First Day of School: Tuesday, September 1st 

Grade 7 & 8 Students

• All Grade 7 & 8 students will receive an email on Friday, August 28th, with their homeroom assignments.

• Grade 7s: Please head to the cafeteria gym when you arrive. You’ll meet your homeroom teacher there before heading to class.

• Grade 8s: Go directly to your homeroom on the first day.

• Staff will be available to help direct students and answer any questions.

High School Students (Grades 9–12)

Final schedules will be posted online at my.studentinfo.ca by 3:00 p.m. on Friday, August 28th. Students should:

• Log in using their @stu.ocsb.ca email and password.

• Go directly to their Semester 1, Period 1 class on the first day.

New students to the OCSB will find their name and homeroom posted on the atrium wall inside the school. Staff will assist them in setting up their school account and accessing their schedule.

Course Changes (Grades 9–12)

• No elective course changes will be permitted for Grades 9 and 10.

• Priority will be given to level/pathway changes that support post-secondary planning.

• All requests must be submitted online through my.studentinfo.ca.

• Students are expected to follow their original schedule while requests are being reviewed. A change is only official once students receive notification.

• Deadline for course change requests: Friday, September 11, 2026.

Full instructions are available on the portal when course change requests open on Tuesday, Sept. 1st at 2:00 PM.

Transportation eligibility is determined by the Ottawa Student Transportation Authority (OSTA), not the school.

To check if your child qualifies for a yellow bus or an OC Transpo transit pass:

Log into the OSTA Parent Portal 

or

Visit BusPlanner.

Please note: eligibility may change when students move from Grade 8 to Grade 9.

Yellow School Bus

Delays/Cancellations: Stay updated through the OSTA Parent Portal. Once you have an account, use the "Parent" drop-down menu to access "Subscriptions" to sign up for their emails. More instructions can be found here.

The map below shows the designated parking locations for our yellow school buses. Please take a moment to review this map with your child and ensure they know their bus number and the general area where their bus will be located at dismissal.

Staff will be on hand to help students find their buses at the end of the day.

Parents/Guardians, we’ve created a checklist to help you get ready for the start of school. Please verify your contact and emergency information to ensure we have the most accurate details on file. If you are new to St. Francis Xavier or have not yet registered with the platforms listed below, please do so as soon as possible. These platforms are essential for accessing your child’s report card, IEP, school news, event updates, and for making school-related payments. Without registration, you may miss important information and deadlines. If you have any questions or need assistance, we’re here to help. If you have any questions or need assistance, we’re here to help.  

• Sign-Up for Parent Portal Account Helpful Hints

• School Messenger Account  Helpful Hints

• Register for School Cash Online Account  

• Update Your Child’s Health Forms 

• Fill Out School Forms on Parent Portal Helpful Hints

• Update Your Contact Information on Parent Portal Helpful Hints

Plan of Care and/or Medical Documentation

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.

These forms are linked on the Life-Threatening Medical Condition Verification Form and available on the board website. If your child carries an epipen or other life-saving medications, we will also require an Administration of Medication form to be completed. If the required Plan of Care form has previously been submitted to the school and there are no changes to be made, please complete the Plan of Care Annual Review Sheet. If you need to make a change to your plan of care, please submit a new plan of care form.  Please submit all forms to Kim.Geha@ocsb.ca.

Lockers

• Will be assigned and managed through my.studentinfo.ca.

• Bring a combination lock (no keyed locks).

• Lockers are not shared.

• Students must record their combination in my.studentinfo.ca. 

Locks are available for $10 (cash only) in the main office.

Food Access at St. FX
The cafeteria servery will be open each morning from 7:30 to 8:00 AM for breakfast. Please note that it will not be open during or between class breaks. Additionally, our Breakfast Program operates daily out of the Tuck Shop, providing nutritious grab-and-go snacks for all students between 7:45 and 8:00 AM.

At lunch, Grade 7–8 students have access to the cafeteria every day but are required to remain on school property. If a Grade 7–8 student needs to leave at lunch, they must be signed out and picked up by a parent or guardian.

High school students have access to the cafeteria every day and may leave school property at lunch; however, they are expected to manage their time responsibly so they can purchase lunch and return promptly for Period 3. 

Cell Phone and Technology Use
Students in Grades 7–8 are required to keep their cell phones in their lockers during instructional time. Students in Grades 9–12 may only use their cell phones in class with teacher permission and strictly for instructional purposes.

Cell phones may be used before and after school, as well as during lunch. For learning, students are encouraged to use technology through school-based Chromebooks or personally-owned laptops/Chromebooks. We strongly recommend that each student bring their own device to support their learning.

To support families in guiding their child’s digital media use, School Mental Health Ontario has created the following helpful resources

BYOD & Chromebook Loan Program

Students are encouraged to bring their own devices. Those without a personal device can sign out a school Chromebook for use until June.

How to get a Chromebook: Submit the form below to the Learning Commons during the first week of September, before school: 7:00–7:50 am, at Lunch: 10:45–11:30 am, or after school: 2:10–3:00 pm

• Chromebook Loan Agreement

*Please note that there will no longer be spare Chromebooks in the classrooms for students to use.

Grade 7 & 8 Physical Education Uniform

Students are expected to wear the proper PE uniform every day and bring a change of clothing for class. The required uniform includes:

• T-shirt: St FX logo t-shirt. If the logo t-shirt is unavailable (in the wash, etc.), students may wear a grey, black, white, or maroon t-shirt – our school colours – so PE students can be easily identified.

• Bottoms: Athletic shorts or pants

• Footwear: Socks and running shoes with clean, non-marking soles; runners should be tied securely

Forgetting any of these items will exclude the student from participation in class.

Outdoor PE classes during fall, winter, and spring require a weather-appropriate change of clothing. Students may bring a water bottle, but no other food or drinks are allowed in the gym.

PE Uniform Purchase for 7/8 & HS Students

The St FX PE uniform is available through School Cash Online and will be delivered to students at school:

• St FX Phys Ed t-shirts: $15 each (recommended: purchase 2)

• St FX Coyotes shorts: $23 (optional)

• St FX Phys Ed drawstring bag: $10 (optional)

• St FX Phys Ed long-sleeve shirt: $22 each (alternative to the PE T-shirt)

St. Francis Xavier Catholic School Council

We invite parents/guardians to consider a role on our School Council Executive for 2025–2026. Please complete the Self-Nomination Form for elected position on the executive by September 24, 2026. All families are welcome to attend and participate in meetings, even if not serving in an elected position. Our first meeting will be held on September 28, 2026

Parish Updates