Yours in Catholic Education,

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1 Avenue Edmonton, AB T5N 0C7 Phone: Fax: Website: At St. Paul Catholic School We believe in children. We pray together. We play together. We grow. We create a loving environment where learning has no limits. We believe. Principal : Boyan Yarovenko Boyan.Yarovenko@ecsd.net Assistant Principal: Irene Sieben Irene.Sieben@ecsd.net Secretary: Leanne Junck Leanne.Junck@ecsd.net Dear Parents/Guardians, Easter is a time of community celebration. The beginning of spring, and the great hope and joy felt by the faithful because of Christ s Resurrection, combine to make Easter truly the greatest day during the whole year for all people. A feeling of light-heartedness lifted every spirit, and colored the activity of the three day celebration. Along with the Earth, we wake up from winter and grow and blossom to reach our spiritual fulfillment at Easter. We are still accepting registrations for next year. Contact the office for more information. We have many new families joining our community, not only in Kindergarten next year, but in a variety of grades. Many of our new families have mentioned that they are registering at St. Paul School because a friend has told them so many good things about our school. Thank you! Please continue to spread the good news of St. Paul Catholic Elementary School! Yours in Catholic Education, Boyan Yarovenko Principal Irene Sieben Assistant Principal

2 April 2017 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Spring Break Continues No School 1 2 Autism Awareness Day 3 Back To School Runwild Marathon presentation is at 8: PAC 7PM Good Friday no school Easter 17 Easter Monday (no school) Gr. 1 Building sailors field trip 21 Resurrection Mass at church 9:00 am School Assembly Easing the Transition into Jr. High Evening 6:30 27 Grade 2 Active Academy 28 Booster Juice Hawaiian Family Dance 7-9pm 29

3 MAY 2017 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Grade 2 Active Academy Gr. 6 PAT Language Arts Part A Victoria Day No School Grade 6 Camp 26 Hot Lunch Sports jersey day Assembly

4 SCHOOL HOURS GRADES 1-6 Mon., Tues., Wed., Fri. AM Bell 8:25 Classes 8:30-10:25 Recess 10:25-10:40 Classes 10:40-12:10 Lunch 12:10-12:30 Recess 12:30-12:50 Classes 12:50-1:50 Recess 1:50-2:05 Classes 2:05-3:05 Thursday Early Dismissal at 12:00 EARLY CHILDHOOD Mon., Tues., Wed., Fri. AM Bell 8:25 Classes 8:30-10:25 Recess 10:25-10:40 Classes 10:40-11:44 EARLY CHILDHOOD REGISTRATION We are presently accepting applications for our Early Childhood Program. This program is offered to children who will be five years of age before March 1, Our first responsibility is to accommodate students who are Catholic and live within the boundaries of St. Paul School. If you have not registered yet, please do so as soon as possible! If you have any relatives or friends that have children in this age group, please make them aware of our program. OFFICE NEWS As our weather is finally warming up and the snow is melting, could we ask that you please send extra clothes (t-shirt, pants, underwear, socks) for your child, to be kept in their backpack, in case they slip in puddles. Thank you. Please purchase April bus passes no later than Monday, April 3rd. Thank you for your cooperation. Please note that if any information (address, phone numbers, address) changes at any time in the year, including the summer, a Transportation Change Form must be completed. Please contact the office for this form. Thursday No Classes

5 Author in Residence The students were fortunate this month to work with author in residence Joan Marie Galat on a school wide writing project. The cost of the residency was covered by our school parent council. The students in grades 1 and 2 worked collaborative to write and publish classroom books while the rest of the school (Grades 3-6) worked together to publish a school wide newspaper. The grade 1 and 2 books were on display in our Gallery walk at the March 15 th Celebration of Learning. The newspaper took a bit more time to put together, but thanks to the tremendous efforts of Tracy Hawkins is now ready. Copies of the school newsletter and classroom books are now available for purchase. The money raised from the sales will go directly to purchasing lunch supplies for Edmonton's homeless community. If you would like to purchase a copy of the school newspaper or a copy of the grade 1A, 2A, or 2B books please sign and return the attached form below and send it in to the school along with your payment by Wednesday, April 12 th. A project of this magnitude cannot happen without the amazing support of our parent community. Thank you to all of our parents who volunteered their time so that this project was successful. This group of parents includes, but is not limited to (please forgive me if I have forgotten to include you); Tracy Hawkins, Teryl Sporns, Kristie Edwardson, Lisa Sadd, Cheryl Garbera, Alanna Mazakalua, April Fuller, Tami Lackey, Monique Ewanchuck, Joyce Indromito, and Pam Lasuita. Purchase form School wide Newspaper and Classroom Books Yes! I would like to purchase (please check appropriate boxes): Indicate the quantity you would like to purchase Grade 3-6 $5 each Grade 1A $5 each Grade 2A $5 each Grade 2B $5 each Total Cost Family Name: Phone Number:

6 Get out your sunglasses and sunscreen and join us for a Hawaiian Family Dance on Friday April 28th from 7-9 pm. As usual we will be looking for small dance prizes ($5 - $10 in value such as gift cards or small toys), larger raffle prizes and volunteers to work shifts at the door, assist with supervision and clean-up. Information and ticket purchase forms will go home when we return from Spring Break. RunWild Marathon! We are excited to be participating in the 'RunWild Wildones Marafun' this year! This unique race provides students age 4-12 the chance to participate in their first marathon. It s an opportunity for our students to focus on fun and fitness, as well as give them a chance to fundraise and learn about important charities in our community. In April, all participants will start running their marathon 1 KM at a time. The students will meet at the back of the school at 8:15 a.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday morning to run the 1KM loop around St. Paul and Crestwood schools. We will have run a total of 41 Km by Sunday, May 7 th when we will meet to run the last 1.3 Km of our marathon together in St. Albert! This year all money raised will go to the Zebra Child Protection Centre and the St. Albert Seniors Association. If your child would like to participate for the race please register online at Children who enter and raise money receive a race package, race bib, t- shirt, and medal when they cross the finish line! Any parents interested in volunteering to run in the mornings are asked to contact Mrs. Benoit by at Heidi.benoit@ecsd.net or by calling the school at Handouts with fundraising information will go home after our school wide assembly on Friday, April 7 th.

7 AFTER SCHOOL PLAYTIME Speaking of Spring, it is so nice to see the sun out a little bit longer, the snow starting to melt, and your children wanting to spend more and more time outside playing. Your children are welcome to play outside on school property once they are dismissed from their school day, but please be aware that there is no supervision after your children are dismissed for the day. Please make sure you have made arrangements for supervision for your children should they stay to play in the school playground or field. Students who walk home should go directly home and check in with their guardians. Parents who will be late in picking up their children should notify the office so that we can supervise the children in the office until you arrive. If you have any school pictures that could go into the St. Paul yearbook, please them to the following link. stpaulmemories@gmail.com RESURRECTION CELEBRATION Please plan to attend our Resurrection Celebration on Friday, April 21st at 9:00 a.m. at St. John Parish as we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus. Father Paul Kavanagh from St. John the Evangelist Church will be joining us.

8 News from St John the Evangelist Parish Children's Liturgy Children's liturgy will be held most weeks throughout the school year during the 10:30 am Mass ("Junior" is for ages 3, if accompanied by a parent, to age 7; and "Senior" is for children aged 7, once preparation has begun for 1 st Holy Communion, to age 11). Confirmation There are currently 10 children from St Paul School registered. January 28th and February 18th are the first two classes: each held from 9:30-11:30 or from 1-3 pm). Baptism The next parents' preparation is on March 15, 2017 at 7 pm in the Parish Hall. There will be no baptisms during Lent. Marriages - If any couple who had a civil ceremony wishes to have their marriage blessed in the Catholic Church, please call the parish office to make those arrangements. RCIA Roman Catholic Initiation for Adults - For those children over the age of 7 and those adults who wish to be baptized, please call the Parish for more information. If you are a parent interested in the Catholic faith, the church started this preparation in January. Please contact St. John's if you wish to register. We would like to invite all of our Grade 6 parents out for an information session about transitioning their child into Jr. High. Megan Edmunds, our school FSLW, will facilitate the session. Megan's session is titled, "Easing the Transition to Jr. High and touches on the topics of change, anxiety, supporting your child, and developing positive coping strategies. The session will be held in the school library on April 26 from 6:30-7:30. Please confirm your attendance by ing Mrs. Benoit at Heidi.Benoit@ecsd.net

9 April 2017 The Lord is faithful in all his words, and gracious in all his deeds. The Lord upholds all who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down. ~Psalm 145: 13-14~ This passage comes from a beautiful psalm titled The Greatness and the Goodness of God. It truly evokes the image of a loving Father who nurtures and supports his children in their life s journey. As we approach Holy Week and the ensuing season of Easter, we can see this greatness and goodness of our God in the saving gift of his Son, Jesus. Edmonton Catholic Schools has many reasons to celebrate this month. We are very pleased to have been named one of Alberta s Top 70 Employers 2017, our second year in a row! This special designation is organized by the editors of Canada's Top 100 Employers and recognizes Alberta employers that lead their industries in offering exceptional places to work. Organizations that enter the competition are evaluated in 8 categories and then compared to other organizations. Winners are chosen for offering the most progressive and forward-thinking programs. We know that when our staff have exceptional working conditions, they can focus on providing excellent learning experiences for our students. The Council of Catholic School Superintendents of Alberta sponsors the Excellence in Catholic Education Awards each year. We are pleased to announce that Bruno Binassi, principal of Sir John Thompson, Rena Methuen, principal of Ben Calf Robe/St. Clare, and Beth Pecson, a teacher from Monsignor Fee Otterson are recipients of this prestigious award. These three exceptional Catholic educators are being recognized for providing excellent educational experiences for their students that are deeply grounded in our Catholic faith. Congratulations! As we approach the final months of our school year, the opportunity to celebrate student achievements in a variety of forums arises. Each year Edmonton Catholic Schools showcases and celebrates fine arts education and the gifts and talents of its students and staff through its annual Celebration of the Arts Concert. This year, our event takes place on Tuesday, April 25 at 6:30 pm at the Winspear Centre. It is a truly awe-inspiring evening. The final Supporting our Diverse Learners session for parents and guardians takes place on Wednesday, April 19 at 6:30 pm, St. Anthony Meeting Centre, Avenue. This session will focus on mental health awareness, transitions, and Programs of Choice. Topics include the developing brain, common myths about mental illness, childhood and teenage stress, and promoting positive mental health in your child. Visit to learn more and to register. The provincial budget was proclaimed on March 16. We are pleased to receive dollars to support the reduction in school fees that we have already put in place for next year. We are extremely pleased the government will continue to provide funding for new students. We are projecting an enrolment increase of 3.3% or 1,359 students for September Our work to analyze all the financial data will continue over the next few weeks. As the end of Lent approaches, I would like to leave you with a final thought from Pope Francis. Lent is the favorable season for renewing our encounter with Christ, living in his word, in the sacraments and in our neighbour. (Twitter, March 12, 2017) Many blessings of the Easter season to all of you! Sincerely, Joan Carr

10 April 2017 We are a people who love messages. Did you get my letter? My ? Text? Indeed, we all like to have something to tell. A message is defined as a verbal, written, or recorded communication sent to or left for a recipient. In turn, a message is intended to be heard, heeded, and likely succeeded on to another. Consequently, the content of the message is very important, both by what it is and how it is conveyed. For us as Catholics and Christians, Easter has a most powerful message: Christ is Risen! The fullness and importance of the message is that Jesus intimately knew our human experience, and through being God, was able to conquer sin and destroy death. When taken together, this is why the Cross and the Resurrection of Christ define our identity as the Catholic Church. This is also why our recognition of our identity in the Mass is to be a communal celebration: together we experience Christ in the social community which gathers to worship as God s people through what was accomplished during the Triduum. Such becomes the value in having all its members present, each and every Sunday, for where the whole Church is joined in unity, Christ is most present. And where all are gathered, all will receive the one same clear communication of good news. The greatest message of the Church began with a few who saw, would believe, and then pursue the gift that was offered to them. The gift of their Faith is what we and those many before us would then receive. In these modern times, the Catholic Church, our District, and the community of Edmonton gathered together for Easter continues our identity of who we are and what we can achieve for Christ. This is the incredible power of good news, the purpose of Truth, and all received through the announcement of great joy. It is the fundamental message I pray and hope all will remember as we go forth: that Christ IS Risen and then to share it by text, or one-to-one with everyone in an excited Happy Easter! Foundational to our belief as Catholics is that life is a gift from God. Our District Chaplains, Father Dean Dowle and Father Julian Bilyj would like to invite all of our staff and our parents to join them on Thursday, May 11, 2017 for the Alberta March for Life, which honors that All Lives Matter From Beginning to End. This is a family friendly event which allows participants to bear witness to our belief of the sanctity of life. This pro-life event begins at Churchill Square at noon. There will be a formal program followed by a march to the Alberta Legislature. Visit to learn more about the event and to view the detailed brochure on the March for Life events. Father Dean shares Together, we walk in happiness to live and give the love that was so generously shared with each of us. Very sincerely your servant in Christ, Fr. Dean Dowle Edmonton Catholic School District Chaplain

11 Amoris Laetitia Chapter 7: TOWARDS A BETTER EDUCATION OF CHILDREN This chapter is particularly relevant for those who have been called to serve in the field of Catholic education. It is clear that the synod participants, under the leadership of Pope Francis, believe that the primary educators of children are the child s parents. The importance of this message is reflected in the second paragraph of this chapter which explains how essential it is for parents to spend quality time with their children: Only if we devote time to our children, speaking of important things with simplicity and concern, and finding healthy ways for them to spend their time, will we be able to shield them from harm. (260) This devoted time is seen as a gift to be shared by both parents and children. The document underlines the importance of helping children to see the parental relationship as a positive experience when it says, Obsession, however, is not education (261). The focus is on encouraging children to develop habits of love and trust, not controlling them with fear of punishment. While it is true that inappropriate behavior must be corrected, the key is to do so with love and in a way that the children understand and learn from the situation. It is interesting to note the understanding of the real world that comes through in this chapter. There is no illusion that all families are perfect and all adolescents listen to and respect their parents. This is reflected in the quotation: adolescents should be helped to draw analogies: to appreciate that values are best embodied in a few exemplary persons, but also realized imperfectly and to different degrees in others (272). This gives parents permission to turn to others for assistance. His Holiness invites and encourages all parents to seek faithful assistance; this is especially true concerning the gift of Catholic education. One of the most influential partners that parents can count on to assist them in the education of their children is the Catholic school systems available in many countries around the world. The education of children involves teaching of morality, Scripture study, and theology, as well as education on human sexuality. In speaking specifically about this area, the document gives several guiding statements which educators can look to for inspiration: It can only be seen within the broader framework of an education for love, for mutual selfgiving (280). The important thing is to teach them sensitivity to different expressions of love, mutual concern and care, loving respect and deeply meaningful communication (283). While these statements are not a how to teach human sexuality, they give a clear direction and focus for the development of human sexuality education programs in Catholic schools. In concluding the chapter, Pope Francis returns to the importance of the role of parents in raising their children. Handing on the faith presumes that parents themselves genuinely trust God, seek him and sense their need for him, for only in this way does one generation laud your works to another, and declare your mighty acts [Ps 144:4] and fathers make known to children your faithfulness [Is 38:19] (287). The education of children is a daunting challenge and a glorious calling for all of us. We, as educators and members of the Church, are a source of support for the parents of the children we serve. Ed Jean, Secondary Religious Education Consultant