Our Lady of Mount Carmel School

Transcription

1 Our Lady of Mount Carmel School Avenue Edmonton, Alberta T6E 1L3 Phone: (780) Fax: (780) Website: March 2018 Newsletter Administrators Message March is another exciting month at Our Lady of Mount Carmel School with Elementary Report Cards, St. Patrick s Day, and then our Performing Arts Academy production of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory on the 21st! The month concludes with a well-deserved Spring Break from the 24th to April 2nd. Our Junior High Academic Achievement Rally was held on February 27th to celebrate the effort and learning demonstrated by our students. We of course strongly encourage our JH students to continue putting in the time necessary to experience genuine success both in and out of school Term 2 Elementary Report Cards will be available online through PowerSchool at 3:00 p.m. March 7th. Should parents wish to meet with their child s teacher to discuss the past three months of learning, please them to set up a mutually convenient time. As we did last year, our intention is to print year-end Report Cards so as to provide students with a written record of their significant accomplishments during the school year. Mr. Kevin S. McGoey Ms. Diane Bowers-O Neill Principal Assistant Principal

2 School Advisory Council: SAC School Advisory Council/Fundraising Society Update Thank you so much to all the volunteer cooks, servers, families, and staff who came out to support our Shrove Tuesday pancake breakfast. What a great morning we had eating 1500 pancakes and 1500 sausages! Hot Lunch - Mark your calendars and order today! On March 16 the kids can enjoy the WOK BOX. Boston Pizza - Did you make it to BP s for heart shaped pizzas on St. Valentine s Day? Bring the itemized receipt to the office so we can earn cash back for our fundraising Society. Our next School Council meeting is March 6th in the library from 6:30-8:00pm. Please join us to get involved, meet other parents, and help enhance our fantastic school! Thank you! Our Lady of Mount Carmel School Council olmcsac@gmail.com Contact olmcsac@gmail.com for more information or to volunteer for upcoming activities! High School Info for Grade 9 s that time of year for our Grade Nine students to decide which High School they will attend. We ve been fortunate to have several schools join us at Mount Carmel to highlight their program choices. Louis St. Laurent is the closest Catholic High School and they provided a strong presentation. They also sent us a few pictures which include some of our former students. We wish our G9 students and their parents the very best during the decision process. Open Houses 1. Louis St. Laurent: March 7 pm 2. St. Joseph High School March 7 pm Note that Shadow-a-Student takes place during the months of March and April. This is coordinated directly with St. Joseph High School by the parents of prospective students. 3. Holy Trinity High School March 7 pm 4. St. Francis Xavier High School March 7:00 p.m. 5. Austin O'Brien - March 7:00 pm 6. Mother Margaret Mary - March 7:00 pm Note: On March 9th Louis St. Laurent (our feeder High School) will be doing pre-registrations at Mt. Carmel beginning at 10:00 a.m. for those G9 students who will be attending their school. 2 It is

3 Staffing Changes Best wishes and farewell Ms. Kaitlin Bronn We would like to extend a very fond farewell to Ms. Kaitlin Bronn, who has provided excellent teaching in our Kindergarten program during Ms. Cowen s maternity leave. Kaitlin has decided to venture down to Calgary in search of a teaching position and we wish her the very best both professionally and personally! Dear Families, This has been the most wonderful year to spend in Edmonton and at Our Lady of Mount Carmel School. Thank you for being so welcoming; it has truly made my transition from Ontario to Alberta so much easier. I have loved working up in the Kindergarten room alongside Mrs. Coco and Mrs. O. I have had an amazing time working with the Kinders and watching them grow. It has been an absolute privilege to see their personalities develop as we laid the foundation for future learning. I hope the next four months are just as full of learning as these past six months have been. Love, Ms. Bronn Welcome back Ms. Jessica Cowen We are looking forward to Ms. Jessica Cowen returning to OLMC and the Kindergarten program! We appreciate all the gifts and talents she shares with our students. We hope to hear some fun new mom stories about her beautiful little boy, Jack! Dear Parents and Guardians, It is my sincere pleasure to announce that I am returning from my maternity leave and will begin teaching beginning March 5 th. I am very excited to return and begin to get to know such a special group of students. Teaching is an absolute passion of mine. I am excited to work with you and your child. I absolutely love teaching Kindergarten. It is my mission to instill a love for learning in my students. I teach with a passion so that my students develop a desire to become life long learners. It is going to be a little bit of a transition for your child and myself. However, I can guarantee that, within a few days, we will all be adjusted! I will also make sure the last four months of school are filled with fun, learning, and lots of adventure! Sincerely, Jessica Cowen 3

4 Celebrating Indigenous Culture Drumming OLMC students (and staff) enjoyed participating in a drumming activity with Lucas Coffey. He emphasised how we all have a beautiful rhythm to share and that our rhythm can be used to make room and support the rhythm of others.! Indigenous Art On Feb 22, our Junior High students had the opportunity to view many pieces of Indigenous Art and provide their thoughts and reflections on them. Much of the art work displayed was by Canadian artists, several of whom were self-taught! Student comments included love the colours of many of the art pieces, interesting designs, the art work reflects Canada, and of course, this is awesome! We look forward to sharing more cultural awareness activities with our students in March and beyond. 4

5 Celebrating 100th Day Our Grade Two students enjoyed many fun activities to celebrate the 100th Day of the School Year. Activities were designed for literacy, numeracy, health, Phys. Ed, and arts & crafts. We extend a special thank you to our parent helpers who supported the many different and fun stations. Keep working hard grade two students! The year is now more than half over and grade three is just around the corner. Math 100 cups around the perimeter of the body! Cup Stacking to 100! 100 Puzzle Pieces! 5 Counting to 100 in groups of 10!

6 Celebrating Elementary Learning Grade 3/4 science Testing materials and designs by building towers. Science in Grade 4 creating machines that move. Art Snowy owls by Grade 4 students. 6

7 Celebrating Elementary Learning Science Grade 3/4 Testing materials and designs by building towers. Grade 3/4 science Testing materials and designs by building a playground. Grade 5 Science designing mechanisms that use electricity. Grade 5 Science Classroom Chemistry 7 Grade 6 Sky Science exploring the phases of the moon.

8 Performing Arts Mt. Carmel Performing Arts - March 2018 Performing Arts Academy students were busy displaying their talents and learning in February through our spectacular improv competition, speaking and performing at the open house, creating health skits, reviewing scenes, harmonized singing, and fundraising. Junior High students ended up just four points out of the Improv Finals this year, a strong showing for their first year performance! They have also been working hard at designing and painting our set for our upcoming Willy Wonka production and creating the costumes. During the month of February, many of our academy students have enjoyed being role models for prospective Performing Arts students who shadowed them. Our students have done an exceptional job at making each Shadow feel at home at OLMC and in the Performing Arts Academy. March has the following events in store: Saturday March 10 - ALL CAST rehearsal at Mt. Carmel 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. (Lunch will be provided.) It's really important that students come as we can get so much done on these days! Thursday March 15- Heart of Glee at the Myer Horowitz Theatre in SUB on the University of Alberta campus. Tickets are $20.00 and go towards the Stollery Hospital for Children. Performers do not have to buy tickers. Send money to Ms. Paquin at school. Cheques should be made out to Our Lady of Mount Carmel School. All PA students are in the show. Drop off is 6:30 p.m. at Dinwoodie Lounge on the 2nd floor of SUB. This truly is a spectacular district-wide event! We will be singing "Disney Travel Songs" but as of now don t know if this will be in the first or second half of the performance. I ll let the students know when I find out. Dress rehearsal is that morning at the UofA with the bus is leaving Mt. Carmel at 8:40 a.m. Elementary Students, please wear cowboy/western costumes (plaid, jeans, hats, etc.) Saturday March 17- ALL CAST rehearsal at Mt. Carmel 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. (Lunch will be provided.) This is the one that all students must be at for the whole time. Please have them come wearing their basic black outfits. We will be wearing costumes and using full sound for this next -to-last rehearsal! Wednesday March 21- The Big Show! Morning will be final rehearsals, hair and make-up. The full dress rehearsal will take place at 1:15 and guests are welcome. For the main 7:00 show, the drop off will be at 6:00 p.m. in the music room! Many thanks! Important Reminders: All cast must be rigorously practicing their lines beforehand! The songs are on YouTube under Willy Wonka Jr. Leading up to the 21st, Tuesday attendance is essential as it is our most important rehearsal day. Students are to wear black to the show so costumes can go on top. Thank you to all families for their support and understanding. We truly have an amazing group of students and supports this year! Enjoy this month of rehearsals & performances followed up by Spring Break! Anna Paquin P.A. Director 8

9 Hockey Academy As we move into March, the Hockey Academy becomes very busy. Academy players are involved in minor hockey playoffs and year end tournaments, while prospective students come for shadow days to learn about our program. At this time of year it is important to keep on ice sessions fast paced and fun as the winter season can be a bit of a grind for players and coaches alike. Off of the ice, we are excited to start playing ball hockey at Southside Arena as well as getting outside for slo-pitch and other spring activities. It's been another great year thus far and we are ready to continue strong over the next four months! Sincerely, Andrew Zvonkovic Mount Carmel Hockey Academy Program Coordinator- Head Instructor Ave. Edmonton Alberta Phone: (780) Fax: (780)

10 MTC Rec Academy Recreation Academy-March News Last month the Recreation Academy students participated in a lot of outdoor winter activities like snowshoeing, outdoor pursuits, skating, and sledding. This month we look forward to trying out racquet sports! Congratulations to our Recreation Academy students of the month for February: Max Popowich and Jenny Houle! If you would like to set up a shadow day to try out the Recreation Academy, please contact Jen Belous at Soccer Academy It s Soccer Time! We are now accepting new applications for the Soccer Academy. Shadow dates will be arranged by Ms. Dawn Poulin-Biro. Please contact us for more information and to set up your Shadow date. Kick into it! Dawn Poulin-Biro Dawn.Poulin-Biro@ecsd.net 10

11 The Chaplain s Corner Blessings Mount Carmel Families! Though February is a short month, it is always a busy one on our calendar. As usual, it was an awesome month for both students and staff at Our Lady of Mount Carmel. On February 5, our Grade 8 students, along with approximately 3500 Grade 8 students from Edmonton and surrounding communities attended the third annual Father Michael "Catfish" Mireau Day at the Shaw Conference Centre. This year's theme - "Rooted in Jesus...Hearts to Love, Hands to Serve" examined the power of one's faith and the importance of courage, selflessness, and using one's talents to serve others and bring positive change into the world. Guest speaker Steve Angrisano combined music and scripture with poignant and personal anecdotes for what turned out to be a spiritually engaging event for all our students. On the following day, staff from Edmonton Catholic Schools had the distinct pleasure to celebrate their Catholic faith with Father Richard Leonard whose sense of humor and powerful stories of compassion and humility were both entertaining and deeply inspiring. Mount Carmel students and staff officially began the Lenten season when they attended Ash Wednesday Mass at St. Anthony Parish on February 14. The Lenten season is a time of spiritual renewal as well as an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to our Catholic faith. In the words of Pope Francis, "This season calls us to conversion and to grow in friendship with the Lord. Lent is a favorable season for deepening our spiritual life in which we are invited to hear and ponder more deeply." We encourage our entire Mount Carmel Family to engage in extra prayer, fasting, and almsgiving throughout the Lenten season. May the coming weeks be a journey filled with hope and inspiration. God Bless! Mr. Steven Cormier Mt. Carmel School Chaplain 11

12 School Advisory Council: SAC STAY Alert March 2018 QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR KIDS AFTER SCHOOL INSTEAD OF HOW WAS YOUR DAY? What made you smile today? Can you tell me an example of kindness you saw/showed? What did you do that was creative? Who did you sit with at lunch? Was anyone in your class gone today? Tell me something you know today that you didn t know yesterday. Did you like your lunch? What was the hardest rule to follow today? If you could change one thing about your day, what would it be? What made your teacher smile? What made her frown? If you could switch seats with anyone in class, who would it be? And why? What kind of person were you today For more of these questions visit: instead-of-asking-how-was-your-day/ 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. 12

13 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 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

14 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, endeavouring 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 14

15 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 15

16 Important Dates March 6 School Council Meeting in 6:30 Presentations - Mr. Leonard JH Science & Athletics; Mr. Cormier - JH Social; Mr. Zvonkovic - Hockey Academy March 7 Elementary Report Card Online 3:00 p.m. March 8 G7&8 Options - Trimester 2 Ends March 10 Performing Arts Sat Rehearsal -10-3:00 March 13 G7&8 Options - Trimester 3 Begins March 13 Reconciliation Event in Gym 9:00-11:30 March 15 ECSD Heart of UofA March 16 School Council Hot Lunch Wok Box March 17 Performing Arts Sat Rehearsal -10-3:00 March 21 PA Spring Play 1:15 & 7:00 p.m. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory March 22 Full Day March 23 Half Day Mar 24-Apr 2 Spring Break April 3 9:30 a.m. - Whole School Easter Mass & First Communion St. Anthony Parish (107 St and 82 Ave) 16

17 March 2018 Sn Mon gg Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed Thur 1 2 Fri 3 Sat School Council Meeting 6:30 p.m. 7 Elem Report Cards Online 3:00 p.m. 8 G7&8 Option Trimester 2 Ends 9 10 PA Rehearsal 10-3:00 11 DAYLIGHT SAVINGS BEGINS Edmonton Catholic Schools Reconciliation Event Onsite 9:00-11:30 G7&8 Option Trimester 3 Begins P.A. Spring Play 1:15 & 7:00 p.m. ECSD Heart of UofA 7:00 p.m. 22 Full Day (3:05 dismissal) 16 School Council Hot Lunch Wok Box Half Day (12:18 dismissal) GOOD FRIDAY 17 PA Rehearsal 10-3:00 St. Patrick s Day 24 Spring Break Begins (Last Day off is Easter Monday April 2) 31 Our Lady of Mount Carmel School Phone: Fax: web@ecsd.net We Are Family 17