April News We are grateful for the blessings of new life and Jesus as our saviour. CATHOLIC EASTER PRAYER. Lord, the resurrection of Your Son

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1 750 Leger Way, Edmonton, Alberta, T6R 3H4 Phone (780) Fax (780) April News 2018 We are grateful for the blessings of new life and Jesus as our saviour. CATHOLIC EASTER PRAYER Lord, the resurrection of Your Son has given us new life and renewed hope. Help us to live as new people in pursuit of the Christian ideal. Grant us wisdom to know what we must do, the will to want to do it, the courage to undertake it, the perseverance to continue to do it, and the strength to complete it. source: New Saint Joseph People's Prayer Book

2 We will celebrate Easter as a community on Wednesday April 4th at 1:00 pm. All are invited to attend. STUDENT FAITH DAY This month, we mark His Grace, Archbishop Joseph MacNeil s birthday, with our Student Faith Day to be held on April 11 th. The Student Faith Day was initiated as an annual event in recognition and honour of the Archbishop s birthday. We are grateful for the time and dedication our planning committee has spent to deliver an enriching, spirited, and fun-filled day to our students in Kindergarten through grade eight. The day will start with a remembrance activity to honour His Grace followed by sessions geared at developing social justice awareness, Fine Arts, Movement, and Faith Formation. The day will end with a celebration and personal reflection. BAND TRIP TO BANFF From April 12-14, Grade 8 Band students will be travelling to Banff for their annual music retreat. They will leave early in the morning on Thursday, April 12 th, and return late in the afternoon on Saturday, April 14 th. Please Mrs. MacKenzie at tamara-lynn.mackenzie@ecsd.net if you have any questions about the trip. SAC MEETING The next SAC meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 18 7:00 p.m. in the library. ATHLETICS AT AJM Thank you to all the coaches for their time, dedication, and commitment in teaching a variety of skills, instilling confidence, and building character training in their sport for our students! If it weren t for our terrific staff at AJM and some dedicated parent volunteers, these wonderful athletic experiences would not have taken place! Congratulations to our students and thank you to our coaches for always going above and beyond! Badminton will be starting soon, and Slo-pitch will begin when the ice melts. We also have track coming up. Go AJM Go!

3 MUSIC CORNER Performance Dates for Honor Choir: May 2 Celebration of The Arts: o Location: Jubilee Auditorium o Each year Edmonton Catholic Schools showcases and celebrates Fine Arts Education and the gifts and talents of its students and staff through its annual Celebration of the Arts Concert. Gr. 5-8 Honour Choir 6:00-8:30pm (2 Tickets available for each participant) Beauty and The Beast May 15 & 16 o Matinee 1:15-2:30 p.m. o Evening 6:30-7:30 p.m. (Doors: 6:00 p.m.) Edmonton Kiwanis Music Festival for Elementary Choir Gr McDougall United Church April All Kiwanis performances take place at McDougall United Church MacDonald Drive. No cost for admission. All are welcome. Please send your daughter/son in their choral dress (White/Black) on performance days. o Grade 1: Wednesday, April 18 at 09:30 AM o Grade 2,2/3,3: Wednesday, April 18 at 10:20 AM o Gr.4,4/5,5: Thursday, April 19 at 09:30 AM o Grade 6: Thursday, April 19 at 10:00 AM The grade 7 band is going to the Kiwanis festival sometime between April 23 and April 27. The jazz band will be playing at the Yardbird Suite on May 13th for a Mother s Day jazz concert. Tickets will be available soon. JH Fine Arts Night on May 29 starts at 7:00 p.m. May 30 Choral with the All City Band (Evening Performance Time and location to be given at a later date) ROBOTICS CLUB We would like to thank Mrs. Cyr, Mrs. Tassone, Mr. Gonzalez-Rico, and Mr. Rouleau for holding the weekly sessions since November for all students Grades 1-8.

4 EARTH AND ENVIRONMENT CLUB WOULD LIKE TO CELEBRATE EARTH WEEK AT AJM The Earth and Environment Club would like to celebrate Earth Week at AJM. They have been busy brainstorming ideas and would like to either issue a challenge or give a bit of information. The schedule they have come up with is as follows: Move it Monday, April 23 - Encourage students to walk, run, or bike to school instead of taking the car. Compost Tuesday, April 24 - Encourage students who have compostable items (banana peels, apple cores etc...) to bring them to Grade One and we will compost them. We are working with the grade 4 class on this one to share their worms! Waste less Wednesday, April 25 - Encourage students to reduce the garbage at school. Students will be issued a challenge to bring their food items in reusable containers, with reusable cutlery and a reusable napkin. Again, an announcement would need to be made the day before to help students prepare. Clean-Up Thursday, April 26 - Students are encouraged to clean up their garbage both inside and outside the school. Save the Bees Friday, April 27 - This group of students would like to share information about why bees are important and how we can take care of them. UPCOMING EVENTS IN APRIL 2 - Easter Monday NO SCHOOL 11 - Student Faith Day for K-8 students Grade 8 Band Trip to Banff 18 School Advisory Council meeting at 7:00 p.m. in the library all are welcome

5 April 2018 Jesus came and stood among them and said, Peace be with you. After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you. ~John 20: 19-21~ This passage from the Gospel of John occurs on Easter morning. The disciples of Jesus are bereft at the loss of their shepherd, and it is a time of sorrow and fear. Jesus reveals himself to his followers many times over the course of the following week, and a consistent theme is that they don t recognize him as he walks among them. Each time that his people finally realize that their Lord has been walking beside them, their sorrow turns to joy. It is with that sense of joy that Jesus passes on his mission to the disciples, to go forth and spread the Good News of God s love. That is the call that he also shares with each of us as we discover the magnitude of God s love; to go forth and be missionary disciples. Edmonton Catholic Schools has once again been named one of Alberta s Top 70 Employers! This annual competition, which is held by Postmedia Network Inc. and Mediacorp Canada Inc., takes a comprehensive, comparative look at various aspects of operations and human resources practices to determine which organizations have the most progressive and forwardthinking programs. This is the third consecutive year that we have earned the designation, and we are proud to be one of the leaders in our field in creating exceptional conditions for our employees! Each year, the Council of Catholic School Superintendents of Alberta sponsors the Excellence in Catholic Education Awards. These awards honor individuals who provide our students with exceptional learning experiences that are deeply rooted in our Catholic faith. We are delighted to share that 3 of our leaders are receiving this prestigious award: Floriana Bruni-Bossio, principal of St. Stanislaus Catholic Elementary School; Heather Kaup, principal of Mother Margaret Mary Catholic High School; and Hugh MacDonald, principal of St. Joseph Catholic High School. April offers opportunities for parents and guardians to join us in learning. The last session in our Mental Health Parent Evening Series, Supporting Your Child s Mental Health (Go-to Educator)/Program Transition, will be held on Wednesday April 18 from 6:30-8 pm. There will be two sessions which will focus on mental health literacy and supporting your child as they move from home to the Early Learning, Elementary, Junior High, and Senior High levels. Visit for more information and to register. We are pleased to host an evening with renowned speaker and author Father Richard Leonard on Tuesday, April 24. Join our Board of Trustees for an inspiring evening titled Confessions of a Catholic Educator What Catholic Education Can Do for Your Child and What You Can Do for Catholic Education. The event is from 6-9 pm and includes dinner. Father Leonard is a master storyteller whose ability to hold the audience s attention through a combination of vivid work portraits, humour and song, make him a much sought-after speaker. Visit to learn more and register.... 2

6 In the school year, Edmonton Catholic Schools will be expanding dual credit offerings, in partnerships with additional post-secondary institutions and industry/business. We have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate with Mount Royal University to offer students two courses to explore their passions and interests in Aviation. The two dual credit Aviation courses, which are required courses within the Mount Royal University Bissett School of Business Aviation Diploma, will be offered at St. Joseph Catholic High School to interested grade 11 and 12 students who meet the pre-requisites of English 30-1, Math 30-1, and medical clearance. By offering the courses after school hours, it will enable students from across our District to enroll. Students will be able to develop their knowledge to achieve Transport Canada requirements respecting navigation and aviation operations, along with Basic Meteorology to interpret weather information for pilots as supplied by Atmospheric Environment Services. In partnership with WestJet, our students will be able to experience flight simulation and in-flight experiences with trained pilots. WestJet will support this opportunity through personnel, simulator experiences, and site visitations at YEG. For more information, please contact cheryl.shinkaruk@ecsd.net. The provincial budget was tabled on March 22. Our preliminary findings are that the government will continue to provide funding for enrolment growth and we will continue to receive dollars to eliminate school fees related to instructional supplies and materials, as well as to provide transportation costs for children living 2.4 km or more from their designated school. We will receive new dollars to expand our School Nutrition Program. Overall, the rate of funding per student remains unchanged. In the upcoming weeks, we will continue to analyze the provincial budget and its implications for our District. I wish you all a blessed Easter season, and leave you with a reflection from Pope Francis: Let the risen Jesus enter your life, welcome him as a friend, with trust: he is life! If up till now you have kept him at a distance, step forward. He will receive you with open arms. If you have been indifferent, take a risk: you won t be disappointed. If following him seems difficult, don t be afraid, trust him, be confident that he is close to you, he is with you and he will give you the peace you are looking for and the strength to live as he would have you do. (Pope Francis, Homily, 03/30/13) Sincerely, Joan Carr Superintendent

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8 An Invitation From the Board of Trustees to Parents and Guardians Dear Parents and Guardians The Board of Trustees of Edmonton Catholic Schools is pleased to invite you to an evening with Father Richard Leonard, a master story teller whose ability to hold audiences attention through a combination of vivid work portraits, humour and song, make him a much sought-after speaker. Confessions of a Catholic Educator What Catholic education can do for your child and What you can do for Catholic education Please join us on April 24, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. in Archbishop MacDonald High School s Atrium (142 Street and 109 Avenue) for dinner, networking, and a keynote speaker who is full of humour, inspiration and a love of Catholic Education. Childcare will be available upon request. (Indicate on eventbrite registration) To Register: On line: ecsdconfessions.eventbrite.ca Call Heather Lightfoot: For further information call: Heather Lightfoot: Agenda: 6:00 p.m. Registration Desk Opens 6:00 p.m. Dinner 6:45 p.m. Welcoming Remarks Opening Prayer 6:50 p.m. Keynote Speaker: Father Richard Leonard 8:20 p.m. Q & A 8:35 p.m. Closing Remarks 8:40 p.m. Closing Prayer

9 STAY Alert April 2015 April 2018 Steps to Building Healthy Relationships For Teens The importance of having healthy relationships in our lives cannot be understated. When we are in a healthy relationship we experience happiness and it allows us to grow emotionally and spiritually. Unhealthy relationships cause unhappiness and contribute to dysfunction, stress and poor mental health. Healthy relationships require these key ingredients: 1. Communication There must be open communication, listening more than talking. This allows us to convey our feelings and what our needs and wants are. 2. Equality Equal balance of power. Both persons in the relationship treat each other as equals and expect to be treated this way. 3. Self-Esteem - Before we enter a healthy relationship, we have to ensure that we love ourselves and that we have positive self-esteem. Once we accept who we are, and we realize our imperfections, it allows another person to love us in the same way. Having a good base in a relationship is extremely important. Decide what your personal boundaries are, physically, emotionally and mentally. Treat others as you expect to be treated. Do not compromise your standards; it is okay to say no. A healthy relationships ebbs and flows. If you have been hurt, do not be afraid to ask for help. Talk to an adult that you trust. There are several crisis lines that can assist as well. Some of these are: Check these sites out for further information on Healthy Relationships or School Team Advisors for Youth (STAY) Junior high schools in the Edmonton Catholic School District each have School Team Advisors for Youth (STAY) which are comprised of retired Police Officers. The STAY role involves: Educating, mentoring, and empowering students. Educating and mentoring parents on the realities their children face each day by raising parent awareness on these issues. Educating and mentoring staff on the realities that students face each day. Working in partnership with the administration of the school to develop action plans for safety and health of all students. Stay Advisors in our junior high schools make a difference in the lives of our youth by encouraging them to STAY in school. The STAY teams work hard to ensure our youth succeed in life.

10 April 2018 Christ is Risen! Alleluia! Alleluia! Dear Friends, In my Christmas message to you, I spoke of the Light of Christ that broke through the darkness. Jesus Christ is the Light of the world. During his life on earth, many came to believe that Jesus was the Messiah. Image now if you can, their disappointment when he died on the cross! That light which had come into the world seemed to have gone out but we know that the light continues to shine. At the Easter Vigil, we celebrate the light of Christ through the blessing and the lighting of the Paschal Candle. From this candle, on that night of nights, the light of Christ slowly spreads through the Church. The light of Christ is alive in the Church. We also renew our baptismal promises at the Easter Vigil as a sign of our renewed commitment to live as Christian witnesses in the world. In parishes throughout the Archdiocese, many adults and children enter the Roman Catholic Church, after many months of preparation through the sacrament of Baptism. They receive the light of Christ from that same Paschal Candle and make their promise to live a Christian life. As a community of disciples, we are overwhelmed with joy at the rebirth of these newest members of the Church. The newly baptised are fully initiated through Confirmation and First Eucharist. Their presence is a sign of new life. In fact, they are called new sprouts or neophytes. These new sprouts are like the children in our Catholic Schools, who come to our schools in search of the Risen Lord. They encounter the Lord in the teachers and staff and also in each other. They encounter the Risen Lord in the Word of God and in the Sacraments. On their journey of faith I hope that they too will come to know and believe in Christ; to follow where He leads them. I prayer that this Easter Season be a time of growth and joy in the Risen Lord! Richard W. Smith Archbishop of Edmonton