The Good News
November 5 - St. John XXIII Catholic School
Catholic Education Saturday
“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).
Catholic education takes its lead from Jesus Himself: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.” (Mt 28.19-20) Simply, this means announcing the Good News of Jesus Christ and helping one another to become His disciples.
Please see the Bishop's letter below and Catholic Education Sunday resource.
In Christ,
Mrs. Tracy Melnyk, Principal
Students arriving on time
When we hear the term “parent involvement,” we tend to think about activities such as volunteering in our child’s classroom, helping out with a school fundraiser, or coordinating a PSC committee. All of these roles are important, and certainly much appreciated by the teaching staff, parent groups and school administration.
But what is the most basic form of parent involvement you can do to support your children?
Arrange to have your child arrive at school on time.
When your children arrive at school on time they have those precious minutes at the start of the day to sort out their belongings, greet their teacher and classmates, and be confident they have not missed out on anything!
Being on time is a life skill, and affects every aspect of living: Our jobs, classes and appointments, and even our entertainment such as play-dates and sporting events. We all know how important it is to arrive on time for work. Our children’s work is to attend school, and to be on time.
Being on time is respectful to your child’s classroom teacher and the other students. It can be disruptive to the class when your child arrives late as the teacher has already started teaching and the children are involved in their activities. Often the teacher must stop teaching the rest of the class, to get your child settled and brought up to speed. And when your children arrive late, they feel like they are playing catch-up for the rest of the day.
Being on time shows you value punctuality and reliability. As parents, our organizational skills are paramount for modeling to our children that not only must they be on time for school, but we must also show them how to get ready to be on time for school.
There will always be times when your children may be late due to a dentist or doctor's appointment, transportation troubles or family emergencies or special events. But because we know these things happen, let’s try to be on time for school on all the other days.
If you arrive to school late, after the second bell has rung at 8:45 am, you must report to the school office to let Mrs. Wilson know you have arrived safely.
It is just as important for parents and caregivers to arrive on time for dismissal. Your children have worked very hard during the school day and are excited to tell you all about it at 3:14 pm. Sometimes, when parents are not at the door to greet their children, the children can become quite upset and worried.
We understand that there are the occasional circumstances that cause a parent to be late for pick up. If you will be late, please phone the school office so that the office can let the teachers know, and then we can inform your child.
We know that being on time for school requires good planning at home. But what a wonderful gift to give your child, the gift of being punctual, reliable and ready to learn.
Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences
3-Way Conferences will be this Thursday, November 9th, from 4:00 - 8:30 pm - we look forward to seeing everyone!
If you have not already done so, please visit the School Interviews site to book an interview time convenient for your family. Our school code is e9kf9.
The site will remain open until Wednesday, November 8th at 8:00 am should you wish to add or change your interview schedule. Please contact Mrs. Jeannette Wilson at 780-998-7777 with any questions or concerns, she will be happy to assist you!
Dress for the Weather
Book Fair
Remembrance Day Celebration
Please join us on Thursday, November 9th at 11:00 am in the gym as we salute our veterans and honour the courageous men and women who have served our country. All students will receive a poppy on Thursday prior to our celebration and are encouraged to send a small donation that will be passed along to the Royal Canadian Legion to support our veterans. We will remember them.
Christmas Nativity Pageant
Dear Parents,
The children’s liturgy program would like to invite everyone to OLA’s annual Christmas pageant on December 10, 2017 during the 11:00am Mass. Please join in the celebration of our Lord’s birth! All are welcome!
We are looking for children ages 3 to grade 4 to be in the pageant. Children do not have to be attending children’s liturgy to be a part of the pageant, although they must be able to attend the rehearsal on Saturday, December 9 at 6:30 pm. We are also looking for any older children to read the story of Jesus’ birth during the pageant. Please note, parents are required to stay with their children to help them dress into their costume and undress after. Parents with children 4 and under are asked to accompany their child at all times throughout the pageant.
If your child would like to participate in the pageant, please sign them up no later than Friday, December 1, 2017, by contacting Kerry Ruddick by phone 587-990-1027 or email: kerryruddick@gmail.com.
Schedule
Pageant Sign Up Deadline – Friday, December 1, 2017
Pageant Rehearsal - Saturday, December 9 at 6:30 pm
Pageant - Sunday, December 10 at the 11:00 am Mass
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Kerry Ruddick
Dr. Jody Carrington - Parent Information Night
PSC Poinsettia Sale
The Poinsettia order deadline is tomorrow, Monday, November 6th!
The Poinsettia Sale is one of the PSC's major fundraisers each year.
This year they are offering 6.5” poinsettias in three color options, red, pink or white for $20. They also have a 10” Holiday tropical planter (pictured to the right) available for $40 which includes four different tropical plants and a novelty pick or pine cone.
6.5” red memorial poinsettias are also available for $20. These plants are delivered to the church and remain there as decoration for the Christmas Masses. The name of your loved one will be posted on the church bulletin board and in the church bulletin. If you wish to purchase a memorial poinsettia you may include this on your school order form.
Order forms and the parent letter sent home may be accessed here. Thank you for your support!
ELL Homework Help
We are excited to announce that homework help in reading and math will be available for our English Language Learners on Tuesdays after school from 3:30-4:15 p.m. These sessions are intended for those students whose first language is not English. Our first session will be on Tuesday, November 7th and we will run every following Tuesday that lands on a school day. Sessions for November will therefore be November 7, 21, and 28. Please send Mrs. Weller an email at sandyw@eics.ab.ca if you are interested in having your child attend.
Kairos Blanket Exercise
St. John XXIII is very excited to offer to our parent community the opportunity to participate in the KAIROS Blanket Exercise on Thursday, November 23 at 7 p.m. in our school library. The Blanket Exercise is a teaching tool that shares the historic and contemporary relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada. At this point, we do not have the numbers to run this activity. Final deadline to participate before cancellation occurs will be this coming Tuesday, November 7. If you are interested in attending, please let Mrs. Weller know by sending her an email at sandyw@eics.ab.ca
MR. BERG'S COUNSELLOR'S CORNER
Understanding your Child's Anger
Parent & Community Info Series
Looking Ahead . . .
November 5 Daylight Savings Time Ends - Fall Back 1 Hour
November 6 - 9 Saddle-Up & Read Book Fair
November 6 PSC Poinsettia Fundraiser Order Deadline
November 7 ELL Homework Help
November 8 Grade 1 T-Pet Presentation on the Senses
November 8 Grade 3 T-Pet Presentation on Soapstone Carving
November 9 Remembrance Day Celebration 11:00 am in the gym - everyone welcome
November 9 McDonald's Hot Lunch (by pre-order only)
November 9 Grade 4 Swimming 12:30 pm
November 9 Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences
November 10 No School Staff Professional Development Day
November 13 - 17 No School - Fall Break
November 22 PSC Meeting 9:00 am
November 23 Kairos Blanket Exercise 7:00 pm in the school library
"Learn from wonder; nurture astonishment. Live, love, believe. And, with the grace of God, never despair. "
Pope Francis
via Twitter
October 30, 2017
9526 - 89 Street, Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta
Email: stj@eics.ab.ca
Website: www.stj.eics.ab.ca
Location: 9526 89 Street, Fort Saskatchewan, AB, Canada
Phone: (780)998-7777
Facebook: facebook.com/stjohnxxiii
Twitter: @ST_JohnXXIII