Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Elementary School
Our School & Principal's Welcome
It is a pleasure to welcome you to the Our Lady of Lourdes website. Our hope is to keep you updated and informed of all important school events and activities. All newsletters will be posted here and can be sent to you through your subscription to Newswire. Simply click on “Join Our Mailing List” below and enter your e-mail address.
At Our Lady of Lourdes, we feel blessed to have such a rich and engaging school environment. We are a community that celebrates “Being the Light of Jesus for Others”. We continuously reflect on this vision together throughout the year as we nurture and recognize our learners to reach their highest potential.
We are a dedicated staff, believing in student achievement and engagement. We prioritize the needs of our students and focus on their strengths as individuals and learners. The staff and community value and support a variety of co-curricular activities including school teams, clubs, intramural and student leadership initiatives. There is a strong partnership with the School Council whose members share their expertise, support and input on a variety of school functions.
We thank our families for their great contributions and support. We appreciate the partnership and communication you provide so that together we can ensure a safe and secure school environment. A warm welcome is extended to Rev. Rafal Tomon. We look forward to his spiritual guidance and direction, along with Paula Rush’s Parish-Youth Cathechist leadership. The students will have many opportunities to grow as faithful disciples of the Risen Lord. Liturgies and Celebrations are held throughout the year and parents/guardians are always invited to attend.
We are looking forward to an exciting school year and creating more memories as we appreciate our God given gifts and talents. Please contact the school at any point with any questions or concerns you may have.
God Bless,
Erin Stevens
Principal
Getting Ready for Kindergarten
Welcome to our school community!
We believe that all families are composed of individuals who are competent and capable, curious, and rich in experience. We know our families love their children and want the best for them. Families are experts on their children. They are the first and most powerful influence on children’s learning, development, health, and well-being. Families bring diverse social, cultural, and linguistic perspectives. Families should feel that they belong, are valuable contributors to their children’s learning, and deserve to be engaged in a meaningful way.
Welcome to Kindergarten Event You will be invited to our school this year in the spring, where we can gather in community and get to know each other! There will be an opportunity for you and your child to participate in activities together and ask questions. Let’s get ready to Talk, Create, Read and Play!
Introducing Our Early Years Team, Our School Community and Learning Spaces
Early Learning Kindergarten Program 2025 – 2026
The Kindergarten Program is delivered over a two-year period. Teachers and Early Childhood Educators focus on instruction that moves students along the continuum to achieve the expectations by the end of Year 2.
For Kindergarten Programme visit: www.edu.gov.on.ca/kindergarten
School Start-up Schedule, School Visits, and Staggered Entry
- All Year 1 (JK) students and new Year 2 (SK) students will visit the teacher on Wednesday, September 3rd, with their parents for approximately 10-15 minutes. They will have an opportunity to visit their classroom, meet their teachers, and learn about their first day of school.
- All Year 2 (SK) students start school on Thursday, September 4th and continue daily after that.
- Year 1 students will attend EITHER Thursday, September 4th, OR Friday, September 5th, for the whole day.
- All students will attend Monday, September 8th and continue daily.
- You will receive an email confirming your child’s classroom placement, your visit time, and a staggered entry date before Sept. 3rd.
Safe Arrival
- Walkers – Children are dropped off in the fenced yard located in front of the school. School starts at 8:30 am.
- Parents must stay with their child until supervision begins at 8:15 am. Parents wait outside of the fenced area.
- Bus students – will be walked to the kindergarten yard by an educator.
- Extended Day – when dropping off your child, please press the buzzer at the front door of the school and wait to be let in.
Safe Dismissal
- Bus Students – An educator will walk students to the bus at the end of the day.
- Walkers – Parents/Guardians/Siblings will wait at the fenced yard gate for the educators to dismiss the walkers at 3:00 pm.
- Extended Day Students– when picking up your child, please press the buzzer at the school’s front door and wait to be let in. The students will be in Room 115.
A Typical Day in Kindergarten
Throughout the day in a Kindergarten Classroom, your child may be participating in many of the following activities:
Daily Routines and Activities
- Entry and morning routines
- Circle time with large & small group lessons
- Literacy Activities
- Numeracy Activities
- Student-Directed Inquiry
- Physical Education
- Music/ Art/ Drama
- Library Visits
- Outdoor Play
- Religion/ Family Life/ Christian Meditation
- School-Wide Celebrations
Lunch / Snacks
- Please provide healthy food for morning and afternoon snack as well as lunch each day
- ***Our school board is a NUT FREE facility***
- Please pack reusable containers that the children can open independently
- Please send reusable water bottles that do not spill when they are tipped over
- Healthy Eating and Nutrition Breaks
- Our school proudly participates in the Nutrition for Learning Program
School Supplies (Please Label Everything!)
- A big school bag that can hold their lunch bag. For more information: Your Child’s Backpack
- A lunch bag with snacks and lunch (reusable containers ☺)
- A reusable water bottle
- Indoor shoes (Velcro/Slip-Ons)
- Change of clothes in a labelled bag. For more information: Dressing for Independence
- Toys from home must stay at home
Transportation
- Bus routes organized by the bus company. For more information: Student Transportation Services of the Waterloo Region-Kindergarten
- Please subscribe to www.stswr.ca for bussing information, delay notifications, cancellations, etc.
- Bus information will be mailed to parents
- A bus name tag will be attached to your child’s backpack
- Parent/Guardian must meet their child at their bus stop
- Bussing begins Wednesday, September 3rd, 2025
Home/School Communication
- Mailbags – will be given out on the first day. Please check for information and return each school day
- Contact your child’s teacher anytime- a note in the mailbag or a phone call to school (519-886-4810)
- Classroom information and updates are available online on your child’s online classroom. To access, visit: www.wcdsb.ca and click the D2L link at the bottom of the website
- Subscribe to School Cash Online (School Cash Online) and Newswire on our school’s website (Our Lady of Lourdes) to stay connected and informed
Readiness for School
- Please inform the school if your child is a Multi-Language Learner, or if they have special education needs, health concerns, or transition concerns. For more information: Early Identification and Community Supports
- Please complete your child’s immunization records with Waterloo Public Health. For more information: Region of Waterloo Immunization Reporting
- Practice listening and following directions
- Check-ups are recommended before September to review sight, hearing, and speech
- Students should be independent regarding washroom routines. For more information: My Toilet Learning
- Community Organizations that can help develop these skills include: Early Years Centres, Library, YMCA, and Welcome to Kindergarten Community Supports
- Please refer to the Provincial Site How can I prepare my child for starting kindergarten?
Extended Day Program
- Registration is open to all children ages 3 to 12.
- The before and after-school programs are led by Early Childhood Educators and will provide an integrated school day. Extended Day Flyer
Extended Day Information
https://www.wcdsb.ca/our-schools/register-for-school/extended-day-program/
Resources
If you have not registered your child for school yet, please visit the Entering Kindergarten webpage to start the online registration process.
If you have any questions, please get in touch with us! We are here to help!
Catholic School Advisory Council
Welcome to our Catholic School Advisory Council!
The education of our children is a partnership, working together to build a strong school community. Welcome, we’re glad you’re here.
What is the Role of the Catholic School Advisory Council?
A school council is an advisory body that functions within the parameters of Ministry of Education and Board policy. School councils provide an opportunity and the means to advise the principal and the Board on any matter on the improvement of pupil achievement and to enhance the accountability of the education system to parents/guardians. The ultimate responsibility for the administration and management of the day-to-day operation of the school rests with the principal.
A school council is an important venue for the various stakeholders in education to work in partnership. Its role, in collaboration with the principal, staff, and the community, is to help set the priorities of the school and to enhance learning opportunities, through various activities, for the benefit of our children/students.
What a Catholic School Advisory Council is not
A school council is not a place to pursue your own agenda or advocate for your own child. Individual issues should be pursued through the classroom teacher and/or principal.
Updates
Parent Outreach Plans
Contact Us
55 Roslin Ave. S.,
Waterloo, Ontario,
N2L 6N5
Phone: 519-886-4810
Extended Day Phone: 519-575-5007
Principal: Ermelinda Luis
School Hours
8:30 — Entry Bell
9:40 – 9:55 — Morning Recess
11:15 – 12:15 — Lunch
1:35 – 1:50 — Afternoon Recess
3:00 — Dismissal
Good News Stories
Good News Stories Coming Soon!
Calendar Highlights
Nothing from June 15, 2025 to June 15, 2027.
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Elementary School Calendar
Please use the following link to access our calendar from other applications.
Parish
Our Catholic Faith is taught, reinforced and celebrated in our school, homes and parish. We are so fortunate to have an excellent relationship with our local parish.
Our Lady of Lourdes Parish
