Newsletter from St. Mother Teresa

Graduation Information:

Grad Day and Graduation are quickly approaching! Here are important details for these upcoming events:

Grad Day – Thursday June 4th, 2026 - Ron Kolbus Lakeside Centre - Permission form sent via cash online.

Buses will pick up students at 9:15 and return to the school at 1:30 pm - Students are required to take the bus; there will be no students driving to the event.
Liturgy
Valedictorian Speeches
Lunch and snacks - provided
Afternoon Group Activities

Graduation – Wednesday, June 24, 2026 | 1:00 p.m.

Location: The Met, 2176 Prince of Wales Drive

Graduates are to arrive by 11:30 p.m.
Doors open to guests at 12:15 p.m.
Each graduate will receive three guest tickets

If your graduate is unable to attend the graduation ceremony, please have them complete this form. This is for students only.

While we understand how important this event is, we regret that we will not be able to fulfill extra ticket requests due to the large number of grads.

Ticket & Gown Pick-Up

Tickets will be available before exams begin – dates and location to be confirmed.

Grad Gown Pick-Up - outside of Student Services

Monday, June 22 | 1:00 – 2:45 p.m.
Tuesday, June 23 | 9:30 – 11:30 a.m.

If you have not yet paid the grad fee, please do so via School Cash Online or bring the fee directly to the main office.

Further updates and reminders will be shared through School Messenger and student email. Graduates are encouraged to check their inboxes regularly.

We are excited to celebrate the achievements of the Class of 2026!

Relay for Life 2026!

Our school community completely outdid themselves for this year’s Relay for Life. With over 850 students participating, we are thrilled to announce that we raised over $98,000 for the Canadian Cancer Society!

Highlights of the day included food trucks, bubble soccer, inflatables, lawn games, a dunk tank, a magician, a petting zoo, a photo booth, and an exciting girls' tackle football game. Beyond the fun, our community came together for moments of deep reflection during powerful testimonials from cancer survivors and our beautiful luminary ceremony.

We are so proud of our students and deeply grateful for the incredible parental and community support that made this day possible!

Indigenous Space

On Tuesday night, surrounded by family, friends, and members of the community, the Indigenous Student Association officially opened an Indigenous Cultural Space within SMT! This space will act as a place where the ISA will hold its meetings, where Indigenous led workshops can happen, and be a reflective space for Indigenous based learning. We want to thank everyone involved, especially our two ISA student leads Jonah Schwendt and Julianne Leblanc-Peltier. Huge kudos to Jack Patterson (and Taryn Earle) for leading this special project over the last 2.5 years!

On behalf of the students, staff, and community of Monsignor Paul Baxter, you are invited to celebrate their 25th Anniversary on June 17, 2026.

For a quarter of a century, MPB has served as a cornerstone of learning and community growth.

Event Schedule:

4:30 PM – Anniversary Ceremony: A formal program held in the school gymnasium featuring guest speakers and presentation of School memorabilia and time capsule.
5:00 PM – Refreshments: Please join us for cake and light refreshments immediately following the ceremony.
Ongoing – Summer Send-off: Following the formal proceedings, you are invited to join our community-led "Summer Send-off" taking place in the school yard. Food & treats are available for purchase.

Event Details

When: Wednesday, June 17th, 2026
Where: 333 Beatrice Drive, Gym / School Yard
Time: Formal program begins at 4:30 PM

Your support of MPB over the years has been deeply appreciated. We hope you can join us for this milestone occasion to celebrate the achievements of our past and present students.

RSVP by June 3rd

OSTA Opt-out Process

Ottawa Student Transportation (OSTA) is launching its annual opt-out process to enhance bus routing and transportation planning for the 2026-2027 school year.

If your child(ren) will not require school bus transportation next school year, please complete the electronic opt-out form to inform OSTA that a seat is not needed. This will help optimize services and minimize disruptions.

Requests for reinstated service can be made anytime through OSTA’s Transportation Issues Form, and is subject to availability and eligibility.

This Electronic opt-out form can also be found on OSTA’s website. The deadline to apply is June 1, 2026. This form confirms that a seat will not be needed. For more information, visit our Opt-Out page. If you still have questions, email your zone or call OSTA at 613-224-8800.

OCSB Continuing & Community Education is excited to share that registration is now open for OCSB Summer Camps 2026!

Our summer camps provide children and youth with opportunities to stay active, explore new interests, build confidence, and make new friends in a safe and welcoming environment. With programs ranging from arts and sports to STEM, themed adventure, and specialty camps, there is something for every camper.

Camps will run June 29 – August 14, 2026, at OCSB locations across Ottawa, with weekly full-day programs and extended hours available at select sites.

We would appreciate your help in sharing this opportunity with families in your school communities.

LEARN MORE: https://conted.ocsb.ca/summer-programs/summer-camps/

9-12 Semester 2 Exam/RST Schedule

The OCSB has released the Semester 2 Final Exam schedule. Attendance on exam/RST days is mandatory - vacation and summer work arrangements are expected to be made around these dates. **Exams not written in June will be written in September.

NOTE: Grade 12 students have their own exam schedule to get marks entered for the graduation on June 25th.

describes the sports by season for students in grades 7 and 8

Sports: A Year at a Glance

Grades 7-8

describes sports by season for high school students

Sports: A Year at a Glance

Grades 9-12

Summer School Preview: July 2 – July 23, 2026

Registration is now open!
Hours: Summer school hours: 8:30 am – 12:30 pm.

In-Person Reach Ahead Locations: St. Pius X Catholic High School (Central) and St. Matthew Catholic High School (East).

Credit Recovery: St. Pius X, St. Mother Teresa, St. Patrick, St. Matthew, and Holy Trinity.

Skills Builder Courses: English Numeracy & Literacy Support or Core French Literacy Support will be offered at St. Pius X and St. Matthew.

Indigenous Education: This will be offered at St. Pius X.

Conversational English & Literacy Development: Offered at St. Pius X, this is a 55-hour non-credit course for students entering Grades 9-12 who are beginner multilingual learners (ELD and ESL AO/BO) and have not yet earned a mainstream English credit.

Course Requirements: All courses are dependent on enrolment. Students are required to bring their own laptop.

Guest Speakers at SMT

There is an OCSB policy which requires principals to inform parents/guardians in advance of any guest speaker presenting to more than one class. This section will be included in each biweekly newsletter. Feel free to connect with the teacher organizing the guest speaker (the contact name would be indicated in the information letter linked) if you have any questions.