ND) on and off the court. What a huge accomplishment to be ranked one of the top 20 teams in the province! They should be so proud of an incredible volleyball season! 

Our Lady of Fatima parish is putting on a Christmas show on December 8 at the Church from 7:30 PM until 8:30 pm and they are requesting volunteers.  Parents/guardians can contact: Chris Sandes sandesc@icloud.com or call: 613 866 7618 for more information. 

A Student Achievement Plan (SAP) establishes school priorities, goals and performance indicators to support continuous, quality improvement.  It is a standardized tool for schools to identify local actions that will lead to improved achievement, equity, well-being and transitions for all students.  Over the next few newsletters, we will share elements of our SAP with you. 

We will continue to Be Innovative and focus on 21st Century skills.  Notre Dame, like all schools in the OCSB, is a Deep Learning school.  While we focus on all Global Competencies, for this school year we are paying special attention to Citizenship and Critical Thinking in all courses. 

Citizenship is the skill that allows your child to connect with people with diverse world views and perspectives diplomatically. People who master this skill are engaged members of society who contribute to improving our world for the benefit of all.

Critical thinking is the ability to thoughtfully evaluate information and arguments by seeing patterns and making connections. This skill is becoming more and more important as information becomes easier to access and will help your child apply information and knowledge in the real world. 

Grad fees are $60.00 and are due by November 15, 2023.  You are able to pay through School Cash Online.   Grad fees help cover the cost of gown rentals, reception and various commencement expenses. If you have questions, please see us in Student Services.

Check out other important grad updates, right here!

Yearbooks are currently on sale. Login into your School Cash Online account to purchase one today. Price increases by $10 in January. Yearbooks are for grade 7-12 students and arrive in June. 

While we have been seeing improvements in overall attendance, we have some room to improve when it comes to morning arrival times. 

Students are on time in the morning if they are in their seats and ready to learn at 8:45 am.  We are encouraging students to arrive at school no later than 8:30 am to be on time for class.  

With winter weather surely coming soon, it is especially important to aim for an 8:30 am arrival.  Please have this discussion at home about planning ahead.  For example, you can discuss a plan for the morning drive/bus with bad weather in mind and encourage students to leave earlier on bad weather days.

Grade 7 and 8 students go outdoors for approximately 25 minutes each day after they eat lunch, weather permitting. We strongly encourage students to wear a jacket, hat and mitts as the weather continues to drop.

At this time of year, even the school temperature can be cool at times.  We recommend that students wear layers beneath their uniform to stay warm if they are cold. Students must be in full uniform at all times.  Jogging pants are not allowed to be worn, nor are non-uniform sweaters.  Students wearing these will be sent home to change.

It is very important that all guardians/parents update and verify the following information in the “Parent Portal” ASAP.

• Student Verification

• Responsible Use of Technology

• Consent for Use and Disclosure of Information

• Offsite Permission

Please note that this must be done each school year.  To update your information on the Parent Portal, please follow these instructions.