Dear St. Gabes students and families,

And here we are . . . halfway through our school year and starting semester 2. I hope you all had a wonderful first semester and are ready for a new semester of fresh and exciting learning! We were pleased to be able to serve over 300 students through St. Gabriel Education Centre this past semester. Please share the good news about our school with your friends and family so that we can continue to provide an excellent alternative to traditional education for students.

We have 2 really important surveys that we're asking parents/guardians and students to fill out. Students, you will fill out your surveys at school. Parents, please see the information below. We really value your feedback and use it to continue to improve our school.

Here's to a great, fresh new beginning!

From our hearts to yours, we wish you many blessings!

Renee Trottier,

principal

We had an incredible 167 people read our January newsletter! That's amazing. Thank you for taking the time to read about what's happening at St. Gabes.

Congratulations to our January newsletter winner Rena Yakemchuk! Please pick up your Chapter's gift card at St. Gabes!

Thank you to all of you who read our newsletters. Our readership is definitely going up which is awesome! It's so important to be informed about what's going on at school.

Don't forget to enter our draw for a gift card! I reset the draw each month so you can win more than once!

https://forms.gle/RTH39DMEMRm5MWt7A

• Students - you will log in using your school email and password. Download the app - it's a lot easier. The division code is QNMM.
• Parents - if you don't have an account, you need to sign up for one first from a computer, after that, you can use the app or log in from your phone/tablet. Click here for our division PowerSchool link. If you don't know your password, please contact Renee Trottier and I can send it to you.

High School - your course and final exam marks are available on PowerSchool. See the instructions above if you don't have a PowerSchool account.

• Diploma exam results will be released in mid-February on your MyPass account. If you don't have a MyPass account, you must sign up for one. This is where you will order transcripts for post-secondary applications.
• MyPass

School Council Online Meeting Link

You can find the agenda and meeting link on our website under "About Us/School Council". https://www.stgabe.gsacrd.ab.ca/about-st-gabriel/school-council-parent-council

We look forward to seeing you!

We have 2 surveys that we ask parents, students, and staff to fill out each year.

1. GSACRD Division Assurance Survey - Parents, you were already sent the link to this survey by email from me. This survey is specific to our division and our school. If you haven't filled it out yet, please click on the link below to do so. Students, your link is on Moodle and there is a QR code at school.

• Parent Survey - please fill it out if you haven't already. Due date for parents is Feb. 3

2. The second survey we do is the Alberta Assurance Survey. This is put out by Alberta Education. You will be getting a letter in the mail with the survey and a pre-paid return envelope. There is also a code you can use if you'd rather fill it out digitally. Please DO NOT throw out the letter! We really value your opinion and in the past, we haven't had enough parents complete the survey to use the feedback.

• Students - you will be filling this survey out at school.

This month on Ash Wednesday, we start the period in our liturgical calendar called, Lent.

A Reflection from Mark 1:9-15, Psalm 25

Often we speak about Lent as a desert time. Many of us will never spend time in a physical desert, but we do know what it is like to feel that our hearts are empty or dry. During the time of the pandemic, some of these feelings may be even stronger than usual. Let’s look at Jesus and listen to his experience in the desert.

At the beginning of Mark’s Gospel, (Gospel means “good news”) we see Jesus being baptized by his cousin, John, in the Jordan River. As He is baptized, we hear God speak these beautiful words, “You are my Son, whom I love.” Do you feel you are a beloved son or daughter of God? Perhaps during Lent, you would like to spend a little time each day in silence.

We are so used to being distracted by our devices, games, TV, school, work, etc. that it can be a challenge to just sit quietly and listen for the gentle whisper of God in our hearts. On Ash Wednesday we begin the Lenten practice of fasting. We will try to deepen our relationship with God through fasting and praying. In the story about Jesus, we hear that the Spirit descended upon Jesus. We received the gift of the Holy Spirit at our own baptism, so we can trust that the Holy Spirit will guide us to spend this quiet time in our personal desert, that is, our hearts. If we listen very carefully, we can hear God say to us too, “You are my beloved daughter; you are my beloved son”. “Believe the “good news’.”

Don't forget to check out our "Mental Health and Wellness" section on our website for wellness ideas, tips, resources and sessions that are being offered. Click on "community supports" for information about services in St. Albert and area to support you or your family.

Please do not park in the following areas:

• our handicapped spot (unless you are handicapped and are coming into the school)
• in the spots at the front of the building or in the upper lot on top of seven hills
• in front of our garbage bin (the truck has left our garbage a few times because the bin was blocked).

Please follow and share with your friends. We want everyone to know what a great place St. Gabes is!

https://www.facebook.com/StGabeHS

https://www.instagram.com/st.gabes/

https://twitter.com/stgabes

Monday to Wednesday
8:30 am to 3:00 pm

Thursday
8:30 am to 5:30 pm

Friday
8:00 am to Noon
All teachers are available