The Good News
Saint John XXIII March 8, 2019
Leadership Message
"Even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning." Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and He relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave behind a blessing — grain offerings and drink offerings for the LORD your God. Joel 2:12-14
This week, on Ash Wednesday, we began our Lenten journeys. In our Catholic faith, Lent is a prayerful time in which we prepare ourselves to celebrate the grace of forgiveness, our gift of salvation, and our hope in the Resurrection. Many symbols during the Lenten season are reflective of the time Jesus spent in the desert. During Lent we work towards an inner renewal of our love and faith in Christ.
Lent can be complicated for young ones to understand. Communicating about and modeling for our children what Lent means and why we prepare our hearts for Jesus is very important to our Catholic faith. As a faith community, we focus on three aspects of Lent; prayer, fasting, and “almsgiving”. During Lent we will pray more. We encourage our students and their families, to also pray together during Lent. While we no longer give “alms” today, and as our Faith team will share on Monday at assembly-almsgiving today is the sharing of our gifts with those in need. This could be anything from sharing of one's time, no longer used or needed toys, clothes, or books, or even, donating allowance to those less fortunate. Lent is also a time during which the faithful abstain and fast. Abstinence is the act of doing without or avoiding something. Particular days of abstinence during Lent are Fridays, Ash Wednesday, and Good Friday. As canon law states, Catholics over the age of 14 are expected to abstain from eating meat on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays throughout the Lenten season (Canon 1250-1253). It can be tricky to talk with little ones about fasting. Fasting for kids can be thought of as giving something up and replacing it with something that brings us closer to Jesus. For example, a child may select to give up playing videogames and devote that time to their siblings or parents. Some children may choose to give up a food item that is considered a treat or fasting from gossiping. While there are parts of Lent that focus on sacrifice and repentance, it can also be thought about as adding or subtracting some things in our life to bring us closer to God.
What will your Lenten Promises be? How will you pray, fast, give?
Blessings,
Mrs. Boehm
Thank-you Father Kris, 2S & 2B, and staff for a beautiful Ash Wednesday Celebration
Music Room News: Mrs. Schaub
Our St John XXIII Choir will be performing in the Fort Saskatchewan Music Festival on Monday, March 11th. The choirs will perform at 1 PM at the First United Church in Fort Saskatchewan, which is located at 10409 100 Avenue. Students will be bussed to and from the church. We would love to see you in the audience if you are able to come!
For the day of the performance, please have your child wear black bottoms pants or skirt) and a bright, solid coloured top.
As well, our Chime Group A will be sharing their progress at assembly this Monday, March 11 @ 9 am.
"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything". -Plato
1H shows the power of kids who care: Warming Hearts...
Student Learning Progress: Communicating Together at Conferences
Conferences will be on the evenings of Tuesday, March 19th and Wednesday, March 20th from 4-7 pm. The on-line interview scheduling program is now open: www.schoolinterviews.ca which will enable you to schedule your conferences.
Please note: *For some students who are supported with an ISP, your conference time may be pre-booked to facilitate team attendance. You would have received a separate letter if this applies to you.
“Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do.” ~Saint John XXIII
Beware Leprechauns! Our Saint John XXIII Innovators are determined to catch you!
Students, in collaborative groups, will be designing, collecting supplies, and creating Leprechaun Traps next Friday, March 15th!
Please support your child by:
- Helping them bring in recycled items to create their traps
- Sharing in their enthusiasm
- Ensuring that the "creating" and "making" happens at school with their partners and not at home (Students need the opportunity to problem solve and explore). Feel free to create one at home too! Those pesky Leprechauns go everywhere!
Apple Sponsorship: Thank-You Doderai Dental Group!
Thank-you to our EIPS friends for the Warm Hearts-Warm Hands donation
Growing Brains, Sharing Smiles...
OLA Parish News
March 12: OLA Parish Day of Confessions is one day a year when priests across the Archdiocese devote themselves to celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Drop by the church and experience the grace of God -- you are welcome no matter how long it's been since you have been to Confession, and no matter what you want or need to confess.
Saint John XXIII School Council News
THANK-YOU to all of our parent volunteers and the Knights of Columbus for our awesome Shrove Tuesday Pancake Lunch!
As a parent in our school community, you are also automatically a member of the School Council and are encouraged and invited to attend our School Council meetings where your voice and input are valued and needed. The School Council is a wonderful opportunity for you to connect with peer parents, share your ideas and input, and support initiatives that benefit our students. Our next meeting is Thursday, March 14th @ 7 pm in the Collaborative Room (across from the library).
Strawberry Basket volunteers: The School Council is looking for a volunteers to help with our Strawberry Basket Fundraiser. DO you love plants? Are you good at organization? Would you love to help out at your child's school by helping set up the organization and ordering of our Spring Strawberry Baskets? Please let us know if you can help by emailing: st.johnxxiii.psc@gmail.com Thank you!
LOOKING AHEAD...
Mar. 11: Assembly 9 am (Faith team presenting Lent, Chime A Performance, Traffic Safety Presentation) Choir-Music Festival 1 pm
Mar. 14: Hot Lunch, School Council 7 Pm Collab Room
Mar. 15: School-Wide MakerSpace Project: Leprechaun Traps
Mar. 18: Assembly 9 am
Mar. 19: Face to Face presentation, Gr 3 Rec Swim, Three Way Conferences 4-8 pm
Mar. 20: Three Way Conferences 4-8 pm
Mar. 21: Grade 4 Rec Swim
Mar 22-Mar 31: Spring Break
Saint John XXIII Catholic School
Email: stj@eics.ab.ca
Website: https://stj.eics.ab.ca/
Location: 9526 89 Street, Fort Saskatchewan, AB, Canada
Phone: 780-998-7777
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stjohnXXIII/
Twitter: @St_JohnXXIII