PATs for Grade transportation fees Upcoming Dates for planning

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1 April seemed to quickly pass us by and here we are in the month of May already! During the month of May, we focus in on celebrating Mary, a most important mother! May also brings preparations for final evaluations and Provincial Achievement Tests (PATs) for our Grade 6 students. Students are best prepared if they are starting to now review their materials in small doses every night. On the day of the exam, students should ensure they get a good night s sleep and come to school having eaten a full and nutritious breakfast. All the best Grade 6! We know that you are well prepared for these exams. We also look forward to our annual Silent Auction and Pasta Night hosted by our dedicated SAC. This year s event is expected to be as lovely an evening as past years. Please come out and support this event that raises funds that will support equipment and technology purchases for the school. We also look forward to the grand opening of our spray deck on May 27th. This is the evening that we will be drawing for those great raffle prizes! With all the nice weather we have had and are expecting, there will be many outdoor activities on the go. Please ensure that your children are coming to school prepared for both outdoor and indoor activities. Please remind your child(ren) to be respectful of our dress policy as Included in this issue: 2016 PATs for Grade transportation fees Upcoming Dates for planning And much, much more!

2 stated in the agenda book. Watch the calendar and our website for up-to-date activities. A reminder that many of our forms can be found on either our website or on your child s virtual classroom. We also want to take this opportunity to wish all our mothers/grandmothers a very happy and blessed Mother s Day, not only on Sunday 8 May 2016, but every day! And Mary said: My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed. Mary s Song Luke 1:46-48 Sincerely, Ms. J. Hertlein Principal Mr. D. Alba Assistant Principal Traffic and Pet Concerns Parking continues to be a safety concern at St. Martha School. We have had to pull our school patrols this year due to illegal parking and illegal drop off activities; activities that put our patrollers personal safety at risk because they could not be seen by oncoming traffic. We are again asking parents and those people who drop off/pick up students at St. Martha School to please adhere to the signs that are posted and in clear view. We also ask that you honour the speed zone in front of the school: 30 km/h during the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. As well, please be reminded that the parking lot is for STAFF ONLY during the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. We have three handicap spots that are available ONLY to those who display a valid handicap parking tag. All offences are pictured and sent to Edmonton Police for ticketing. With the spring weather, we encourage students who are able, to walk and/or ride their bicycles/ skateboards to and from school. A bicycle rack is provided to lock up these items during the day and we can provide a more secure location for skateboards as well. We have had a number of animals that have accompanied their owner s and friends to school. With children that have had bad experiences with dogs and others with allergies, a reminder that Edmonton City By-law does not allow dogs on school property: Dogs are not allowed on school grounds, sports fields, playgrounds, and golf courses. ( pets_wildlife/owning-a-pet-in-edmonton.aspx).

3 St. Martha Day and Earth Day On Friday 22 April 2016, students and staff took part in learning more about our patron saint and how we can be more like her in taking care of our earth. Students started the day in celebration, learning about St. Martha and in how God created the world for humans to take care of. We then extended this into service by cleaning our school yard. In the afternoon, students enjoyed watching The Lorax, in which they reflected upon and created a beautiful mural that is featured in our main hallway. A big thank you to the staff of St. Martha for taking part in the planning and carrying out this meaningful day for our students. Grade 6 English Language Arts Provincial Achievement Test Part A A reminder that Grade 6 students will be writing their Part A English exam on Thursday 12 May 2016 at 9:00 am. It is important that students are at school on time as this is a timed exam and students are not allowed extra time due to lateness. Preparing for the Grade 6 English Language Arts PATs Part A Students in grade 6 will be writing the first round of Provincial Achievement Tests in May. Parents can visit the Alberta Learning Website at for information with regards to these provincial exams. This site has previous provincial exams that parents can print to look at and practice with their children.

4 Another great site for parents and students is the Learn Alberta Site at To get into this site the user name is LA12 and the password is Another source of practice is called The Key. These books are available from most bookstores, such as Chapters. Teachers use the information from Provincial exams in setting goals and program planning for students. These exams provide very important information to our school and we want our children to perform their very best! Please ensure that your child receives lots of rest the night before an exam and a nutritious breakfast on the day of each exam Monthly Student Bus Pass Fees For the school year, the monthly bus pass fees will remain at the same rate as the current school year. Bus Passes Elementary $32.00 per month $32.00 per month Junior / Senior High $50.00 per month $50.00 per month Family Plan (families of 3 or more) Elementary $28.00 per month $28.00 per month Junior / Senior High $46.00 per month $46.00 per month Annual Pass Elementary $ per year $ per month Elementary Annual Family Plan $ per year $ per month Junior / Senior High $ per year $ per year Junior / Senior High Annual Family Plan $ per year $ per year Edmonton Transit is increasing their Youth Pass rate to $71.00 per month; therefore the cost of a replacement ETS bus pass will be $71.00 which is the full cost that the District pays to ETS for each pass. The replacement cost for a yellow and annual bus pass will remain at $5.00. Albert Opera Presents... The Steadfast Tin Soldier Friday 13 May 2016

5 Alberta Opera wants to take you on an enchanting journey into the world of toys! When a unique Tin Soldier becomes captivated by a paper Ballerina and attracts the ire of a nefarious Goblin, he is forced into a series of incredible adventures that will change his life forever. Don't miss the chance to bring Alberta Opera's thrilling musical adaptation of this Hans Christian Andersen classic to your school! Accessed 2 May 2016 online at School Advisory Council Silent Auction and Pasta Night Tickets are selling fast so get yours now before they are gone! Our event is on May 6 th beginning at 6:00 p.m. There are a limited amount of tickets as Good Shepherd Church can only accommodate 250 Guests. Tickets are $10 each with 8 seats per table. A preview of some items that we will be auctioning include signed sports memorabilia, various gift certificates for dinner, spas, hair salons, golf items, detailing package. There is something for everyone. If you are interested in joining us, please see Mrs. Wagner in the office or contact Kim Street or kjstreet@shaw.ca. Raffle Tickets We are asking our St. Martha families to help us sell these raffle tickets with all proceeds going towards SAC initiatives. Tickets are in booklets containing 20 tickets each. A single raffle ticket will sell for $2.00. The draw for these prizes will take place on Friday May 27, 2016 at our Grand Opening of the new Spray Deck. New this year is our teaming with Our Ladies of the Prairies School. All funds will be shared equally between the two schools. A reminder that raffle tickets are due back on Wednesday, May 11, 2016 to the school. If you are still interested in purchasing or selling raffle tickets, please see Mrs. Wagner at the school office. Thank you to all families that have taken part and sold tickets to date. School Supplies Council is once again offering the opportunity to purchase your child(ren) s school supplies for the school year, through Write-On Stationary. You may purchase the supplies as a complete kit or individual items. By purchasing it in advance, it will lessen the financial burden in September with the packages being ready in the classroom for the children on the first day of school. All items will be labeled with your child s name. Forms will be coming home at the end of May. Next Council Meeting/AGM/Elections Our next Council Meeting is on Monday, May 16 th at 6:30 p.m. in the staff room. This will be our AGM where we will be carrying out elections for our SAC Executive. We do have names standing for all positions but are in need of a Casino Chairperson. All parents/caregivers of students in our school can stand for any of these roles.

6 Parish News For all the latest news at our family parish, Good Shepherd Catholic Church, please visit their website or for the latest bulletin. Dates for Your Calendar Parent/Guardian Appreciation Morning Friday 10 June 2016 (8:00-8:30 a.m.) Please join us prior to school for a muffin and coffee Our way of saying Thank You for another great year of learning! Grade 6 PAT Schedule ELA Part B 15 9:00 a.m. Math 16 9:00 a.m. Science 17 9:00 a.m. Social 20 9:00 a.m. Fun Day 24 June 2016 Talent Show 27 June 2016 (am) St Martha and Grade 6 Farewell Good Shepherd Parish Tuesday 28 June :30 am mass Grade 6 family celebration to follow at the school Last Day of Classes for all Students Tuesday 28 June 2016

7 Message from Bishop David Edmonton Catholic School District May 2016 Feast of the Ascension of Our Lord Aspiring to New Heights The Feast of the Ascension of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, is celebrated forty days after Easter. According to the Gospel of Mark, Jesus is seated at table with the remaining eleven disciples. He instructs them to go into all the world and proclaim the good news. Then Jesus was taken about or ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father. After Jesus ascension, the disciples, guided by the Holy Spirit, indeed went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it (Mark 16: 20). Ascension. Arise. Climb. I confess. I m afraid of heights. It wasn t always like that. As a teenager I used to love spending time with my dad on various carpentry projects he did for neighbours. The projects sometimes included shingling roofs of houses and garages. At the time I thought nothing of scrambling up the ladder and onto a roof. Heights didn t bother me then. Things changes when I got older. As a young priest, an incredible opportunity presented itself. At the time, Saint George s Ukrainian Catholic Parish in Edmonton was working on an ambitious iconography project. World renown iconographer Heiko Schlieper was chosen to paint the interior of the church, telling the story of our salvation through icons. On one of my visits to Saint George s Parish to check on the progress, the late Father Volodymyr Tarnawsky, the parish priest of the time, invited me to take a closer look at Mr. Schileper s latest work: he was painting an icon of Christ the Pantocrator in the main dome of the church. If you ve ever been in a Byzantine Church, you know we re talking several stories high! Like an excited school boy, I quickly ascended the scaffolding up towards the dome, but half ways up my knees began to shake. Father Tarnawsky encouraged me on upwards, assuring me that I would never have such an opportunity in my life again. I replied, It looks fine from here. He smiled but I knew he was thinking chicken. One of the characteristics of Eastern Christian church architecture, including Ukrainian Catholic churches, is the huge domes. Upon entry into one of these churches, your eyes are immediately drawn up into the heights of the dome. Not only your eyes but your entire being as well. It s as if your spirit, your very soul, is lifted from earth into the heavens. And that s exactly what the architect intends, not just the human architect who designed the church, but the Divine Architect God. You see, the story of Jesus Ascension is also our story. Where Jesus is, he wants us also to be, with his Father in heaven. So forty days after his resurrection, Jesus becomes a source of strength for the disciples. He encourages them by telling him that he would always be with them, in his Word, in the Eucharist, and through the Holy Spirit. With Jesus work on earth complete, he returns to the Father. The disciples must now continue his work, telling others you and me of the love and mercy of the Father, and that our home on earth is not our final destination, rather that our faith journey leads us on a path of ascension, aspiring to new heights, towards our true home in heaven, with God. When you had fulfilled your plan for us and united things on earth with those in heaven, you ascended in glory, O Christ our God, in no way distant, but remaining inseparable, You cried to those who love you: I am with you and there is none against you (Kontakion of Ascension). God bless! Bishop David With Jesus, I no longer have to be afraid of heights! And neither should you.

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10 The May Newsletter is now online at Read your copy now!! This month s question for a chance to win lunch or snack with the administration is: According to city bylaw: Dogs are not allowed on, sports fields,, and golf courses. ( residential_neighbourhoods/pets_wildlife/owning-a-pet-in-edmonton.aspx). Name: Grade: