Hello to our Vimy Ridge Families,  

Wow, what an amazing turnout last night. Our amazing Parent Council worked very hard to create an end of the year event that so many enjoyed. It was wonderful to see so many of you, a number of Vimy alumni were also present and I saw a number of students from the community that never went to Vimy who were joining their friends.

I’d like to thank the Parent Council for all their hard work and time for creating this special event. Well done!!

With the last week of school next week, we especially want to remind families and students that water bottles are used for drinking. The hot weather is upon us, however, getting squirted is not always appreciated or appropriate. 

Please make sure your child has a water bottle that can be used to drink from, not as a squirt bottle. Water guns, balloons and anything else that can squirt water should not be brought to school. Thank you.

Spirit week was also a huge success. It was so fun to see so many students participate in the daily activities. A special shout out to our team of students and staff who supported all the many activities last week.

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Leaving Ceremonies are next week, just a friendly reminder that tickets are no longer available. We look forward to seeing you and celebrating your child’s accomplishments next week! A reminder that all ceremonies will begin promptly at the times indicated:

Grade 8 - Wednesday, June 25 at 1 PM (doors open at 12:30)

Grade 7 - Thursday, June 26 at 9:30 AM (doors open at 9:00)

Grade 6 - Thursday, June 26 at 12:30 PM (doors open at 12:00)

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Term 2 report cards will be sent out electronically on Thursday, June 26, 2025. You will need your child’s OEN number to access them. Please remember to put in the dash between each three digits (for example, 123-456-789). If you do not have your child’s OEN number please call the office before June 26 to get it. Thanks.

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Our last day of school is Friday, June 27, 2025. If you are planning on leaving for the summer earlier please let your Teacher/Office know so that we can take you off the attendance calling list. 

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Dental screening - 

Has your child missed the school dental screening?  Community Dental Screenings are held over the summer at Neighbourhood Health and Wellness Hubs.  The calendar poster is attached. 

Dental screenings and fluoride varnish applications are free for all ages.  Registered dental hygienists can also support clients with the Healthy Smiles Ontario and Ontario Seniors Dental Care Plan enrollments. 

Here’s a short video that highlights the dental services available in the community.

For the full list of programs/services, schedule and locations of Neighbourhood Health and Wellness Hubs, please visit: www.OttawaPublicHealth.ca/NeighbourhoodHub

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Vimy Ridge families are invited to visit the Ottawa Public Library this summer

to take part in the annual, Canada-wide TD Summer Reading Club literacy initiative.

Children are invited to join us at the library this summer for free Club programs: https://biblioottawalibrary.ca/en/program.

We hope to engage all children in our city in the joy of reading this summer, supporting their continuing success at school next year.

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We continue to remind students to put their phones and earbuds away. Some of our students have been reminded multiple times, and for some we will be calling parents to help remind their students and/or ask that phones be left at home. Phones, and other devices, are to be off and out of sight during the school day, including recess, nutrition break and getting on the school bus. Leaving the phone off, or at home is a successful way to manage this distraction.

As per PR 622 IT - Appropriate Use of Information Technology (Students), The District will not accept liability for loss, theft, or damage to any Personal Mobile Device while on District property, except where it can be shown that such loss was due to negligence on the part of the District.

As we go into the last week, we realize that it is tempting to pick up your child early. A reminder to families that the school day ends at 3:45 pm and it makes for better learning and less interruptions when students do not leave early.  We understand that appointments are unavoidable and so when you need to pick kids up early, please notify the classroom teacher and the office the morning of. If you know of an appointment sooner than the day of, please let the teacher and office know as soon as possible. Notice to the teacher and office is greatly appreciated. This makes it easier for the teacher and the office to have your child ready for you. We ask that all early pickups happen before 3:00 as some classes have outdoor DPA or are getting ready for end of day routines and it may be difficult to locate students.

Finally, we are saying goodbye to a number of staff as we get ready to shrink again. We wish all staff and students leaving VRPS the best of luck: Mrs Toews, Mrs Loveridge, Mrs Jahn, Mrs Kennedy, Mr Brown, Mrs Hartry, Ms Dina, Madame Oliveira, Mr Houston, Mr Fournier, Mrs Zouzoulas, Mr Gibson, Madame Nichols, Monsieur Whalen, and Ms G (Ms Gauthier) are all headed off to new opportunities - remember that, no matter where you go, you will always be A RAPTOR!

Enjoy a lovely last weekend before the end of school! 

Sandra Walker, Andrew Thorp and Jannah Campbell

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Idling - When you are dropping off or picking up your child(ren), we ask that you follow the City of Ottawa's bylaws to help keep the air around our school clean. The Idling Control By-law limits the time that a vehicle can idle when someone is in the vehicle:

• Maximum of three minutes per hour when it is between 0 °C and 27 °C outside
• Maximum of 10 minutes per hour when it is colder than 0 °C or hotter than 27 °C outside

Respect for all: For the past few years we have focused on learning about the impact of hateful speech and racist comments. We appreciate your support in this continued learning. Unfortunately, examples of this type of conduct are easy to find on social media outlets. Racist, homophobic and hate language is not acceptable at school. Vimy Ridge is proud of our diversity, and wants to celebrate each and every individual. We are grateful for all your support. 

Playing Safely Outside: Outdoor play includes playing safely. This includes being careful in the mud, puddles and on the pavement. When playing soccer at school slide tackling should not be part of our soccer games. The professional players we all watch make slide tackles look easy, which also includes a lot of training and practice. At school slide tackles are dangerous and should not be part of a school game.

Breakfast Program. Our Breakfast Program will continue until the last day of school.

No Food Sharing. A reminder that Vimy Ridge has a “no food sharing” policy in our classes. We have too many allergies at Vimy Ridge for this to be done safely. Sharing candy, treats and other snacks also presents an equity issue between students. Please remind your students to eat the food provided by their family and not to share with other students in class.