A special thank you to our Chaplaincy Leader, Jay Williams, for coordinating the distribution of ashes last week on Ash Wednesday. At SMT, we will continue to explore Lenten themes and participate in liturgies and activities to deepen our understanding throughout the season of Lent. 

High School report cards are now available for parents to view on the Parent Portal. For instructions on how to access the Parent Portal, see the link at the bottom of this newsletter.

We will be holding Parent-Teacher Interviews on Wednesday, February 21st from 2-7 pm. If you wish to schedule a meeting with any of your child's teachers, please refer to the email sent earlier this week for instructions. Interviews can be booked online until Tuesday, February 20th at 11pm. 

SMT School Council Meeting

Thank you to those parents who came out to our School Council Meeting last evening. I feel blessed to be working with such a wonderful group of parents. More parents are always welcome!

Our next meeting will be April 18th at 6pm in the Learning Commons. Please join us!

Monthly Attendance Report

Regular attendance is the most important factor for students to be successful in their academics. One initiative that we are taking at SMT is to share a monthly attendance report with parents in an effort to be collaborative. We hope that this data will help you to encourage your child to arrive to school on time in the morning and to each period throughout their day. The first monthly attendance report was emailed to parents earlier this afternoon. If you have any questions or concerns about this report, please reach out to your child's Vice-Principal or guidance counsellor. 

*Subsequent monthly reports will reflect cumulative absences from the beginning of the semester to provide a bigger picture.

We have the pleasure of welcoming two new high school teachers to our school community.

Mr. Deveau is replacing Ms. Morgan and began teaching Grade 9 Math this week.

Mme Chebbo is replacing Mme Pendergest and will be teaching Grade 9 French and Grade 10 History (Immersion), beginning Monday, March 4th. Special thank you to Mr. Adibe for filling in until we could hire someone.

We are lucky to have both Mme Chebbo and Mr. Deveau them on board!

Standing Against Racism Week

March 18-22 is the OCSB Standing Against Racism Week. This year's theme is "I See You." More info to come re activities planned at SMT.

Here is info re a Parent Presentation:

Respectful Conversations about Race with Lesa Williams-George

Wednesday, March 20th @7pm *virtual presentation

Want to learn more about anti-racism and how to have respectful conversations with your child? Join inspiring thought leader and presenter Lesa Williams-George for an engaging session designed to build your knowledge of antiracism, provide you with ideas on how to talk about race, and practical tips on how you can support your child in building their understanding through techniques like noticing and naming. This session will be interactive and a great starting place for those at the beginning of their journey or those who are already on their way.

All are welcome! Register via EventBrite: http://OttawaCSPA.eventbrite.com

SMT is going to France and Italy in APRIL 2025.  This trip is a sport and culture tour which will include professional basketball, soccer and hockey games along with visiting all the best tourist attractions in Paris, Milan, Florence & Vatican City. Highlights include:

Euro league basketball, soccer and hockey.  Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Olympic Park Tour, guided tour of Florence & Pisa including the Roman Colosseum (Gladiator Games) and a guided tour of Vatican City.

Spots are Limited!  Please contact Ms. Mathieu for more details or check online.  

In the OCSB community, a spiritual theme unites all members of the community as a people of faith. These themes encourage us all to go deeper in applying the messages of God’s Word to our lives.

As we move forward with planning and implementation of the new Spiritual Theme, the OCSB is asking for parental input with the current proposal.  Please take a few minutes to review the slide presentation at our February 28th CSPA General Meeting, along with the recorded presentation, and provide your feedback. 

You may also want to watch the recording of the February 13th Board of Trustees Meeting for additional info. You can fast forward to 1:08.

Please provide your feedback by completing this form.

The theme of this year's Standing Against Racism week was "I See You."

Grade 7 Students highlighted this year's theme by discussing how their actions and words can help to stop racism when they see or hear it. 

Students were also taught what a microaggression is and what appropriate responses are when we see this happening.

We will continue to facilitate learning in this area as such an important topic should be a focus every week, not just during these weeks of dedication. 

Forty SMT students had a very successful Ski Trip to Mont-Ste-Anne and Quebec City from March 1st - 3rd.  The conditions were a little icy on the first afternoon but by the evening, the conditions were perfect.  Our students practically had the hill to themselves on Friday evening!  After a full day skiing on Saturday, the group travelled into Quebec city to enjoy a buffet dinner and a tour of Old Quebec.  After an enjoyable morning of skiing on Sunday, the group had the opportunity to tour the historic and breathtaking Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre Basilica.  Before departing for home, they took this time to reflect on their blessings and the wonderful weekend they had just enjoyed together. Thank you to Ms. Hussey, Mr. Buccino, Mme Renaud and Mr. Briscoe for making this fabulous ski trip happen!