Ottawa French Catholic elementary students return to school Tuesday [Video]

More than a thousand elementary students at two west Ottawa schools under the Conseil des Écoles Catholiques du Centre-Est (CECCE) are starting the new school year three weeks earlier than most.

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The students, attending Bernard-Grandmaître and Jonathan-Pitre elementary schools, follow a balanced calendar, which shortens the summer break and pushes back the end of the year in favor of more extended breaks.

For many students, like second-grader Adrianna, the first day was filled with excitement.

“Because I want to see my friends,” she said, while sporting matching shoes with her peers.

“And my teachers too.”

The balanced calendar model offers students a week off in October and May and two-week breaks during Christmas and March. The schedule is popular among parents, who appreciate the flexibility it offers, including cheaper travel opportunities outside of peak holiday seasons and reduced reliance …