Mission Statement. Points of Interest. community. Dear Parents/Guardians: and to take stock on how we. can truly be mirrors of God s love for others.

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1 D E C E M B E R C E L E B R A T I N G G O D A N D Y O U T H A A V E E D M O N T O N A B T 5 Z 3 V F A X C E L E B R A T I N G G O D A N D Y O U T H N E W S L E T T E R D A T E P R I N C I P A L S M E S S A G E Mission Statement Dear Parents/Guardians: and to take stock on how we community. In order to prepare our students to live in and contribute to a changing world and engage in active, faith-filled, lifelong learning; St. John Bosco School provides an interactive and collaborative inquiry based learning environment that promotes higher level critical thinking utilizing realworld tools. Points of Interest On behalf of the St. John Bosco staff I want to thank all the families who were able to attend the Demonstration of Learning on November 26 th. The students are always excited about being able to share their learning and showcase their many accomplishments. When we talk with children about their learning, we provide them with opportunity to take on a leadership/ teaching role. Through conversation, stu- can truly be mirrors of God s love for others. As we come to the end of 2015, we reflect back on where we have been and look forward to changes that will bring understanding and peace to one another. As our world becomes increasingly busy and complex, it is even more important that we slow down and focus our attention on Jesus, the Light of the World. In each Advent Celebration the light represents God s infinite love for us. The St. John Bosco School staff would like to take this opportunity to thank you for all that you do for our students and for our school community and to wish you the best of the Christmas season ever, filled with peace, love and togetherness. May you and your family be touched with the spirit of peace, hope and joy this Christmas season. May Jesus, the light of the word, continue to bless us all. Kindergarten Registration St. Dominic Parish News dents are able to deepen their own understanding of their learning. Your pres- celebration of Christ s birth is a time when we reflect on the importance of our faith, our Yours in Catholic Education, Mrs. N. Papanicolas Grace Club We Day ence and interest in what families, and our friends. It is Scholastic Book Fair they are learning validates the importance of educa- also the season to support individuals who are in need of Parent Advisory Council tion. assistance. Gingerbread House Raffle Family Dance Christmas Season is just around the corner and the staff and students are pre- St. John Bosco School is reflective of God s love and caring, and this season is so special Parent Reminders paring for the coming of our Saviour. We take this time to because we take time to share our talents and blessings with For the Love of Reading reflect on all our blessings one another and with the large

2 C E L E B R A T I N G G O D A N D Y O U T H Page 2 K I N D E R G A R T E N R E G I S T R A T I O N F O R On January 18, 2016 we will commence accepting registration applications for our Kindergarten Programs. If your child s application is accepted, you will receive a letter of confirmation with their morning or afternoon placement. The decision for the child s placement to either an AM or PM program is determined by the Administration. There are many factors that are taken into consideration for the child s best placement for either of these programs. To qualify for Kindergarten for the year, your child must be 5 years of age or older by March 1, 2017 We require the following documentation with the Child s Registration Application -Child s Birth Certificate -Proof of Residency (Home Address) (copy of a utility bill) There will be an information evening held on Wednesday, February 17 th, 2016 for all parents who have submitted a registration application for their child to attend our kindergarten in Thank you for considering St. John Bosco School for your child s education. Information Evening Wednesday, February 17th S T. D O M I N I C S A V I O R P A R I S H N E W S 1. FIRST COMMUNION AND CONFIRMATION FOR ST. DOMINIC SAVIO PARISH - Preregistration for First Communion (grade 3 or older), and Confirmation (grade 6 or older) is now taking place. If St. Dominic Savio is your home parish OR you would like your child/ren to receive one of these sacraments at our parish in the spring of 2016, please call Ann at ext. 2. Forms and letters will then be sent to school addressed to your child in mid-january. 2. Our parish Advent Penitential Service will be on Wednesday, December 16 at 7:00 p.m. There will be several priests available for reconciliation (confession). 3. ST. DOMINIC SAVIO CHRIST- MAS AND NEW YEARS MASS TIMES: Christmas Eve: Thursday Dec. 24-6:00 p.m., 9:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. Christmas Day: Friday Dec :30 a.m. New Year s Eve: Thursday Dec. 31 5:00 p.m. New Year's Day: Friday Jan. 1 10:30 a.m. Christmas Day and New Year's Day are the only two holy days of obligation in Canada. W E D A Y A L B E R T A S C H O L A S T I C B O O K F A I R On October 27, 2015, eleven grade six students along with Mrs. Arezes and Mrs. Dewing travelled to the Saddledome in Calgary to attend WE Day Dubbed the WE DAY TEAM at SJB, these G.R.A.C.E Club members initiated a project to encourage a school wide collection of used batteries to help the children in India. Over 2,000 batteries were collected which amounted to enough zinc to assist over 15,000 children. WE Day focused this year on the ME TO WE theme as well as becoming IMAGINEERS. Presenters were both encouraging and motivating. Coming back to report to G.R.A.C.E Club members, the WE Day Team inspired the Club to continue collecting batteries for the children in India as well as initiate a project to help a village in India get clean water and sanitation. Watch for upcoming events from the G.R.A.C.E Club. These book fairs require a lot of preparation and set up as well as managing the sales. This would be entirely impossible without the assistance of our parent volunteers! Thank you to, Mrs. Raimundo, Mrs. Dickson, Jessica Dickson, Mia Saab, Mrs. Florian, Mrs. Shears, Mrs. Payne, and Mrs. Shaw. Your assistance was greatly appreciated!

3 A A V E E D M O N T O N A B T 5 Z 3 V 4 Page 3 P A R E N T A D V I S O R Y C O U N C I L S Y N O D O F B I S H O P S Thank you to our Parent Advisory Council for their generous donations of: - $11,500 in support of our Literacy Program - $2,500 in support of our Numeracy Program - $28,000 in support of technology These generous contributions came S O L A R O from Casino Funds. Our students and staff members are very thankful and super excited to continue their 21 st learning journey with up to date resources. DID YOU KNOW...What is the Synod of Bishops? The Synod of Bishops is a permanent institution of the Catholic Church. It was established by Pope Paul VI in 1965, shortly after the close of the Second Vatican Council, to continue the spirit of collegiality and communion that was present at the Council. The Synod is an assembly of bishops from around the world who assist the Holy Father by providing counsel on important questions facing the Church in a manner that preserves the Church's teaching and strengthens her internal discipline This past October, the Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, representing Bishops from around the world, gathered in Rome to consider topics related to the family and evangelization. Now it is expected that the Holy Father will issue a substantive document, called a postsynodal apostolic exhortation, on the themes presented at the Synod. Edmonton Public Libraries has renewed their contract with Solaro until October Solaro is an electronic study aid produced by Castlerock. There are materials for students from grades 3-12 in an interactive online platform. Any student with an EPL library card can access Solaro from home or school or in any Edmonton Public Library. Solaro provides the same great Alberta specific curriculum information you find in their Keys and SNAP publications. You can take a quick quiz or create a Solaro account and work through course lessons, reviews and quizzes. If you create an account your lesson progress and results will be tracked to help you. Covers grade 3 through grade 12 Alberta curriculum. G I N G E R B R E A D H O U S E C H R I S T M A S R A F F L E Thank you to the families who have volunteered to make a Gingerbread House for our raffle. We will raffle a total of 76 houses!!! The houses will be on display in the school library beginning November 30. Raffle tickets ($0.50/each or 3 for $1.00) will be sold from November 30 to noon on December 11 in the classrooms. The draw will be held on Monday, December 14 at 1:00 p.m. In order to prevent the risk of the houses breaking, we are asking the winners have their parents pick up their Gingerbread House on Tuesday, De- cember 15. We will not allow students to take the houses home on the bus. All monies raised will support the Make a Wish Foundation, Kids for Wish Kids and Dream for Kids Edmonton Catholic School Foundation. Get into the spirit of Christmas! Join us for Christmas carols and the Raffle, Dec. 1:00 p.m. in the library

4 C E L E B R A T I N G G O D A N D Y O U T H Page 4 S T. J O H N B O S C O P A C F A M I L Y D A N C E It is that time again where we are starting to gear up for the family dance Decorations/DJ Prizes Food/Drink Organizer Coach s Corner What is Coach's Corner? Theme: SPORTS GO SJB GO! Where: St. John Bosco School Gym When: Friday, April 29, :00 10:00 p.m. The Family Dance Committee would like to welcome parents to come on board to assist in the dance preparations. If you are interested in signing up on a committee, contact Coreen at ccschuk@shaw.ca We have several committees to choose from: Raffle baskets/donations Volunteer Coordinator Finance Organizer Dance Ticket Collector We will arrange a meeting in January we will contact you with further details. Thank you St.John Bosco Parent Advisory Committee Coach's Corner in room 103 is the home of our Learning Coach Mrs. Ferretti. This space is a multipurpose room for students, staff and outside agencies. It is used in a variety of ways for learning, reflecting, collaboration and much more. There is an abundance of information found in and outside of the room regarding a variety of topics for parents, students and teachers. Topics may include tips on how to deal with anxiety, reading strategies, community programs and many other areas. For more information in regards to Coach s Corner, please come and see our Learning Coach, Mrs. Ferretti, or call the school to discuss any questions that you may have. P A R E N T R E M I N D E R S F O R T H E L O V E O F R E A D I N G PARENTS, WE NEED YOUR HELP WITH A FEW THINGS -With over 500 students in our school this year, we need to have parents set meeting places and times for daily pick-up with their children ahead of time, so that we are not having to call classrooms to let students know that a parent wants them to walk to a certain designated spot for pick-up. Of course, we will always try our best to get unexpected, urgent messages to children at breaks, bells, etc. but please be respectful of class time as we do not like to interrupt the teaching and learning. As decided by School Council and the Administration last year, the school remains in lock down mode to continuously ensure our students' safety. Please note that you will need to pick up your child from his/her designated grade areas/doors. We respectfully remind you to NOT enter the building before dismissal time. Keep the safety of our children a priority. -The staff and students take pride in their school and the custodians work very hard to keep it clean. It is becoming more and more difficult to keep the carpet in the library clean and we are asking parents to refrain from walking through the library or hallways with their outside shoes on. -If your child is too sick to go outside for recess, then they are too sick to be at school. We do not have supervision inside the school at recess times, and thus all children are expected to go outside for these breaks. -Please remember that if you have a concern that needs addressing, it is imperative that you go through the proper first line of contact procedure, whereby you discuss the matter with your child s classroom teacher first, before discussing the matter with any other parties. Working together in partnership with the classroom teacher is essential to helping our children grow and develop into respectful, cooperative citizens. Thank you for your cooperation! For the Love of Reading Christopher R., Erika N., Mirella S., and Makayla A., Since we began For the Love of Congratulations to the winners who will have lunch with Reading program at SJB we have witnessed an overwhelming response and excitement Mrs. Papanicolas in December; from our students! Thank you parents for you support with Rafael B., Brianna G., Elijah this initiative! S., Josias Y., Marina L., Mila F., Vincent H., Sophia S., Izaak Congratulations to the following H., Kira D., Cloe L., Madelena students who were the winners B., Nahom G., Reese Y., Alicia of the pizza lunch with Mrs. T., Brandon N., Owen P., Papanicolas in November; Hanna H., Sasha P., Maddie Amadeo F., Joaquin B., Meya N., D., Maria A., Connor P., Andie P., Abrielle B., Grayson Felicia F. M., Michaela M., Chidera O., Anna F., Johnny H., Amera M., Koleten D., Hayden G., Morgan H., Chaney H., Alyssa O., Taimoor S., Ethan G., Kaitlyn C., We are on the Web

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7 December 2015 Catholic Education Services Street Edmonton AB T5K 1C2 T: F: So much good in this world begins with dreams & noble visions. Children especially have a sharp skill in this area, often exercising it to the point that what one can dream can almost be seen! An imagination of this sort, when carried into adulthood, is a benefit, especially toward the good it can and will serve. In the last Sunday of the liturgical year, the Church celebrates all who Christ is as our Saviour King. As we then enter the season of Advent, we return to the beginning by re-preparing for him who came as an innocent infant - quite the opposite of the power with which we associate a king. Our view of a real king likely starts from an image of this world: wealthy, prestigious, and holding a regal air. By analogy, today it would be a CEO who leads, the famous as the entourage of nobility, and large mansions the castles. Jesus holds none of these, and therefore, our skewed image receives a correction. Jesus is of royalty but of an extraordinarily different type. Unlike a ruler who compels subjects to serve, Jesus inverts this by serving others. His mission is to witness to the truth and serve those who will follow, as a shepherd tends to sheep. We are then invited to respond out of love and loyalty. If we respond to such care and concern, we rise beyond a fantasy of illusion; instead, we become part of and contribute to building up what cannot be dismissed nor ever taken away. The qualities of Jesus Kingdom can only be increased and shared by those who participate. We also help in building up the Church and the Kingdom of God by the domestic church each time we pray and live the prayer of the Our Father. Building a faith life begins first at home where one learns the importance of contribution through prayer and the practice of the virtues. Through Catholic schools, this training is advanced, made stronger by sacramental preparation, and given a rich context in community. Children are taught to realize how they have a share in that divine and royal heritage through their Baptism. It is vital we remember that from this moment we received a dignity that ought to be cherished beyond anything. In turn, the practices we keep and the reverence we show to our Faith is how we will then pass that dignity forward and live as good citizens within the Kingdom. We are then summoned forth from our homes, our families, and our schools to join together and rally as one in community. At the Church is where we obtain witness, become inspired from the Gospel, and gather spiritual sustenance from the Eucharist to succeed at our mission entrusted. The mission is to transform the surrounding community and the world. Without question, ours is a radically different kingdom by today s standard. To celebrate Christ the King is to proclaim with pride the meaning of our lives as God s humble subjects. And so, in this season, as we review the past and anticipate the future, rightly we prepare to pay homage to the little king who is truly ours and for us. By December 25, all will then come to celebrate a Mass - Christ s Mass - that is unparalleled in simple unleavened bread and basic wine, where we are welcomed and served by the very King we ourselves have come to honour. Such an image of God s Kingdom is soul stirring which brings out the very best of our abilities in thought and imagination. Achieving this is not so far from reality when we work to bring it about every Sunday, and then to share that vision with all, all throughout the week! We ought never to doubt that an imagination holds a profound gift: for in sharing in this noble vision of Christ, we work towards a potential Kingdom on Earth that can and does become very, very real indeed. May the Lord sincerely bless you, Fr. Dean Dowle ECSD Chaplain EIGHT CHARACTERS OF CATHOLIC EDUCATION... Community Hospitality Justice Tradition Sacramentality Humanness Rationality Spirituality

8 Laudato Si Chapter 2: The Gospel of Creation Pope Francis addresses this document to all people, not just Catholics; however, he dedicates this chapter to an understanding of the relationship between humanity and nature from a Judeo-Christian perspective. He does this intentionally, in order to show that science and religion, with their distinctive approaches to understanding reality, can enter into an intense dialogue fruitful for both (#62). He states that all of us, as members of the human family, are moved to care for the environment of which we are a part. Even more so, as Christians, we are called to respect the dignity and beauty of all creation. The Old Testament texts, especially the creation accounts, suggest that human life is grounded in three fundamental and closely intertwined relationships: with God, with our neighbor and with the earth itself (#66). Although some interpret our relationship with nature as one of dominion and power over creation, this is not the intention of the creation accounts according to Pope Francis and the Catholic Church. He makes it clear that our responsibility is one of stewardship and care for creation not domination over creation. If we acknowledge the value and the fragility of nature and, at the same time, our God-given abilities, we can finally leave behind the modern myth of unlimited material progress. (#78) The Holy Father expresses a relationship between humanity and creation which is specifically Christian. He says that we, as intelligent beings, capable of love, are called to lead all creatures back to their Creator. Jesus, in taking on human form, lived in full harmony with creation. This was demonstrated throughout his ministry, and even before his ministry when he worked with his hands as a carpenter. In the Christian understanding of the world, the destiny of all creation is bound up with the mystery of Christ, present from the beginning: All things have been created through him and for him [Col 1:16]. (#99) How can we apply this to our lives here and now? When we are in dialogue with our non- Christian or non-believing sisters and brothers, we can clearly and effectively express our care for creation. Our Catholic responsibility to take care of the world around us does not conflict, in any way, with the scientific community that is imploring us to do the same. Pope Francis asks us to focus on our common goal care for our common home so that we can work together with all of humanity in order to make our world a cleaner, healthier, and safer home for all. Ed Jean Secondary Religious Education Consultant

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