January,2018. Dear Parents,

Transcription

1 January,2018 Dear Parents, The month of December was a fantastic one full of activities and learning! The spirit of Christmas was present from the start of the Advent Season which we embarked on during the celebration of our three Christmas concerts. Each one of our concerts were very well attended and our students performances were magnificent! It was wonderful to see how all their hard work and dedication paid off, they certainly left us all filled with the joy of Christmas. Later in the month our students had the opportunity to participate in a sleigh ride, and warm up with some hot chocolate afterwards. We ended our month with a lovely Advent celebration in the gym that was organized by our grade four students and their teachers. During our advent celebration we had our hampers blessed, and shortly after that they were delivered or picked up by families in our school community. We would like to extend a sincere thank you to all the parents, students and staff for another year of giving! Finally, we culminated our Christmas activities with our yearly Santa s pancake breakfast. The children came to school dressed in their pyjamas excited for a morning of pancakes and Christmas Caroling! As the wonder of Christmas surrounds us, may you be filled with special joy at the miracle of His birth! Merry Christmas and Many blessings in the New Year! Feliz Navidad y Prospero Año Nuevo! Senora Zelada Principal/Directora Mr. MacGregor Assistant Principal

2 BACK TO SCHOOL Just a reminder that we are back to school on Monday, January 8 th,2018! We all hope that you have a wonderful Christmas Break. First Bell is at 8:20 am and students must be in class by the 8:25 am bell. Students arriving late are missing valuable instruction time and announcements, as well, it is disruptive to the class. If your child is ill or late due to an appointment, please leave a message on the absentee line ( ) prior to 8:20 am, if possible, so that these can be entered into the system in time for attendance. If you need to drop off something or contact your child during the day, please contact the office and we will call them down at the next suitable break, as to not interrupt the class. 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

3 7:15 AM 5:00 PM MILK CLUB Once again 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 online through the Parent PowerSchool account. Thank you for supporting a healthy choice for your child s lunch. ALBERTA OPERA VISITS On Thursday. January 11 th,2018 the Alberta Opera will be visiting the school. They will be doing a production of Jack and the Beanstalk. The production is approximately an hour long with a few of the student helping as actors and stage crew! All are welcome to come and enjoy the show. GRADE 5 IMMUNIZATION On the morning of Friday, January 19 th, 2018 the Community Health nurses will visit our school to administer the second round of immunizations for our Grade 5 students.

4 SKI DAY Wednesday, January 24 th,2018 is our grade 3-6 Ski Day. Please ensure that your child s ski trip form has been signed and returned and that the payment has been made. If not, then the student must stay behind. KINDERGARTEN P.D. DAY There will be NO kindergarten on Wednesday, January 24 th,2018. SCHOOL WIDE P.D. DAY Thursday, January 24 th,2018 is a School Wide Professional Development Day. There is NO school for all students this day. SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL(S.A.C.) MEETING On Monday, January 29 th, 2018 the S.A.C. will be holding their first meeting of the new year. The meeting will be at 6:30pm and all parents are welcomed, and encouraged, to attend. EVENTS IN DECEMBER

5 THE CHRISTMAS CONCERTS Thank you to Mrs. MacGregor, our Music teacher, for arranging three wonderful nights of music. Also, a big thank you to all the staff who made costumes, backgrounds and decorated the gym for these nights. A wonderful way to start the Christmas Season!

6 FOOD BANK Thank you to all our St. Teresa families for their generous donations towards our Food Bank Donation Boxes during the Christmas Concerts. May God bless you all for your generosity. HOT LUNCH Thank you to our amazing Hot Lunch coordinators and their team of parent volunteers who kindly organized two lunches in December. We had pizza from Panago and we had Burgers from Dairy Queen. Thank you!! SCHOLASTICS BOOK FAIR Thank you to Mrs. Stewart and all of our volunteers: Mrs. Chapman, Mrs. Lacas, Mrs. Toma and Mrs. Dioppe, without our volunteers we could not have our book fairs. Also, thank you to all the students and parents who purchased books, which helps the whole school, since it provides new books for our library.

7 THE MITTEN TREE The grade 1 and 2 classes of St. Teresa School began work on a collaborative experience called, The Mitten Tree. The students gathered 163 pairs of gloves or mittens,6 hats and a scarf to donate to those in need at the Women and Children s Centre and the Bissell Centre. The four trees in the atrium were decorated with gloves and mittens lovingly donated by our wonderful St. Teresa families.

8 OIL KINGS GAME Thank you to parent volunteer, Vanessa Moorgan, for organizing the St. Teresa Oil Kings Night. Our St. Teresa students got to perform the National Anthem on the ice of Rogers Place! Thank you, as well, to Mrs. MacGregor for conducting our students while they sang O Canada.

9 SLEIGH RIDE Thank you to our SAC who sponsored our annual Christmas horse drawn sleigh ride, for the children, around the school field.

10 ADVENT CELEBRATION Thank you to the grade 4 team for arranging a beautiful Advent Celebration, and thank you to our St. Teresa Families who graciously donated all the food to fill 17 hampers for those in need.

11 SANTA S BREAKFAST Thank you to Laura Slywka and the plethora of parents who volunteered their time to come in and make and serve pancakes to all the staff and students of St. Teresa School. Our annual Santa s Breakfast was a wonderful success, even Santa came for a few pancakes!! SUPERINTENDENT S MESSAGE To celebrate Mary as Mother of God and our mother at the beginning of the new year means recalling a certainty that will accompany our days: we are a people with a Mother; we are not orphans. (Pope Francis, Homily, January 1, 2017) Each year, January 1 marks the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God. As Pope Francis shared, turning our gazes to Mary as the new year begins fills our vision of the horizon in front of us with a model of perfect love. We see the example of faithful love for God when we think of her yes in response to His call. We see the example of parental love in the mother who tenderly nurtured her Son, walking alongside Him through His life and to His death. We see the example of selfless, humble love in her willingness to be the instrument of bearing Salvation into the world. As we contemplate our plans and aspirations for the new year, let us take inspiration from Mary!

12 We are always so excited to spread the great news of the amazing things that take place daily in our schools. We want everyone to know that Catholic education offers rich and vibrant opportunities for students to learn and grow in a Christ centred environment. We have launched a new hashtag, #ECSDfaithinspires, which beautifully portrays how our Catholic faith guides every aspect of our schools as we live out our District vision to learn together, work together and pray together in answering the call to a faith-filled life of service. We encourage all our staff, students, and ECSD families to use this new hashtag and help us share the good news of how faith inspires our daily lives at Edmonton Catholic Schools! We are so pleased with the participation in our Hour of Code Week last month. This week, which saw 25,804 of our students engage in a variety of coding based activities, brought so much excitement and creativity into our classrooms. Special thanks to our EmTech team for their drive and passion in ensuring that our students have the skills that they need to navigate our digital world. The month of January brings the end of the semester for our high schools. One of the enhanced services that we are pleased to offer our students who will be writing Diploma Examinations is Diploma Prep courses. These courses provide an excellent structure for students to review the content of their exam courses so that they can approach them with greater confidence. Visit and click on the Diploma Prep banner for more information. The new year brings much new information and opportunity for our students and families. This is always reflected on our District website. Watch for our new Guide to Schools as well as information on registration for , Open Houses, and our upcoming session on Breaking the Cycle of Anxiety from our Mental Health Caregiver series. The newest information is always highlighted in the rotating banner at for your convenience. The Government of Alberta is seeking the input of Albertans as they begin to shape their upcoming provincial budget. You can complete a brief online survey at This is an excellent opportunity for your voice to be heard! The week of January is the Week of Prayer For Christian Unity. I will leave you with a thought from Pope Francis: unity is achieved by journeying, to recall that when we journey together, that is, when we encounter each other when we pray together and collaborate together in proclaiming the Gospel and in the service of others, we are already united. (Papal Audience, 10/11/2016) Many blessings as you begin the journey of a new year! Sincerely, Joan Carr Superintendent LETTERS FROM OUR RELIGIOUS CONSULTANTS The Wondrous Gift of Epiphany During the Christmas season we celebrate with our families and friends with the giving and receiving of various gifts. Perhaps the greatest gift we receive, as Christians, takes place during Epiphany, when our Lord makes his first public appearance.

13 Throughout the ages, Christians have celebrated Christmas, including the twelve days between Christmas and Epiphany, which falls on January 7. The season begins with the Nativity of our Lord, and ends with the celebration of His baptism, and His manifestation ("Epiphany") as Messiah of Israel and Son of God. This extraordinary gift calls for us to open our hearts and minds to God through His son, Jesus, who came to us as man, to live and suffer in the same way His lay people would. Another one of the extraordinary gifts we receive is our ability to praise and worship the Father through the Holy Spirit, as a result of the Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist. Knowing Jesus is the Body of Christ, we, through our Baptism, enter the Body of Christ as members of our faith community. Through this union, we are able to share in the cleansing of sins, and essentially, our rebirth. The gifts of the eastern Magi, allow us to remember that they offered what little they had (Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh), and in return, Christ gave them Himself. This exchange of gifts takes place for us whenever we celebrate the Eucharist, by the glorious power of the Holy Spirit! Throughout the holy Christmas season, God fills us with joy and hope! By celebrating Epiphany and these wondrous gifts bestowed upon us by the Christchild, may we, in-turn, use them to take a step closer to the Kingdom of God, in unity with His one, holy, Catholic and apostolic Church. Susanna Kaup and Kathleen Nguyen Religious Education Consultants Putting the Word of God into Practice A Reflection In Archbishop Richard Smith s Pastoral Letter: Living in the Word of God: A Call to the Clergy and the Lay Faithful of the Archdiocese of Edmonton, His Grace asks us to consider what it means to follow Jesus.

14 Here, the question can be answered rather simply. It is a matter of listening and doing; an authentic disciple of Jesus Christ is one who first listens to his Word and then puts it into practice. Throughout the history of the Church, the Christian response to God s love revealed in Christ has been threefold: worship, witness and service. Worship In all of Scripture, the words of Jesus likely most familiar to Catholics ears are these: Do this in memory of me. Spoken by the Lord at the Last Supper, these words have always been understood by the Church as his command to repeat in his memory what he did with his disciples the night prior to his crucifixion. This is why we gather for Sunday mass, the sacrament of the Eucharist, and why the Church insists that doing so is a sacred obligation. At mass, enabled by the Holy Spirit we offer our lives to God the Father, through Jesus his Son, as an act of joyful praise and heartfelt thanksgiving for God s saving love (Archbishop Richard Smith). From our awareness of this wondrous gift that is the Eucharist, and of the Lord s command that is celebrated in his memory: Do we consciously make the Eucharist the heart of our lives? Witness Saint John writes these beautiful words at the beginning of his first letter: We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete (1 John 1:1-4). Here St. John is expressing what we know from experience to be true. When we have encountered Jesus Christ and been transformed by his mercy and love, we naturally want to tell others about it and invite them to be one with us in a community of joy (Archbishop Richard Smith). We give witness by making known to others what God has done for the world in Jesus Christ, and for each of us in our own individual lives. The most effective way we can put the Word of God into practice is by the way we live our lives: What message do we communicate to others by our way of living, patterns of thought and speech, and modes of behavior? Service On the night of the Last Supper, after Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, he taught that by this action he was giving us an example to follow, and then spoke this command: I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another (John 13:34-35). Putting the Word of God into practice means serving our brothers and sisters in love. To love as Jesus loved means that we make sacrifices daily for the good of the other (Archbishop Richard Smith). We serve others by using God s gifts according to his purpose and in keeping with our identity as disciples of Jesus Christ. We consider: What use do I make of time? Do I set aside time for prayer, for Sunday mass, for the enjoyment of family? Am I able to dedicate some time to volunteer in the parish, our schools, hospitals or charitable organizations? The call to give of ourselves relates not just to the direct support of our parishes and Catholic organizations, it pertains also to the embrace of our baptismal call to be missionary disciples. Each of us is sent into the world in service so that it be transformed with the power of the Gospel of our Lord. ~Sandra Talarico, Religious Education Consultant

15 Back to School The Alberta Opera performs Jack and the Beanstalk *Grade 5 Immunization *Spanish Cultural Day(11:30-3:00) *Ski Day for grades 3-6 *No Kindergarten NO SCHOOL! P.D. Day S.A.C. 6:30pm

16 FEBRUARY EVENTS February 6 th -Faith Development Day -NO SCHOOL February 7 th - Grade 3A to the University(11:30am-1:15pm) February 7 th - St. Teresa Open February 7 th - Kindergarten Registration Night@ 6:30pm February 13 th - Shrove Tuesday February 14 th - Ash Wednesday February 14 th - Valentine s Day February 14 th - Grade 3A to the University(11:30am-1:15pm) February 19 th - Family Day-NO SCHOOL February 22 nd - Louis St. Laurent Open House February 26 th - S.A.C. Meeting February 28 th - Grade 3A to the University(11:30am-1:15pm)

17 Weekend Mass Times Saturday Vigil: 5:00 pm Sunday: 8:30 am, 10:00 am, 12:00 pm & 6:00 pm YouCat 4 Youth Y4Y is a new youth ministry for those in grades 4 12 to explore the Youcat and know the depths of their Catholic faith by going through the catechism. Each night will start in a prayer, followed by a related game/activity, a themed teaching, discussion and then snack and finish off in a short prayer. This is a FREE program, so all are invited to attend! For more info contact the Youth Coordinators at the Parish office: youth@stmparish.com

18 Dom Savio Youth Group FREE food, fun, and much more! Everyone in Grades 9 12 is welcome to Dom Savio Youth Group. It s a great place to hang out, play games, deepen our faith and grow together. We meet every week after the 6:00 pm Sunday mass in the Youth Room, from 7:00 until 8:30 pm. With no cost, this youth group is open to all! Come and drop in! Contact: Sara, Youth Coordinator: youth@stmparish.com OR ext. 223 First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion 1 st Reconciliation and 1 st Holy Communion are offered to children in Grade 2. The final two drop-in Registration dates are Saturday s January 6 th and February 3 rd from 9 am to 11 am at St. Thomas More Parish. Please see the green sacrament brochure in your Catholic school office or parish brochure stand for the details. 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. Contact: Call Corina or Sara at the parish office for more information ext. 237 Baptism: for children up to 7 years old Children in grade 2 who wish to receive the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Communion can be baptized as late as just before receiving their 1st Communion as long as parents have registered with Diane by the end of January. Contact: Diane Middleton - Sacrament Assistant at the Parish Office ext. 233 Confirmation 195 Students were Confirmed on November 19 th. Confirmation 2018 registrations will start in May 2018, and will be for anyone who is 11 or older by November 2018.

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20 Regional Collaborative Service Delivery & Children, Youth, and Families, Addiction and Mental Health Edmonton Zone Caregiver Education Sessions Winter Poster January to February 2018 These free sessions are intended to provide parents, caregivers, teachers, and community members with basic information about addiction and mental health challenges that can impact children and youth. Presentations are hosted in schools but are open to all adults to attend. Sleeping Your Way to Better Mental Health Come and learn the importance of sleep on your child s developing brain. Develop an understanding on how sleep can impact mental and physical health. Review common sleep concerns and factors that influence your child s ability to get the sleep they need. Leave with practical strategies, tools, and resources to promote healthier sleep habits for your whole family. Register for the Sleeping Your Way to Better Mental Health session at: Please see below for dates, times, and locations for this session. Sleeping Your Way to Better Mental Health DATE: Tuesday, January 16, 2018 TIME: 5:00-6:30pm LOCATION: Belgravia School Ave NW, Edmonton, AB Notes: This session is for adults only. Sleeping Your Way to Better Mental Health DATE: Tuesday, February 20, 2018 LOCATION: Rosslyn School A Street, Edmonton, AB Notes: This session is for adults only. Sleeping Your Way to Better Mental Health DATE: Tuesday, February 6, 2018 TIME: 5:00-6:30pm LOCATION: Jasper Place High School Street, Edmonton, AB Notes: This session is for adults only. Sleeping Your Way to Better Mental Health DATE: Thursday, February 22, 2018 LOCATION: Calder School Street, Edmonton, AB Notes: This session is for adults only. Sleeping Your Way to Better Mental Health DATE: Wednesday, February 7, 2018 LOCATION: St. Benedict Catholic School Ave, Edmonton, AB Notes: This session is for adults only. Sleeping Your Way to Better Mental Health DATE: Tuesday, February 27, 2018 LOCATION: Ivor Dent Street, Edmonton, AB Notes: This session is for adults only. Sleeping Your Way to Better Mental Health DATE: Wednesday, February 28, 2018 TIME: 4:30 6:00pm LOCATION: Progressive Academy Avenue, Edmonton, AB Notes: This session is for adults only. Please note you will not receive an automatic confirmation when you register. reminders will be sent out within the week of each session to those registered. Please contact the Education Team with questions or if you need to cancel your registration. CYFCaregiverEducation@ahs.ca

21 Regional Collaborative Service Delivery & Children, Youth, and Families, Addiction and Mental Health Edmonton Zone Caregiver Education Sessions Winter Poster January to February 2018 Breaking the Cycle of Anxiety: A Step by Step Approach (Focus is on in Kids/Teens in Kindergarten Grade 12) Anxiety is one of the most common mental health complaints in children and teens today. This session will distinguish between normal anxiety and anxiety that is no longer helpful or productive. It will help caregivers to identify signs that a child or adolescent is experiencing problems with anxiety. Caregivers will gain step by step strategies to assist their child/teen to manage their anxiety and improve their mental health. Resources for parents will be provided as well as tools designed to reduce anxiety. Register for a Breaking the Cycle of Anxiety session at: Please see below for dates, times, and locations for this session. REGISTER EARLY! Breaking the Cycle of Anxiety DATE: Thursday, January 18, 2018 LOCATION: John D. Bracco School Avenue, Edmonton, AB Notes: This session is for adults only. Breaking the Cycle of Anxiety DATE: Thursday, February 1, 2018 LOCATION: George H. Luck School 300 Bulyea Rd, Edmonton, AB Notes: This session is for adults only. Breaking the Cycle of Anxiety DATE: Thursday, February 8, 2018 TIME: 5:30-7:00pm LOCATION: Lee Ridge School 440 Millbourne Rd, Edmonton, AB Notes: This session is for adults only. Breaking the Cycle of Anxiety DATE: Thursday, February 15, 2018 LOCATION: James Gibbons School Street, Edmonton, AB Notes: This session is for adults only. Please contact the Education Team with questions or if you need to cancel your registration. CYFCaregiverEducation@ahs.ca

22 Regional Collaborative Service Delivery & Children, Youth, and Families, Addiction and Mental Health Edmonton Zone Caregiver Education Sessions Winter Poster January to February 2018 Promoting Success in Learning by Building Executive Functioning Skills Take a peek inside the developing brain of a child to learn about the processes that enable kids to engage in problem solving and goal directed behaviors. These executive functioning skills are considered to be essential for children to succeed in school and later in life. Learn about these skills and how they impact learning, behavior, emotions, and social interactions. Caregivers will be provided with strategies and resources to assist their children in building their executive functioning skills, including inhibition, working memory and mental flexibility. Register for the Promoting Success in Learning by Building Executive Functioning Skills session at: Please see below for dates, times, and locations for this session. Promoting Success in Learning by Building Executive Functioning Skills DATE: Tuesday, January 23, 2018 LOCATION: Garneau School Avenue, Edmonton, AB Notes: This session is for adults only. Promoting Success in Learning by Building Executive Functioning Skills DATE: Wednesday, January 24, 2018 LOCATION: Centennial School Avenue, Edmonton, AB Notes: This session is for adults only. Promoting Success in Learning by Building Executive Functioning Skills DATE: Tuesday, January 30, 2018 LOCATION: Coronation School Street NW, Edmonton, AB Notes: This session is for adults only. Please contact the Education Team with questions or if you need to cancel your registration. CYFCaregiverEducation@ahs.ca Parent Participant Feedback These sessions are amazingly helpful. Thank you so much for coming out to share this knowledge with us. Great job I went to 3 of these sessions this fall and I m very happy that I learned valuable info at each one 3

23 Regional Collaborative Service Delivery & Children, Youth, and Families, Addiction and Mental Health Edmonton Zone Caregiver Education Sessions Winter Poster January to February 2018 Technology and the Teenage Brain Technology is a huge part of our children s lives and a common concern for most parents who are learning how to keep up in an ever changing world. Social media, video gaming, internet use and cell phones may already be topics of debate within your family. Come together to learn how this modern use of technology can impact the developing teenage brain. This session will review some of the risks but also the benefits of technology. Parents and teens will learn ways to stay safe and balanced in their use of technology to better support positive mental health. Parents and teens (grades 7-12) are encouraged to attend this session together. Both parents and teens (grades 7 9) are encouraged to attend this session together. Register for a Technology and the Teenage Brain session at: Please see below for dates, times, and locations of this session. Technology and the Teenage Brain DATE: Thursday, January 25, 2018 LOCATION: Holy Spirit Catholic School 100 Michigan Street, Devon, AB Notes: Parents and Teens (Grades 7 9) to attend together. Technology and the Teenage Brain DATE: Wednesday, January 31, 2018 LOCATION: S. Bruce Smith Jr. High School Street NW, Edmonton, AB Notes: Parents and Teens (Grades 7 9) to attend together. Youth Participant Feedback Cool Great presentation, and helpful! I liked this class and found it very informative. Thanks! Please contact the Education Team with questions or if you need to cancel your registration. CYFCaregiverEducation@ahs.ca