85
Schools
47,288
Students
4,890
Full-time employees
$649.5M
2023-24 Operating Budget
Our Strategic Commitments
Our Strategic Commitments provide our staff with a strong foundation to live out our vision and mission. We use these as building blocks to give students an innovative and supportive learning environment in all Catholic schools. As a Catholic School Board, we pride ourselves on being a big school board with an even bigger heart. Be Community, Be Well, and Be Innovative are integrated into everything we do.
Be Community
By embracing diversity and inclusion, we promote equity in our schools and worksites. We are guided by faith-based Catholic social teachings and learning partnerships that create safe and welcoming places for all.
Be Well
As Catholic educators, we believe every human being has inherent human dignity and is made in the image and likeness of God. This fundamental concept is at the core of all that we do in OSCB schools. By honouring the dignity of every person we care for; we will support the well-being of all.
Be Innovative
We foster innovation through Deep Learning so that all can realize their full potential. Deep Learning connects students to real-world, authentic problem-solving. It taps into our students’ curiosity and inherent love of learning while building relationships between and among students, educators, families, trustees, and communities.
Our Strategic Plan provides a vision for the Board by establishing strategic direction and emphasizing student achievement. The Board’s Innovation Plan (BIP) flows out of the Strategic Plan. These documents outline our priorities and goals for performance measures, evidence-gathering methods, and targets for improvement.
Our Spiritual Theme
In the Ottawa Catholic School Board community, the Spiritual Theme unites all community members as people of faith. These themes encourage us to dig deeper into applying the messages of God’s Word to our lives.
The 2022-23 school year marked the second year of our three-year Spiritual Theme, Gratitude Rooted in Joy, Fills Us With Hope” (James 1: 2-3). Year two of the theme encouraged staff and students to focus on finding joy by focusing on the blessings in each of our lives and to do what we can to share joy with others.
Our Focus – Deep Learning & Global Competencies
We believe the best way to prepare our young learners for today and the future is to help them develop skills and competencies that will serve them throughout their lifetime. Deep Learning is an educational philosophy that creates a foundation for success. Deep Learning transforms the educator’s role into an activator who designs experiences that build on six global competencies: citizenship, character, communication, critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity. Our Board implements this approach across all grade levels, allowing students to continue to develop these skills throughout their education.
Character is one of the more apparent skills that a child will need throughout their whole life. This skill describes how a child interacts with others in the world and produces important traits like perseverance, resilience, humility, and kindness.
Communication is an essential skill that will help a child interact with others, express their thoughts, feelings, and ideas. This skill also allows a child to understand others and involves using a variety of tools and mediums to connect with the right audience
Citizenship is the skill that allows a child to connect with people with diverse world views and perspectives diplomatically. People who master this skill are engaged members of society who contribute to improving our world for the benefit of all.
Creativity is a valuable skill that God has placed in each of us. It allows a child to take an idea and turn it into a reality. This skill is developed when a child is encouraged to “think outside the box,” be resourceful, and take risks to come up with innovative ideas and solutions to problems.
Collaboration is a skill that allows a child to work well with others. A successful collaborator knows how to offer their unique talents and abilities while accepting, valuing, and building upon the strengths that others bring to the table.
Critical thinking is the ability to thoughtfully evaluate information and arguments by seeing patterns and making connections. This skill is becoming more and more important as information becomes easier to access and will help a child apply information and knowledge in the real world.