Dear Online Learning Pathway families,

It's almost April and it finally feels like spring is on its way! I love hearing all the birds chirping and being able to walk outside without my face freezing!

Our Lenten Campaign continues until Easter so please click on the link to make a donation. Catholic Social Services provides help to so many vulnerable youth in our area who need our support. You don't need to be Catholic or even religious to access support from Catholic Social Services.

Please make sure you register for next year. Our St. Gabes program is very unique in Alberta and this year we served well over 300 students from across the province and we are continuing to grow. Students report that they enjoy the flexibility of learning in a blended online/in person program. Students are experiencing such great success that we've been able to make our grades 7-9 online program permanent at St. Gabes! We're also adding grade 10 French Immersion to our program.

I pray that you all have a safe and healthy spring!

Many Blessings to you all,

Renee Trottier,

principal

Online learning for grades 7-9 next year:

You can register with St. Gabriel Education Centre and continue online learning in a very similar way to what you have been doing this year. Please download the registration package from our website at

https://www.stgabe.gsacrd.ab.ca/registration

Online learning for grade 10:

You can register now with St. Teresa Catholic Learning Centre using the registration link below. https://www.ecsrd.ca/apps/pages/registration. This is the Outreach school with the Evergreen Catholic School Division.

You are also welcome to register with St. Gabriel Education Centre which is our online/blended learning centre with Greater St. Albert Catholic Schools. If you want more information about our program, please contact me.

If you are interested in returning to in person learning:

Simply register as a returning student to the school you are currently connected to. You can register by clicking on this link

https://www.ecsrd.ca/apps/pages/registration

I hope this helps. If you have any follow up questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me. I'm more than happy to answer your questions. You can also contact Stacy Johnson at SJohnson@ecsrd.ca, the principal at St. Teresa's Learning Centre with Evergreen Catholic Schools. She will also be able to answer questions and provide direction.

Your child's Term 2 marks are now entered into PowerSchool. Please check your child's marks and let us know if you have any questions.

Please continue to check your child's marks on PowerSchool. You can set it up to send you an automatic email once per week, or every time a mark is entered which helps us parents remember to check our children's marks!

If you are unable to see your child's marks in PowerSchool, please email Renee Trottier.

This Lent students, staff and parents across the GSACRD community are invited to support Catholic Social Services’ Safe House. CSS’ Safe House is a home where at-risk young people can go to be safe.

These are children and young people, as young as 13, who live on the streets. In many cases they are at risk of exploitation, trafficking or encountering violence or substance abuse.

They are alone, afraid and have no where else to call home.

Safe House is often the only place they can go to access warm and loving support.

In a typical year staff in CSS’ Safe House distribute around 400 ‘BE Safe Backpacks’ to these vulnerable young people.

The funds raised in this campaign will go towards the purchase of these Be Safe Backpacks right at the very moment when it is needed. The Backpacks will provide the items that each individual needs to support their safety.

While no one Backpack is the same they will include some standard items such as a toothbrush, dry shampoo, a flashlight, a re-usable water bottle, granola bars, and clothes suitable for the season.

Perhaps most importantly every young person who receives a Be Safe Backpack knows they do not have to face the world alone.

We are so grateful to all in GSACRD for helping to bring hope to these young people this Lent.

Your solidarity is God’s love in action.

“Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’” Matt 25:40

All donations over $20, by individuals, are eligible for a tax receipt.

As we venture through Lent, it often feels as though we will never make it to Easter. It feels long, bleak and tiresome. But, as we follow along with Jesus on the way of the cross to the resurrection, we don't dwell on Good Friday. We don't stay at the cross. The story doesn't end at His death. The story begins when He rises from the dead and opens the gates of salvation for us all! Isn't that amazing?! Let us not dwell on the darkness, for it has been conquered once and for all! Truly He has risen! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Did you Know?

Easter is the longest Season in the Roman Catholic Liturgical Calendar! It's 50 days long (7 weeks!) After the fasting, it's time for feasting! Now, that's worth celebrating!