We will be celebrating Valentine s Day with a dance and classroom parties on Tuesday, February 13. This is also Shrove Tuesday.

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1 Principal s Message To prepare for His ministry, Jesus retreated into the wilderness and fasted for forty days. For Him, this was a time of contemplation, reflection, and preparation. By observing Lent, most Christians join Jesus on His retreat. Lent consists of the forty days before Easter, not counting Sundays, because they are always the joyful celebration of the Resurrection. Some people only celebrate the happy times in Jesus life: Palm Sunday, Easter Sunday, and Christmas. As true friends though, we should also watch and pray with Him on Holy Thursday, stand by Him at the cross on Good Friday, and retreat with Him into the wilderness during Lent. This year, Ash Wednesday falls on February 14 and marks the start of the Lenten season. We avoid celebrations and parties during the season of Lent as we stand with our Lord in the desert. Our Ash Wednesday celebration will take place at the school starting at 9:00 AM. Parents are more than welcome to join us. As a reminder, Ash Wednesday is a meatless day in the Church. Parents are asked to refrain from sending meat products in student lunches. We will be celebrating Valentine s Day with a dance and classroom parties on Tuesday, February 13. This is also Shrove Tuesday. On Monday, February 5, our grade eight students will be taking part in the Father Michael Mireau Youth Day. Father Mike wanted this to be a day for grade eights, since he felt that they are often the overlooked, middle children in our junior high schools. This is truly a special day for our grade eight students. They, along with grade eight students from across the archdiocese, will be treated to a wonderful keynote speaker in Steve Angrisano. The following day, February 6, is our annual staff Faith Development Day. This year, our theme is: Life : Rooted in Jesus... Hearts to Love, Hands to Serve. We are pleased to welcome Fr. Richard Leonard as our keynote speaker. District staff will also have the opportunity to participate in a mass celebrated by Bishop Bittman, along with many priests from the Archdiocese. Please remember that there is no school for students on Faith Development Day. We hope that all of our families enjoy some quality time together over the Family Day weekend. Terry Volk Alicia Fenton Chris Cicchini Principal Assistant Principal Assistant Principal February 2018 Inside this issue: BDM REGISTRATION & OPEN HOUSE DATES HIGH SCHOOL REGISTRATIONS GR 6 TRANSITION PASSPORTS ACCOUNTABILITY PILLAR SURVEYS CELEBRATING THE SACRAMENTS SHROVE TUESDAY HOT LUNCH VALENTINE S DAY ACTIVITIES FULL DAY K ON FEB 13 ORDER YOUR YEAROOK! ENERGIZE OIL COUNTRY STAFFING UPDATES OUR CATHOLIC FAITH WINTER WALK GAME ON SUPERINTENDENT S MESSAGE 8 MESSAGE FROM TRUSTEE ENGEL 9 ASH WEDNESDAY - JOURNEY TO LENT 10 THANK YOU DREAMS FOR KIDS 11 THANK YOU WE CARE CHALLENGE 12 STAY ALERT 13 FEBRUARY CALENDAR

2 February Newsletter BDM Registration and Open House Dates During February, we start our planning for the next school year. We are now accepting new registrations for the school year for all grades. We have limited spaces in some of our grades, so if your friends are planning to register with us, please encourage them to do so at their earliest convenience. Since we know that many families would like to register with us for the upcoming school year, it helps us in our planning when we know which families are planning to return for the following year. Please assist us by completing the quick online form to indicate whether or not your children will be registering with us for the school year. Our Open House for all programs is on Thursday, February 8 at 7:00 pm. We appreciate your spreading the word about our great school to your friends and neighbours! To register for 100 Voices, students must be 3 years old before September 30 of the school year. Registrations for 100 Voices are facilitated at the school and coordinated through our District Early Learning Department, since some children qualify for funding. To register for our Kindergarten program, children must be 5 years of age on or before March 1st, Bishop David Motiuk offers a half day kindergarten program. If you know of anyone who is planning to register their child for 100 Voices or for kindergarten, please have them call the school office at for more information or drop by to register. Our Open House will begin at 7:00 pm. It will include a very short general program, then guests will be able to tour the school and take part in presentations for 100 Voices/Kindergarten programs. We know that our best form of advertising is your sharing of the good things that are happening at Bishop David Motiuk. We thank you for passing on this information to any parents you know who may be considering our school for the fall. Thank you for spreading the good news! High School Registrations Grade 9 students are eagerly looking forward to registering for high school. St. Francis Xavier s Open House is on Tuesday, February 13 for focus programs and Thursday, March 8 for regular programs. Open houses start at 7:00 PM. Archbishop MacDonald s Open House is on Wednesday, February 28 at 7:00 pm. St. Joseph s Open House is on Monday, March 5 at 7:00 PM. Blessed Oscar Romero s Open House is on Wednesday, February 21 for AP information and Tuesday, February 27 for regular programs. Open houses start at 7:00 pm. Please plan to attend our high school open houses so that you can make the best choice of programming for your child. Page 2

3 February Newsletter Transition Passports for Grade Six Students Current Bishop David Motiuk grade six students will not receive a transition passport this year, unless they are planning to move to another Catholic school. It is assumed that our students will continue with us for grade seven. Consequently, their registrations will automatically roll over for next year and they are not required to do anything other than to complete complementary course forms. Complementary course forms are online. Letters to this effect were ed via Swift K-12 and printed copies will be sent home with grade six students. Students who indicate they WILL NOT be returning to Bishop David Motiuk for the school year will be given a Transition Passport. They are asked to return it to the school office by Tuesday, March 6. We will then forward the passports to the ECSD school the student wishes to attend. The junior high principal will then indicate acceptance or non-acceptance. Please feel free to contact the school office with any questions you may have. Accountability Pillar Surveys 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 consisting of surveys of students, parents and teachers on various aspects of 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 4-12 (will receive a survey from Alberta Education. In February, students in grades 4-12 and all teachers will be completing their surveys online at school. All surveys are anonymous and ask questions about experiences with the school. In addition to English and French, the parent survey is available in Chinese, Punjabi, Arabic, Blackfoot, 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 2018, and will be reported publicly as part of their 3-Year Education Plans and Annual Education Results Reports. Page 3

4 February Newsletter Celebrating the Sacraments At Bishop David Motiuk Elementary and Junior High School, we will be celebrating all students who have received a sacrament throughout the course of the school year. If your child has received one of their sacraments (First Reconciliation, First Holy Eucharist, or Confirmation), please let us know and we will acknowledge this meaningful time in their lives. We have a special display board which will include pictures of students who have celebrated their sacraments this year, and we would love it if our board was full by the end of the school year! Please contact Mrs. Fenton at alicia.fenton@ecsd.net if your child has received a sacrament this year, or if they receive a sacrament before the end of the school year. Shrove Tuesday Hot Lunch We will be using Healthy Hunger to facilitate our Shrove Tuesday Hot Lunch on February 13th. If you would like to order the pancake lunch for your child or children, but have not ordered through Healthy Hunger yet, you may do so still. Simply go to and click on REGISTER STUDENT. If you have multiple children who attend Bishop David Motiuk School, you will need to add each individual child to your account. After your account has been created, you will be able to view all upcoming hot lunches, including the Shrove Tuesday hot lunch, place orders, and pay for your orders online. Please note that the only method of payment is online, on the Healthy Hunger website. Important information to note: You may place orders or cancel orders at any time before the 5 day cut-off. Money will not be refunded for orders if students are absent the day of the hot lunch. If you have any questions, please contact Alicia Fenton at alicia.fenton@ecsd.net Valentine s Day Activities We are looking forward to our Valentine s Day parties and dance on February 13. We will start with a dance for our elementary students from 11:30 to 12:30, followed by a dance for our junior high students for the remainder of the afternoon. On February 5, 7, 9 and 12, the junior high leadership team will be selling Hershey candy grams in the common area upstairs from 11:45-12:15. Candy grams are $.50 each and include a valentine that students can personalize for anyone in the school. Candy grams will be delivered before lunch on Tuesday, April 13 to student classrooms. Page 4

5 February Newsletter Full Day for Kindergarten Feb 13 February 13 is a full day of instruction for our kindergarten classes. Please note, noon hour bussing is cancelled. Students who are registered in morning classes will have transportation to school. Parents must pick them up at 2:42. Parents of students who are registered in afternoon classes will take students to school in the morning for registration at 8:10. Students in afternoon classes who ordinarily take the school bus home will be able to do so. Order Your Yearbook Now! Don't miss out on our inaugural Bishop David Motiuk YEARBOOK!! Go online to and enter our yearbook ID code to order today. Yearbooks are only $20.00 and will be personalized! Energize Oil Country Children need to be active every day to promote healthy growth and development. Kids that establish healthy lifestyle patterns at a young age will carry them, and their benefits, forward for the rest of their lives. According to the Canadian Physical Activity Guide to Healthy Active Living; Children, aged 5-11, should accumulate at least one hour of moderate to vigorous-intensity physical activity daily. This year, the Grade 1C class has the opportunity to participate in the Energize Oil Country program hosted by the Edmonton Oilers. The goal of this program is to increase physical education, and to provide opportunities for students to enjoy healthy and active lifestyles within the classroom, and ultimately in the community. This program runs from January 15 th, 2018 until March 16 th, During this period, the grade one students are encouraged to participate in 60 minutes of physical activity each day. These 60 minutes include their 30 minutes of Physical Education and recess time at school. Extra physical activity done at home (i.e. swimming, gymnastics, hockey, dance, karate, playing tag, etc.) is included as well. Students have been tracking their progress each day in their Energy Logbooks, as well as, on the class activity graph. Each week their teacher logs the class progress. Each student that completes the required physical activity goal will count as one entry into the grand prize. The Grand Prize is a trip to Rogers Place for the entire class to see an Oilers home game. The class that completes the highest amount of physical activity will be awarded the Grand Prize. The grade ones have enjoyed participating in different activities both at home, and at school. We are encouraging families and their peers to be active and healthy as well. Healthy bodies, healthy minds! Page 5

6 February Newsletter Staffing Updates This month, we are happy to welcome Mrs. Avery back from her leave and we thank Mrs. Lepage for the work she has done in our kindergarten E class. Mrs. Lepage will be with us until February 16. Mrs. Avery will assume teaching duties in Kindergarten E on February 20. We are pleased to confirm that Mrs. Wong will be with us as an educational assistant in our 100 Voices classroom. We are also pleased to welcome educational assistants Mrs. Ramirez-Barreto in our Kindergarten A and B classes and Ms. Kirton in our grade one classrooms. We will be saying farewell to Mr. Onuoha, who has been with us since early December and we wish him all he best. Our Catholic Faith The New Testament begins with four books that are filled with accounts of the actions and teachings of the person of Jesus Christ. These four books known as GOSPELS, mean Good News. The order in which they were written, are Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John. The first three gospels written closest in proximity to the event of Jesus resurrection are called Synoptic Gospels, for they share similarities in stories, events, and even at times, structure. Mark, being the earliest Gospel written is the shortest, and the author draws upon another source that was oral in tradition; Q source. The latest Gospel written is that of John which falls outside the parameters and structure of the Synoptics. As the early Christians found themselves waiting for the Second Coming much longer than they had anticipated, the author of John wrote more a spiritual/philosophical Gospel that does not contain as many stories of the time of Jesus, but focuses on Jesus message as it refers to the end times. The Synoptics on the other hand, are written by authors who are proclaiming and interpreting the events of Jesus resurrection through their own eyes and experience. They focus more on the words (teachings, parables) of Jesus, as well as the actions (miracles, happenings, healings). The focus of all Gospels is upon Jesus proclamation of the Kingdom of God and what it means to be oriented toward that direction. The Gospel writers are known as Evangelists and they write to specific communities, therefore reflecting the needs and traditions of their audience, whether to a largely Jewish Christian community or Gentiles. We notice distinct differences in the language and interior order of these Gospels which tell us that what is important is not that they are consistent in fact, but consistent in their message that Jesus, the Incarnation of God, lived, was crucified, died, was buried, and rose on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. His message is one of hope and revelation of the Kingdom of God. - Kevyn Ernest Page 6

7 February Newsletter Winter Walk Day We are excited to announce that Bishop David Motiuk School will be taking part in Winter Walk Day next Wednesday February 7! Walking to school in winter has many potential benefits, including benefits for your child s health and well-being (like opportunities to learn and socialize on the way to school, and arriving to school alert and ready to learn), our community (reduced traffic congestion around the school) and the environment, too. Walk with your child to school next Wednesday to join in the celebration! If you re on your way somewhere else and plan on driving to your next destination, consider walking and taking transit (see Google maps for available transit routes to/from your destination: or park/drop your child off a block or two away from the school to walk the rest of the way in. If you re not able to join, encourage your child to walk with a friend. Winter Walking Tips: Keep hands and head covered to prevent heat loss. On really cold days wear a scarf over your face and mouth. Wear warm, waterproof boots. Wear a warm coat that deflects the wind. Woolen clothing helps to retain the heat. Wear clothing or carry knapsacks with reflective material it s important to be seen. If possible, change wet clothes at school tuck an extra pair of socks and mitts into knapsacks. Click here for more information on Active & Safe Routes to School. Game On Thank you to Mrs. Ruivo, who will be offering Game On, a multisport program focused on volleyball, basketball, badminton and various other games for grade six students. The program runs on Wednesdays (small gym) and Fridays (large gym) throughout February and March. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to develop athletic skllls! Page 7

8 February 2018 Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love (Joel 2:13) This passage from the book of Joel is part of the first reading for Ash Wednesday, and is a good reminder for us as we begin our Lenten journey. It assures us that even though we wander away from God as part of our human frailty, He never abandons us. As we begin the solemn 40-day period leading up to Easter, we can direct our reflection upon God s enduring gift of mercy and love in the form of His Son, Jesus. February brings two exceptional faith formation opportunities to Edmonton Catholic Schools. On February 5, our grade 8 students will gather together for an opportunity to explore our faith more deeply through witness and through celebrating the Eucharist. The day begins with presenter Steve Angrisano, who will help to unfold the theme Serve Like a Superhero, and will culminate in a Mass. It is always an energizing, inspiring day for all! On February 6, our schools will be closed for our annual Staff Faith Development Day. This day provides us, as faith-filled people, with the opportunity to become more deeply aware of the faith foundation of our lives and to enter into our life s work with renewed conviction. We are pleased to welcome Fr. Richard Leonard as our keynote speaker. We also welcome Bishop Gregory Bittman, Bishop David Motiuk, and the priests of the Archdiocese and Eparchy who will celebrate the Eucharistic Liturgy with us. The Alberta Education Accountability Pillar Survey is an extremely important measurement and stakeholder feedback tool for all school districts. Responses from parents, students, and staff help each school to evaluate their strengths and areas for growth. All our students from grades 4-12 will complete their surveys at school. You should have received your parent survey in the mail from Alberta Education in mid to late January. If you need more information about your school to complete the survey, or if you do not receive a survey, please call your school principal. They will be happy to assist you. Parental voice is so important, and every response counts! I am pleased to share with you that I will continue to serve as Superintendent of Edmonton Catholic Schools until the end of August, Guided by the words of Micah (6:8) in my leadership role - to act justly, to love faithfully and to walk humbly with our God, I am honored to continue to live out my mission as Superintendent of Edmonton Catholic Schools to empower students, staff and parents to experience the joy and fulfillment of a truly Catholic education, striving for excellence in all areas while sharing in the vision of our risen Lord Jesus Christ! I would like to leave you with a few words from our Holy Father, Pope Francis: Dear Brothers and Sisters, Lent is a new beginning, a path leading to the certain goal of Easter, Christ s victory over death Christians are asked to return to God with all their hearts (Joel 2:12), to refuse to settle for mediocrity and to grow in friendship with the Lord. Jesus is the faithful friend who never abandons us. (Message of His Holiness Pope Francis For Lent 2017) Sincerely, Joan Carr Superintendent

9 A Message from Trustee Debbie Engel Ward 74 January 2018 Happy New Year everyone! May God bless you and your family in It is exciting to start the New Year with the newly elected Board of Trustees. We have been working hard as a new Board to prepare for the important work that you have entrusted us with. This Board is committed to serving you with integrity, honesty, and concern for your children. The Board is currently developing strategies to advocate for educational and transportation needs as well as the continuation of publicly funded Catholic education. Our budget process for is well under way and we are starting the New Year with a Strategic Planning Session with our Senior Administration. In addition, this is the first year of the Student Senate comprised of students from each of our high schools to serve the Board in an advisory capacity. Parent Engagement is important to this Board. We are planning a District-Wide School Council Meeting in April of More information will follow in the next few weeks. Two other parent engagement opportunities that are scheduled for the New Year that may be of interest to you are: February 21, 2018: Parent Evening Series Mental Health Breaking the Cycle of Anxiety a Step by Step Approach (K-12), and April 18, 2018: Parent Evening series Mental Health, Supporting your Child s Mental Health Go to Educator/Program Transition. For further information on the time and location, please go to our website: I would be happy to attend one of your school council meetings to update you on these and other Board initiatives and to answer any questions or concerns you may have. As I enter my 7 th term as an Edmonton Catholic School Trustee representing Ward 74, I want to thank you for your continued support. This role is very important to me. Please know you can contact me at any time. I can be reached by at debbie.engel.@ecsd.net or by phone at

10 Ash Wednesday The Journey to Lent Ash Wednesday is one of the most popular and important holy days in the liturgical calendar. It is the day many Christians mark as the first day of Lent; the 40-day period of reflection, fasting, abstinence, and penitence leading up to Easter Sunday, reminding us that God is gracious and merciful. This year we mark Ash Wednesday on Wednesday, February the 14 th. Ash Wednesday comes from the ancient Jewish tradition of penance and fasting which includes the wearing of ashes on the forehead; ashes made from the blessed palms used in the Palm Sunday celebration of the previous year they are burned, christened with Holy Water, and scented by exposure to incense. Historically, the distribution of ashes comes from a ceremony of ages past. Christians who had committed grave faults performed public penance, and on Ash Wednesday, the Bishop blessed the hair shirts which they were to wear during the forty days of penance, and sprinkled over them ashes made from the palms of the previous year. Then, while the faithful recited the Seven Penitential Psalms, the penitents were turned out of the church because of their sins and they did not enter the church again until Holy Thursday after having won reconciliation by their forty days of penance. In time, all Christians came to receive ashes out of devotion. In his Lenten message from last year, the Pope wrote that Lent is the favorable season for renewing our encounter with Christ, living in his word, in the sacraments, and in our neighbor. A right relationship with people consists in gratefully recognizing their value. Even the poor person at the door is not a nuisance, but a summons to conversion and to change. In this way, Lent is a particularly fitting time to open our door to all those in need. Each life that we encounter is a gift deserving acceptance, respect and love. Indifference to our neighbor and to God also represents a real temptation for us Christians. Each year during Lent we need to hear once more the voice of the prophets who cry out and trouble our conscience. Describing this phenomenon he called the globalization of indifference, Francis continued: whenever our interior life becomes caught up in its own interests and concerns, there is no longer room for others, no place for the poor. God s voice is no longer heard, the quiet joy of his love is no longer felt, and the desire to do good fades. We end up being incapable of feeling compassion at the outcry of the poor, weeping for other people s pain, and feeling a need to help them, as though all this were someone else s responsibility and not our own. But when we fast from this indifference, we can begin to feast on love. In fact, Lent is the perfect time to learn how to love again. Jesus the great protagonist of this holy season certainly showed us the way. In him, God descends all the way down to bring everyone up. In his life and his ministry, no one is excluded. As we start the journey of Lent, with its emphasis on fasting, prayer, and almsgiving, we have an opportunity at a new beginning in our own lives. As the Pope affirmed, this season urgently calls us to conversion. We are asked to return to God with all our hearts, to refuse to settle for mediocrity, and to grow in friendship with the Lord. During this Lenten Season, let us pray for one another so that, by sharing in the victory of Christ, we too may open our doors to the weak and to the poor. Sandra Talarico, Religious Education Consultant Lent 1

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12 Challenge 2018 R Thank you for participating in the We Care Challenge and supporting social justice in Edmonton.

13 STAY Alert April 2015 February 2018 Having a Plan Whether it is at school, at the bus stop or at the library, our children have or will be exposed to unwanted conversations or relationships both in person and online. To help your teenager manage these growing social challenges, it is important to engage them in a discussion that will provide them with options on how to get out of these uncomfortable situations. A direct response approach could be providing them with statements like, I don t want to or No thanks. An indirect response may simply be blaming parents such as, My mom checks my computer and phone randomly and she would ground me. In addition to these responses your teenager could/should end all contact by not responding to follow-up contact. This could include deleting or blocking that person as a contact. This will provide a starting point for your teens to make positive decisions and choices regarding their conversation and relationships, both online and in person. School Team Advisors for Youth (STAY) Junior high schools in the Edmonton Catholic School District each have School Team Advisors for Youth (STAY) which are comprised of retired Police Officers. The STAY role involves: Educating, mentoring, and empowering students. Educating and mentoring parents on the realities their children face each day by raising parent awareness on these issues. Educating and mentoring staff on the realities that students face each day. Working in partnership with the administration of the school to develop action plans for safety and health of all students. Stay Advisors in our junior high schools make a difference in the lives of our youth by encouraging them to STAY in school. The STAY teams work hard to ensure our youth succeed in life.

14 February 2018 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Father Michael Mireau Youth Day Grade 8 Faith Development Day No School for Students Elementary Ski Club Bishop David Mouk Open House 7:00 PM Shrove Tuesday Valenne s Day Dance Full Day for Kinder 14 Ash Wednesday Celebraon 9:00 AM Family Day No School School Council Mtg 6:00 PM Student led Conference Booking Site Opens Mar 1 2 Teachers Convenon. No School. Bishop David Motiuk Elementary/Junior High School 855 Lewis Greens Drive Edmonton, AB T5T 4B2 Phone: Fax: web@ecsd.net