Dear Parents and Guardians,

The Laurier Park Cross Country Run that our students participated in is a strong reminder for me of what an education at an Edmonton Catholic Elementary School is all about. Children respond to educational situations not only intellectually, but emotionally and socially as well. To neglect the social, physical, and emotional aspects of their development means we are only meeting the needs of part of the child. At St. Paul we try to provide a school that strives for academic excellence while strengthening and developing our artistic and athletic talents at the same time. We hope to find a balance between these, while teaching with a Christian and value centered focus.

Without a doubt, we have had a busy school start up and it has been terrific seeing so many excited children come back to school from the summer holidays. In the four weeks that we have been back at school we have had our school opening celebration, Meet the Staff Night, fire drill, school pictures, a School Council meeting, visits from our school nurse and the speech therapist, running club, skating for the K-2 classes and much more. October, if it is possible, looks to be even busier, with many exciting learning experiences for our children. Check your calendars—there is a lot happening! The best learning occurs when parents, students and staff all work together. I would like to thank all the parents for the support and volunteer work they have already committed to making St. Paul the wonderful place it is. I would like to thank all of the parents who attended our Meet the Staff Night. It was wonderful to see so many of you here to meet your child’s teacher. Our doors are always open and communication between home and school is essential for student success. Yours in Catholic Education, Boyan Yarovenko Irene Sieben Principal Assistant Principal

14410-96 Avenue

Edmonton, AB

T5N 0C7

Phone: 780 452 1510

Fax: 780 452 1681

Website:

www.st.paul.ecsd.net

At St. Paul Catholic School We believe in children. We pray together. We play together. We grow. We create a loving environment where learning has no limits. We believe.

Principal: Boyan Yarovenko

Email: Boyan.Yarovenko@ecsd.net

Assistant Principal: Irene Sieben

Email: Irene.Sieben@ecsd.net

Secretary: Leanne Junck

Email: Leanne.Junck@ecsd.net

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

2 3 Reading Week St. Rose to read

to primary K-2

Picture

retake day

4 Thanksgiving

Celebration

@ 10:45 am

5 6 7 Skating

ECS - Gr. 2

8

9 10 11 School

casino at

Palace

Casino,

WEM

12 13 14 Skating

ECS - Gr. 2

15

16 17 18 19 20 21 22

23 24 25 26 27 28 School wide

Assembly

8:30 am

29

30 31

October 2016

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

PAC @ 7 pm

2 3 4 Remembrance

Day

Ceremony

in Gym

@ 9:50 am

5

6 Daylight

Savings Ends

Catholic

Education Sunday

@ 10:30 am Mass

7 8

9 Remembrance

Day memorial

10

PD day, no

school for

students

11

No School

12

13 14

15

16 17 18 19

20 21

Report

Cards

Posted On-

Line 3:00

22

23

24 Parent-

Teacher

Conferences

Book Fair

25

Hot Lunch

26

27

First

Sunday of

Advent

28

29 30

November 2015

Page 3

SCHOOL HOURS

2014 - 2015 GRADES 1 - 6

Mon., Tues., Wed., Fri.

AM Bell 8:25

Classes 8:30 - 10:25

Recess 10:25 - 10:40

Classes 10:40 - 12:10

Lunch 12:10 - 12:30

Recess 12:30 - 12:50

Classes 12:50 - 1:50

Recess 1:50- 2:05

Classes 2:05 - 3:05

Thursday

Early Dismissal at 11:58

EARLY CHILDHOOD

Mon., Tues., Wed., Fri.

AM Bell 8:25

Classes 8:30 - 10:25

Recess 10:25 - 10:40

Classes 10:40 - 11:44

Thursday

No Classes

STUDENT INFORMATION FORMS Student Information Forms will be sent home on Oct. 7th. Please review your child’s information, make any necessary changes on the form, and return it back to your child’s homeroom teacher promptly. It is very important that the information on these forms is correct and up to date at all times. Teachers and office staff use these forms to contact parents in the case of an emergency, illness, or injury. Thank you for your immediate attention.

A huge thank you to St. Paul Garden Volunteers who took wonderful care of our school gardens over the long hot summer. Your help is greatly appreciated, and our gardens and flowers certainly flourished. I hope you were able to en-joy some of the vegetables, and the chance to get outside on

our beautiful summer weather.

Special thank you to: Cathy Wilm who has organized the St. Paul Garden and Environment Committee. And thank you to

the families for their garden care over the summer.

IMPORTANT YELLOW SCHOOL BUS INFORMATION

Beginning the month of October, parents whose children take the yellow school bus to school and/or after school, may now pay on line for this service. If you choose not to use this option then we require post dated cheques (dated the first of each month and payable to St. Paul School). Payment for this service is due the first school day of each month. If you have not already sent in your cheques to the school office, please do so now. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.

It is extremely important that parents notify the school office by telephone (780-452-1510) or by sending a note to the attention of the office, that their child will not be taking the bus on a particular day and what the alternate arrangements are. This information is very important to the staff members doing bus attendance. If we have not heard of any changes from parents, all bus children will be on the school bus at the end of the school day. We will not accept a verbal change of transportation by a student. Your child’s safety is our first priority.

It is also important and necessary for parents to complete a “Transportation Change Form” should there be any change to your home address, pick up address, drop off address, all phone numbers and/or email addresses. This form can be picked up in the school office. Please return the form to the school office once completed and we will then forward the updated form to our Transportation Services Department. DO NOT SEND ANY FORMS DIRECTLY TO OUR TRANSPORTATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT AS THE ST. PAUL SCHOOL OFFICE WILL NOT BE AWARE OF THE CHANGE(S). This makes confusion for both the school office and our Transportation Department.

If you have any questions or concerns with your child’s transportation prior to 8:15 a.m. or after 3:15 p.m., please contact our Transportation Services Department at 780-441-6078.

Page 4

TRAFFIC SAFETY

The School Safety Patrol is one of the most successful traffic safety programs in

existence. Thank you to the Grade 6 students of St. Paul School who have volunteered to

be part of this valuable program, and for Mrs. Tomko for

coordinating the program. Watch for our patrollers in the

morning and after school!

We appreciate your efforts in keeping all students safe.

Page 5

Why 30?

As of September 1, school zones came into effect around elementary schools throughout

Edmonton. Motorists are required by law to slow down to 30 km/h between 8:00 am and

4:30 pm on school days where school zone signs are posted. The lower speed limit will

improve safety around elementary schools and protect our most vulnerable road users:

young children.

Under ideal conditions, a vehicle travelling at 50 km/h needs 24 - 28 meters to come to a complete stop, while a vehicle travelling at 30 km/hr only needs 11 - 13 meters to stop.

When the roads are wet or icy, you need 5 extra meters at 30 km/h and 10 extra meters at

50 km/h in order to stop safely.

Please Remember

Streets around schools are often very congested with parents dropping off their

children, and the number and size of vehicles might mean you do not see children trying to cross the

street. Young children may dart out from in between vehicles unexpectedly so use extra caution

particularly during drop off and pick up times.

Speed limits will be strictly enforced by both the Edmonton Police Service and the City of Edmonton’s

Office of Traffic Safety during posted hours.

STUDENT DROP OFF/PICK UP When dropping off or picking up your children, please do not park in the handicapped parking Zone. We encourage everyone to model appropriate pedestrian rules by refraining from jaywalking directly in front of the school. We ask that you please use the crosswalks for the safety of everyone. Crossing in between parked vehicles or in the middle of the block sends our children the wrong message. As there is heavy traffic flow in front of the school and parking is limited, we encourage you to park on 145 Street. We also ask your cooperation at the end of the day when our yellow school bus is here to pick up our bus students. Please do not park in the school bus zone. Please do not park in the staff parking lot at any time. Thank you for keeping our children safe!

Page 6

SCHOOL EMERGENCY AND EVACUATION PLAN

If your phone numbers as well as email address change at any time during the school year, please let the office know immediately. Student safety is a prime concern in our school and as a result a number of plans are in place to deal with emergencies. We have already practiced our fire drill procedures in September. The school also has an emergency evacuation plan in place that would see the students evacuate to Crestwood School in case of an emergency. If such an emergency occurred or the school needed to close unexpectedly, there are a number of means of communication that will occur. The primary source of information in the case of an emergency is the school web site. Information can be placed on the website within minutes of an emergency if needed. Please check the website first before calling the school or the district office. Teachers also have phone lists of their homerooms and can follow up with phone calls when necessary.

SOCIAL JUSTICE AT ST. PAUL

On September 27th , the students and staff participated in the annual Terry Fox Run at

the school. Students ran around the school grounds and enjoyed activities in the field after the event. Thank you to everyone who donated money to this cause, and thank

you to Mrs.Nichalson for organizing our schools’ participation and activities for this

event.

It is through activities such as these that our children practice their citizenship skills along with their desire

to help those in need. Thank you to all the parents who support our charitable giving activities through

donations of money and/or time. We truly believe our children are developing an understanding of what it

means to be a community and support for one another through the activities that we are involved in.

PICTURE RETAKES ARE SCHEDULED FOR

Wednesday OCTOBER 3,

9:00 AM

STUDENT TEACHERS

We welcome two University of Alberta Student Teachers and one student teacher from Concordia University who are in their final year of education, and will be with us from October to December.

September 26, 2016

St. Paul School Protocol for Management of Life-Threatening Allergies

A) Identification of Children at Risk

It is the responsibility of the anaphylactic/potentially anaphylactic child’s parents to inform the school

principal and the child’s teacher of their child’s allergy.

All staff members need to be made aware of these children.

A photograph and a description of each child’s allergy should be kept discretely in the child’s classroom, the office,

and the teacher’s Day Book. Parental permission is required for this. For younger children, it may be appropriate to have the Anaphylaxis Alert Poster in a visible area.

B) Availability and Location of EpiPens

Anaphylactic or potentially anaphylactic children who are old enough should carry at least one EpiPen with

them at all times and have back ups available in the school. Most children are able to carry their own auto-injector

by the age of 6 to 8. For children with insect sting allergy, this would not have to be for the full year but from April

through October. As a precaution, the school will keep 2 extra EpiPens in the office, in case of an emergency.

It cannot be presumed that children/adults will self-administer their autoinjector. (The individual might

not be able to self-administer while having a reaction.)

Posters describing the signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis and the use of the EpiPen should be posted in relevant

classrooms, the office, and in the staff room.

Children who are no longer allergic or no longer require an EpiPen must present a letter of explanation from their

doctor.

Additional EpiPens should be brought on field trips. If the location is remote, it is recommended that the organizer

of the field trip carry a cell phone at all times.

C) Treatment Protocol

An individual treatment protocol needs to be established by the child’s doctor. The school cannot

assume responsibility for treatment in the absence of such a protocol. A copy of this should be present in the classroom and office along with a photo of the child.

Page 8

To manage an emergency, a routine must be established and practiced. In our training session, we have worked on

the following:

a. One person stays with the injured individual at all times.

b. One person goes for help.

c. Administer epinephrine at the first sign of reaction, however slight (e.g. itching or swelling of the l

ips/mouth in food allergic children). There are no contraindications to the use of epinephrine for a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction. Note time of administration.

d. Call 911 and, regardless of the degree of reaction or response to epinephrine, transfer the child to an emergency room. Symptoms may recur up to eight hours after exposure to the allergen. One calm

and familiar person must stay with the child until a parent or guardian arrives. If the child is being

driven to hospital, it is recommended that another individual accompany the driver to provide assistance.

e. Contact the child’s parents.

Adults must be encouraged to listen to the concerns of the anaphylactic child. The child usually knows when s/he is

having a reaction, even before signs are manifest.

D) Training

Each year there should be awareness sessions for students and training for all staff and student lunch monitors,

which includes a demonstration on the use of the EpiPen.

As a quick refresher on a periodic basis, teachers could practice use of the EpiPen during scheduled staff meetings.

Substitute teachers will be advised to review the Anaphylaxis Alert posters for children in their class and to review

emergency protocol with the designated staff member for their grade level.

E) Allergen Awareness / Allergen Avoidance

The question of banning anything in schools is controversial. We live in a world that is often contaminated with

potential allergens. Anaphylactic children must therefore learn to avoid specific triggers.

While the key responsibility lies with the anaphylactic individual and his/her family, in the case of a young

anaphylactic child, the school community must also be aware.

In our school, the most common significant allergies are to peanuts and tree nuts. We have appealed to the

school community to keep peanut butter (in particular) and other peanut/tree nut products out of the school and away from any school sanctioned events including field trips. There are severe allergies to other

foods as well. The PAC representatives for those classrooms will communicate any class-specific protocols determined by the teacher to the affected parents.

In the classrooms of anaphylactic children, special care is taken to avoid allergens. Parents must consult with the teacher before supplying food for classroom parties. We have prepared a list of packaged “safe foods”, which is being

distributed to the teachers and parents.

Given that anaphylaxis can be triggered by minute amounts of allergen, food anaphylactic children must be

encouraged to follow certain guidelines:

To eat only food which they have brought from home unless it is packaged, clearly labeled and approved by their

parents.

Wash hands before eating.

Not share food, utensils or containers.

Place food on a napkin or wax paper rather than in direct contact with a desk or table.

Page 8

APPROVED SAFE SNACKS

St. Paul School is now a peanut/tree nut free zone. Tree nuts include almonds, brazil nuts, cashews, chestnuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts,

pecans, pistachios, pine nuts, and walnuts.

We acknowledge the importance of celebrating special occasions like birthdays together with classmates. We have therefore compiled a

list of snack ideas that are peanut/tree nut free. However, please always read the label closely.

In classrooms where other life-threatening allergies are present, classroom specific snack suggestions will be circulated by that PAC class

representative.

Sweet Treats

Nestle Chocolate Bars (Smarties, Kit Kat, Coffee Crisp, Aero)

Dare Bear Paws, Wagon Wheels, and Real Fruit Gummies

Kellogg’s Rice Krispie Treats – Regular and Rainbow Chip

Oreo Cookies – Original and Double Stuffed

Chapman’s Ice Cream and Popsicles – Fudge Bars, Frosty Bars and Lollies

Twizzlers - Twists and Nibs

Maynards gummies including Swedish Berries and Sour Patch Kids

Starburst fruit chews, lollipops and jelly beans

Jolly Rancher hard candy, lollipops and gummies

Wonka Nerds

Mike and Ike

Skittles

Dubble Bubble Gum

General Snack Options

Fruits and Vegetables

Crackers - Wheat Thins (Original or Multigrain), Triscuits (Original) or Ritz (Original)

Gogo Squeez Applesauce

Sun Maid Raisins – Not the yogurt or chocolate covered ones

Quaker Chewy Granola Bars (Chocolate Chip)

Pepperidge Farms Goldfish – Cheddar only

Cheese Strings

Popcorn – Angie’s Boom Chicka Pop (Sea Salt and Sweet & Salty)

Potato Chips – Old Dutch, Lays, Doritos

Page 8

HALLOWEEN

The word “hallow” is another word for saint, a holy person. So the night before All Saints Day is called “Hallow’s” Eve or Halloween. Many rules change for this night. Instead of ordinary clothes, we wear costumes. We can even ask neighbors for treats! We also change the rules of fear. We laugh at things that scare us--ghosts, skeletons, and slimy things that go “boo!” Jesus has shown that frightening things cannot destroy us. They cannot separate us from the strength of Jesus and the joy of his resurrection.

On Friday, October 31st, we will gather in the gym at 1:30 p.m. for a costume parade. After the parade, students will return to their classrooms for Halloween festivities! Children are encouraged to bring their costume to school in the morning. We ask children to refrain from wearing costumes with themes of blood or gore, and not to bring costume “weapons” to school.

Halloween Prayer

God of all harvests and all happiness,

We thank you for festival of All Saints,

For Saints to befriend us

And teach us the way of the gospel,

For apples and raisins and Halloween

candy,

For stories and costumes and celebrations,

For families who love us and keep us safe.

Keep our hearts always open

To those who need us.

We ask this through Christ our Lord,

Amen.

Page 9

Page 10

SACRAMENTAL PREPARATION

AT ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST CHURCH Preparing children and youth for the sacraments

Dear Parents:

Welcome to a new year of Catholic education and faith formation for your child! Did you know?Each year, in a Catholic school, your child will learn about many aspects of their Catholic faith— including learning about the seven sacraments. However, in our Archdiocese, preparing children for the celebration of their own sacraments always occurs in the parish, with the support of the school, and preparing for First Reconciliation, and then First Eucharist, takes place when children are about seven years old and in Grade 2, preparing for Confirmation takes place when children are

about 12 years old and in Grade 6.

Preparing people to receive sacraments is a time-honoured practice of the Church. Faith formation is a lifelong process. Sacraments are milestones—signposts— along this faith journey. They are like road signs that guide us on the way to holiness, continually point us towards Christ, and ultimately lead us to our final destination which is heaven. Every time we participate in one of these sacred moments, we encounter Christ. Most children attending Catholic schools are ready to receive at the ages shown above. They are then prepared with their peers at these ages. This short video from our Edmonton Schools District Chaplain, Fr. Dean Dowle has an overview of the sacraments:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnwTSLwBvNw

Are you seeking for your child to celebrate a sacrament, such as First Communion or Confirmation (even if they are older than the ages above)? Are you ready to help them live out the promise they

make when they do?

Here’s how:

Parents, St. John the Evangelist Parish, and St. Paul School are each involved in preparing your child

for a Catholic sacrament. It is a group effort, and everyone has a role:

As a parent, the Church has always held that you are the primary teacher of the faith for your child. You teach them about God; you set the example; you talk about your own faith;

and you bring them to Mass.

The place where the sacraments are celebrated and lived is the Catholic parish. The people of God in that place are part of the Body of Christ. Being in relationship with the parish community (with all its weaknesses and strengths) is essential for your life of faith. The

preparation for, and celebration of, the sacraments happens in the parish church.

You must sign your child up for preparation at the Parish. The school doesn’t do

this part of the process.

Catholic schools are a special place for children to learn more about Jesus Christ, to practice

living in a community of faith, and to develop and deepen a relationship with Christ.

We are eager to walk beside you and your children during this very special time. To

find out more please visit http://stjohnevangelist.edm.caedm.ca/ or call St. John’s at

780-452-3988

October 2016

O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever. ~ Psalm 107:1 ~

This hope-filled psalm, which is known as that of Thanksgiving for Deliverance from Many Troubles, reads like a love story. It speaks of the

many, many occasions and circumstances where God has shown his people that all things are possible through his enduring love. It is an excellent example of hope and mercy, which are the pillars of our theme for this year. Knowing that our God loves us so deeply is truly cause for giving

thanks!

September was a month of newness and growth for Edmonton Catholic Schools. We now have over 41,200 students who have joined our Cath-

olic educational community, and we opened two beautiful new schools to help make room for those students. You can learn more about our

new schools, as well as upcoming new school and modernization projects, by visiting our website at https://www.ecsd.net/parentsstudents/

parentresources/growing-and-improving/pages/default.aspx. The canonization of Mother Teresa on September 4th also brought some newness to

our community. In honor of this amazing Catholic role model and leader, her namesake school will now be called St. Teresa of Calcutta Catholic

Elementary School. One World . . . One Centre, where students and families newly arrived in Canada are welcomed by Edmonton Catholic Schools, has

been extremely busy these past weeks. The centre, which was open all summer to assist families, started seeing students and families for intake and assessment on August 9. In the three weeks before school started, 395 students, newly arrived in Canada, were registered and welcomed to our district at One World . . . One Centre. These families, and others, have been invited back to the first New Canadians Parent Information Session on October 18, where information about our District and schooling in Alberta is translated to other languages so that newcomer parents

can gain this valuable information. This session begins at 7 p.m. at the centre – 12050 95A Street, NW.

October brings many exciting events to our communities. As an example, our annual participation in Read-In Week occurs from October 3-7.

This is an excellent opportunity for us to put the fundamental skills of Literacy in prominent focus for our students and community. We are very

pleased to be holding a series of Parent Information Sessions throughout the year on various aspects of the Inclusive Education model which we

use to meet our diverse students learning needs. The first session is being held on October 19. You can learn more about these sessions at

https://www.ecsd.net/news/pages/supporting-our-diverse-learners---parent-evening-series.aspx . Please join us!

We also have several opportunities to celebrate and grow in faith. Our schools will all take time to reflect on the goodness of God

through the celebration of Thanksgiving. The afternoon of October 20 will see all of our teachers focusing on one of our 5 Marks of Catholic

School Identity- Animated by a Faith Infused Curriculum, as they participate in our annual Permeation Afternoon.

Competencies are an interwoven set of attitudes, skills and knowledge that are developed over time and that support successful learn-

ing, working and living. Alberta Education has refined the language of the original competencies of the Ministerial Order on Student Learning

(#001/2013) into a streamlined expression of eight competencies: critical thinking, problem solving, managing information, creativity

and innovation, communication, collaboration, cultural and global citizenship and personal growth and well-being. Learn more

about competency descriptors, indicators and examples which assist educators and parents in identifying aspects of a competency that are evident

within learning outcomes, learning activities or assessments by visiting our website. https://www.ecsd.net/ParentsStudents/ParentResources/

ProfessionalLearning/PublishingImages/Pages/Alberta-Education/competency-descriptions-indicators-and-examples-approved.pdf . October 16 is the feast day of Our Lady of Schools. Many of our communities will celebrate this special feast of Mary. Our grade 5

students will receive a special bookmark with a prayer to Our Lady of Schools, Mother of Knowledge, a practice which we began a few years ago.

I would like to share that prayer with all of you.

Have a wonderful October!

Mother of God, Our Lady of Schools,

Teach us how to walk in the footsteps of Jesus, Your Son and our brother,

So that He may always be the Light of our minds And the Love of our hearts.

Amen Our Lady of Schools, Mother of Knowledge and Love, pray for us.

Sincerely,

Joan Carr

Superintendent

Do I believe in what I’m saying? Then SHARE IT!

The beginning of a school year is always a thrilling moment! Typically, we re-start and re-focus on the classic ‘3Rs’ of “reading, ‘riting, and ‘rithmetic” which are so much of our formal education. Another component we should also review and renew is that of our conscience. A conscience is often described as the inner feeling or ‘voice’ which acts as a guide to the rightness or wrongness of our chosen behavior. Indeed, with and through a conscience we define who and what we are to become in our life and for this world. Consequently, the proper formation of a conscience is absolutely critical for a person to learn how to make the best decisions for a healthy self-awareness and self-esteem. This type of focus and effort is not selfish; it is, rather, something selfless This is because it involves a critical self-reflection to develop a proper understanding of our neighbour. And such reflection is always to occur in light of the Truth in conjunction with the common good. Why so? It is because we understand how a conscience which is immature can be easily lead astray by the voice of the crowd - especially when that voice is loud or proud. We know that there exist right and wrong choices, just as there are good and evil acts within our world. We need to know how to the choose that which is good, for the good of everyone. It is for this rea-son we teach children how to tell the difference between vice and virtue. Vice - aka bad behaviour, quickly shows us why it should be avoided: we realize how dishonesty pro-duces reprimand, how disobedience brings disgrace, and why mischief brings woe. Whereas with virtue, we learn how industriousness breeds success, how courage brings reward, and why generosity generates grati-tude. These are simple yet incredibly profound connections - lessons that are taught and learned from the time of early childhood. It is these which will help in the formation of a good conscience which will develop a solid character for adulthood. Children who practice and understand this will become the best of future citi-zens who are educated, mature, and above all, wise in their moral choices. This is why Catholic Education exists: to form our students in how to evaluate situations, how to feel compassion, and therefore, how to respond with actions that are forever and always befitting of a child of God. In turn, they will learn to live and give a witness to our society. Consequently, I am most humbled so many parents have entrusted God’s children to our excellent teachers, administrators, and support staff with-in Edmonton Catholic Schools. Together we will cooperate to provide the sure direction of a moral compass calibrated to the Cross of Christ. Indeed, if the beginning of the school year is a time to review the ‘3Rs’ of what we are to learn, then it is also an excellent moment to renew our ‘3Cs’ of who we are to become as a family of Faith: Catholics with a Conscience gathered together in Christ. The connection of through the Family, with our Schools and in our Church is the essence of what we believe: yes, through Him, with Him, and in Him - everything we profess in Mass each Sunday in the Eucharist. May the Lord sincerely bless you all, Fr. Dean Dowle ECSD Chaplain