This Week at École OLPH School
December 16 to 20
Our Mission Statements
We are a Catholic community committed to developing educational opportunities int he context of Gospel values, where students' gifts and talents are celebrated and nurtured through lifelong spiritual and personal experiences.
Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic School
Our Lady of Perpetual Help school is committed to quality education in both official languages fostering in our students respect for life and learning as Christ taught us.
Principal Message
A Prayer for the Third Sunday of Advent
Joy-filled Giver of Life, let they anticipation of your birth fill us with overflowing joy. May our excitement and anticipation be a sign to the world that you are always near.
Amen
God Bless,
M. Morin
Principal
École OLPH
A Reading From The Gospel for Sunday, December 15, 2019
When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, "Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?"
Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense to me."
As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: "This is the one about whom it is written, "See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you."
Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."
The Gospel of the Lord.
Weekly Events at École OLPH
- Regular Day
Tuesday, December 17
- Junior High Girls B ~ Basketball Practice ~ 7:00 a.m. to 8:15 a.m.
- Grade 5/6 ~ Non-SFL ~ Swimming at Emerald Hills ~ 1:15 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Wednesday, December 18
- Hot Lunch ~ A & W
- Junior High Girls B ~ Basketball Practice ~ 7:00 a.m. to 8:15 a.m.
- École OLPH Mass ~ OLPH Church ~ 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. (Mass at 10:00 a.m.)
- Linking Generations ~ Summerwood ~ 11:50 a.m. to 1:32 p.m.
- Linking Generations ~ Cloverbar ~ 12:25 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
- Junior High Boys A ~ Basketball Practice ~ 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Thursday, December 19
- Regular Day
Friday, December 20
- Junior High Girls A ~ Basketball Practice ~ 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Important Dates to Remember!!!
December 23 to January 5, 2019
- Christmas Break ~ No School
January 6, 2019
- First Day Back After Christmas Break
Advent Prayers
Please join us as we count down to Christmas by sharing Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love.
God Bless
December 15 (Third Sunday of Advent)
- Once in our world, a stable had something in it that was bigger than our whole world. ~ C.S. Lewis
December 16
- Christmas is joy, an inner joy of light and peace. ~ Pope Francis
December 17
- We thank you God, we give thanks. ~ Psalms 75:2
December 18
- The magic of Christmas is not in the presents, but in His presence.
December 19
- May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace. ~ Romans 15:13
December 20
- And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.~ Luke 1:14
December 21
- This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice in it and be glad. ~ Psalms 118:24
Dr. Jody Carrington ~ (Re) Connection Challenge
Social Justice Program ~ École OLPH Leadership Team
Dear Parents,
God Bless
Peer Partners ~ Decorating Gingerbread Houses
OLPH Parish ~ Christmas Mass Times
Below are the OLPH Parish ~ Christmas Mass Times.
Christmas Eve ~ Mass Times
4:00 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 9:00 p.m., 12:00 a.m. (midnight)
Christmas Day ~ Mass Times
8:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 7:00 p.m.
God Bless
Caught Doing Good!!!
Each week, all students will be given a challenge of getting "Caught Doing Good".
When a student is "Caught Doing Good," they will be given a coupon upon which they will write their name and enter it into a draw. Twice a month, a draw will be made out of all the coupons received in the office for a wonderful prize.
Congratulations to the following student
Who Was Caught Doing Good!!!
Nicole Nicholas ~ 6L
&
Marrin Johnson ~ 7S
Merci beaucoup / Thank you very much to all the students who worked hard to receive coupons for doing the right things!
Rafiki Bracelets Change Lives!!!
Dear Parents,
Available in a wide range of styles and colors, Rafikis make a wonderful gift for anyone, any budget and any occasion. (see picture above).
With every $10 Rafiki purchased, you give one of five life-changing impacts in a developing community—education, water, health, food or financial opportunity.
In addition, the WE Foundation is assisting École OLPH Catholic School in its local fundraising efforts to support Valeda House. All money raised from the sale of the Rafiki bracelets will be donated to the Sign of Hope- Valeda House program.
Rafikis will be available for purchase from 8:25 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. in the morning from Monday, Dececmber 9th to Wednesday, December 18th in the front foyer.
God Bless
Grade 5 / 6 ~ Healthy Eating ~ Enjoying Frozen Yogurt
A Christmas Miracle ~ Help to Decorate Our Tree!!!
Dear Parents/Guardians:
One of the many programs that Catholic Social Services operates through the Sign of Hope Campaign is Valeda House. EICS is proud to support this important project. Valeda House provides temporary, immediate housing for pregnant women and women with young children who are homeless or at risk of getting children apprehended.
This service provides:
temporary, immediate housing in a 6-bedroom facility for 6-12 months that aims to create a sense of community for the residents
Includes:
on-site community workers
basic living skills building
support in finding independent long-term housing options
support to have a healthy, safe pregnancy and increase their chances of keeping the child(ren) in their care
Every EICS school has been encouraged to support this worthy initiative. At École Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic School, we are promoting
A Christmas Miracle.
Help to Decorate our Tree!
As our school’s social justice initiative for Christmas, we are encouraging either cash donations to support the Valeda House Program itself, gift card donations or Christmas gifts that would be suitable for these women and their children who will soon be starting their new independent lives.
Gift cards from places like WalMart, Winners, Old Navy, Tim Hortons, McDonalds, etc. would be welcomed choices. For the children, new toys, books or clothing would be greatly appreciated, and new toiletries would also be welcomed by the mothers.
Currently, there are four young women at Valeda House. There are two one-year-old boys, one three-month-old boy, and a baby on its way.
All gift cards and cash donations may be dropped off at the office in the Valeda House Donation Box and gifts for the women and children may be placed either on or under the Christmas Tree in the front foyer.
***When students drop off either a gift card or a gift, they are encouraged to take one of the Christmas decorations from the container in the office, write their name on the back, and put it on the tree.
Please help us promote and teach our children to give to others this Christmas by supporting this worthy initiative. If you have any questions, concerns or other ways to support this program, please feel free to contact Mme Denise Gagnon @ deniseg@eics.ab.ca.
Thank you in advance for your support.
Mme Denise Gagnon (Leadership Option)
Basketball 5/6
Grade 5 and 6 students who are interested in playing for the grade 5 and 6 basketball teams, please grab a registration form from the office.
The two tournaments will be held on Friday, January 31st and Friday, February 28th.
The tournaments will be at Holy Redeemer and OLPH.
It cost $5 to register plus $18 for a team t-shirt should you wish to purchase one.
Please send any questions to Mme Taylor- sineadt@eics.ab.ca
Week 2 Advent Celebration
École OLPH School Fees
Please be advised that all school fees have been posted on your parent portal. Your fees are now due.
You are able to make payments on-line or by cheque at the office. We would, however, like to encourage you to pay your school fees on-line. All cheques must be made payable to EICS. In addition, you may divide your payments either on-line or by postdated cheques.
If you require any assistance with these fees, the Division offers a "Fee Waiver Program".
God Bless
Important Information
Dear Parent Community,
As many of you are aware, school divisions across Alberta have been dealing with a new fiscal reality since the Alberta budget was announced in late October. Elk Island Catholic Schools (EICS) division staff and school leadership have been working collaboratively to find efficiencies and cost-savings in every single budget.
Our primary focus was to lessen the impact on students that any adjustments would cause in dealing with funding reductions. If you would like more information on the EICS Budget for 2019-2020, please have a look at the recent statement by the Board of Trustees which was released on November 29, 2019.
These funding reductions will affect our own school by having to make some staff adjustments. Our school staff community will continue to work together to lessen the impact that these changes will have on our students.
Please feel free to contact M. Morin at alyrem@eics.ab.ca or 780-467-5631 if you have any questions or concerns. As a school community and staff, we will continue to support one another during these challenging times with continued strength and resolve.
God Bless
Cell Phones in École OLPH
Dear Parents,
This is just a reminder that students are not to bring their phones into class during instructional time.
Students must keep their personal phones in their lockers during class time. Students are able to use their phones before and after school, and during recess and lunch.
Parents, should there be an emergency and you need to get a hold of your child, you may contact the office.
Should you have any questions in regards to this, please contact M. St.Jean at the school at 780-467-5631.
God Bless.
Voyage Quebec - Cash for Christmas Raffle
Dear Parents,
This is a fundraiser in support of this year’s Grade 8 Voyage Québec Trip.
If you would like to purchase tickets ($2.50 each):
- Stop by our table at Parent-Teacher Conferences on November 19 & 21
- Ask a friendly Grade 8 family if they have tickets for sale
- Contact the Voyage Québec fundraising committee at olpheight@gmail.com
The draw will take place on December 17, 2019.
Good luck!
Digital Consent - Yearly Permission Required!!!
Please take a moment and log into your PowerSchool account to acknowledge the following documents:
- Responsible Use of Technology Agreement
- EICS One to One Usage Agreement
- EICS Low Risk Field Trip Annual Consent Form
- Locker Use Agreement
How to Complete Forms
- Go to https://powerschool.eics.ab.ca
- Log in
- Click on Yearly Consent
- Select your answer from the drop down menu.
- Click Submit for each section.
- Be sure to complete all three sections for each child you have enrolled in the school.
Please Note: Prior to participating in any field trips, your child's form needs to be acknowledge by you. Without your consent they will be required to stay at the school during their field trips.
We appreciate your support in completing these forms by September 7, 2018.
Thanks in advance for helping us get this year off to a great start!!!
Yearly Digital Consent
Dear Parents,
``A personally owned device must meet the educational needs of the school and district. The ability for a student to use any form of technology within school is a privilege. If the student doesn’t follow the guidelines the student may lose the privilege of using the device and network access may be suspended.``
" The student must comply with a staff request to shutdown the device or put the screen to sleep"
" Violation of any EICS School Board policies, Administrative Procedures, Responsible Use Agreement, this user agreement or school rules involving a student’s personally owned device may result in the loss of use of the device in school and/or disciplinary action"
During instructional time, students have the privilege to use their devices, but if they are playing games, etc, they are guilty of not following the contract they have signed.
As parents, if you have any questions or concerns, please contact Mme Moniz at simone.moniz@eics.ab.ca or 780-467-5631.
God Bless
Local Fundraiser - A Former EICS Student!!
Dear OLPH families,
I understand that fundraisers are a plenty but I wanted to share a special one that is unique to our community of EICS.
A former EICS student, George Miok, was a soldier who gave his life for our freedoms and privileges of being a Canadian.
Please take the time on Remembrance Day to think about the sacrifices that many brave women and men have made so that we may all enjoy the freedoms that we have.
Every dollar raised from this Jacek Sgt. George Miok Chocolate collection will be reinvested in the children in the community to ensure that the sacrifice of a great man, who gave his life for the belief of those freedoms, shall never be forgotten.
https://jacekchocolate.com/2019/10/a-canadian-hero-sgt-george-miok/
Thank you for your support for this special cause.
Lest we forget.
Mme Simone Moniz
Family Wellness Worker
École OLPH
780-467-5631
School Council Corner
Dear Parents,
Wishing you and your families a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful holiday! A reminder that the OLPH Spirit Wear orders will be ready for pick up on December 20th after school. Please email olphschoolcouncil@gmail.com if you cannot make it to make other arrangements. You may also give us permission to let your son or daughter take it home but you must email us to let us know. If it is a gift, we will happily meet with you separately.
Fundscip orders are still available until December 15th if you are interested in purchasing them before Christmas. Go to: Canada's Most Successful Gift Card Fundraiser - Home - FundScrip and enter
invitation code PETQYC.
There will be no School Council meeting in December. We hope to see you at our next meeting on January 22, 2020 at 7:00 p.m.
We want to thank all of the parent volunteers, class reps and executive for all of their time and commitment during the start of this new school year. None of our fun events would be possible without their time and dedication.
Happy Holidays!
OLPH School Council
École OLPH - Nut Aware School
Dear Parents,
With the increase of students with serious allergies in our school, we are attempting to create a “Nut-Aware” environment.
We request that you refrain from sending peanut-butter sandwiches, cookies & treats that contain nuts and any nut-based snacks.
Every child’s health & safety are important to us and we appreciate your active concern and response to this request.
God Bless.
École OLPH Canteen
Dear Parents
Each item on the cart will sell for a dollar. Please bring small change only.
On hot lunch days there are times when vendors send extra food. If this is the case your child would be more than welcome to purchase any extra items.
Thank you,
Pam and Shaness
EICS App
The EICS App has many wonderful features includes many wonderful features including immediate access to your PowerSchool account, as well as, the SchoolMessager App.
Please take a moment to download the EICS App.
God Bless
From the Library
Here at École OLPH we have a wonderful program from our school Library that every student can use and it`s FREE!!!
Click on the following link https://ccssaca.libraryreserve.com/10/45/en/SignIn.htm?url=Default.htm, choose our school (École Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic School), and download something to read or listen to. All students will be able to download three books or audio books at one time.
The student login name and password are exactly the same as what each student uses to sign in to their chrome books at school.
If you need any help, please see Mme Heather in the École OLPH library on Mondays or Wednesdays at lunch recess.
God Bless
School Fees & Fee Waiver Program
Please be advised that school fees have been posted on your child’s PowerSchool account.
Once fees are posted, you will be able to make payments on-line or by cheque at the school office. All cheques must be made payable to EICS. We would, however, like to encourage you to pay your school fees on-line.
In addition, you may divide your payments either on-line or by postdated cheques.
If you require any assistance with these fees, the Division offers a "Fee Waiver Program". More information can be found at
https://www.eics.ab.ca/download/132303
and
https://www.eics.ab.ca/parents-and-students/school-fees
God Bless
End of Day Procedures
Please make sure that you child(ren) know if they are to take the bus or if they are getting picked up at the end of the day.
Should a student need to confirm their end of day plans, we ask that all students make their arrangements during the morning recess (10:19 a.m. - 10:34 a.m.) or during the lunch hour (12:04 p.m. - 12:47 p.m.).
This will reduce the confusion and rush at the end of the day and will also ensure that your child(ren) does not miss the bus.
If a student comes to the office at the end of the day and are unsure how they are getting home, we will be sending them home on the bus.
God Bless
OLPH - Junior High Permission Form to Leave School Grounds
A reminder to all Grade 7 & 8 parents:
Grade 7 & 8 OLPH students have the privilege to leave school grounds during lunch recess.
Every time you would like your child to have this privilege, please complete the form below and hand it to the office for the day they would like to leave school grounds. Text messages and emails will not be accepted.
For next week, extra forms will be located in the school office. As of September 10th, the permission forms will only be available on our school website under the parents tab.
OLPH Parish Bulletin - Week of December 15, 2019
Please click on the link below for the OLPH Parish Bulletin for Sunday, December 15, 2019.
God Bless