Students across Ottawa's Catholic schools spent this week learning what it takes to make a difference, according to the Ottawa Catholic School Board, which highlighted a range of classroom activities in its weekly #ocsbFridayFeeling post published Friday, Oct. 16.
The board said the week's theme centred on the moments, big and small, that help students grow into curious, compassionate and engaged members of their communities — from asking brave questions to simply making a classmate feel welcome.
Civic engagement and a food drive
Among the week's activities, students explored democracy and civic responsibility through a Student Vote, an exercise designed to show young people how their voices can help shape the communities around them.
Compassion also took a practical turn. Students designed posters for a Halloween food drive supporting the Barrhaven Food Cupboard, using their creativity as a tool to help neighbours in need.
Older students also welcomed sports journalist and author Julian McKenzie for a conversation about the power of meaningful storytelling, which the board described as inspiring.
Learning by building and imagining
In classrooms across the board, hands-on projects brought lessons to life. According to the board, young builders transformed everyday materials into models of log cabins and "haunted" mansions, while other students brought bridge designs to life using 3D printing.
Kindergarten learners turned their classroom into a bustling farmers' market, explored numbers through hands-on games and discovered new possibilities during library time.
The board said these experiences reflect its view that learning is often at its best when students have the freedom to ask questions, experiment and bring their own ideas to life.
Kindness, belonging and mental health
Some of the week's most meaningful lessons focused on how students treat one another. Through conversations about mental health, belonging and shared responsibility, the board said students reflected on what it takes to create a classroom where everyone feels safe, respected and included.
Elsewhere, small gestures and thoughtful surprises offered a reminder that kindness does not have to be complicated to make someone's day, the board said.
Tying the week together under its theme of nourishing new beginnings, the board encouraged students and families to remember that building a stronger community begins with everyday choices — sharing an idea, standing up for others, trying something new or offering a little kindness.
The board noted that when those small moments come together, they become something much bigger.
The Ottawa Catholic School Board acknowledges that its schools are located on the ancestral, traditional and unceded territory of the Algonquin Peoples.
