When the song of the angels is stilled. When the star in the sky is gone, When the kings and princes are home,

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1 JANUARY 2019 When the song of the angels is stilled When the star in the sky is gone, When the kings and princes are home, When the shepherds are back with their flock, The work of Christmas begins: To find the lost, To heal the broken, To feed the hungry, To release the prisoner, To rebuild the nations, To bring peace among brothers and sisters, To make music in the heart. Administrators Message Welcome back and Happy New Year! We hope that 2019 will be a year filled with many blessings and peace in our world. On behalf of the entire St. Lucy School staff, we would like to express our sincere thanks for the many Christmas cards and kind gifts we received prior to Christmas. Your praise and generosity were very much appreciated. The New Year is an opportune time for us to thank the many volunteers who are involved in the on-going activities of the school organizing hot lunches, providing assistance on fieldtrips, helping to coach our teams, supporting fundraising initiatives, attending School Advisory Council meetings, helping in the Learning Commons during book fairs to name just a few. Without your generous contributions, we would not be able to offer many of the extras that we do. Best wishes for you and your family in the New Year of 2019! Ms. S. Franzese (Principal) Mr. D. Alba (Assistant Principal)

2 Chaplain s Corner Student Faith Day On December 13, the feast day of our patron saint, St. Lucy School students took part in our third annual Student Faith Day which focused on our theme, Act Justly, Love Tenderly, and Walk Humbly with your God. The morning began with an opening liturgy led by our Grade 3 classes, along with their teachers Mrs. Cimino and Mrs. Stabel, and former school seminarian, Mr. Ponte. One highlight of the morning was the retelling of the story of St. Lucy s life by our Grade 3 students. Inspired by St. Lucy, our Grade 3 classes challenged us to Spread a little Son Shine, throughout our day. Next, the students participated in four cross-graded breakout sessions as described below: 1. We Are the Bright Lights of St. Lucy School In this session students explored the life of our school s namesake, St. Lucy. They then considered how they could work to be a light to others. Students worked in partners to spread their "light" by creating anonymous Christmas cards to Grade 1 students at our inner city schools. 2. Inspiring Others Through Digital Media In this session, students collaborated on a whole school Flipgrid, reflecting on the delightful story Where Oliver Fits by Cale Atkinson. This story reminds us that we need to care for the individuality of both ourselves and others. Using Flipgrid, students experienced how we can become digital citizens of a compassionate society by creating video responses to questions such as: How do I respect the uniqueness of others?, What are my God given talents? and What makes me unique?. 3. Praying in Colour: In this session students were invited to engage in meaningful prayer experiences by Praying in Colour. In quiet reflection, students learned a new way to pray through meditation and doodling. 4. Yoga: Students worked alone and in partners to explore a variety of yoga poses. They left this session with full hearts and refreshed bodies and minds. We would like to extend a huge thanks to Mr. Ponte for helping lead our opening liturgy, our district consultants who joined us this day and helped develop the breakout sessions, as well as the St. Charles Parish team who generously shared their gifts of time and talent in supporting our Faith Day. SCHOOL PLAN FOR CONTINUOUS GROWTH Each year, schools are responsible for assessing their growth and preparing a set of goals for the year that are guided by our District s goals. Our plan will be presented to the School Council this month. Should you wish to read it, a copy is posted on our website.

3 CTBS TESTING This year, the grade 6 students will be writing the Canadian Test of Basic Skills, from January 7 th 17 th. All students in grade 6 throughout the Edmonton Catholic School District will be writing these standardized tests. C.T.B.S. tests assess student achievement in Reading, Vocabulary, and Mathematics. Since the results become part of their permanent record, it is important that students are in attendance for the tests. MUSIC ALIVE PRESENTATION On Friday, Jan 25, St. Lucy school will welcome Brianna Lizotte, who will be sharing her love of indigenous art forms and indigenous music with our Grade 4-6 students. Brianna will be working in the morning with Grade 5 and 6 classes, separately preparing them for a performing presentation to our Grade 4 classes in the afternoon. Brianna Lizotte s Biography: Brianna s love of music and playing the fiddle has her performing, teaching and volunteering throughout Alberta. In 2016, she received the Rising Star Award from The Alberta Men and Women of Country Music. In 2017, Brianna was one of eight women featured as a Bold Metis Woman for International Women s Day by the Metis Nation of Alberta and in 2018, her first CD Scratch em was released. She has toured Europe twice as a member of the Red Deer Royals Marching Showband. Brianna currently lives in Sylvan Lake and is pursuing a degree in Music at Red Deer College. LITERACY NIGHT FOR PARENTS OF KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS The kindergarten teachers at St. Lucy School would like to invite you to Literacy Night on Wednesday, January 30th from 6:00-7:00 pm. We will be sharing literacy games along with a description of what home reading should look like. The goal of this evening is to share some ideas and suggestions for how you can support your child s literacy and reading at home. Child care will be available. The teachers will send home an invitation to the evening and we kindly ask that you let us know if you are able to attend so that we can plan for the child care staffing. FAITH DEVELOPMENT DAY On Tuesday, February 5 th, 2019 all staff members will be involved in a district-wide Faith Development Day at the Shaw Conference Centre. There will be no instruction for students on that day. This year, our theme is: Walking Together in God s Love. We are pleased to welcome Steve Angrisano as our keynote speaker. We also welcome Archbishop Richard Smith who will celebrate the Eucharistic Liturgy with us. Classes for students will resume on Wednesday, February 6th.

4 ACCOUNTABILIATY PILLAR SURVEY As an annual check-up on the education system, the Accountability Pillar provides an opportunity for Alberta Education and school authorities to ensure that we are equipping students for success. The Accountability Pillar uses a set of 16 indicators. Data on these indicators consists of surveys of students, parents and teachers on various aspects of education quality, student outcomes such as dropout and high school completion rates, and provincial assessments of student learning. From January to the end of February, Alberta Education will be conducting the annual Accountability Pillar Survey. In January, parents of students in grades 4, 7 and 10 will receive a survey from Alberta Education. In February, students in grades 4, 7 and 10 and all teachers will be completing their surveys online at school. All surveys are anonymous and ask questions about experiences with your school. In addition to English and French, the parent survey is available in Chinese, Punjabi, Arabic, Blackfoot, Dene, Cree, Korean, Spanish, Tagalog and Urdu. Your participation in the survey helps provide important information on the quality of education your child is receiving, so we encourage you to return your survey promptly. Survey results will be available to school authorities in May 2019, and will be reported publicly as part of their 3-Year Education Plans and Annual Education Results Reports. St. Lucy Christmas Concert 2019 Our students, under the direction Mrs. Delday, put on a memorable performance on December 18 th at St. Charles Parish. The musical selections performed were wonderful and enjoyed by all. We were incredibly fortunate to have had Ms. Bates, a parent in our school community, accompany our students on the piano. Thank you! Special thanks to Mrs. Delday for her leadership, our students, and staff for a great evening. Early Registrations for Kindergarten Starting on Monday, January 14 th we will begin accepting registrations for Kindergarten for the school year. Registration forms are available in the school office. Please note, to be eligible, your child must be 5 years old by March 1 st Our Kindergarten Open House will be on Wednesday, February 6th, 2018 at 6:30 p.m. Please tell others about our school word of mouth is our best advertiser! BREAK THE RULES DAY at St. Lucy! On Friday, December 7th, our school celebrated our first Break the Rules Day of the year and it was a great success! Students were allowed to have fun and break some common classroom rules like wearing pjs, chewing gum, bringing a stuffy and wearing a hat. More importantly, the money raised for breaking those rules was donated to the Sign of Hope in Edmonton and will help those in need. We are very

5 proud to announce that $1137 was collected and we send out a very big thank you to everyone who participated in making a difference to those less fortunate. Severe Weather Conditions & Bus Cancellations Our transportation system has an excellent record for service. However, given the possible extremes of Edmonton weather and the potential for unexpected mechanical difficulties, it is impossible to guarantee buses will run on time or at all. A route can take 50% longer in adverse weather conditions. Parents are advised that if a bus does not arrive within twenty minutes of its scheduled time, they are to assume the bus is not coming. Parents must ensure that their child knows to return home or to a preselected location. Parents must then make alternate arrangements to get their child to school. Parents should also ensure that: Children are supervised at the bus stop Children have a place to go in the event the bus does not arrive Children have alternate arrangements for getting to school should the bus not arrive Children are suitably clothed to withstand weather extremes Transportation Services normal operational procedures for delayed transportation also apply in severe weather conditions. The Carrier is responsible for notifying the Transportation Services office when a route is running late. Parents are asked to contact Transportation Services directly ( ) to get an update on the status of a particular route. CANCELLATION OF YELLOW SCHOOL BUS SERVICE FOR ALL PROGRAMS The following radio and TV stations will carry announcements with respect to transportation cancellations due to inclement weather conditions: RADIO STATIONS: 630 CHED SHINE FM INEWS 880 AM The Bounce FM 91.7 K AM 930 The Light CJCA CHFA (CBC Fr.) The Bear FM UP! 99.3 FM VIRGIN Radio FM CBC FRESH FM 92.5 LITE 95.7 SONIC FM HOT 107 FM CISN FM TSN 1260 TV STATIONS: CITY TV CFRN TV GLOBAL TV CBC TV Every effort will be made to have messages broadcast commencing no later than 6:30 a.m. CFCW 790 CAPITAL FM NOW! Radio SCHOOL COUNCIL NEWS Happy new year!

6 Keep sending in your grocery receipts from our local and school supporting Save-On-Foods. ( Ave). This fundraiser is ongoing because it s so simple!! St Lucy will get back 5% of the total receipts (based on spending before taxes, excluding lottery, pharmacy, tobacco, non reducible products & non shopping 15% Tuesday) Simply write the parents name on the back of the receipt and hand it in to your child's teacher. For example, if we had 200 families shopping at our neighborhood store once per week and spend an average of $150 that would earn St Lucy $6,000 in just one month! On top of the percentage that they will give back to our school they have added a fun bonus for the kids! Every time you come in and shop at the Oxford Save-On-Foods and put your child's name & teacher on the receipts, turn the receipt in, and the one with the most shops will win a pizza party lunch for the whole class! (If you have more than one child at St Lucy just mention the teacher's names of all your kids and each one will get an entry!) Finally, we are gearing up for this year's family dance in February! If you work at or know of a business that would be willing to donate something please get in touch with us at stlucychair@gmail.com Our next school council meeting is Wednesday, January 16 at 6:30 pm! All are invited to attend and we hope to see you there! Student Safety The Edmonton Police Department, St. Lucy Staff, and the Dunluce Community Hall President continue to be concerned about how parents are driving and parking around St. Lucy School. We would ask for the safety of your child and other children, that you adhere to the following parking and traffic guidelines: 1. Do not park your car on or near a crosswalk. Children cannot see around a parked car. Drivers cannot see a child hidden behind a parked car. School patrols cannot do their job of helping children cross safely if they are blocked by your car. 2. Do not make U turns on the street in front of our school. 3. Do not park on the wrong side of the street. 4. Do not drive through or turn around in the school parking lot. 5. Do not park in or block school bus loading zones. Blocking the bus loading zone with your car makes loading the school bus awkward and dangerous for children using the bus. It also causes traffic jams, which add to the danger for children using the crosswalks. Parents, please set a good example. Your children are the most valuable resource we have. Please take extra care when driving around the school zones. St. Charles Catholic Church Information First Reconciliation & First Eucharist Registration 2019 Is your child in grade 2 or up and ready to learn about and celebrate their First Reconciliation ("Confession") and Eucharist (Communion)?

7 Come register your child at St. Charles Parish during the following dates: Thursday February 7, 2019 between 9AM and 6PM Saturday February 9, 2019 between 9AM and 12NOON You do not need to make an appointment, just come between those times with your child's baptism certificate and, if you are able to afford it, $50 cash or cheque for books and materials. Registration takes approximately 15 minutes. Class schedule is located on If you have any questions, contact or by phone ext. 105 Confirmation Registration 2019 Is your child in grade 6 or up and ready to learn about and celebrate their Confirmation? Come register your child at St. Charles Parish during the following dates: Thursday March 7, 2019 between 10AM and 7PM Saturday March 9, 2019 between 9AM and 12NOON You do not need to make an appointment, just come between those times with your child's baptism and First Communion certificates, and if you can afford it $30 cash or cheque for materials. You will also need at least one sponsor for your child (we require their full legal name and the Parish and date of their Confirmation - they must be over 16years old and a practicing Catholic). For more information including class times, check our website at If you have any questions, contact Linda.Boire@caedm.ca or by phone ext 103 **If your child has a special need, please connect with us so we can make any accommodations needed for each Sacrament**

8 January 2019 Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. ~Isaiah 43:18-19~ The new year brings new beginnings and new opportunities. In this passage from Isaiah, the prophet is telling the people that God s great acts in their lives are so wonderful that they need not dwell in the past but look forward to their new path. Essentially, he is telling us not to focus on things of old, but to look forward with excitement to the new journey ahead. This is a great way to start 2019; move forward to positive places with enthusiasm, joy, and peace knowing that God is with you! As always, January marks the time when we start to plan for the next school year. It is a time for families to look at registering for Early Learning, Junior, or Senior High. It is extremely important for those families who have students who will need to transition to a new level or program in the upcoming school year to research their options with Edmonton Catholic Schools and to go out and visit the sites that they are interested in. Our website has a wealth of information for families. Beginning the third week of January, when you click on the Open House Information link on our homepage you will find our 2019 Guide to Schools and Open House dates. You will also find many useful tools including our School Locator and Kindergarten Calculator. Edmonton Catholic Schools has developed a new resource to support self-regulation both at home and in the classroom. Our children need the ability to self-regulate in order to be ready. Children need to be ready to attend and inhibit impulses. They need support and time to understand how to regulate so that they can build skills, learn, participate and socialize. Learn the special FOCUS Sequence that integrates research-based strategies into a single sequence of regulating activities that can be done with any age, across any environment and all in about 5 minutes! We will be hosting a Parent Night on Wednesday, January 23, 2019 from 6:30-8:00pm at St. Anthony Centre ( Avenue). To register, please visit or Yvonne.Casey@ecsd.net.... 2

9 Our annual Faith Development Day for staff will take place on Tuesday, February 5, All our schools and sites will be closed so that our staff may gather together to continue our lifelong journey of faith formation and to celebrate Eucharist together. As you contemplate all that the new year holds for you and establish your dreams and goals, I leave you with an encouragement from Pope Francis Apostolic Exhortation Rejoice and Be Glad: "The important thing is that each believer discern his or her own path, that they bring out the very best of themselves, the most personal gifts that God has placed in their hearts." (Rejoice and Be Glad, 11) Have a wonderful 2019! Sincerely, Joan Carr Superintendent

10 THEOPHANY - CHRIST'S BAPTISM - FEAST OF LIGHTS Jesus came as a "great light" to those who languished in darkness. No other word describes Christ as accurately as the word light. He comes as a light to those who sit in the darkness of despair. He lights candles of love, joy, forgiveness, peace, and meaning in the lives of people today. In the early Church, Theophany - the day of Christ's baptism - became the day on which the converts to Christianity were received into the Church through baptism. Each newly baptized person held the baptismal candle during the liturgy. Christians who had already been baptized brought their baptismal candles to church on this day to renew their baptismal vows; to renew the commitment to Christ which they had made at baptism. The Baptism of our Lord, Jesus Christ As a result, everyone in the congregation held a lighted candle on the feast of Theophany. The churches became the sea of lights. For this reason, this day came to be called the Feast of Lights. The baptismal candle, in the early Church, was a symbol that the one who was baptized had received Christ who is the Light of the world. The candle would be kept by the one baptized and then brought to Church on the anniversary of one's baptism, the feast of Theophany and for the Easter Vigil liturgy. If the person was married, the same candle was used at the wedding. If he was ordained, he would light the candle at his ordination. When the final hour of life approached, it was lit again as the soul went forth to meet the Lord. The baptismal candle was a constant reminder for the Christian to live and die by the light of Christ. The baptismal candle may be compared to the lamps used in the story of the maidens who awaited the arrival of Christ the Bridegroom in the darkness of the night. When the newly baptized person was given the lighted candle, she was urged to keep it to meet Christ at his return, like the wise maidens who kept their lamps burning for the coming of the Bridegroom. Thus the candle becomes a symbol of the perseverance of the baptized soul until Christ's return. Among the ancient Greeks the runner who had won the race was not the one who crossed the line in the shortest time, but the one who crossed it in the least time with his candle still burning. Our goal as Christians is that we may cross the line into eternity with the light of our baptismal faith still shining brightly. Christ Himself is the light. His light shines today proclaiming to all of us: "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life" (John 8:12). The light that God gives us for our present darkness was expressed so well by Louise Haskins: I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year: "Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown." And he replied: "Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way." Resources: A Byzantine Rite. Liturgical Year. Julian J. Katrij, OSBM. Basilian Fathers Publication. Detroit, Christ is Baptized! In the River Jordan! Fr. Julian Bilyj District Chaplain

11 REJOICE AND BE GLAD: CHAPTER 4: SIGNS OF HOLINESS IN TODAY'S WORLD In Chapter Four, Pope Francis speaks of the signs of holiness in the world. He calls them five great expressions of love for God and neighbour that he considers of particular importance in the light of certain dangers and limitations present in today's culture. [111] These five expressions of love for God and neighbour are: perseverance, patience, and meekness; joy and a sense of humor; boldness and passion; involvement in community; and constant prayer. Francis insists on the need for holiness in all parts of our lives, including online: "Christians too can be caught up in networks of verbal violence through the internet and the various forums of digital communication." "Even in Catholic media," he says, "limits can be overstepped, defamation and slander can become commonplace, and all ethical standards and respect for the good name of others can be abandoned."[115] One sign of holiness, Francis says, is "joy and a sense of humor." "This is not the joy held out by today s individualistic and consumerist culture. Consumerism only bloats the heart. It can offer occasional and passing pleasures, but not joy." Pope Francis speaks here "of a joy lived in communion, which shares and is shared, since 'there is more happiness in giving than in receiving' (Acts 20:35) and 'God loves a cheerful giver' (2 Cor 9:7)."[128] Another sign of holiness consists in "boldness and passion," in an "impulse to evangelize and to leave a mark in this world" and in not allowing oneself to be paralyzed by fear. He told believers that "God impels us constantly to set out anew, to pass beyond what is familiar, to the fringes and beyond. He takes us to where humanity is most wounded...god is not afraid! He is fearless! He is always greater than our plans and schemes. Unafraid of the fringes, he himself became a fringe. So, if we dare to go to the fringes, we will find him there; indeed, he is already there."[135] "When we live apart from others, it is very difficult to fight against concupiscence, the snares and temptations of the devil and the selfishness of the world. Bombarded as we are by so many enticements, we can grow too isolated, lose our sense of reality and inner clarity, and easily succumb." Francis writes, "a community that cherishes the little details of love, whose members care for one another and create an open and evangelizing environment, is a place where the risen Lord is present, sanctifying it in accordance with the Father s plan."[145] "Contrary to the growing consumerist individualism that tends to isolate us in a quest for well-being apart from others, our path to holiness can only make us identify all the more with Jesus prayer 'that all may be one; even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you' "(Jn 17:21).[146] The final sign of holiness is "constant prayer," the pope writes, describing holiness as "a habitual openness to the transcendent, expressed in prayer and adoration." Francis says, "I do not believe in holiness without prayer, even though that prayer need not be lengthy or involve intense emotions."[147] "If we realize that God exists, we cannot help but worship him, at times in quiet wonder, and praise him in festive song. We thus share in the experience of Blessed Charles de Foucauld, who said: 'As soon as I believed that there was a God, I understood that I could do nothing other than to live for him'."[155] Pope Francis tells us that "meeting Jesus in the Scriptures leads us to the Eucharist, where the written word attains its greatest efficacy, for there the living Word is truly present. In the Eucharist, the one true God receives the greatest worship the world can give him, for it is Christ himself who is offered. When we receive him in Holy Communion, we renew our covenant with him and allow him to carry out ever more fully his work of transforming our lives."[157] Fr. Julian Bilyj District Chaplain

12 J anuary 2019 CALENDAR OF EVENTS St. Lucy Catholic Elementary School Growing With God Sunday M onday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Avenue Edmonton, Alberta T5X 4L9 PHONE: FAX: PRINCIPAL Silvia.Franzese@ecsd.net 13 Deadline for Ordering SAC Hot Lunch 6 7 Classes Resume CTBS for Gr. 6 (Jan. 7 17) :30 p.m. School Council Mtg Babysitting Course for Interested Gr. 6 Students (p.m.) SAC Hot Lunch (KFC) 25 Music Alive Presentations for Gr. 4 6 Students Deadline for Ordering SAC Hot Lunch Kindergarten Parent Literacy Night 6:00 7:00 p.m. 31 Babysitting Course for Interested Gr. 6 Students (p.m.) FEB 1 SAC Hot Lunch (Mr. Sub)