Our Mission December 2014 Newsletter

December 2014
Newsletter
Message from the Grade 1 Class
As the seasons changed from summer to fall to WINTER, the grade one class has been
busy observing how the changes effect plants, animals and children. We will take a picture of our class in the courtyard each month and compare the changes.
Our Mission
The mission of
St. Bernadette
Catholic Elementary School, as a
Christ centered
community, is to
inspire all students to learn and
to prepare them to
live fully and to
serve God in one
another.
In Social Studies “Me on the Map” has taken us to so many different places. Mapping
and distance became real as we followed Ily, Morgan, Brian and Sam to Columbia, Jamaica, Barbados, Aruba and Vancouver. From looking at maps of our world to making
maps of our classroom we are discovering the joy of maps and models. Working together helps our grade one community to grow in kindness and patience.
NOTE: Grade One and Kindergarten will be selling popcorn on Wednesday and Thursday December 3 and 4 to raise money for our Justice project. Please remember to bring
$0.50 to buy popcorn and help the Grade 4 class as they raise money for “Families at the
Dump” in Mexico. Thank you for your support and helping us make a difference in our
world.
LOOK INSIDE FOR:
 December Calendar
**The Full Newsletter is available at**
http://www.stbernadette.ecsd.net
 School events
 Message from Trustee Cindy Olsen
 Message from our Superintendent
 Important School information
 Alberta Health Services December message
Christmas Fun Day
IMPORTANT INFO
Just when you thought Christmas time couldn’t get any
more fun! St. Bernadette will be holding a Christmas
Fun day that will include awesome activities such as A
Sleigh ride through the neighborhood, a cozy outdoor
fire with hot chocolate and cookies, craft making, teachers vs Volleyball Team game and more Christmas
themed activities. All are welcome to join us from
10:30—2:00!
STUDENT ABSENCES
If your son/daughter is going to be
absent for any reason, please
report the absence at 780-474-4167
before 10:00 am or an automated
phone call (Synrevoice) will go out to
your primary contact number. Follow
the prompts to acknowledge the
absence. If you are not reached at
your primary number, the system will
continue to call all of your contact
numbers until you are reached.
PERSONAL ITEMS
Students are discouraged from
bringing personal items of value
(Personal IPOD’s, computer games,
trading cards, etc.) to school.
Students do so at their own risk.
BUS INFORMATION.
Bus Fees:
There is no charge for bussing at
St. Bernadette. Bus passes must
be carried at all times and bus
drivers will be asking to see bus
passes at random times during the
month.
If your child’s bus is more than
10 minutes late, please contact
Transportation Services at
780-441-6078.
Yellow Bus Cancellations
The following radio and TV stations
will carry announcements with
respect to transportation
cancellations due to inclement
weather conditions.
RADIO
CHED / CHQT / CISN / JOE FM
CFRN 1260 / THE BEAR / CFMG
CFCW / CBC / MAGIC 99/ CKER
CHFA (CBC FRENCH) / K-97
AM 930 (CJCA) / SHINE FM
MIX 96 (96X)
TV
CITY TV / CFRN /
GLOBAL / CBC
This Month’s Catholic Character of Education - JUSTICE
For the month of December, the whole school will continue to focus on the
Catholic Character of Justice. Students have been learning about what Justice means and how we can demonstrate Justice. The Grade 4 Class has
volunteered to Lead us in demonstrating this Character
and have been engaging in Justice related activities.
They have decided to support the charity “Families at
the Dump”. This charity helps provide housing, clothing, food and other supports to families who live near
dumps located near Mexican resort areas. Classes
have teamed up to help support this charity by holding
Social Justice fund raising activities. Keep an eye out
for the Candy-Grams, the Popcorn sale and hot chocolate cookie sales and the Break The Rule day. All the
funds raised from these fun and yummy fundraisers will be donated to the
Families at the Dump charity.
We will wrap up our focus on Justice in mid-December and begin a new
character, Tradition, for the remainder of December and for the month of
January.
Christmas Turkey Hot Lunch
The students will be treated to a Christmas Turkey
hot lunch with turkey and all the fixings. The hot
lunch will take place on Dec. 12th. A special thanks
goes out in advance to the staff for coordinating and
helping to serve the wonderful turkey lunch for all
students!
Edmonton Catholic Schools Transportation Services
Transportation Services offers detailed information for parents who want to know more about their child’s bus route.
Simply type www.ecsd.net to
access the Edmonton Catholic School District main page
where you will find a link to provide up to date bus information, including delays. Bus passes are free at St. Bernadette, however, students must carry them at all times as the bus drivers will
be checking for bus passes periodically throughout the year.
DECEMBER 2014
School/Home Communication
IMPORTANT INFO
School Hours: 2014-2015
Grades K – 6
Effective communication between home and school is vital. St. Bernadette will once again be using the agendas to help facilitate effective
communication. We will make every attempt to send all written communication from the school home in the agenda every Friday. Of course, in
the case of emergencies or totally unforeseen events, we will not wait
until Friday; we will communicate information to you in a timely manner.
Please also check our website for up to date information at
www.stbernadette.ecsd.net
Newsletter
Mon., Tues., Wed., Fri.
Entry Bell
Instruction
Recess
Instruction
Lunch
Lunch recess
Entry Bell
Instruction
8:20 am
8:25 - 10:15 am
10:15 - 10:30 am
10:30 - 12:00 pm
12:00 - 12:20 pm
12:20 - 12:41 pm
12:41 pm
12:44 - 2:50 pm
Thursday: Early dismissal at 12:10
pm; no school in the afternoon
100 Voices (Pre-Kindergarten)
Mon., Tues., Wed., Fri.
AM Class
PM Class
8:21 am - 11:16 am
12:04 pm - 3:00 pm
Thursday: No school
Office Hours
Monday through Friday
8:00 a.m. - 4:00 pm
In an attempt to be more environmentally friendly and reduce school expenses associated with paper and printing, our newsletter is going paperless for families who are able to read our newsletter online. A one
page monthly newsletter will still be sent home with the oldest or only
child from each family on the last Friday of the month.
We hope that each family will keep the newsletter on
hand as a reminder of upcoming events. If you cannot
access our online newsletter, please pick up a paper
copy in the school office or contact us to let us know to
send a copy home with your child.
St. Bernadette T.E.A.M. Assemblies
We are very fortunate to have the opportunity to embrace our faith in all
that we do throughout our school day. The 8 Characters of Catholic Education will be a focus for us this year. Each month we will hold a St. Bernadette T.E.A.M. Assembly in which a new Character will be introduced and school staff will be
monitoring all students to nominate students
demonstrating the character. At the end of the
month, student assemblies will be held to recognize students who have been good models of the
particular Character. Those students will receive a
small token of appreciation as well as a special
treat during lunch recess later that week.
School Council
Our next school council meeting will take place on:
Tuesday, January 20, 2015 @ 6:00 pm
We will be having a delicious Potluck supper before the
meeting, so please come join us, as we always hope to
see as many parents as possible participate so that you can be a part of
this worthwhile aspect of your child’s education.
Our School Council executive for 2014-2015 is:
Chair - Lynn Thompson
Vice-Chair—Simone Gagne
Treasurer - Michelle Quincey
DECEMBER 2014
Secretary - Shanthi Subramanian
Casino Chair - Lacey Untereiner
Fundraising Chair - Jessica Rutten
Cell Phone Policy
If your child brings a cell phone to school, they will be asked
to turn it off and give it to the teacher for safe keeping until the
end of the school day. If you need to contact your child,
please do so through the office at 780-474-4167.
IMPORTANT INFO
Late Arrivals and Early Departures
There will be no school on the
following days:
If students arrive late to school, or need to leave before the
end of the day, please be sure to check in with the office so
that we can ensure the safety of all our students.
Thanksgiving Day
Remembrance Day
Medical Alerts and Dispensing of Medication
Oct. 13
Nov. 10
& Nov. 11
Christmas Vacation
Dec. 22
to Jan. 2
Faith Dev. Day
Feb. 3
Family Day
Feb. 16
Teachers Convention Feb. 26
& Feb 27
Spring Break
Mar 30
to Apr.3
Easter Monday
Apr. 6
Victoria Day
May 18
Last day of school
Jun. 26
Dismissal times on the
following Thursdays and
Fridays will be switched to
accommodate earlier dismissal
times before the major breaks:
Dec. 18/14 - 2:50 dismissal
Dec. 19/14 - 12:10 dismissal
Mar. 26/15 - 2:50 dismissal
Mar. 27/15 - 12:10 dismissal
June 25/15 - 2:50 dismissal
June 26/15 - 12:10 dismissal
All parents and guardians are asked to notify your child’s
teacher and the school office of any medical alerts such as
allergies or asthma. School Board Policy requires that a
form be signed by a doctor indicating the nature and
dispensing instructions for those students taking
medication at school. Unless these forms are filled out by the
prescribing doctor, medication will not be administered to your
child. Forms are available from the school office. If your
child requires an Epi-Pen, inhaler or other medication, it
must accompany your child on all fieldtrips. Unfortunately, without the necessary medication, students with
medical alerts will not be permitted to attend fieldtrips.
Casino
The St. Bernadette Educational Society held their
biggest fundraising event for the year on Nov. 21
& 22. The Casino was a success and the funds
raised will be used over the next few years to support learning at St. Bernadette. The Society would
like to thank all of the volunteers who donated
their time to fill the various positions at the Casino.
Protocol for Parent Concerns
Edmonton Catholic Schools recognizes the freedom of all member of
the school community (students, staff, parents, and neighbors) to
voice their concerns in an appropriate manner to the school personnel. The principle of “First Contact” needs to be followed. This means
that the person(s) who has the concern has the responsibility to begin
addressing the concern directly with those persons with whom they
have the concern before taking their concern elsewhere. If a resolution is not found, then please involve the school administration. This
will allow all parties to deal with concerns in a manner which is consistent with the teachings of the Catholic Church.
DECEMBER 2014
School Celebrations
School celebrations will be held several times throughout the school year. The dates and times will be outlined on the monthly calendar included in the newsletters. All parents, younger siblings, grandparents, and
community members are most welcome to attend, as your presence will make our celebrations that much
more special.
Colder Weather
With fall here and winter right around the corner, please ensure that your child is dressed
appropriately for the weather. Often times, the weather changes during the day and students are underdressed during recess or for their commute home. It is much easier to
remove layers than to be faced with being cold. We ask for your cooperation in ensuring
that your child has mitts, a toque and a warm jacket, as recess will only be cancelled if the
temperature drops below –20 degrees Celsius.
Agenda Books
Please ensure that you check your child’s agenda book every evening as it is a very valuable tool for allowing your child’s teacher to maintain regular communication with you.
Teachers may write notes to you in the agenda book or may have the children record important events. Classroom staff will also check your child’s agenda book everyday in case
you have written a note. If, for example, your child is not to take the bus on a certain day,
writing this in the agenda book will allow the teacher to ensure that your child remembers at the end of the
day.
Crisis Management Plan
As you are aware, we have extensive Crisis Management and Pandemic Plans in place. Our plan is in the
form of Evacuations (fire) and Lock Downs. As a part of our plan, we have had a few fire drills and a lock
down. We are planning to have another Lock Down practice soon. These practices will continue to happen
throughout the year to ensure that all students and staff will be well prepared to respond to a crisis situation
both quickly and effectively. If you are in the building during a Fire Drill, evacuate with the students and staff
to the south east field. If you are in the building during a Lock Down, please go to the nearest room and follow the teacher’s directions until the lock down is over.
AYP’s Free Homework Help Program
Could your child use some help with their homework? The Abbottsfield Youth Project (AYP) is
offering this opportunity for any child in grades 1-6 to be paired with a tutor who can help your
child with schoolwork. See the attached flyer in this Newsletter for more information on information on dates, times and registration information.
Scholastic Book Fair
The Scholastic Book Fair was held the week of Nov. 24-28. It’s a great opportunity for the
students to find literature that they enjoy as well as an opportunity for our Learning Studio
to purchase more books for our students. With each purchase from the book fair, you are
supporting the purchase of new and exciting books to keep our Learning Studio current
and offer choices that your children can get excited about!
DECEMBER 2014
A Message to the School
Communities
In Ward 73
From Trustee Cindy Olsen
November 2014
Dear Friends in Ward 73
The Christmas season is upon us and I want to wish all of you a wonderful Christmas Season and the very
best to you, your families and friends in the New Year.
Since my last message, we have more good news stories to share.
I am pleased to report that the District is planning the Father Michael Mireau Youth Day for Junior High
students on February 1, 2016, in honour of Father Michael Mireau who passed away this September.
Father “Castfish,” as he was affectionately known, was the ultimate disciple of faith and touched the lives
of many students within our schools. Father had a special way of helping children understand Christ’s
message using humour and light-heartedness. He inspired thousands of staff and students. The day is
based on the philosophy of Alberta’s annual We Day (held in Calgary for the past number of years) where
thousands of students from all over Alberta pack the Saddledome to hear inspirational speakers, listen to
bands perform and receive curricular resources, campaigns and material that is inspiring for youth to
make a change within themselves and into the world.
In my last message I reported that the three new schools approved last year were named. Since that time
I am very pleased to let you know we have received three more schools and that they have been named
Corpus Christi Catholic Elementary/Junior High School (K-9 in Walker); Christ the King
Elementary/Junior High School (McConachie K-9),and St. Thomas Aquinas Elementary/Junior High School
(K-9 in Heritage Valley).
Increasingly, childcare space for new and existing schools is needed. Presently, school jurisdictions do not
receive funding to cover the cost of either modular units or the inclusion of space in new schools for
childcare. The District has requested the government to reinstate a similar program that was
discontinued in 2009, Creating Childcare Choices, to provide modular classroom units for use as childcare
DECEMBER 2014
DECEMBER 2014
DECEMBER 2014
Healthy Schools Calendar
Dates, tips and resources to support a healthy school community
Prepared by Alberta Health Services, Healthy Children and Youth
December 2014
HEALTH PROMOTION THEME: Healthy Holidays
RESOURCES
Healthy Holiday Eating
Making Foods with Less Fat and Sugar
Healthy Classroom Parties and Healthy Eating for
Holidays (page 30-32 of the School Nutrition Handbook)
Embracing Winter: Being Active Outside
http://www.albertahealthservices.ca/SchoolsTeachers/if-sch-nfs-healthy-holiday-eating.pdf
http://www.albertahealthservices.ca/SchoolsTeachers/if-sch-nfs-making-foods.pdf
http://www.albertahealthservices.ca/SchoolsTeachers/if-sch-nfs-school-nutritionhandbook.pdf
http://www.healthyalberta.com/725.htm
FUNDING OPPORTUNITY & AWARD DEADLINES
Girls In Motion Grant
Go Girls Grant
Great Kids Award
Alberta Communities Initiative Program (CIP)
Dec. 1
Dec. 1
Dec. 9
Dec. 15
http://inmotionetwork.org/physical_activity/girls_in_motion/girls_in_motion_grants
http://inmotionetwork.org/physical_activity/go_girl/go_girl_grants
http://humanservices.alberta.ca/department/15374.html
http://www.ccs.alberta.ca/cip/default.aspx
(quarterly)
Alberta Community Facility Enhancement
Program (CFEP)
Alberta Music Education Foundation Grant
Dec. 15
http://culture.alberta.ca/cfep/default.aspx
(quarterly)
Dec. 15
http://www.amef.ca/grants.php
(quarterly)
Fiskars’ Project Orange Thumb Grant
Dec. 31
http://www.fiskars.ca/Project-Orange-Thumb/Project-Orange-Thumb
Did You Know?
Food is a central theme for many holidays and celebrations. Think beyond food and treats and try activities such as:
- Creating tree decorations or holiday cards
- Creating coupon books for shoveling snow or walking dogs, to give as holiday gifts
- Collecting non-perishable food items or winter clothing for local emergency shelters
DECEMBER 2014
DECEMBER 2014