This week’s #ocsbFridayFeeling began with pancakes and purpose, but it carried something much deeper.
Across our schools, Shrove Tuesday gathered students, staff, families, and community partners around tables of gratitude. As pancakes were shared, so too was meaning. Students learned that this day prepares our hearts for Lent, a season of kindness, reflection, and growing closer to God. Faith was not just taught. It lived in acts of service and generosity.
Celebration unfolded in many forms. Students shared traditions for Lunar New Year, filling classrooms with curiosity and pride as they learned to honour the cultures that make our community beautifully diverse. Rainbow Day brought schools to life in bright colours and brave conversations. Students reflected on what it means to speak up, stand together, and build bridges with those who may feel unheard. Students were reminded that kindness is not passive. It is courageous.
Black History Month continued to shape hearts and minds. CFL star Sherrod Baltimore shared his journey, offering lessons in discipline, perseverance, and respect before leading students through football drills that turned inspiration into action. Author visits and writers’ workshops affirmed that every student has a story worth telling. At the University of Ottawa, high school students immersed themselves in French for a day, discovering new confidence in their voices. Even in the snow, soccer games carried on, proof that joy and community do not pause for winter.
From shared meals to shared stories, this week revealed something beautiful. When we gather with intention, celebrate one another’s gifts, and live our faith out loud, community becomes more than a word. It becomes something we can see and feel.
