Newsletter 

Message from the Principal

Dear St. Francis Families,

We hope you are settling into the school year and enjoying the start of fall! It has been wonderful to see our students learning, growing, and building connections across our school community. As we continue to Nourish New Beginnings, we wanted to share a few upcoming events, reminders, and important school updates with you.

School Council Meeting – All Parents Welcome!

We would like to invite you to our first School Council meeting of the school year. All parents and guardians are welcome to attend.

Monday, September 21 at 6:30 p.m.
St. Francis of Assisi Learning Commons

Orange Shirt Day – September 30

In honour of Truth and Reconciliation, we will recognize Orange Shirt Day on September 30. We invite all students and staff to wear orange as we learn about the history and ongoing impact of residential schools, remember the children who were affected, and reflect on how we can show kindness, respect, inclusion, and care for one another.

Picture Day – October 1

Picture Day is scheduled for October 1. More information will be shared with families as the date approaches.

Pet Blessing – October 6

Join us for our Pet Blessing on October 6 from 4:00–4:30 p.m.

If you are new to our St. Francis community, this is a wonderful tradition! Families and their pets gather outside the school to receive a special blessing from our parish. We hope you can join us! 

Emergency Preparedness

We have been practicing our fire drills this year, and our students and staff have done a great job following our safety procedures.

As required, we will also practice two lockdown drills during the school year—one likely in the fall and one in the spring. These practices help us prepare so that we know what to do in the event of an emergency. Talking with your child at home about the purpose of safety drills and the importance of listening carefully to adults can help them feel prepared and reassured when we practice at school.

Midday Pick-Ups

If possible, we kindly ask families to limit student pick-ups between 12:20 and 1:00 p.m. During this time, staff availability is limited, and classrooms are locked while students are at lunch and recess. We appreciate your understanding and support in helping us maintain safe and smooth routines for all students.

Show Your St. Francis Spirit!

Our St. Francis Spirit Wear store is offering free shipping to the school for orders placed from September 14 to October 2.

This is a great opportunity to show your St. Francis spirit while taking advantage of the free shipping window. Please note that the free-shipping dates have been updated.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support of our school community. We are looking forward to a wonderful year of nourishing new beginnings together!

Wishing you and your family a wonderful weekend!

Ms. Allison Wawryn
Principal

School Council, Needs you

St. Francis of Assisi Spirit Wear

Rudhro Prince Memorial Walk

OCSB Code of Conduct: A Shared Responsibility

The Ottawa Catholic School Board (OCSB) and its schools recognize that all people are created in the image and likeness of God, and as such, all have the right to be treated with dignity, respect and fairness, as children of God of infinite dignity and worth. To this end, the Board promotes in all of its schools a positive learning environment in which all members of the school community feel safe, included, and accepted. OCSB Code of Conduct

CSPA - Ottawa Catholic School Parents’ Association

The Mustard Seeds Parish Youth Group - Growing in Faith One Child at a Time

A message and invititaion from Divine Infant Parish (for Gr. 5 and 6) 

We’re excited to begin our 2026–2027 Youth Ministry year and welcome back our returning youth, as well as new faces! We look forward to growing together in faith, friendship, service, and community.

September Schedule

Friday, September 11 —  Welcome Back!
Juniors (Grades 5–8) & Seniors (Grades 9–12) Join us for a fun evening to reconnect, meet new friends and celebrate August & September birthdays! Bring a friend!

Friday, September 18 —  Adoration
ALL are welcome: Juniors, Seniors, parents, leaders and volunteers. Open to the community. 

Friday, September 25 —  Seniors ONLY
Grades 9–12 — No Junior session this Friday.

 Registration

Please register your child even if they attended Youth Ministry previously for the 2026–2027 year.

Junior Youth — Grades 5–8

Register for Junior Youth

God bless, and we can’t wait to see you on September 11! 

Thank you to HOME DEPOT ON 10th Line

Mandatory Sign-Up So You Can Stay Connected & Informed

School Messenger - This will ensure you always get communication from the school, board and/or educators. 

This Welcome Back Newsletter was shared via EMERGENCY send.  This is a feature only used in an emergency situation. Going forward communication/newsletters will NOT be sent to you this way and you risk missing important information from the school, so please be sure to sign up for School Messenger ASAP!

For those new to the school, please wait until your child’s first full day of attendance before signing up for SCO & Parent Portal (links below).

School Cash Online (SCO) - This will allow you to pay for events and/or food days once they begin. No CASH or CHEQUEs will be accepted. 

Parent Portal (EnCompass) - This will ensure you have digital access to your child’s report cards & for some, Individual Education Plans (IEP’s) this school year. If you have trouble creating an account please make sure the information you are entering is the same as what is in the school database at registration. If changes are required please email francis.assisi@ocsb.ca. You may also use the chat button on the bottom right of the login screen for 7days/24hr assistance.

If you need assistance, please call the school when school begins and Ms Steeves (our OA) will be happy to assist you.  

1.Student Information Verification *This is required every year* 

Please log into the PARENT PORTAL HERE to verify that all information is correct. If there are any changes to be made, please fill in the form and email the school with the correct information. Let us know which information to remove and information to add. Should any information change over the course of the school year, please ensure you let us know. 

2. Responsible Use of Technology Agreement *This is required every year* 

Please log into the PARENT PORTAL HERE to review the Acceptable Use of Technology Agreement. Please read over this with your child/ren. Both student and parent initial and sign. 

3. Consent for Use & Disclosure of Information *This is required every year* Please log into the PARENT PORTAL HERE to review the Consent for the Use and Disclosure of Student Information. 

4. Off-School Property Permission *This is required every year* Please log into the PARENT PORTAL HERE Complete the following Electronic Permission Form regarding off-school property activities. One form must be completed for each child. 

OSTA - Bus Transportation 

Please visit ottawaschoolbus.ca for all information and questions related to school buses. There is a parent login at the top of the main page. Please sign up and login to be informed about late or cancelled busses. 

Bus seats are automatically assigned to your child based on your home address. If your address is not up to date with the school, the school bus information will be incorrect. Check your Parent Portal to ensure we have the correct address for you. 

All kindergarten students will be provided with a yellow plastic name tag that must be attached to their backpack. Please do not remove this tag. This helps the driver identify the kindergarten students who cannot be released off the bus without a parent meeting them at the stop. OSTA advises that the same person must meet their kindergarten child at the stop every day. OSTA will only accept two alternate names and the driver will only release the child to 1 of 2 people on file.

Dress for the Weather

Drop Off and Pick Up Information

Please remember: For safety, there are no car drop offs or pick-ups near the Junior exit in the small paved area: please do not use Charlemange as a pick up or drop off. That area must stay clear for student and pedestrian safety. 

Instead, please use the Kiss & Ride or park a block away and walk to meet your children.

OSTA has prepared Walk-A-Block maps that show pathways and quiet side streets within a 5-10 minute walk of our school. When parking on a side street, remember to park away from pathway & driveway entrances and intersections and watch out for pedestrians.  A short walk before and after school is a great way to get some exercise and fresh air. 

Kiss & Ride: If you are using the Kiss & Ride, please drive all the way down the roundabout to drop off and/or pick up your children safely. Do NOT drop off/pick up half way toward the roundabout. This prevents students from running between cars, and keeps our Kiss & Ride running safely and smoothly. 

Thank you for helping us keep school safe for all students.

Sacramental Preparation Gr 2 & 6

Volunteer in Our School

Important Dates

Health Care Connect

Health  Care Connect is Ontario's program for connecting people to family doctors, nurse practitioners and primary care teams. HCC Connectors work with the Ottawa OHT-ÉSO/PCN to match patients based on factors such as location, language and health needs.

Registering is free:

• Online: Register through Ontario.ca

• By phone: Call 811 or 1-800-445-1822 (available 24/7)

Residents can register themselves, a family member, or someone else on their behalf.

Registering also helps the Ottawa OHT-ÉSO/PCN understand where unmet needs remain and plan for future investments. 

Students with Medical Conditions

If your child has a medical condition, please see below.

In order to best care for your child, parents/guardians must download and print the OSCB Life Threatening Medical Condition and Request and Consent for Administration form and provide it to the school at the beginning of the school year. This form must be updated every school year and/or if the information or medication dosage changes. 

In the link provided please also download and print out the corresponding Plan of Care Form that pertains to your child. The Plan of Care Form must be filled out by all new students or if there are any changes to an existing student's plan of care.

If there is no change to your Plan of Care then you can skip it and download and print out the Annual Review Form which can be found at the bottom of the first link.

Please hand in all applicable forms to the front office at St. Francis of Assisi.

If your child no longer has a medical condition please go on to your Parent Portal, log-in, under the purple banner select Forms, select OCSB Student Verification for the child you want to make the change for. Fill out the areas only where there is a change and click submit.

Medication must be sent to school in the original container with your child's name clearly on the label.

Epipens and Asthma Inhalers – Two are recommended , one with the child and one at the office.

Please fill in the linked forms for your child ​and send them ​in to the office. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the school.

All the above information and more can be found at ocsb.ca/parents/student-health/​.

Mental Health

By your side: Parent/caregiver resources to support mental health learning and well-being for every family

Key topics in the Parent/Caregiver Learning Hub include:

• understanding mental health

• promoting mental health at home

• supporting mental health at school

• stress and anxiety management 

• substance use prevention 

• navigating digital technology use 

• reaching out for help

Learn more

Neighbourhood Health & Wellness Hubs

Full schedule for services and locations of Neighbourhood Health and Wellness Hubs: OttawaPublicHealth.ca/NeighbourhoodHub