HOLY FAMILY SCHOOL

PRAYER ON THE FEAST OF THE HOLY CROSS

Loving God,

On this Feast of the Holy Cross,
we remember the great love Jesus showed us.

May the Cross remind us
that even in difficult times, there is hope,
that love is stronger than fear,
and that we are never alone.

Help us to follow Jesus each day
by choosing kindness, showing compassion,
forgiving others, and caring for those in need.

May we have the courage to carry our own crosses,
the strength to help others carry theirs,
and the faith to let Your light shine through us.

Bless our Holy Family community
and help us to be people of hope, love, and peace. Amen

The Exaltation of the Holy Cross

On September 14, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. On this special day, we honour the Cross as a sign of Jesus’ great love for us. Although the Cross reminds us of Jesus’ suffering, it is also a powerful symbol of hope, love, and new life. It reminds us that God is with us during difficult times and calls us to bring His love, compassion, and hope to others.

SAFETY REMINDER: SCHOOL PARKING AND RAMP

We need to be absolutely clear: our school parking lot and the ramp leading down to it are NOT drop-off or pick-up zones and are not to be accessed by parents or caregivers during the school day. Most importantly: IT IS NOT SAFE.

Our parking lot and ramp were not designed or designated for student drop-off and pick-up. There is no supervision in these areas for students arriving or leaving with family members. At busy times, staff vehicles and special transportation vans are entering, exiting, reversing, and manoeuvring in a very limited space.

Adding parent vehicles and children walking through this traffic creates an unnecessary and preventable safety risk.

There are several important reasons these areas must remain restricted:

Student and staff safety: Children should never be walking through an active, unsupervised parking area as part of their arrival or dismissal routine.
Special transportation: Several vans use our lot each day to safely transport students who require specialized transportation. Additional vehicles interfere with this process and increase the risk to students and staff.
Emergency access: The ramp is a designated FIRE LANE and must remain completely clear. Stopping or parking on the ramp can delay or prevent emergency vehicle access.
Limited space: Our parking lot is already too small for the number of staff vehicles. Additional vehicles create congestion and make an already tight space even more difficult to navigate safely.

If someone else is dropping off or picking up your child, including grandparents, family members, friends, or caregivers, it is your responsibility to ensure that they know and follow these safety expectations.

Please do not drive into the school parking lot or use the ramp for student drop-off, pick-up, or parking. This applies even if you are running late, the weather is poor, or you intend to stop for only a moment.

A convenient drop-off is never more important than a safe one.

Thank you for helping us keep every member of our Holy Family community safe.

LIGHTS-UP OTTAWA AUDITIONS AT HOLY FAMILY FOR GRADES 4-6

Lights Up Ottawa is a professional school for stage training and performance, offering opportunities for students with beginner, intermediate, and advanced experience. There is no cost to audition. If selected to be a part of the program, there is a tuition fee.

We welcome both experienced and first-time performers, and aim to give opportunities to as many applicants as possible. Please note that some cuts will be made. If you are awarded a callback audition, details will be sent via email soon after the school auditions are completed.

We are facilitating two programs, and, if selected, students have the option to choose either Saturdays (2-5PM) or Sunday (1-4PM), not both. The program culminates in our Fall Showcase with performances planned for mid-December. Instructors will work with families as needed to establish a carpool for students fromthe Greater Ottawa Area.

Auditions for Holy Family students (Grades 4-6 only) are at lunch recess on September 17th.

Click here for the permission form. Students will be provided with hard copies on Tuesday.

STAY CONNECTED WITH SCHOOL - LINKS BELOW

It is important that all parents and caregivers sign up for the following applications so that you can stay connected and receive important information from the school, your child’s teachers, and the OCSB.

SchoolMessenger

Please sign up for SchoolMessenger to ensure that you receive communication from the school, your child’s teachers, and the School Board. This is important! To receive all school emails, your preference must be set to YES for General Messages. To receive emails directly from your child’s teachers, your preference must also be set to YES for Teacher-to-Parent Messaging.

FYI: This newsletter was sent using the EMERGENCY setting so that it would reach all families before the start of school. This feature is normally reserved for emergency communication. Future newsletters and regular school communications will NOT be sent this way. If you have not opted in to General Messages, you risk missing important information from the school.

Please make sure your SchoolMessenger preferences are updated as soon as possible.

School Cash Online

School Cash Online is used to pay for school activities, events, field trips, hot lunches, and other items throughout the year. We do not accept cash or cheques at the school.

Parent Portal

The Parent Portal provides access to your child’s report cards and, for some students, their Individual Education Plans (IEPs). Printed report cards are no longer sent home. Parents and caregivers can also use the Parent Portal to update their contact information.

Need Help?

Signing up is easy! Simply follow the links provided above for each application. If you need assistance getting set up, please call the school next week, and Mrs. Rogers will be happy to help you.

Please take a few minutes to make sure you are connected. We don’t want you to miss anything!