The Bison Bugle
Oct. 9 - 13
Mission Statement
At St. Kateri Tekakwitha Academy, we are a spiritual, Christ - centred community that nurtures resilient, responsible, lifelong learners through love and service.
Connect - Inspire - Achieve
Calendar
Oct. 9 - Thanksgiving - School Closed
Oct. 9 - "Friends of SKT" DIELMAN'S FUNDRAISER begins!
Oct. 10 - Parent Teacher Interview portal opens for bookings (link will be sent home by end of the day)
Oct. 10 - Reading Intervention Groups all week (Grades 1-3)
Oct. 12 - School Council 6:30pm (ALL PARENTS WELCOME)
Oct. 13 - No Kinder Day
Oct. 13 - Living Rosary with Father Trini - 1:30pm
Oct. 16 - Scholastic Book Fair BEGINS (during library classes)
Oct. 18 - PTI’s - 4:00pm - 7:00pm
Oct. 18 - Scholastic Book Fair Continues
Oct. 19 - Healthy Hunger (Subway) Don't forget to order online!
Oct. 19 - PTI’s - 3:30pm - 6:30pm
Oct. 19 - Scholastic Book Fair ENDS 6:00pm
Oct. 20 - PD/Staff Meeting - No School for Students
Oct. 25 - Grade 4 & 5 BISON Breakfast
Oct 30 - Grade 1-5 BISON lunch winners
Oct 31 - Halloween dress-up day
Oct 31 - Gr 4 & 5 Regular Academy & Option day
Oct 31 - 10:00am-11:30am Gr 4 & 5 visit GHP Penny Carnival events
Oct 31 - Last day to support "Friends of SKT" DIELMAN'S FUNDRAISER
Faith
October is dedicated as the month of the Rosary. Praying the Rosary allows us to encounter Mary and to enter the mysteries of Jesus Christ. From his Incarnation, to the Cross, to the Resurrection, we come to understand that God has revealed himself and saved us. Through the intercession of Mary we bring our prayers forward to her Son Jesus Christ.
Throughout the month of October, we will be engaging our students in lessons and learnings about the rosary. We will be praying the rosary throughout the month in our daily morning announcements, as well as, taking the time to pray a 'Living Rosary' as a whole school community, led by Fr. Trini on OCt. 13.
Mary Mother of God, pray for us.
St. Jean Baptiste Parish
As partners in faith with our local St. Jean Baptiste Parish, please see the link below to find out mass times and locations, upcoming parish events and more.
Please note, if you are interested in learning more about having your child participate in Sacramental Preparation, please see the following link: https://www.sjbp.ca/sacraments.htm
Thanksgiving
'If you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness' - Isaiah 58, 10 - 11.
During the last couple of weeks we have been answering the call to 'Feed the Hungry' with our students generously bringing in food items that will be donated to the Morinville Food Bank! Thank you to all families who assisted us in ensuring many in our community can access basic necessities in the upcoming weeks.
We also, gathered on Friday as a school faith community for our Thanksgiving Liturgy. Again, this was a remarkable opportunity to join as a school community in thanksgiving and move forward in gratitude for the abundant blessings in our lives. During the celebrations, we were joined by our Superintendent of GSACRD, Dr. Moroziuk, who assisted us with presenting Bibles to all our grade 4 students and new SKTA grade 5 students. Thank you to the Morinville Knights of Columbus, who generously donated the Bibles to our school and thank you to all families who joined in attendance, it was so great to see such a large contingent of families joining us to celebrate!
We wish all our SKTA families a blessed Thanksgiving!
School Fees
Schools fees are now open to be paid. Please see the following link to make payment. Should any families have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the office. Thank you.
Parent Teacher Interviews
Our first round of Parent Teacher Interviews are coming up! We will be welcoming families on Oct. 18th from 4:00 - 7:00pm & Oct. 19th from 3:30 - 6:30pm. We will be sharing the 'sign up' link with families next week to book interview times. We encourage all parents/gaurdians to sign up for a PTI meeting to celebrate the learning of our students to date!
Parent Council
Thank you to all parents and guardians who joined us for our first Parent Council meeting, it was wonderful to meet so many engaged families!
Parent Council is a wonderful way for parents & guardians to get involved and support our school. All parents & guardians with children registered at SKTA are welcome to join! Participating in Parent Council will allow individuals to share their voice and their talents with the school community and serve our students.
Our first Parent Council meeting will be held on Thursday, October 12 at 6:30PM in person at the school, a virtual link will also be made available for individuals to participate in the meeting remotely.
Friends of SKTA
Friends of SKT Fundraising
We have two amazing events that are happening in November for you to take advantage of and also support our school. Thank you in advance for your support!
1. Dielman's fundraising - Friends of SKT
Friends of SKT has registered our school for Dielman's fundraising once again. This popular fundraiser has everything you need for the holiday season...something for everyone. Catalogues went home today with students in Grades 1-5, Kindergarten and Pre-K students will bring theirs home on Tuesday. You can also check it out online at https://www.dfscanada.com/shop-now/ and click REGISTER NOW. Our ORGANIZATION ID is 7932. Orders are now open until November 1st.
2. Christmas Art Cards
Your children will be working hard to create and design a personalized Christmas card for your family to send to those near and far. Your child's artwork will be sent home to you before fall break so that you will be able to admire their beautiful work and place your order to have your cards back in time to send out. Cards will also include a special Christmas message inside. Stay tuned...
GSACRD Voice
Gratitude & Well-Being
“Tough times foster a greater appreciation for what we have.
And what we often take for granted.”1
Showing gratitude for the things and people we have in our lives can help us do so much. Gratitude can improve our physical, emotional, and psychological health and well-being. It can also help us sleep better, and feel better about ourselves.2 “Gratitude can shift our attention away from stress and refocus it on the people who support us and the people we support.”1
For 5 ways you can incorporate gratitude into your life as a family, check out the following link:
A Grateful Family is a Happy Family
If you have any questions about mental health and mental illness you can reach out to our Wellness Coaches:
Kara Meloche: kmeloche@gsacrd.ab.ca (END & GHP)
Caitlin Josey: cjosey@gsacrd.ab.ca (SKT & Legal)
Marina Casavant: mcasavant@gsacrd.ab.ca (MCHS & Communications)
Methods for Recording Student Attendance
Dear Parents,
Ensuring your child's attendance is accurately recorded is essential for us to provide the best educational experience. To make this process convenient for you, we offer three user-friendly options:
1. School Messenger App (Most Popular): Download the School Messenger app, the preferred choice of many parents. It offers a hassle-free way to report attendance and stay connected with school updates.
2. Parent Portal: Accessible through our website, the Parent Portal provides a secure platform to submit attendance information.
3. Safe Arrival Phone Number: Alternatively, you can call our school phone line to report your child's attendance.
Choose the method that suits you best!
Supports for Families
We at SKTA are a community school and as such very family oriented. We would like our family community to know we are here to support you beyond the classroom. As a Division, we have access to many resources that may support families, from financial assistance to navigating community supports, we are happy to help. Please know that all families can reach out in confidence to our admin and we will work with you in a non-judgmental, compassionate manner to help all through challenging times.
Information for families Families
As we enter a new school year, we would like to remind families of a few items to help ensure a successful year.
Pick Up & Drop Off
- For those families driving to school we ask that the drop - off lane be for 'quick' drop off's and pick ups.
- If you are choosing to walk your child(ren) to their specific doors, please park in the parking lot and NOT park in the drop off lane.
- Parents/Guardians are asked to remain outside of the school when dropping off and picking up students.
- Parents/Guardians who require assistance at the office are to 'ring' the door bell at the front and come directly to the school office for assistance.
- Parents/Guardians wishing to volunteer with the school are required to fill out annually our 'Volunteer Form' which can be obtained from the office.
- Parents/Guardians who need to contact their child(ren) are to call the school office and we will notify the student(s).
- Parents/Guardians wishing to meet with administration or staff may reach out via email or call to make an appointment during office hours.
- Regular communication is key for all school stakeholders.
- If you require information or clarification please reach out to your child(ren)'s teachers via email or you may call and leave a message for them at the office.
- If you require assistance from the administration please feel free to communicate via email or call the school office directly.
- Please remember our children are always watching us and we expect our parents and guardians to be co-teachers with us, teaching them appropriate community relations by treating everyone with respect, compassion and kindness.