Patriot Post
September 28 - October 2 , 2020
THIS WEEK AT ST. JPII
School Photos
Tuesday Sept. 29th
Wednesday Sept. 30th
Orange Shirt Day
Thursday Oct. 1st
Friday Oct. 2nd
Upcoming Dates:
- Oct. 7th: Early Dismissal Wednesday
- Oct. 9th: PD DAY (no school for students)
- Oct. 12th: Thanksgiving (NO SCHOOL)
Chaplain's Corner
The shortest passage in our readings today drew the most out of me in terms of reflection on my relationship to God. I think all the lessons are about our relationship to God, but John 10:27 says it best. “I know my sheep; they hear my voice.” It is as simple and direct as the parable Jesus tells us about the two sons. It is about what we do, not what we say that matters. The Lord knows us by the way we follow him.
But the lessons today do more than just admonish us to act on our faith. They give us some insights into why that is often so difficult even for people of faith. The Old Testament lessons reveal that we often get our relationship with God on the wrong track, making it difficult for us to keep our ears tuned to the shepherd. Ezekiel reminds us that we are tempted to think about our relationship in a legalistic sense. But God was telling us long before Jesus came to tell us again, it isn’t about how little we sin. The message here is that God will always forgive us, if we repent and change our ways. That is why the parable of the two sons lifted the example of the one who changed his mind and decided to do the will of the father as the best example. He was not only readily forgiven, but he was the model son. That doesn’t easily fit with our way of thinking.
It is certainly true that the Lord’s ways are not our ways, or we would not have so much difficulty with the vastness of God’s love and forgiveness. The Psalm today reminds us that we so often think that God will be pleased with us if we try to live upright lives, but we don’t always follow through with that. And even when we do, that leads us to worldly pride, and it makes us judgmental of others. That leads us away from God. Instead we are to acknowledge our own failures and remain humble in following the Lord’s ways. That leads us to be compassionate to others, just as the Lord is compassionate to us.
In the New Testament reading, we see that following Jesus is about learning how to live humbly, regarding others as more important than ourselves, and to do nothing out of selfishness. We are to look out for other’s interests and not our own. Today I pray that the Lord knows me by the way I follow him, not by how upright I appear to be in the eyes of the world.
Vernon Brady
School Chaplain
Attendance Reporting Procedures
Terry Fox Run
6S Evidence and Investigation Unit
Grade 7 Science
Library Corner
First off, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Tracy Scoggins, and I am the new librarian at Saint John Paul II Catholic School. I am very excited to get to know all the students. We will be doing things a little different in the library this year. Including sanitizing before and after entering the library, and wearing masks at all times. Students will have to take the book they touch. Books returned to the library will have to be in quarantine for 72 hours. After that, they are clear and safe to be returned to the shelves. This is really a challenging time, but we can get through it together and make this year a great success!
Also, if students have ANY library materials from last year, please return them. This includes textbooks, reading material, calculators, ect.
Library classes will be starting the first week of October and I can't wait!
Thank You
Tracy Scoggins
Student Illness
Students who are at home for extended periods of time due to COVID protocols are strongly encouraged to reach out to our school for educational support during this period.
EICS PARENT RE-ENTRY HANDBOOK
EICS Parent Re-Entry Handbook
Please refer to this document as it is the one that continuously updates when new protocols are shared from the Alberta Government. https://www.eics.ab.ca/download/296372
School Demographic Forms
EICS Demographic Confirmation Forms are available now on your PowerSchool ParentPortal. Please take a moment to visit your PowerSchool ParentPortal account and complete this form; one for each child you have attending school with EICS.
Alberta Education requires that we obtain a detailed update of student demographics on an annual basis. School funding from Alberta Education is conditional on us receiving these updates and including them in your student’s record. More importantly, these forms ensure that we have the most current contact information if we need to reach you in event of an emergency.
We certainly appreciate you taking the time to complete these forms. Should you have any questions, or require assistance, please contact Carrie-Lynn in the office at 780-992-0889 and she will be happy to help.
Powerschool Information
To login to your Powerschool Parent Account, please click on the link below:
https://powerschool.eics.ab.ca/public
Please do not use the Powerschool App. Use the powerschool website in the link above.
Medical Forms:
If your child has a medical alert that we should be aware of, we will require a new medical form that is available in your powerschool account. If you child requires use of an epi-pen, please make sure this is filled out asap. We like to keep a student's epi-pen on hand at the office in case of emergency. We understand with the shortage right now this may not be possible. At the very least, we need to know where a student is keeping their epi-pen. If you have questions, please contact the office.
What if my child has a pre-existing medical condition with COVID-19 symptoms?
Individuals who have allergies or ongoing health issues must be tested for COVID-19 at least once according to the Alberta Health Services Guidance Document to confirm that the pre-existing condition is the source of their symptoms before entering or returning to the school. This will establish a baseline for the individual. If symptoms change (worsen, additional symptom, change in baseline), the individual must follow Stay Home When Sick Protocol.
School Council Information
Thank-you to all the parents/guardians who attended our first School Council meeting of the year last week; we had the highest turnout we have ever seen in our school! Congratulations to Brad Burr who was elected Chair. Alyssa Pratt who was nominated Vice-Chair. Vera Mazurak who is our Treasurer. And Jennifer Gross-Burr who was elected Secretary. Please join us for the next virtual School Council meeting which is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 14th @ 6:30pm.
This is an excellent opportunity to receive the latest school and grade level updates from our Administration and Teacher Representatives as well as upcoming School Council supported activities and events!
Cafeteria
Hello St John Paul II community!
Your cafeteria is now up and running, so let's talk safety!
We've got stickers spaced out to keep physical distancing while in line.
All our food items are individually packaged.
PPE while prepping food and taking orders.
Single use cutlery.
But our biggest change this year will be cash! We will still accept cash, but instead of giving change we will give a store credit.
As always, you can pre-order at www.fortsasklunchbox.com and we also sell lunch tickets, singles for $7, ten pack for $60 (includes a meal item and any two sides).
And month passes, email me your preferred September start day and I will give you a price.
*Don't forget that if you cancelled lunches in March you still have a credit on your account, and if you are holding onto lunch tickets they are still good!
For now students can come pick up food from the cafeteria, but they are still eating in their classrooms. We've changed some of our packaging to make it easier to carry through the halls.
And finally, our amazing refund policy is still in place. Pre-orders can be cancelled as late as 9am on the day of, for a full credit to be used anytime you'd like.
Please feel free to email us in the cafeteria if you have any other questions.
Here we go!
Family Wellness Worker (FWW)
Service Delivery
Each school is staffed with a Family Wellness Worker (FWW), who works under the direction of their School Principal and the Assistant Superintendent of Faith & Wellness. FWW's receive clinical guidance from a Registered Psychologist.
The primary function of the Family Wellness team is to provide social and emotional support to students and families. Family Wellness Workers meet with students and parents to assess needs, set goals, identify required supports, and plan appropriate interventions.
They collaborate with school system staff and community resources to build a “village” of support around students/families who are struggling.
Referrals
Parental consent is required for FWW services.
Referrals to the Family Wellness Program may be made by students, parents/guardians, school administration, teachers, or other school staff (e.g. school counsellor or collaborative response coordinator).
Parents and guardians can access these services by speaking with the Principal or contacting the school's Family Wellness Worker directly.
CYF Caregiver Education
St. John Paul II Catholic School
Email: stjp@eics.ab.ca
Website: https://stjp.eics.ab.ca
Location: 9975 93 Avenue, Fort Saskatchewan, AB, Canada
Phone: 780-992-0889
Twitter: @stjp2cs