Grandin Gazette IMPORTANT DATES WE REMEMBER. Día de los Muertos November 1-2

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1 Grandin Gazette WE REMEMBER As we enjoy the last few weeks of fall, we are reminded of the many blessings we have in our school and in our homes. We have been graced with God s peace here in Canada, and we must never take our blessings for granted. We continue to work hard to prepare our children for the future giving them opportunities for leadership through various clubs and social justice projects. In class, we are focusing on developing the critical thinking skills our students need to be discerning citizens, within a strong Catholic environment. This month, we remember and honour our departed family and friends. We celebrate both All Saints Day and Día de los Muertos at the beginning of the month. On November 8th, our grade 4 classes will lead our Remembrance Day Ceremony in gym starting at 9:30 a.m. Parents and relatives are invited to join us as we pay our respects to those who have allowed us to live in a country of peace and acceptance. Students who belong to clubs such as Brownies, Cubs and Air Cadets may wear their uniforms on Nov. 8th. This month is also Tourtière month! This long-standing tradition BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS, FOR THEY WILL BE CALLED CHILDREN OF GOD at Grandin is a wonderful community-building event and an important fund-raiser. Please consider volunteering. Be sure to order your tourtières early as we often sell-out quickly. Parents are also reminded to order their Poinsettia s for the upcoming Advent season. As our first term comes to a close, parents are strongly encouraged to attend the Celebration of Learning on Wednesday, November 28 th. This is an opportunity for you to get a first-hand look at your child s academic progress. Blessings on all our families during this month of peace. Lorelei Hironaka Principal Mark Huculak Assistant Principal IMPORTANT DATES Día de los Muertos November V FOP Play Dough Thursday, November 1 Parent Budget Survey Thursday, November 1 Arts Alive Conference Frère Antoine School Saturday, November 3 Catholic Education Sunday Sunday, November 4 AHS Presentation Building Resiliency 6:00 p.m. in the library Pre-Registration Please Tuesday, November 6 School Council/Society Wednesday, November 7 Remembrance Day Ceremony Thursday, November 8 Hot Lunch - Subway Friday, November 9 Tourtière Orders Due Friday, November 9 No School Monday, November 12 Tourtière Assembly Day Saturday, November 17 Poinsetta Orders Due Monday, November 19 Report Cards (Powerschool) Friday, November 23 Book Fair Monday, November 26 Wednesday, November 28 Demonstration of Learning Wednesday, November 28

2 STUDENT FAITH DAY Wow! What a fantastic day here at Grandin. Many, many thanks to Mlle Ariane and the Faith Day Committee who managed to outdo themselves again. Our students really enjoyed the many faith-based activities and learned first-hand how to Do Justice, Love Kindness, and Walk Humbly with God. Special shout out to the Boehm and Zelyck families for lending their very special talents to the day. Thanks as well to Father Roger, our Art Consultant P.J. Cummins and our Religious Education consultant Kathleen Nguyen for their time and expertise. Watch for a music video of our very own theme song based on Micah 6:8 (composed by our talented Boehm family for Grandin)! NUTRITION STUDENTS We welcome two students from the University of Alberta who are working with Grandin classes to enhance our Health programming. Students are learning about healthy eating, setting good habits while they are young based on informed lifestyle choices. CAPITAL POWER EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES Capital Power s EmPowering Communities Program recognizes the gifts of time, skills and talents that their employees give to the communities in which they live and work. The Capital Power EmPowering Communities Volunteer Grant, provides an opportunity for their employees who have contributed a minimum of 35 hours of volunteer time in a year to request that Capital Power make a $500 donation to a community service organization. This year, Penny Nabozniak, a dedicated Grandin parent, received this grant. Grandin School received a cheque for $500 thanks to her hard work and dedication. Many thanks, Penny, we will be asking our students to help us decide how best to spend this generous gift to improve our school! DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS At the beginning of November, Grandin School will be learning about El Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) which has been celebrated in Mexico and other Latin American countries since pre-columbian times. It is a very important tradition that is celebrated on November 1 st and 2 nd in many Spanish-speaking countries. We will be setting up two tables, one on each floor of the school. Each table will display items such as water, salt, food, marigolds, sweet bread (specially made, called Pan de Muertos), candles and sugar skulls (calaveras de azúcar). Students are also invited to bring photographs of family members who have passed away and are fondly remembered. Of course, this is optional for all students. These photos will be added to the decorated tables. If you Gratitude Corner Thanks to the Boehm and Zelyck families for sharing their gifts and talents with all our students during our Student Faith Day.

3 do send photographs or decorative items, please label them clearly with your child s name and grade. If you are available to help with the set up of the altars, please send an to Sra. Carmen Claydon mariadelcarmen.claydon@ecsd.net The set up will take place on Wednesday, October 31 st from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. This day is one of several traditions we will be learning about this year as a key cultural element of the Spanish Bilingual Program. El Día de Muertos will serve as an opportunity to build an awareness of cultural events that take place in our pluralistic society. By comparing All Saints Day and Día de Muertos, we hope to introduce our students to diversity in our world. POSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH BUILDING RESILIENT CHILDREN Please join us for a special Alberta Health Services presentation on Tuesday, November 6 th at 6:00 p.m. This session will provide tips for ensuring that children develop the resiliency they need to face life s challenges with confidence and determination. Approximately 1 in 5 Canadian children are affected by a mental health issue. Explore factors that contribute to mental health and wellness, and learn how you can be your child s greatest mental health asset by using strategies that promote their mental health and wellness. Learn about the different types of stress and how some stress can be helpful in building children s resiliency and future success. PRE-REGISTER AT REMEMBRANCE DAY CELEBRATION THURSDAY NOVEMBER 8 Parents are welcome to join us for our Remembrance Day Ceremony in the gym on Thursday, November 8 th at 9:30 a.m. Many thanks to our grade four leaders for organizing this important day of remembrance and gratitude. There is NO SCHOOL on Monday, November 12 th in lieu of the holiday on November 11 th. PARENT BUDGET SURVEYS Edmonton Catholic Schools is conducting a Parent Budget Survey from November 1 to November 16. Grandin parents are encouraged to take a few minutes to provide their feedback to a process that impacts all schools in Edmonton Catholic. MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR FRIDAY, JANUARY 18TH As part of our Social Justice plan, we are preparing a very special family night in the hall at the Basilica on the evening of Friday, January 18 th. Our staff and students are excited to create a fun community event that will help raise money for Puerto Rico Relief and the Archdiocese of Tombura-Yambio in the Sudan.

4 OIL KINGS TICKETS PASSE-MOI LA PUCK NOVEMBER 21 Grandin is participating in the Oil Kings Passe-moi la Puck night, which showcases French- Canadian culture. Our wonderful Sarah Fedoration will be dancing with the group, La Girondale again this year. Grandin also receives $5 from every ticket sold. Funds raised go to support the entire school, through the purchase of new tables and chairs for the upstairs hallway. Buy your tickets through PowerSchool by Friday, November 16 th! REPORT CARDS AND DEMONSTRATION OF LEARNING Report cards at Grandin will be posted electronically on PowerSchool on Friday, November 23rd. It is imperative that parents take time to review their child(ren) s progress report. Then, on Wednesday, November 28 th, parents and children come to school for a Demonstration of Learning from 4:00 p.m. 5:30 p.m. and again from 6:30 p.m. 8:00 p.m. Teachers take their dinner break from 5:30 p.m. 6:30 p.m., but our Book Fair will remain open in the gym over the dinner hour. BOOK FAIR Many thanks to Amanda Proctor who is taking charge of our Book Fair this year. This year the book fair will run from Monday to Thursday. Scholastics will have both French and English books available. Barefoot Books will be back with a selection of Spanish books too! PARKING LOT SAFETY Many thanks to our parents for putting safety before convenience, and not using our parking lot for pick-up and drop-off. Our new parking lot has relieved much pressure for the many staff members we have who come to the school to support our students. CONSTRUCTION UPDATE The downstairs washrooms are now scheduled to be completed by mid-november. The upgrades to our front entrances (door 5 and door 8) have been rescheduled for the spring to minimize disruption to the school. A new ceiling was installed over a weekend to finish off the upgrades to our new server room. Our WIFI is now in service, and we are looking forward to our new, enhanced technology capabilities.

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6 Grandin Clubs and Teams THIS YEAR WE WILL AGAIN BE OFFERING MANY LUNCH HOUR (AND A FEW AFTER SCHOOL) CLUBS FOR THE CHILDREN. KEEP WATCHING THIS PAGE FOR UPDATES AND NEW OPPORTUNITIES CHESS CLUB Chess Club is up and running on Tuesday noon and Thursday after school. Many thanks to Richard Pua who provides this great opportunity for our students. PIANO LESSONS Five Grandin students are taking piano lessons after school, thanks to the Heart of the City Music Program. We are very blessed to be able to provide this opportunity to our students thanks to dedicated University of Alberta Music students. ZUMBA Many thanks to Janet Vancaeseele who has started up our first Zumba Club! This club is open to all students from grade 1 6 and is a great way to get some fun and exercise as the weather turns colder! DANCE CLUB Students are also enjoying Señora Astora s dance on Thursdays after school. What a wonderful opportunity for some great dance instruction! BROADCAST Almost two-thirds of our grade 5 and 6 students have signed up for Broadcast Club! We are working with our Tech Coach, Mlle Karam, to find a way for Grandin Broadcast to showcase the great work students are doing in class, giving everyone an opportunity to participate in the club during the year. Many thanks to Noah Aklilu who again helped set up the Broadcast system after the upgrades to our server room.

7 Grandin School Parent Council Grandin School Fundraising Society The next meeting of both our parent organizations was be held on Wednesday, November 7 th. Mme Hironaka will present our Provincial Achievement Results and our School Accountability Pillar, as well as the School Wishlist for the upcoming year. Come and find out about the many school spirit and fundraising events that are upcoming! School Council Executive: Co-chairs: Christie Oswald and Kristin Zelyck Vice-chair: Sarah Bisbee Secretary: Tina Uribe Fundraising Society Executive: Chair: Andrea Boehm Vice-Chair: Kristen Zelyck Treasurer: Desiree Thomas Secretary: Tina Uribe MEETING DATES 6:00 PM START WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6 TUESDAY, MARCH 12 MONDAY, APRIL 15 WEDNESDAY, MAY Next Meeting Wednesday, November 7 at 6:00 p.m. Please join us if you can!

8 Tourtières A Grandin Tradition School Fundraising Society Dear Parents / Grandparents and Guardians, Every year the Grandin School community works together to make and sell several hundred Tourtières (French Canadian meat pies) as a fundraiser for our school. In the past we have made as many as 900 pies and raised as much as $10,000 for Grandin. This is a fun and exciting event that spans several days and requires many volunteers. Parents, guardians, grandparents, friends - all are welcome and encouraged to join us in this large undertaking! Here are some of the ways you can help us this year: Transportation: picking up & dropping off ingredients and supplies. Cleaning: we set up the gym and disinfect all of the tables to put together the pies. Ingredient preparation: a few days before we assemble the pies, parents meet at NAIT to chop vegetables and cook the meat that will become the filling of the tourtières. Assembly day: this day needs LOTS of volunteers to fill and decorate the pies. We start in the morning and are usually finished just after lunch time. Coffee, tea, juice and water as well as morning pastries will be available. Childcare is provided on this day. Removing the prepared meat pies and placing them in the school freezers. Please go to the following link to sign up for your preferred position:

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10 Order Form Grandin School Tourtière Fundraiser Pick up: Wednesday, November 28 th, 2018 Celebration of Learning 4:00-5:30 p.m. and 6:30 8:00 p.m. The tradition continues! The Grandin School Fundraising Society and the many generous Grandin parent volunteers, with the assistance of the Culinary Program at NAIT, will be making Tourtières (French-Canadian meat pies) to sell. The 10 tourtière pies cost $20 each and will be sold on a pre-paid basis only. Each year, these tourtières sell out quickly. To place your order, please complete the order form below and return it to school with your child by Monday, November 12 th. Tourtières can be picked up on Wednesday, November 28 th during the Celebration of Learning from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Please include a cheque payable to Grandin School Fundraising Society with your order form or see Powerschool to purchase online. Grandin School Tourtière Sale Fundraiser Name: Grade: Phone: Number of tourtières: Cheque Amount ($20 each): $

11 Hoja de Pedido Venta de Tourtières de la Escuela Grandin Entrega: Miércoles 28 de noviembre de 2018 Celebración del Aprendizaje 4:00-5:30 p.m. and 6:30-8:00 p.m. La tradición continúa! La Sociedad de Recaudación de Fondos de la escuela de Grandin con muchos generosos padres voluntarios de Grandin, con el apoyo del Programa Culinario del NAIT, prepararán más de 750 tourtières (pasteles de carne franco-canadienses) para recaudar fondos para la Escuela Grandin. Los tourtières cuestan $20 dólares cada uno y deberán ser ordenados y pagados con anticipación para que solamente vengan a recogerlos el día 28 de noviembre. Todos los años, los tourtières se venden rápidamente. Para realizar su pedido, por favor complete el siguiente formulario y devuélvalo a la escuela con su hijo(a) antes del lunes 12 de noviembre. Los Tourtières serán entregados el miércoles 28 de noviembre durante la Celebración del Aprendizaje: entre las 4:00 p.m. y las 8:00 p.m. Por favor incluya un cheque a nombre de Grandin School Fundraising Society con su formulario de pedido o vea Powerschool para ordenar en linea. Venta de Tourtières de la Escuela Grandin Nombre: Grado: Teléfono: Número de tourtières: Total del cheque ($20 cada uno):

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13 Hot Lunch Healthy Hunger Fridays Each month there will be one or more Hot Lunches available to be ordered online. These lunches are delivered to the school and the children get to enjoy a nice hot meal. Lunch are ordered online. To sign up and order, go to: ww w.healthyhunger.ca or call or We are listed under E for Ecole/Escuela Grandin. 1. Register Student 2. Login and add your children to the account 3. View all upcoming lunch dates 4. Place order and make payment online DATES Subway Friday, November 9 Jugo Juice Friday, November 30 The Lunch Lady Friday, December 14 Opa Friday, January 11 Panago Friday, January 25 Edo of Japan Friday, February 8 Lunch Lady Friday, March 8 VOLUNTEERS NEEDED Volunteers are needed to deliver hot lunch each month. If you are able to volunteer on the day of hot lunch between 12:05 p.m. and 12:45 p.m., please click the "I can volunteer" checkbox when ordering your child's hot lunch. Or, send an to grandinhotlunch@yahoo.ca. Subway Friday, April 5 Panago Friday, April 26 Jugo Juice Friday, May 24 Opa Friday, June 14 Many thanks to Michelle Burney for organizing these special lunches and giving parents a well-deserved break every few weeks!

14 Your Feedback is Appreciated Win Lunch With the Principal If you read this newsletter, print, sign and return this form to your child s teacher. Your child will be entered to win a lunch with the principal, Mme Hironaka. Child s Name: Class: Parent Signature: We welcome your feedback. Please write us and share what you like, what you would like to see in the future, what you hope for our school!

15 Sincerely, Joan Carr Superintendent Edmonton Catholic Schools Online Financial Budget Survey YOUR CHILD!YOUR VOICE! Edmonton Catholic Schools believes it is essential to involve parents in providing input into the budget process. In preparation for the upcoming budget it is important that the district gather as much information as possible. Therefore, as a parent of Edmonton Catholic Schools, your feedback will provide a valuable contribution in the decision-making process. We would like to gather your input through an online survey. The survey can be accessed through the District Website, School Website, Powerschool or by using the URL address provided. URL Address: Click on the following link or enter the address in the web browser District Website: Go to then go to the slider indicating the Online Financial Budget Survey and follow the directions. Powerschool: Parents log on to Powerschool as you normally would to check your child's progress. Once in Powerschool, click on the tab "Financial Budget Survey". This tab will take you directly to the online survey. The survey is open from November 1st to November 16 th, We encourage all families to fill out the survey. The survey will only take a few minutes to complete. Survey results will be shared with the Edmonton Catholic School District Budget Committee in January for consideration during the budget process.

16 November 2018 Let us thank God for His great love in having blessed Edmonton with the gift of giving so much joy, so much care and so much love to all those who in the last 100 years in educating and preparing the young people to know, to love and to serve God. ~ Message of St. Mother Teresa to Edmonton Catholic Schools for our 100th Anniversary~ We are so fortunate in this day and age to have made connections to modern saints during their lifetimes. 30 years ago, Mother Teresa sent us congratulations on our centennial anniversary. Her message is one which endures, for the love of God remains always at the centre of all that we do. November 2, 2018 marks exactly 130 years since we opened our first Edmonton Catholic School in On that day, schools across the District will join in a special celebration of gratitude for this legacy and for our present and future. Our story is one which speaks to the ongoing tenacity and advocacy of the nuns who were our first leaders, and of the Catholic community since then. This is followed by Catholic Education Sunday on November 4, which provides us all with the opportunity to give thanks for and to advocate for publicly funded Catholic education in our Province. Visit our website to learn more. We are pleased to have entered into an agreement with St. Joseph s College at the University of Alberta to support the Certificate in Catholic Education as an excellent opportunity for pre-service teachers to focus their formation on living out their vocation to Catholic education. This partnership offers us mutual support in training our future Catholic teachers so that they are prepared to help our children grow in Christ. The end of the month of October is always very exciting for us as it is the time when several of our accountability measures are made public. We are very proud of our student achievement. There are 2 sets of results, the grade 6 Provincial Achievement Tests and the Diploma Examinations, that give us feedback on how our students are performing relative to the Province. The Accountability Pillar, October 2018, our overall report card from the Province, brought great news! Edmonton Catholic Schools had better results than the Province in 12 of 16 measures and no areas were identified as needing improvement. The high school completion 3-year (85.6%) and 5-year (89.1%) rates are 7.6 % and 5.7% above the Province respectively. Our drop-out rate (1.2%) is almost half that of the Province. Parental involvement and Diploma excellence in our District improved significantly according to the Accountability Pillar. For more detail visit or click here for the Accountability Pillar and PAT and Diploma results. Another measure that we use to assess our performance in many areas and to set targets for growth is our own District Satisfaction Survey. This vital survey gathers opinions from students, parents, and staff on individual schools and on District operations. Every student from grade 4-12 will complete the survey, as will all staff. Every household will receive one parent survey per child enrolled in an Edmonton Catholic School. Please respond to each survey separately from the point of view of each child's educational experience. It is so important that you let your voice be heard. You can either return your parent survey to your child s school or use the postage paid envelope and Canada Post. The District Satisfaction Survey will run from November 26 - December 7. Thank you in advance for your participation. November, which brings Remembrance Day and Holodomor Memorial Day, provides us with excellent opportunities to reflect on the injustices in the world and to examine the importance of our actions in bringing justice and peace to our communities and to the world. This is a message that our Holy Father shares, holding Saint Mother Teresa up as a model of action for us: Carry peace with you to give it to others with your life, with a smile, with works of charity. Saint Mother Teresa, pray for us! (Pope Francis, Sept. 5/18)

17 Introducing... WHY? The gift of publicly funded Catholic education in Alberta is a true blessing. As a community we are called in gratitude, faith and action to ensure that our children and future generations continue to learn and grow in our Catholic schools. WHAT? The mission of GrACE is to inspire, invigorate and embolden the spirit of Catholic education in order to unite, engage, educate and communicate with one voice on its behalf. GrACE is a partnership of stakeholders resolutely committed to Catholic education within the province of Alberta. WHO? YOU! GrACE invites all those committed to Catholic education, through the unity of the Holy Spirit, to be advocates and witnesses for our schools successes and their future. WHERE? In your homes, your neighborhoods, your schools and your parishes. Watch for and get involved with your local GrACE team. Tell your stories of Catholic education. Let your voice be heard. WHEN? NOW! Every day is a celebration of Catholic education. Let us be grateful for our blessings and commit our support. DID YOU KNOW? ı Catholic education affirms parents as their children s primary educators and respects the rights of parents to choose the school that meets their needs ı In Catholic schools, it is our deepest desire to ensure that every child knows and experiences the love of God through the witness of their community ı Principles of diversity and inclusion are central in the teachings of the Catholic Church and permeate all aspects and curriculum in a Catholic school ı 180,000 students currently attend Catholic schools in Alberta ı Alberta is one of three provinces in Canada with publicly funded Catholic education. Ontario and Saskatchewan are the other two. ı Catholic education in Alberta is 158 years old ı An organized effort of public school lobbyists are attempting to disrupt Catholic education in our province. Your engagement; your advocacy; your voice is vital. "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen" Romans 16:24

18 November 4, 2018 Dear Partners in Catholic Education: On November 4, we celebrate Catholic Education Sunday across the Province. We are proud to say that this year marks the 130 th anniversary of Edmonton Catholic Schools. Faith-based education in our District and throughout the province is vibrant and dynamic. Our District proudly serves over 43,000 students and their families! Our 96 schools represent a remarkable diversity of educational opportunities for students and their families desiring an excellent faith-infused education. Edmonton Catholic Schools is consistently a leader in the Province in areas such as High School Completion rates, academic excellence and choice in educational pathways. We are proud to say that we are a united board, each of us working hard within our own Wards toward a common goal of preserving and further developing publicly-funded Catholic education. We are grateful to continue our work with Superintendent Joan Carr who has created a culture of excellence in our schools, each of them embodying a particular expression of God s infinite love. On September 19th, the Alberta and NWT Bishops released their annual letter for Catholic Education Sunday: Rejoice and Be Glad, that emphasized the important role that schools play in nurturing the call to holiness for our children and youth. In the letter, the Bishops affirmed that Catholic schools, along with the family and the parish community, help students know Christ through religious education, prayer, and a safe, caring school community. They highlighted that teachers, students, parents and priests together are witnesses to, and agents of, the Good News proclaimed by Jesus Christ, encouraging students to grow in their faith, to live its principles and to act in ways that make a positive difference in their local and the global communities. To read the complete letter, visit or click here. The Board and Administration of Edmonton Catholic Schools are grateful for the home-school-parish partnership that empowers our students, families, and staff to walk together in God s love as we help our children and youth to learn and to grow in relationship with Christ. As your locally elected trustees, we continue to advocate for the best outcomes for our students. Catholic Education Sunday provides us all with the opportunity to give thanks for the fact that we have publiclyfunded Catholic education in Alberta. Together we need to advocate for the continuation of publicly-funded Catholic education for our children of today and tomorrow. Our voices are important and make a difference! Sincerely, Edmonton Catholic Schools Board of Trustees and Superintendent Terry Harris, Ward 71 Sandra Palazzo, Ward 72 Carla Smiley, Ward 73 Debbie Engel, Ward 74 Alene Mutala, Ward 75 Lisa Turchansky, Ward 76 Laura Thibert, Ward 77 Joan Carr, Superintendent

19 Who Do You Say That I Am? Dr. Eugenia Kowalczyk, Principal - Catholic Identity Identity is complex. Many of us would describe ourselves based on our personal, social, professional, or cultural characteristics. I might describe myself as being Italian, or that I am a wife, daughter, or sister. Further I share that I am an educator. Ultimately, I could articulate that I am Catholic and a person of faith. While these labels appear simple, the totality of their parts creates a kaleidoscope of what it means to be human. Catholic identity is at the heart of Catholic education. Who we are as people of God within our educational communities, our family, and our church is shaped and influenced by our life experiences and our social interactions. Catholic schools serve as the fertile soil where seeds of faith are sowed and nurtured. How blessed we are knowing that when we send our children to a Catholic school we can rest assured that their social, academic, physical, emotional, and spiritual needs are looked after. What a precious gift we have in Catholic education. The great philosopher Thomas Groome (2002) explained how, we need a sense of identity to live humanly, without it we literally feel lost. From the Latin identitas, meaning the same, repeatedly, identity is that which holds together a continuous sense of our human being as a person or a community. It is the metaphorical glue that binds who we are as individuals and who we are in community. It is who we are and how we live...identity is the center that holds...otherwise...things fall apart. Catholic identity provides each of us to view the world using a Catholic lens. Together we strive to understand and develop a deeper relationship with Christ. According to another great philosopher Walter Feinberg (2006), religious identity is constructed systematically and formally across many landscapes; school, church, and home. It is in these different places where students learn the practices, rituals, beliefs, and commitments that distinguish their religion from others, and where they take on the identity of a specific faith community. Realizing that the faith formation of our children is central to their education, we collaborate to understand the shared responsibility between parents, educators, clergy, and community. Together we work in mutual cooperation and understanding towards a common vision of what comprises faith formation of children within the broader landscape of personal identity. Inspired by the late Sr. Annata Brockman to love tenderly, act justly, and walk humbly with our Lord, let us remain faithful to the commitment of Catholic education. Might we never forget the most precious gift of all; our students each one created in the likeness and image of God. Their Catholic identity, inspired by the Holy Spirit, calls us all to give witness to our faith and remember that Christ is the reason for Catholic schools. In answering the question, who do you say I am? the response, a child of God paves the understanding of how together, in communion, we nurture our Catholic identity.

20 CHAPTER 2: TWO SUBTLE ENEMIES OF HOLINESS While Pope Francis apostolic exhortation Gaudete et Exsultate: The Call to Holiness in Today s World will take some time to digest and to unfold the gift that Pope Francis has given us, the Holy Father reminds us that we are all called to be holy by living our lives with love and by bearing witness in everything we do, wherever we find ourselves. In Chapter Two, Pope Francis warns us against two obstacles that may hinder our journey towards holiness: Gnosticism and Pelagianism. While these words may be difficult to understand, Gnosticism and Pelagianism were essentially two heresies that arose in the early church. They were corruptions of the real Christian message. Gnosticism claimed that only knowledge was necessary for salvation, saying that the mind was good and the body was bad and evil. Pelagianism focused on the will. It was the belief that one could be saved on the basis of their good works alone; there was no need of God s grace or mercy to help them. In his exhortation, Pope Francis states that these two distortions of the Christian message still exist in our community today and may lead us away from the true path towards holiness. We may fall into the trap of believing that our understanding of the faith is the only right way, basing what we believe on our own subjective experiences. This is present-day Gnosticism. The biggest temptation is to pick-and-choose those aspects of Christianity that we agree with and reject the rest. We love God, but we do not want to live by Christ s commandments. We love Christ, but we find the Church too burdensome. At the same time, we may fall into the trap of believing that our holiness only depends on our good works. We may feel good because we are doing so much and look down on others who do less or do not spend as much time in service to their parish or local community. This is contemporary Pelagianism. We may think we are perfect and have no need of God s grace, but we need God s presence in our lives. We cannot buy God s friendship with our good works. Rather, we recall Jesus commandment of love: love God and love neighbor. These are not two formulas but two faces; the face of God reflected in the face of our neighbor. In the end, Chapter Two provides us with advice on how we can be good Christians. The answer is clear: We have to do, each in our own way, what Jesus told us in the Sermon on the Mount (Pope Francis). Because the life of a Christian is a constant battle, we need God s strength and courage to reject evil and to proclaim the Gospel. Sandra Talarico, Religious Education Consultant