MARCH 2018 PRINCIPAL S MESSAGE: Student s have had an excellent start to semester two and our school has enjoyed a wonderful month of February. Our Interact Club continued their Social Justice work raising funds for their project in Ecuador by selling Valentine s Day Roses to the students. It was amazing to see so many friends gifting one another and also sending Valentines to family members, staff and even a few community members. A big thank you goes out to our local RCMP and PACE organization for coming in to speak with our Gr. 9 students about safe relationships and appropriate on-line behaviour. They spoke to our Gr 9 students, and have a few more presentations left, about the topics of healthy relationships, harassment, sexual harassment, assault, sexual assault, sexting and sextortion. The intent of the presentation is to educate teens on the potential implications of both inperson and on-line behaviors that may be inappropriate and put them at-risk. When using social media sites the RCMP explained that you need to make responsible decisions and that you may also be responsible to report inappropriate and/or illegal behaviors to a parent or other authority figure. We encourage you to keep open communication with your child about on-line behavior and to also follow them on their social media accounts so you are aware of their digital citizenship choices. March is yet another exciting month at St. Joseph s. On March 2nd staff will gather at St. Joseph s Parish for our annual Faith Development Day. We invite parents in for PTI s on March 13th and 14th from 4:00 7:00pm. Parents play a crucial role in the success of High School students and this is an excellent opportunity to work together as a team to support your child. We also invite parents to the school on March 19th at 9:45am as we Celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph. On March 20th we are holding an Open House to give information about our programs for next year and to give parents and incoming students an opportunity to meet our staff and tour our school. We strongly encourage any new grade 7-11 students to attend this special night which runs from 7:00pm to 8:00pm that evening; immediately following at 8:00pm the library remains open to incoming Grade 7 & 8 families (going into Grade 8 or 9 next year) so they can ask any questions to Mrs. Martin about the upcoming course selection visits to our K-8 schools. Finally myself and Parent Council would like to invite you all out for our upcoming Parent Council Presents topic Addictions, Drugs and related Teenage Issues! The presentation will be given by Diane from AADAC and will give the opportunity for parents to get information and ask questions. We hope you can make this event which takes place March 27th 7pm in the library. God Bless. Roger Lauck Principal We want to continue to keep you up-to-date and informed about the latest school and school board information, events and announcements through electronic communications such as emails and newsletters from St. Joseph Catholic High School. Occasionally these communications may include information about offers, advertisements or promotions related to school activities such as food sales, fundraising, event tickets, yearbooks, field trip opportunities, student photos, or similar school related activities. If you have any questions or wish to withdraw your consent at any time, please contact us at (780) 532-7779.
MARCH 2018 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 District Faith Day No School 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Travel Club Meeting 6:45 pm Library FNMI Parent Meeting 7-8pm St. Joe s Library Teacher Convention No School 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Tutoring 3:30-5:30 Room 242 PTI 4:00-7:00 PTI 4:00-7:00 Catholic Family Services Spring Fling 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Feast of St. Joseph 9:45am Open House 7:00 pm St. Joseph High School Tutoring 3:30-5:30 Room 242 Day Off in Lieu of PTI 25 26 27 28 29 30 Tutoring 3:30-5:30 Room 242 Holy Week Mass 9:30am School Council Mtg 7pm Good Friday No School 31 Classes Resume April 9th Holy Week
St. Joseph Catholic High School Graduation June 1 st & 2 nd, 2018 Thursday, May 31 Decorating Revolution Arena 8:30-3:20 Decorating (all grads welcome to help, attendance will be adjusted) Friday, June 1 Cap & Gown Day 8:00-8:30 Free Breakfast for Grads at St. Joe s High School 8:30-9:00 Grads pickup Cap & Gown from school library 9:00-10:30 Grads get a large group photo in the gymnasium 11:15 Grads must be at Revolution Arena to line up 12:00 Cap & Gown Begins (grads parade from Bowes Family Gardens) General Seating (no ticket required) (unlimited seating) Mass, Exercises, Speeches, Presentation of Certificates Photos and Snacks Green Gown & White Stoll MUST be returned to Terry Lock Room prior to leaving Revolution Arena Saturday, June 2 Grand March at Revolution Arena 5:30 Photos of Grads & Escorts in formal wear at Bowes Family Gardens (must pre-book) 5:30 Doors Open at Revolution Arena Tickets Prices TBA (general seating) 12 years and under get in free 6:15 Grads MUST be at Bowes Family Gardens to lineup for Grand March 7:00 Grand March Grads / Escorts announced in alphabetical order Speeches 9:00-11:30 Dance for Grads and families ** If you require special seating, please email James Palmer at: jamespalmer@gpcsd.ca
Graduation 2018 Update Grads must get a baby / toddler picture in to the school ASAP. This photo is for the grad video that will be used during the Grand March as well as our year end mass. Please upload your picture to goggle classroom and go to the add button (+) use Code 36jdac9. Please see Ms. Long, Mrs. Walker or Mr. McLeod for assistance. Grand March tickets for Saturday, June 2, will go on sale, Thursday, February 1 at 10:00 am. You can purchase these tickets online or at the box office through Revolution Place. Tickets are $15 each if you buy before April 30th. After this time the ticket cost is $20. Graduate and escort are not charged. As well 12 and under are free! Friday, June 1 cap and gown, there is no charge! Watson's Foto Source (formally known as Create A Portrait) You can book your appointments now for your grad pictures but you will not receive the discount that consists of half off the sitting fee and a free set of wallets. To get the deal you have to call the store starting on March 15th for appointments between April 1st -May 15th. The Finishing Touch Grad Society helps graduates and their escorts in the Grande Prairie School Districts, to celebrate their educational achievements by providing the graduate with attire for their graduation ceremonies without financial burden. They supply graduates with the following: Dresses / Alterations Tuxedoes Escort Dresses Shoes Haircuts and Hair do s Goody Bags Please come see Ms. Long, Mrs. Walker or Mrs. Martin for an application ASAP. If you, or your escort, are in need of graduation attire, applications are now being accepted through your school counselor or grad advisor. Applications will be accepted until March 1, 2018. Please note that all applications will be kept confidential. If you have any questions or concerns about the above come speak to the teachers named above. If you have any questions or concerns in regards to the above information or anything else concerning Grad please feel free to call the school at 780-532-7779 or email: Paulette Long Kim Walker paulettelong@gpcsd.ca kimberleywalker@gpcsd.ca
An Invitation You are invited to attend the most beautiful liturgy in the Roman Catholic Church; the Easter Vigil. What to Expect The Easter vigil begins the evening of Holy Saturday. The church has been emptied of décor, lights are turned out, baptismal font emptied, and the tabernacle is empty and open. This is all done in remembrance of Christ s death on the cross. We began Mass outside, gathered as a community, each with an unlit candle, around a fire. The new Paschal Candle is brought out and the 5 pins are placed in the candle to represent the 5 wounds Christ suffered on the cross. The Paschal Candle is then lit using the fire and from there the flame is passed on and the candles of the community are lit as well. As a community, with our lit candles, we enter into the church, symbolizing Christ s resurrection, and bringing the light back into the world. Next follows the glorious Easter song of the Catholic Church: the Exsultet (Easter proclamation). A moving experience of light and song that announces the dignity and mystery of Easter. The third part of the evening is the liturgy of the word, where we hear readings from the Old and New Testament, and then we move to the liturgy of baptism. This is a joyful and exciting part of the Mass. The elect that have been journeying through RCIA are baptized into the church. It is a time of celebration and excitement, as the community warmly welcomes those being baptized. The fourth aspect of the Mass, and the highpoint, is the liturgy of the Eucharist. It is the first celebration of the Eucharist since the Feast of the last supper and the first in the Easter season. When we truly come into communion with our Lord by partaking in His body and blood. The evening concludes with food and fellowship as a community of believers. Time: Begins after sunset, please contact your local parish for exact time. Plan to stay until after midnight. Date: March 31, 2018 Place: Your local Roman Catholic Parish Once again, St. Joe s will be facilitating the DELF exam. It is an official diploma awarded by the French Ministry of Education to certify the proficiency in French as a Foreign Language. It is recognized around the world and is valid for life. Registration is now open, and closes March 9th. To register, visit this site http://www.frenchlrc.ca/en/delf/pages/default.aspx The tests are April 23 & 24. Once registration is closed, a schedule will be made public. Tests take place during class time, and there will be a practice session for those interested. If interested, please contact Mr. Sévigny at: paulsevigny@gpcsd.ca