OJCS is located on the Jewish Community Campus, which serves the Jewish community of Ottawa. Our students are able to form close relationships with neighbouring organizations as they meet for community events and religious celebrations. This cooperative community environment also provides OJCS families with a variety of enrichment programs and after-school activities. Some of these partner organizations include the Soloway Jewish Community Centre, the Jewish Federation of Ottawa, Hillel Lodge, PJ Library and our feeder preschools Ganon and Early Beginnings. Also located nearby is Jewish Family Services and the Kosher Food Bank.
Our families are members of many different synagogues located across the city with whom we work to organize joint social and religious celebrations. In October 2015, our school and a local synagogue co-organized our first-ever Kids Mega Challah Bake. Another ongoing program is the OJCS Special Shabbaton Services held at different synagogues throughout the year. Our students take part in all facets of the service and have the opportunity to showcase what they have learned in school.
A core value of Jewish Community is Tikkun Olam – repairing the world. One Friday a month we have a dress down day and all money raised is donated to a different charity organization, such as CHEO, Make A Wish Foundation and the Kosher Food Bank.
In our middle school program, students have a variety of school leadership opportunities. By taking part in community activities and leading programs and events for the younger grades, such as Reading Buddies, activity days, school assemblies and extracurricular clubs, our students become role models for their peers. Leadership lessons are reinforced in the classroom and in our many extra-curricular activities. Our Grade 6 leadership team organizes and participates in multiple local and global social action initiatives each year. They participated in the We Act Challenge with Free the Children and hold in-school fundraising events that raise money to support developing countries.