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St. Paul High School Parent Newsletter | September 25, 2026
Message From The Principal
The building is buzzing with energy as we embrace our theme of "Nourish New Beginnings." Our Golden Bear community continues to grow—enrollment is up, and we are now over 1,100 students strong! While our classes are fuller, our staff is working hard to ensure a balanced approach that supports every student’s success. We encourage all students to step out, try something new, and get involved in our vibrant school culture!
September is always a whirlwind of activity, and the past few weeks have been no exception:
Blessfest: Last week, we celebrated a fantastic Blessfest event together.
Leadership Camp: This week, our student leaders had an incredible experience building community and connection.
Terry Fox Run: Looking ahead, our annual Terry Fox Run will take place this coming Monday.
A huge thank you to all of our dedicated teacher organizers—without your time and heart, these foundational events simply couldn't happen!
Co-Curriculars & Arts in Full Swing Our extra-curricular programs are already running at full speed:
Athletics: The fall sports season is off to a strong start, with tournaments already underway. Good luck to all our Golden Bear athletes!
The Arts: This year’s school musical has been officially cast, and rehearsals are actively underway. We can't wait to see their hard work come to life on stage!
Important Reminder: Please keep in mind that next Wednesday, September 30th, is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (Orange Shirt Day). We encourage all students and staff to wear orange as we honor survivors, reflect on the history of residential schools, and remember that Every Child Matters.
Alanna Vandewint
Chaplain's Message
This year OCSB’s spiritual theme is Nourish New Beginnings. Over the past two years, we have focused on Opening Doors and Building Bridges in our school. This year, the theme of Nourish New Beginnings encourages us to notice how our community has grown over the past two years. This year we will focus on strengthening these relationships, initiatives, and supports that we have created together.
Speaking of nourishment - this September, we had our annual Blessfest food drive! We’d like to give a huge thank you to all students and families who donated and volunteered to help make it a success!
We invite you to join us in prayer for our community:
May we enter this new year with open hearts, ready to receive the grace God offers us each day.
May our schools be places where that grace can be encountered: where people are welcomed, relationships are renewed, gifts are shared, and those who feel uncertain find a place to belong.
And may we have the courage to respond to what God is doing among us, trusting that every new beginning is an invitation to grow more deeply in love, communion, and hope. Amen.
Congratulation in Order
I am so pleased to announce that our very own Kathy Sinclair, Department Head of French, has been declared the recipient of a 2026 French Immersion Excellence Award in the Leadership and Excellence in French Immersion Practices category, awarded by the Canadian Association of Immersion Professionals (ACPI). This award recognizes education professionals who stand out for the excellence of their practices in French immersion.
Félicitations Mme Sinclair!! Nous sommes tellement fière de toi!!!
Terry Fox Foundation
Dear Students, Parents, and Guardians,
Our annual Terry Fox School Run is happening on Monday, September 28! We are honoring Terry Fox's legacy and raising funds for vital cancer research through the Terry Fox Foundation. Our goal is to raise $5,600. So far, we have reached 15% of our goal, and fundraising closes on September 28 end of day.
About STP’s Terry Fox Day (September 28)
On Event Day, students will participate in assemblies, the Terry Fox Run (or walk) on the track, and fun outdoor activities. Students can also participate in fundraising activities to soak our teachers, including water balloons ($1–$5) and the Bucket Dump ($10), or try guessing the number of Skittles in the jar ($1).
How to Fundraise
Online Page: Set up your child's page using the Classroom Donation Links to credit both individual and homeroom totals.
Pledge Sheet: Collect cash/cheques with a paper pledge sheet returned to homeroom.
Event Day Activities: Bring small change/donations for water balloons, the Bucket Dump, and the Skittles guess jar! Pay ahead on SchoolCashOnline.
Prizes & Challenges
Top Class: Catered celebration lunch (pizza, cake) & private movie screening in the auditorium.
Class Raffle ($125+ raised): Entry into a draw to join the top class celebration.
Grades 7–8 Raffle ($10+ raised): Win a VIP Front-of-Line Pass + $20 Caf Bucks.
High School Raffle ($25+ raised): Win Principal for a Day, Reserved Parking Pass, or VIP Line Pass + $20 Caf Bucks.
Thank you for supporting our students and the Terry Fox Foundation!
Terry Fox Planning Committee
Franco-Ontarian Day!
Today, September 25th, is Franco-Ontarian Day! It was proclaimed by the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in 2010 and to honour this day, St. Paul was a sea of green and white!
Fun Fact: The Franco-Ontario flag flew for the first time on September 25, 1975, at the University of Sudbury. It was created by history professor Gaétan Gervais and political science
student Michel Dupuis. The flag became the symbol of the Franco-Ontarian community:
Franco-Ontarian Day is an opportunity to celebrate the resilience, diversity, and outstanding contributions of Francophones to Ontario society. Bonne journée des Franco-ontariens!
Grade 7 & 8 Students - Ottawa 67s Game Day
On November 4th, the Ottawa 67s will once again be hosting their Annual School Day Game. The 67s use the school day game as an educational tool to promote healthy and active living to students within the Ottawa region.
Your child will attend regularly scheduled Period 1 class. After Period 1, buses will arrive to transport students to the game. At the conclusion of the game, your child will return back to St. Paul in time to take the bus home.
When: November 4th, 2026 @ 10:30 am.
Where: TD Place, Ottawa, ON
Cost: $29.00. Price includes transportation to and from the event and a ticket to the game.
Payment through School Cash Online only by Friday, October 16, 2026
Because the event is not organized by the school, the deadline of Friday, October 16 is a hard deadline. No money or forms will be accepted after this date.
Blessfest 2026
STP Voices and Students' Council teamed up to bring our third annual Blessfest to STP on Friday, September 18th. Blessfest is an outdoor fun day for all students with the goal of building community and fostering Golden Bear school spirit! The day started with all homeroom classes bringing their canned food items to the chapel. Thanks to our students' and staff’s overwhelming generosity, we were able to make record donations to the food banks in our community. Students in grades 7-8 participated in outdoor activities from 8:30 - 11:00 am and high school students played outside from 11:30 - 2:00 pm. In their homeroom classes, students sported costumes and grade colours, and participated in group challenges: obstacle courses, Inuit games, tug-of-war, volleyball, carnival games, and even cheer parades.
Unforgettable Memories at St. Paul Leadership Camp 2026!
Our St. Paul High School spirit was on full display recently as 60 of our Grade 9 and 10 students headed up to Red Pine Camp near Golden Lake, Ontario, for an extraordinary Leadership Camp experience!
Throughout the retreat, students dove headfirst into high-energy spirit-building activities, engaging leadership workshops, and teamwork challenges, especially at Red Pine’s Low Ropes Course. Divided into vibrant color teams (Red, Blue, Yellow, Green, and Orange) students competed, collaborated, and cheered each other on every step of the way.
While the activities were a blast, the true highlight of the trip was community building. Away from the classroom, students stepped out of their comfort zones, forged new connections, and laid the foundation for lifelong friendships.
A massive thank you to our incredible 10 Grade 12 Student Leaders and 5 Teacher Chaperones whose guidance, enthusiasm, and dedication made this entire trip possible. Fun was truly had by all, and the memories made at Golden Lake will last a lifetime!
Grade 7 OPH Immunization Clinic- Monday September 28
REMINDER! Ottawa Public Health will be at St. Paul High School on Monday and Tuesday to administer vaccines to our grade 7 students. Permission forms were sent home this week and must be brought back on Monday. For more infomation about these vaccines please contact Ottawa Public Health directly at 613-580-6744 or Ottawapuplichealth.ca/immunization.
On the day of the school clinic, your child should:
Eat a good breakfast
Bring and extra juice or snack to school
Wear short sleeves or a loose shirt so that the upper arm can be exposed easily, without undressing.
Bring the consent form to school.
Updates from Student Services
Community Involvement Hours: To graduate with an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD), high school students must complete 40 hours of Community Involvement activities as outlined by the Ontario Ministry of Education. Students may start accumulating these hours beginning the summer following the completion of Grade 8. Grade 12 students must complete and submit this requirement by April 8, 2027. Please click here for details on eligible activities, guidelines, and access to the record form. Completed forms must be brought as a hard copy directly to Student Services.
Grade 12 Grad Blasts: Throughout the year, Grade 12 students will receive bi-weekly update emails packed with essential news, key deadlines, and post-secondary resources. We strongly encourage students to review this information alongside their families and support networks - navigating these big decisions is much easier with extra guidance!
Post-Secondary Campus Visits: We’ve recently hosted lunchtime visits from Carleton University, Acadia University, and St. Francis Xavier University. Coming up next week, Bishop’s University will be visiting on October 1st.
Ottawa Regional University Fairs: We encourage families to attend one of the Ontario Universities Regional Fairs taking place across Ottawa from October 5–8. You can find full details and schedule information here.
College & University Applications: Applications for Ontario Universities (OUAC) are now open, and Ontario College (OCAS) applications open this Saturday, September 26th. We have reminded students that there is plenty of time! The equal consideration deadlines are January 15th for universities and February 1st for colleges. We encourage students to take their time researching programs, attending open houses, and connecting with school representatives before submitting. We will also be offering lunchtime drop-in support for students needing help with their applications; specific dates will be shared on the daily announcements during the first week of October.
Information from the OCSB
CSPA’s Family Expo is happening on Saturday, September 26th at St Paul’s High School. Explore workshops, find support and connect at our community resource cafe. Everyone is welcome! Register HERE.
September’s Monthly meeting: Sept 30th at OCSB Board Office beginning at 7PM. Learn about the Board initiatives for the upcoming school year as well as explore different communication strategies councils could use as well as how to leverage AI. Registration coming soon HERE.
Important Dates
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