Choose Joy!
Week of February 15, 2021
Staff Valentine's Fun
Pausing for Prayer
We begin each day together in prayer at 8:55am. During this time of prayer, all staff and students take pause and are attentive to Christ's messages to us each day. Thank you for honouring this time with us as we will answer the front door and our phone lines after our prayer time together is complete.
REgistration is open!
KINDERGARTEN IN EICS
Independence, initiative, decision making, creativity, the ability to learn, relationships and feelings of self-worth - all have their beginnings in early childhood. We believe that each child is unique and, together with parents as our partners, we build upon children's natural curiosity and spontaneity, encouraging and supporting them as they take their first step into school.
Please note that Kindergarten registration for the 2021-2022 school year will be available online on Monday, February 1st, 2021.
Eligibility Starting Date for Kindergarten for the 2021-2022 school year:
To register for Kindergarten in the 2021-2022 school year, your child must be five years old on or before December 31, 2021.
Thank you for sharing this newsletter with any families interested in joining the OLA family; in Kindergarten, Grades 1-4 or in our PUF/Flexible Pathways Programs.
It's a great way to share who we are as a community. :-)
Thank you Ricky's & OLA School Council
Shrove Tuesday Lunch
Pancakes and sausages will be delivered for lunch on Tuesday. Thank you for ensuring your child continues to come to school will healthy snacks for the day, and any additional food if you feel two pancakes and two sausages may not be sufficient to fill their bellies at lunch.
Ash Wednesday Mass
All families are welcome to join us virtually, and we will share the Google Meet Link on Wednesday morning via email.
A representatives from each Kindergarten to Grade 2 class will join us in the Chapel for mass. All classes will join in the chapel virtually to participate in this beautiful service together as one family. Once the ashes are blessed, they will be distributed to each homeroom class and teachers will distribute the ashes to each of the students in their class. Grade 3 and 4 students who have received their sacrament of communion will also have the opportunity to also receive the Eucharist following a process that will comply with our re-entry protocols.
Ash Wednesday begins the most important Liturgical season in our faith and we are grateful to all those who continue to joyfully find ways to celebrate together.
Please click here for a special one minute video from Father Kris and Father Daniel about how ashes will be distributed this year.
1&2M Free Play in Our PJs
Kinder Valentine's Fun & Fine Motor Skill Practice
Indoor Recess Fun in 3MK
And...always ready for free play outside!
Thank you!
This week @ OLA
Monday, February 15, 2021
- School Closed - Family Day
- Enjoy this special time with your family.
Tuesday, February 16, 2021
- Shrove Tuesday
- Pancake Lunch from School Council and Ricky's @ lunch
- Sister School Principal Meeting (OLA & SJXXIII)
- Let's Choose Joy together!
Wednesday, February 17, 2021
- Ash Wednesday - Virtual Mass 1:15 pm
- Lent begins
- I Read Canada Day
- Virtual Morning Announcements
- Father Daniel or Father Kris visit OLA
- First Reconciliation Parent Zoom Meeting @ 6:30pm
- First Responders Parade of Thanks @ 1:00pm (Let's say Thank You right back!!)
- Choose Joy Today! It's starts with Gratitude :-)
Friday, February 19, 2021
- Friyay! Spread Joy and Kindness like confetti!
Saturday, February 20, 2021
- First Reconciliation Parent Zoom Meeting @ 11am
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To see what is up and coming even further ahead, please visit our website calendar.
You can view our Kindergarten Calendar here.
Welcome Mr. Marceau
Thank you for extending a warm and joy filled OLA welcome to Mr. Marceau. Please contact Mme Gravelle if you have any questions.
Staff Mass
Smiles and Laughter
Closes Feb. 18
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The EICS Assurance Survey gathers your feedback in four key areas:
- Faith Formation
- Quality Teaching and Learning
- Wellness
- Engagement and Improvement
Your past feedback helped to shape our direction which is captured in our OLA Assurance Plan linked here and available on our ola.eics.ab.ca website under "About."
Who is invited to share their voice?
Grade 4 students will be sharing their voice at school by participating in the Provincial Accountability Survey (still to come) as well as the EICS Assurance Survey (in progress).
All families are invited to share their voice in the EICS Assurance Survey which has come to your email inbox (please check your junk mail.)
Thank you in advance for your participation in these surveys and sharing your voice.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Mme Gravelle at 780-998-3716.
4E growing brains and having fun playing multiplication tic tac toe
Youth Working Group Resources
Strengthening Your Parent Child Relationship Through Play Tuesday February 16, 2021 7:00 pm
Understanding Self Harm Behaviour in Youth Thursday February 25, 2021 7:00 pm
Financial Literacy 4 sessions starting March 2, 2021
Navigating Co-Parenting and Child Custody During COVID 19 Thursday April 8, 2021 7:00 pm
The Five Love Languages Wednesday April 21, 2021 7:00 pm
Outdoor Play & Village Support
Fresh air and free play
are vital elements for children's mental wellness,
healthy bodies and growing brains.
Thank you for your help to ensure your child comes to school with all the proper gear to be outside. We will be outside for regular recess up to -25 degrees Celsius or -25 Windchill.
When temperatures or Windchills are below -25 Celsius, outdoor recess play will continue with reduced free play times outside. These will become our Polar Bear Recesses!
We can help keep children warm and safe during free fresh air play time outside. We have some cold weather gear in the office for children to borrow or use. Should your child require additional clothing to support their outdoor play, we will send you an email to let you know that we helped them dress properly for the weather. If your child received some of this gear last week, or this coming week, and it is no longer needed, thank you for washing it and bringing it back in a ziplock bag for others to use. We follow all re-entry protocols before re-distributed this clothing.
We are here to help.
If you need help with anything else, please reach out.
It takes a village.
You are our village. We are yours.
For details about our Inclement Weather Policy, please click here.
See you at our next meeting, on Tuesday, March 2nd @ 11:00am
Google Meet link will be shared with you that day.
Thank you for checking your email inbox or spam/junk folder.
To connect with your OLA School Council, please email schoolcouncil.ola@gmail.com.
Click below to order your OLA Spirit Wear!
From our OLA Parish
If you have any questions or concerns about Sacramental Preparation, please feel free to contact Father Kris at the parish 780-998-3288 or kris.schmidt@caedm.ca.
Important Dates - Please mark your calendar:
1st Reconciliation
(Optional)
Parent ZOOM meeting #2: February 18 @6:30pm or February 20 @11am
(All attend)
Reconciliation retreat and celebration: March 6, 2021 10:00-12:30pm
1st Communion
(Optional)
Parent ZOOM meeting #1: March 11 @6:30pm or March 13 @11am
Parent ZOOM meeting #2: March 25 @6:30pm or March 27 @11am
(Choice)
Kids adoration: March 18 @6:30pm or March 20 @11am
(All attend)
1st Communion Retreat: April 10, 2021 11:00-12noon
1st Communion Celebration: April 11, 2021 11:30am
Resources for parents
Home guide training video:
https://www.smp.org/resourcecenter/resource/14010/
Reconciliation home guide:
https://www.smp.org/dynamicmedia/files/3a1832cb52dabd952ca9f1712b327377/R4500RHG_Rec_HG.pdf
Eucharist home guide:
https://www.smp.org/dynamicmedia/files/6488adc35158fa59c4b7b54764fa47b0/R4500EHG_Euc_HG.pdf
Exercises for Reconciliation
Daily family prayer challenge
- if you don’t have the practice of family prayer already, pray 1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary, 1
Glory be, 1 thing you’re thankful for, and 1 person to pray for every night before bed.
Exercises for 1st Communion
Daily family prayer challenge
- if you don’t have the practice of family prayer already, pray 1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary, 1
Glory be, 1 thing you’re thankful for, and 1 person to pray for every night before bed.
Name the Snow Plow Contest!
Please click here for information!
For full contest details, please click here.
Student Illness and your Child's Learning
- Fever, Cough, Shortness of Breath or difficulty breathing, Runny Nose, Sore Throat, Chills Painful swallowing, Stuffy Nose, Headache, Muscle or joint aches, Feeling unwell, fatigue or severe exhaustion, Gastrointestinal symptoms (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or unexplained loss of appetite), Loss of sense of smell or taste, Conjunctivitis, commonly known as pink eye.
Please email Mrs. Desaulniers, susande@eics.ab.ca and cc: your child's homeroom teacher to share what symptoms your child is experiencing as well as an approximate date for your child's return so we can plan for your child's learning and growing in Literacy and Numeracy while away.
Thank you for continuing to connect with us with your child's test results.
Alberta Health Documents
Looking Ahead...
February 24, 2021
- Pink Shirt Day
March 2, 2021
- OLA Daytime School Council Meeting @ 11:00am
March 3, 2021
- School Spirit Day - Story Book Character Day
- Early Dismissal - 2:19 pm
March 5, 2021
- PD Day - No School
March 8, 2021
- Grade 1 & 2 Inuit Presentations
Week of March 15, 2021
- 'Digital Evidence of Learning & Growth
March 22, 2021
- Virtual Three Way Conferences
March 24, 2021
- Virtual Three Way Conferences
March 26, 2021
- PD Day - No School
March 28, 2021
- Palm Sunday
March 29 - April 2, 2021
- Spring Break - No school
April 1, 2021
- Holy Thursday - No School
April 2, 2021
- Good Friday - No School
April 4, 2021
- Easter Sunday - Halleluiah Christ is Risen!
April 5, 2021
- Easter Monday - No School
April 7, 2021
- School Spirit Day - Rainbow Day, Wear your favourite colour!
- Early Dismissal - 2:19 pm
PUF Pathways Information
It is housed at St. John XXIII and is called PUF Pathways. In our program, children learn and develop their skills in a play and faith-based environment led by a certified teacher and supported by Educational Assistants. Children in the program benefit from a team of consultants such as Speech-Language Pathologist, Occupational Therapist, Speech-Language Pathologist Assistant, Physiotherapist, and Inclusive Learning Consultants.
Criteria for Eligibility
To be eligible for our Flexible Pathways (PUF) programs, children need to be 3 or 4 years old and meet the following criteria:
- Maximum age of 4 years and 8 months by Sept. 1, 2021
- Severe developmental delay (i.e. CP, Autism, Down Syndrome)
- Severe delay in speech and language
This year we will be holding screening clinics in the spring to determine eligibility. Please contact Andrea Boyle at andrea.boyle@eics.ab.ca for more information or to book an appointment.
To help you see how your child is doing compared with other children the same age please visit the following websites:
Talk Box Newsletter: Three Year Old
Talk Box Newsletter: Four Year Old
Alberta Health Information, Growth and Development Milestones
Holy Redeemer - Nature Kindergarten Brochures
Preschool Registraion
School Fees
School fees have now been added to your PowerSchool ParentPortal and are now due. Payment can be made by debit or credit card by visiting your PowerSchool account.
If you require assistance signing into your account please call Mrs. Desaulniers at 780-998-3716 or email susande@eics.ab.ca.
Field trip: to date all field trips involving bussing are cancelled. Virtual field trips and walking trips may still occur. Once these have been finalized we will share the field trip fee for payment
All unpaid fees by March 1, 2021 may be sent to a collections agency.
Our Lady of the Angels School
Fort Saskatchewan, AB
T8L 1W7
Email: ola@eics.ab.ca
Website: https://ola.eics.ab.ca/
Location: 9622 Sherridon Drive, Fort Saskatchewan, AB, Canada
Phone: (780)998-3716
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/OLASchoolFtSask/photos/?ref=page_internal
Twitter: @OLAFortSask