Weekly Update
November 13 th
This Week at John Paul I
Be a Peacemaker...
*By learning how to solve problems peacefully in your own life, because peace begins with you
*By taking time to learn about yourself, about why you think, believe, feel, and act as you do. *By learning how to listen and how to see things from another point of view.
*By learning about what is happening in the world around you.
*By learning about different ways of living and thinking.
*By being involved in the decisions being made on your behalf by parents, teachers, and significant others in your lives.
At Escuela John Paul I School we recognize that ‘peace’ begins here…in our own hearts and in our daily interactions with one another. How important it is for each one of us to reach out and share the spirit of peace with those we come in touch with each day at our school. Watching our students model compassion, understanding and forgiveness when needed causes us to reflect on the importance of creating that inner peace which celebrates the value of one another. It will be through our November journey that we will discover the peace within us and the peace that surrounds us here at Escuela John Paul I a school where Everyone Belongs. Every Child … Every Day … No Exceptions
T. Peterson and G. Antipan
Important Parent Survey
Dear Parents/Guardians,
The Edmonton Catholic School Division is exploring the possibility of implementing a new November fall break beginning in the 2021-2022 school year. We wish to engage our parents/guardians on the proposed school calendar change as we greatly value your opinions in our decision-making process.
In this proposed school calendar:
• The beginning and end dates of the regular school year would remain the same in that classes would start in September and end in June. For students enrolled in our year-round school program, year-round classes would continue to start in August and end in June.
• Each school week would be extended by approximately 10 to 15 instructional minutes per week.
• There would be two vacation days (non-operational) added to Remembrance Day (i.e., November 12th, 2021 and November 15th, 2021 for the 2021-2022 school year).
• If there is support for the November fall break for the 2021-2022 school calendar, the November fall break may continue to be used for future school calendars. The November fall break would typically be five days in total when coupled with the weekend that is closest to Remembrance Day (November 11th).
The proposed school calendar change offers a more balanced school year schedule and allows for a wellness break for students, staff, and families. The proposed school calendar would also ensure greater alignment with many other surrounding school jurisdictions that have already implemented a November fall break.
Parents/guardians can respond on behalf of each child registered in the Division by logging into PowerSchool (https://powerschool.ecsd.net) and then clicking on the SchoolEngage icon on the left hand side. The survey closes on November 20th, 2020.
Student and Staff Safety
I understand that this has been hard. The time away from work when your child has been home with a sore throat, cough or runny nose is difficult. I want to personally thank you because even though its is hard, it has allowed our students and staff to remain in school. We are in this together and we will get through this as a community.
We want to assure you that we are continuing to do our part here at the school with frequent sanitization of high touch surfaces, mask wearing, hand sanitizer and distancing protocols. As we near the holiday season, we want to keep our momentum going by reminding everyone; staff and students alike, to keep these measures at the forefront of their minds. Our actions impact all of our community. Thank you so much for supporting us and continuing to keep everyone as safe as possible.