Included in this issue: Report Card and Demonstration of Learning Grade 6 Provincial Achievement Exam Dates District News. And much, much more!

Transcription

1 2018 And with the flip of a page on the calendar, we are into March. Hard to believe that in only 4 short months, we will be looking at summer vacations and time in the sun! Plans are well on their way for the next school year as well. We have already sent out our request for school information. This is important for school staffing and would ask that you return it if you have not already done so. Some of our classes fill quickly and we do not want to miss anyone already in our school! Our SAC has been busy and once again, will be hosting a movie night for our families. There is no cost for the movie, however, popcorn and drink packages do come at a minimal cost. Be sure to hand in your tickets in time and come join us for a movie! Over the course of the year, we have experienced some staffing changes. This month, we welcome Mdm. Sarah Nyamweya to our 100 Voices classes as she takes charge for Mrs. Howarth who is now on maternity leave anxiously awaiting the birth of her first baby! We wish Mrs. Howarth much health and happiness as she enters motherhood! We also had our admin changes announced for and as you may be aware, Mrs. Buxton will be retiring after many years of dedicated service. Our new assistant principal in September will be Ms. Karen Filewych, a noted author in our educational world! As the year progresses and as more babies are on the way, we will have some temporary staffing changes. Stay tuned for more! We have many events coming up in these next three weeks of school prior to spring break including our skiing date that has been rescheduled from February. Please be sure to look to the calendar or check us out on Twitter (@KTCatholicECSD) for up to date information. We wish you all a safe and fun-filled spring break at the end of March. And in the spirit of St. Patrick s Day, we leave you with this Irish blessing: Included in this issue: Report Card and Demonstration of Learning Grade 6 Provincial Achievement Exam Dates District News And much, much more!

2 May your thoughts be as glad as the shamrocks. May your heart be as light as a song. May each day bring you bright, happy hours that stay with you all the year long. Ms. J. Hertlein Principal Mrs. G. Buxton Assistant Principal Report Cards and Demonstration of Learning A reminder that our report cards will be released through Power School on Monday, March 12 at 3:00 pm. A printed copy will be sent home with your child as well. If you are still experiencing difficulties accessing your PowerSchool account, please contact the Help Desk which is listed on the landing page of PowerSchool. Our Demonstration of Learning will take place on Thursday, March 15, from 1:30-4:30 and 5:30-7:30 (finishing by 8:00). Doors will be closed at 7:30 pm. Please look to our Wednesday envelope for times and more information School Registration We are now accepting new registrations for the school year. Our program guidelines are: 100 Voices: Children must be 3 years of age by September 30th, 2018 and have gone through the screening process. Kindergarten: Children must turn 5 BEFORE March 1st, A reminder that we try our best to make accommodations to families for certain times, however, we DO NOT guarantee morning or afternoon placements. Our students are placed according to need and balancing all student needs in all of our programs. We are also accepting registrations for our Grades 1 to 6 programs. More information about registration in Edmonton Catholic Schools can be found on our district website (ecsd.net). Grade 6 Provincial Achievement Exams Because much happens at the end of the year, we would like parents to please keep the following dates for PATs in mind when scheduling appointments, vacations and/or other absences: Thursday May 10, 2018 English Language Arts Part A (Written) Monday, June 18, 2018 English Language Arts Part B (Reading Comprehension)

3 Tuesday, June 19, 2018 Math Wednesday, June 20, 2018 Social Studies Friday, June 22, 2018 Science All exams are written in the morning and start at 9:00 am. Times for each exam vary, however, most exams are completed by 11:00 am. Spring Break A reminder that spring break occurs from March 26 to April 2. We welcome students back to school on Tuesday, April 3 at 8:27 am. KT is on Twitter! Katherine Therrien is on Twitter! Follow us for all the latest news and up-to-date information as it becomes available. Our handle Jump Rope for Heart Parents, Once again we will be participating in the Jump Rope for Heart fundraiser for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. The annual kick-off will be on Thursday, March 22 in the afternoon. Your child will bring home a pledge envelope on that day and they are to be returned no later than Friday, May 4th. It is essential that all envelopes are returned even if you and your child choose not to participate. The Heart and Stroke Foundation is accountable for all fundraising envelopes. When fundraising, please have your child only ask people they know, friends and relatives. This is not meant to be a door to door fundraiser for safety reasons. The final Jump Rope for Heart event day will be held on Friday, May 11 in the afternoon. Kindergarten and the morning 100 Voices class will have their event that morning. Lets all get active and help our own hearts and pay it forward to this very worthy organization! Happy Jumping! The Jump Rope for Heart Team GLOW! Our GLOW team is busy preparing some fun for March. On March 22nd, GLOW will be hosting a Break-the-Rules Day. Students have created a list of rules that can be broken for the day. Some examples are wearing pj s, wearing a hat, wearing a costume, extra gym time, etc. Students are asked

4 to bring a donation (any amount) to contribute towards Development in Peace as our Lenten project. More information will come closer to the date of the event. School Advisory Council News Thank you to our families who helped in making the Kernels Popcorn Fundraiser a success. The winner of the Kernels Gift Card was Emma in Kindergarten. The classroom popcorn parties were won by Grade 3 and Kindergarten. We are looking forward to seeing all of our families at our Movie Night on Friday, March 16. Information will be sent home in the Wednesday Envelope. Please remember to keep sending in your Boston Pizza receipts as our school will receive a donation for each percentage of sales. Gather them from your family and friends. A Message from our District Chaplain 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

5 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 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

6 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,

7 Joan Carr Superintendent The Benefits of Eggs Unscrambled! Written by Melissa Baker, MHSc, RD, BC Dairy Association Are eggs good or bad for you? The answer has finally been unscrambled. Recent research has highlighted that the cholesterol found in eggs has a minimal effect on blood cholesterol levels. An average of 1 egg per day can easily fit into a healthy diet. So, despite eggs unhealthy reputation in the past, we now know that eggs are a great choice: They are an excellent source of protein. Getting enough protein from your meals can be especially challenging during breakfast time. Eggs can help! Each large egg has 6 grams of protein. Add them to your breakfast to help spread your protein intake more evenly throughout the day. They are nutritious. Don t throw out the yolks, as they contain almost half of the protein and many other healthy nutrients, such as choline, folate, vitamin B12 and vitamin A. They are affordable and readily available. Some organic or omega-3 enriched options can be more expensive so stick to the regular option. Eggs are a good choice any way. They are versatile and easy to use. Perfect for quick meal with family or friends. Get the little ones involved too teach them how to crack open an egg and whip up some delicious scrambled eggs! Here are some simple ideas of how to incorporate more eggs into your diet: Hard boil eggs and keep them in the fridge for easy snacks or additions to meals. Bake mini-quiches in muffin cups for a quick grab-and-go option in the morning, or make a sandwich with an English muffin and microwave it with a slice of cheese for a quick meal. Egg salad is a great staple when you just don t know what to pack for lunches. You can make it ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for 2-3 days. Try a healthier version of fried rice at home. Stir-fry brown rice, with your favourite vegetables, and some eggs. Top pizza or sautéed greens with an over-easy egg. Want some more delicious and nutritious ideas? Visit Breakfast for Learning s Nutrition corner at

8 The March Newsletter is now online at Read your copy now!! This month s question for a chance to win lunch or snack with the administration is: Demonstration of Learning occurs on March, 2018 from 1:30 to 4:30 and 5:30 to 7:30. Spring Break begins after early dismissal on Friday, March, Students return to school on Tuesday, April, Name: Grade: