SILC News

Jesus is the gate for His sheep

This fourth Sunday of the Easter season is sometimes called Good Shepherd Sunday because in each of the three lectionary cycles, the Gospel reading invites us to reflect on Jesus as the Good Shepherd. In each cycle the reading is from the tenth chapter of John’s Gospel. This chapter sets the framework for Jesus’ teaching about himself as the Good Shepherd.

Today’s reading falls between the stories of Jesus’ healing of the man born blind and the raising of Lazarus. Both of these stories were proclaimed in the Gospels found in this year’s season of Lent. Following the controversy that ensued when Jesus healed the man born blind, Jesus directs his allegory about the sheep and the shepherd toward the Jewish religious leaders of his time, the Pharisees.

Throughout John’s Gospel the Pharisees fail to accept Jesus’ ministry and teaching. They show themselves to be “robbers and thieves” because they try to lead the sheep without entering through the gate, Jesus. Through these metaphors, Jesus is telling his listeners that those who follow him and his way will find abundant life. He identifies himself both as the shepherd and the gate. The shepherds who are faithful to him are the ones whom the sheep (Jesus’ disciples) should follow.

The relationship between the sheep and their shepherd is based on familiarity. Sheep recognize their shepherd and will not follow a stranger. At the end of the day, shepherds lead their sheep from pastures to a common gated area called a sheepfold. There, one shepherd protects all of the sheep until the next day when each shepherd returns to lead his own sheep to pasture. As shepherds move among the sheep, the sheep follow only their shepherd.

Today’s Gospel also gives us the opportunity to reflect on Christian leadership. Jesus’ words suggest to us that those who will lead the Christian community will be known by their faithfulness to Jesus. The leaders will recognize that Jesus is the gate for all of the sheep and that having a good relationship with Jesus is the primary characteristic of a Christian leader. Jesus’ allegory also suggests that faithful Christian leadership requires a good relationship with the community: the shepherd knows his sheep, and they know him. Christian leaders follow the example of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, by being faithful to him and by being a good shepherd.

Bosco Foundation Bursary Information

For High Schools - Grade 12 students

The Bosco Foundation awards bursaries yearly to grade 12 students entering post secondary, who volunteer their time in their local communities. The Foundation has received a record number of applications from Calgary, and are looking for well deserving students in our local area.

Application package - deadline June 15, 2023

Bosco Foundation Website

National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC)

Dear Parents/Guardians,

I am writing to inform you of an exciting opportunity for your son/daughter! In November of 2023, EICS Island Catholic Schools would like to take students from our five High Schools on a life-changing trip to the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC). NCYC is a massive high energy, youth conference where students will have the opportunity to see world class speakers, engage in personal and communal prayer, and engage in service to others.

The goal of this project is to give an opportunity for young people from four different communities to come together to deepen their faith and learn how to live as a disciple of Christ in today's world; to realize that they are part of a vast, vibrant and universal Church, and to connect with other students from different schools across EICS. This is the third time that EICS high school students will be attending this conference and we are hoping that this trip continues to be a genesis for a group of EICS student faith leaders who accept the challenge of Jesus, the call to be a saint.

If interested for MORE INFORMATION, please reach out to our Chaplain, Mrs. Justine Wright justinew@eics.ab.ca

PDF attached below for dates and approximate costs.

First deposit would be due Early May 2023

Fundraising will be available as well

Elementary Classroom

Hello from Mrs.Oikonen!

Welcome to week 33 of online learning.

We would like to congratulate Melynda in grade 2 in receiving the Sacrament of Holy Communion.

I will be away at a workshop on Tuesday, May 2, so there will be no google meets and I will not be available to answer questions. We will be continuing with our Group 1 and Group 2 Literacy Groups for May. During the month of May, I will be completing literacy and numeracy assessments with all of the students. Please sign up for an individual meet for your child by clicking on the sign up now button that you will find on the May calendar and on each grade's newsletter. You will find the instructions for how many blocks to sign up for on the sign up sheet.

Check out what's coming up for this week!

We attended a poetry workshop with Adrienne Gear. Here is a poem written by Mazen in grade 6.

Premier’s Citizenship Award

https://www.alberta.ca/premiers-citizenship-award.aspx

Premier’s Citizenship Award

This award commends outstanding Alberta students for service in their communities – and receiving it is a requirement for related awards.

Overview
The Premier’s Citizenship Award is 1 of 3 Alberta Citizenship Awards that recognize students who have contributed to their communities through public service and volunteering.

Each high school in Alberta will select one graduating grade 12 student to receive this award. The Government of Alberta annually presents 1 award to a student enrolled in each high school in Alberta. Each recipient receives a letter of commendation from the Premier.

Eligibility
A recipient must:

**be a Canadian Citizen, a Permanent Resident, or Protected Person (visa students are not eligible)
**be an Alberta resident, for which 1 of the following conditions must apply:
1 parent, or legal guardian has maintained permanent residence in Canada for at least 12 consecutive months immediately prior to commencing post-secondary studies and be residing in Alberta, or
Alberta is the last place the student has lived 12 consecutive months immediately prior to commencing post-secondary studies
be graduating from high school in the current academic year
Application process
Alberta high schools can each select 1 recipient for the Premier's Citizenship Award.

Students may wish to contact their school administration to be considered.

IF YOU wish to be considered for this award, have a look at what is considered in the application, and let Mrs. Melnyk know if you are interested by Tuesday, May 16th.

email to: tracym@eics.ab.ca

Once a school has selected their recipient, the school must submit a completed and signed Alberta Citizenship Awards Application form on behalf of the student. Students and school administration should work together to compile and submit this document.

Student attributes to consider
The recipient should display outstanding characteristics in:

**citizenship
**leadership
**community service or engagement in volunteer work
The recipient should have also demonstrated initiative and have had a positive impact in the community or school.

Note: Academic achievement is not a requirement for any of these awards.

Back to Basics for Service Providers

We know that toxic stress is harmful to developing brains and that the pandemic has created challenges for our children and youth.

The Brain Architecture game is a fun and informative way to ensure our professional teams have a strong understanding of brain development and the disruptive effect that extreme, prolonged and uncertain patterns of stress can have. Bring your entire team and compete to build the strongest, tallest brain using a variety of fun tools. Are you a skilled brain architect?

Thursday, May 11, 1:00 -2:30 pm

Fort Saskatchewan High School Gymnasium

Light refreshments provided

Free

Registrations are now OPEN for 2023-2024

St. Isidore Learning Centre (SILC) is now accepting applications for the 2023-2024 school year. Register early - as we are a "School of Choice" space fills up fast! When you head to our website to "Register", https://silc.eics.ab.ca/register-now you will see a few options. Please choose the correct program:

Online Education - Primarily learning online from home using our Canvas Online LMS - Teacher Directed (Kindergarten - Grade 12+)
Outreach Education - Students who require an "in person" connection with teachers and are required to have weekly check-ins in the SILC Centre (Grades 9-12)
Chesterton Academy - Fully Synchronous "Joyfully Catholic Classical High School Cohort" Grade 9-12 ONLY. **Tuition Fees may be applied Contact Headmaster McLarney for more information: gerardm@eics.ab.ca Check out the website: https://chesterton.eics.ab.ca/
Home Education - Parent Directed Home Education with our partners, THEE - https://thee.ca/

Please follow the instructions carefully. All students, even those already attending, must fill out a new registration form. While St. Isidore is a "School of Choice" and not a designated boundary school, we reserve the right to deny any registration that is not complete. Space is limited.

Any questions? Feel free to contact our secretary, Natalie Mangatal, 780-449-6463 or email silc@eics.ab.ca

2023-2024 School Year Calendars

The 2023/24 approved school year calendars are available by clicking this link: https://www.eics.ab.ca/about-us/media-room/post/2023-2024-school-year-calendars-released

Here is the approved 2023-2023 school calendar for Sherwood Park.

First day of school: Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023
Fall break: Week of Monday, Nov. 6, 2023
Christmas break: Monday, Dec. 25, 2023 - Friday, Jan. 5, 2024
Spring break: Week of Monday, March 25, 2024
Victoria Day weekend: Thursday, May 16, 2024 - Monday, May 20, 2024
Last day of school: Wednesday, June 26, 2024

SUMMER SCHOOL

St. Isidore Summer School offers courses that allow YOU to earn credits, upgrade marks, lighten workloads for the year ahead or finish pre-requisite courses.

Summer School Registration is opening on January 19! St. Isidore Summer School is opening registration earlier as schools and students plan their term two classes and look forward to student schedules for the upcoming school year.

Term 1: July 4-13; Term 2: July 14-24; Full Term: July 4-24

We are offering synchronous, asynchronous, and in-person courses. Check out https://silc.eics.ab.ca/summer-school-2023 to view the courses that will be offered and how to reserve your spot! See the Course Listings here.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Mrs. Melissa Damur, Summer School Principal melissad@eics.ab.ca

Math 30 help!

Are you registered for Math 30-1 and feeling a little anxious? Have you completed Math 20-1 and wondering if you can handle Math 30-1? The blog post below may be able to help.

https://mathpqjq.com/ready-for-grade-12-pre-calculus-math/

Indigenous Student Opportunities

Still I Rise conference - May 4, 2023, sponsored by Ever Active Schools

Grades 6-12 youth
Indigenous and non-Indigenous students walking together towards reconciliation
No cost, but registration is required
One-day virtual event. Students can join individually, or classes can join together.

Scholarships and Bursaries - various deadlines for application