750 Leger Way, Edmonton, Alberta, T6R 3H4 Phone (780) Fax (780) May News 2018

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1 750 Leger Way, Edmonton, Alberta, T6R 3H4 Phone (780) Fax (780) May News 2018 We are grateful for the blessings of new life and honor Mary, the mother of Jesus.

2 SAC MEETING The next SAC meeting will be held on Monday, May 14 7:00 p.m. in the library. ATHLETICS AT AJM Thank you to Mrs. Liogier and Mr. Ewing for coaching the Badminton team to an overall 7 th place finish as a team. The top 4 players on each category move on to playoffs on May 2 at St. Joseph High School. The players who have made playoffs for AJM are: Men's Singles James F (MMM) Ladies Singles Sylvie B (AJM) Men's Doubles Nicholas Y (MMM) & Abel C (AJM) Ladies Doubles Sophia H (MMM) & Tiffany C (MMM) Mixed Doubles Sofie K (AJM) & Armando P (AJM) These players could not have made it to playoffs without a team effort. The rest of the competitive and development team members are: Development Team Tristan H, Parsa E, Dylan F, Paul S, Mayerly C, Guillermo B, Ethan A, Owen S Competitive Team Angelina B (MMM), Saige W (MMM), Tyler K. A special congratulations to Sylvie B in grade 8 who won the gold medal for Ladies Singles at the St. Cecilia badminton tournament. All student athletes competed hard and we are very proud of their accomplishments. Slo-Pitch tryouts are well underway as the season begins in mid-may. We wish our co-ed team the best of luck in their seven-game season as they will be trying to best last year s semi-final playoff appearance. Furthermore, our junior high Track and Field day will be held at Coronation Park on Friday May 25, Any parents/guardians interested in volunteering during the day are encouraged to get in touch with Mr. Barron. MATHATHON FOR GRADES K-6 We will be having a Math-A-Thon to allow the children to practice their math skills while raising funds that contribute to the many benefits our children are so blessed to receive at Archbishop Joseph MacNeil. Students in elementary will be given grade appropriate math content to study and a pledge envelope. The students will ask family members and close friends to pledge an amount per math question or a fixed amount pledge. Students are not allowed to go door-to-door to collect pledges. All students will take the math test whether they collect pledges or not as it will be a great way to practice their skills. Please note that the Math-A-Thon test will not be included as part of your child s assessments for report card purposes.

3 Once the tests have been marked, the classes per division, with the highest average of funds raised will receive a PIZZA PARTY sponsored by our School Advisory Council. There are TWO GRAND PRIZES; one draw will be made for students who score 100% on their math test, and a second grand prize for students who raise a minimum of $ Random prizes will also be drawn for students who return their envelopes and all pledges by FRIDAY May 25, SCHEDULE OF DATES: Fri. April 27 Math-A-Thon Kick-Off Day. Math questions and pledge envelopes are sent home. Students begin collecting pledges/question or fixed amount pledges and begin studying for their math test. Cheques are made payable to AJM SAC. Fri. May 18 All students write the math test and receive their score. Pledges are collected by the students and their parents. Fri. May 25 Pledge envelopes with the money are returned by 9 a.m. ALL ENVELOPES MUST BE RETURNED EVEN IF UNUSED. Money is counted by parent volunteers and winners are determined. Mon. May 28 Winners are announced and prizes are awarded MUSIC CORNER Kiwanis Festival A congratulations to all the Elementary choirs for participating and their performance in the Kiwanis Music Festival! They did an excellent job and received a mark of Distinction for all performances. Wednesday, May 2 nd - Honour Choir - Celebration of the Arts Each year, Edmonton Catholic Schools is proud to present Celebration of the Arts, a gala evening that showcases the music, art, drama and dance taught in our schools: Concert: 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Pre-concert Live Art performances 6:00 p.m. Jubilee Auditorium Avenue, Edmonton *The concert is a free, non-ticketed event. Parking is available in the Jubilee Car Park at the evening rate. You may also prefer to park in the Education Car Park on the corner of 114 Street and 87 Avenue, or in any of the surface lots in the area. For further information about parking and the Jubilee Auditorium, please visit: The doors to the main concert hall will open at 6:00 p.m. for general seating. *Participating HONOUR CHOIR STUDENTS are asked to be in their assigned assembly area by 5:30 p.m. (sharp) front entrance by the box office. They will also be picked up in this area at the end of the performance. Concert wear: black bottoms/bright coloured top. No logos please. Sunday, May 13 th - Jazz Band The jazz band will be playing at the Yardbird Suite on May 13th for a Mother s Day jazz concert. Tickets will be available soon.

4 Tuesday & Wednesday, May 15 th & 16 th - Beauty and The Beast Tuesday May 15th Matinee 1:15 p.m.-2:30 p.m. Evening Performance 6:30 p.m. -7:30 p.m. Wednesday May 16th Matinee 1:15 p.m.-2:30 p.m. Evening Performance 6:30 p.m. -7:30 p.m. Doors Open 6:00 p.m. on both evenings Tickets available in the office from April 30 th Tickets: $5 per ticket. $10 Per family (Includes 6 family members) Cash or cheque payment accepted Tuesday, May 29 th - JH Fine Arts Night Concert starts at 7:00 p.m. with doors open at 6:00 p.m. Monday, May 30 th - Honour Choir with the Edmonton Catholic All City Band - Grant MacEwan Allard Hall ( Ave) Triffo Theatre - Concert begins 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 7 th - Honour Choir Alberta Teachers Association - St. John The Evangelist Church ( St.) - 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. It's Official!!! HOT LUNCH IS COMING TO JUNIOR HIGH!!!! AJM's Grade 8 "Business and Innovations" students are pleased to announce that Junior High students will now have the opportunity to order "Hot Lunch" online! As a result of our market research and our partnership with healthyhunger.ca. we have secured the following "Hot Lunch" dates: May 9th (EDO JAPAN) and May 23rd (BOSTON PIZZA). **You may choose to participate in one or both of these initiatives and if this venture is a SUCCESS, we hope to offer this and other vendors on a more regular basis next year! To participate, all you have to do is register online. Below are links and instructions that will help you with this process. When registering on-line, the school you will be registering with is listed as "Archbishop Joseph MacNeil- JUNIOR HIGH ONLY". It is important you select this option, as through the SAC, the school already has an account for Elementary. For delivery purposes, you will also be required to select your son/daughter s "Homeroom" class e.g.7c, 8A etc... All orders MUST be paid for and submitted ONLINE prior to the automatic closing date (5 days prior to the scheduled lunch date). Thank-you for your support in helping make this business come to life for our students!

5 Parent Account Registration Link: EARTH AND ENVIRONMENT CLUB The earth and environment club would like to thank the students, staff, and parents who have supported our earth week challenges. We were very proud to have had up to 100% participation from some classes (both students and teachers) for our Wasteless Wednesday and Move it Monday challenges. The students from Grade 1b were shocked to see the difference in our garbage production at school after Wasteless Wednesday. They have decided that they would like to try to continue Wasteless Wednesdays for the rest of the year. They would also like to issue the following challenge to the school for the remainder of the year: Every Wednesday, can you bring a lunch to school that creates no permanent waste? A compost container will be set up outside the classroom for compostable materials, and the school s recycling buckets will remain for recyclable juice boxes, yogurt drinks etc... Students are encouraged to bring their lunches in reusable containers, with reusable napkins and cutlery.

6 UPCOMING EVENTS IN MAY 1 School yard clean up week 2 Honour Choir - Celebration of the Arts Hats On! For Mental Health Day 9 JH Hot Lunch EDO JAPAN 10 Grade 6 PAT Language Arts Kindergarten Mother's Day Tea 13 Mother s Day Jazz band - Yardbird Suite - Mother s Day jazz concert 14 School Advisory Council meeting at 7:00 p.m. in the library all are welcome Beauty and The Beast - Matinee 1:15-2:30 p.m. Evening 6:30-7:30 p.m. (Doors: 6:00 p.m.) 21 Victoria Day No School 25 JH Track and Field Day at Coronation Park 25 Elementary Fun Lunch 29 JH Fine Arts Night Presentation at 7:00 p.m. (Doors at 6:00 p.m.) 23 JH Hot Lunch Boston Pizza 30 Honour Choir with the Edmonton Catholic All City Band Concert at 7:30 p.m.

7 May 2018 Hail, holy Queen, mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. ~ The Hail Holy Queen In the month of May, when our thoughts turn towards paying special honor to our mothers and the women in our lives who fill that maternal role, we also turn our hearts toward our Mother, Mary. She is our model of saying yes to the call of our God, and she is also our model of grace, compassion, love, and tenderness. As we pray the rosary, we pray with hope to our holy Mother to intercede on our behalf so that we may feel God s abundant mercy. The week of May 6-11 is Catholic Education Week and May 10 is World Catholic Education Day. It is a time when we will ask our staff and our students to focus on the gifts that are to be found in an education that is grounded in our Catholic faith. Our work will be centred on empowering our community to articulate the many valuable aspects of attending Catholic schools. This, in turn, will also enable people to advocate for the need for ongoing and meaningful support of Catholic education in our province. It is important that we all speak up for Catholic education with a strong voice! Edmonton Catholic Schools has many partners who help us provide exceptional learning opportunities and supports for our students. One of our excellent partners is the City of Edmonton. They provide support for many of our programs and events. One such example is our upcoming 37 th Annual Ben Calf Robe Traditional Pow Wow. This amazing experience of Indigenous culture will take place from 1-10 pm on May 12 at the Commonwealth Community Recreation Centre. Admission is free, and it is a great family event! To learn more about Our Partnerships, visit our public website at and look under About Us. Our District Budget, will be presented at the May 29 Public Meeting of the Board. Thank you to all our stakeholders who took the time to complete our Budget Survey. Your voice was so important in helping us to set our priorities for this budget. I leave you with words of thanks from Pope Francis to all the women who fill the role of Mother in our world: Mothers are the strongest antidote to the spread of self-centred individualism It is they who testify to the beauty of life. Certainly, a society without mothers would be dehumanized, for mothers are always, even in the worst of times, witnesses to tenderness, dedication and moral strength. Mothers often communicate the deepest meaning of religious practice in the first prayers and acts of devotion that their children learn Without mothers, not only would there be no new faithful, but the faith itself would lose a good part of its simple and profound warmth Dear mothers: thank you! Thank you for what you are in your family and for what you give to the Church and the world. (Pope Francis, Amoris Laetitia, 174) Have a wonderful month of May! Sincerely, Joan Carr Superintendent

8 Edmonton Catholic School District Parent Newsletters May 2018 Mothers and Myrrh-bearing Women Soon after Jesus resurrection, the word of God continued to spread and the number of faithful greatly increased so much so that the twelve disciples had difficulty in continuing to care for the widows and the daily distribution of food. To help in these important tasks, the disciples chose seven men from among their midst, including Stephen, who would become the first-martyr for the faith (see Acts 6:1-7). Yet, men were not the only ones who followed Jesus and supported his ministry, both in his life, and at his death. So, as we celebrate Mother s Day, let us recall the myrrh-bearing women, who ran to the tomb on that first Easter morning. The myrrh-bearing women are the eyewitnesses of Jesus death and the place of his burial. They are also the witnesses of his resurrection. And they are the ones who receive the glorious news from the angel, who tells them, Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you. As we read in Father Thomas Rosica s book, Stay with Us, Encounters with the Risen Lord: These women represented countless nameless yet devoted women who were part of the crowds Jesus addressed and in the homes he frequented. They were the courageous ones who reached out fearlessly to touch the fringe of his cloak. They shouted after him; they entered his hosts houses uninvited; they poured expensive perfumed nard over his feet. They knew the promise made to them, they welcomed him, they knew from Jesus own treatment of them the strength of their own testimony to him, and they were unafraid to show him great love. In the end, they stood beneath his dying body, while the men were hiding for fear of the authorities. It was the women who grounds spices for his burial and calculated how to roll back the stone from his tomb. They attended firmly to the business of his living and dying. [And] they were rewarded for their fidelity by being the first recipients of the Good News of the Resurrection (pp ). My late mother, Olga God bless her soul, was also a myrrh-bearing woman in her own right. As I ve shared before, she taught me as a young boy about God, about love, and the importance of family and friends. She taught me about caring for neighbours. She taught me my daily prayers the Our Father, the Hail Mary, how to make the sign of the Cross, and the Ten Commandments in Ukrainian I might add, and even before I ever attended summer Catechism 1

9 with the Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate at the age of 5 (mom didn't want the Sisters to think that she neglected her duty as a mother in passing down the faith to her children!). Like my mother, your mother, all mothers are myrrh-bearing women. They received the Good News of the Resurrection of Our Lord that very first Easter morning. They received the great command to go tell others of the joy of the Gospel message, of God s love and mercy in the world. This Mother s Day, let us offer a word of prayer and thanksgiving to God for all moms who have showed us love and raised us to be who we are today, truly children of God. Bishop David Happy Mother s Day to all moms! And to my mom, may God grant you eternal rest! I love you! 2

10 Homework Help for Teens Are you in grade 7 to 12 and looking for help with homework or exam prep in either Essay Writing or Math? The library has free volunteer tutors who can help! This program is drop-in, first come first served. Mondays, 6:30 8:30, April 30 June Jasper Place Branch ( Street) Mondays, 6:30 8:30, April 30 June Whitemud Crossing Branch ( Street) Tuesdays, 6:30 8:30, May 1 June Londonderry Branch (inside Londonderry Mall)

11 Mother s Day Honoring Our Mothers The practice of celebrating Mother s Day comes from Civil War times. Mrs. Ann Reeves Jarvis wanted to organize a special day for mothers who had sons fighting on opposing sides in the Civil War. Ann Jarvis was a peace activist who cared for wounded soldiers on both sides of the American Civil War, and created Mother's Day Work Clubs to address public health issues. Jarvis s daughter, Anna, wanted to honor her mother by continuing the work she started and, in 1907, began a movement to make Mother s Day a national event. Anna wanted to set aside a day to honor all mothers because she believed a mother is the person who has done more for you than anyone in the world. Finally, in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the second Sunday of May as Mother s Day. Mothers teach love. And they teach it by doing loving things for their children and for other people. Mothers, like Jesus, become the measurement of how we are to love. Jesus said, I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. (John 13:34) So every mother silently says the same. Watch me and you will learn how to love. Let me move you from self-centeredness to sharing and concern for others. Watch me and I will show you how to do it. This way, every mother furthers the good news of Christ. Out of French Revolution came the story of a mother who had wandered through the woods for three days with her two children, trying to survive on roots and leaves. On the third day, she heard some soldiers approaching and quickly hid herself and the children behind some bushes. The sergeant in charge prodded the bushes to see what was stirring behind them. When he saw the starving woman and children he immediately gave them a loaf of bread. The mother took it eagerly, broke it into two pieces, and gave one piece to each of the children. She has kept none for herself, the sergeant said. Because she is not hungry? a soldier asked. Because she is a mother, the sergeant replied. Love is taught by loving actions. Our first experience of love in this life comes from our mothers. We recognize that instinctively. We need to acknowledge also that the love of God is taught by lots of moms and dads even the ones that are childless or single. And so Mother s Day and Father s Day really celebrate all those people who have mothered and fathered us, and taught us how to love. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. (John 13:34) This is the perfect verse and message for Mother s Day. Why? Because love is what mothers do best. Happy Mother s Day! Fr. Julian Bilyj District Chaplain Resources: A World of Stories for Preachers and Teachers by Fr. William J. Bausch. Twenty-Third Publications, Mystic, CT, 2004.

12 Weekend Mass Times Saturday Vigil: 5:00 pm Sunday: 8:30 am, 10:00 am, 12:00 pm & 6:00 pm Follow us on social media to find outinformation Keep updated with events, volunteer opportunities and faith formation by following us on Social Media! Ever want to get involved in the Parish? Personally, becoming involved in the Parish as an Adult Server (the person who helps Fr. during Mass) is one of the biggest reasons I came to know who Jesus is in my life and why I am now a Youth Coordinator! This is why I want to invite you all to our: STEWARDSHIP FAIR Weekend of May 26 th and 27 th Sign up to Read during Mass, volunteer for confirmation, join a youth group whatever you re interested in, we want to have you help out!

13 Confirmation Confirmation 2018 will take place November 18 th, 2018 Our Confirmation program is for anyone who will be in Grade 7 12 in September Preparation classes will take place from September to November, with registrations in June Information about preparation classes and registrations will be sent out to all Catholic Schools in the area please check your Catholic school in May for these documents. The information and documents will also be available on the St. Thomas More website at Please drop off all registrations at St. Thomas More during our drop in times on Saturday s from 10 am 12 pm, on June 2 nd, 9 th, 16 th, and 23 rd. Contact: Sara Dmitri Youth Evangelization Coordinator at the Parish Office youth@stmparish.com or ext. 223 First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion Over 250 students have just completed their 1 st Reconciliation on April 25 th, In the months of May and June all of these students will be celebrating their 1 st Holy Communion, please pray for them. Contact: Kathleen Eistetter at the Parish Office ext. 237 Baptism: for children up to 7 years old Are you interested in Baptizing your child in the Catholic Faith! Now s a great time! Contact: Diane Middleton - Sacrament Assistant at the Parish Office ext. 233 Want to become Catholic? Are you interested in joining God s family through the Sacrament of Baptism? Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults and Rite of Christian Initiation for Children begin with getting more information! Classes start Fall 2018! Contact Darlene Smigelski at stm.rcia.coord@stmparish.com or ext. 226

14 What will you be doing SUMMER 2018? 2018 St. Thomas More s VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL July 9 13, 2018, Monday to Friday 9 am 12 pm AGES 4 14 $50 per child (4-10 yrs. must be 4 by July 1 st ) $25 Captains (11-14 yrs.) Come to the Parish to register! Deadline: May 27 th Volunteers are needed to help the program! Either help during VBS or within the month leading up to VBS! Contact us for more information! Sara Dmitri: youth@stmparish.com & ext 223. OLVC & Camp Encounter are camps run by the Archdiocese of Edmonton. They are week long, overnight camps that incorporate fun, faith and friendships! Programs are available for campers and youth aged 8-14 with leadership opportunities for youth aged Register online at orwww.campencounter.com. OUR LADY OF VICTORY CAMP Camp Encounter

15 ST. THOMAS MORE PARISH 210 Haddow Close Edmonton, AB T6R 2P3 Phone: Fax: April 3, 2018 Principals Edmonton Catholic Schools in St. Thomas More Parish RE: MARIAN MASS AT ST. THOMAS MORE PARISH On May 7, 2018 at 7:00 pm, St. Thomas More Parish will celebrate a special Mass in honour of the Virgin Mary the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our parish and the Catholic school community within our parish have been celebrating this Mass on the first Monday of the month of May every year. The participation of the teachers, students and families of Catholic schools brings a special beauty to this Mass. Therefore, I invite you and your school community to participate in the preparations and attendance to the 2018 Marian Mass. The parish Marian Mass organizing committee will be sending you the information to prepare for this Mass. 0 Parochial Administrator, St. Thomas More Parish ''I die the king's good servant, but God'sfirst." -St. Thomas More

16 ST. THOMAS MORE PARISH MARIAN MASS, May 7, 2018 Rosary 6:30pm Mass 7pm Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mother of all America and Star of the New Evangelization WHAT: St. Thomas More Parish invites you and your family to attend a beautiful Solemn Mass in honour of the Virgin Mary, Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ. WHEN: Monday May 7, Rosary 6:30 pm Mass 7pm WHERE: St. Thomas More Parish 210 Haddow Close, Edmonton. With the participation of the Knights of Columbus, CWL, Legion of Mary, Scripture Study group and Catholic schools of the parish.