Dear Parents and Guardians,

Transcription

1 April ADMINISTRATOR S MESSAGE Dear Parents and Guardians, When you read this newsletter, it will be Spring Break! No doubt a well-deserved break. The classrooms were very busy on Thursday March 23 with the excitement of our Demonstration of Learning. Thank you for joining us and sharing this opportunity to get your hands on the many projects and activities that the students have been working on. The month of March was very exciting! It began with the announcement that St. Teresa will have a new principal, Senora Julieta Zelada. We welcome her back to our wonderful community as Mrs. Lesia Huk moves on to her next journey retirement. In mid-april, we will be singing Alleluia as we celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and the fifty days of Easter! We also celebrate the beginning of new life. Nature provides us with the wonderful examples of death and resurrection during the time when, as Christians, we observe the seasons of Lent and Easter. Lent reminds us of our need to seek forgiveness from God and from others. Easter proclaims the joyful news that Christ has conquered death and that His promise is true- whoever believes in me will never die. Please join us for our Easter Resurrection Mass on May 4, 2017 at 9:30 a.m. A huge thank you to our SAC and parents for the work that they have done and continue to do in supporting our students and our school. We have had many successful special lunch programs, snack shack days and the Family Movie Night. These events require parental support and you can always step up to the plate. There is still time to volunteer for parent run activities this school year. Have a wonderful Spring Break. See you back on Monday April, 3. Lesia Huk Principal/Directora Bernard MacGregor Assistant Principal/Sub Director

2 DEAR PARENTS Just a friendly reminder.. First Bell is at 8:20am, please do not drop off your children at the school before 8:10am. There is no supervision for students before that time. Also, the bell at the end of day rings at 3:00pm. Please have arrangements made for your children to go home at this time; either by bus or pick up, we do not have supervision after school. If, for any reason, you are going to be late, let the office PAYMENTS Starting March 1 st,2017 we will no longer be accepting cheques as form of payment. Bus pass payments for the months of April, May and June have been added to parents of students who take the bus. Please make payments for bussing or powerschool.ecsd.net. DEMONSTRATION OF LEARNING Reports cards went live on Friday, March 17 th, and then our students and parents shared some time together at our Demonstration of Learning on the evening of Thursday, March 23 rd. We hope that everyone enjoyed celebrating the successes of our students. KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION If you have a child who was born between March 1 st,2012 to February 28,2013, your child will be eligible to attend kindergarten in the school year. Kindergarten registration began on Monday, January 23 rd,2017. We will continue to accept school registrations for kindergarten and all other grades throughout the rest of the school year. SCHOOL REGISTRATION We are looking ahead to our school year and beginning to asses our student numbers. If your child is already a student at St. Teresa and will be returning in September 2017, they will automatically be moved to the next grade level and they are considered as fully registered students. If you will not be returning and you have NOT already informed the office, we ask that you inform us as soon as possible. This information is critical for staffing and class

3 placements for next year. We are accepting registration for all grades for the year. MONTHLY BUS PASSES Please note that payment for monthly bus passes is due the 1st of each month. For your convenience, payments can now be made on-line. If you would wish to pay for the rest of year, please let the office know. Please make sure your payments are made before the due date. REGULAR YELLOW BUS PASS. $32.00 FAMILY PLAN YELLOW BUS PASS $28.00 TRANSPORTATION ISSUES Please call our offices 7:15 AM 5:00 PM Please be advised that the following Radio and TV Stations will carry announcements with respect to transportation cancellations due to inclement weather conditions. EXTRA CLOTHES Spring weather will, hopefully, soon arrive at the playground of St. Teresa. This will bring with it large puddles and mud. It is helpful if young children wear appropriate clothing, which would include rubber boots. As a precaution, please put an extra pair of pants and socks in your child s backpack, just in case. This will eliminate a call home for dry clothing. HIP HOP During the week of April 3 rd -7 th the students of St. Teresa School will be having an instructor from SoundKreations showing them some Hip Hop moves. A final performance of what they learned will happen on the afternoon of Friday, April 7 th.

4 SPRING CONCERT In order to accommodate the growing number of students in our school and at the same time comply with fire regulations, we will be having our Spring Concerts in April over 3 evenings Monday, April 24 th -Kindergarten and grade 1 concert starting at 6:30pm-We ask that Kindergarten and grade 1 students be at the school by 6: 00pm. Tuesday, April 25 th - grades 2 & 3 concert starting at 7:00pm-We ask that students be at the school by 6:30pm. Wednesday, April 26 th - grades 4-6 concert starting at 7:00pm. We ask that students be at the school by 6:30pm. Having your child arrive ahead of time will enable teachers to get their students organized and in their line-up order so the concert can start on time. Spring Concert Tickets Each family will be granted 2 tickets for the evening performance as it is not possible to accommodate higher numbers in the gym. You must request your tickets in advance and let us know if you will not be attending your child s concert so that we may possibly give extra tickets to families requesting them. We do not charge a fee for concert tickets, however a food bank donation would be very much appreciated. A form will be sent home to families who would like to request tickets for the evening concerts in April. Two tickets will be granted for each family. You must have a ticket to attend your child s concert. Since we have limited tickets, extended family is welcome to attend our dress rehearsal (no tickets required) which will be held at 1 : 30pm on the afternoon of your child s evening concert. Spring Concert Attire Kindergarten-Children are asked to wear jeans, (jeans skirts for girls if they prefer) bright colored t-shirts, and a baseball cap or casual hat with a brim. Grade 1-Children are asked to dress up in their Sunday Best Grades 2 & 3 The Selfish Giant -Children need to wear jean pants (or skirts for girls if they prefer) with bright colored t-shirts. The rest of the costume pieces will be provided by the school. Grades 4-6 Dreamcatcher -Children are to wear black (or very dark) t-shirts with black pants (girls can wear black skirts or dresses if they prefer). Sashes to go over the shirts will be provided by St. Teresa School. **Some of the children who have specific roles or solo parts may be asked to wear something different from the other students so they will receive a separate letter.

5 *Please make sure that children do not wear any accessories or jewelry that may be noisy, or fall off easily, as children will be doing many actions as they sing. *Also, footwear needs to be comfortable and practical for safety as students will be standing on risers (no loud, clunky, high heeled shoes or flip flops please). PLEASE SEE ATTACHED FORM TO TRY AND WIN THE BEST SEATS IN THE HOUSE FOR THE SPRING CONCERT GOOD FRIDAY AND EASTER MONDAY Please remember that there is no school on Good Friday, April 14 th and Easter Monday, April 17 th. Mass Times at St. Thomas More Church: Good Friday Service: 12:00pm-1:45pm 3:00pm-4:45pm Easter Sunday Service: 8:00am-9:45am 10:00am-11:00am 12:00pm-1:00pm 6:00pm-7:00pm GRADE 5 IMMUNIZATION On Friday, April 21 st, the Community Health nurses will visit our school to administer the last round of immunizations for our Grade 5 students. HOT LUNCH A thank you to all the wonderful Parent Volunteers who helped on St. Patrick s Day to hand out the Panago Hot Lunch. Our Hot Lunch in April will be on Friday, April 21 st, from Cora s. Please have your child s order entered and paid for by Wednesday, April 12 th so that your child may have Hot lunch. To confirm that your child has a hot lunch ordered please check your stteresasac.hotlunches.net MILK CLUB Just a reminder that after spring break we will still be having MILK CLUB. Chocolate or white milk can be purchased every day at lunch. The milk can be purchased individually for $0.75 or a MILK CARD can be purchased for $ MILK CARDS can be purchased in the office, or from homeroom teachers.

6 A SH WEDNESDAY CELEBRATION Thank you to the Grade One Teachers who lead us in a wonderful Ash Wednesday Celebration.

7 SOCIAL JUSTICE St. Teresa's Social Justice Fair "In a world where injustices exist, how can we respond to God's call to respect the human dignity of each person?" That was the driving question asked of all grade six students at St. Teresa School as we prepared for our first Social Justice Fair. This project based learning opportunity incorporated religion, social studies, language arts and math while developing competencies through a Catholic worldview. We wanted this year s social justice project to be completely student led and the choice of our project to come from the entire student body of St. Teresa. In October, we mixed all the grade six classes into collaborative teams of four to research a variety of injustices that exist in the world. Through close readings of gospel and church teachings, students identified human dignity to be the worth and value of all people as we are created in the image and likeness of God. As a result of each person's worth and value we must ensure that they are treated fairly and with respect. The students looked at the Good Samaritan and other Bible passages for examples of Jesus' teachings, and they extended their understanding with Church teachings on social justice. Through these teachings students established the criteria for choosing an injustice and charity they would want to help. The 12 groups of four worked hard to research the injustice and chosen charity to share with grades 4-6 students through presentations. They needed to share some background context that causes the injustice, while sharing God's call for us to stand up and help to restore justice. After hearing the presentations on February 3rd grades 4-6 students voted on their choices for what they felt St. Teresa should work towards this year. The top three groups then adapted and worked on a final presentation to grades 1-3 for February 16th. The grade ones kept the grade sixes on their toes with the amount and types of questions they had for each group! The final vote from grades 1-3 resulted in St. Theresa's support of Samaritan's Purse project to help children born in Bolivia with cleft lips to receive surgery. The group will lead and coordinate the fundraising ideas for the rest of the year, but all grade six students will take part in volunteering to help fundraise for a very worthy cause.

8 SAILOR AND SAILBOATS FIELDTRIP

9 MOVIE NIGHT A BIG Thank you!! to our AMAZING Parent Volunteers for a fabulous Movie Night!!

10 Pi DAY On Tuesday, March 14, 2017 the St. Teresa Social Justice Committee held our first Pi Day fundraiser. Students purchased tickets to throw a pie in a teacher s face. Thank you to Mr. MacGregor, Miss DaCruz, Mr. Gamboa, Mrs. Chizen, Mrs. Grieder, Mrs. Lamoureux, and a last minute special guest..mrs. Huk for volunteering to get Pi d!! In total $ was raised!! Atta, Mr. Gamboa and Mr. MacGregor Senorita DaCruz and Mrs. Chizen Mrs. LaPlante helping Pi Mr. MacGregor Mrs. Huk getting Pi d

11 KINDERGARTEN Pi DAY

12 SCHOOL CHAPLAIN S MESSAGE Lent is a time of forty days to help us to reflect on how we can become the best version of ourselves. We can do this by spending some time each day in prayer, and focusing on how we can make changes in our lives, so that we can develop a closer relationship with Jesus, who died on the cross to pay for our sins. A great way to do this is to make an effort to go to Confession during the season of Lent before a priest and receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The following abridged information is from the Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton website: Making a good confession requires advance self-reflection thinking about where you went wrong in your relationship with God, and deciding to make a firm resolution, with God s help, to make a positive change in your life. This is called Examining your Conscience. You can find guidelines and information to help you make a good confession by adding the following words to the website above: Day of Confessing/Examine Your Conscience Here you will find information and guidelines for students Grades 2-3; Grades 4-6; For Teens; For Young Adults; For Single Persons; For Married Persons; For Older People; etc. The Rite of Reconciliation (Penance or Confession) 1. It is recommended that you begin by making the Sign of the Cross, saying, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. 2. Greet the priest and indicate about how long it has been since you were last at confession, by saying something like the following words: Bless me Father, for I have sinned. It has been number of weeks, or months, or years since my last confession. These are my sins. 3. Tell your sins simply and honestly to the priest. Don t be embarrassed. The priest, too, goes to confession regularly. Start by confessing your serious sins (mortal sins) first and your less serious (venial) sins. Do not knowingly leave out anything that you know is serious and wrong. 4. When you have finished naming your sins, you can express your sorrow for those sins, by saying something like: I am sorry for these sins, and for all the sins I cannot remember. 5. The priest will then give you advice, followed by a penance. This usually consists of a few prayers for you to say afterwards, asking God to help you to make positive changes in your life journey with Him. 6. Then you are asked make an Act of Contrition prayer, expressing sorrow for breaking your relationship with God.

13 See sample Act of Contrition Prayer below: My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart. In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good, I have sinned against you whom I should love above all things. I firmly intend, with your help, to do penance, to sin no more, and to avoid whatever leads me to sin. Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner. Amen. 6. Once you have finished your prayer, which can also be your own personal prayer of repentance, the priest will then extend his hand, and say the words of absolution words expressing God s forgiveness: God, the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his Son has reconciled the world to himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins; through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. 7. The priest will then conclude with the words: Your sins are forgiven. Go in the peace of Christ. 8. Your response can be: Thanks be to God, or Thank you, Father. You can then make the Sign of the Cross and leave. 9. Following this, it is important to pray the prayers, immediately after, that the priest has given you for your penance. Don t forget to thank God for his love and mercy. Important points to note regarding Confession: You can go to any priest anywhere. If you choose to confess behind a screen, you do not have to tell the priest your name or give any details that would identify you. Tell your sins briefly. You do not need to go into detail. If you are unsure about something, ask the priest, and he will assist you. The Church recommends that Catholics go to Confession at least once a year. However, it is good to go to Confession often and regularly, even though you may have no serious sins to confess. Remember that through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, you not only receive forgiveness of your sins, but you also receive God s grace to help you overcome future temptations. God never, ever tires of forgiving us. ~Pope Francis

14 LETTER FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT The Lord is faithful in all his words, and gracious in all his deeds. The Lord upholds all who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down. ~Psalm 145: 13-14~ This passage comes from a beautiful psalm titled The Greatness and the Goodness of God. It truly evokes the image of a loving Father who nurtures and supports his children in their life s journey. As we approach Holy Week and the ensuing season of Easter, we can see this greatness and goodness of our God in the saving gift of his Son, Jesus. Edmonton Catholic Schools has many reasons to celebrate this month. We are very pleased to have been named one of Alberta s Top 70 Employers 2017, our second year in a row! This special designation is organized by the editors of Canada's Top 100 Employers and recognizes Alberta employers that lead their industries in offering exceptional places to work. Organizations that enter the competition are evaluated in 8 categories and then compared to other organizations. Winners are chosen for offering the most progressive and forward-thinking programs. We know that when our staff have exceptional working conditions, they can focus on providing excellent learning experiences for our students. The Council of Catholic School Superintendents of Alberta sponsors the Excellence in Catholic Education Awards each year. We are pleased to announce that Bruno Binassi, principal of Sir John Thompson, Rena Methuen, principal of Ben Calf Robe/St. Clare, and Beth Pecson, a teacher from Monsignor Fee Otterson are recipients of this prestigious award. These three exceptional Catholic educators are being recognized for providing excellent educational experiences for their students that are deeply grounded in our Catholic faith. Congratulations! As we approach the final months of our school year, the opportunity to celebrate student achievements in a variety of forums arises. Each year Edmonton Catholic Schools showcases and celebrates fine arts education and the gifts and talents of its students and staff through its annual Celebration of the Arts Concert. This year, our event takes place on Tuesday, April 25 at 6:30 pm at the Winspear Centre. It is a truly awe-inspiring evening. The final Supporting our Diverse Learners session for parents and guardians takes place on Wednesday, April 19 at 6:30 pm, St. Anthony Meeting Centre, Avenue. This session will focus on mental health awareness, transitions, and Programs of Choice. Topics include the developing brain, common myths about mental illness, childhood and teenage stress, and promoting positive mental health in your child. Visit to learn more and to register. The provincial budget was proclaimed on March 16. We are pleased to receive dollars to support the reduction in school fees that we have already put in place for next year. We are extremely pleased the government will continue to provide funding for new students. We are projecting an enrolment increase of 3.3% or 1,359 students for September Our work to analyze all the financial data will continue over the next few weeks. As the end of Lent approaches, I would like to leave you with a final thought from Pope Francis. Lent is the favorable season for renewing our encounter with Christ, living in his word, in the sacraments and in our neighbour. (Twitter, March 12, 2017) Many blessings of the Easter season to all of you! Sincerely, Joan Carr Superintendent

15 LETTER FROM FATHER DEAN April 2017 We are a people who love messages. Did you get my letter? My ? Text? Indeed, we all like to have something to tell. A message is defined as a verbal, written, or recorded communication sent to or left for a recipient. In turn, a message is intended to be heard, heeded, and likely succeeded on to another. Consequently, the content of the message is very important, both by what it is and how it is conveyed. For us as Catholics and Christians, Easter has a most powerful message: Christ is Risen! The fullness and importance of the message is that Jesus intimately knew our human experience, and through being God, was able to conquer sin and destroy death. When taken together, this is why the Cross and the Resurrection of Christ define our identity as the Catholic Church. This is also why our recognition of our identity in the Mass is to be a communal celebration: together we experience Christ in the social community which gathers to worship as God s people through what was accomplished during the Triduum. Such becomes the value in having all its members present, each and every Sunday, for where the whole Church is joined in unity, Christ is most present. And where all are gathered, all will receive the one same clear communication of good news. The greatest message of the Church began with a few who saw, would believe, and then pursue the gift that was offered to them. The gift of their Faith is what we and those many before us would then receive. In these modern times, the Catholic Church, our District, and the community of Edmonton gathered together for Easter continues our identity of who we are and what we can achieve for Christ. This is the incredible power of good news, the purpose of Truth, and all received through the announcement of great joy. It is the fundamental message I pray and hope all will remember as we go forth: that Christ IS Risen and then to share it by text, or one-to-one with everyone in an excited Happy Easter! Very sincerely your servant in Christ, Fr. Dean Dowle Edmonton Catholic School District Chaplain

16 FROM ED JEAN, RELIGIOUS CONSULTANT Amoris Laetitia Chapter 7: TOWARDS A BETTER EDUCATION OF CHILDREN This chapter is particularly relevant for those who have been called to serve in the field of Catholic education. It is clear that the synod participants, under the leadership of Pope Francis, believe that the primary educators of children are the child s parents. The importance of this message is reflected in the second paragraph of this chapter which explains how essential it is for parents to spend quality time with their children: Only if we devote time to our children, speaking of important things with simplicity and concern, and finding healthy ways for them to spend their time, will we be able to shield them from harm. (260) This devoted time is seen as a gift to be shared by both parents and children. The document underlines the importance of helping children to see the parental relationship as a positive experience when it says, Obsession, however, is not education (261). The focus is on encouraging children to develop habits of love and trust, not controlling them with fear of punishment. While it is true that inappropriate behavior must be corrected, the key is to do so with love and in a way that the children understand and learn from the situation. It is interesting to note the understanding of the real world that comes through in this chapter. There is no illusion that all families are perfect and all adolescents listen to and respect their parents. This is reflected in the quotation: adolescents should be helped to draw analogies: to appreciate that values are best embodied in a few exemplary persons, but also realized imperfectly and to different degrees in others (272). This gives parents permission to turn to others for assistance. His Holiness invites and encourages all parents to seek faithful assistance; this is especially true concerning the gift of Catholic education. One of the most influential partners that parents can count on to assist them in the education of their children is the Catholic school systems available in many countries around the world. The education of children involves teaching of morality, Scripture study, and theology, as well as education on human sexuality. In speaking specifically about this area, the document gives several guiding statements which educators can look to for inspiration: It can only be seen within the broader framework of an education for love, for mutual self-giving (280). The important thing is to teach them sensitivity to different expressions of love, mutual concern and care, loving respect and deeply meaningful communication (283). While these statements are not a how to teach human sexuality, they give a clear direction and focus for the development of human sexuality education programs in Catholic schools. In concluding the chapter, Pope Francis returns to the importance of the role of parents in raising their children. Handing on the faith presumes that parents themselves genuinely trust God, seek him and sense their need for him, for only in this way does one generation laud your works to another, and declare your mighty acts [Ps 144:4] and fathers make known to children your faithfulness [Is 38:19] (287). The education of children is a daunting challenge and a glorious calling for all of us. We, as educators and members of the Church, are a source of support for the parents of the children we serve. Ed Jean, Secondary Religious Education Consultant

17 BEST SEATS IN THE HOUSE Get ready for the Spring season this year by attending our Spring Concert - on April 24 at 6:30 pm and April 25, 26 at 7:00 pm in our school gymnasium. We are reserving front row seats especially for you! We will hold a raffle for 24 special seats. For a donation of $ 5.00 you have a chance to have 2 front row seats and see your child right close up. The more tickets you buy the greater your chance of sitting in the Best Seats in the House. We will notify the lucky seat holders on April 19 th. (All donations will go towards supporting our Music program) Please fill in the form below, include your family name. Please cut off the bottom and return to school with payment and return by Tuesday, April 18 th Family name Grade Amount included $

18 MARCH FOR LIFE INVITATION Foundational to our belief as Catholics is that life is a gift from God. Our District Chaplains, Father Dean Dowle and Father Julian Bilyj would like to invite all of our staff and our parents to join them on Thursday, May 11, 2017 for the Alberta March for Life, which honors that All Lives Matter From Beginning to End. This is a family friendly event which allows participants to bear witness to our belief of the sanctity of life. This pro-life event begins at Churchill Square at noon. There will be a formal program followed by a march to the Alberta Legislature. Visit to learn more about the event and to view the detailed brochure on the March for Life events. Father Dean shares Together, we walk in happiness to live and give the love that was so generously shared with each of us.

19 Escuela St. Teresa School April 2017 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat th Sunday of Back at school *Clay for Kids No Kindergarten School Confession Lent Palm Sunday *Grades:6A,5A&5/ *Clay for *Clay for Kids: 5C & 9:30-11:30 6 Kids:4C,3C, 4A Hip-Hop Hip-Hop *Hip-Hop *Hip-Hop Hip-Hop Good Friday NO SCHOOL Easter Sunday Easter Monday NO SCHOOL Motivational Magic 1:00pm Dia Del Libro *Hot Lunch-Cora *Grade 5 immunization Earth Day St. Teresa Spring Concerts Student Faith Day 30 K&1 Concert: 6:30pm Dress 1:30pm Grade 2&3: 7pm Dress Rehearsal@ 1:30pm Grade 4-6: 7pm Dress 1:30 pm

20 Events in May Monday, May 1 st -Grade 2/3 Go to the Symphony Thursday, May 4 th - Easter Mass at St. Thomas More 9:30am Friday, May 5 th - Hot Lunch-Burrito Libre Tuesday, May 9 th -Grade 3 s go to Devonian Gardens Wednesday, May 10 th - Kindergarten Mothers Night Thursday, May 11 th - Grade 6 PAT (LA Part A) Friday, May 12 th - Family Dance 6pm-8:30pm May 16 th & 17 th - Grade 6 camping trip Friday, May 19 th -Hot Lunch-Nitza Monday, May 22 nd -Victoria Day (NO SCHOOL) Wednesday, May 24 th - Grade 6s go to Bennet Centre Friday, May 26 th - Wear Red or Yellow for Spanish Cultural Week Monday, May29th- Tennis Starts Wednesday, May 31 st - S.A.C. 6:30pm