December Message from the Administra on. Dear Parents/Guardians,

Transcription

1 Avenue Edmonton, AB T5P 0R5 Le Lien (780) December 2015 Boys /Girls Volleyball PYP Christmas Concerts Advent Mass Grade 5 and 9 Immunizations As Christmas is the season of giving, grades 3 and 4 are encouraging you to please bring a non-perishable food item for the Food Bank when you attend our Christmas concert. The donations will be going towards the Mother Teresa Inner City School Food Bank. Thank you in advance for your generosity. Dear Parents/Guardians, Message from the Administra on As we move into December and Advent, let us all remember to take me to think about what is important and consider with gra tude, all that we have. Pope Francis has declared this Liturgical year the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy. Let s con nue to build forgiveness, peace and harmony in our school community and in the world. We are looking forward to seeing all parents and guardians on Thursday, December 3rd during the Student Conferences. As well, please remember to join us on December 9th for the 4 6 Christmas concert and December 10th for the K 3 concert. Please join us for our Advent Mass at St. John the Evangelist on December 16th at 9:00. We are very grateful for your ongoing support and collabora on, especially for the trust you ins ll in us and our team. Wishing you the best of the Christmas season! Denis Gauthier Principal Lynne e Anderson Assistant Principal

2 Remembrance Day Ceremony The Remembrance Day Ceremony at Holy Cross was held Monday, November 9th. Our grade 5 students led our celebra on with guests Lieutenant Michael Tryon from the Canadian Armed Forces, and Sharon Gullberg and Jim Magnam from Jasper Place Legion. Homerooms each made Remembrance Day wreaths which were presented during the ceremony. In reading the poem In Flanders Fields by John McCrea, singing the song Two Minutes of Silence and with personal reflec ons, they helped us understand the importance of taking the me to reflect on and truly appreciate the sacrifice made by our soldiers, veterans and their families.

3 Welcoming New Canadians The Holy Cross Glee Club lead by Julia Tremblay with accompanist Kris na Kastelan Sikora helped welcome 70 new Canadian ci zens at City Hall, Friday October 30 th. The Glee Club led us proudly in singing the na onal anthem in both official languages. Alongside the Ben Calf Robe Dancers and Drummers, the Glee Club made the event a truly Canadian experience! In his opening remarks, the Honourable Doug Roche O.C. emphasized the importance of community engagement encouraging the new ci zens along with the old to take part in their community. Way to go girls! WE Day On October 27, 2015, Marc and Craig Kielburger came together once again to call around schools that have made a difference in their community and school. They came to inspire the young Imagineers that they can do anything with the power of ME to WE. The new genera on learned that they are powerful, that they are a movement and that they can change the world. During WE Day, the students felt mo vated and ready to make a change. They heard truly inspira onal stories of people who were just like them when they were younger, who faced barriers, depression and bullying but were able to clear their paths to success. The feeling of love and security felt by the students in the room was truly unique. Although everyone was sad to leave, they were ready to make an even bigger difference in their school and community and earn a cket for next year s event. Catholic Educa on Sunday November 8 was Catholic Educa on Sunday. Students and Staff from Holy Cross sang at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church. It was a beau ful Mass and a great moment of service for the par cipants from our school.

4 Door Decora on Contest Leading up to Halloween, each classroom had the opportunity to work together to decorate their doors and compete with other classes for best decora ons. The effort put in by each homeroom was amazing, making the judges decision difficult. In the end, the two winning doors were 3A (Mme Smith) 6B (Mme D Astous). Thank you for all your hard work! Costume Parade We celebrated Halloween at Holy Cross on Friday October 30th. The students sure rose to the occasion! Imagina ve, scary, funny and crea ve costumes were everywhere. While the Junior High students had a dance in the a ernoon, the Elementary students showed off their costumes in a Halloween parade a er lunch, launching off their own classroom Halloween par es. MYP Halloween Dance Grades 6 9 Leadership team organized a Halloween Dance party. With music blaring and healthy, balanced snacks prepared by the Foods Class, the students spent an a ernoon of fun in the gym.

5 Foods à la Halloween Halloween gets a bad rap for being the holiday of sugar overload, with kids prowling the streets aiming to bring in the biggest haul. However here at Holy Cross, the students in Foods Class took a different approach to Halloween. Thursday October 29th, during our CTF Foods course, grades 6, 7 and 8 students were busy preparing healthy alterna ves: «Treats sans Sweets» but just as en cing! Not only are our Foods students concerned about having a posi ve impact in their school community, they also saw an opportunity to do contribute to the community at large. They chose to donate the proceeds made from their snack sales ($83.25) at the Halloween Dance to The Edmonton Catholic Schools Founda on. Above are just a couple of the many snacks that were created: Spider Cookies, Punch, Spider Crackers, Nut free Trail Mix, Rice Krispy and whole wheat Squares, and Ginger Cookies.

6 IB Learner Profile of the Month : Inquirer/Chercheurs Mme Madzo and M. Coco s grade two students visited our classes to introduce November s learner profile of the month. Students assembled puzzles to discover the new learner profile. They also discussed how we can stay curious by asking deeper ques ons. December s Profile of the Month Knowledgeable We explore concepts, ideas and issues that have local and global significance. In doing so, we acquire in depth knowledge and develop understanding across a broad and balanced range of disciplines. Informés Nous explorons des concepts, des idées et des problèmes qui sont d importance à l échelle locale et mondiale. Ce faisant, nous acquérons des connaissances approfondies et développent une bonne compréhension dans un éventail de disciplines vaste et équilibré.

7 Volleyball It has been an exci ng season for Volleyball as our students learn to work together as a team! We are 3/4 of the way through the season. Our senior boys are s ll very mo vated and keep coming off the court with big smiles! Our senior girls are also doing their very best every me they step onto the court, pu ng into ac on Mr. Fairfield s Four rules: Always have a plan, never make excuses, never give up, and always have fun! Even our junior teams have been playing hard and demonstra ng excellent sportsmanship, bringing home both first and second place at the Elizabeth Seaton Junior Volleyball Tournament. Running Club Our Running Club is heading forward at full lt! Even the change in weather hasn t slowed them down. They ve just simply brought everything indoors! A big thank you to the Dosman/Bashuk, Fairbank, Liden, Scarle and Wood/Burlet families, who generously donated a banner to be used at our sports events. Special thank you to Jennifer Wood for coordina ng the fabrica on and purchase of the flag.

8 Pep Rally Thursday, November 19th was the official launch of APPLE League for the 2015/16 School Year. A Pep Rally was held in the gym and the APPLE League Teams had the chance to strut their stuff and show off their team cheer. Next, the two senior volleyball teams faced off! The boys and the girls both played well, entertaining the crowd with some exci ng rallies. In the end, the girls beat the boys and then went face to face with the teachers! The whole me, the gym was alive with cheers and awesome school spirit. Judging from the effort, enthusiasm and teamwork displayed at the pep rally, we have a great year ahead of us!

9 Book Fair We are holding our annual Book Fair (French and English books) from November 30 to December 4. We are looking for parents/guardians to volunteer to work at the Book Fair in the a ernoons from 12:35 14:30. Please contact Nabiha if you are able to help us. Her address is nabiha.abboud@ecsd.net Student Conferences December 3rd, :00 16:30 and 18:00 19:30 We will also be selling our Christmas Concert raffle ckets during this me. School Council Mee ng The next School Council mee ng will take place on Wednesday, December 2nd at 7PM. Advent Mass Our Advent mass will take place Wednesday, December 16th at 9:00 at St. John the Evangelist. Please join us as we celebrate in this joyful season and await the coming of Christ. Na onal Day of Remembrance and Ac on on Violence Against women (Dec 6th) Human Rights Day (Dec 10th)

10 OSEF Exchange Program Live with a family and go to school in France. OSEF exchange program with France provides to students age an opportunity to live in a family in France and to host their French exchange partner here in Canada, for one month in the summer or for 11 weeks during the school year. OSEF is trusted by 600+ students from across Canada and France every year since Best way to learn a language, and give an interna onal dimension to your life. Added academic value, a greater focus in the student, and sought a er life skills. This is truly an invaluable program for our young people as well as their families. PARENT INFO SESSION: SUNDAY DECEMBER 6, CITE FRANCOPHONE EDMONTON ( Street) sophie.kienlen@gmail.com

11 Wednesday December 9th Grades 4 to 7:00pm Thursday December 10th Grades K to 7:00pm You are invited to our PYP Christmas Concerts! This year we will be hosting two concerts on separate evenings to accommodate our growing student population. Please note the dates, times and grade levels on the left. Upon arrival at the concert we ask that students head to their classroom and that their guests find a seat. The first two rows of seats will be raffled off in support of the Sign of Hope Campaign. We will begin selling raffle tickets at our Student-Led conferences on Dec 3. Tickets are 1$ for two and 5$ for twelve. Finally, there will be no printed version of our program this year. We ask that you download a QR code scanner onto your mobile device in order to access the program at the concert. See you at the show!

12 November 24, 2015 Dear Parents and Guardians, You are receiving this le er because your child will be par cipa ng in one of our two Christmas Concerts this year! This le er is to communicate to you regarding a re and costumes for the concert. Please go through the following list: Kindergarten Pajamas Grades 1 to 3 Dress clothes. (e.g. Christmas dress, dress pants, dress shirt, nice shoes) Grade 4A Outdoor gear (e.g. tuques, mi ens, goggles, scarves) Grade 4B Dress clothes Grade 5A Dress clothes as if they were going to Christmas Mass Grade 5B Lumberjack costume (e.g. jeans, plaid shirt, winter jacket, tuque) Grade 6A White shirt and black pants Grade 6B White shirt and black pants or all black, collared shirt for the boys. Reminder Grades 4 to grades 6 concert is on Wednesday December 9 th at 7:00pm and kindergarten to grades 3 concert is on Thursday December 10 th at 7:00pm. Please arrive minutes early for the concert and students will go straight to their homeroom class. Thank you for your ongoing support of our music program, Julia Tremblay Music Teacher Holy Cross Académie Interna onale

13 Casino Volunteers Urgently Needed We are looking for volunteers to work our upcoming casino in support of Ecole Holy Cross. The casino is scheduled for December 19 and 20 at The Palace Casino in West Edmonton Mall. We need volunteers to work in the following posi ons: 1 chiprunner nightshi (6:30pm 3:15am) on Sunday December 20 1 Banker dayshi (9:15am 6:30pm) on Sunday Dec 20 1 Countroom Supervisor nightshi (11:30 pm 3:30 am) on Sunday Dec 20 4 Countroom posi ons nightshi (11:30 pm 3:30 am) on Sunday Dec 20 It is impera ve that we fill all posi ons!!please help make this event successful as it brings a lot of money to our school! For more informa on or to sign up, please call Lisa Barter (780) or send an to lgbarter@gmail.com WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT FOR THIS EVENT! A big thank you to all those who have already signed up.

14

15 Grade 3 students par cipated in the Alberta Educa on pilot administra on of the Student Learning Assessments (SLAs) in September and October. General informa on about the Grade 3 SLA is available on the Alberta Educa on website: h ps://educa on.alberta.ca/ media/ /p 07 sla3_quickfacts_parents.pdf The primary purpose of the Grade 3 SLA is to improve student learning. The SLA is also intended to enhance instruc on and assure Albertans the educa on system meets the needs of the students and achieves the outcomes of the Ministerial Order on Student Learning. Grade 3 teachers are using the results of the assessments to inform their teaching. Alberta Educa on recommends that results be shared through a collabora ve conversa on with parents. We invite you to contact us if you would like to meet to discuss your grade 3 child s SLA report, with the focus being how to con nue working together to support your child s learning.

16 December 2015 Catholic Education Services Street Edmonton AB T5K 1C2 T: F: So much good in this world begins with dreams & noble visions. Children especially have a sharp skill in this area, o en exercising it to the point that what one can dream can almost be seen! An imagina on of this sort, when carried into adulthood, is a benefit, especially toward the good it can and will serve. In the last Sunday of the liturgical year, the Church celebrates all who Christ is as our Saviour King. As we then enter the season of Advent, we return to the beginning by re preparing for him who came as an innocent infant quite the opposite of the power with which we associate a king. Our view of a real king likely starts from an image of this world: wealthy, pres gious, and holding a regal air. By analogy, today it would be a CEO who leads, the famous as the entourage of nobility, and large mansions the castles. Jesus holds none of these, and therefore, our skewed image receives a correc on. Jesus is of royalty but of an extraordinarily different type. Unlike a ruler who compels subjects to serve, Jesus inverts this by serving others. His mission is to witness to the truth and serve those who will follow, as a shepherd tends to sheep. We are then invited to respond out of love and loyalty. If we respond to such care and concern, we rise beyond a fantasy of illusion; instead, we become part of and contribute to building up what cannot be dismissed nor ever taken away. The quali es of Jesus Kingdom can only be increased and shared by those who par cipate. We also help in building up the Church and the Kingdom of God by the domes c church each me we pray and live the prayer of the Our Father. Building a faith life begins first at home where one learns the importance of contribu on through prayer and the prac ce of the virtues. Through Catholic schools, this training is advanced, made stronger by sacramental prepara on, and given a rich context in community. Children are taught to realize how they have a share in that divine and royal heritage through their Bap sm. It is vital we remember that from this moment we received a dignity that ought to be cherished beyond anything. In turn, the prac ces we keep and the reverence we show to our Faith is how we will then pass that dignity forward and live as good ci zens within the Kingdom. We are then summoned forth from our homes, our families, and our schools to join together and rally as one in community. At the Church is where we obtain witness, become inspired from the Gospel, and gather spiritual sustenance from the Eucharist to succeed at our mission entrusted. The mission is to transform the surrounding community and the world. Without ques on, ours is a radically different kingdom by today s standard. To celebrate Christ the King is to proclaim with pride the meaning of our lives as God s humble subjects. And so, in this season, as we review the past and an cipate the future, rightly we prepare to pay homage to the li le king who is truly ours and for us. By December 25, all will then come to celebrate a Mass Christ s Mass that is unparalleled in simple unleavened bread and basic wine, where we are welcomed and served by the very King we ourselves have come to honour. Such an image of God s Kingdom is soul s rring which brings out the very best of our abili es in thought and imagina on. Achieving this is not so far from reality when we work to bring it about every Sunday, and then to share that vision with all, all throughout the week! We ought never to doubt that an imagina on holds a profound gi : for in sharing in this noble vision of Christ, we work towards a poten al Kingdom on Earth that can and does become very, very real indeed. May the Lord sincerely bless you, Fr. Dean Dowle ECSD Chaplain

17 December 2015 A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him ~Isaiah 11:1-2~ This scripture passage is called The Peaceful Kingdom. In it, the prophet Isaiah is describing the coming of a king who will bring the spirit of wisdom and understanding the spirit of counsel and might. This righteous and just king will bring true peace to his kingdom. It is a perfect reading for us to begin our Advent journey. This blessed time of waiting that we experience each year calls us to remember that our Father sent us Christ the King to bring peace to the world, but it also reminds us that we are waiting for the return of Jesus and this beautiful vision of peace that Isaiah foretold. Edmonton Catholic Schools is always looking for innovative ways to meet student needs. An excellent example of this can be seen at Cardinal Collins High School Academic Centre, which has moved to a quarterly timetable to present Diploma Exam courses to our year old students. Students can take a maximum of two five credit Diploma courses per 8 week quarter. Each class is 150 minutes, which is equivalent to a full semester of instructional time. Benefits of this model include deeper and more focused learning, accommodating some postsecondary applications for winter term, incorporating Personal Learning Time (PLT) for additional support, increasing the intervention and support of Learning and Grad Coaches, and allowing adult students the opportunity to plan their work schedule more consistently. This month, we will look at the Third Mark of Catholic School Identity: Animated by a Faith-Infused Curriculum. An excellent Catholic school has an academic curriculum that integrates a vision of faith with the learner outcomes and teaching strategies. All of our teachers have engaged in professional development on our Permeation afternoon so that they can explore the many ways that this happens in all subject areas in addition to religion class. You can explore this on our website at Pope Francis has declared this year a Jubilee Year of Mercy, beginning with the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December the 8th and running through to the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ on November the 20th, This is quite an extraordinary undertaking by our spiritual leader, as Jubilee Years usually occur only every 25 years. One of the practices that flows from a Year of Mercy is to make a pilgrimage to one of the Holy Doors, of which there are seven throughout the world; to recall the responsibility of every believer in crossing its threshold; and to renew and strengthen our faith in him. Schools and sites across our District will be creating Holy Doors in order to allow our students to enter more deeply into this faith experience. I wish you all a blessed Advent season that provides you with many opportunities to say yes to God, just as Mary did. The gift which is received as a result of that yes, to come to know and love Jesus, is truly magnificent! Sincerely, Joan Carr Superintendent

18 Laudato Si Chapter 2: The Gospel of Crea on Pope Francis addresses this document to all people, not just Catholics; however, he dedicates this chapter to an understanding of the rela onship between humanity and nature from a Judeo Chris an perspec ve. He does this inten onally, in order to show that science and religion, with their dis nc ve approaches to understanding reality, can enter into an intense dialogue frui ul for both (#62). He states that all of us, as members of the human family, are moved to care for the environment of which we are a part. Even more so, as Chris ans, we are called to respect the dignity and beauty of all crea on. The Old Testament texts, especially the crea on accounts, suggest that human life is grounded in three fundamental and closely intertwined rela onships: with God, with our neighbor and with the earth itself (#66). Although some interpret our rela onship with nature as one of dominion and power over crea on, this is not the inten on of the crea on accounts according to Pope Francis and the Catholic Church. He makes it clear that our responsibility is one of stewardship and care for crea on not domina on over crea on. If we acknowledge the value and the fragility of nature and, at the same me, our God given abili es, we can finally leave behind the modern myth of unlimited material progress. (#78) The Holy Father expresses a rela onship between humanity and crea on which is specifically Chris an. He says that we, as intelligent beings, capable of love, are called to lead all creatures back to their Creator. Jesus, in taking on human form, lived in full harmony with crea on. This was demonstrated throughout his ministry, and even before his ministry when he worked with his hands as a carpenter. In the Chris an understanding of the world, the des ny of all crea on is bound up with the mystery of Christ, present from the beginning: All things have been created through him and for him [Col 1:16]. (#99) How can we apply this to our lives here and now? When we are in dialogue with our non Chris an or nonbelieving sisters and brothers, we can clearly and effec vely express our care for crea on. Our Catholic responsibility to take care of the world around us does not conflict, in any way, with the scien fic community that is imploring us to do the same. Pope Francis asks us to focus on our common goal care for our common home so that we can work together with all of humanity in order to make our world a cleaner, healthier, and safer home for all. Ed Jean Secondary Religious Educa on Consultant

19 December 2015 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Girls Volleyball Game 16:00 at Holy Cross School Council meeting 19:00 Girls Basketball Tryouts Student Led Conferences 13:00-16:30 18:00 19:30 Junior Volleyball Game 15:00 at Holy Cross Boys Volleyball Quarter finals 16:00 (TBA) Girls Volleyball Game 16:00 at Holy Family P.A.R.T.Y. Program (grade 9) Boys Volleyball Semi-Finals 16:00 (TBA) Christmas Concert (grades 4-6) at 19:00 Girls Volleyball Semi Finals 16:00 (TBA) Christmas Concert (k-3) at 19:00 Skiing Snow Valley Grades 4,5 and 6 8:30 Junior Volleyball Game 15:00 at Holy Cross Grade 5 Multicultural Lunch Girls Volleyball Finals 16:00 at St. Joseph Advent Mass 9:00 at St. John the Evangelist Boys Volleyball Finals 16:00 at Maurice Lavallée Pajama Day Immunizations Gr 5+9 Cancellation of Early Dismissal (Full Day) Early Dismissal (Dismissal at 11:55) Beginning of Christmas Break School resumes: MONDAY January 4th, 2016

20 January 2016 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Happy New Year! Welcome Back! Girls Basketball league starts 15:00 at St. Joseph 13 Boys Basketball league starts 15:00 at St. Joseph :00 Grades 1-4 (St. Stanislaus) Grades 5-8 (Journée Francophone) Grade 9 (MAC) Skiing Snow Valley Grades 4, 5 and 6 8:30-15:00 Basketball Tournament 15:00 at Archbishop MacDonald Winter Carnival Grades 1-5 at 8:30 Basketball Tournament 15:00 at Archbishop MacDonald Basketball Tournament 8:00 at Archbishop MacDonald