“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows him. But you know him, because he remains with you, and will be in you.” John 14:15–17

Imagine a spouse or a friend saying to you, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” Such a statement might cause you to react with surprise. Ordinarily, we do not see obedience to another as a sign that we love them. However, what if a parent were to say to a child, “If you love me, you will be obedient.” That statement is easier to accept because of the unique role of a parent to their children. In regard to our love of God, obedience to His divine will is the greatest act of love we can offer. This is because God’s will is perfect. It’s exactly what we need in life. It’s what we were made for. And it is the one and only way to achieve the human fulfillment that we seek. Only God can say such a thing to us because only God is God.

Jesus followed up His call to obedience by saying that obedience to Him will result in Jesus and His Father bestowing the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth upon you. The Holy Spirit will remain “with you, and will be in you.” This is such a profound statement from our Lord. In fact, so much of what He says within this sermon given at the Last Supper is profound beyond comprehension.

One clear thing this tells us is that obedience to God leads to a discovery of the Truth. And as Jesus says elsewhere, “If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31–32). Obedience leads to Truth. Truth leads to freedom.

This begs the question: Do you want to be free? Clearly you do. We cannot not want to be free. Meaning, we are obliged to want freedom, just as we are obliged to want happiness. Why? Because the desire for freedom and happiness is written upon our very nature. It is a desire that we cannot escape. It’s how we are wired. However, it is quite possible to become confused about the way we achieve these desires. For many, obedience is not always understood as the pathway to that desired freedom and happiness.

Consider, again, a child. Imagine a parent telling that child not to eat a certain wild berry that grows behind their house because the parent knows the berry is poisonous and will cause the child to become sick. If the child disobeys and eats the berry anyway, he will learn the important lesson that he should have been obedient. Or if the child were to get in a fight with his brother and was angry and crying, the parent may tell him to say he’s sorry and reconcile with his brother. If the child refuses, he will remain angry and crying. But if he obeys, then he and his brother will once again be able to have fun together.

On a grand scale, this is what God does for us. He is the perfect Father Who always knows what is best for us. For that reason, we must not only conform to His will, we must desire it, seek it out and desire to be obedient to the greatest degree. This is the path to Truth. It is the path to freedom. It is the path to the happiness we desire.

Reflect, today, upon your own level of obedience to the will of God and your understanding of the importance of that obedience. Do you realize that God’s will is perfect? Perhaps you do intellectually, but how about practically? When you read through the Scriptures and hear Jesus’ commands of love, do you seek to follow them without hesitation? For example, do you forgive those who seem undeserving? Can you say, with our Lord from the Cross, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do?” Reflect upon anything this past year that was difficult for you to embrace from God. Ponder it, pray over it and seek to obey whatever He has revealed to you. Doing so will be the first step toward the fulfillment of your deepest desires in life.

Most glorious Jesus, Your will is perfect in every way. Obedience to Your will leads to the fulfillment of my life and my every desire. Please bestow the Spirit of Truth upon me so that I will always know Your will and embrace it with all my might. Jesus, I trust in You.

• Sunday May 14 - Mother's Day
• May 15 - May 19 - Catholic Education Week
• Monday May 15 - Linking Generations Visit
  
• Monday May 15 - Blanket Exercise - Grade 7
• Wednesday May 17 - Spirit Day - Wear Blue for Catholic Education
• Wednesday May 17 - Grade 6 PAT ELA Part A
• Thursday May 18 - Vyshyvanka Day - Wear Ukrainian Blouses or Blue and Yellow
• Friday May 19 - PD Day - No School
• Monday May 22 - Victoria Day - No School
• Tuesday May 30 - Parent Council Meeting - St. Theresa Library @ 6:30pm

The provincial theme this year reminds us of the call to “walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever” (Micah 4:5).

Catholic Education Week also provides a special opportunity to thank each one of you for your extraordinary service on behalf of Catholic education.

On Wednesday May 17th, everyone here at St. Theresa is invited to Wear Blue and walk in support of Catholic Education.

The costs for the evening will be partially covered by St. Theresa School, and a $5.00 cost per grade 8 student attending will be applied to PowerSchool.

The success of this celebration depends on your support and participation. Please complete the google form sent out by Friday, May 19, 2023, so that your child's homeroom teacher can have an accurate number of people attending.

If you have any questions please contact Mrs. Marson, Ms. Brownlee, Mrs. Anton, Miss Gartner, & Mrs Parsall-Myler 780-464-4001.

https://ybpay.lifetouch.ca/Order/SelectJob

The code to access it is: 13972923

Alberta's Student COMPETENCIES are combinations of attitudes, skills, and knowledge that students develop and apply for successful learning, living and working. Students are the artists, scientists, thinkers, innovators, and leaders of the future. They will be tasked with solving the problems of today while imagining and creating a new tomorrow. The Competencies are critical for equipping students with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that they will need to successfully navigate their personal journeys in learning, living and working.

What an amazing day we had for our track and field meet this past Tuesday! Having over 500 students participating in various track and field events, including our students in Pathways! It was definitely a wonderful sight to see! Homeroom classes also did an amazing job of representing their selected country through attire, facepaint, and flags.

Congratulations to 7CR & 5S for having the highest points for team spirit and 8G & 5K for having the highest score for team track points. These four homeroom classes will receive a pizza party for their class!

Thank you to all the staff and parent volunteers for supporting Mrs. Kadey in running the event!

Students develop many Alberta Education Student Competencies as they plan and prepare for a school event such as a track meet. Communication, Collaboration, Problem-Solving, Cultural & Global Citizenship, and Personal Growth & Well-Being are just some of the Competencies that evolve when students plan and prepare for a track meet.

The St. Theresa Parent Advisory Council performs many vital functions for our school community, by helping to facilitate school wide student functions and providing valuable funding to our school via fundraising. Parents involved in the PAC learn about planning and development within the school and are part of the planning process. These roles make their involvement very important to the families, administration and teachers.

https://stt.eics.ab.ca/parents/parent-societies

2022 - 2023 PAC Meeting Dates - St. Theresa School Library @ 6:30pm

November 1, 2022

January 10, 2023

February 21, 2023

April 4, 2023

May 30, 2023

2022-2023 Executive PAC Members:

Chair - Jody Ostrosky

Co-Chair - Lindsay Tomalik

Treasurer - Kim Pennock

Secretary - Rosie Conrad

Bitaemo! Sherwood Park's Ukrainian Bilingual Program began in 1980 and has seen decades of success in academic achievement, global learning, and celebration of the rich Ukrainian heritage. From Preschool/Sadochok to Grade 12, the Ukrainian Bilingual Program offers a community-minded cultural environment along with an enhanced academic curriculum. BUCPS Mission is to promote, advocate, support and foster cultural and educations opportunities for students in the Ukrainian Bilingual Program.

https://stt.eics.ab.ca/parents/parent-societies

2022-2023 Executive BUCPS Members:

President - Slavko Nohas

Vice-President - Christin Hyshka

Treasurer - Andrea Chmilar

Secretary - Kelsey Whattam

Members at Large:

Talia Koziak/Kathy Leskow/Clayton Starko

Recreation and Culture Strategy Community Check-In

Strathcona County is inviting youth in Grades 7-12 to share their feedback to help plan for the next four years of recreation and culture opportunities in the community, by completing an online survey between May 1 – May 22.

Youth completing the survey can enter to win 1 of 10, $50.00 Recreation, Parks and Culture gift cards!

Take the survey today: https://countyvoice.strathcona.ca/recculture2023

There is an upcoming FREE virtual session on "Videogaming and Youth" that some of you might be interested in attending. It is on May 16th, from 4 - 6 pm. The session will NOT be recorded.

If you are interested in attending this session, please register ASAP using the following link:

https://crcpd.ab.ca/program/8982

Alberta Health Services is pleased to share that we have launched a new advice and guidance line for parents, guardians and caregivers of children and youth (birth to 18 years of age) with concerns about their child’s development and well-being. The Pediatric Rehabilitation Line provides advice about developmental milestones in areas such as:

· Moving and playing (e.g., crawling, coordination, playing with toys)

· Talking and listening (e.g., babbling, understanding directions, stuttering)

· Taking care of self (e.g., dressing, toileting, sleeping)

· Managing emotions (e.g., calming self, becoming overwhelmed or overstimulated)

· Difficulty eating or swallowing (e.g., coughing, gagging)

· Hearing (e.g., responding to sounds, noise, voices, words)

· Are recovering from COVID-19

· Are looking for current rehabilitation resources (e.g., links to information or webinars)

· Are looking for help to find local services

How to connect

This Alberta-only line is answered by Allied Health clinicians and operates Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Parents, guardians and caregivers can call 811 or the Rehabilitation Advice Line (1-833-379-0563) to be prompted to the Pediatric Rehabilitation Line.

Free webinar series

AHS also offers free webinars that cover a range of developmental topics, from toilet training and tummy time to emotional regulation and speech development, as well as many others. Parents and caregivers will build skills and gain confidence by learning practical ways to help children and youth improve their skills while supporting development. Information and registration can be accessed here.

You can also visit Together4Health to access the latest information, strategies, and resources for supporting youth and child development.

Thank you,

AHS Health Link 811 and Pediatric Rehabilitation Services

There are still a few free places for citizens of Ukraine who arrived after February 2022. Please message me at stsophiadaycamp@gmail.com if you are interested.

This camp exists to support families and youth ministry initiatives in the Archdiocese of Edmonton by offering a week-long faith experience. At camp everyone can Encounter Christ, Encounter Community, and Encounter Creation. They will do this through a mixture of faith experiences and outdoor activities held at our camp on beautiful Gull Lake.

Registration for camp is now open, and any young person entering grades 4-12 next fall is welcome to attend! Our summer schedule is as follows:

• Saturday, July 8 – Grand Re-opening BBQ (All are welcome! Details coming soon.)
• July 9-13 – High School Camp (Grades 10-12. Youth who attend these weeks can volunteer as junior counselors at the elementary, jr high, and all ages weeks of camp.)
• July 16-20 – Elementary Camp (Grades 4-6)
• July 23-27 (Tentative) – Benedict XVI Institute “Great Books” Week
• July 30-August 3 – Junior High Camp (Grades 7-9)
• August 6-10 – All Ages Camp (Grades 4-9)

Read more about what we do at camp, how to register, or how you can get involved or support OLVC at www.olvcamp.com.