Holy Week Blessings,

We are in the most special time in the Church year - Holy Week.

It begins today with Passion Sunday, with the blessing of the palms and reading of the Passion. On Monday of Holy Week is the Mass of the Chrism at the Basilica, when the holy oils used in the sacraments are blessed. Lent ends on Wednesday of Holy Week, and the Easter Triduum begins with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday.

As we enter into Holy Week, we become mindful of the sacrifice Jesus made for each of us and the eternal love of God that surrounds us unconditionally. This week we will remember, we will pray, we will weep, we will come together, and we will rejoice! This is because we are Easter people! There is hope and joy in knowing that after sacrifice and pain comes eternal glory with God, our Father. Sometimes this week can be difficult for our children to understand the suffering of Jesus. There is hope in coming together as Christians to love in times of suffering and pain. What do we do when one of our own are hurting or in pain? We pray, we care, we support, we love, we remember God’s love for each of us. Reminding our children that there is a beautiful call for God’s people to respond in crisis and suffering. This is LOVE and FAITH in action! In their worlds, our students respond with LOVE and FAITH when they include others, pray for the needs of others, share their belongings, and love without conditions. May this week, we remember to respond to suffering with love and remain steadfast in our joy of the hope that Easter brings! God’s blessings to each of our students and their families.

Give Him your Time.

Peace in Christ,

Mrs. Melnyk

Welcome back from Spring Break! Wherever you were and whatever you did, I sincerely hope it met you with much relaxation, rejuvenation, and JOY! We are back at it this Monday, April 4th...AND this is a VERY special day for our SILC Family. It is our Patron Saint's Feast Day - St. Isidore of Seville.

So, who was St. Isidore of Seville?

On April 4, the Catholic Church honors Saint Isidore of Seville, a bishop and scholar who helped the Church preserve its own traditions, and the heritage of western civilization, in the early middle ages.

Born in Cartagena of a family that included three other sibling saints—Leander, Fulgentius and Florentina—he was educated by his elder brother, whom he succeeded as bishop of Seville.

An amazingly learned man, he was sometimes called “The Schoolmaster of the Middle Ages” because the encyclopedia he wrote was used as a textbook for nine centuries. He required seminaries to be built in every diocese, wrote a Rule for religious orders, and founded schools that taught every branch of learning. Isidore wrote numerous books, including a dictionary, an encyclopedia, a history of Goths, and a history of the world—beginning with creation! He completed the Mozarabic liturgy, which is still in use in Toledo, Spain. For all these reasons, Isidore has been suggested as patron of the Internet. Several others—including Anthony of Padua—also have been suggested.

He continued his austerities even as he approached age 80. During the last six months of his life, he increased his charities so much that his house was crowded from morning till night with the poor of the countryside.

~ adapted from "The Catholic News Agency"

A Prayer to St. Isidore

Almighty and Eternal God,

You created us in Your image and called us to seek all that is good, true and beautiful.

Through the intercession of Saint Isidore, Bishop and Doctor, help us as we journey through the Internet to direct our hands and eyes only to that which is pleasing to You.

Help us to treat all those we encounter online with charity, patience, and respect.

Grant us the wisdom to ensure that our digital creations and communications reflect all that we believe and the Gospel Values that we share.

St. Isidore of Seville, Pray for us,

Amen

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

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 (Grade 1-12)
• 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.

Register here for the 2023-2024 school year: https://silc.eics.ab.ca/register-now

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

GrACE exists to inspire, invigorate and embolden the spirit of Catholic education in order
to unite, engage, educate and communicate with one voice on its behalf. GrACE, in partnership with the REAL Foundation, is happy to present this contest to EICS students. This is our fifth annual GrACE Contest: A Celebration of Catholic Education.

We invite EICS students of all grade levels to submit work reflecting the importance of, and their experience with or contribution to Catholic education. This year our theme is Better Together. How have students worked towards this theme, or how have they contributed to spreading the message of being better together?

Student Submissions could include such things as (but not limited to):

*Please note, all digital submissions need to be in “view all” format before submitting.

• A work of art

• A student poster

• A formal or informal essay

• Original music

• Poetry

• A presentation (video or otherwise) of social justice work

• etc

Contest Rules

All Submissions due to Chaplain Wright justinew@eics.ab.ca by April 28 in digital format.

Prizes will be presented May 14 in each community’s parish (This is the kick-off to Catholic Education Week). There will be 14 prizes!

• K-8 students = 50 dollar prize in the form of a gift card

• 9-12 students = 100 dollar prize in the form of a gift card

Prizes will be granted by grade level and community:

K-6 Veg. ($50 gift card)

7-12 Veg. ($100 gift card)

K-4 Camrose ($50 gift card )

5-8 Camrose ($50 gift card)

9-12 Camrose ($100 gift card)

K-4 Fort Sask ($50 gift card)

5-8 Fort Sask ($50 gift card)

9-12 Fort Sask ($100 gift card)

(2 prizes) K-4 Sherwood Park ($50 gift card)

(2 prizes) 5-8 Sherwood Park ($50 gift card)

(2 prizes) 9-12 Sherwood Park ($100 gift card)

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

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

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

• ATCO - First Nations, Métis, Inuit

• Rupertsland Post-Secondary Education Funding - Métis specific

The Staff of 2022-2023:

Principal: Mrs. Tracy Melnyk tracym@eics.ab.ca

Assistant Principal: Mrs. Melissa Damur melissad@eics.ab.ca

Chesterton Headmaster: Dr. Gerard McLarney gerardm@eics.ab.ca

Creative Director, Chesterton & Chaplain : Mrs. Justine Wright justinew@eis.ab.ca

Secretary: Mrs. Natalie Mangatal nataliem@eics.ab.ca

Family Wellness Worker: Katy Parsons katy.parsons@eics.ab.ca

Inclusive Learning Facilitator: Mrs. Shari Morin sharim@eics.ab.ca

Mrs. Christy Oikonen - Elementary (Grades 1-6) christyo@eics.ab.ca

Mr. Daniel Hughes - Jr / Sr Social Studies - daniel.hughes@eics.ab.ca

Mr. Brandon Geiger - Jr / Sr Science & Math - brandon.geiger@eics.ab.ca

Ms. Jillian Hughes - Jr High LA & Phys Ed & Health - jillian.hughes@eics.ab.ca

Mrs. DeeDee Perrott - Sr. Science & Chesterton deedee.perrott@eics.ab.ca

Mrs. Eva Fung- Sr Math eva.fung@eics.ab.ca

Mrs. Katarina Urdova - Chesterton Math - katrina.urdova@eics.ab.ca

Mr. Brett Fawcett - Chesterton and Religious Studies - brett.fawcett@eics.ab.ca