November Newsletter
November 2021 School of Hope - Vermilion Home Schooling
Principal's Message
Hello families!
We often end up with snow on October 31st, let’s hope it can hold off a little longer!
We have quite a few updates, and information in our newsletter this month including important info on:
Reminders for registering for Diploma exams (Jan. Dip must register by Nov. 1!).
Remembrance day Liturgy
Our first school clothing line to browse through. Something for every price point, shipped directly to you!
Info on Debate club, Hands of Hope, and Art club
Parent council info
For Catholics, All Hallow’s eve precedes the celebration of All Saints Day on November 1st - a celebration of all saints, and of all who have entered heaven. This is followed on Nov. 2nd with All Soul’s Day, commemorating all who have died including those in purgatory. This may be a good time of year for your family to remember, share stories and pray for the loved ones in your lives that have passed away.
God Bless,
Michel Despins and Dwayne Coffey
Diploma Exams
I would like to remind all grade 12 students who haven't registered for their January Diploma Exams, that the deadline to register is November 1. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Remembrance Day Liturgy
Remembrance Day
Every year, the School of Hope spends some time reflecting on our military and the role that they have had in our history and in our lives today, in the Remembrance Day liturgy. Last year, we put out a request for pictures of family members who were involved in the military. We were hoping to share pictures with the entire school, to honour the commitment and sacrifice of military members who were connected to our school. We were so honoured to display the photos that were shared with us and we felt that it added more depth and meaning to our liturgy.
We are, again, sending out a request for photos of family members who have served in the armed forces. It would be an honour to display them during the liturgy. If you are interested in sharing these with our school, please send them to
and include Name/rank; regiment; years of service; tour. Please send to
jeannette.schultz@ecacs16.ab.ca
The Remembrance Day liturgy will be on Nov 4th at 11:00. Watch for more information and the zoom link next week.
We've Launched
Welcome to the official online shopping portal for the School of Hope. Enjoy browsing a wide selection of products from a variety of brands. You can customize them with the approved logo and graphics available. You can choose approved merchandise to fit your needs 24/7 with no minimum order quantities.
Drama Club!
Drama Club for Jr-Sr High Students-Regular Meeting Dates Set-
The student led Drama Club meets online every Thursday at 1 p.m. (except for the weeks when there is a Drama Course Zoom Class scheduled) The club's first activity is preparing a Radio Play production of 'The Christmas Carol'. There are still roles available for actors and for those interested in assisting with the behind the scenes technical theatre jobs.
SOH Debate Club
The School of Hope would once again like to invite students to join our extracurricular club.
The SOH Debate Club hosts stress-free and fun activities for all students in Grades 9 to 12. This is a great way to meet new people, increase your public speaking and persuasive writing skills, and share in some fun debates on a variety of topics.
This year we are starting with a survey.
Here is the link to our survey: "Click Here"
Hands of Hope
"Hands of Hope is having regular meetings on Fridays, 1pm.
If you are interested in joining, please contact Mr. Kim (wayne.kim@ecacs16.ab.ca) or Mrs. Henderson (joanne.henderson@ecacs16.ab.ca)!"
Art Club Gr 1-3
Hello friends,
Mrs. Fortune and Ms. Schwenk would like to invite grades 1-3 to participate in Art Club again on November 16 @1:00pm. In this art class we will be doing Remembrance Day Art! We will learn how to draw poppies! We hope to see you all there!
Parent Council
A group of parents representing all grade levels that provide advice and guidance to the School of Hope's administration. Together, we ensure that students have the best educational experience, teacher interactions and learning outcomes.
If you are interested in joining the parent council, please contact SOH principal Michel Despins. He can be reached at 1-780-853-2188 Ext 120 or emailed
Please read the minutes for the October Parent Council Meeting by clicking the PDF below.
Next Meeting Date: November 29, 6:30 PM
Important Dates
NOVEMBER
November 8-9 - PD - Non Instructional Day - Office is open
November 10 - Day in Lieu - Office is Open - Teachers Out
November 11 - Remembrance Day - Office Closed
November 12 - Day in Lieu - Office Closed
DECEMBER
December 16 - Ugly Christmas sweater / Christmas Character Look Alike day
December 20- 31 - Christmas Break
VIBE
Hello everyone,
My name is Kari Thompson and I am your VIBE wellness coach. I just wanted to say a quick hello and tell you what I can offer through VIBE. VIBE is a mental health capacity-building program funded through Alberta Health Services; we provide mental health promotion and prevention services in schools and communities. For more details on our mission, purpose, and services, check out our website
I will be offering virtual mental wellness programs and activities to the SOH students. Generally, I plan weekly lessons and send out ZOOM links to students via their email and their VIBE Canvas course. Right now regular lessons are planned for two groups - grades 5-7 and grades 8-12. Students can join me live for the lesson or watch the recorded version of it that I post on Canvas. If you are looking for presentations for your students around mental health and wellness topics let me know and I can arrange to join you live with your class. This year I will be available to join elementary teachers during their classes to offer modified versions of our elementary programs. However, my schedule gets filled quickly, so if you are interested in this, please contact me sooner rather than later . Our programs focus on social-emotional learning, stress and coping, and enhancing mental health and well-being. I have attached our program list for your information.
Family School Liaison
Hello my name is Loranne Ganton and I am the Family School Liaison Worker for the School of Hope in Vermilion. The Family School Liaison Program is committed to helping students be successful in school by providing skills-focused short term counselling services. Family School Liaison Workers require parental consent to work with minor students and all information disclosed during session will be confidential unless I am legally required to report. There is no fee for this service and funding is provided, in part, through the Eastern Edge RCSD.
If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to email me at Loranne.Ganton@ecacs16.ab.ca
Book Returns
If you have resources (from past years) that you are no longer using, they are considered overdue and should be sent back to the office as soon as possible so other students are able to use them, as we are now short of some resources. Please send these books back via our Canada Post return account as stated in the information letter provided below. Please contact the office if you have any questions.
Your help resolving this matter is greatly appreciated. Thank you.
What Are You Reading?
We are going to be hosting a new segment in our newsletter called "What are you reading?" We want to share the fantastic books that everyone is reading. Here is the first edition of "What are you reading"
If you want to share what you are reading, please email Donna - donna.reeds@ecacs16.ab.ca
Mrs. Schultz - "From the Ashes" - Jesse Thistle
Miss Kwon - "Meditations" - Marcus Aurelius
Miss Schwenk - "The Kite Runner" - Khaled Hosseini
Grade 2 class - short stories from "Step Out"
Mrs Ulrich - "Red Queen" - Victoria Aveyard, "Let Us Dream" - Pope Francis
Mrs. Zubrack Oliver - "Sea of Poppies" - Amitav Ghosh
Miss Campbell - "Graceling" Kristen Cashore; "Eon" - Alison Goodman
Dakota R - "The Diary of Anne Frank" - Anne Frank
Grade 7 class - "Mustang Mountain Sky Horse" - Sharon Siamon; "We Were Liars" - E. Lockhart
Grade 8 class - "The Maze Runner" - James Dashner
Virtual Tours of the Month
In light of the upcoming Remembrance Day ceremonies that many families will recognize or attend, the SOH thought that we would share the link to some Virtual Tours of important battles for Canadians. Click on this link and instantly travel to these old battlefields through Google Maps. You can see the trenches, the monuments and the sheer size of some of these battles. In particular, check out Vimy Ridge and Beaumont Hamel as they are important battles to our identity
https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/overseas/first-world-war/france/virtual-tours
We will remember them.
Podcasts of the Month
Podcasts are a fantastic way of accessing new ideas and information. I would like to share some of the podcasts that I listen to. Each month I will introduce you to two podcasts that I am listening to. I would like to invite you to share what podcasts you are interested in and listening to.
Please send your suggestions to Laryssa.Speck@ecacs16.ab.ca Of course, I am listening to podcasts about history but I would love to expand my 'horizons' in terms of podcast themes. Or, if you have a historical podcast that you are listening to, and think that I should too, share it with me!
Podcast Links - Click on the Picture
School of Hope - Vermilion Home School
Email: michel.despins@ecacs16.ab.ca
Website: soh.ecacs.ca
Location: 5212 Railway Ave, Vermilion, AB, Canada
Phone: 1888-350-4673
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/School-of-Hope-320214374696062/