Quick Facts
- Our school welcomes approximately 290 students from Kindergarten to Grade 8 each year.
- We offer full-day Bilingual Kindergarten, the English program with Core French, Middle French Immersion (MFI), and system Autism program classes.
- Many of our intermediate students (grade 7 & 8) arrive from Charles H. Hulse P.S., Arch Street P.S., and Riverview Alternative P.S. while students entering our Middle French Immersion (MFI) program in grade 4 arrive from 6 different feeder schools.
- Upon completing grade 8, most of our students attend Ridgemont H.S., Hillcrest H.S. or Canterbury H.S.
Registration
Interested in registering your child at our school? Contact us or visit the OCDSB Registration page for more information.
About Our School
In 1964, Featherston Drive Public School opened its doors to students from kindergarten to grade 8 living in the southeast sector of Ottawa.
We are dedicated to ensuring that our school is a place where all students learn and thrive in a supportive and caring atmosphere. We work with our students in all curriculum areas and continually foster their growth and development as caring, contributing citizens. Through our strong emphasis on academic achievement, the arts, athletics, and character education initiatives, our students, staff, and parents work collaboratively to build a strong learning community.
- a sprawling school building with a two-storey main building
- large and small gymnasiums
- library
- computer Lab
- Autism program classes
- sensory room
- life skills room
- a large school yard with three areas:
- a large green space with many trees, soccer fields, and a baseball diamond
- tennis courts (City of Ottawa)
- new trees have been planted annually through our EarthCare initiatives and school council funding
- one play structure (one fenced) for primary/junior students
- a pavement area with basketball courts
- a large front yard
- a kindergarten play area at the front of the school
- new trees planted with funding from a grant received by our School Council
- an EarlyON Child and Family Centre - a great resource for parents/guardian and childcare providers; this centre helps prepare children (from 0 to 6) years of age) for starting school
Academic Programs
- English program (Junior Kindergarten – Grade 8)
- Middle French Immersion program (Grades 4 – 8)
- Autism program (Kindergarten - Grade 8)
- English Literacy Development (ELD) System Class (Grades 6 - 8)
- Instrumental Music program at the intermediate level (Grade s 7 & 8)
Special Education and ESL Programs
We have a Special Education Support Team consisting of one Learning Support Teacher (LST) and one Learning Resource Teacher (LRT) who oversee the individual needs of all special education students, and provide advice and programming support for all students who are identified through the IPRC process. Our Support Team works closely with classroom teachers in developing student IEPs (Individual Education Plans) and academic support in the classroom. We also have English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers who support all students who are identified as ELL or ELD learners.
Students requiring additional supports and/or services are referred to the Learning Support Teacher (LST) and/or the in-school special education team by their classroom teacher. The in-school team follows a tiered approach of interventions and works closely with the classroom teacher to assess the needs of the student and determine a course of action which may include further observation or assessment, accommodations and/or modifications, classroom support, and/or referrals to our multi-disciplinary team. Our in-school team is always available to assist classroom teachers with planning for the needs of all students. We are also consistently enhancing our use of assistive technology to enable every student to access the curriculum.
Our support staff members follow an inclusive model of program delivery to support special education and English as a second language students. Our support staff works collaboratively with classroom teachers in a co-teaching model to ensure that the needs of all students within the classroom are being met. This model ensures that students remain in their language-rich classroom learning community; learning from, with, and alongside their peers. This approach is consistent with the Ministry recommendations from the Expert Panel Report on Special Education, “Learning for All”.
Clubs and Activities
Students are given the opportunity to develop and demonstrate leadership and citizenship through participating in organized activities. Competitive and recreational athletic sports include cross-country running, touch football, soccer, basketball, volleyball, and track and field. Other activities include: Hackergal, intermediate band, choir, games club, chess club, diversity club, knitting club, tech club, environmental club and compost club.
Students are also provided with a rich array of activities within their school day:
- sports events and tournaments, assemblies and special performances, spirit days
- character events , field trips to various locations in the National Capital Region, skating at local rinks, and the Terry Fox Walk
A strong commitment to Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility is embedded throughout the OCDSB 2023-2027 Strategic Plan and captured within each area of focus: learning, well-being, and social responsibility. We strive to ensure that our school is a welcoming and safe place for students of all identities to feel valued and respected as they engage, learn, grow, explore, and discover.
For more information, please visit the OCDSB’s Equity and Diversity website.