Week of August 25-29, 2014 Mr. Gary Rehman Principal

Transcription

1 Knightly March 2018 Week Newsletter of August 25-29, 2014 Mr. Gary Rehman Principal Mrs. Julie Francois Assistant Principal Mrs. Jackie Gannon Secretary Mrs. Dorothy Buwalda Clerk Mrs. Jackie Kamrowski Counselor Mrs. Sophia Valle Learning Coach As we continue on our Lenten Journey... POPE FRANCIS WORDS Do you want to fast this Lent? Fast from hurting words and say kind words. Fast from sadness and be filled with gratitude. Fast from anger and be filled with patience. Fast from pessimism and be filled with hope. Fast from worries and trust in God. Fast from complaints and contemplate simplicity. Fast from pressures and be prayerful. Fast from bitterness and fill your heart with joy. Fast from selfishness and be compassionate to others. Fast from grudges and be reconciled. Fast from words and be silent so you can listen. 1

2 Administrative Team Message Dear Parents and Guardians of St. Nicholas We had a very successful Open House on February 22 nd. We saw many students and parents from our District and we also saw several prospective students from outside of our District. St. Nicholas is demonstrating its place in the community as a caring and exciting place to learn. As our Grade 9s continue to discern on their next step, we want to support those educational decisions. Our feeder high school is Austin O Brien and their Open house is on Wed. March 8. We encourage you to attend the Open House of your desire to learn all you can about the high school. We have included the dates for other high schools our students often attend, as well. On Wednesday March 14 we will be holding our second Parent/Teacher Interviews of the year. Information for the online registration process will be released a little later. It will be a good time to check in with staff on the progress of your child s core subjects as well as their new options. Please be sure to check your son or daughter s progress in Power School as there will be no report card issued in March. The final report card will be at the end of the school year in June. Along with the parents/guardians, St. Nicholas Junior High School staff continues to work with each student to develop personal ownership of his/her learning and responsibility for his/her behaviour. If you know of something happening at STN that excites your child, please give that staff member a sunshine call. On behalf of all the staff at St. Nicholas, we wish you many blessings as we encourage all to "turn from sin and be faithful to the gospel during Lent. Gary Rehman Principal Julie Francois Assistant Principal St. Nicholas is now on Facebook- Find us at St. Nicholas Catholic School Edmonton And Follow us as we celebrate the students at STN! 2

3 March 2018 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 3 1 TEACHER S CONVENTION NO SCHOOL 2 TEACHER S CONVENTION NO SCHOOL 4 5 St. Joe s OPEN HOUSE Substitute Appreciation WEEK Mar School Council 6 pm 6 WE Stand Leadership students at Expo Centre A O B OPEN HOUSE 7-9 Change St. Nick s 5:30-7:30 Parent Teacher Interviews 4-8 PM O LEARY Safe Space at lunch Open House 7-9 pm 15 School PD Day- No School for students Full Day of classes 16 Safe Space at lunch 23 Reconciliation Service for students and staff 8: Spring 27 Break 28 No 29 Classes Dismissed at 11:18 for Spring Break 30 3 for students GOOD FRIDAY + *Wizard of Oz rehearsal every day after school until 4:30, except Thursdays* 3

4 LENT Living in the Word of God - Mercy at the Heart of It All Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be answerable for the body and blood of the Lord. Examine yourselves, and only then eat of the bread and drink of the cup; for all who eat and drink without discerning the body, eat and drink judgment against themselves (1 Corinthians 11: 27-29). In previous articles on Living in the Word of God, we discovered that the Christian response to God's love revealed in Christ is threefold: worship, witness and service; the three ways in which we put into practice the Word of God. Our lives come from the mercy of God. The Lord calls us precisely in our weakness, and mercifully bestows upon us all the gifts we need for the fulfillment of our Christian calling. True worship, especially through the celebration of the Eucharist, requires that we examine our way of living, to seek forgiveness and reconciliation, to profess what we believe, and to serve others with joyful hearts. Pope Francis calls us to embrace fully the meaning of our Baptism and to live consciously as disciples of Jesus Christ. This means hearing the Word of God and practicing it. Every day we encounter a myriad of voices; some positive, some negative, endeavoring to influence and shape our way of thinking and living. Yet, for us there is only one voice that we know is fully worthy of our trust, and that voice is Jesus. To be disciples, to live in accord with our Baptismal identity and dignity, is to allow only his words to guide and direct our lives. Sandra Talarico, Religious Education Consultant School Council (SC) News The next meeting will be Monday, March 6:00pm in the WIN classroom. All are welcome to attend! The Casino at Century Casino went over very well. Thanks to all volunteers--- especially the last-minute ones. God Bless you all for helping. 4

5 Once the Quarter is over and our funding is announced, we will be sure to share that with all of you. Open House season Our direct feeder High School is Austin O Brien. A O B is holding their Open House on Wednesday March 7 th at 7pm. We encourage you to go and take a look. The District Self- Directed program and Jean Forest Leadership Girls Academy at St. Joseph are also open to our Grade 9s. St. Joseph s Open House is on Monday March 5 th at 6:30 pm. Some of our Soccer Academy students might be interested in attending Archbishop O Leary High School and their Open House is on Thursday March 8 at 7pm. 5

6 Rooted In Jesus- rooted in Lent. RECONCILIATION MARCH 23 RD 8:30 11 AM St. Nicholas will be inviting several priests to offer a Reconciliation service on the Friday March 23 rd before we leave for Spring Break and the Easter Triduum. Our Gym will be used throughout the morning and students will have the opportunity reflect and go through the sacrament of Reconciliation. For those students who have not completed the sacrament, the priests will be available for a talk and a reflection. It is a blessed time before we get to Easter to heed our Lenten call, to Turn Back toward God and follow the Gospel. Parent Teacher Interviews WEDNESDAY March pm More information will be released through our k12 Swift messaging system in regards to the online registration for these interviews. There is NO report card released at that time as our District has moved to TWO report cards in the Junior High (January and June). Parents and guardians can always keep updated on your Parent Power School site. This is a great time to check in with the staff at St. Nicholas on the progress of your child(ren). 6

7 Electronic ROUND UP! The information below was taken directly from this book that was authored by Barbara Bring in your unwanted electronics! We will be accepting everything like game consoles, printers, laptops, desktop computers, tablets for recycling. Every item donated for recycling gives St. Nicholas School a monetary donation! The Round up starts on Mon. Feb. 26, and runs until Fri. Mar.16. Also, bring your used batteries to the main school office for recycling Science Academy On Jan.31, the St. Nicholas Science Academy Cardboard Boat team won the bronze medal at the Skills Alberta Cardboard Boat Race! Their boat had to cross the NAIT swimming pool, captained by one student, and the boat was timed. Then, the boat was tested for strength. Three students sat in their floating cardboard boat for over one minute! The judging included design, prototype, teamwork, safety, collaboration, decoration, speed and strength. Out of the 41 junior high school teams from Northern Alberta, our team placed third! Way to go Science Academy! Bronze Medalists! Way to go Knights! Registration for next year's Science Academy will begin soon! Visit our St. Nicholas School website to download an application, or watch for the application coming home with your child. The main office will also have applications. The Academy is open to grade 8 and grade 9 students through an application process. Only 23 students total are accepted every year. We were awarded a Championship grant to build our school garden. Students in the Science Academy expressed interest in creating the garden and helping to maintain it. We will start building in April, as soon as the ground is ready to start digging! 7

8 Soccer Academy Our 12 th Annual Elementary Soccer Cup was an amazing success. We had 12 teams and their fans in the school for the whole afternoon and into the evening. Our Academy students were true leaders by refereeing, score-keeping and hosting the schools. It was a true team effort. The team that the Academy students train on many Thursday mornings, St. Bernadette won the tournament Fine Arts Academy Junior Cappies Theatre Appreciation Program: Unfortunately last month's show was cancelled; however, this month the team travels with the cast of The Wizard of Oz and the Improv Team over to St. Joe's to watch The Visit. Stay tuned for the next published in the Knightly Knews! Anime Club: Aaaaaaaaand we're back! As the LA classes start their film studies, a very special movie was chosen for this month. This month brings on a lovely anime movie called "Your Name." The film won the 49th Sitges Film Festival, 2016 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards, and 71st Mainichi Film Awards for Best Animated Feature Film, as well as receiving a nomination for the 40th Japan Academy Prize for the Best Animation of the Year. Sure to be a hit for anime lovers and film studies specialists alike! Improv Team: The team has just finished competing in two tournaments: The Wildfire JR and the Canadian Improv Games, as well as the Open House and Soccer Tournament showcases. At the Citadel Theatre, both teams were the youngest in both tournaments and really rocked the audiences socks off! We're looking forward to a much-needed break from Improv and will be ready to do some casual games again in May. Wizard of Oz: It's so close!! By the time you've read this, over half of the show is blocked and we are ready for dress rehearsals with set and costumes! We all have butterflies in our stomachs but we're so excited that this is all coming together! See you at the show next month! Student Leadership 8

9 Our Leadership students were busy in February, helping out in many school events. Students sold healthy smoothies during the Elementary Soccer Tournament, and were excellent tour guides for the grade 6 visits on Feb.15. For the Open House, they helped out at the information booth and sold rafiki chains to donate funds to combat homelessness in Edmonton. Students also helped to sell pink shirts and bracelets for Anti-bullying day on Feb. 28. On March 6, the Leadership students will participate in the Young Leaders conference at the Expo Centre. The Leadership Team meets every Tuesday at lunchtime, and the students volunteer for many various jobs to make these events happen! Counselor s Corner Multiple Intelligences When we think of intelligence, often book smart comes to mind. Do you get good grades in Math and Science? Do you ace every test? But did you know that intelligence is so much more than doing well in school academically? In fact, multiple intelligences exist and can impact how you learn. Traditionally, there are eight types of intelligence: Visual-Spatial - think in terms of physical space and are aware of their environments. Learning style includes drawings, verbal and physical imagery that makes use of models, graphics, charts, photographs, video and multimedia. 9

10 Bodily-Kinesthetic - keen sense of body awareness. They communicate well through body language with a learning style seen through physical activity, hands-on learning, and role playing. Musical - show sensitivity to rhythm and sound. They can be taught by turning lessons into lyrics, speaking rhythmically, and tapping out time. Interpersonal - understanding and interacting with others. They can be taught through group activities, seminars, and dialogues. Intrapersonal - understanding one's own interests and goals. These independent learners can be taught through independent study and introspection. Linguistic - using words effectively. These learners have highly developed auditory skills and often think in words. Learning style includes a think aloud approach to studying. Logical - Mathematical - using reasoning and calculating. They can be taught through logic games, investigations, and mysteries. Naturalistic - able to recognize flora and fauna in the natural world. These individuals learn best in the natural environment where they can relate new concepts to naturally occurring forms. Try to identify which type of intelligence(s) you have and how you learn best. Having that knowledge might be the key to doing better in school and in recognizing what you are naturally drawn to. Is there a career as a botanist or detective waiting for you? Finding out the intelligences you have might point you in the right direction. For support please visit your Provisional Psychologist/School Counsellor, Mrs. Jackie Kamrowski (jackie.kamrowski@ecsd.net). Parents may contact our Counsellor at Safe Space Safe Space: Safe Space took a break in February, but we're back in March and ready to listen. In January, there was a powerful poem read by one of our members that reminded us that mental health is so important. We're feeling stronger and more connected than ever. 10

11 District Chaplain Fr. Dean Dowle Among the many desires of mankind is the pursuit of power. It may be political, economic, psychological, or familial. A review of current global or local issues indicate just how many revolve around the application of power: who has it, how much, and why. Power holds a great force of influence. In most instances it is pursued so as to effect control such that one s personal intentions, needs, and wants are enacted. Essentially one wants to ensure one s needs and wants are met and served. Indeed, we know by experience that to be served feels good, but this is only so if it is done out of an authentic love which then can be reciprocated with acknowledgement and appreciation. For to be served on demand or out of mere selfishness is the antithesis of the interpretation of service Jesus both lived and extolled. As we are given to understand in every Gospel in general and Holy Thursday in particular, it is not the societal interpretation of power to which the Christian is to aspire. Rather, it is the humble service which can and likely involves a sacrifice, a task we are asked to fulfill for its own sake and the common good. Our District community has many such examples from which to draw: the new mother who sacrifices sleep to be with a sick child, the dedicated teacher who gives up the lunch hour to be with a struggling student, or the newly retired principal who volunteers their skills to help a senior in need. The way that Jesus serves is consistently defined by what he says and so by what he does. Consequently, if we desire to know what it means to be the real image and likeness of God, what it means to know ultimate power, what we ought to do is look to Jesus. And if we want to know how to be closer to God, we in turn emulate the way of Jesus: not to be served, but to serve. Holy Thursday and the Mass of the Lord s Supper will be our example and source of inspiration: all are encouraged to attend this most special night at their local Parish. The Gospel reinforces for us that it is service to others which will show the way to what is true leadership and authentic power within the Kingdom. And the final destination of the Kingdom is all that should really matter. May we remember this during the latter of Lent and Easter soon to be: God, power, others, and me. Most sincerely yours in Christ, Fr. Dean Dowle ECSD Chaplain 11

12 Superintendent s Message March 2018 Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. ~John 13:1~ This passage comes from the Gospel reading for Holy Thursday. The Gospel of John is also known as the Gospel of Love because it is written to clearly tell us of the great love that God has for us. That love is embodied in the person of Jesus. Knowing of the immense suffering that Jesus is about to endure as his death approaches, it is humbling to even try to imagine the magnitude of His love for us. Our Catholic community was deeply saddened by the loss of our dear friend and shepherd, Archbishop Emeritus Joseph MacNeil. One of our schools proudly bears his name and his motto Let us grow together in Christ. Archbishop MacNeil was a significant part of the fabric of so many of our lives, especially through the sacrament of Confirmation. We invite you to visit and click on the Remembering Archbishop Joseph MacNeil banner to share a favorite story or picture of him. ECSD has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Mount Royal University to collaborate and offer students two courses to explore their passions and interests in Aviation. The two dual credit Aviation courses, which are required courses within the Mount Royal University Bissett School of Business Aviation Diploma, will be offered at St. Joseph High School to interested grade 11 & 12 students from ECSD who meet the pre-requisites of English 30 1, Math 30 1, and medical clearance. By offering the courses after school hours, it will enable students from across ECSD to enroll in the courses. Students will be able to develop their knowledge to achieve Transport Canada requirements respecting navigation and aviation operations, along with Basic Meteorology to interpret weather information for pilots as supplied by Atmospheric Environment Services. In partnership with WestJet, students will be able to experience flight simulation and in-flight experiences with trained pilots. WestJet will support this opportunity through personnel, simulator experiences, and site visitations at YEG. Edmonton Catholic Schools is excited to plan for our new K-6 school in The Orchards at Ellerslie. The culture and ethos of a Catholic school evolves from its name. We want to choose a name that is meaningful to our Catholic community, and that 12

13 conveys the school s identity to the broader community. We are currently taking suggestions from the public and would love to hear your voice. Visit and click on the Name our New School Banner to learn more about the guidelines and criteria. We will be accepting entries until March 31. There are so many opportunities for our students to showcase their learning. An excellent example of this is the annual Jean Forest Leadership Academy Luncheon to celebrate International Women s Day. This year's Women's Day theme is Press for Progress! and the girls of JFLA are embracing this challenge by building on their leadership and engaging in community service as students in the Academy. The guest speaker at this year s luncheon will be mental health advocate and professional photographer Blake Loates. She will be speaking about the need to Press for Progress in the fight to end the stigma of mental illness. Visit and look under What s New in the District to learn more about the luncheon and how to purchase tickets. The month of March also provides us with the opportunity to focus student learning more intentionally on the importance of numbers in our daily lives during our annual Numeracy Week event. Our students will spend time gaining an appreciation of the fact the numeracy is not just significant in math class! The year moves by so swiftly. Our year-round schools will begin their Spring Break on March 19, and our regular calendar schools will begin their break on March 26. All classes will resume on Tuesday, April 3. This is a wonderful time for students and staff to rest and recharge in preparation for the busy-ness of the last few months of school. I leave you with another passage from the Gospel of John as we continue our Lenten journey: For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. ~ John 3:16 Have a wonderful month! Sincerely, Joan Carr Superintendent 13