375 Hawkstone Drive NW Calgary, Alberta T3G 3T7 Telephone: (403) 500-2099 www.cssd.ab.ca/stmariagoretti

NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2018

Dear Parents,

We are now into the season of Advent, a time of waiting patiently and preparing our hearts for the birth of Christ. We will be having an Advent Liturgy on Thursday, December 6th at 1:30 pm. We invite all parents and grandparents to attend. We will be continuing our Catholic Community of Caring focus during Advent. As part of our District theme, “Search and You will Find”, we will be involved in service activities that support those in need. More information is included in the CCC section of the newsletter.

With winter weather here, it is a good time to remind you that students will be going outside for recesses when the temperature is warmer than -20 degrees Celsius, including wind chill. Students need to wear winter boots, a warm winter coat, snow pants, mitts and a toque. Thanks so much to all parents who supported the Rocks and Rings Fundraiser. We appreciate your generosity. Over $12,000.00 was raised to support the school.

As a final note, the staff at St. Maria Goretti School would like to wish all families a happy, holy and restful Christmas break along with peace and prosperity in the coming year. Tanti auguri di Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo a tutti voi e alle vostre famiglie! Mr. M. Macdonald, Principal Ms. G. Devetten, Vice-Principal

Almighty God,

You are the Light of the world, Grant us your heavenly blessing. May the radiance of Your Light

illuminate our hearts and brighten our school

with the spirit of faith and love.

Let the Light of Your Presence guide us, for in Your Light we see light. Bless us also with Your Spirit,

that happiness and peace may ever abide in all men.

Amen

Angel Giving Tree

For our Advent service project we have chosen to collect and donate items to the Mustard Seed. A letter was sent home with students. Please send in the requested items which have been divided into Division 1 and Division 2. On our new “Angel Giving Tree’, you can find items that are needed by the Mustard Seed on each angel. If you are unable to pick up an angel, you can still send in any of the items listed as per the letter. Many thanks to Beacon Hill Home Depot for donating our beautiful tree. Thank you in advance for your support.

Have a Blessed and Grateful Christmas, From the CCC Committee Hot Chocolate & Cookie Social – Thank you

We hope everyone enjoyed the cookies, hot chocolate and opportunity to visit with other SMG families. Thanks to School Council and all the volunteers for making this evening possible.

Christmas Decorations Day

The Grade 6 Leadership group is sponsoring a “Christmas Decorations Day” on Thursday, December 20th! Show your school spirit by wearing Christmas colours or decorations – it could even be a Santa hat or ugly Christmas sweater! As usual, we encourage all participating

students to bring a loonie or toonie as a donation to the St. Vincent de Paul Society.

Christmas Showcase Performance – “Songs from the Polar Express” We are looking forward to our Christmas Showcase Performance. On December 7th at 9:45 am, students will be involved in a dress rehearsal where they will have the opportunity to watch one another. Morning Kindergarten parents are also invited to the dress rehearsal. There are two shows scheduled:

Thursday, December 13th – 1:30 pm (no tickets required)

Thursday, December 13th – 6:30 pm (tickets required – max. of 2 per family)

Information regarding tickets has been sent home. Please be aware that seating is limited, but there will be some standing room available for those who do not get a seat. We hope to see you there. Christmas Sing-along

On Wednesday, December 19th at 12:50 pm, students will have the opportunity to join in on a carol sing-along with the School Choir in preparation for the Christmas break. Please feel free to drop by and sing with us!

Santa Lucia

The Santa Lucia legend is said to have originated in Syracuse on the island of Sicily. A young girl, about to be a bride, gave her entire dowry to the poor of her village and admitted that she had become a Christian. She was accused of witchcraft and burned at the stake on December 13, 304 A.D. Much later in history, the early Church made a saint out of her - Santa (Saint)

Lucia. Italian artists sometimes picture her as a blind girl holding a lamp. She is a patron saint for Italian fishermen and she is said to help guide them home through the rough seas during a storm. There are many legends about her and in each one Lucia stands as a symbol of light and hope to all mankind. Santa Lucia's coming begins the feasting, merriment, singing and the spirit of friendliness and goodwill that lasts all through the holidays. Santa Lucia is a traditional Neapolitan song. It was transcribed by Teodoro Cottrau (1827–1879). The original lyrics of "Santa Lucia" celebrate the picturesque waterfront district, Borgo Santa Lucia, in the Bay of Naples, in the invitation of a boatman to take a turn in his boat, to better enjoy the cool of the evening. Learning Commons News

The Enchanted Forest Book Fair was a big success this year. Students loved seeing the decorations, hearing about the Gnomes adventures and buying books.

A big thank you to our grade six decorating crew, all our wonderful parent volunteers and the incredible Mrs. Tomanik! Thanks to all our students and families who came and supported our Learning Commons. This fundraiser will enable us to buy more books for the LC and classrooms and exciting new STEM materials for our Makerspace.

School Council The next School Council meeting will be on Wednesday, January 16th at 6:30 pm in the Learning Commons. All parents are invited to attend!

Educational Society On behalf of the SMG Educational Society I would like to thank everyone for their outstanding support of the Rocky & Rings Curling Fundraiser. A total of $12,000.00 was raised for the 2018/2019 school year. If it wasn’t for the efforts and organization of Pia Campbell, Maneka Perinpanayagam and Kim Yablonski, the staff, our amazing students, and many volunteers, this event would not be possible. Thanks to the friends and families of SMG for their generous donations; we greatly appreciate all that you do to support our school! The Society will use these funds to help achieve our mandate of enhancing the education of all the students. The Society met with Administration on October 15th to review the Wish List they prepared. Merry Christmas & May God Bless your family this holiday season. Jacqueline Ferguson, Chair, St. Maria Goretti Educational Society Here is the Wish List of items that we will be spending the funds on this school year.

1. Technology Maintenance $ 3000.00 2. Learning Commons Library Resources $ 1500.00 3. Science Fair $ 500.00 4. Italian Program and Carnevale $ 1500.00 5. Sacramental Recognition $ 500.00 6. Mathletics, Razz Kids and Ed. Helper $ 3500.00 7. Play Day $ 1000.00

Total $11,500.00

CCC Leadership Awards

Catholic Community of Caring (CCC) Assemblies are part of the monthly student awards. The CCC awards will recognize students in the following areas (Caring, Faith, Respect, Trust, Responsibility and Family). By the end of the year, all students will be recognized as a way of building community and focusing on the CCC values that are important for faith and personal

character development.

The November CCC Leadership Awards were presented to: K Georgeou Olivia, Logan (AM); Bailey, Finn (PM) K Migliarese Eva, Ava, Moran 1 Frank Logan, Valentino, Leida 1 Scott Clara, Bayleigh, Simone 2 Cook Benjamin, Ryan, Samuel 2 DiGiacomo Paulina, Madeline 2 Lombardo Anna, Katherine, Evan 3 Dixon Luca, Daithi, Russell 3 Markland Nate, Ilaria, Evelyn 3 Petrillo Alicia, Diego, Kayla 4 Breen/Devetten Rocco, Maddy

4 Esposito Dilan, Sophia, Leila 4 Kancsal Maia, Claire, Tejiri 5 McDonaugh Ethan, Ethan, Bridget, Sofia 5 Sinnathamby/Donnelly Brock, Gabrielle, Gavin 6 Astorino Koen, Paxton, Natasha 6 Smigel Kaiden, Jadyn, Deborah 6 Zaccagnini Brody, Amna, Jaime, Erik SP Moberg James “Bookworms Know How”

We are happy to announce that we are continuing our reading incentive program, “Bookworms Know How” which rewards students for daily reading. Students who finish a prescribed amount of reading (depending on the grade level) are given a ballot. The ballots are collected in each classroom and at the end of the month a ballot is drawn. The lucky

student from each class will receive a gift certificate entitling them to $10 to purchase a book. Bookworm winners will be announced monthly at our CCC assemblies. Thank you to the DiMarzo Family for sponsoring this reading incentive program. The lucky recipients of “Bookworms Know How” awards for the month of November were: 1 Frank Isaiah 1 Scott Mason 2 Cook Valentino 2 DiGiacomo Reid 2 Lombardo Khaedyn 3 Dixon Juliet 3 Markland Sofia 3 Petrillo Olivia 4 Breen/Devetten Pablo

4 Esposito Seanna 4 Kancsal Daegan 5 McDonaugh Damien 5 Sinnathamby/Donnelly Jaxon 6 Astorino Jenna 6 Smigel Siena 6 Zaccagnini Mariana SP Moberg Keylynn

Too sick for school?

Parents are asked to make alternate arrangements on the days when their child is too ill to attend school as this helps prevent the spread of viruses, thus reducing the risk of illness to classmates. Please ensure that you call in student absences so that all students are accounted for. Thank you.

SchoolConnects Notification System

The district uses the automated call-out system ‘SchoolConnects’ to notify parents/guardians by phone if your child has an unexcused absence from class. To avoid receiving these attendance calls from SchoolConnects, please call the school at 403-500-2099 before 8:30 am to excuse your child from class.

Phone calls from SchoolConnects are made to all phone numbers provided by the parents in the morning and afternoon. Please make sure your contact phone numbers are up to date. Thank you.

Parking in Nirvana

Residents in the Nirvana section of Hawkwood have asked us to remind parents that it is a no stopping zone on the west side of the street by the walk way and that the zone stretches around the block. Please be aware that this area is being patrolled by the Calgary Parking Authority.

School Patrols

When the temperature is colder than –20 degrees Celsius (including wind chill) there are no school patrols outside. Parents and students should take extra care crossing the streets at the designated crosswalks. School patrollers should still report for duty inside the school where they will be utilized to assist staff in supervising younger students in the classrooms.

Busing Issues

A reminder to parents -- If your child’s bus is late or there are other service problems, please contact First Student (bus) at 403-531-3900. They will have more up-to-date information on busing problems than the school. If you need general information or

have an inquiry about bus scheduling, please call the school.

The Grade 4 Squeeze Team

As part of our grade 4 curriculum, Waste in Our World, the grade 4 students have made a very important commitment to the recycling program at St. Maria Goretti School. Even though it is not the most glorious job, it is very important to protect and preserve our environment. Our

grade 4 students are responsible for squeezing the excess liquid from the juice and milk boxes and placing them in a bin to be recycled. This makes the transport of the recyclables much cleaner and easier for our dedicated parent volunteers who deliver them to the bottle depot. Thank you Grade 4's!

St. Peter’s Parish 541 Silvergrove Drive N.W., Calgary, Alberta T3B 4R9 Phone: (403) 286-5110 • Fax: (403) 247-4339 • Email: secretary@st-peters.ca

• www.st-peters.ca

You’re invited!

Please let all the children know that on December 16th St. Peter’s is presenting a Children’s Christmas Pageant. It will start at 2:00 PM in the Church and will last approximately 45 minutes.

The Children’s Choir will be singing some Christmas songs, and Father Jonathan will greet and welcome the children with a Scripture reading and a prayer for the occasion. This will be followed by the pageant with the children in full costume, accompanied by the Choir of Angels (Children’s Choir). Then the choir will sing a couple more Christmas songs, with a special guest making an appearance afterwards. Saint Nicholas will be visiting with the children, telling them his story and sharing a little about the meaning of Christmas. After the choir sings, “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” Saint Nicholas will be giving out some special treats and will be there to have pictures taken with him! This is a fun and entertaining way for the children to learn more about the true meaning of Christmas and share some fellowship with each other. We hope to see lots of them there! For more information, please contact Michele Lynn, Parish Children’s Program Coordinator at kidsrock@st-peters.ca. School Age Baptism:

1. School Age Baptism preparation for Grades 6-9 will take place Thursdays, January 31st, February 7th, and February 21st, 6 pm to 8:30 pm. Registration forms are available from Judith in the Office. Register early to avoid disappointment.

2. School Age Baptism preparation for Grades 2-5 will take place Thursdays, May 9th, May 16th, and May 30th, 6 pm to 8:30 pm. Registration forms are available from Judith in the Office. Register early to avoid disappointment.

Jacket Racket Dear students, parents and staff,

Thank you so much for your generous contribution to Jacket Racket. Your support helps us provide warm winter coats to students throughout Calgary. You have made a difference in the lives of many children, teenagers and their parents. Jacket Racket depends on donations from caring schools such as yours. Thank you for participating

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1000 Fifth Avenue SW, Calgary, Alberta T2P 4T9 403-500-2000 www.cssd.ab.ca

CALGARY CATHOLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT MONTHLY NEWS

ConnectionsDECEMBER 2018

Board of Trustees’ Christmas MessageOur Catholic community is busy preparing to rejoice in the birth of Jesus. Christmas is a joyous cel-ebration; God sent his only son to live among us and to bring the light into our world. “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). Visit cssd.ab.ca/News for the full message.

Chief Superintendent’s Christmas MessageAdvent is upon us and another great year is coming to an end, we hope that our Calgary Catholic community is beginning to embrace the joyful feeling and spirit of the Christmas season. It is because of the sacred gift of the Christ child, who came to us so long ago, that we as a Catholic school district exist. It is the message and meaning of Jesus’ life, handed down to us through scripture, that we are called to share with every student that is entrusted to us. Visit cssd.ab.ca/News for the full message.

Diploma Preparation Courses – December 2018 & January 2019Diploma preparation courses are being offered at Bishop Grandin, Bishop McNally Father Lacombe and Notre Dame High Schools in December and January to prepare students for exams. Courses are $75 for 12 hours of instruction, with four-hour classes held over three evenings. The courses provide students with critical insights into the test-taking process and review specific curriculum that may appear on an exam. Courses are taught by CCSD teachers with extensive experience in teaching and preparing students for exams. Visit cssd.ab.ca/Students/AcademicSupport to register.

Christmas HolidaysCalgary Catholic schools and administrative offices will be closed beginning on Monday, December 24 and will reopen on Monday, January 7. We wish everyone a joyful Christmas season!

Did you know?

Our annual District Day with the Calgary Hitmen will take place on Friday, February 15. Mark your calendars and check the district website for more information on ticket sales.

St. Maria Goretti December 2018 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

1

2 3 Day 5 4 Day 6 5 Day 1 6 Day 2 Pizza Thursday Advent Liturgy – 1:30 pm (Father presiding)

7 Day 3 Kindergarten Craft Day

8

9 1 Day 4 11 Day 5 12 Day 6 13 Day 1 Christmas Showcase: 9:45 – Dress Rehearsal 1:30 – Matinee 6:30 - Evening

14 Day 2 Fun Lunch

15

16 17 Day 3 18 Day 4 CCC Assembly/Champions

- 9:45am Vaccinations Gr. 1-6 (PM)

19 Day 5 Sing-a-long - 12:50-1:20 pm

20 Day 6

Christmas Decorations Day

Pizza Thursday

21 Day 1

Last full day of class before break.

22

23 24

25

Christmas Day

26 27 28 29

30 31

St. Maria Goretti January 2019 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

1 New Year's Day

2 3 4 5

6 7 Day 2

Classes resume La Befana

8 Da 3 9 Day 4

10 Day 5 Pizza Thursday

11 Day 6

SMG Day

Liturgy 9:45 (Fr. presiding)

Fun Snack

Paul Isaak Performance @ 1:00 pm

12

13 14 Day 1

15 Day 2 CCC Assembly/Champ. 9:45am

16 Day 3 School Council – 6:30pm

17 Day 4 First Reconciliation Retreat – AM only

18 Day 5

19

20 21 Day 6

22 Day 1 23 Day 2 Culture Club/SRT Parent & Trustee Forum #3 7-9 pm, Notre Dame H.S.

24 Day 3 Comfy Cozy Day Pizza Thursday

25

Professional Day K-9

- no classes

District Based

26

27 28 Day 4

29 Day 5 30 Day 6 31 Day 1