FEBRUARY. Learning Initiatives For Everyone. Happy Valentine s Day. Inside this issue: Special points of interest: NO SCHOOL:

Transcription

1 February Happy Valentine s Day FEBRUARY Inside this issue: We ve been enjoying some mighty cold days at school and there has been great learning going on daily. Some of our grade 6 students have taken on some leadership roles in offering intramural/indoor recess sporting and dancing games during cold weather days. Talent Show Try outs 2 Our Choir and Cheerleading groups have been meeting regularly and we excited to be having them perform at upcoming events. Book Fair coming 2 Also, our Indigenous Singers, Dancers and Drummers will be performing for the Kiwanis Music Festival held at Ben Calf Robe. Looking forward to them sharing their talents. Open House 3 Register for Jr. High 3 Afterschool Programs 4 School Council Meeting 5 Message from Trustee 6 Special points of interest: February brings a number of special events: Feb. 5 We have our Mini Round Dance in the afternoon starting at 1:30. Feb. 6 There is no school as the District has it s Faith Day for all staff. Feb. 13 We celebrate Shrove Tuesday in the morning with a pancake breakfast for all our students graciously provided with an $800 donation from the owners of the St. Francis Childcare and Out of School Care. Our students will also be spreading Valentine messages in our community delivering cards to our local community. In the afternoon they will have a sockhop with music provided by our in house DJ leaders. Feb. 14 Ash Wednesday Celebration 9:30 am It s also time for our Grade 6 students and parents to be selecting a Junior High School. Please feel free to contact us and make sure to visit your child s designated Junior High Schools open house to get more information. Grade 6 s will be going to Kananaskis for the Tim Horton Children's Foundation Camp in April. Start thinking about Talent Show an opportunity to have your child share their Musical gifts. Mr. M. Sylvestre Mrs. Sopkow Mr. Ealey NO SCHOOL: Faith Development Day - Feb. 6 Family Day - Feb. 19 Teachers Convention - March 1 & 2 We are currently accepting registrations for the school year for 100 Voices preschool and Kindergarten to Grade 6 students. Please be sure to share the great news about our school with your friends, colleagues and neighbours in the area. Learning Initiatives For Everyone

2 St. Francis of Assisi School TALENT SHOW Talent Show Tryouts will begin soon. Watch for more information and begin preparing now. KINDERGARTEN AND 100 VOICES OPEN HOUSE Open House is on Thursday, April 5, 2018 at 6:30 pm. If you know any children in the community that are the correct age please let their parent know that we are now registering students for the school year. To register for: Kindergarten, the child must be five (5) years of age before March 1, 2019, 100 Voices 4yr, the child must be four (4) years of age before March 1, Voices 3yr, the child must be three (3) years of age before Sept. 30, 2018 At registration we need your child s Birth Certificate or Immigration Certificate and Catholic Baptismal Certificate if possible. We are unable to register any student without proof of age. Parents of children from other Christian traditions or other faiths who wish to enroll their child may do so if space permits. PLEASE CONTACT MRS. BOWMAN AT IN THE SCHOOL OFFICE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. We are excited to announce our next book fair: Monday, March 19 Thursday, March 22. This falls during our Report Card times, so there will be opportunity for all to share and purchase new books. We look forward to seeing you there. We had so much fun during our last Book Fair. Many prizes were given out and many new books were earned for our library. L. I. F. E.

3 Page 3 Registering for Junior High St. Francis of Assisi School During the months of February and March, we turn our attention to registering grade six students for junior high. Junior High Open Houses are held in February and March to provide information to allow our children to make an informed choice. Cree Language & Culture Grade Six students will visit Ben Calf Robe school on January 31st. On February 8 th, our grade six students will have the opportunity to visit our feeder school St. Cecilia. It is the parents responsibility to ensure that grade six students are registered in a Junior High Program prior to the end of March. District Transition passports will be sent home with the grade six students indicating which school is their designated Junior High. Parents are asked to fill out the Passport and return it to the school as soon as possible. Please contact Ms. Sopkow, Mr. Ealey or Mr. Sylvestre if you have any questions or for assistance in registering in Junior High. École St. Cecilia Junior High Open House Thursday, February 15, :30 p.m. The main purpose of the Open House is to introduce the parents and the grade six students to our school. Parents will have an opportunity to meet the staff and ask questions about the various programs being offered at École St. Cecilia Junior High Ave Ben Calf Robe/St. Clare Elementary- Junior High School St Open House Thursday, March 15, :30 pm Come out and see all of the wonderful opportunities available for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit students in our close knit community. Learn about our great cultural programming and excellent supports for students St L. I. F. E.

4 Page 4 Afterschool Programs St. Francis of Assisi School Centre for Arts and Music - Mondays afterschool from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. This is open to students in grades 6 and is currently full. Thank you to Mrs. Bowman and Ms. Lepine who is working with our Grade 5 and 6 students on Craft Club that meet alternating Tuesdays after school. Our Lighthouse Team for the Leader in Me will also be meeting on some Mondays from 3-4 pm Feb 5 th February 12 th February 26 th Students who choose to stay for afterschool programming are expected to be cooperative and well behaved. The open activities in these programs can be difficult for some of our more active students. Students who are not able to keep their behavior in check will be asked to leave the program. Participating in after school programming is a privilege, not a right. Please make sure that students are picked up on time after these programs. It is difficult to ensure that someone is available to wait with them past program times. We/I (family name) have read and discussed the contents of this newsletter with our child/children. A draw will be made for a lunch with the principal for each student of the lucky family. Name of Child/Children: Grade Comments: Inspired! to learn L. I. F. E.

5 Page 5 CHILDREN ARRIVING LATE TO SCHOOL St. Francis of Assisi School What can you do to make sure your child is on time for school? Leave a few minutes early. Drop them off at the appropriate location the South side of the school so they can move to the park until the bell goes. Have their backpacks ready to go the night before and just add their lunch and snacks in the morning. Having your child get in the habit of preparing for the next day before they go to bed is a great strategy to teach them life long skills they will need as they get older. Set some consequences if they are continually arriving at school late. Thanks for helping us with this issue. CLASSROOM INTERRUPTIONS Each time there is a phone call or a delivery to a classroom it creates a win-lose situation, a win for the family involved and a lose for the teacher and all the rest of the students in the classroom. This is a cause of concern to the staff at the school who are trying to maximize the learning for all students. Please teach proactivity to our students by planning ahead and making arrangements for the end of the day. We understand that there will be unforeseen circumstances but we are looking to create those win-win situations. SAC MEETING: We would love to have you join us on Wednesday Feb 7 at 9:15 am for our School Advisory Council Meeting. Random Acts of Kindness Week / Feb. 5-9 Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. L. I. F. E.

6 St. Francis of Assisi School Cold Weather Policy Page 6 I would like to take this opportunity to review our cold weather policy and to ask you and your children for co-operation. It is based on the wind chill factor (when combined temperature and wind chill are below 20 C, students will stay inside for recess) but also has a number of assumptions built into it. These assumptions are: 1 Children will be dressed properly for winter weather (boots, mitts, etc.) 2 Fresh air is good for children. Remember colds are spread by a virus, not cold, crisp air. 3 The air outside is fresh and cleaner than the air inside. 4 Children who are sick should be kept at home. They cannot concentrate and they become a source of infection for others. 5 During particularly wet weather, students will be kept inside. 6 Students with minor short-term illness will be asked to go outside for recess. If the illness is more serious, I encourage you to consult with your family physician and provide opportunity for your child(ren) to have a rest at home. Students with colds cannot concentrate and they become a source of infection for others Avenue Edmonton, AB T5C 1V7 Phone: Fax: website:

7 February 2018 Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love (Joel 2:13) This passage from the book of Joel is part of the first reading for Ash Wednesday, and is a good reminder for us as we begin our Lenten journey. It assures us that even though we wander away from God as part of our human frailty, He never abandons us. As we begin the solemn 40-day period leading up to Easter, we can direct our reflection upon God s enduring gift of mercy and love in the form of His Son, Jesus. February brings two exceptional faith formation opportunities to Edmonton Catholic Schools. On February 5, our grade 8 students will gather together for an opportunity to explore our faith more deeply through witness and through celebrating the Eucharist. The day begins with presenter Steve Angrisano, who will help to unfold the theme Serve Like a Superhero, and will culminate in a Mass. It is always an energizing, inspiring day for all! On February 6, our schools will be closed for our annual Staff Faith Development Day. This day provides us, as faith-filled people, with the opportunity to become more deeply aware of the faith foundation of our lives and to enter into our life s work with renewed conviction. We are pleased to welcome Fr. Richard Leonard as our keynote speaker. We also welcome Bishop Gregory Bittman, Bishop David Motiuk, and the priests of the Archdiocese and Eparchy who will celebrate the Eucharistic Liturgy with us. The Alberta Education Accountability Pillar Survey is an extremely important measurement and stakeholder feedback tool for all school districts. Responses from parents, students, and staff help each school to evaluate their strengths and areas for growth. All our students from grades 4-12 will complete their surveys at school. You should have received your parent survey in the mail from Alberta Education in mid to late January. If you need more information about your school to complete the survey, or if you do not receive a survey, please call your school principal. They will be happy to assist you. Parental voice is so important, and every response counts! I am pleased to share with you that I will continue to serve as Superintendent of Edmonton Catholic Schools until the end of August, Guided by the words of Micah (6:8) in my leadership role - to act justly, to love faithfully and to walk humbly with our God, I am honored to continue to live out my mission as Superintendent of Edmonton Catholic Schools to empower students, staff and parents to experience the joy and fulfillment of a truly Catholic education, striving for excellence in all areas while sharing in the vision of our risen Lord Jesus Christ! I would like to leave you with a few words from our Holy Father, Pope Francis: Dear Brothers and Sisters, Lent is a new beginning, a path leading to the certain goal of Easter, Christ s victory over death Christians are asked to return to God with all their hearts (Joel 2:12), to refuse to settle for mediocrity and to grow in friendship with the Lord. Jesus is the faithful friend who never abandons us. (Message of His Holiness Pope Francis For Lent 2017) Sincerely, Joan Carr Superintendent

8 Ash Wednesday is one of the most popular and important holy days in the liturgical calendar. It is the day many Christians mark as the first day of Lent; the 40-day period of reflection, fasting, abstinence, and penitence leading up to Easter Sunday, reminding us that God is gracious and merciful. This year we mark Ash Wednesday on Wednesday, February the 14 th. Ash Wednesday comes from the ancient Jewish tradition of penance and fasting which includes the wearing of ashes on the forehead; ashes made from the blessed palms used in the Palm Sunday celebration of the previous year they are burned, christened with Holy Water, and scented by exposure to incense. Historically, the distribution of ashes comes from a ceremony of ages past. Christians who had committed grave faults performed public penance, and on Ash Wednesday, the Bishop blessed the hair shirts which they were to wear during the forty days of penance, and sprinkled over them ashes made from the palms of the previous year. Then, while the faithful recited the Seven Penitential Psalms, the penitents were turned out of the church because of their sins and they did not enter the church again until Holy Thursday after having won reconciliation by their forty days of penance. In time, all Christians came to receive ashes out of devotion. In his Lenten message from last year, the Pope wrote that Lent is the favorable season for renewing our encounter with Christ, living in his word, in the sacraments, and in our neighbor. A right relationship with people consists in gratefully recognizing their value. Even the poor person at the door is not a nuisance, but a summons to conversion and to change. In this way, Lent is a particularly fitting time to open our door to all those in need. Each life that we encounter is a gift deserving acceptance, respect and love. Indifference to our neighbor and to God also represents a real temptation for us Christians. Each year during Lent we need to hear once more the voice of the prophets who cry out and trouble our conscience. Describing this phenomenon he called the globalization of indifference, Francis continued: whenever our interior life becomes caught up in its own interests and concerns, there is no longer room for others, no place for the poor. God s voice is no longer heard, the quiet joy of his love is no longer felt, and the desire to do good fades. We end up being incapable of feeling compassion at the outcry of the poor, weeping for other people s pain, and feeling a need to help them, as though all this were someone else s responsibility and not our own. But when we fast from this indifference, we can begin to feast on love. In fact, Lent is the perfect time to learn how to love again. Jesus the great protagonist of this holy season certainly showed us the way. In him, God descends all the way down to bring everyone up. In his life and his ministry, no one is excluded. As we start the journey of Lent, with its emphasis on fasting, prayer, and almsgiving, we have an opportunity at a new beginning in our own lives. As the Pope affirmed, this season urgently calls us to conversion. We are asked to return to God with all our hearts, to refuse to settle for mediocrity, and to grow in friendship with the Lord. During this Lenten Season, let us pray for one another so that, by sharing in the victory of Christ, we too may open our doors to the weak and to the poor. Sandra Talarico, Religious Education Consultant Ash Wednesday The Journey to Lent

9 Egg-citement at St. Francis of Assisi School! Grade three students were challenged to use their ingenuity to keep an egg from cracking when dropped from a great height. They began with the challenge to crack an egg with one hand. With some trepidation they squeezed, but were unable to crack it. When dropped, however splat! Materials were selected and used creatively to give their egg a safe drop. Teams worked in small groups and collaborated from beginning to end. Other classes in the school came to cheer on the teams. After much holding of breaths, the challenge was met with success with most eggs intact. This was a meeting of minds to cooperatively solve a problem. Well done, grade 3!

10 KINDNESS Pass it on! Give a flower Eat lunch with someone new Listen with your heart Visit a sick friend Clean a neighbor s walk Offer a hug Be Tolerant Give an unexpected gift Make a new friend Pick up litter Say hello Call a lonely student Open a Door Help carry a load Plant a tree Pass a kindness on Share a snack Cheer up a friend Thank a Teacher Lend a hand Read to a young child Do a kind act daily Leave a thank you note Offer your seat Cycle courteously Let another go first Help a student make friends Assist an adult Give a balloon away Lend a classmate a pencil Celebrate something every day Encourage a friend Respect others Walk a dog Do a favor Bake Cookies for someone Give a compliment Forgive mistakes Smile at someone new

11

12