Newsletter

Message From the Principal

Dear Families,

We are very excited to welcome our St. Luke Nepean Bulls back to school on Tuesday, September 1st! A special, warm welcome to all of our new families joining our school community.

Our school has been busy with construction upgrades since the end of June! Over the summer, we successfully completed a new outdoor learning space—complete with climber logs and seating—upgraded ventilation throughout the entire building, and finished a full LED lighting retrofit. The improvements don't stop there: in early September, work will officially begin on installing a brand-new play structure on the north side field.

This week, our staff has been working hard to prepare their classrooms for an incredible year of learning. Below you will find key details to help you and your child(ren) plan for the first days of school. We are looking forward to celebrating the year ahead as we open doors, build bridges, and nourish new beginnings! 

Important Highlights for the Start of the Year

• School Year Calendar (2026–2027): You can review and download the 2026–2027 School Year Calendar online for key dates. A hard copy will also be sent home next week, which includes all Professional Development (PD) Days, holidays, and school contact information. Please keep it handy for reference!

• Meet the Educator Evening: We look forward to meeting our school families soon—more details will follow.

• Classroom Communications: Your child(ren)’s educators will reach out next week with more detailed information on how to contact them, and specific details about their class.

Our Spiritual Theme

This year, our spiritual theme: Nourishing New Beginnings. We look forward to exploring this theme together and reflecting on what it means for our school and faith community throughout the year.

We are truly excited to partner with you for the 2026–2027 school year! Please feel free to reach out to the office at any time if you have questions or concerns.

Warm regards,

Ms. Myers — Principal

Ms. Wallace — Vice Principal

Communication With The School

It is very important to register for School Messenger to receive information from your child’s educators, our school and the School Board. 

Please note: 

• You will need to opt in for GENERAL messages, otherwise, you will only receive emergency and attendance email messages.

• To receive any emails that may be sent by your child's teacher, your preference must be set to “yes” for Teacher-to-Parent Messaging. 

• There is also a free SchoolMessenger App available for your phone. 

Visit our school website luk.ocsb.ca which is updated frequently. 

Class Lists 

Our enrollment continues to change which causes changes to class lists.  There is always the possibility that class organization can change as we adhere to cap sizes and enrollment pressures in various grades.  As students and parents find out who their teachers are and the classes that friends are in, there is sometimes excitement and other times disappointment.  Thank you for helping your child(ren) see any class placement, as a positive one. We respectfully ask that you do not request class changes at this time unless there is an error in program pathway (i.e French Core vs Immersion). Your attention to this is appreciated. Watch your inbox by Monday afternoon, August 31st, for an email detailing your class assignment and first-day setup.

First Day Routine

To make the transition into the first day easier, the school will contact you via email no later than the afternoon of Monday August 31st, so each student knows who their teacher is , and where they need to go on Tuesday morning. All of our staff will work together to ensure that the students get to the correct class in the morning. 

Please note where they will be on Tuesday morning to meet their students, starting at 8:55 am.  Each teacher will have a sign with their name and a class list.

Grade 1,2 - Portopak wall/pavement area

Grade 3 - Primary Field/Pavement

Grade 4 - Along the back ball (adjacent from basketball nets)

Grade 5,6 - Junior door wall area as you enter the yard at the gate 

If you are brand new to St. Luke Nepean, please have a look at our New Student Orientation Slide Deck

Arrival / Dismissal Procedures

• Students (and parents) are welcome into the schoolyard between 8:55 a.m. and 9:10 a.m.   There will be staff members available outside to guide students to their homeroom teachers (look for those safety vests).  At 9:10 a.m. the bell will ring and students will follow their homeroom teacher into the school to their classroom.  Parents are asked not to enter the school but to leave the school yard promptly at the bell. Thank you for your cooperation.

• End of the day pick up will follow a regular dismissal format bus/childcare/walker)  at 3:40 p.m.  Teachers will accompany their students to the walking gate. 

Kindergarten Entry

• All Senior Kindergarten Screening will take place on Tuesday, September 1st. If you have not received your letter/email with the appointment time, please reach out to the main office.

• All of our returning SK students will begin full-time on Wednesday, September 2nd.

• The administration team have been in touch with families to arrange for Junior Kinder orientation meetings on Wednesday, September 3rd or Thursday, September 4th. Each Junior Kindergarten family will have an orientation meeting with their child’s Kindergarten team and then start full-time the next day. The administration teams have provided each family with their specific dates and times. Please contact the Vice Principal (michelle.wallace@ocsb.ca) if you have any questions about this process. 

Overview of Kindergarten First Week

Tuesday, September 1st, 2026 

Year 1 (JK) - No school.

Year 2 (SK) - Students at school for their 15-minute appointment time only.

Wednesday, September 2nd, 2026 

Year 1 (JK) - Only students with appointment times at school with their parents for their scheduled 15-minute visit. The first day of school for these students is Thursday, September 4th, 2025

Year 2 (SK) - All students in class.

Thursday, September 3rd, 2026 

Year 1(JK) - Orientation appointments continue. These students come to school with their parents for their scheduled 15-minute visit. The first day of school for these students is Friday, September 4th, 2025

Year 2 - All students in class.

Friday, September 4th, 2026

Year 1 and 2 - All students in class.

Communication of Life-Threatening Illnesses **IMPORTANT

As we continue to prepare for the 2026/2027 school year, we require the collection of medical documentation from some of our families. If your child has a serious medical condition (asthma, life-threatening allergy, diabetes, epilepsy/seizures, concussion/head injury), you need to inform the school using the Life-Threatening Medical Condition Verification Form. You will also need to submit the appropriate condition-specific Plan of Care form.

If there are any changes to required medication (i.e. dose changes etc) then please complete the Administration of Medication form (please note - a doctor’s signature is no longer needed)

A HARD COPY OF THE FORMS WERE SENT HOME IN JUNE TO ALL CURRENT FAMILIES OF THE SCHOOL

Please submit the completed forms to michelle.wallace@ocsb.ca  (If you require a paper copy, please contact the school and we would be happy to provide it for you).  If you have already submitted this important information, thank you!

Parking Lot

Please be advised that the school parking lot is CLOSED to general traffic. Access is restricted to school staff and special transportation vehicles / special transportation families only.

For families using the daycare, please note the following blackout periods during peak school hours:

Morning: The lot is closed from 8:45 AM to 9:15AM.

Afternoon: The lot is closed from 3:15 PM to 3:45PM.

If you are dropping off or picking up a child at the during these times, you will need to park on a side street.

Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our students safe.

Ottawa Student Transportation Authority (OSTA)

Please review your child’s information on the Parent Portal and check to confirm the route’s status. We encourage parents and guardians to sign up for OSTA Progressive Web App to receive notifications on their mobile device

Our bus routes/colours are as follows:

E98 - Yellow Bus

A74 - Red Bus

V25 - Blue

X76 - Green

Important Dates

Office Reopens: Monday August 24th

PD Day Day (School Closed) - Monday August 31st

First Day of 2026-2027 School Year: Tuesday September 1st for Grades 1-6

• • No Junior Kindergarten today

  • Screening for the Senior Kindergartens