Our Lady of Mount Carmel School

Transcription

1 Our Lady of Mount Carmel School Avenue Edmonton, Alberta T6E 1L3 Phone: (780) Fax: (780) November 2017 Newsletter Administrator s Message November is upon us and it is always a very busy month! Our Remembrance Day Commemoration will be on Thursday, November 9th at 11:30 a.m. in our gymnasium. All students in cadets, scouts, girl guides, brownies, sparks, etc. are encouraged to wear their uniforms and take part in this important event. As usual, parents are more than welcome to join us! Kindly note that there is no school on Friday Nov 10th as this is a day in lieu with Remembrance Day falling on a Saturday this year. Our Elementary Demonstration of Learning and Junior High Interviews take place on November 29th from 3:30-5:15 and 6:00-8:00. More information on this evening will be sent out forthwith. A reminder to all parents and students that our teachers have their own virtual classrooms or websites. Students and parents can use it to keep track of assignments, exams, and everything else pertaining to that teacher and class. This feature, along with PowerSchool which displays all JH marks, is one of many tools we use to help students and parents stay informed. Kevin S. McGoey Diane Bowers-O Neill Principal Assistant Principal

2 S.C. School Council School Council & School Fundraising Society News Want School Council News right to your mailbox? Contact us at to join our mailing list! Once a month you ll receive meeting updates, volunteer opportunities and other information about SAC activities. Join today! Dates & Deadlines Next Meeting: Tuesday, November 14th at 6:30 p.m. in the school library. Upcoming Hot Lunches November 6th Boston Pizza December 8th Delux Burger We are using online registration through (more info on next page) Book Fair Volunteers Needed! November 27th to the 30th Have an hour or more to help out? Please contact Fresia.Pilquil@ecsd.net to book a time to support this great event! Help the school when you eat out at Boston Pizza Operation Education Program. If you eat at Boston Pizza between now and the XMAS break, just submit your food receipt to the school office and our School Council will receive 5% back from BP to go toward educational programs and activities! Dec 7 & 8 Casino Update Many people have stepped forward but we are still in need of more volunteers. Forms are available in the office or see Stacey Furlong who is available both before & after school or will get back to you if you leave a message for her at the school office.

3 You ve been asked to order your Fun Lunches On-Line Now what? Go to and click REGISTER STUDENT. After your account is created, you will be able to view all up-coming Fun Lunches, place orders, and then pay for your orders Online with Visa, MasterCard, or Interac Debit. Click Register Student and create your account. Login, and add your View all of the Up-Coming Fun Lunch dates. Place your orders and make payment Online. 1. Receive an reminder if you have not ordered for an up-coming lunch. 2. Receive automatic notification when your School posts a new Fun Lunch. 3. Order for multiple children attending the same or different Schools. 4. Flexibility & Control. Order for 1 lunch, 2 lunches, or the entire year. 5. Cancel orders at any time before the 5 day Cut-Off 6. Quickly review your orders at anytime. 7. Cancel orders at anytime before the 5 day Cut-Off. 8. Free and unlimited Tech Support Calgary Mississauga Vancouver

4 PowerSchool Access for Parents & Fees Parents and students of Our Lady of Mount Carmel have the ability to securely access attendance and student information, including assignment and exam marks, as well as pay school fees through the Edmonton Catholic Schools' PowerSchool. In order to login to the site, parents need to create an account and then use their unique Parent Access ID and Parent Access Password. Information on how to create an account as well as the Parent ID and Password was sent home with all students in grade 7-9 in mid-october. Any parent who did not receive this information, or who is experiencing any difficulties with their PowerSchool account, is encouraged to contact the school so that they may gain access to their child's information. School fees have now been finalized and can be paid online or in the office. Grade 4 Bible Celebration & What Would Jesus Eat Luncheon Father Joby joined us on Friday, October 13th to celebrate The best story ever written. Our Grade 4 Students received their own bible after a special celebration and blessing by Father. We hope these books will soon be The best story ever read! Following the Grade 4 Bible Celebration, the students shared a What Would Jesus Eat luncheon. The food was delicious! We thank all the parents that came to the celebration and helped make it such a special day!

5 Remembrance Day Commemoration For our November 9th Remembrance Day Service, we are inviting students who participate in cadets, scouts, girl guides, brownies, sparks, etc. to wear their uniforms and participate in this meaningful event. If you are interested in doing so, please contact Diane Bowers-O Neill at Our Commemoration will be taking place in the gym at 11:30 am. Parents and guests are warmly invited to join us. Visitors to the School/Parent Pick up For the safety of all students in the school we are asking that all parents picking up their children from school during the school day to please come to the office to sign them out. All visitors to the school must also sign in at the office. Book Fair Coming Soon!! Dear Parents, Families and Students, The Scholastic Book Fair is coming to our school! What better way to promote reading to our students than by supporting this important literary event. You will find hundreds of quality books at our Book Fair with a wide assortment for all reading levels. Visit the Scholastic Book Fair's website at to get more detailed information about these books. We invite your entire family to participate by purchasing the latest and greatest in children's books. They make great gifts, especially for Christmas. Your support of this vital literary event plays a key part in helping us obtain new books and resources for our school and classroom libraries. Don't forget to mark the Book Fairs dates on your calendar! Watch for posters in the school for more information. We look forward to seeing you during our Scholastic Book Fair! Thank you for believing in books and the impact of reading on your child's future. Sincerely, Fresia Pilquil Book Fair Chairperson Book Fair Dates: November 27th - November 30th, 2017

6 Read-In Week October 2-6-School Wide Story Share The students and staff at Mount Carmel collaborated and created this interesting adventure story, Enjoy! Presenting The Mount Carmel Epic Adventure Story. Chapter 1... Ricky was in an exhilarated state! Finally, he had the controller in his hand and his Xbox was fired up. The waiting period for his game to boot up on the screen felt interminable. Five minutes ago, he declined a friends request to meet at the park for a scrimmage with friends. Maybe the word friend was a stretch, as Ricky s obsessive video game issues often resulted in him having minimal contact with friends. His favourite game was called, Joe Versus the World. When Ricky finally got to level 10, something amazing happened! Ricky had 10 stars and almost won the trophy when his mom came into the room. Hey honey, his mom said, Christian is here and would like you to go outside and play. Mom, I can t now, I m at a critical place in the game. His mom frowned, and Ricky got up and went to see his friend. Ricky told Christian to go away because he was playing his video game. Ricky was excited to have a humongous t.v. to play his games on, but he couldn t play video games because he got his WIFI taken away. Christian was disappointed in himself because he got Ricky s WIFI taken away when Ricky refused to join him at the park. When Ricky Rogers finally had his WIFI returned he experienced a severe issue with the game. Joe Versus the World began to overheat and caused the house to explode. Everyone was safe, but still Ricky s sister, Lucinda, drove him to the hospital. Laying in his rust, rickety hospital bed, Ricky saw something in the shadowy corner of the room It was an old man with really, really long fingers and his name was Joe! Ricky asked Joe if he made the video game. Joe said, yes, and I came here to warn you that Level 10 will come to life! Ricky didn t believe him, then suddenly the room started to Pixelate. Trembling with fear, Ricky noticed that Joe started to change form. Joe turned into an alligator! The alligator started to crawl slowly towards a terrified Ricky. He looked around the hospital room, searching for something, anything to defend himself with. His eyes landed on a skeleton just out of reach Riddikulus! hollered Ricky as he pulled out his old, battered want from his back pocket. Lucky for him, Ricky had studied the fine art of wizardry for a few years at Hogwart s School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As the spell took affect, the pixelated alligator morphed into a replica of the skeleton just out of reach in his hospital room. Only this skeleton donned a purple hat and began dancing the Carlton. Suddenly, a nurse walked in and the skeleton froze mid-dance. She turned to Ricky and yelled, Stop playing around with expensive medical equipment! Get some rest! Then she turned around and left the room. As the door closed, the skeleton snapped its fingers and before he knew it, Ricky fell into a deep coma. In his coma state, Ricky realized he was being played in level 10 of the video game. All of a sudden, skeletons started to attack Ricky, but, he defended himself with his shield. As the skeletons walked through Ricky s shield, they fell apart on the floor. Ricky decided to make somebody out of the bones who could help him defeat the level. His name is Corneleous the Great. Corneleous had the face of a cat and body of Evan K. Together they destroyed all of the sassy skeletons and reached towards the trophy...

7 October Read-In Week School Wide Story Share The Mount Carmel Epic Adventure Story Chapter 2 Ricky was amazed to see Christian holding the level 10 trophy. Christian smiled at Ricky and said, you were able to defeat the skeletons through the power of friendship. Corneleous the Great and you worked together to overcome your obstacles. Ricky, this level 10 trophy was earned because you worked as a team.! Boom! Bang! Bong! Swoosh! Suddenly, the trophy started to disintegrate and completely disappeared. All that was left was black, shiny little box with the #11 on it. What!??? Is this an extra level? Suddenly, a spirit appeared and said, Help us! Ricky thought it was a glitch but he heard it again. He decided to enter #11 and continue to play (not that he felt he had any choice). Ricky followed the spirits voice to a castle. He paused the game, checked his inventory list and bought a Ninja suit. Ricky returned to the castle and fought the guards and even a dragon! Ricky defeated his foes and heard the Spirit s voice again. He followed the voice It lead him to a key lock to a dungeon. He leaned his hand on a brick and a secret wall opened. Inside, he saw 10keys! He carefully picked one up...it was the largest key. With the key in his hand, Ricky sprinted to the dungeon door. The Spirit s voice cried, Let me out and I will shut off the game and you will get a big, fat, trophy! Ricky unlocked the dungeon door. The spirit walked out of the door and from behind his back handed a beautiful golden trophy to Ricky. On the trophy was written, Winner. Ricky set his controller aside and answered the doorbell. It was his buddy Christian! Let s go play ball at the park Ricky, everyone is there. Awesome! responded Ricky. I think I ve had enough of video games for now, and maybe forever! Teachers and students extend a special thank you to all our parents who joined us during Read In Week to share the gift of a story.

8 Boys Soccer The Senior Boys Soccer team, capped off a hugely successful year by winning the silver medal at this years Division 2 Final. The boys defeated Monsignor Fee Otterson in quarters and a tough St. Hilda team in the semi-final with disciplined, focused team play. In the final against Louis St. Laurent, the boys maintained composure after conceding early goals by the opponent and in the second half the teams were on equal playing ground. With solid contributions from Grade 8 players and a number of quality players looking to crack the lineup next season, the Tigers look to be well positioned to compete at the top level again next year. Well done Tigers!

9 Phys. Ed Enrichment Program The Grades 4-6 regular program students have been participating in a P.E. enrichment program on Tuesday afternoons. Each student enjoys the opportunity to engage in activities such as biking, swimming and many others which promote lifelong fitness and health. One of our activities was a visit to Rundle Park where students enjoyed an afternoon of biking on the scenic river valley trails. Five of our students learned how to ride a bike for the first time! We continue to look forward to new and exciting activities ahead! KEEP ON MOVING!!

10 Inclement Weather We are entering the cold season and we encourage students to dress appropriately for the weather. Students go outside at recess and lunchtime unless the weather is inclement when we keep them inside. Components of inclement weather are continuous rain, extreme wind, or extreme cold (combination of temp and wind-chill factor of -20 Celsius). Rest assured that we would not allow the little ones to freeze (and not even the big ones either!). We naturally rely somewhat on students to use good judgment when it comes to freezing temperatures. If they arrive at school early on a cold day, they are invited to access the school and stay warm in the designated areas. Please be advised that the following Radio and TV Stations will carry announcements with respect to bus transportation cancellations due to inclement weather conditions. 630 CHED AM 930 The Light CJCA CBC CISN FM SHINE FM CHFA (CBC Fr.) FRESH FM 92.5 TSN 1260 CFCW 790 INEWS 880 AM 95.7 CRUZ FM CAPITAL FM 96.3 The Bounce FM 91.7 The Bear FM K UP! 99.3 FM SONIC FM NOW! Radio HOT 107 FM VIRGIN Radio FM TV STATIONS CITYTV CTV Edmonton GLOBAL Edmonton CBC TV Every effort is made to have messages broadcast beginning at no later than 6:30 a.m.

11 Soccer Academy Soccer Academy: It has been a busy fall for our academy. The weather has tested us a little, but the players were great. They dressed well and worked hard anyway! We have added two new instructors: Coach Pablo Valenzuela who is with both the elementary and junior high and Kristyn Shapka who will join the elementary academy on Tuesday afternoons. We are fortunate to have these two individuals join us as they come with excellent credentials. We are also very impressed with the many new players registered in our program. It has been a great fall for our academy! Hockey Academy The Hockey Academy is off to a strong start. The groups have had a full month together and are feeling more comfortable with each other as each day passes. Throughout November, the academy students will be working on two specific on-ice skills: edgework and acceleration. Sharp skates for all ice sessions will be extremely beneficial. Incentive Days will begin this November to provide our Academy students with alternate and well balanced activities which complement life-long wellness. Some of our Incentive Days will include activities such as bowling and rock climbing. We look forward to the upcoming month!

12 Performing Arts Academy It was a theatrical October! Performing Arts students were busy performing at our Thanksgiving Celebration, discovering about improv, exploring choreography and character with Mhairi Berg, learning the Thriller dance and designing and applying stage make-up techniques (see the pics below, looks real doesn t it?!) Many students discovered the roles they will be playing in some of our upcoming performances. November also promises to be an exciting month filled with fun events and activities! Here is our list: Tuesday, November 7; trip to see candy workshop at Planet Organic grades 4-9 Thursday, November 9th; Jr. High Remembrance Day video performance (11:30pm) and Elementary Flanders Fields live song Wednesday, November 29th; Jr. High students to St. Albert Children s Theatre for two Christmas shows. Preparing Elementary PA for their show A Charlie Brown Christmas - Wed Dec 6 Discovering the history of masks and mask workshops Josh L, improv coach here to co-coach improv teams for Jr. High Christmas Carols all students will share their gifts and talents with a seniors home nearby Hearts to Love, Hands to Serve (or voices!) Music preparation for Willy Wonka Let us remember during this month of Remembrance to honour each other, our gifts and to promote peace in our academy and in our school. Spreading God s love and service this time of the year makes a wonderful difference for us all! Ms. Anna Paquin Program Director Our Lady of Mount Carmel Performing Arts Academy Makeup session on bruises OUCH! Not to worry, just make up.

13 MTC Rec Academy The Recreation Academy has been participating in a lot of fun activities this month! In October, we did more team building activities like Kinball and Dodgeball. We also focused on Volleyball and Aquatic activities. In November, we will participate in activities like wall climbing, kayaking, Cross Fit, Water Polo and Underwater hockey. Congratulations to Owen Thompson, Cooper Goddard and Sierra Zuck who received the Recreation Academy of the Month award! Boys TEAM Volleyball Congratulations to those who made the Senior Boys Volleyball team this year. Our players are: Luca M, Jacob L, Jonny P, Jaron N, Brett B, Julian B, Matty L, Stefano M, Nathan P, Keenan Mc, Cooper G, Braden L, Cade C, and Hadeon B The boys demonstrated a promising start to our season in the October 20th & 21 St. Francis Xavier Tournament when they won two games! The regular season is now underway. With the strong leadership from returning players, we anticipate a very successful season! Here is our upcoming schedule for our 4:00 p.m. games: Home Games: Nov. 7th v. Holy Family; Nov. 14th v. St. Clement Away Games: Nov. JH Picard; Nov. St. Brendan Girls TEAM The girls volleyball team is working diligently on developing their skills and teamwork. They put forth a solid effort in their first tournament at St. Francis Xavier. Congratulations to Gracie Anderson who was our tournament MVP. Our team members are: Nayha J, (home game captain), Makayla T, (away game captain), Farrah P, Maddie G, Jessica M, Gracie A, Sam P, Andrea P, Layla M, Maya M, Erika S, and Meghan P. Here is our upcoming schedule for our 4:00 p.m. games: Home Games: Nov. 6th v. Holy Family; Nov. 13th v. St. Clement Away Games: Nov. JH Picard; Nov. Ben Calf Robe We have Junior Teams too! More information about them will be in our Dec Newsletter. Come cheer our students on!

14 STAY Information November 2017 A Teen s Guide to Leadership: 3 Steps to Make You a Great Leader Leadership means using your knowledge and skills to gather a group of people with the aim of completing a common task. Great leadership means using your strengths and influence in a positive and worthwhile way to change a situation for the better. What can you do today to put yourself in the position to lead others? Here are 3 POWERFUL steps you can include in your daily life to become a positive and effective leader. 1. Take responsibility for your actions: Not all of your actions are good ones. Not all of your choices and decisions are something to be proud of. That s not the point. The real point is when you take responsibility for what you do, you gain control over your life and you learn about what went wrong. Accepting responsibility for your actions sets a good example to others and can leave you with great lessons learned. 2. Being proactive: Stop sitting and waiting around for your big break or for luck to come your way. Luck will never come your way unless you are willing to meet it half way. Make a commitment to try new things and see where that takes you. Be open-minded! 3. Engage in positive actions: Just do what s right! If you see something wrong in your community, take steps to fix it (e.g., Too much garbage lying around? No problem! Form a group and start cleaning up. It s as simple as that!). Sometimes, however, it can be hard to do the responsible thing when there are better activities awaiting you (e.g., your favorite TV show, hanging out with friends). Some decisions are harder than others, but do what will make you feel less guilty, less stressed, and less bad. Taking these 3 steps will put you in a position to lead others. Commitment to these steps will also lead to a TON of other good changes in your life. 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.

15 Save the Date November 7th Mass at St. Anthony s for grades 3/4 and 7B November 7th Division 1 Students (K-3) Skating Day 5 of 6 November 9th Remembrance Day 11:30 in OLMC Gym all invited November 10th No School Remembrance Day Holiday November 14th -Division 1 Students (K-3) Skating Day 6 of 6 November 14th Mass at St. Anthony s for grades 5A and 9C November 14h School Council Meeting 6:30 pm in library (please join us) November 21st Immunizations Grades 5 & 9 Day 1 of 3 (others on Feb. 2nd & June 8th) November 23rd - No Kindergarten Classes November 27th November 30th Book Fair in Library November 28th Mass at St. Anthony s Grades 5B and 8C November 29th Demonstration of Learning for Elementary; JH Interviews November 30th Grade 7/8 Option Trimester 1 Ends December 3rd First Sunday of Advent December 5th Grades 7/8 Option Trimester 2 Begins December 6th Christmas Concert A Charlie Brown Christmas December 10th Second Sunday of Advent December 12th Mass at St. Anthony s Grades 6A and 6B December 14th Morning Reconciliation Event in gym December 17th Third Sunday of Advent December 21st Full Day; Mt. Carmel Hockey Classic December 22nd Early Dismissal December 24th Fourth Sunday of Advent December 23-Jan 7 Christmas Break

16 The Chaplain s Corner Blessings Mount Carmel Families! October was another awesome month for students and staff alike at Our Lady of Mount Carmel. On October 5, we had the wonderful opportunity and privilege to celebrate Thanksgiving Mass at St. Anthony Parish. Father Joby delivered inspiring messages of gratitude and compassion while everyone in attendance participated beautifully through song, prayer, and reflection. On behalf of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. I would like to express our thanks to the staff and students who contributed to the success and preparation of our celebration with their amazing talents and energy. A number of students in Grade 2 will soon begin with their sacramental preparation First Reconciliation and First Communion. Father Joby and Sister Olive will again be working with Mount Carmel students as they continue on their spiritual journey and develop their faith formation as Catholics. We certainly appreciate their time and effort and would like to commend our students for their keen devotion to their Catholic faith. Meanwhile, staff also celebrated their Catholicity on the afternoon of October 26 when they had some Faith Formation PD. Mount Carmel students also began their annual social justice project entitled We scare Hunger. They are attempting to gather food items for some of the less fortunate and struggling families in our city. This initiative continues until November 3 and all food donations are greatly appreciated! Our next school-wide service will take place on Thursday November 9 at 11:30 a.m. in our gymnasium to mark Remembrance Day. All are more than welcome to attend. May Christ's peace be with you always! Mr. Steven Cormier Chaplain, Our Lady of Mount Carmel School

17 A message from our District Chaplain Spirits, Saints, and Souls. The early days of November within the Catholic Church mark the month for which we commemorate the memory of all the faithfully departed. While All Hallow s Eve spurs the popular imagination with Spirits, this is really intended to prime the mind and heart to focus on the Saints and Souls who have lived and passed. These Saints and Souls are the faithfully departed - our brothers and sisters in Christ who have gone before us. Initially it may be emotionally difficult to let go of them due to their physical absence; however, eventually we come to realize their spiritual presence remains which both offers and reminds us of a different form of human connection. This is why we need to remember them in prayer and also request they pray for us too. Contrary to a popular misconception, we pray not to them, but rather for and through them. Together we help comprise what is such a central element to our Christian Faith: the Communion of Saints. In so doing, we understand how there is continuity between this world and that of the next. This is a long standing tradition in the Church which shows how life in Christ is indeed eternal and our relationship with Him extends into a community. Those who have died in the peace of Christ are still alive in and with Him because of their Faith and ours which continues. To help ensure this, it is the work of every member of the Church, which includes all the baptized believers - both living and deceased - to help bring people into a relationship with Christ and an intimacy with God. And so each time we celebrate Mass in School or on Sundays, we remember that the entire mystical Body of Christ is present, together. Effectively, because our departed have already arrived at the place to which we are also seeking to be, they can therefore offer the inspiration, insight, and guidance we need, in response to the prayers we make for ourselves and for them. Though death can be hard, it is a part of this life, and which also leads to the next. And so November is a gift to recognize and remember those good souls who have died & are yet still very much in spirit with us. Most sincerely yours in Christ, Fr. Dean Dowle

18 A message from Superintendent Joan Carr HEARTS TO LOVE, HANDS TO SERVE November 2017 My soul shall glory in the Lord, for He has been so good to me. (Taste and See, James Moore JR.) The hymns which we sing in our liturgies and in the Mass are often rooted in scripture. The verse shared above comes from one of our most beautiful Eucharistic songs, and is based on Psalm 34. This psalm is one of thanksgiving in which the psalmist is praising God for deliverance from troubles. When you are struck by the beauty of the message in songs at church, consider looking at the reference at the end of the song in the hymnal and reading the corresponding scripture passage! Archbishop Smith has released a pastoral letter to the Archdiocese that will provide special focus for our faith community over the next 5 years. It is deeply grounded in the words of Pope Francis, These are the two conditions in order to follow Jesus: to listen to the word of God, and to put it into practice. This is the Christian life nothing more. Simple, simple. (Homily at Daily Mass, September 23, 2014).You can read the pastoral letter, watch a video titled Archbishop Smith s Pastoral letter in 60 Seconds, and find other resources at Beginning with this month s newsletter, we will also be including highlights of sections of the pastoral letter for your information and consideration. We are very pleased to welcome our newly elected Board of Trustees: Ward 71-Terry Harris, Ward 72-Sandra Palazzo, Ward 73-Carla Smiley, Ward 74-Debbie Engel, Ward 75-Alene Mutala, Ward 76-Lisa Turchansky, and Ward 77-Laura Thibert. Their very first Public Meeting was held on October 30. The Trustees were sworn in and held their Organizational Meeting. Trustee Harris was elected as Chairperson for the upcoming year, and Trustee Palazzo was elected as Vice-Chairperson for the same period. Our Alberta Education Accountability Pillar Results Report, which is our report card from the province, was released a few weeks ago. Our results, which are outstanding, reflect our commitment to continuous growth! Visit our website to view the overall summary. Catholic Education Sunday is being celebrated across Alberta on November 5th this year. We celebrate Catholic education for the advantage, richness, and success that Catholic education brings to our students and families. Please check our website and our social media each day during the week of October 30 November 3 as we highlight different aspects of what makes Edmonton Catholic Schools so great for our children and families. You can also join us on Catholic Education Sunday (November 5) at St. Joseph Basilica for the Commissioning Mass for our new Edmonton Catholic Schools Board of Trustees at 12:15 pm. Bishop Bittman will be presiding. One of the significant characteristics of Catholic education is that, in addition to having our faith permeated in all aspects of the school day, all students also have courses in Religious Education. In Elementary and Junior High, all students have Religion classes within their schedules. At the High School level, students are expected to complete 9 credits in Religious Education within their program, and which contribute to Alberta Education's criteria of 100 earned credits required as the minimum for graduation. We are pleased to begin sharing a new video series for students and parents on Staying Safe in a Digital World. Our first video is titled Privacy. The series features our STAY (School Team Advisor for Youth) Officer, Rick Cole, who will offer simple tips on how to be sure that we remain safe in the online world. You can access this video by visiting our district website and clicking on the video title on our banner. We will use social media to share the release of future episodes. In this month which is dedicated to remembrance and peace, I will leave you with a tweet from Pope Francis: Let us bring the flame of Christ s love to humanity which needs true happiness and peace so much. (October 20/17) Sincerely, Joan Carr Superintendent

19 A message from our District s Religious Ed Consultant LISTENING AND DAILY ATTENTIVENESS TO THE WORD OF GOD On September 14, 2017, Archbishop Richard Smith issued his Pastoral Letter - Living in the Word of God to the clergy and the lay faithful of the Archdiocese of Edmonton. In his message, the Archbishop recalled his baptism: On May 10th, 1959, at just two weeks of age, I was taken by my parents to our parish church to be baptized. It is without question the best and most important action my mother and father ever undertook on my behalf. By the sacrament of Baptism, I was washed with the mercy of God the Father and given the gift of new life through a communion of love and friendship with his Son, Jesus Christ. Furthermore, it brought me into the community of people who follow Jesus Christ as Lord and united me to them by the bestowal of the Holy Spirit, who dwells within all the baptized. With the passage of time my gratitude for being a member of the Church has steadily deepened. It is truly beautiful to be a Catholic. What begins at Baptism is a way of life that is shaped by sacred teachings, strengthened by sacramental celebration, and marked by loving service of neighbor (Archbishop Richard Smith). It is true that at Baptism, our life in Christ begins. Baptism makes us disciples; to respond to his call to follow him. Yet what does it mean to follow Jesus? Simply, it is a matter of listening and doing. An authentic disciple of Jesus Christ is one who first listens to his Word and then puts it into practice. In the Archbishop s Pastoral Letter, we are offered insight as to how we can listen carefully to the Word of God and, in a shared commitment, put it into practice. Saint Paul teaches that faith comes from what is heard, meaning that the first act of the disciple is to listen carefully to what God is saying in the words of Jesus. The hearing of Christ's Word demands a silent and attentive listening. Yet, we live in a world surrounded by noise and confusion, thus we must work particularly hard to cultivate that inner stillness to hear and to be transformed by the Word of God. On the Archbishop s part, he suggests that we take as little as ten minutes each day to read a few lines of the Bible; to pray together at mealtime; and to create a prayer space in the home: I encourage families, too, to listen together to the Word of God. Through a careful listening to this Word, families encounter the Lord in their very midst and hear within the depths of their hearts his assurance of love and call to holiness and service. Here I suggest three simple ways by which our families can make the Word of God central to their daily living and draw from it guidance and peace: Grace at mealtime, creation of a prayer space in the home, and family discussion of the Sunday Homily (Archbishop Richard Smith). As families, it is especially important to gather and to reflect deeply upon the Word of God. In this way we will not only support one another as we grow in our relationship with Jesus, but we will also encourage one another to embrace the common mission that is ours in virtue of our Baptism into his Church. Sandra Talarico Religious Education Consultant

20 YOUR CHILD! YOUR VOICE! We would like to gather your input through an online survey. The survey can be accessed through he District Website, School Website, PowerSchool or by using the URL address provided. URL Address: Enter this address in your web browser: The survey is open from November 14th to November 28 th, We encourage all families to fill out the survey. The survey will only take a few minutes to complete.

21 November 2017 Calendar Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 Take your G9 kids to work day WE Day JH Leadership Event in Calgary DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME ENDS (fall back) 6 7 Div 1 Skating School Council Meeting 6:30 p.m. 8 9 Remembrance Day Onsite Service 11:30 a.m. 10 NO SCHOOL (IN LIEU OF REMEM- BRANCE DAY) 11 REMEMBRANCE DAY Div 1 Skating Grades 5 & 9 Immunizations a.m No Kindergarten Book Fair Week Demo of Learning & JH Interviews 3:30-5:15 & 6-8:00 30 G7&8 Options Trimester1 Ends We Are Family