November 2017 My gift to you is peace John 15:27 We have so much to be thankful for here at Ecole Escuela Grandin. Father Kris and our Grade Two classes gave us a beautiful celebration at the Basilica where we said «thanks» through prayer and showed «giving» through donations of food. We were also blessed to welcome many parents and celebrity readers in during Read In Week who shared their love of reading with our students. Special guests included members of the Edmonton Police Service, poet Kevin Lyons, several members of U of A sports teams and language consultants from Edmonton Catholic Schools. During November, we will take the time to remember and honour our departed family and friends. We celebrate both All Saints Day and Dia de los Muertos at the beginning on the month. On November 9th, our grade 4 classes will lead our Remembrance Day Ceremony in gym starting at 9:30 a.m. Parents and relatives are invited to join us as we pay our respects to those who have allowed us to live in a country of peace and acceptance. Students who belong to clubs such as Brownies, Cubs and Air Cadets may wear their uniforms on November 9th. Our artist in residence, Marco Claveria, will be working with all students from kindergarten to grade 6 during their regular Music times. Many thanks to Mme. Athena for providing this rich opportunity for our students. November is also the end of our first reporting period. Report cards will be posted on Power School on Friday, November 24th. When you receive your child s report card, please take time to read through the entire report card the learning outcomes and the teacher comments are very important in understanding your child s achievement this term. We look forward to seeing you at the Demonstration of Learning on Wednesday, November 29th from 4: 00 p.m. 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. 8: 00 p.m. Parents are asked to proceed directly to their child (ren) s classroom. Please note there will be no school on Thursday, November 30th for all students due to a staff professional learning session. Other important events this month include the Annual Tourtière fundraiser and the Scholastic Book Fair. Please read the rest of the newsletter for important information regarding these events. We look forward to another great month at Grandin! Lorelei Hironaka and Sarah Fedoration
Mark Your Calendars November 9: Remembrance Day Ceremony at 9:30 a.m., Grade 4 November 7: School Advisory Council/Fundraising Society November 10: Remembrance Day, day in lieu, NO SCHOOL November 12: Hot Lunch Orders due November 17: Hot Lunch November 18: Tourtière Assembly November 19: Tourtière Clean Up November 24: Report Cards live on PowerSchool at 4:00 p.m. November 26: Hot Lunch Orders Due November 27-29: Book Fair November 29: Demonstration of Learning 4:00 8:00 p.m. November 30: No School PD day for students Parents, please note the following upcoming dates: December 1: Hot Lunch December 4: Advent Celebration December 5: Grade 5 Immunizations December 8: Spanish Mass, Grades 1-6 December 13: Christmas Concert December 15: Hot Lunch December 21: Full Day, Dismissal at 3:15 p.m. December 22: Half Day, Dismissal at 11:36 a.m. January 8: Classes resume
November News Bus Passes A reminder that bus passes are due on the 7 th of each month. Remembrance Day No School Please join us for our Remembrance Day Ceremony in the school gym on Thursday, November 9 th at 9: 30 a.m. The Grade 4 students will be organizing this ceremony. There will be no school for all Grandin students on Friday, November 10th. Classes will resume on Monday, November 13th. There will also be no school for students on Thursday, November 30th due to a staff professional development activity. Marco Claveria Grandin is incredibly excited to welcome Marco Claveria to our school for an artisit in residence program. Mr. Claveria is a talented musician specializing in Latino music. He has toured the world and taken part in many festivals. He composes and plays music and is a founding member of the popular local group Bomba! Marco will be working with all students at Grandin School to bring Latino beats to all classrooms. We are thrilled to welcome Marco to our school! Check out Marco Claveria s website: http://www.marcoclaveria.com/ An Author Visit In November Jon-Erik Lappana, author of Tokyo Digs a Garden will be visiting with the grades 4 & 5 students from Ms. Bullock s class. The students will read and analyze the book and prepare questions for the author. This book is one of the finalists for the TD Canadian Children s Literature Award.
Report Cards Report cards will be available to parents via Power School after 4:00 p.m. on November 24 th. To access your child s report card, you will need your Power School account and password. If you do not have it or may have forgotten it, please contact the office staff so we can help. Demonstration of Learning Book Fair On Wednesday, November 29 th, parents are invited to visit their child s classrooms and demonstrating their learning through various centers. Parents and students are welcome to come by the school between 4:00 5:30 p.m. and 6:30-8:00 p.m. Teachers will be available to answer questions. Should you wish to speak to a teacher in more detail regarding your child s learning, please contact the teacher to make an appointment. The book fair is back at Grandin School! Both Scholastic and Barefoot books will be at Grandin on November 27, 28th and 29th. Students will have the opportunity to visit the book fair with their classes during the day. Books in English, French and Spanish will be available for purchase. Please watch for more information in your child s agenda.
Students at Grandin will have the opportunity to take place in several clubs during the month of November. Free Footie continues! Practices are Mondays from 3:30 4: 30 p.m. Games are Wednesdays from 3:15-5: 15 p.m. Games take place at Commonwealth Rec Centre busing provided from school and back. Pick up is at school at 5:15 p.m. Volleyball Intramurals. Grades 4-6 students will have the opportunity to participate in lunch hours intramurals. Students will form their own teams of 8 students and play in a round robin format. Volleyball will run Monday, Tuesday, Wednesdays at lunch hour recess. Chess Club continues! Richard Pua will be offering chess club again to students. It is a great opportunity to learn the strategy behind the game. This club runs Tuesday and Thursday at lunch hour. Math Club Grade 1-3 has started! This club will allow students to practice basic math concepts all while having fun with Math. Students will be able to play these games at home as well! Christmas Choir runs at noon on Tuesdays for grade 3-6 students. These students will have the opportunity to perform at venues like City Hall, the College of Alberta School Superintendents, and various senior residences.
Grandin Tourtières 2017 It s that time of year again time for Grandin Tourtières! Ecole/Escuela Grandin School has a long history of making and selling Tourtières (French Canadian meat pies). Working collaboratively with NAIT and The Culinary Arts Institute, The Italian Centre Shop and H&R Transport, the school has made and sold well over 25,000 Tourtières over many years. With the help of these corporate institutions, Grandin parents have been able to impact the learning environment at Grandin School. Past proceeds have been used to purchase technological learning devices for the classroom, musical instruments and fund field trips. All of these items have benefited our children in one manner or another. Grandin families make Tourtières to sell to members of the community on a pre-order basis. Last year, this combined project brought over $12,000 to our school community to help fund field trips, the music program, technology purchases and upgrades, and other Grandin School Fundraising Society activities. But, to pull it off we need everyone s help. We encourage each family to choose a few times and/or activities where they can help with this memorable Grandin event. We welcome not only parents, but grandparents, older siblings, and friends. You and your family can sign up on https://signup.com to volunteer for any of the following jobs. Let s work together to make this year s Tourtière sale a great success!
YOUR CHILD! YOUR VOICE! We would like to gather your input through an online survey. The survey can be accessed through the District Website, School Website, Powerschool or by using the URL address provided. URL Address: Click on the following link or enter the address in the web browser Telephone 780 482-3676 Fax: 780 488-5859 www.grandin.ecsd.net
Inclement Weather Information We have already had a preview of the winter weather that will arrive soon. Please make sure your child comes dressed for the weather. Only if the temperature dips below 20 degrees Celcius, will students stay indoors. Please be advised that the following TV and radio stations will carry announcements with respect to transportation cancellations due to inclement weather conditions. Every effort will be made to have messages broadcast commencing at 6:30 a.m. See below for the list of TV and radio stations that will carry announcements. CIYTV CTV Edmonton GLOBAL Edmonton CBC TV 630 CHED AM 930 CBC CHFA (CBC Fr.) SONIC 102.9 FM The Light CJCA CISN FM 103.9 SHINE 105.9 FM FRESH FM 92.5 TSN 1260 102.3 NOW! Radio CFCW 840 INEWS 880 AM 95.7 CRUZ FM 96.3 CAPITAL FM HOT 107 FM The Bounce FM 91.7 The Bear 100.3 K97 97.3 UP! 99.3 FM 104.9 VIRGIN Radio FM
Hot Lunch Now Online Next date: November 17 Orders due: November 12 Once a month there will be a Hot Lunch available to be ordered online. To order, go to: ww w.healthyhunger.ca or call 1-800-818-6260 or 780 800-5588. We are listed under E for Ecole/Escuela Grandin. 1. Register Student 2. Login and add your children to the account 3. View all upcoming lunch dates 4. Place order and make payment online VOLUNTEERS NEEDED Volunteers are needed to deliver hot lunch. It takes approximately 30 minutes. If you are able to volunteer on the day of hot lunch between 11:50 and 12:30, please click the "I can volunteer" checkbox when ordering your child's hot lunch. Or, send an email to grandinhotlunch@yahoo.ca November 17 December 1 December 15 January 12 January 26 April 6 April 20 May 4 May 18 June 15 February 16 March 16
The SPC was established in February of 2017. School councils are mandatory for all schools and governed by School Act and School Councils Regulation. In past years, the Grandin Fundraising Society also acted as the School Council. Moving forward, Grandin School will have both a Fundraising Society and a School Council. The School Parent Council meetings are a great venue for keeping informed about your child s education, and to contribute your feedback and ideas which help keep Grandin a great place to learn and grow. This year, we have tried to vary the day and time of meetings, which correspond with the Fundraising Society meetings, in the hope that more parents are able to attend. All parents are warmly welcomed to the meetings! The SPC members are the school principal, teacher(s), parents of all students and 100 voices students, and community representatives who work together to promote the well being and effectiveness of the entire school community. The purpose of the SPC is to facilitate communication among all concerned participants in the school and enhance student learning. The SPC DOES NOT take on the role of school governance, employment issues, school management or listening to complaints. SPC meetings are regularly scheduled throughout the year. All parents are encouraged to attend and participate in meetings. The SPC plans to organize separate Parent Information sessions on a variety of topics throughout the year. Current SPC executive: Chair (Laura Shylko Vice Chair (Christie Oswald) Secretary (Tina Uribe) Contact: GrandinSPC@gmail.com or in person to the executive members For more information, please visit www.albertaschoolcouncils.ca
School Advisory Committee/ Grandin Fundraising Society The Society seeks to support the school community by raising funds to support Grandin School. We encourage all parents to attend, whether or not you have time to volunteer for school activities. All parents are welcome to attend these meetings. Dates for the 2017-2018 meetings are: November 7 January 16 February 20 March 14 April 16 May 22 THANK YOU! The Grandin Fundraising Society has contributed generously to enhancing educational activities within our school. Some of the many projects funded in 2016-2017 include: Sound systems for classrooms Funds for Dia Grandin Materials for art club Subscription for Reading A-Z for all students Funding for field trips for all students Wirecast and green screen for Grandin Broadcast Lunch for Mundialito Chromebooks Replacement projectors Registration and bussing for Cross Country Run Outdoor upgrades Thank you so much for your contributions!
We welcome your feedback! If you read this newsletter, print, sign and return this form to your child s teacher. Your child will be entered to win a lunch with the principal, Mme Hironaka. Child s Name: Class: Parent Signature: We welcome your feedback. Please write us and share.
November 2017 My soul shall glory in the Lord, for He has been so good to me. (Taste and See, James Moore JR.) The hymns which we sing in our liturgies and in the Mass are often rooted in scripture. The verse shared above comes from one of our most beautiful Eucharistic songs, and is based on Psalm 34. This psalm is one of thanksgiving in which the psalmist is praising God for deliverance from troubles. When you are struck by the beauty of the message in songs at church, consider looking at the reference at the end of the song in the hymnal and reading the corresponding scripture passage! Archbishop Smith has released a pastoral letter to the Archdiocese that will provide special focus for our faith community over the next 5 years. It is deeply grounded in the words of Pope Francis, These are the two conditions in order to follow Jesus: to listen to the word of God, and to put it into practice. This is the Christian life nothing more. Simple, simple. (Homily at Daily Mass, September 23, 2014) You can read the pastoral letter, watch a video titled Archbishop Smith s Pastoral letter in 60 Seconds, and find other resources at http://caedm.ca/letter. Beginning with this month s newsletter, we will also be including highlights of sections of the pastoral letter for your information and consideration. We are very pleased to welcome our newly elected Board of Trustees: Ward 71-Terry Harris, Ward 72-Sandra Palazzo, Ward 73-Carla Smiley, Ward 74-Debbie Engel, Ward 75-Alene Mutala, Ward 76-Lisa Turchansky, and Ward 77-Laura Thibert. Their very first Public Meeting was held on October 30. The Trustees were sworn in and held their Organizational Meeting. Trustee Harris was elected as Chairperson for the upcoming year, and Trustee Palazzo was elected as Vice-Chairperson for the same period. Our Alberta Education Accountability Pillar Results Report, which is our report card from the province, was released a few weeks ago. Our results, which are outstanding, reflect our commitment to continuous growth! Visit our website to view the overall summary. https://www.ecsd.net/aboutus/annual_reports/documents/sbfile/171017/ecsd%20acc.%20pillar%20summary% 20October%202017.pdf Catholic Education Sunday is being celebrated across Alberta on November 5th this year. We celebrate Catholic education for the advantage, richness, and success that Catholic education brings to our students and families. Please check our website and our social media each day during the week of October 30 November 3 as we highlight different aspects of what makes Edmonton Catholic Schools so great for our children and families. You can also join us on Catholic Education Sunday (November 5) at St. Joseph Basilica for the Commissioning Mass for our new Edmonton Catholic Schools Board of Trustees at 12:15 pm. Bishop Bittman will be presiding.
One of the significant characteristics of Catholic education is that, in addition to having our faith permeated in all aspects of the school day, all students also have courses in Religious Education. In Elementary and Junior High, all students have Religion classes within their schedules. At the High School level, students are expected to complete 9 credits in Religious Education within their program, and which contribute to Alberta Education's criteria of 100 earned credits required as the minimum for graduation. We are pleased to begin sharing a new video series for students and parents on Staying Safe in a Digital World. Our first video is titled Privacy. The series features our STAY (School Team Advisor for Youth) Officer, Rick Cole, who will offer simple tips on how to be sure that we remain safe in the online world. You can access this video by visiting www.ecsd.net and clicking on the video title on our banner. We will use social media to share the release of future episodes. In this month which is dedicated to remembrance and peace, I will leave you with a tweet from Pope Francis: Let us bring the flame of Christ s love to humanity which needs true happiness and peace so much. (October 20/17) Sincerely, Joan Carr Superintendent
Spirits, Saints, and Souls. The early days of November within the Catholic Church mark the month for which we commemorate the memory of all the faithfully departed. While All Hallow s Eve spurs the popular imagination with Spirits, this is really intended to prime the mind and heart to focus on the Saints and Souls who have lived and passed. These Saints and Souls are the faithfully departed - our brothers and sisters in Christ who have gone before us. Initially it may be emotionally difficult to let go of them due to their physical absence; however, eventually we come to realize their spiritual presence remains which both offers and reminds us of a different form of human connection. This is why we need to remember them in prayer and also request they pray for us too. Contrary to a popular misconception, we pray not to them, but rather for and through them. Together we help comprise what is such a central element to our Christian Faith: the Communion of Saints. In so doing, we understand how there is continuity between this world and that of the next. This is a long standing tradition in the Church which shows how life in Christ is indeed eternal and our relationship with Him extends into a community. Those who have died in the peace of Christ are still alive in and with Him because of their Faith and ours which continues. To help ensure this, it is the work of every member of the Church, which includes all the baptized believers - both living and deceased - to help bring people into a relationship with Christ and an intimacy with God. And so each time we celebrate Mass in School or on Sundays, we remember that the entire mystical Body of Christ is present, together. Effectively, because our departed have already arrived at the place to which we are also seeking to be, they can therefore offer the inspiration, insight, and guidance we need, in response to the prayers we make for ourselves and for them. Though death can be hard, it is a part of this life, and which also leads to the next. And so November is a gift to recognize and remember those good souls who have died & are yet still very much in spirit with us. Most sincerely yours in Christ, Fr. Dean Dowle
LISTENING AND DAILY ATTENTIVENESS TO THE WORD OF GOD On September 14, 2017, Archbishop Richard Smith issued his Pastoral Letter - Living in the Word of God to the clergy and the lay faithful of the Archdiocese of Edmonton. In his message, the Archbishop recalled his baptism: On May 10th, 1959, at just two weeks of age, I was taken by my parents to our parish church to be baptized. It is without question the best and most important action my mother and father ever undertook on my behalf. By the sacrament of Baptism, I was washed with the mercy of God the Father and given the gift of new life through a communion of love and friendship with his Son, Jesus Christ. Furthermore, it brought me into the community of people who follow Jesus Christ as Lord and united me to them by the bestowal of the Holy Spirit, who dwells within all the baptized. With the passage of time my gratitude for being a member of the Church has steadily deepened. It is truly beautiful to be a Catholic. What begins at Baptism is a way of life that is shaped by sacred teachings, strengthened by sacramental celebration, and marked by loving service of neighbor (Archbishop Richard Smith). It is true that at Baptism, our life in Christ begins. Baptism makes us disciples; to respond to his call to follow him. Yet what does it mean to follow Jesus? 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. In the Archbishop s Pastoral Letter, we are offered insight as to how we can listen carefully to the Word of God and, in a shared commitment, put it into practice. Saint Paul teaches that faith comes from what is heard, meaning that the first act of the disciple is to listen carefully to what God is saying in the words of Jesus. The hearing of Christ's Word demands a silent and attentive listening. Yet, we live in a world surrounded by noise and confusion, thus we must work particularly hard to cultivate that inner stillness to hear and to be transformed by the Word of God. On the Archbishop s part, he suggests that we take as little as ten minutes each day to read a few lines of the Bible; to pray together at mealtime; and to create a prayer space in the home: I encourage families, too, to listen together to the Word of God. Through a careful listening to this Word, families encounter the Lord in their very midst and hear within the depths of their hearts his assurance of love and call to holiness and service. Here I suggest three simple ways by which our families can make the Word of God central to their daily living and draw from it guidance and peace: Grace at mealtime, creation of a prayer space in the home, and family discussion of the Sunday Homily (Archbishop Richard Smith). As families, it is especially important to gather and to reflect deeply upon the Word of God. In this way we will not only support one another as we grow in our relationship with Jesus, but we will also encourage one another to embrace the common mission that is ours in virtue of our Baptism into his Church. Sandra Talarico Religious Education Consultant
Education Sunday 2017 8421-101 Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6A 0L1 T 780.469.1010 F Catholic Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Phil 4:8). This teaching from St. Paul captures well the heart of Catholic education. Woven throughout, and uniting, the rich variety of activities that unfold daily in our schools is the mission to "think about these things." Therefore, it is incumbent upon everyone involved in the ministry of Catholic education to ensure that by means of our curriculum content, extra-curricular activity, and Christian witness, our students are immersed in the true, the good, and the beautiful and helped to ponder them deeply in the light of our Catholic faith. Truth In his message for World Communications Day earlier this year, Pope Francis observed: "The early Christians compared the human mind to a constantly grinding millstone; it is up to the miller to determine what it will grind: good wheat or worthless weeds. Our minds are always grinding, but it is up to us to choose what to feed them (cf. SAINT JOHN CASSIAN, Epistle to Leontius)." The human mind seeks naturally to know what is true. Truth is a person, Jesus Christ, who reveals Himself as "the Way, the Truth and the Life" (John 14:6). In Catholic education we feed the minds of our beloved students with truth by facilitating their encounter with the Truth, who is Jesus. Goodness "God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good." (Genesis 1:31) Catholic education seeks to help our students be aware of their own inherent goodness as children made in the image and likeness of God. Modern communications media, with its many illusory messages about what is "good," can distract our students away from this awareness. By placing before them the Word of God, traditional devotionals and the celebration of the sacraments,
Catholic education offers our students the opportunity to be silent and hear the voice of God summoning them to holiness and assuring them they are His beloved. Beauty By helping our students look upon reality through the lens of divine revelation, we lead them to see the beautiful in what a purely human gaze often perceives as unattractive, namely, in the faces of persons who are poor, sick, suffering and alone. Catholic education strives to make a difference in the lives of individuals and in the wider community by challenging students to recognize the inherent beauty and worth of every person, and to serve others, especially the poor, with compassion and justice. By embracing the call to serve, the active response of our students to anyone in need holds strong transformative potential for a world seeking justice, peace and unity. On Catholic Education Sunday, we give thanks to God for this beautiful ministry of the Church. By the help of His grace, may we enable our students to ponder the true, good and beautiful, and thus come to realize how God is present and at work in the world and in every moment of their lives, leading them to salvation. Catholic Bishops of Alberta and NWT Most Reverend Richard W. Smith Archbishop of Edmonton Most Reverend William McGrattan Bishop of Calgary Most Reverend Gregory J. Bittman Auxiliary Bishop of Edmonton Most Reverend Gerard Pettipas CSsR Archbishop Grouard-McLennan Most Reverend David Motiuk Bishop of the Ukrainian Eparchy of Edmonton Most Reverend Mark Hagemoen Bishop of Mackenzie-Fort Smith Most Reverend Paul Terrio Bishop of St. Paul 5 November 2017
French Festival is filled with food, fun and it s free! Friday, Nov. 24th Edmonton, AB. Canadian Parents for French Edmonton Catholic Chapter is hosting Festival Des Lumieres or Festival of Lights, this year at J.H. Picard, November 24th, 2017 from 5:30 7:30 pm. The festival is a celebration of French culture and language, geared towards children in the primary grades who have just started their love of French in one of six early French Immersion schools throughout the Edmonton Catholic Board. We are very excited to provide Edmonton s newest French speakers the opportunity to participate in cultural events shaped around the language they are learning in the classroom says Wanda Mauricio, Canadian Parents for French, Edmonton Catholic Chapter President. French as a second language is very important to many parents and this is a great way for the students to showcase their skills and learning in an everyday manner. The evening will feature a winter wonderland of illuminated games and activities including a Fish Pond, Hockey games, Cookie Making, Lantern Making, Ring Toss, Bean Bag Toss, Crazy Can Game, Winter Craft, Bouncy Castles, and pictures with Elsa, Moana, Harry Potter and Bonhomme. Hosted by the Edmonton Catholic Schools Chapter of Canadian Parents for French, this event is free to attend, although donations to the Edmonton Food Bank will gratefully be collected. Food to be purchased will also be on site. The winter carnival is one of many events Canadian Parents for French hosts to promote the love of French language and culture in Edmonton. For a list of other types of events look at the CPF website at ab.cpf.ca and at Alliance Française d'edmonton. Canadian Parents for French is the national network of volunteers which values French as an integral part of Canada and which is dedicated to the promotion and creation of French second language learning opportunities for young Canadians. Contact information Maureen Miller, Event Co-ordinator Maureenmiller1@gmail.com Wanda Maurico President CPF - Edmonton Catholic Schools Chapter wanda.cpfecsc@gmail.com