ABJ Scots Week at a Glance (SWAG)
June 13 - 17, 2022
This past week we returned to the liturgical season known as Ordinary Time. So welcome back to Ordinary Time... in a time when things have been anything but ordinary! Here are a few snippets of truth about this season in our church.
1. The liturgical color for Ordinary Time is green. This is to represent the time of growth and expansion of the Church following the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Green is a very natural color, and is often a symbol for growth and new life.
2. Ordinary Time typically contains about 33 or 34 weeks, depending on how other Catholic Church feast days fall. Each of these weeks is denoted by the passing of time.
The First Sunday in Ordinary Time...
The Second Sunday in Ordinary Time...
3. Ordinary Time is meant to be lived! We aren’t passive receptors of the liturgy – or at least we shouldn’t be. We are called to be active participants! Participating in Ordinary Time means participating in the everyday life of Jesus. Whether online, reading on your own, actively engaged in parish life or in small mass gatherings we should celebrate the word and be receptive to the Lord's guidance.
Important Dates
June 13
- Environmental Club an lunch time in room 219
- ABJ Dance Collective Performance at 7:00 pm in the theatre
June 14
- 3-Point Shoot-Out in the large gym at lunch time
- Parent Advisory Council Meeting at 6:30 pm
- Drama 20 One Act performances of "Peter/Wendy" & "The Secret Garden" will both be performed at 7:00 pm in the theatre
June 15
- ABJ Colour Awards at ABJ beginning at 4:30 pm. The Colour Awards ceremony will be live streamed via ‘ABJ TV’ at https://www.youtube.com/c/ABJTVhighschool, so anyone who is not able to attend can watch from home.
- Drama 20 One Act performances of "Peter/Wendy" & "The Secret Garden" will both be performed at 7:00 pm in the theatre
- PEP Day. ALL teachers are running sessions as we lead up to final exams. Ask your teachers what is available this coming Wednesday.
- Crafty Cards for Seniors / Senior Pen Pals at lunch time in room 149
- Games Club at lunch time in room 215
- Music Club at lunch time in room 184
June 16
- Last day of semester 2 classes
- Rubik's Cube Club at lunch time in room 151. Bring your own cube!
June 17
- First day of exams
- Prayer for all students and staff in the chapel at 8:10 am
Upcoming events...
June 21
- Indigenous Peoples' Day. No exams.
Parent and Student News
Upcoming Fine Arts Performances
Parent Advisory Council
Annual ABJ Colour Awards
ABJ Busing Confirmation and Clarification for 2022-2023
For the 2022-23 school year, Elk Island Catholic Schools is offering ABJ in-town students the option between transit and yellow bus. The cost will be the same for both options based on your home distance from the school (eligible is $180 for the year and ineligible is $360 for the year). This will make busing options more equitable for all students, and will help reduce the impact of higher insurance and fuel costs, increase direct busing for students where feasible, help offset the costs of transit pass prices, reduce carbon footprint and address capacity issues.
Please use the below link to declare which option you choose by Friday, June 17. If you have a student that lives rurally, please disregard this email.
Thank you,
EICS Transportation
ECampus News
The last day to catch up items in the E Campus is June 16 (last day of classes). Note that the ECampus is closed on Monday, June 13 and Tuesday, June 14 because of diploma exams.
Please see Mrs. McGhan if you have questions about your SILC distance learning courses.
Good luck studying and preparing for your final exams.
Final Exams
Students are invited to return their books to the library learning commons beginning Friday, June 17.
Mental Health Moment: 7 Ways to Maintain Good Mental Health During Finals
Finals don't have to drain your mental reserves... Here are 7 tips to manage your mental health over the next two weeks:
1. CREATE A SCHEDULE
Students who are juggling multiple finals can easily become overwhelmed. Creating a schedule helps you pace yourself and avoid burnout. What's the key to a good finals week schedule? First, be realistic: No, you can't cram a semester's worth of material into a single all-night study session. Cramming is an ineffective study strategy. Instead, spacing out study sessions over a longer period of time helps students retain more information.A schedule can also make a big difference from a mental health perspective. Rather than drowning in a massive amount of material, planning ahead provides structure. A schedule also helps you avoid the problem of cramming for your early finals, then running out of time to study for exams later in the week.
2. CHANGE IT UP
Move around to different study spots, if you can. Similarly, changing up your study schedule also improves focus. Instead of studying one subject for an entire day, mix up the schedule by incorporating small blocks of study time for different courses. Relocating doesn't necessarily mean leaving your apartment or dorm room, either. Even moving to different spots in the same room can help information sink in.
3. GET A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP
Putting down the books to get a good night's sleep can mean higher grades. In a 2015 study, researchers found that 82% of students slept less than seven hours the night before an exam — and their grades suffered. Students who slept longer the night prior to a test received higher grades. The study also found that it's not just hours of sleep that matter — it's also when you sleep. Students who went to bed after 2 a.m. and slept at least seven hours performed worse than those who slept the same number of hours but hit the sack earlier.
4. USE HEALTHY STUDY TECHNIQUES
Different study techniques work for different people. Some people can only study with music in the background or a highlighter in their hand. For others, reading aloud helps concepts sink in. Whatever technique works for you, make sure you do it in a healthy way. How you approach studying matters as much as what you do. Thinking positively, cutting off catastrophic thoughts, and avoiding negative comparisons can put you in the right mindset to absorb new material.
5. TAKE BREAKS
Taking breaks can improve your focus and performance. The key, though, is to watch the clock. A brief mental break can help, but long or disruptive activities could actually hurt. Consider a 10-minute walk to get the mental benefits of a break, plus fresh air and exercise.
6. KEEP THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE
Finals puts students under a large amount of pressure — but remember that you'll go through multiple finals weeks in your academic life. Instead of pressuring yourself to perform well, keep things in perspective. Finals are just another test, and in most classes they represent a fraction of your course grade.
7. BE KIND TO YOURSELF
Finals can seem all-consuming, but remember that you're a whole person with needs outside of a single week during the semester. Being kind to yourself can help you both academically and from a mental health perspective. Approach your exams with self-compassion. That means dropping the judgmental or critical thoughts about yourself and practicing self-kindness during this time.
GOOD LUCK ABJ, YOU'VE GOT THIS!
ABJ Spring Music Concert
Musical Theatre 15 Performance Wows!
Supporting Karynna On Her Road to Recovery
Your prayers and support are greatly needed and most appreciated!
Nitza's Pizza along with the Cattail Crossing Golf & Country Club is proud to host the 3rd Annual Golf Tournament in support of a family near and dear to our hearts 💜- The Chwok Family! ⛳
Date: Thursday, July 21st, 2022
8AM Shotgun Texas Scramble
Price: $150/GOLFER, $600/FOURSOME
Place: Cattail Crossing Golf & Winter Club
PRIZES, SILENT AUCTION & DINNER
To register, sponsor a hole or donate an auction item or for more information, please call 780 417 6666. Hope to see you there!
To learn more about Karynna Chwok and her family or to donate please visit https://gofund.me/86973da6
Faith News and Development
Confirmation at OLPH
Prayers
Return to Mass: COVID Dispensation Lifted
Learning Spotlight
Language Spotlight of the Month: Spanish
ELA 30-1
Miss Sapiuk's 30-1 class was pretty pumped about their 80's grad week theme day. In ELA, they did some poetry journaling, using "Love Poem" by John Frederick as a mentor text. After discussing Nims' poetic devices, students were to emulate Nims' style, and write their own poem about something/someone they love. To provide inspiration, they requested that we listen to 80s themed love songs. Careless Whisper by George Michael may have been played ... It was quite hilarious. Students produced some great original work as well!
Physics 30
ABJ Athletics
Congratulations Bren!
Brendon Lord - Senior Boys' Volleyball
Maren Mcdonald - Senior Girls' Basketball
Otto Schaub - Senior Boys' Basketball
David Imade - Senior Boys' Football
Kalyn Early - Senior Girls' Volleyball
Coaches- Evan Gagliardi, Taryn Francis, Steve Flowers, James Avery, Devon Wetzstein. ABJ is proud of all of you!
Grade 9 Golf Update
Summer Basketball Camp at Legacy Athletics
Below is a link to the sign up for the summer basketball I will be running in August at Legacy. The dates will be the 15th and 16th with a 2hr morning and a 2hr afternoon session on each day. Cost for the camp will be $150 per athlete. I will be donating the coaching and some of the gym time costs if we get a high number of registrants I may be looking for some coaching help, all of the proceeds will go towards ABJ boys' basket ball. I have opened the camp to both boys and girls in grades 9,10,11 and 12 up to 30 athletes in total.
See here for more information and to register:
NBC Camps
The most popular overnight basketball camps in the world are NBC Basketball Camps.
Over 400,000 student athletes have attended NBC since 1971 with nearly 200 camps a year at 100 locations throughout the world.
NBC Camps builds confidence and skills in an environment of encouragement, enthusiasm and intensity. If you have an athlete who would benefit from outstanding coaching and an amazing camp environment check out:
Overnight Basketball Camps
Olds College
NBC Complete Player Basketball – July 24-27, 2022 30 spots available
NBC Basketball Leadership – August 5-7, 2022 (By application only) 11 spots available
NBC Complete Player Intensive Basketball – August 7-11, 2022 22 spots available
Prairie College
NBC TOTAL – College Prep Basketball – August 15-20, 2022 3 spots for boys/6 spots for girls available
Basketball Day Camps
Calgary
Ambrose University SOLD OUT
Rundle College Conklin School 2 camps. 25 spots available
Trinity Christian School 2 camps. 15 spots available
Bearspaw Christian School 2 weeks. 12 spots available
Strathcona Tweedsmuir School 18 spots available
Lethbridge
Lethbridge Christian School 9 spots available
Sherwood Park
Strathcona Christian Academy 3 weeks
Edmonton
Parkland Immanuel Christian School 2 weeks
Volleyball
For information about NBC Volleyball Camps go to www.nbccamps.com/volleyball or contact shawn@nbccamps.com
For more information or to register go to www.nbccamps.com
Come experience the NBC difference and see why nearly 7000 kids have already signed up for camp this summer.
Student Services, Wellness & Counselling Supports
Norquest Program Info Night
NORQUEST still has some amazing opportunities for Fall 2022 as well! If you want to hear more about it, they are hosting a Program Info Night to learn about programs in health, business, community studies, environment and technology. There will be info sessions and admissions support available to help students pick the right program and get their application started!
Thursday, June 16
5:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Attendees can get all of their questions answered by chatting with NorQuest staff and students throughout the event. Plus, we have tours scheduled every half hour to explore what student life is like on campus!
You can reserve your free spot here.
As an added incentive, attendees can enter to win 1 of 3 $500 tuition credits! Check it out!
Grant MacEwan Still Accepting Applications
GRADE 12's - Still no plans for fall? Maybe wishing you had applied to post-secondary?
Here are our programs with a June 30 application deadline:
- Bachelor of Commerce
- Bachelor of Science
- Bachelor of Fine Arts, Music Theatre Performance major
- Bachelor of Fine Arts, Studio Arts major
- Correctional Services diploma
- Emergency Communications and Response diploma
- Special Needs Education Assistant certificate
- And so many others!
- Bachelor of Arts
- Bachelor of Communication Studies - all majors
- Bachelor of Fine Arts, Arts and Cultural Management major
- Bachelor of Fine Arts, Theatre Production major
- Office Assistant, all majors
- Public Relations, all majors
Still Need Help to Finance Your Post-Secondary?
Just because school is almost ending, doesn't mean scholarship season is! I have put together a list of scholarships that are all still available over the summer months. Once exams are completed, you may have a bit more time on your hands to dedicate to funding your post-secondary so view HERE for scholarship information.
Scholarships are NOT just academic in nature; scholarships are awarded for so much more than just your marks - check it out and APPLY! You don't have the potential to earn a cent if you don't throw your hat in the ring!
Applications for Special Olympics Unified Sports Leader in Inclusion Scholarships Now Open
Four scholarships will be awarded to students who participate in Unified Sports and demonstrate leadership in creating an inclusive environment in their school.
4 x $500.00 Scholarships will be distributed geographically as follows:
1x Edmonton
1x Calgary
2x Elsewhere in the province of Alberta
Application Deadline is June 30th at 12:00 Midnight
Click this link to find out more information on the Scholarship and to find the application: https://www.asaa.ca/sport-info/special-olympics-unified-sports/awards-and-scholarships
How to Apply for the ALEXANDER RUTHERFORD SCHOLARSHIP!
Attention Grade 12’s that are planning on attending post- secondary THIS FALL! I would encourage you all to apply for the Rutherford, which provides funds up to $2500 for academic averages in two separate categories; there is an amount given for averages above 75% from Grades 10 through 12 and another amount for averages exceeding 80%. I would encourage you all to apply, as partial scholarships can be awarded even if you didn’t attain the academic threshold for all 3 years.
How to Apply:
The online application can be completed on Student Aid Alberta
When to Apply:
Applications will be open mid August 2022, so check back then! By this point, your official high school transcript marks are available and you will be enrolled in full-time post-secondary studies for the fall.
More information can be found here.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to Mrs. Glass if you had any questions or needed any additional information.
* Women in STEM Scholarship Information
Cafeteria Menu
Culinary Delights has been operating out of our cafeteria full days over the past month. Thank you for supporting them so we can continue with this very important in-house service!
Please stay tuned to all of our communications for weekly offerings and more information.
Communications
Please stay informed on all things ABJ through the weekly Smore, website, blog, and on social media.