ABJ Staff SWAG
December 11 - 15, 2023
Today we celebrate the second Sunday of Advent. The word Advent means “coming” and it is during this time that we wait with joyful hearts for the birth of Our Lord. In this Liturgical Time we have two people for good example, who have the very special attitude of waiting. These persons are: St. John the Baptist and Blessed Virgin Mary. This weekend’s gospel is especially dedicated to St. John the Baptist. This man was the herald of the coming of Jesus, he called people to reform those lives, and also he reformed his own life to show people how they have to act.
As we light the second purple candle on our wreaths we reflect on the meaning of this week’s candle which is peace. This candle reminds us that the angels declared "peace on earth" at the birth of Jesus. Jesus offers us inner peace and peace with others.
Father, this second week of Advent, keep us in perfect peace
as our mind stays on the truth of your powerful love.
Thank you for your loving guiding light.
Help us to trust fully in you and rest in the peace that you offer.
In your name we pray.
Amen.
Important Dates
Weekly School Team Meetings and Teams
- Grade 9- Thursday 1:45 - 2:45 pm (Dumont, Wimmer, and Counsellors/FWWs/EAL as needed)
- Grade 10- Monday 1:00 - 2:00 pm (Pope, St. Jean, and Counsellors/FWWs/EAL as needed)
- Grade 11- Wednesday 12:00 - 1:00 pm (Maloney, Pope, and Counsellors/FWWs/EAL as needed)
- Grade 12- Friday 10:15 - 11:15 am (Dumont, Glass, Tymko, and Counsellors/FWWs/EAL as needed)
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December 11
- Staff prayer in the staff room beginning at 8:15 am
- Into the Woods Musical debuts today and runs until Saturday!
- Grade level assemblies in period 1 for grades 10, 11, 12
- Chaplain Check In at 3:30 pm in Ruth's office
December 12
- Division Admin Meeting (Designates: James G and Amanda)
- Into the Woods Musical matinee performance
- Physics U of A Field Trip
December 13
- PEP day. Choose your session at pepdec13.sched.com/
- FWW/Counsellor Check in at 10:00 am in the conference room
- Into the Woods Musical matinee performance
December 14
- Advent Masses
- Scots Senior Slam BBall Tournament
December 15
- Student Council Dress Up Day: "Fleece" Navidad
- Grade 9 Assembly in period 1
- Into the Woods Musical matinee performance
- Scots Senior Slam BBall Tournament
Upcoming...
Dewcember 16
- Scots Senior Slam BBall Tournament
December 22
- Annual ABJ Talent Show
STAFF NEWS AND INFORMATION
Grade-Level Assemblies
Thank you for your flexibility in accommodating these assemblies. Please do wait to be called down.
Advent Masses
Please take the time to reinforce the importance of students attending mass, and also reviewing appropriate etiquette. Students will follow your lead in how they approach the mass. Advent is a time of joyful anticipation and the ideal is that our students see mass as an event to look forward to.
Grades 10 and 11 will attend mass at 9:00 am
Grades 9 and 12 will attend mass at 10:15 am
Please sign up HERE to volunteer. We are in need of:
- Eucharistic ministers
- Ushers
- Candle bearers
- People to bring up the Offertory
December 13 Department Meetings and PEP
Staff Social Event
Sign up HERE if you plan to attend!
Organization of the SWAG
The newsletter is organized based on our four school assurance priorities for this year.
- Faith Integration
- Learners and Learning
- Systemic Wellness
- Community Engagement
FAITH INTEGRATION
Advent Mass Attendance
As we are a Catholic school, the expectation is that all students attend the four masses we hold in a school year- opening mass, Advent, Easter, and year-end mass (and grad mass for our grade 12s). We will be holding two masses back to back on Thursday, December 14 in periods 1 and 2 in honour of Advent. It is important for us as Catholic educators to have the support of parents/guardians who have chosen Catholic education for their children. Mass as a whole-school community is a sacred event and one that supports our goal in nurturing the spiritual growth of our students. If students are able to attend school on the day of mass, we believe they are well enough to attend mass. We also extend an open invitation to all parents and guardians to attend mass with us at the school. Our hope is that we can work in partnership together in honouring the importance of masses and spiritual development at ABJ.
UpLIFT Prayer at Staff Meeting
Last week, students of our ABJ prayer group - UpLIFT (Living in Faith Together) - led prayer at the December staff meeting. Thank you to Shane Withers, Angelica Paranych, Rowan McBride, Madison Bender, and Canyon Sabo for representing the UpLIFT group and being living models of our faith!
December Chaplains' Corner
Sacramental Celebrations
Congratulations to Benzene Baluyot, Alexa Huculak-Schimpf, Ella Metz, Ryana Nandlall, Bella Penner, and Wella Tizon for completing the Sacrament of Confirmation last week at a celebration led by Archbishop Richard Smith at OLPH Parish.
OPLH Parish Clothing Nook and Christmas Store
LEARNERS AND LEARNING
Fine Arts Performances
Band and Choir Christmas Concert
Congratulation to all the Band and Choir students that performed at the Christmas Concert at OLPH last Thursday evening. Well done to all the performers, and may your music continue to light our world with beauty and harmony!
Special thank you to Mrs. Kerley, Ms. Tillbury, and Miss Strickland for their tremendous group with this talented group of students!
Stay tuned to next week's SWAG for photos of the performances.
Musical Theatre Presents Into The Woods
James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim take everyone's favourite storybook characters and bring them together for a timeless yet relevant piece, and a rare modern classic. The Tony Award-winning book and score are both enchanting and touching.
The story follows a baker and his wife, whoc wish to have a child; Cinderella who wishes to attend the King's festival; and Jack, who wishes his cow would give milk. When the baker and his wife learn that they cannot have a child because of a Witch's curse, the two set off on a journey to break the curse. Everyone's wish is granted, but the consequences of their actions retun to haunt them later with disastrous results.
Please join our Musical Theatre students as they bring this performance to life with the support of our Technical Theatre students behind the scenes!
PEP: Supporting Students' Academic, Spiritual, Physical, and Emotional Wellbeing
Feature PEP Session
Learning Spotlights
St. Nicholas Visits ABJ
Students of Mr. Vlodko's Ukrainian Language Arts 9 and 10 classes received a special visit from St. Nicholas last week, in celebration of the Feast Day of St. Nicholas and to spread some Christmas joy!
Zoo2U
Miss Ference's Outdoor Education 9 students enjoyed a visit from Zoo2U as part of their ecology unit.
Indigenous Education
Please take a moment to stop by the Indigenous Students Bulletin board in the lower common area (across from the large gym). You'll find an advent Calendar with links, information and activities each day centering around Indigenous languages and culture. Each day a new song or activity will be revealed.
January Exam Week Schedule
Exam Calendar
See below for the newly updated January Exam Week schedule, that now includes FLA 20 final exams. Please note that Diploma and Provincial Achievement Test dates are determined by Alberta Education. During exams, students are only to be in the building for exams in the schedule times. The Library Learning Commons will be open for students wishing to study. However, due to the volume of students writing, students will not be permitted in the common areas or to wander throughout the school. Further information for Diplomas and PATs is linked in the buttons below.
Class of 2024 Important Information
SYSTEMIC WELLNESS
Student Council Theme Days
Student Opportunity
Young Authors' Conference Logo Contest
The Young Authors' Conference, a joint venture of EICS and EIPS, is looking for an original logo to represent this year's theme of "Finding My Story" and grades 7-12 students in both school divisions are invited to submit their creative ideas. The attached information sheet provides all of the necessary details, but here are a few key points:
- art can be hand drawn or digitally created and must be fully original (no clipart or pre-made logos)
- due date for entry is January 9
- a signed consent form, which is included on the information sheet, must accompany the submission
- entries can be submitted as a hard copy to our EICS central office, the EIPS central office, or delivered to the school office. Entries delivered to the schools will be collected on January 10 or 11
- entries can also be submitted via email to yac@eips.ca using the subject line YAC Logo Contest
Student Supports
Strathcona CANTEEN Youth Hub November-December Calendar
AHS Community Offerings
Grad 2024
Grad Photo Retakes
Grad Retakes will occur on January 29, 30 and 31st. They will take place at the Icon Experience Photography Studio in Sherwood Park. Please stay tuned for more information on how to book!
Athletics
Check out the new website for all things Athletics.
Basketball Update
The junior girls ended up with silver medals after a very close 51-45 game against Salisbury Comp. The Junior Boys also played in the gold medal game against St.Peter the Apostle. The final score was 84 to 53 for the Scots!
Thank you to the Senior Basketball team's parent volunteers for running the admissions and concession. The players also did a great job at the score table. The Cosmetology students joined in with hair braiding and hair tinsel strands. We had such a great time that we are going to have a Senior Tournament next weekend! Please mark your calendars and come out to support our senior teams!
Student Volunteer Opportunities
Cafeteria Menu
Please see the poster below in regards to cafeteria access between classes. Pre-ordering of bagels will begin Wednesday, December 13.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Parent Information and Reminders
Excused Absences
It is always appreciated when parents/guardians excuse students through PowerSchool for appointments and other family needs that will take the student out of the building. Lately, we have experienced students being excused from classes at times when they will not be leaving the building. This is not something we are able to support. According to the Education Act, teachers and administration are legally responsible for students via their registration in classes at the school. A student cannot be wandering the halls or in the library unless they have a scheduled spare or have been sent to work in that space by a teacher who is taking responsibility for them. Students cannot be excused by parents to attend basketball games, other classes, or events happening within the school where the student will not be supervised by the teacher whose class they will be missing. Teachers do try to support extracurricular events within the school that occur during the school day, but will always prioritize curriculum and learning first.
Please do not hesitate to contact your grade-level administration should you have any questions about this. Thank you in advance for you understanding.
Parent Drop Off Zones
Please ensure that students are dropped off in one of the two lanes dedicated to student drop-off in front of the school, and NOT in the Emerald Hills Parking Lot as this is causing unnecessary congestion for patrons attending programming at the pool. Thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation.
Absence Reporting Now Available Directly in PowerSchool!
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EICS Board of Trustees Monthly Highlights
See here for the November 29 Public Meeting Agenda. Stay tuned for board highlights.
Communications
Newsletter Translation Feature Reminder
SWAG
The Scots Week at a Glance (SWAG) newsletter will be shared weekly on Sunday evenings or Monday evenings on long weekends. This will also be posted on our website and shared via social media. Stay informed on all things ABJ through the website, blog, and on social media.