DECEMBER JANUARY 2019 KEY DATES

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1 December Dec 24-Jan 4 January DECEMBER JANUARY 2019 KEY DATES Parent - Student - Teacher conference (1:30-4:30 and 6:00-8:00) Login to book your appointments: EVENT CODE: bzz4t Site is now active Field Trip Activity Day Millennium Place Advent Corpus Christi (10:30 am) Full Instructional Thursday - Dismissal (3:00 pm) Renaissance Rally - Early Dismissal (12:00) ***Christmas Break*** Classes resume Musical Showcase Evening 7pm School Advisory Council Meeting - 7 pm in Library - all are welcome Dear Parents/Guardians: We re not sure where the last three months have gone, but it s already December! We have had a fantastic year so far and we are so thankful for all the blessings that come our way each day at FMT. We ve completed a successful term, focused on developing literacy and numeracy skills, and using Flex to support and enhance learning. Most importantly, our students have had many opportunities to learn together, pray together and play together to help build our caring FMT community. During this Christmas Season, we sometimes get so busy that we forget about the true importance of the Christmas and Advent Season. We are blessed to have the opportunity, in our schools, to celebrate and speak about this significant event in our church s history. So, let s not forget that there is so much more to Christmas than Santa Claus and that the birth of Jesus is the most important part of the Christmas Season. We ask God to bless the families and staff of the FMT community and to fill their Christmas with Peace and Joy. Have a Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year, Jeff Fillion Principal Erin Winch Assistant Principal

2 STUDENT DROP OFF With the arrival of winter and colder temperatures, parents are reminded that our front doors do not open until 8:15 unless temperatures, including wind chill, drop below -20 Celsius. Thus, students dropped off before 8:15 will be waiting outside and are reminded to dress appropriately. STUDENT PICK-UP Students are asked to leave the school promptly, following the final bell unless they are participating in school sponsored events with appropriate supervision. SOCIAL JUSTICE Students on the Social Justice team have chosen to support the Gianna Centre for the school year. The Gianna Centre is a ministry of Catholic Social Services which provides services to women experiencing unplanned or difficult circumstances surrounding their pregnancies with a strong emphasis on the Sanctity of Human Life. In December, we are raising money for the Giana Centre with the following activities: December 3-7 Morning hot chocolate sales December Candy Cane Gram sales December Duct tape a teacher to the wall contest All proceeds will go directly to the Gianna Centre. ADVENT CELEBRATIONS As we enter the season of Advent, we take time to reflect on the coming of Christ and the Christmas story. It is a time to look within our hearts to discover joy and see if there is anything that stands in the way of Jesus coming into our lives. God comes to the poor in spirit, so that we may strive to witness the gospel virtues of caring, forgiveness and unity. At Christmas, our hearts should be open and ready to receive the many graces that God will send. Advent celebrations will be held in Religion classes and our final Advent Celebration will be celebrated at Corpus Christi Church at 10:30 on Thursday, December 20th. Our students at Father Michael Troy will join in with the students of St. Kateri Elementary for this Advent Mass at the church. Parents are welcome and encouraged to join us as we celebrate! Meadows Community League Event Castrol Raceways Lights When: Dec. 6:00 pm Where: Meet in the community room at the Meadows Rec Centre and then we will be taking a school bus out to see the lights at Castrol Raceway. Cost: $5/per $20/family with community league membership $10 or $40 for non-members Registration is on Thursday, December 6 from 6-8 in TMCL room at the Meadows Rec Centre or programs@themeadowscommunity.ca for tickets or info. SCHOOL COUNCIL Our next School Council meeting will be on Monday January 28 th at 7:00 in the Learning Commons. Thank you to the following people who are serving as our Parent Council Executive this year. Chair: Melissa B, Vice Chair: Treasurer: Debbie G, Secretary: Barbara H, Fundraising Director: Lisa R

3 RENAISSANCE RALLY 2018 & TALENT SHOW The Renaissance Program continues to celebrate and recognize the academic achievements of our students as well as the effort that this achievement requires. Our 16 th Annual Renaissance Rally will be held on Friday, December 21, 2018 beginning at 10:15 am and ending by noon (school dismissal at noon). Parents are invited to join in the fun and entertainment as we celebrate our success and showcase the talent of FMT students at the Rally. Congratulations to our Renaissance Student Team for their efforts in helping Renaissance be so successful! Congratulations to our Renaissance Student Team for their efforts in helping Renaissance be so successful! Renaissance Team December Shanthini B Sabrina H. Ashiyana H. Jayden B. Ethan C. Johannes B. Jaymes N. Erin B. Kyle C. Isabel M. Makayla C. Joen P. Alisha A. Brooklyn Q. Thandy N. Joanne S. Closed Campus In the interest of student safety, Father Michael Troy is a closed campus. All students must stay on campus during school hours. For parents who permit their child to go home throughout the year for lunch, the school will require a written note indicating so.

4 MUSICAL SHOWCASE January 7:00 p.m. Help us bring some warmth to a blustery January evening as we celebrate the artistic talents of the students of FMT. Please join us at our Musical Showcase on Thursday, January 24 at 7:00 p.m. Our celebration will feature all 7, 8 and 9 Band students as well as our Jazz Band. FATHER MICHAEL TROY - OPEN HOUSE Registering a student for Grade 7? Join us for our Open House on Thursday February 7th at 7:00 PM. Come and learn about the programs and learning opportunities at Father Michael Troy Junior High School. Students entering into Grade 7 are encouraged to attend along with their parents. RENAISSANCE NEEDS YOU! (and your donations) Our B.U.G. Out (Bring Up Your Grade) Challenge has been launched and will culminate with a luncheon for successful students in March. Renaissance also has a challenge to our parents. We could use your support of our Renaissance Program. If you can help us meet our goal of recognizing the academic achievements and Christian service work of our students by donating a gift card, providing a coupon, movie passes or making a small financial donation it would be greatly appreciated. Please contact either of the Renaissance Coordinators: Mrs. Bodmer-Hoff, Mrs. DeGrace, Mrs. Fitzpatrick, Mrs. Pagliuso, or Ms. Vetsch if you can help out. We appreciate your support.

5 Self Regulation: Information for Parents Children, Youth and Families Addiction and Mental Health - Edmonton Zone Self Regulation Self regulation is our ability to meet life s challenges and rise to life s potential ( It is a broad term that refers to how people manage energy expenditure (stress), recovery and restoration in order to enhance growth. Effective self regulation requires learning to recognize and respond to stress ( Children develop self-regulation at different rates. It initially develops by receiving comfort and care from warm, supportive and trusted adults. Children begin to learn to self-regulate their feelings by watching how their caregivers manage their own feelings and behaviors. Children need ongoing support from adults (co-regulators) to help them learn to regulate. Is all stress bad? No! The stress reaction in the body is designed to protect us from dangerous situations and in small amounts stress can be helpful to increase our performance or success at a task. However, if there is too much stress experienced by the body for too long it can become unhelpful. Too much unmanageable stress can negatively impact areas of our life, and we can see changes to our physical, emotional and social health. Signs of Stress Signs of stress to watch out for: Physical: Headaches, neck aches, indigestion, stomach aches, sweaty palms, racing heart, difficulty sleeping, etc. Emotional: Crying, anger, loneliness, forgetfulness, diminished sense of humour, irritability, hopelessness, unhappiness, indecisiveness, sensitivity, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, etc. Behavioural: withdrawal or avoidance, needing to be in control, acting aggressive, feeling restless, grinding teeth, eating poorly, having nightmares, drinking, smoking or using drugs, etc. What can Parents do? Understand that some stress is expected and developmentally appropriate. Help your child to learn how to identify their stressors and reduce those that are not helpful. Get to know what triggers your child s stress response. Teach kids how to recognize and communicate their feelings (sad, mad, scared, etc.) and help them become more self-aware of their stress response (holding their breath, clenched fists, running away). Consider using feeling charts, social/emotional coaching, or practicing mindfulness. Help your child learn what works for them; explore calming techniques or things to avoid so they can return back to their calm/regulated state. Remember children will need ongoing support from parents and other adults to build strong self regulation skills. Feeling stressed! Kids and teenagers experience all types of stress; stress about school, friends, classmates, family, personal identity, health, the future, and even financial concerns. Some experience stress more than others, but it is our ability to manage and cope with stress that determines how stressed we might feel, not necessarily the amount of stress in our lives. Learning to Cope There are many ways to learn to cope with stress, to manage it, and to decrease it in a child s life. Basic lifestyle changes include getting enough sleep, eating well, and regular exercise. These healthy habits can reduce stress levels in the moment and increase your ability to cope with stress in the long term. Having and maintaining a regular routine at home and at school can be helpful to reduce stress in one s life. Social supports such as family, friends, and healthy adult supports that are physically and emotionally available help children learn to cope. Calming Techniques Consider the following list of calming techniques and find the ones that work best for your child: Take deep breathes breathe slowly and deeply to help calm the body and the brain. Relax from head to toe flex and relax muscles in your body. Use positive self talk tell yourself things like this will pass or I can do this. Listen to music. Move - play or do something active to move your body. Take a break take a walk or splash water on your face. Distract yourself with a game or craft. Take a squeeze use a stress ball or hug a stuffed animal. Practice mindfulness focus your mind on an activity to get back to the present. For example, eat a small piece of chocolate - focus on the taste, the smell and the feel of it. Reach out talk to a friend, family member or trusted adult. Phone Numbers: Call Health Link Alberta: 811 CYFAMH Intake: Youth Addiction Services Edmonton: Mobile Response Team: Call 211 Alberta Community resources Catholic Social Services: (780) The Support Network, Edmonton Distress Line: HELP (4357) Kids Help Phone: Revised: July 2017

6 December 2018 Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel. (O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, JM Neale translator) Advent is upon us as we begin the month of December, and it is a time filled with joy and promise. The activities in our schools mirror the sentiments of the Advent season as we excitedly prepare for the celebration of Jesus birth. Although our activities are vastly different today, this anticipation links us back to the Jewish people all those years ago. Our Messiah is soon to arrive, and it is a time of hope for the future! Each fall, many of our schools and our staff participate in the We Care Challenge. This outstanding endeavor raises significant funds for two Catholic organizations, the Edmonton Catholic Schools Foundation s Dreams for Kids campaign and Catholic Social Services Sign of Hope campaign, that have tremendous impact on our ECSD community and beyond. Special thanks to our students, staff, and families for participating in this endeavor. As I am writing this newsletter, we are preparing for the presentation of our 2018 Audited Financial Statements and our Three Year Strategic Education Plan and Annual Education Results Report at our November 27 Public Meeting of the Board. After that meeting, you can click on the links above or visit to view those reports. Our All-City Choir is having their Christmas Concert on December 3 at 7:30 pm at McDougall United Church (10086 MacDonald Dr NW). The All-City Band s Christmas Concert is on December 12 at 7:00 pm at the Myer Horowitz Theatre ( St NW). Tickets are $5 at the door, and these concerts will be amazing! The District Satisfaction Survey will run from November 26 - December 7. Every household will receive one parent survey per child enrolled in an Edmonton Catholic School. Please respond to each survey separately from the point of view of each child's educational experience. You can either return your parent survey to your child s school or use the postage paid envelope and Canada Post. If you don t receive your survey, or if you would like more information about a question as it relates to your school, please phone the principal.

7 This year s Hour of Code event takes place from December 3-7. This is the fifth year that Edmonton Catholic Schools will be participating. Hour of Code is a global movement that is supported by Code.org with the purpose of reaching tens of millions of students in 180+ countries through a one-hour introduction to computer science and computer programming. We live in a world surrounded by technology, and we know that whatever fields our students choose to explore as adults, their ability to succeed will increasingly depend on understanding how technology works. This is a great time to introduce our students to computer programming and for them to see how coding is part of the way the world works. Coding and Computer Science also help to enhance literacy and numeracy skills through computational thinking, collaboration, and problem solving. Our goal is to have 27,000 student and teacher coders participate! As 2018 comes to a close, I wish you many opportunities to spend time with your family and friends reflecting on the many graces and great love that God has shared over this past year. In 2015 at the World Meeting of Families, Pope Francis shared the following thoughts on the gift of Jesus to the Holy Family: And His Son, where did He send Him? To a palace? To a city, to start a business? He sent Him to a family! God came into the world in a family. And he was able to do this because this family was a family that had its heart open to love, that had the doors open to love. (09/27/15) Have a blessed Advent and Christmas season! Sincerely, Joan Carr Superintendent

8 December 2018 Dear Friends, In December, we celebrate the event that changed history the birth of Jesus. On Christmas Day, we will hear these words from the Gospel of Luke. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn (Luke 2:7). Last year in my Christmas message I offered you some opportunities to make room for Jesus in your hearts, by listening to the Word of God both at home and in your schools. I ask you to continue to make room for Jesus not only by listening but also by your actions. That is why I am very pleased that Edmonton Catholic Schools has chosen Walking Together in God s Love for its theme this year. This theme finds its source in the words of the prophet Micah. He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8) Children and youth who attend our Catholic schools are given an opportunity to practice the way of life outlined by the prophet Micah. Through the modeling that they receive from their parents, teachers and support staff they learn to live the Christian way of life. They are encouraged to act with justice in their dealings with all they meet, not only at home and school, but also on the field, court, ice, streets everywhere. In this way they are of service to others. Youth and children are fortified in their witnessing by the love of God, which leads them to act with kindness. Lastly, they are inspired to walk humbly with God through acts of worship. In our Catholic Schools, students are given the opportunity to learn about the sacraments, especially the Eucharist. They are introduced to the parish and to the life of worship. As Christmas draws near may we come, like the shepherds, to worship Christ! To all the staff, students and parents of the Edmonton Catholic Schools, I pray that you have a Blessed Christmas! Sincerely Yours in Christ, Richard W. Smith Archbishop of Edmonton

9 Chapter 3: Gaudete et Exsultate As we continue to explore Pope Francis most current Apostolic Exhortation: On the Call to Holiness in Today s World, this month we reach chapter three. This chapter is at the center or heart of the exhortation both literally and figuratively. Chapter Three: In the Light of the Master, focuses on the life lessons Jesus shared during the Sermon on the Mount. After explaining how to live a blessed life, Jesus says, Rejoice and be glad! (MT 5:12) This is the title of Pope Francis apostolic exhortation on holiness in everyday life. Living our faith is a lifelong journey. The Beatitudes are a roadmap that steer us towards holiness. Also referred to as Blessed are, the Beatitudes demonstrate what it means to be blessed or holy. Pope Francis uses these to remind us of the practical ways we are called to holiness in our everyday life while doing so joyfully. Let s review the Beatitudes. While reading, call to mind that Jesus spoke these words to his people who were being persecuted and judged on his behalf. This was a difficult and challenging time: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (MT 5: 1-12) Jesus is encouraging all of us to give ourselves to God and live a life that is filled with virtue. When we do so, we receive true life: the happiness which we were created for. If humankind would live out these Beatitudes, life would be simpler, just, peaceful, empathetic, loving, and joyful. People would put their trust in God first and foremost. Today this continues to be a path that goes against the flow and is often opposite to society s message. We are constantly called to challenge this and live our lives with mercy and forgiveness. This involves serving others and it also includes forgiveness and understanding. These are two central themes to Pope Francis papacy and reach the heart of this exhortation. Pope Francis Exhortation encourages us to look deep within and ask the questions: Where am I on the path to holiness? How do I rejoice and be glad in my faith journey? God Bless, Kathleen Nguyen, Elementary Religious Education Consultant Edmonton Catholic Schools