School News for March 22, 2026

Dear Holy Redeemer Families,

Holy Week has begun.  Throughout the week, we will be reflecting upon Jesus’ entry into the city of Jerusalem, the Last Supper, His crucifixion, and His resurrection. May this week be a time for all of us to grow closer to Christ.

Have a great week,

Paul Gautreau and the Holy Redeemer Team

HOLY THURSDAY:  As a part of our Holy Week journey, please join us on Thursday at 10:15 a.m. for a presentation of The Stations of the Cross by Mrs. Kajubili’s Grade 3 students.   For information about Holy Week at Holy Redeemer parish, please see last week’s School News email or visit https://holyredeemer.ca/.

SCHOOL MENTAL HEALTH ONTARIO is offering a free webinar series designed to help parents and caregivers navigate important topics to support children’s mental health. Upcoming sessions are on April 10, May 7 and June 5. Details and registration. 

ON THE CALENDAR:

April 1 ~ Grade 6s visit Holy Trinity

April 2 ~ Holy Thursday and  Stations of the Cross with Mrs K's 3 Students

April 3 ~ Good Friday (no school)

April 5 ~ Easter Sunday

April 6 ~ Easter Monday (no school)

April 10 ~ Parade of Nations Celebration

April 15 ~ Grade 2 Trip to the Museum of Science and Technology

April 17 ~ Boys Basketball Team and Coach Nelson go to a tournament

April 20 ~ Inuit Games for Grade 3 to 6

April 22 ~ Special Olympics Swim Meet

April 24 ~    Grade 1 and 1/2 Trip to the Experimental Farm

April 27 ~ PD Day

April 28 ~ Dental Screening for JK, SK and Grade 2 Students

April 30 ~ Girls Basketball Team and Coach Watters go to a tournament

May 4 to 8 Catholic Education Week

May 7 ~ Education Week Liturgy with Father Marc

May 30 ~ Jack’s Gala

June 1 to 4 ~ EQAO for Grades 3 and 6

School News for March 8, 2026

Dear Holy Redeemer Families,

Here are the latest school updates for the week ahead, and beyond. Have a wonderful week.

Paul Gautreau and the Staff of Holy Redeemer

PARADE OF NATIONS: We’ve had a date change!  Due to a conflict on our school calendar, our Parade of Nations celebration will now take place on April 10th.  Also, if you haven’t yet completed this quick Google Form, please do so today!!!

STUDENT CENSUS:  Students in Grade 4 to 6 will be completing the Student Census in class during the week ahead.  If you have any questions, please contact your child’s teacher.  For students in Kindergarten to Grade 3, you should have received an email on February 24th with a link for you to complete the census.

MATH: If students are not fluent with addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, mathematics becomes much more difficult for them. By spending just five minutes a day at home using  Numbots,  Times Tables Rock Stars , or practicing in another non-digital way, students will strengthen their computational skills and find math much easier.  

WINTER PLAY BLOCK:  It looks like Tuesday is going to be pretty warm, so we’re moving our Winter Play Block to Thursday. Students will be heading outside mid-way through the afternoon for some outdoor free play.  We will be bringing out special toys and equipment for students to use, and DJ Addy may be showing up, too.  Be forewarned: depending on the weather, students may get a bit wet or muddy.

PRAYER FOR PEACE:  Pope Leo XIV’s prayer intention for March is for peace: Holy Spirit, make us faithful and creative builders of daily peace in our hearts, our families, our communities, and our cities. May every kind word, every gesture of reconciliation, and every choice for dialogue be seeds of a new world. Amen.

ON THE CALENDAR:

• March 12 ~ Winter Play Block

• March 9-13 ~ Grade 4 to 6 complete the Student Census

• March 14 to 22 ~ March Break!!!

• March 16-20 ~ EDP March Break Program

• March 23 ~ School Crossing Guard Appreciation Day

• March 24 ~ Hoopstars visit Holy Redeemer

• April 1 ~ Grade 6s visit Holy Trinity

• April 2 ~ Holy Thursday

• April 3 ~ Good Friday (no school)

• April 5 ~ Easter Sunday

• April 6 ~ Easter Monday (no school)

• April 10 ~ Parade of Nations Celebration NEW DATE

• April 17 ~ Boys Basketball Team and Coach Nelson go to a tournament

• April 20 ~ Inuit Games for Grade 3 to 6

• April 27 ~ PD Day

• April 30 ~ Girls Basketball Team and Coach Watters go to a tournament

• May 30 ~ Jack’s Gala

School News for March 1, 2026

Dear Holy Redeemer Families,

While today and tomorrow are still a bit chilly, the forecast looks like we’ve made it through the coldest days of winter, and spring is just around the corner.  This is also the time of year when the school yard starts to get soggy.  Children will likely be coming home with wet socks and mitts in the days ahead, but know that sogginess is a pretty good indicator of recess fun. 

Wishing you and your family many blessings as we continue our Lenten journey. 

Paul Gautreau and the Staff of Holy Redeemer

KINDERGARTEN OPEN HOUSE: On Thursday, March 5th, from 3:30 until 5:00, we are inviting our future JK students and their families to drop in to tour our Kindergarten classrooms, meet our team of Kindergarten educators, and connect with other Kindergarten families.  Families who are already registered, as well as those thinking about registering are welcome to attend. 

PARADE OF NATIONS: As mentioned previously, we will be celebrating the rich cultural diversity that makes our school community so special.  Students are invited to wear clothing that represents their family’s roots (i.e., country of origin, cultural background, etc.) Please help us with the planning of this special event by completing this quick Google Form.  Thanks from Ms. K. & Mrs. Nelson.

MORNING ARRIVAL:   Just a reminder that school yard supervision starts at 8:15 a.m.  Some days, you may see children from our EDP Program outside before 8:15, but please know that EDP Program staff are not responsible for general supervision.  Also, we don’t want to accidentally lock any student outside after the bell has rung. All students arriving after 8:30 should be signed in at the office. 

ON THE CALENDAR:

• March 1 ~ Last day to order popcorn through School Cash Online.

• March 2 ~ Inuit Games for Grades 3 to 6 

• March 5 from 3:30 to 5:00 ~ Kindergarten Open House

• March 10 ~ Winter Play Day (depending on the weather, the day may be adjusted)

• March 9-13 ~ Grade 4 to 6 complete the Student Census

• March 14 to 22 ~ March Break!!!

• March 16-20 ~ EDP March Break Program

• March 23 ~ School Crossing Guard Appreciation Day

• March 24 ~ Hoopstars visit Holy Redeemer

• April 1 ~ Grade 6s visit Holy Trinity

• April 2 ~ Holy Thursday

• April 3 ~ Good Friday (no school)

• April 5 ~ Easter Sunday

• April 6 ~ Easter Monday (no school)

• April 17 ~ Parade of Nations Celebration

• April 27 ~ PD Day

• May 30 ~ Jack’s Gala 

Dear Parents/Guardians:

Annie Sauvé a registered dental hygienist (RDH) with Ottawa Public Health will provide a dental screening on April 28, 2026 for students in JK, SK and Grade 2 and some follow-ups as needed. If your child’s grade is not selected, but you wish for the dental hygienist to see him/her, please advise the school.

The dental screening is a no-touch technique: the RDH uses a disposable tongue depressor to look at your child’s mouth. This short visual assessment helps identify the need for dental care (infection, tooth decay, broken teeth or more). Appropriate measures are in place to limit the spread of illnesses, including hand hygiene and personal protective equipment for the RDH. Afterwards, your child will be given a report to take home which will explain the results of the dental screening. Some students may need follow-up dental screenings as needed. Some families may be eligible for free dental care. THE SCREENING DOES NOT REPLACE REGULAR DENTAL VISITS WITH YOUR FAMILY DENTIST.

This dental screening is offered in accordance with the Ontario Public Health Standards, Oral Health Protocol 2021 from the Ontario Ministry of Health. Personal health information collected during the screening will be used for the purposes of delivering, administering, and managing screening services and for statistical purposes provided under Sections 5 and 7 of the Health Protection and Promotion Act (as amended) and the Ontario Public Health Standards (2018). Information may be used and shared among Ottawa Public Health authorized employees only in the provision of dental services. Questions concerning the dental screening, how to exclude your child from the dental screening for this school year, the collection and use of this information should be directed to the Supervisor of Dental Health Promotion, Ottawa Public Health, 400-1580 Merivale Rd., Ottawa, ON, tel.: 613-580-2424, ext 26376.

Ottawa Public Health’s Dental Health Team

Children who will be four by December 31, 2026 may be REGISTERED ONLINE NOW.  For more information, check out Kindergarten at Holy Redeemer and Kindergarten in the Ottawa Catholic School Board.