January 2017 Message from the Administration A Prayer for the New Year

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1 January 2017 Message from the Administration Dear Parents and Students: Happy New Year! We hope you had a wonderful Christmas surrounded with loved ones. New Years is a time of new beginnings and reflection. Excitedly we embrace 2017 and rest of the school year. We look forward to all the learning and gatherings we will share over the next 6 months. Throughout the month of January we will continue to follow our heart steps through focusing on Friendliness. Students will reflect on how their actions within our school, our community and our world can contribute to building and experiencing peace with one another. Marcel & Lauren A Prayer for the New Year Spirit of the new born Christ, be with us today and always. Be our Light, our Guide, and our Comfort. Be our Strength, our Courage, and our Sanctifier. May this New Year be a time of deep spiritual growth for us, A time of welcoming your graces and gifts, A time of forgiving freely and unconditionally, A time for growing in virtue and goodness. Amen

2 January 9 Classes resume at 8:25 am. January 9-20 Grade 6 - Canadian Test of Basic Skills January 11 2B Teacher s Pet In School Fieldtrip - Inuit January 16 2B Inquiring Minds Acting Living Site School - ALL WEEK January 16 School Council Meeting 7:00 pm January 17 2A Teacher s Pet In School Fieldtrip - Inuit January 18 Gr 4 to Bennett Centre January 23 2A Walk to Riverbend Public Library - Reader s Theatre January 24 Gr 2 Skating at TRC in the afternoon January 27 Grade 5 & 6 Skiing at Snow Valley January 27 Gr 2 Skating at TRC in the afternoon January 27 Hot Lunch Day - The Lunch Lady - P.J. and Stuffy Day January 28 7th Annual St. Mary Volleyball Tournament January 31 Gr 2 Skating at TRC in the afternoon February 1 Grade 3 to Telus World of Science February 3 Grade 2 Skating to TRC in afternoon February 7 District Faith Development Day - NO CLASSES February 10 Grade 5 to Art Gallery of Alberts - ALL DAY February 13 School Council Meeting 7 p.m. February 14 Valentine s Day - Classroom Activities February 16 Grade 5 HepB and HPV Immunizations February 16 St. Mary Open House 6:00 p.m. February 20 Family Day - NO SCHOOL February 21 Rocks and Rings February 24 Hot Lunch - Edo Japan - Super Hero Day February 27 2B Walk to Riverbend Library 8:30-11:00 Februray 27 to March 7 Grade 3 CCAT s March 1 March 2-3 Ash Wednesday Celebration in the gym Teacher s Convention - NO CLASSES TRANSPORTATION ISSUES Please call our offices 7:15 AM 5:00 PM

3 Grade Six Snapshot: The Mustard Seed PAC Cole Franchuk (Grade Six Student Representative) Most of you reading this newsletter know that there are some less fortunate people in our city, and that there are programs to assist them in making their daily lives easier. But how do the programs truly work, from the inside? Prior to Christmas, St. Mary Grade Six classes visited the Mustard Seed s Personal Assistance Center (PAC) with our Mugs of Joy. We are making a difference! The Seed s PAC takes a page from the book of a thrift store, but everything is free, with a limit on item budget, so to speak. This allows a bit of money saved for those with none to spend for even new clothes! Some of their guests even have CHILDREN that they cannot support, so The Mustard Seed does a part of the job. We students were immersed in the process by sorting two extraordinarily large moving boxes of clothing! This gave us a new perspective of how so much can be so little for so many with so little. It was a new feeling that many of those with whom I have spoken on the subject found to simply play tug-of-war with the heart. We knew we were doing good in the world (a beautiful experience), but there was always the feeling of these people coming to mind, without enough of the most humble necessities! From the inside, even clothes can be seen in a new light. This segment of the trip brought with it a new desire to be the change. There are some beautiful stories of the homeless who come to The Mustard Seed. Firstly, it must be clarified that house and home are NOT synonymous. A house is a building and a roof overhead, however dingy, dirty, unfinished, lonely, and ultimately basic it may be. A home is a place to go at the end of the day where there is company, love, laughter, amenities, and someone to care for you. Most of us are lucky to have that sort of true home. However, if we count the people with a house but no home, the regional homeless count swells dramatically! This is why the Mustard Seed is not exclusive to homeless people. They believe in luxuries for all who come, with Karaoke, Movies, Hockey Night in Canada, and an art program. The art is often a success story, as it is sold with all money going to the artist. Some pieces sell for thousands of dollars! Another story involves a man who was so down on his luck that, when he came to the Mustard Seed, someone suggested the PAC to him for new clothes. He declined, saying he had no reason to even change his pants. He kept coming. A few months later, he said to a Mustard Seed employee, I think it is time to change my pants. And his life changed dramatically from that point on, making him substantially more active and joyful in our city. What a perspective! The Mustard Seed is a life-changer! And so, after numerous visits to The Seed, many have lived happily ever after. Now, for the gifts, the best part of Christmas (yes, everyone I know is cynical that way, which sounds about right considering the current state of human civilization). The main problem with Christmas gifts for The Mustard Seed is that too many people have no gifts to give or receive. They are also short on necessities, so standard gifts would be useless to them. That is where the Grade Six students and their Mugs of Joy

4 ride in, bringing happiness and warmth to all! The mugs do not contain a regular small gift, but rather the biggest obstacles for The Seed in the form of socks, mittens, toques, toothbrushes, gift cards of the coffee type, and an embellishment of choice by the maker. Then, a small card was added to each. This was the most heart-wrenching part of the project, for one reason: We all had to work for the money to pay for the mug and its contents. Then, we had to do the work of putting the mug together, and promptly gave away forty dollars worth of our own tough undertaking. Of course, it wasn t all sacrifice and fire and brimstone. The whole grade made it fun, with ideas like Mughead (toque on top of mug, gloves tied to sides) and decorative art on our notes of encouragement, ranging from cartoon snowmen to intricate zentangles. We had pictures with our mugs, of which we are very proud. And finally, a last short video with our mugs at The Seed brought a close to our dark and beautiful glimpse into the life of our less fortunate peers. On behalf of the entire grade, I can say that we hope the recipients enjoy their mugs just as we did during their creation, and that the joy in the mugs continues into the lives of those at The Mustard Seed. And so, we in Grade 6 have become yet more involved in our community. But there is so much more than the simple act coming from these gifts. We have seen society in a new light, and now I, for one, find that without even meeting the Seed s guests I know them better than ever before. Somehow, there is also a feeling of them knowing us, and the smiles being transferred between us in this cosmic grain of sand. I hope that the people receiving our mugs share our feelings of warmth, from the PAC and everything around it. May the magic of Christmas enter everyone s lives this beautiful season, and may it find no limits in its beneficiaries. Merry Christmas to all! GRADE 4 SOCIAL JUSTICE PROJECT - HOPE MISSION Grade 4B held a hot chocolate fundraiser on Monday, December 19 to raise money for the Hope Mission. Students organized promotion of the event throughout the school and with the assistance of our amazing parent volunteers delivered a hot chocolate to almost every student in the school! In total we were able to raise over $ dollars for the Hope Mission, an organization committed to caring for impoverished and homeless men, women and children in Alberta.

5 ADVENT ACTIVITIES The two communities of St. Monica and St. Mary gathered at St. Thomas More parish on Thursday, December 15 to celebrate the third week of Advent. Students from both schools worshiped, prayed and sang together in unison to give thanks to our Saviour Jesus Christ. Preparing for the birth of Jesus within our parish community is wonderful way to realize the true meaning of Christmas. During the month of December, Grade 5B performed 'The Nativity' for their parents in their classroom. The performance was student led. The students wrote the scripts and costumed themselves for this beautiful traditional performance.

6 TOONIES FOR TOES Inspired and Ignited Through Christ.... Revealing Our Heart Treasure of GENEROSITY! The St. Mary Community rallied yet again in fine form, true to its character for its SIXTH ANNUAL Toonies for Toes and Boxes of Socks event! During the Advent season, children and families rose to the challenge of bringing in a pair of socks and toonies to warm the toes of the homeless of south Edmonton each Monday when we lit our Advent candles and gathered in community prayer. This year, over 220 pairs of socks were gift wrapped and presented to the Edmonton Do Likewise Society on Dec. 23 rd as well as $ in toonies that were donated during the Advent season and our Christmas Concert performances. We were honored once again by the presence of Mr. Kris Knutson, the executive director of the Edmonton Do Likewise Society [ who again was most appreciative of the opportunity to join us on SMTV broadcast and to learn of our ongoing social justice initiatives supporting the Edmonton Do Likewise Society. Mr. Knutson commented that since he has become the Executive Director, he looks forward to what has become an annual Christmas tradition at St. Mary School; CAUGHT IN THE SPIRIT of stewardship of one another; exploring our heart treasure of generosity. We are indeed agents of change who witness to the gospel message the Good Samaritan teaches us, to... go and do likewise! (Luke 10:25-37). CHRISTMAS CONCERT Thank you to everyone who attended the Miraculous Christmas Wish Radio Show We thank Mr. Matheson and his helpers for dedication and time in putting together such a wonderful concert! Your children were amazing and many positive comments were shared. ADVENT BREAKFAST The Advent Breakfast took place on the last day of school before Christmas Break. Thank you to Vivianna Botticelli for again organizing and to the many parents who prepared, cooked and served this special treat for our students. BUS PASS REMINDER To assist us in the management of our bus account reconciliation, we would appreciate payment by the FIRST day of each month. Making payment on-line, sending post-dated cheques for the year or prepaying the year would be greatly appreciated and reduce the amount of staff time required for this service.

7 SNOW VALLEY SKIING On December 22nd, the St. Mary Grade 5 and 6 students enjoyed a glorious day of skiing at Snow Valley. The weather was beautiful! The next ski day at Snow Valley in January 27th. We look forward to another fun filled ski day! CANADIAN SKI COUNCIL SNOW PASS PROGRAM for Grade 4 & 5 Students Snow Pass Program from the Canadian Ski Council The Snow Pass program, coordinated by the Canadian Ski Council, gives all Canadian kids in grade 4 and 5 an opportunity to get three days on each participating slope, all for only $ More than 150 ski areas across Canada are part of the SnowPass program. 19 Ski areas in Alberta are included such as: Edmonton Ski Club Rabbit Hill Snow Resort, Edmonton area Ski Marmot Basin, Jasper

8 CANADIAN TEST OF BASIC SKILLS The Canadian Test of Basic Skills will be administered to students in grade six during the first two weeks back in January. All students across the District will take these tests. Students will be writing standardized tests in Language Arts and Mathematics, which measure students academic growth year to year. The results provide us with another source of information which teachers use to effectively program plan for their students. Although students cannot study for these tests, we encourage our students to do their personal best, so they can demonstrate the knowledge and skills they have gained over time. Results are always available to parents upon request once they are received from Central Office. SKATING FOR THE GRADE TWO COMMUNITY OF LEARNERS The New Year traditionally kicks off with skating lessons for our grade two students. As a component of our outdoor pursuits Phys. Ed. activities, during the final two weeks of January (and into February) grade two students will travel to the Terwilligar Recreation Centre for skating lessons. We welcome again the expertise of SUBAR instructors. Please note the following times and dates because we are certain you will want to plan to come help tie up these 63 pairs of skates with us! The lesson dates are as follows: Tuesday, January 24-2B & 2C Depart at 12:25 pm - Ice Time 12:45-1:30 pm 2A Departs at 1:10 pm - Ice Time 1:30-2:15 pm Friday, January 27-2B & 2C Depart at 12:25 pm - Ice Time 12:45-1:30 pm 2A Departs at 1:10 pm - Ice Time 1:30-2:15 pm Tuesday, January 31-2B & 2C Depart at 12:25 pm - Ice Time 12:45-1:30 pm 2A Departs at 1:10 pm - Ice Time 1:30-2:15 pm Friday, February 3-2B & 2C Depart at 12:25 pm - Ice Time 12:45-1:30 pm 2A Departs at 1:10 pm - Ice Time 1:30-2:15 pm ACTIVE LIVING SCHOOL: Inquiring Minds Site School The Grade 2B Frost Stars are privileged to have been selected to participate in the City of Edmonton Inquiring Minds Site School Experience. This year they are part of ACTIVE LIVING SCHOOL. Create a Climate of Change: It begins with Me! is our theme. Each morning from January 16 th through to January 20 inclusive, the students will be travelling to the Terwilligar Recreation Centre and returning to St. Mary School at the end of the day. Each day will begin by gathering in the Active Living School Classroom followed by a day full of various presentations and experiences focusing on healthy living, positive personal choices, nutrition and spiritual wellbeing. R.O.W.S. (reflections, observations, wonders and sketches) will permeate our Active Living School experience. This intensive journaling activity will serve to draw the children into discovering themselves through THEIR story and celebrate their call to discipleship knowing that to: Create a Climate of Change: It begins with Me!

9 SCHOOL COUNCIL MEETING School Council Meeting - Monday, January 16th at 7:00 p.m. All are Welcome! SKIING The Grade 5 and 6 students of St. Mary had a fun filled day of skiing on December 22nd. The next ski event for Grade 5 and 6 will be on January 27th, HOT LUNCH IN JANUARY NEXT HOT LUNCH - FRIDAY, JANUARY 27th The Lunch Lady P.J. and Stuffy Day! Chaplains Corner This month, the students of St. Mary School will learn about the virtues of generosity and friendliness, and how these virtues can lead to MERCY. "Everyone is Jesus in disguise -Saint Teresa of Calcutta "Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me." -Jesus NEWS FROM ST. THOMAS MORE PARISH First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion are offered to children in Grade 2. What an exciting year for these children to celebrate TWO sacraments. See the green sacrament brochure in your Catholic school office or parish brochure stand for the details. St. Thomas More parish has a Drop-in Registration to begin the process for your child to receive these two sacraments. Drop-in Registration will occur from 9-11:00 a.m. on the 1 st Saturday of each month (Oct. thru Feb.). To prepare for the drop-in registration please read the green brochure thoroughly and select the dates of the various sacrament meetings that you will attend with your child. You will be putting the dates you have chosen onto the registration form at the Drop-in Registration. Call Kathleen or Diane at the parish office for more information X 235 Regular Weekend Mass Times at St. Thomas More: Saturday 5:00 pm-sunday 8:30 am, 10:00 am, 12:00 pm, 6:00 pm.

10 On Tuesday, February 7th, Edmonton Catholic School District staff will participate in our annual Faith Development Day. This is the one day during our school year that Edmonton Catholic Schools staff gather as a whole community (teachers, secretaries, custodians, support staff, trustees) and become one as we pray and learn together. Joan Carr, our Superintendent, calls Faith Development Day an outstanding opportunity for the staff of Edmonton Catholic Schools to come together to articulate and celebrate our faith. FAITH DEVELOPMENT DAY No school for students on: Tuesday, February 7th ST. MARY COMPUTER PROGRAMMING - CODING CLUB Students in the St. Mary coding club (all grades) celebrated in the Computer Science Education week by completing the Hour of Code. Over 100 students completed challenge style tutorials in Star Wars, Minecraft and Frozen themes along with several other kinds of coding challenges. In January, our club will continue to explore coding in a variety of ways. If your child would like to sign up, have them see Mrs. Voth or listen to SMTV for our coding times! If you want to check out coding go to Happy Coding!

11 Amoris Laetitia - Chapter Four: Love In Marriage By Father Julian Bilyj The fourth chapter reflects on love in marriage, illuminated by St. Paul s Hymn to Love: Love is patient, love is kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way, it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (1 Corinthians 13:4-7). Its opening section is a richly poetic exegesis of the Pauline text, linking brief passages which describe human love in undeniably concrete terms. A quality of psychological insight marks this poetic exegesis, seeking to enter into the emotional world of the spouses and including the erotic dimension of their love. Pope Francis on growing in conjugal love states, This is the love between husband and wife, a love sanctified, enriched and illuminated by the grace of the sacrament of marriage. It is an affective union, spiritual and sacrificial, which combines the warmth of friendship and erotic passion, and endures long after emotions and passion subside (AL, 120). This valuable, genuine reflection on Christian married life is unprecedented in previous papal documents. Pope Francis refuses to judge the day-to-day experience of married love against ideal standards, We should not however confuse different levels: there is no need to lay upon two limited persons the tremendous burden of having to reproduce perfectly the union existing between Christ and his Church, for marriage as a sign entails a dynamic process, one which advances gradually with the progressive integration of the gifts of God (122). On the other hand, Pope Francis holds that conjugal love by its very nature defines the partners in a richly encompassing and lasting union. The Holy Father stresses, after the love that unites us to God, conjugal love is the greatest form of friendship. It is a union possessing all the traits of a good friendship: concern for the good of the other, reciprocity, intimacy, warmth, stability and the resemblance born of a shared life. Lovers do not see their relationship as merely temporary. Those who marry do not expect their excitement to fade. Those who witness the celebration of a loving union, however fragile, trust that it will pass the test of time. Children not only want their parents to love one another, but also to be faithful and remain together. These and similar signs show that it is in the very nature of conjugal love to be definitive (123). He adds a reflection on the need for a transformation of love because, Longer life spans now mean that close and exclusive relationships must last for four, five or even six decades; consequently, the initial decision has to be frequently renewed (163). As people age, the loving attraction does not diminish but changes as sexual desire can be transformed over time into the desire for togetherness and mutuality, There is no guarantee that we will feel the same way all through life. Yet if a couple can come up with a shared and lasting life project, they can love one another and live as one until death do them part, enjoying an enriching intimacy (163). Finally, there is an earthy realism to his reflection, The ideal of marriage cannot be seen purely as generous donation and self-sacrifice, where each spouse renounces all personal needs and seeks only the other s good without concern for personal satisfaction. We need to remember that authentic love also needs to be able to receive the other, to accept one s own vulnerability and needs, and to welcome with sincere and joyful gratitude the physical expressions of love found in a caress, an embrace, a kiss and sexual union (157). Amoris Laetitia Chapter 4

12 A Happy and Blessed New Year the time when we resolve to make changes so that things will not be as they were before. Time is too precious a gift, too scarce a commodity to be squandered. If we waste it, we lose more opportunities than we know. Each moment is an opportunity for prayer, for kindness, for self-control, for personal growth. Make the best possible use of your time, says St. Paul (Colossians 4:5). If time is charged with opportunity and not simply a succession of empty moments, it is shameful to waste it and sinful to kill it. The Holy Scriptures place the accent upon time as a God-given opportunity for us to use, to repent, to turn to Jesus, to love God and neighbor, to grow more and more unto his likeness. How we spend time is far more important than how we spend money. Money mistakes can be corrected, but when time is gone, it is gone forever. When Charles M. Schwab was a president of Bethlehem Steel he said to Ivy Lee, a management consultant: Show me a way to get more things done. If it works, I will pay anything within reason. Lee handed Schwab a piece of paper, Write down the things you have to do tomorrow, he said. Schwab did it. Now number these items in the order of their real importance, Lee said. Schwab complied. The first thing tomorrow morning, Lee added, start working on number one and stay with it until it is completed. Next take number two and don t go any further until it is completed. Then proceed to number three and so on. If you can t complete anything on schedule, don t agonize. You will have taken care of the most important things before being distracted by less important items. The secret is to do this daily, continued Lee. Evaluate the relative importance of things you have to get done establish priorities record your plan action and stick to it. Do this every working day. In a few weeks Charles Schwab sent Ivy Lee a check for $25,000. Schwab said that this lesson was the most profitable one he had learned in his business career. What a difference it would make in our lives as disciples of Jesus if we established daily such a priority of things to be done in the order of their real importance based on the prayer: Lord, what are the things you really want me to do today for You, for my family, for others, for myself? It is this kind of priority system that Jesus urges us to establish for the New Year. It s a little story but it packs a big meaning that should make for a Happy New Year. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well (Matthew 6:33). Happy New Year! Fr. Julian Bilyj District Chaplain Resources: Daily Vitamins for Spiritual Growth. Day by Day with Jesus through the Church Year by Anthony M. Coniaris. Light and Life Publishing Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Charles M. Schwab (February 18, 1862 September 18, 1939) was an American steel entrepreneur. Under his leadership, Bethlehem Steel became the second largest steel maker in the United States, and one of the most important heavy manufacturers in the world. AS GOD S CHOSEN ONES, HOLY AND BELOVED, CLOTHE YOURSELVES WITH COMPASSION, KINDNESS, HUMILITY, MEEKNESS, AND PATIENCE. (Colossians 3:12)

13 January 2017 May He give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. ~Psalm 20:4~ This beautiful blessing comes from the psalm Prayer for Victory. In this scripture, the people are praying for the success of their king as he ventures forth into conflict. As a people, they proclaim that our pride is in the name of the Lord our God (Psalm 20:7). Implicit in this prayer is that trust in God makes you stronger, especially in your times of need. As we begin this New Year, let us also venture proudly forward trusting that God is with us! January brings a shift of focus for students and families; as we turn over the calendar page, we begin to look to the future. It is time to start planning for transitions. Whether you have a young child who is ready to enter the educational system or you are looking to move to junior or senior high school, our website has a wealth of information to assist in your planning. Visit and explore the locate your school section to find your school, to learn more about the programs we offer (Guide to Schools) or to find open house information. We are so excited to be opening 5 new schools in September 2017! Click on the New Schools banner on our website to learn more about them. For our graduating High School students who may now be exploring the world of post-secondary education, we have compiled a Scholarships, Bursaries, and Awards resource for you. It is found in the Parents and Students section of our website. Another support that we offer for our students who will be writing diploma exams in January is Diploma Exam Prep Sessions. Click on the Diploma Prep banner on our website to see the schedule and find a site close to you. Our Hour of Code week was a great success! We had 20,239 students, 751 teachers, and over 86 school sites from 100 Voices to Grade 12 and beyond participating in the largest educational event in the world. The Hour of Code is a starting point in the engaging journey of computer science and programming literacy for students. There is still time to register for our next session in the Supporting our Diverse Learners Parent Evening Series. The session on January 18 at 7:00 p.m. will provide information and strategies to support learners from a parental perspective on topics such as Autism, speech and language, assistive technology, and mental health. You can access the information by clicking on that section of the banner on 2

14 Several times over the course of this school year, our Board of Trustees is holding special one hour long public meetings to highlight various aspects of our educational programming. Edmonton Catholic Schools is doing significant work around promoting good mental health, and this was the focus of the November 29 Educational Board Meeting. Visit the Promoting Mental Health section of our website to learn more. Continuous Improvement is always a focus for us at both the District and the school level. Our District Plan for Continuous Growth highlights our areas of focus and how we plan to address them. Each of our schools also creates a School Plan for Continuous Growth. It is posted on your school s website. January is the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Pope Francis shared the following thought on Twitter in October: Christian unity is a priority, because we realize that much more unites us than separates us. Sincerely, Joan Carr Superintendent I wish you all a wonderful New Year filled with great promise and success!

15 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 New Years Day Classes Resume 8:25 am School Council 7 pm 2A to Riverbend Public Library B InSchl FT 17 2A InScl FT Inuit January 2017 Gr 2 Skating TRC Gr 2 Skating TRC 18 Inuit January 9-20 Grade 6 CTBS Testing Gr 4 Bennett Ctr 2B Inquiring Minds Acting Living Site School Grade 6 CTBS Epiphany Gr 5&6 Skiing February 1 Gr 3 to TWOS 2 3 Snow Valley Gr 2 Skating TRC Hot Lunch P.J. & Stuffy Day Gr 2 Skating TRC 7 28 St. Mary Volleyball Tournament