Participation in the OJCS Summer Reading Challenge is growing every year. Kids love returning to school and claiming fun prizes and awesome new books. One thing I heard from many OJCS students was that they wanted the reading challenge to be more open-ended to allow for reading of any kind, so this year’s summer reading … Continue reading The OJCS Summer Reading Challenge
At the end of our grade 8s OJCS journey, I am always curious as to which books had the biggest impact on the young adults they have become. Each year I ask them which book made the biggest impression, and that doesn’t mean it is necessarily their favourite book. This year’s 8s are such avid … Continue reading The Books that Shaped Our Graduating Class 2026
Here is a link to our story and activity for our K-2s. Here is a link to our grades 3 and 4 non-fiction story about a Torah that goes to space.
The OJCS was very fortunate to welcome author Sheila Baslaw for another visit this school year. She was the recipient of last year’s Canadian Jewish Literary Award for her book ‘The Light Keeper’, and it was also an Indigo ‘Heather’s Pick’ book. Our grade 2s and 3s were delighted by her reading which included getting … Continue reading Award Winning Author Sheila Baslaw Returns to the OJCS
One of our grade 8 fundraiser raffle prizes was an ‘Escape to the Library’ in which one lucky student and a friend could spend the day relaxing in the library, running storytimes, creating book displays, and checking-in/shelving library book returns. Our winner, Talia, and her friend-pick Ruby, were so excited to have the opportunity to … Continue reading Talia and Ruby Escape to the Library
On Monday, our OJCS middle school students had the privilege of welcoming acclaimed Canadian author Kathy Kacer, in a visit generously sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Ottawa. Widely recognized as Canada’s leading author of Holocaust literature for young readers, Kacer has made an extraordinary and unmatched contribution to Holocaust education both nationally and around … Continue reading Author Kathy Kacer Visits the OJCS for Yom HaShoah
Today our grade 8 students participated in an OJCS Library workshop focused on technology use, their digital habits, and finding a healthy balance in an increasingly connected world. We began by exploring the idea of tech addiction: what it means, how it can develop, and why so many people (teens and adults alike) find it … Continue reading Talking About Tech Addiction and Addictive Design with Grade 8
This week our Grade 7 students participated in a Common Sense Education research skills workshop in the library focused on finding reliable information online. With so much information available on the internet, it’s more important than ever for students to learn how to identify trustworthy sources and avoid misinformation. During the workshop, students explored a … Continue reading Becoming Smart Online Researchers: Grade 7 Learns the Power of Lateral Reading
Today our Grade 5 students participated in a lesson about stereotypes; what they are, how they form, and how we can actively avoid stereotypical thinking in our daily lives. To begin, we explored just how easy it is to make quick assumptions by playing an interactive game. I would call out a prompt such as, … Continue reading Challenging Stereotypes: Thinking Beyond Labels in Grade 5
Grade 1 Learns Internet Safety Through Play Today, our Grade 1 students enjoyed a fun and engaging library workshop focused on an important topic: internet safety. Using the familiar game Red Light, Green Light, students learned how to make safe choices when they are online. This interactive workshop is part of the Common Sense Education … Continue reading Red Light, Green Light – Learning About Internet Safety