You are invited to join our Catholic School Council.  Our first meeting will be at 7:30 pm on Thursday, September 12 in person in the Learning Commons at Notre Dame.  All are welcome.

As a school council member, you contribute to the education of students in our school.  Strong education requires partnerships involving parents, students, teachers, principals, educational assistants, support staff, school boards, government, and the community.  When you are involved on the council, you are part of a team working to support high-quality education for our children. Your participation will make a difference.

Elections will take place at this meeting to establish the executive committee members.  Please join us to nominate, volunteer, and/or cast your vote. 

We invite you to join us for our annual Meet the Teacher Night on Thursday, September 12.  It will begin at 5:30 pm.  High school teachers will be in the wood floor gymnasium and Intermediate teachers will be in the cafeteria.  Please bring your student schedule so you know which teachers to meet.   Teachers will be available to meet until 7:00 pm. 

Edge Imaging will be at ND to take school photos on Friday, September 13. School retakes are on Wednesday, October 16. Students must be in uniform.

School administration will be meeting with all students from grades 7 to 12 to deliver a presentation.  The main  message: all of the Notre Dame community will work together to create a caring environment where we can engage in productive, meaningful work.  The focus is on learning and safety.  We all will work together to be safe and ensure the safety of others (physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental).  

If ever a student or their family feels that a student needs support, please reach out anytime to the vice-principals.  To remain anonymous, our Board provides students with OCSB Connect so that they can make anonymous reports about anything that makes them or other students feel unsafe at school.  You can follow this link to learn more about OCSB Connect. 

Please note: Grade 9 - 12 students’ examinations and Rich Summative Tasks (RSTs) WILL NOT be rescheduled for holiday or travel convenience, and all appointments should be scheduled so as not to conflict with exams and RSTs. If a medical problem arises, a Vice-Principal must be contacted prior to the exam or RST.   

Students and Parents/Guardians can refer to the OCSB website for the Grade 9 - 12 calendar. These calendars identify the first and last day of school, PD days, Statutory Holidays, Board Holidays, and High School exams.

For a full list of all reporting dates, please see this link. 

All students who are eligible for an OC Transpo Presto Card can pick them up at the school at the following times. Please read the following times carefully.  Presto cards will NOT be issued outside of these times. 

• Wednesday, August 28 from 8:30 am - 11:30 am or 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm

• Thursday, August 29 from 10:00 am - 11:30 am or 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm

• Friday, August 30 from 8:30 am - 11:30 am or 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm  

Students who do not get a chance to pick up their card at this time will be able to get them during the first week of school.  

Those unsure about their eligibility for transportation can use this link: https://ostabusplanner.ottawaschoolbus.ca/TransportationEligibility.  Grade 9 students should check to make sure they still qualify.  The distance to qualify for grade 9 students is not the same as the distance for students in grade 7&8.

Please note the school does not determine eligibility for transportation and will not be able to provide a Presto card for students who do not qualify.  

Are you interested in the Ottawa Catholic School Board’s approach to artificial intelligence?  For more information, please visit our AI at the OCSB webpage. 

Notre Dame is a uniform school.  Students wear the uniform as a symbol of school pride and unity.  If your student will not have their uniform by the first day of school, please contact their vice-principal by emailing NotreDame.High@ocsb.ca. 

All students are expected to be in school uniform at all times with the only exceptions being gym/fitness class, spirit days, or dress down days.  Sweaters, jackets, and other items that are not school uniform are not to be worn in the school at any time.  Jogging pants are not allowed. 

Clothing for the uniform must be acquired through the authorized supplier: Top Marks.  Order forms are on-line at www.topmarks.ca or by calling 1-800-667-7105. You may place an order with school code: NOT01.

Students must wear a uniform top and bottom and it must be worn properly (ie// shirt must be fully on, buttoned fully).  No alterations of the uniform are permitted, nor is attaching a ‘Top Marks’ tag to a pair of non-uniform pants.  With the kilts, solid coloured nylons, tights or leggings may be worn provided they match the school uniform colours (white, navy blue, grey, black). No sweatpants are allowed. 

Eagle Wear or Club Wear is appropriate to wear as part of the uniform.  Eagle Wear is available for order twice per year; Club Wear is made available by coaches or club supervisors. 

The Principal may issue further clarification on this policy as required.  Should a student be out of uniform, they will be asked to go to meet with their Vice-Principal.   Outcomes could include: being sent home to change; being asked to remain in the office for the day; calls home; or other consequences determined by considering the specific situational circumstances. 

If you are not receiving emails such as the Principal Updates, Parent-Teacher Conferences, OSSLT, Early Dismissal, etc, please be sure to update your SchoolMessenger settings. You want to have the email icon under "General Email" turned green. 

We encourage everyone to consider donating used uniforms.  These can be dropped off at the main office.  If you would like us to pick up the uniform donation, please call the school office and we can arrange pickup. 

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. 

The time a student spends in class, engaged in learning activities, has a tremendous impact on their grades, graduation, and success after graduation.  The beginning of the year is the perfect time to set a goal for strong attendance. 

Did you know?  

• By grade 9, attendance is a better predictor of graduation rates than grade 8 test scores. 

• Missing only 2 days of school per month can put a student at risk. 

To support student attendance, school staff will be focusing on attendance-improving best practices, such as: threshold greetings; culturally responsive teaching; providing free breakfast and lunch; reducing the number of students in the hallways during class time; restorative discipline practices; and more.  

Parents and guardians can help by: 

• Talking about the importance of attending and being on task in class. 

• Helping teens to maintain daily routines and getting a good night’s sleep.

• Scheduling appointments on non-school days where possible. 

• Helping students to stay engaged by working with teachers, vice principals and the principal if you have any questions or concerns.

We have many supports for students available at the school.  Please reach out to us if ever you have a concern about your child’s attendance. 

Please note, to be excused during regular school hours, students must provide verbal or written verification from their parents or guardians.  Parents are asked to call the school at (613) 722-6565 to report an absence.