Together in Learning and Faith
First Sunday of Advent, December 1, 2019
Advent Is Here! Join in Every Morning!
Throughout the season of Advent, each morning we will gather together in the gym at 9:00am as a faith community to prepare for the coming of Jesus Christ. We will prepare by building our Jesse tree together and learning many stories of the bible from the moment of creation to Jesus' birth.
This was a tradition we began last year
and it was a very powerful experience!
Please join us every morning at 9:00am in the gym.
Please note, on Tuesday, December 3 our morning Advent service will occur at mass at 1:00pm.
Advent Concert News
We are very excited to invite you to our Second Annual Advent Celebration on December 12th! Students and staff are already working hard to prepare for our two upcoming performances:
- A morning performance on Thursday, December 12th at 9:15 am (doors open at 8:45 am)
- An evening performance on Thursday, December 12th at 6:30 pm (doors open at 6:00 pm)
We want to ensure our families have a seat to enjoy the spirit of the Advent season, and we also want to hold our community in safety by complying with fire regulation capacities for the gym. Therefore, tickets will be required to attend the evening Advent performance on December 12th at 6:30 pm. Advent concert tickets are free.
Each family will receive three evening performance tickets and may request one additional ticket. These additional tickets will be provided on a first come, first served basis. To request your additional ticket please send us an email to: ola@eics.ab.ca. (Please note, siblings attending the evening performance will require a ticket.)
Please let us know if you will not require all 3 evening performance tickets. We will gratefully share them with another family – we are hoping to accommodate all the guests who would like to join us for our Advent Concert! Kindly return unassigned tickets to the office.
Tickets will be sent home with the oldest student of the family on Wednesday, December 4th. (Additional ticket requests will go home Monday, December 9th.)
We are looking forward to celebrating with you this Advent season’s story of love.
The VIP Concert Experience . . .
Please help us fundraise for our OLA School Social Justice Projects!
- Our Chalice International Foster Child – Ivo Mapunda from Tanzania
- Catholic Social Services Valeda House.
This year we are once again pleased to offer a chance to win TWO FRONT ROW VIP SEATS, VIP PARKING and A LITTLE PAMPERING for the evening performance of our Advent Concert on December 12th. (Winners may still request an additional ticket . . . but they will not be reserved VIP seating.)
Tickets are $1.00 each, 6 for $5.00, or a whole sheet for $10.00 and you may enter as many times as you like. Please know there is no obligation to purchase a VIP ticket.
Last Tuesday we sent home a sheet of 12 draw tickets to every OLA family. Please fill out one, some, or all and return the appropriate amount of money to school office. If you would like to write a cheque, it can be payable to Elk Island Catholic Schools.
WE HAVE 6 DIFFERENT VIP PACKAGES TO GIVE AWAY – GOOD LUCK!
Please contact the office at 780-998-3716 if you would like more draw tickets. Tickets should be returned to school before noon on Wednesday, December 11th - we will be drawing our six lucky winners at 1:00 pm.
Thank you and God bless you for your generosity and hope for those less fortunate.
Advent Concert Request from Mrs. Lukie
Please help!
Mrs. Lukie is looking for donations of battery operated tea lights (that work please) for our Advent Concert in December. Thank you.
Sharing our Smiles
Oh...The Weather Outside is Delightful!
Thank you for doing your part to ensure your child is dressed properly to play outside. This includes winter boots, jackets, toques, mitts, and snow pants (scarves are also great). We will be going outside to -25 Degrees Celsius (temperature or windchill) as per our Administrative Procedure.
Thank you for supporting your child's healthy learning and growing!
Bus Planner App
If you have not already registerd your child, please click on the following instructions for accessing your child's transportation information and being able to utilize the parent portal:
Important transportation messages, such as cancelled routes and late buses, are now communicated through the BusPlanner App therefore it is very important for all parents to register. We appreciate you taking the time to ensure that you stay informed - thank you!
Choice in Education Survey -- deadline approaching
Dear Catholic Education Stakeholder and Supporter,
Catholic Education is alive and well in Alberta, educating more than 180,000 students across our province. Excellent academic learning within a faith-based community is the hallmark of Alberta’s Catholic Schools. In our celebrations of Catholic Education Sunday on November 3, the Bishops of Alberta reminded us of the responsibility we have to support, protect and advocate for this publicly-funded gift. (Please click here to read the letter from the Alberta Bishops).
The government of Alberta has recently created and distributed a survey asking Albertans to provide feedback on choice in education. The survey link is here. The deadline for response is December 6.
It is essential that all who support Catholic education take the time to make their voices heard. In a recent public forum, Archbishop Smith of the Edmonton archdiocese stated: “There have been Catholic divisions throughout the country that we’ve lost largely because of apathetic Catholics. We have to encourage everyone to be resolute because so much is at stake. We can never grow apathetic where we’re delivering authentic Catholic formation to our children.”
Here’s what you can do to support Catholic schools:
1. Read the letter from the Bishops of Alberta
2. Complete the survey and ensure that you speak directly in support of Catholic education!
3. Forward the survey link to friends, family and supporters and encourage them to do the same.
We need the government to receive a strong, passionate response to the questions they are asking! Thank you!
GrACE
Grateful Advocates for Catholic Education
GrACE Facebook address is www.facebook.com/GrACE4cathed
GrACE Twitter address is @GrACE4cathed
GrACE email gracedirector7@gmail.com
Grade 1 & 2 Clay for Kids
OLA School Council News
Christmas Movie & Pajama Night!
You’re Invited to Christmas Movie and Pajama Night!
OLA School Council Presents
Friday, December 6, 2019
Doors Open at 5:30PM
Show Starts 6:00PM
Tickets are $5.00 per person or $15.00 per family
Come and get in the festive spirit with your OLA family. Dress in your coziest pajamas, if you like! Make sure to bring blankets and pillows, or anything you need to make yourself comfortable! Snacks will be available for purchase.
Please return this form with money to the school by Thursday, December 5.
All proceeds will go toward a new sound system for our school gym.
If you have any questions please e-mail schoolcouncil.ola@gmail.com
Poinsettia Pick Up This Week
Poinsettias will be available for pick up in the school foyer by the gym (with some time restrictions, please see below):
Tuesday, December 3rd from 3:00 – 6:00 pm and
Wednesday, December 4th from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm.
Poinsettia pick up are unable to occur during the following times as volunteers are still needed to help distribute them:
Tuesday Dec 3rd
-4-5pm
Wed Dec 4th
-10-11
-11-12
If you are able to volunteer, please contact schoolcouncil.ola@gmail.com
Proceeds from this fundraising initiative will go towards a new sound system for our school gym. We thank you for your continued support and God’s Blessings this holiday season.
OLA School Council
Important News from the Playground Society
Dear Fort Saskatchewan Catholic School Parents,
As most of you already know, for the past two school years our playground executive team has been working tirelessly behind the scenes. We are now at a very important point for phase 1 of the playground build that could mean a playground THIS FALL!! We received a call from CFEP – One of the big grants, and we are at the top of the list!! However, we don’t have our portion of the money yet. Through company and in-kind donations, as well as our fundraising we need approx. $50,000. If they call back and we can’t show our share, we lose our spot. Meaning it could be several more years before the playground gets built and hundreds of more students with a parking lot to play on.
We appreciate those that have helped us in any way. We wouldn’t be here without you, THANK YOU! Unfortunately, the support has been small considering the 700+ students we have at JP2, OLA and SJ23; all of whom will eventually benefit from this playground. I think this may be caused by a misconception that there is a lot of help or possibly even from talk of a new school. The new school is not next on EICS’s list of builds and could be many years away yet.
Regardless, we are a supportive Catholic school community and we can get this playground built if we work together! Let’s show our kids what working together can accomplish. Giving our kids, something to be excited about and enable them to really focus and learn when they go back to class after recess. I know we can do this, but we can’t do this without YOU! Please if you can volunteer and/or donate, please don’t wait to reach out. We can accept cash, cheque and even credit!! We can even provide you with a donation receipt to claim it!
If you have a business and can offer IN-KIND donations or know of a company that might be able to donate, please get in touch with us! We are even willing to add plaques or a sign with company names, a great way to both advertise and support the community!
If you can help in any of the following areas send us a quick text or email:
- Finding IN-KIND donations
- Monetary donations (EVERY dollar makes a difference!)
- Volunteers to go door knocking at businesses around town with our donation request letter, we can’t do this on our own.
- Help at the upcoming bottle drive November 30th, 10:00-2:00; knocking door to door, driving a vehicle around to hold the collected bottles before returning to the trailer at JP2or even just dropping off all the recycling from you and your friends and neighbours!
- Help building the playground when the time comes
We look forward to working together to get the playgrounds built!
Fort Saskatchewan Catholic Schools Playground Society
fsplaygroundsociety@gmail.com / 780-722-4442
OLA Parish News
Our Lady of the Angels Church December 5th at 7:00pm
Children’s Liturgy Nativity Pageant:
A coordinator and 4 volunteers are needed to organize this years pageant. Please contact Linda at lrrose@telus.net or Deb in the office at 780-998-3288.
Looking Ahead . . .
Sunday, December 1
- The Season of Advent begins
Monday, December 2
- Please join us for Mass on Tuesday!
- Morning Advent assemblies begin - we will gather every day at 9:00 am for prayer
- Grade 1 - 4 select their Power Options
Tuesday, December 3
- Priest Visit 9:00 am
- Advent Mass 1:00 pm at OLA Catholic Church - everyone welcome
- Poinsettia Pick up 3:00pm - 6:00pm
Wednesday, December 4
- Morning Advent Assembly @ 9:00am - Everyone Welcome!
- School Spirit Theme: Ugly Christmas Sweater and/or Christmas Hat Day
- Grades 1-4 Power Options 12:45pm - 2:00pm
- Early Dismissal at 2:19 pm
- Homemade Soup Hot Lunch (for students who pre-ordered)
- Poinsettia pick up 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
- Morning Advent Assembly @ 9:00am - Everyone Welcome!
Friday, December 6
- Morning Advent Assembly @ 9:00am - Everyone Welcome!
- School Day for M/W Kinders
- Grade 3 & 4 Skating 1:00 - 2:00 pm at the JRC
- OLA SC PJ Party & Family Christmas Movie Night 6:00 pm - Movie is Disney's "Noelle"
and a Little Further Ahead . . .
December 9 Grade 3 Lego Bridges
December 9 Grade 4 Gears & Pulleys Presentation
December 12 Advent Concert 9:15 am performance
December 12 Advent Concert 6:30 pm (tickets required)
December 17 Choir at Dr. Turner Lodge @ 10:15am
December 19 Daytime School Council Meeting at 9:30am in French Room
December 20 Last day of classes for 2019
December 25 Happy Birthday Jesus! Merry Christmas!
January 6 Happy New Year and Welcome Back!
January 6 Faith Assembly and Celebrating Epiphany at 12:30pm
January 6 Grade 1-4 Children select their Power Option
January 8 Early Dismissal 2:19pm
January 8 School Spirit Theme: PJ Day
January 8 Grade 1-4 Power Options 12:45pm - 2:00pm
To see what is coming even further ahead, please visit our website calendar.
You can check out our M/W Kinder calendar here,
our T/Th Pre-K/Kinder calendar here,
and our Pre-K AM calendar here.
Our Lady of the Angels School
Fort Saskatchewan, AB
T8L 1W7
Email: ola@eics.ab.ca
Website: https://ola.eics.ab.ca/
Location: 9622 Sherridon Drive, Fort Saskatchewan, AB, Canada
Phone: (780)998-3716
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/OLASchoolFtSask/photos/?ref=page_internal
Twitter: @OLAFortSask