September 15

This week we will gather as a staff to provide parents with a brief opportunity to meet the teachers they hear about at home. We will open our doors for you to join us on Thursday evening for our annual Meet the Staff Event. 

It's hard to believe that we are already halfway through September! I am amazed to see and hear about all the amazing opportunities our educators create for your young people both in and outside of the classroom.

Last week we met with our Grade 12 students to share important information and timelines for applying to post-secondary programs, we welcomed our Grade 9's to high school with a series of presentations and group-building exercises in our Amazing Race, we invited Grade 7&8 classes into our chapel to meet our Chaplain and communicate the opportunities for faith development outside of the classroom and we began running practices for many fall teams.

Important Action Items for this week:

Student Council Spirit Week:
- Monday - Beach Day: think Hawaiian shirts and ukeleles!
- Tuesday - Sports Day: think of that vintage jersey hidden somewhere in the basement!
- Wednesday - Disney Day: Who is your favourite character????
- Thursday - Twin Day: Same hair, same clothes, same shoes...
                                                      - Friday - Grade Colour Day -

Meet the Staff Event:
Will will host a BBQ ($6.00=Burger, Chips and a Drink) starting at 4:30. A quick formal address at 5:00 and then meeting the teachers from 5:15-6:30. Click HERE to access a detailed timeline for the event.
Please ask your child to provide you with a list of teachers to visit for this event.



Looking Ahead:

School Council Meeting #1: Monday, September 23 

Week 1 - September 3

And so it begins...
I am happy to share with you that the first day of the 2019-2020 school year is now complete. With the year started, there is so much opportunity for your young person to grow and learn at All Saints. I hope your dinner tables were filled with conversations about the year to come.
I am blessed to be the Principal of All Saints and am proud of the teachers and support staff who choose to work with the young people in your community.
The start-up procedures for the school year likely include course information coming home to you for review as well as other technical pieces that require your active parent participation. Please be sure to ask your young person if there is any paperwork you should be reviewing.

A few action items for you:
- School Cash Online - Please create an account with All Saints. Paying online helps our community and saves finding cash or cheques at the last minute. 
- School Photo Day - Friday, September 6
- Meet the Staff Evening - Thursday, September 19 @4:30-6:30

New Date for School Council
- The first meeting of our School Council will take place on September 23 at 7:00pm in the Learning Commons. The date was changed to allow parents to attend the Meet the Staff event the week earlier.

Back to School Supply Drive
The DREX Team is collecting school supplies to bring to the Dominican Republic in February. There will be a collection box in the main office where students can drop off items.
Thanks for considering helping scholars in the Dominican Republic when our students visit this year. 

All Saints Blog Week of June 10th, 2019

I wanted to begin this week’s blog by taking a moment to thank our entire All Saints School Community. I have proudly served as the Principal of the school for the past four years, and will be moving on to St. Francis Xavier High School next September. While I am anxious for the new challenge, I will definitely miss a community that has been very supportive and involved with their children’s education. You are left in good hands as Ryan Larose, currently an administrator at Notre Dame High School, will step in as Principal for next school year.
A very special thank you to the All Saints School Council, and specifically Michelle Taylor, your chairperson, for the extraordinary effort and time they have put in to support students and staff at the school. This was very evident as the council organized their staff appreciation breakfast last week. I will miss your involvement, advice and friendship.
Additionally, I would like to wish all of our school community a very safe and restful summer.
Sean Kelly

Volunteer Opportunity - CHEO/RBC’s Race for the Kids 

Students are encouraged to look at CHEO’s RBC Race for the Kids as a volunteer opportunity. It is a 2K, 5K and 10K all terrain walk/run event in support of youth mental health programs at CHEO. All of the closed courses make their way through beautiful Wesley Clover Parks - an innovative, four-season outdoor recreation and learning hub located in the National Capital Greenbelt that encircles the City of Ottawa. Further information can be reviewed at the website.

Playground LifeCycle Renewal - Whalen Park

The City is encouraging public feedback on their plans for the playground replacement in Whalen Park, adjacent to All Saints School. More information is available below:
https://ottawa.ca/en/city-hall/public-engagement/projects/whalen-park

The following concept plans and images depict the options for playground replacement. The community is invited to provide comments on the plan as shown below.

Concept Plan 1 [ PDF - 2.13 mb ]

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Concept Plan 2 [ PDF - 4.46 mb ]

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Please direct any further comments regarding the proposed concept plans to the Parks Planner listed below.
Contact
Mike Russett, Planner Parks and Facilities Planning
Recreation, Cultural and Facility Services
City of Ottawa
613-580-2424 extension 15459
mike.russett@ottawa.ca

National Day of Remembrance for Victims of Terrorism – June 23, 2019
Flags at all Ontario government buildings and establishments across the province will be flown at half-mast from sunrise to sunset on Sunday, June 23, 2019 to mark the National Day of Remembrance for Victims of Terrorism.

Transportation Information for 2019-2020 School Year

As the end of another school year rapidly approaches, please note of the following information regarding transportation services for the 2019-2020 school year. Additional information is available at OSTA’s website address: www.ottawaschoolbus.ca.

2018-19 Student Transportation Information:
Route information will be available to parents as of August 19, 2019 via the online Parent Portal. Student Transportation Information can also be found using the Bus Stop Finder, located on the main page of our website, which will link to the “BusPlanner - Parent Portal”. Parents can enter the student’s last name, birthdate, school and grade in order to access route and stop information.

The “Stop Finder” feature returns bus stop and route information for eligible students who are assigned to regular yellow school bus or small school purpose vehicle service, or for students who are assigned to OC Transpo Service.
OC Transpo route schedules will also be made available through the OSTA website or can be found directly through the OC Transpo website at www.octranspo.com. More information on routes to specific schools can be obtained on OC Transpo’s Quick Planner under High Schools and Middle Schools.

Transportation for students in a joint custody arrangement and having two homes:
OSTA has developed a new policy & procedure to deliver transportation services to students in a joint custody arrangement and having two homes. An application process and other requirements need to be met for parents to receive this service, and the homes or daycares in question must meet all other eligibility requirements. The deadline for new applications or changes to existing applications for September start up transportation was June 1. Renewals of current schedule calendars (no other changes) are due June 30. All other applications will be reviewed after September 15, and prior to October 1.
More information can be found on our website:

Transportation Information During the Fall
In September, parents should be advising schools directly of any changes to student home address. OSTA will require a minimum of three business days to implement a change to transportation services, longer for transportation to two homes in a joint custody situation. www.ostabusplanner.ottawaschoolbus.ca.

Community Involvement Forms
The community involvement form is always accessible at ocsb.ca/beinvolved along with information on community involvement. All students, including grade 8 students, are reminded to use these forms as they complete community involvement hours over the summer. Since 1999, the Ministry of Education has required all students to complete a minimum of 40 hours of community involvement activities as part of the requirements for an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) (As stated in Ontario Secondary Schools, Grades 9 to 12: Program and Diploma Requirements, 1999). The purpose of the community involvement requirement is to encourage students to develop awareness and understanding of civic responsibility and of the role they can play and the contributions they can make in supporting and strengthening their communities. The Ottawa Catholic School Board has always encouraged this community service to take place in the Parish, School, or wider community. There is a list on the back of the Community Service form that all students complete that highlights many of the eligible activities that students may complete to fulfill this graduation requirement. When the expectation around community service was introduced by the Ministry of Education, they developed a list of activities that may not be chosen as community involvement activities and that are therefore ineligible activities. Included as part of that list of those expectations outlined by the Ministry is an activity “that would normally be performed for wages by a person in the workplace”. As your son/daughter works toward this graduation activity, we would encourage them to review the list of accepted activities to ensure they are meeting the proper requirements. You will find a link (below) to the All Saints community service hours form, with a list of appropriate activities on page 2. Hard copies of this form are available in our student services department.

Community Service Hours Form - All Saints

Summer School Information

Updates and changes regarding Summer School 2019:

• We are offering two senior religion courses (ie HRE4M via traditional Reach Ahead and HRT3M via online Reach Ahead).
• Credit Recovery Achievement Centre is being offered at 7 summer sites.
• The Skills Builder Program is being offered at 4 sites and free transportation is also available to learners. The focus of this program is geared for learners currently enrolled in grade 6, 7 and 8.
• We will be running ESLDO as a pilot at St. Pius X HS. ELLs from the centres are welcome to enrol.  (As this is a pilot, this course code does not appear on the summer course offerings).
• A “one stop shop” for all summer docs has been created. The two page flyer/course offerings and all summer registration forms are available here.  

There is a great deal of information on the CSPA website regarding information for parents and upcoming sessions. You can visit the website here.

Communications:

Check out our blog – allsaintschs.blogspot.ca and our twitter @AllSaintsOCSB (Mr. Kelly’s - @seankellyottawa) as well as our website ash.ocsb.ca for all that is happening at All Saints!

Coming Up:

• June 25th - 7&8 Report Card Distribution
• June 26th - Last day of school for 7&8 students
• June 27th - 1:00pm - Grade 12 Graduation at All Saints

All Saints Blog Week of June 10th, 2019

Community Involvement Forms
The community involvement form is always accessible at ocsb.ca/beinvolved along with information on community involvement. All students, including grade 8 students, are reminded to use these forms as they complete community involvement hours over the summer.

Summer School Information
Updates and changes regarding Summer School 2019:

• We are offering two senior religion courses (ie HRE4M via traditional Reach Ahead and HRT3M via online Reach Ahead).
• Credit Recovery Achievement Centre is being offered at 7 summer sites.
• The Skills Builder Program is being offered at 4 sites and free transportation is also available to learners. The focus of this program is geared for learners currently enrolled in grade 6, 7 and 8.
• We will be running ESLDO as a pilot at St. Pius X HS. ELLs from the centres are welcome to enrol. (As this is a pilot, this course code does not appear on the summer course offerings).
• A “one stop shop” for all summer docs has been created. The two page flyer/course offerings and all summer registration forms are available here. 

For Our Graduating Grade 12 Students
Ten (Useful) Tips for Transitioning to Post-secondary - To help students with the transition to college & university, Students Offering Support (SOS) and myBlueprint provide you with the top 10 tips for making the transition as smooth as can be.

Grants - Awards - Contests

Graduating students attending post-secondary education next year can visit Scholar Tree to apply for a number of different scholarships available to them. By making a personalized account Scholar Tree will help the student determine which scholarships (from the $10 million dollars available) they qualify for. Deadlines will vary, see applications for details. There are a number available from now until the end of August, see the Summer Scholarship List.

The IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) Ottawa Section has initiated a new bursary awarded to students pursuing post-secondary STEM studies. Nominations must be initiated by schools or youth organizations operating in the Ottawa area. Detailed information about the STEM bursary. In addition to the nomination form information, 2 PDF letters are required: one from the nominating organization detailing information about your candidate, and another from the candidate themselves telling us a bit about themselves, their love of STEM, and awareness of the IEEE and what we stand for. You may nominate more than one candidate, but only one bursary will be awarded. Deadline for submission is June 28, 2019.

ACPI Concours Immersion Clip

The CIPI National Immersion Clip Contest invites French immersion students from grades 9 to 12 (Secondary 3 to 5 in Quebec) who are enrolled full-time in a public or private high school in Canada to create a video clip in English. French, from 30 to 90 seconds, on the theme of the year. This contest aims to achieve the following:

• Promote the learning of the French language in the context of immersion
• Encouraging oral production in immersion learners
• Promote and promote a positive vision of French immersion in Canada
• Encourage student creativity through the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)
• Encourage learners to continue their studies in French at the post-secondary level
• Enhance the offer of post-secondary programs in French

Congratulations to First Place winners Valérie Bradley and Holly Price and Third Place winners Elisa Ghannai, Kathryn Jajo-Yacoub, Whitney Mambou, and Mikayla Shepertycki (All Saints). Students each presented a video highlighting their most inspirational French teacher(s). Each will receive scholarship offers to study French at local universities! Video clips: Valérie Holly



There is a great deal of information on the CSPA website regarding information for parents and upcoming sessions. You can visit the website here.

Communications:
Check out our blog – allsaintschs.blogspot.ca and our twitter @AllSaintsOCSB (Mr. Kelly’s - @seankellyottawa) as well as our website ash.ocsb.ca for all that is happening at All Saints!

Coming Up:
June 17th - School Council Meeting
June 20th - 7&8 school trip

All Saints Blog Week of June 3rd, 2019

Student Exam Preparation

In preparation for the upcoming exam period a member of our Board's psychology staff will provide an interactive workshop on Study Skills.  On Tuesday, June 4th, from 11:10 to 11:45am, grade 9 and 10 students are welcome to come to the Guidance Office to eat their lunch and pick up some study tips to help improve their exam writing experience.  Students should bring their lunch with them!

Graduation Mass and Graduation Ceremony Rehearsal

On Wednesday, June 5, your son or daughter will be participating in a mandatory Graduation Rehearsal. This will begin after homeroom at 8:45 a.m. in the Cafetorium. Graduates will first report to homeroom for 8:15 a.m. sharp in order to vote for Valedictorian and the Student Choice Award. They will also prepare their future plans write-up for crossing the stage on graduation day.  Attendance will be taken and then they will proceed to the Cafetorium for the rehearsal.

Afterwards, at 9:45 a.m., you are invited to gather with us in the school cafeteria to celebrate our Graduation Mass followed by a light Reception hosted by the school. This is a special day where families can come together to hear the Liturgy of the Word and to celebrate the successes of our high school graduates. With respect to the nature of the occasion, we ask that graduates observe a dress code of business or semiformal attire (no jeans, shorts, sweatpants, hoodies, tank tops, bare shoulders etc.) Please consider discretion and modesty in your choice of dress this day. These events will take place in the morning and classes will resume for the afternoon (period 3 and 4).

Readathon News

Last December, All Saints held a 7 & 8 Readathon in the Learning Commons. With 50 students participating, the Readathon was a great success! Some of the resources, initiatives, and gifts made possible through the Readathon, thanks to parents’ generous contributions, include:

- hand-crafted and personalized leather bookmark for each Readathon participant

-University of Ottawa Maker Mobile workshops on coding, Tinkercad and 3D printing for some grade 7 & 8 science and math classes

- poet visit from Poetry in Voice for a grade 8 English class

- author visit from All Saints’ own award-winning youth fiction writer Caroline Pignat for some grade 7 English classes

- Little Ray’s Reptiles show for some grade 7 science students, in particular those studying ecosystems                   

- K’nex sets to promote skills in STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Arts& Design Math)

- two movie packages for winners of a draw in which students entered an exit ticket based on a documentary during the Learning Commons Hot Docs Film Festival

- two Dairy Queen gift cards for the recipient and runner-up of the annual Grade 8 public speaking competition, which was held in the Learning Commons and in which Mme MacKinnon, teacher-librarian, was on the panel of judges

                                                    … and for the Learning Commons shelves:

- new releases and series in popular young adult fiction by well-known authors, as per recommendations from Readathon participants

- a selection of popular French novels by up-and-coming Quebec authors to keep up student interest and engagement in the grade 7 & 8 book exchanges organized by M. Breton et M. Lamont-Paradis

A heartfelt thanks to parents and school staff who supported the 7 & 8 Readathon! We look forward to running the event again next year.

There is a great deal of information on the CSPA website regarding information for parents and upcoming sessions. You can visit the website here.

Communications:

Check out our blog – allsaintschs.blogspot.ca and our twitter @AllSaintsOCSB (Mr. Kelly’s - @seankellyottawa) as well as our website ash.ocsb.ca for all that is happening at All Saints!

All Saints Blog Week of May 21st, 2019

Parent Information Session: The Teenage Brain
All Saints High School is happy to present "Dealing with the Teenage Brain: Strategies for Communication", a presentation for parents on May 21st, from 7:00 to 8:00pm. The presentation will be facilitated by Wayne Ng, a Social Worker with the Ottawa Catholic School Board. Wayne will discuss the characteristics of the developing student brain, including information regarding executive functioning, decision making and choices. Considerations for parents will be discussed, including strategies for communication, negotiation and support. Wayne will also answer questions on the topic. Please join us for a great evening of information presented with the support of the All Saints Catholic School Council.

Student Impact Team Mental Health Fair

On May 9th, students working through our Impact Team, as well as those working with Ms. MacLellan organized a Mental Health Fair at All Saints. Students were able to visit booths run by KidsHelpPhone, Do it For Daron, the Ottawa Catholic School Board mental health resources, and our Impact Team! Activities such as Kahoot and a mini “scavenger hunt” like event allowed students to explore the different resources and initiate discussions with our visitors.

Korean Educator Visit

Last week, All Saints High School had the distinct pleasure of welcoming a group of South Korean Educators. These are prospective administrators who are currently attending the Korean Education, University and are in Canada visiting a number of schools in the Ottawa Catholic School Board. Our guests had an opportunity to meet with the staff with any questions regarding our School Improvement Plan and toured a number of classes from grades 7-12. A student group met with the delegation as well to provide an overview of project based learning in our classes.

Celebrating Excellence

Each spring, the Ottawa Catholic School Board hosts its “Celebrating Excellence” awards evening. Students are nominated for the award in a category related to our Gospel Values of Community, Dignity of Persons, Excellence, Faith, Hope, Love and Stewardship of Creation. On May 13th, Yves Blanc, a student at All Saints, received the award in the category of Community. Yves is a regular volunteer with our custodial team and works to support some of our higher needs students at the school as well. We are proud of your accomplishments Yves!



There is a great deal of information on the CSPA website regarding information for parents and upcoming sessions. You can visit the website here.

Communications:

Check out our blog – allsaintschs.blogspot.ca and our twitter @AllSaintsOCSB (Mr. Kelly’s - @seankellyottawa) as well as our website ash.ocsb.ca for all that is happening at All Saints!

Coming Up:

May 21st - High School Student Council speeches and voting

May 22nd - Graduation retreat

May 24th - High School Dance

All Saints Blog Week of May 6th, 2019

Volunteering in the Flood Zone

This past week, a large group of students and staff volunteered in the Dunrobin area of the affected flood zone. We recognize that many of our own families are affected by the rising waters. Our group worked tirelessly, creating hundreds of sandbags for those in harm’s way. One resident contacted me regarding the work of our students and staff: “I am so overwhelmed by the number of students from All Saints who showed up to volunteer in Constance Bay today. Our house is threatened in a serious way today. The sandbags that All Saints students made came right to our house and have saved us today! So thank you from our family to the All Saints family”

We continue to keep those affected by the flood in our thoughts and prayers. We are with you!

All Saints Speak Up Fair

All Saints High School is excited to present the first “Speak Up Fair”, a fun-filled educational fair-like event which will take place on May 9th. This is phase two of our original Speak UP which was a “Ted Talk” inspired event. Taking place during Mental Health Awareness Week, the goal of this event is to spread awareness to teenagers about mental health, addiction and other challenges youth face. The fair will take place 9:45am-1:10pm, during High School second period and both lunches (7-8 & 9-12).
Organizations like KidsHelpPhone, Do It for Daron., Rideauwood, Western Ottawa Resource Centre and more will be attending, to answer any questions and inform students. Students can visit our bake sale, where they can purchase anything for $1-2, and participate in bilingual Kahoots! Ping Pong tables will also be set up as a means for students to relax, get their daily dose of physical activity, de-stress and partake in different artistic expressions.
Please join us for this wonderful informative event which will be presented through the support of the students in Madame MacLellan’s Grade 10 Religion class, the All Saints community, and other organizations. We hope to see you there!

Parent Information Session: The Teenage Brain
All Saints High School is happy to present "Dealing with the Teenage Brain: Strategies for Communication", a presentation for parents on May 21st, from 7:00 to 8:00pm. The presentation will be facilitated by Wayne Ng, a Social Worker with the Ottawa Catholic School Board. Wayne will discuss the characteristics of the developing student brain, including information regarding executive functioning, decision making and choices. Considerations for parents will be discussed, including strategies for communication, negotiation and support. Wayne will also answer questions on the topic. Please join us for a great evening of information presented with the support of the All Saints Catholic School Council.
Catholic Education Week - May 5th to 10th

Catholic Education Week is an opportunity to celebrate the uniqueness of our Catholic schools. More than 600,000 students in over 1,500 Catholic schools across Ontario take part in this special week to celebrate the distinctive contribution their schools make in the lives of our students and the community. Our community participates in planned special activities at all grade levels and in all schools. Everyone is welcome to join us in events taking place throughout the week.

ASH Naturalists’ Club: Arboretum Walk

An arboretum is a plantation of trees of various species. We also use it for the study and identification of trees. The ASH Naturalists Club had the chance to visit, on Wednesday, April 24, 2019, the Arboretum of the Beaver Pond Park near Kanata Lakes with two specialists of the flora. Mrs. Marilyn Poirier (member of the Beaver Pond Arboretum and the Ottawa Duck Club) and Annie Bélair (Forestry Specialist and member of the Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club). They made us aware of the different species of native and imported trees that can be planted in the ecosystem of the region. An interesting fact was the Weeping white/willow which is a tree of Asian origin whose English colonizers imported from Asia to ornament the riparian lands. You can see all the tree species identified during your visit to the park on a poster for this purpose. Thank you for your participation and see you soon!

Dual Credit Program
All Saints High School students going into grades 11 or 12 have the opportunity to register in and attend part-time studies at Algonquin College through the Dual Credit program. This program allows students in high school to take a course at Algonquin College during the school year and earn credit for it, while still in the process of completing their Ontario Secondary School Diploma at All Saints. If successful, students receive a college credit, and a high school credit.
There are many benefits to the Dual Credit program: students gain exposure to college programs which will allow them to make a more informed decision regarding their post-secondary choice. Students will earn a college credit and a high school credit at the same time. Tuition, books and most transportation costs will be covered by the Dual Credit program. Students will have an opportunity to experience campus life and learn at the college level.
Applicants must be flexible, self-committed, independent and mature. Since students must leave All Saints to attend their weekly class at Algonquin College, they will be responsible for any work missed. As well, they are responsible to complete any work or assignments for the college course during absences.
Students who may be interested in this opportunity are invited to complete an application form and a consent/release form, have it signed by a parent and return it to the Student Services office by May 17th. For more information, a downloadable application form, a consent/release form and a listing of college course offerings for the Fall 2019 semester, click here: https://www.algonquincollege.com/ap/dual-credit-registration/. Students accepted into the program will be notified by May 31st.
We look forward to working with your child in embracing this wonderful school to college opportunity. For more information, please contact Ms. Diana Caringi, Department Head of Student Services

School Climate Survey
Every two years the Ontario Ministry of Education requires that a School Climate Survey be completed by students, staff, and families in order to provide input on the environment in our school. In Catholic schools, our Catholic teaching on the dignity of the human person is the starting point for all issues of diversity. Catholic schools strive to create an environment where all members of the school community feel safe, welcomed, included and valued.
The surveys are voluntary and anonymous. Any questions that a respondent is not comfortable answering may be skipped. Survey results will only be reported on as groups of students, staff, or parents.
Parents and Guardians: We encourage you to take 10 minutes to complete our survey. You are welcome to complete a survey for each of your children. Please make sure you use the survey specific to their school. This information will be sent home through our School Messenger service.

Scheduling of Rich Summative Tasks and Exams
As part of student assessment and evaluation, the Ministry of Education stipulates that courses (grades 9-12) contain a formal Rich Summative Task or Assessment as part of the summative evaluation of a semester’s work. This RST is “An authentic activity, exercise, problem, or challenge that requires students to show what they know and what they can do. Performance tasks lead students to demonstrate their understanding by applying knowledge and skills to real-life situations or scenarios. Performance tasks usually address all four categories of the achievement chart and multiple overall curriculum expectations and provide flexibility in how students can demonstrate their learning” (Ontario Ministry of Education, Growing Success p. 153).
As part of this expected component of classroom evaluation, RST dates are made clear to students as part of the course expectations. As with final exams, RST dates are communicated with students ahead of time, and the expectation is that all students schedule outside appointments and other activities around these dates. For further information, please contact your child’s teacher.



There is a great deal of information on the CSPA website regarding information for parents and upcoming sessions. You can visit the website here.

Connective Parenting with renowned speaker & author Bonnie Harris

Hosted by St Dominic, St Peter, St Theresa and Convent Glen Catholic School Councils

MAY 22ND, 2019 AT 6:30PM
St Peter High School


Communications:
Check out our blog – allsaintschs.blogspot.ca and our twitter @AllSaintsOCSB (Mr. Kelly’s - @seankellyottawa) as well as our website ash.ocsb.ca for all that is happening at All Saints!