St. Brother André  School

Dear St. Brother André Families,

We look forward to beginning a brand new school year and welcoming your children back to school next week.  Our school office has reopened (on Monday, August 24th) and many staff are n throughout the week preparing for the start of a new school year.

Parent Communication

Weekly Newsletters, updates and other important information will be sent out through School Messenger.  To receive these messages, you must sign up for School Messenger and set the appropriate notifications.  Please be sure to set your preferences to "General" and "Teacher to Parent" messaging so you don't miss out on important information. To continue to receive communication (newsletters, updates, etc) from the school, you must have your preferences set correctly.  For more information visit: https://www.ocsb.ca/parents/schoolmessenger/

More information about the first day procedures as well as class information will be sent out on Friday August 28th.  Please make sure you have your communication preferences set so you receive this important information.

First Day

The first day of school for Grade 1 - 6 students is Tuesday, September 1st.  The first day for Kindergarten students will be September 2nd, 3rd or 4th. 

Important Kindergarten information:

Early reading screening is mandated by the Ministry of Education through Policy/Program Memorandum #168. If you are a returning family, you should have already received an email with your appointment time (sent in June). If you are a new family, you will receive an email this week. All screening for Year 2 Kindergarten students will take place on Tuesday September 1st by scheduled appointment time. The first day of school for Year 2 Kindergarten students is Wednesday September 3rd.

If your child is starting Kindergarten for the first time (Year 1), you will have received your appointment time for your orientation visit (if you recently registered, it will be sent this week).  If you do not have that time, please let us know and we can resend the information.  Orientation visits for Year 1 Kindergarten students will take place on September 2nd and September 3rd. Their first day of school will be the day after their visit.

Bussing

The OSTA Parent Portal is now open with the updated transportation information for the 2026-2027 school year. Please visit https://www.ottawaschoolbus.ca/ to see if your child is eligible to take the yellow school bus this year.  Connect to the OSTA Parent Portal to access bus information.  Information on the OSTA Parent Portal can be found in this Guide.  If your child is not eligible for the bus we will be unable to add them to the bus list.

School Supplies

Here is a brief list of recommended "start of school" items.  If your child's teachers would like to recommend anything specific, they will be in touch after school begins. 

• School BAG (mandatory)

• LUNCH Kit (mandatory)

• Indoor RUNNERS for the classroom and gym (mandatory)

• ONE Pencil Case (easily transportable)

• COLOURING crayons or pencils (pack of 12)

• CALCULATOR (Gr. 4 to 6 only)

We are looking forward to a brand new school year and we look forward to welcoming everyone during the week of September 1st.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Meloche, Principal

Is your child new to our school community? Registration remains open throughout the summer. The first day of school is Tuesday, September 1st.

Although OCSB elementary schools are closed during the summer, families can still register online. 

REGISTER TODAY ›

For assistance, contact the Admissions Department at admissions@ocsb.ca or 613-228-3338.

Our school uses SafeArrival to report student absences. SafeArrival is designed to make it easier, faster, and more convenient for families to report absences and late arrivals.

With SafeArrival, there’s no need to call the school and leave a message. Instead, you can quickly and securely report your child’s absence in one of three ways:

• Using the SM Home App: Download and install the SM Home app from the Apple App Store or Google Play.

• Online: Visit home.schoolmessenger.ca.

• Phone: Call the toll-free number 1-844-478-2598 and follow the prompts.

Further detailed instructions are available on the OCSB website.

Coming soon!

To receive all types of email messages, you must opt in. Otherwise, we will only send you emergency and attendance email messages. You can opt in by creating an account with SchoolMessenger and choosing your contact preferences for each type of message. To receive all emails sent by the school, your preference must be set to “yes” for General Messages. To receive emails that may be sent by your child's teacher, your preference must be set to “yes” for Teacher-to-Parent Messaging.

Create your SchoolMessenger account

1. Go to ocsb.ca/SchoolMessenger to learn how to create your account.

2. Create your account using the email address you provided when you registered your child for school.

3. Choose your contact preferences for each type of message.

Have questions?

If you are having difficulty creating your parent account, please email the OCSB at School.Messenger@ocsb.ca.

Please click on link to see the attached documents for instructions on signing up for all school platforms. 

We advise that both parents sign up for all platforms using the same password for all applications, making it easier to remember. 

Are you moving or changing daycare providers? 

Information accuracy affects OSTA’s planning. Any changes to your home or alternate addresses must be provided to your school. It is critical that parents and guardians provide their school with any changes to home/alternate addresses AS SOON AS POSSIBLE to avoid extended waiting for a transportation change in the fall. 

Joint Custody and Transportation to Two Homes – Renewals

Important Deadline – Joint Custody renewals must be done every year! The renewal form for existing variable transportation arrangements (Joint Custody) is available online. Renewal Joint Custody Forms must be submitted NO LATER THAN June 30th by at least one parent/guardian.

Empty Seats/Courtesy Seating for the 2023/24 school year

The Empty Seat Registration is now open for the 2023-2024 school year. Any students who are not in the Bus Zone may apply for an empty seat via the online form. Please submit one application per student in your household. For more details, visit OSTA’s website. Printed copies of the form may be requested at the school.

OSTA Parent Web Portal Closed

OSTA’s Parent Web Portal (Bus Stop Finder) will be closed from the end of June until mid-August. The portal will reopen in mid-August with next year’s transportation information. Please regularly check OSTA’s website and social media pages for important transportation announcements, deadlines, and other vital information.

Not using the bus next year? Let OSTA know by declining transportation

Are you eligible for transportation but not using it next year? Decline today!

Keeping OSTA informed is important as it allows us to make better use of available transportation services for those that need it! For more information, visit OSTA’s website.

School Zone Safety and Walk-A-Block

Help make your school zone safer. Reduce congestion around your school site and park away from your school and #Walk-a-Block instead! Find your school map here! 

School Bus and Pedestrian Safety Day

Learn all about school bus and pedestrian safety at OSTA’s safety day event on Sunday, August 27th, from 9 am to 1 pm. Children can take a ride on a real bus and participate in Pedestrian Safety training with the Ottawa Safety Council. For more information and to register, visit OSTA’s website.

Walking School Bus Registration

If your child walks to school, they can now join up with some friends and a trained leader to accompany them to school! Students walk to school with a group of 10 peers and a professional leader, following a specific route and schedule. To see which schools are participating and to register, visit OSTA’s website!

Take the wheel and Drive Yellow today!

Looking for a satisfying part-time job that fits your work-life balance? Take the wheel and drive yellow! Yellow school bus drivers are impactful workers who are highly valued by our communities for getting kids safely to school. Visit driveyellow.ca for more information on becoming a school bus driver!