Virtually Together @ OLA
Learning & Faith - June 14, 2020
LAST DAY OF CLASSES JUNE 19, 2020
Celebrate and Cherish this time! Sending you and your family many blessings!
Where in Canada is Mme Gravelle this week?
Thank you for taking a moment to start our week in prayer and enjoy announcements and birthdays with Mrs. Buban. Click here for the video.
We are continuing our Cross-Canada tour! Watch the video below (click the box below the picture or click here) and find out!
Email us your guesses at ola@eics.ab.ca or share them on Facebook @OLASchoolFtSask! Families with correct guesses will be announced next week!
Who Will My Homeroom Teacher Be Next Year?
We know that whenever it's possible for children to know their next year’s teacher before the school year begins, they start the school year with a sense of peace and joy. Throughout the summer they know where they are going to land. Sharing their homeroom teacher, and the team of OLA staff who will be working with them, also allows moms and dads the opportunity to talk positively to their children about the upcoming school year, to highlight the areas they can look forward to, to celebrate the learning opportunities and connections they will make with OLA staff and fellow OLA friends. These purposeful plans help to set children up for success.
On June 17th, OLA students who are going into Kindergarten to Grade 4 will have the opportunity to learn who their homeroom teacher will be, and be introduced to the OLA Learning Team who will be working with them to support your child. Connections and transitions are in full swing for our students moving to Grade 5. Details for how information will be shared for each grade level is outlined below.
For the 2020-2021 School year, if your child is going into…
Kindergarten: A video introducing your child’s teacher and the team members supporting your child will be shared on June 17th to view and review over the summer. A video of the school (virtual tour) will be shared in August, prior to the start of school so your child may enjoy a concrete view of their new Kindergarten learning environment. An email will come directly to your email inbox with this video and message.
Grade 1 or 2: A google meet will occur at either 10:00am or 11:00am on June 17th so that your child has the opportunity to connect directly with their next year’s teacher and be introduced to the OLA Team who will support your child in their learning journey. An email with the exact time of your Google Meet has been sent to your email. A portion of this google meet may be recorded so you and your child may review it often over the summer. Thank you for making arrangements to be available via google meet during that time.
Grade 3 or 4: A video introducing your child’s homeroom teacher along with the team of OLA staff who will be supporting them and your child will be shared on June 17th. This video will allow for review over the summer. An email that will include the video and message will be sent directly to you on June 17th.
Grade 5: The positive transitioning of students to SJPII has already begun! A virtual tour video of St. John Paul II Catholic School will be shared with your child early next week during your child's scheduled google meet. Current grade 4 students welcomed Mr. Stecyk, the Principal of SJPII, into a recent class google meet to ask questions and connect with staff there for some familiar faces. A question and answer opportunity is also being planned. As St. John Paul II Catholic School continues to finalize their team, they will share homeroom teachers with you and your child in the fall.
Combined Class Information
As with last year, we will have some combined classes. Please see below for information about combined classes.
Grade 4 Farewell
Each year we celebrate our Grade 4 students and their gifts, talents and contributions to the OLA family and school culture. This year is no exception!
Below are the details about our OLA Grade 4 Celebration! Thank you for your help in following Alberta Health Social Distancing guidelines, and honouring the time reserved for you and your family.
Date: Tuesday June 16th beginning at 10:30am after 9:00am Year End Mass
Time: After Year End Mass @ 9:00am
- Celebration Time, between 10:30am and 3:30pm
- Time reserved through School Booking Site (click here to reserve)
Rain Out Date: Thursday June 18th (at the same time booked for the 16th) - please note Year End Mass continues to be June 16th at 9:00am. Please watch your email on Monday evening - we will try to notify parents as soon as possible should we need to postpone to Thursday due to weather.
Book Your Time: Please click here to reserve your time on June 16th (same time applies on our rain out date of June 18th)
Drive-In Video!
As you drive up to the front of the school for your scheduled 10 minute "In the Limelight" time, enjoy VIP parking right out front! For your viewing and listening pleasure, we will have a big screen TV set up with a slide show of you and your fellow Grade 4 OLAers. Thank you for remaining near your vehicle and enjoying the presentation and music until previous families wrap up their celebration.
Say Cheese!
Outside the front of the school, we will have a beautiful area decorated where you can go with your family and “Strike a Pose.” There may be staff available whom you may be interested to invite into your picture, or they may just Photo Bomb it...in the background and following social distancing guidelines of course! Thank you for your understanding should staff wish to send you their blessings from afar. :-)
Gift Bag of Love!
There will be a gift bag identified with your child’s name. Please take your bag home and enjoy a few special “blessed with love” mementos and messages from your homeroom teacher and OLA staff.
Honk for our Grade 4s!
Feel free to honk your horns for the OLA Grade 4s….as you drive up, drive by, drive home!
Celebrations of Learning
What a blessing it has been walking this journey with you and your child. We continue to be grateful for the partnerships that have developed to support your child's learning and growing - and oh how they have grown!!
Thank you for taking this time to celebrate your child's learning and their adjustments to this recent learning format.
Please also remember to celebrate you, mom and dad, for being such a great support for your child, each other, friends and family. Celebrate you navigating this newness to the best of your ability. You deserve a high five, fist bump and a pat on the back! Well done moms and dads, well done!
School Fees are now Past Due
All outstanding school fees are now past due. Please pay any balance remaining as soon as possible. Amounts owing after June 26, 2020 will be referred to collections. Fees may be paid on your PowerSchool ParentPortal. Thank you!
Demographic Confirmation Forms - PLEASE COMPLETE
Please, if you have not already done so, take a moment to complete your child's Demographic Confirmation Form.
EICS Demographic Confirmation Forms are available now on your PowerSchool ParentPortal - one for each child you have attending school with EICS.
Alberta Education requires that we obtain a detailed update of student demographics on an annual basis. School funding from Alberta Education is conditional on us receiving these updates and including them in your student’s record. More importantly, these forms ensure that we have the most current contact information if we need to reach you in event of an emergency.
Should you have any questions, or require assistance, please contact May-Lee in the office at 780-998-3716 and she will be happy to help.
Congratulations St. André Bessette Graduates
Meet the "Scavenger Hunt Squad!"
Growing Brains & Sharing Smiles
Socially Distant Visits!
Last Week for Students
Final Week for OLA Scavenger Hunt brought to us by 1/2KS!
Sunday, June 14
- Happy Birthday Shea in 3K
- Final Week for the OLA Scavenger Hunt!
Monday, June 15
- OLA Scavenger Hunt - Keep Looking and send in pictures of your adventures!
- OLA Teacher Google Meet @ 9:00am
- Pre-K AM Google Meet @ 9:00am
- 4E Google Meet @ 10:00am
- 3K Google Meet @ 10:00am
- 1/2KS Google Meet @ 10:00am
- 2C Google Meet @ 11:00am
- 3/4V Google Meet @ 11:30am
- OLA Learning Team Connect Google Meet @ 1:00pm
- Pre-K AM Google Meet @ 2:00pm
- 1Oi Google Meet @ 2:30pm
Tuesday, June 16
- OLA Scavenger Hunt - Keep Looking!
- Year-End Mass @ 9:00am LiveStream from OLA Parish
- 1/2KS Google Meet @ 10:00am
- Grade 4 Farewell 10:30 - 3:30 @ OLA Catholic School
- M/W Kinder Google Meet @ 11:00am
- 3/4V Google Meet @ 11:30am
- Pre-K AM Google Meet @ 2:00pm
- OLA Student Support Team Google Meet @ 3:00pm
Wednesday, June 17
- OLA Scavenger Hunt - Keep Looking!
- OLA Teacher Google Meet @ 9:00am
- Meet your Teacher Google Meets for our 2020-2021 Grade 1 & 2's @ 10:00 & 11:00am
- 4E Google Meet @ 10:00am
- 3K Google Meet @ 10:00am
Thursday, June 18
- Happy Birthday Charlotte in Pre-K/Kinder Combined
- OLA Scavenger Hunt - Keep Looking!
- OLA Teacher Google Meet 9:00am
- 4E Google Meet @ 10:00am
- 3K Google Meet @ 10:00am
- 1/2KS Google Meet @ 10:00am
- Grade 4 Farewell Rain-Out Day 10:30am - 3:30pm during your scheduled time
- 2C Google Meet @ 11:00am
- M/W Kinder Google Meet @ 11:00am
- 3/4V Google Meet @ 11:30am
- T/Th Pre-K/Kinder Google Meet @ 2:00pm
- 1Oi Google Meet @ 2:30pm
Friday, June 19
- Last Day of School for Students
- Happy Birthday Penny in 1/2KS
- OLA Scavenger Hunt - Last Chance!
- OLA Teacher Google Meet 9:00am
- 4E Screen Free Friday
- 3K Screen Free Friday
- 1/2KS Google Meet @ 10:00am
- T/Th Pre-K/Kinder Google Meet @ 10:30am
Sunday, June 21
- Happy Father's Day!
Upcoming Dates
- June 23 - Report Cards accessible via PowerSchool
- OLA office continues to be reachable to June 26
Please share your photos with our OLA Family, we miss you!
- Post on the OLA Facebook Page or
- Email them to us at ola@eics.ab.ca
June 9th Update from Alberta's Bishops
from the Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton website
Bishops comment on expansion of attendance limits for worship services
The Catholic Bishops of Alberta are welcoming today’s news that attendance limits on worship services will be expanded under Stage 2 of the Alberta government’s relaunch strategy.
Over the last few weeks, parishes across the province have worked diligently to implement the health and safety protocols necessary to welcome congregations of up to 50 people at each Mass. The return of these public celebrations has been a source of joy for our parishioners and priests alike. We are grateful to all those who have worked so hard to make the necessary preparations, and to our parishioners for the patience and the responsibility toward others that they have demonstrated as they have returned to Mass.
It is important to note, however, that the pandemic is still with us. Therefore, the expansion of the attendance limit will not mean an immediate return to full churches. Each parish will need to determine the maximum number they can accommodate while still observing physical distancing protocols. The Bishops remain committed to protecting the health of parishioners, volunteers, staff and clergy. Therefore, the current guidelines issued by the Bishops for public celebrations of the Mass remain in place until further notice.
Under these guidelines, parishes will still have to meet several conditions for public celebrations of the Mass. These include:
• Ensuring physical distancing of two metres between people who are not of the same household
• Asking attendees to answer a series of health and travel-related questions as recommended by Alberta Health Services
• Recording contact information of attendees for the purpose of contact tracing if necessary
• Sanitizing hands upon entry and exit
• Requiring masks for all volunteers and all those who wish to receive Communion
• Extra cleaning of the church between masses.
In order to welcome larger numbers of congregants, parishes will have to put extra resources into registration, ushering and cleaning. Understandably, this will take time, and will depend on the facilities, staff and volunteer resources of each parish.
During Stage 2, singing during Mass will still not be allowed, as this activity has been shown to spread respiratory droplets that can infect others with the COVID-19 coronavirus. And any socializing after Mass will still have to take place outside, observing the physical distancing protocol. We encourage parishioners to check their parish websites for local information and updates.
The guidelines for Stage 1 of reintroducing public celebrations of the Mass were developed by a task force the Bishops established under the direction of Archbishop Richard Smith of Edmonton and Bishop William McGrattan of Calgary. Until further notice, those guidelines remain in effect.
News from Mrs. Heesing our Family Wellness Worker
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