DECEMBER 2017

Our Mission and Vision

Table of Contents ADMINISTRATORS’ MESSAGE......................................................................................... 2

Volley Ball Teams @ St Cecilia’s Tournament ................................................................ 2

TERRIFIC KIDS – Sponsored by Kiwanis Club .................................................................. 3

LEADERSHIP……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….4

HOME READING ............................................................................................................. 4

Scholastic Book Fair……………………………………………………………………………………………………4

FATHER LEO GREEN CHRISTMAS CONCERT ................................................................... 5

UPGRADED CONCERT SEAT RAFFLE ............................................................................... 5

FATHER LEO GREEN SCHOOL CHOIR .............................................................................. 5

COLD WEATHER SCHOOL BUS CANCELLATIONS ............................................................ 6

APPROPRIATE WINTER WEAR ........................................................................................ 6

ST. DOMINIC SAVIO PARISH NEWS ................................................................................ 7

Christmas Concert Letter……………………………………………………………………………………………8

SAC NEWS ..................................................................................................................... 10

SUPERINTENDENT’S MESSAGE ..................................................................................... 13

Archbishop Smith Letter………………………………………………………………………………………….14

District News……………………………………………………………………………………………………………15

We Learn in the light of Christ

Aprendemos en la luz de Cristo- La lumière du Christ dirige notre apprentissage

École/Escuela Father Leo Green is a Christ centered community that provides a Catholic learning environment celebrating the French and Spanish languages and their cultures. Guided by the teachings of Christ, the staff and students strive for high academic standards where all members are encouraged to develop 21st century learning skills and opportunities in order to become adaptable, global citizens who aspire to a life of faith filled service to others. We, the Catholic school community of École/Escuela Father Leo Green, will ensure that all members are treated with dignity and respect as we learn together in the light of Christ.

ADMINISTRATORS’ MESSAGE Lord our God, we praise you for your Son, Jesus Christ. He is Emmanuel, the hope of all peoples; He is

the wisdom that teaches and guides us; He is the Saviour of every nation.

During the season of Advent, it is important to take some time to reflect

upon and prepare for the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ. All students will

mark each week of Advent in Weekly Advent celebrations that will take

place in the classrooms.

Thank you to all those who attended our Parent/Student/Teacher

conferences on November 23rd. Conferences are an important time for us

to acknowledge the value of working together for the success of all

students. If you were unable to attend the conferences and would like to

schedule a meeting with your child’s teacher, please contact the teacher

for an appointment.

The last day of classes before Christmas break is Friday, December 22nd and dismissal is at 12:00 noon. Classes will commence in the New Year on Monday, January 8, 2018. May the peace of the Christ child touch each of your hearts over this Christmas season and may you enjoy good health and happiness in 2018!

Joyeux Noël! ¡Feliz Navidad!

G. Kodershah (Principal) A. Scarpelli-Mannarino (Asst. Principal)

Father Leo Green Volley Ball Teams at St. Cecilia’s Tournament The girls and boys participated in the St. Cecilia Tournament on Thursday, November 16th.

Congratulations to the girls making the quarter final and the boys making the semifinals. The junior high

coaches were interested in our students and complimented their skills and sportsmanship. Way to go

FLG Lions!

TERRIFIC KIDS – Sponsored by Kiwanis Club Congratulations to the the following students who demonstrated the Beatitude for the month of November. "Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted".

Bradley Cho Delilah Bigstone Anthony Barosch Destin Burns Mateo Kosturic Jaidyn Hachey Miguel Antipan Maykn Martin Truyenque Damian Marinic Barbara Rankin Tiago Campos Breanna Koluk Karesha Nkamicaniye Hayley Kingsley Dezi Ferreira Charbel Boudiwan Leonora Manzo-Hartard Keira Quesada-Unger Mauricio Castro Sofia Canales-Ortez Kaja Hofstede Aden Sesay Dorothy Aru Zander Martens Ashley Munoz Ariana Sanchez Caleb Brown-Wagner Dezi Ferreira Charbel Boudiwan Leonora Manzo-Hartard

Keira Quesada-Unger Mauricio Castro Sofia Canales-Ortez Kaja Hofstede Aden Sesay Dorothy Aru Zander Martens Ashley Munoz Ariana Sanchez Caleb Brown-Wagner Oscar Hulst Oare Aigbonohan Cole Dauk Imani Flomo Tami Salami Lucas Haro Anderson Lee Sienna Castro Enzo Tellez Elijah Lees Nina Ollikka Alexsa Yost-Milett Diego Cruz Hannah Lucyshyn Isabella Parker Alejandro Viscarra-Wood Samuel Kennedy Veronica Pena Even Hanchar

Leadership The Grade 6 leaders have been planning various school wide projects and activities that promote health and wellness among the students in a fun and engaging way.

❖ The Physical Literacy group under the supervision of Sr. Cristian have been organizing and leading recess games for other grades for the last 2 weeks.

❖ The Nutrition group with Mme Gough ran the first healthy eating challenge of drinking water at school and presented the 2/3 C winning class with the plaque at our assembly on Friday Dec. 1st.

❖ The volunteer group with Mme Scarpelli helped organize the physical education and the outdoor recess equipment for each class.

❖ The social justice group is planning their first project for December-The Candy Cane Project- Stay tuned for more information regarding this project.

HOME READING- iReader- #FLGreads Thank you parents for supporting our Home Reading Program by making reading a part of

your family time. This month iReader document that was sent home included suggestions

for books in French and Spanish to support our students in developing reading skills in the

language of their program. Each month at the assembly we recognize students who

completed the iReader document and draw names of one student per class to choose a

French or Spanish book as a reward for having read all the suggestions in the iReader

boxes.

Scholastics Book Fair The week of November 20th, the library was transformed into a cavalcade of books for our Scholastics Book Fair. Thank you to everyone who supported our Book Fair. Our proceeds from the Book Fair will enable us to purchase much needed items for our library. A special thank you to Mme Sofia for organizing this successful event and to the Fantastic Grade 6 Leaders who volunteered to assist Mme Sofia.

Father Leo Green Christmas Concert Dec. 19 & 20

"A Glorious Night " will be the theme for this year's Christmas Concert. It will be held on Tuesday,

December 19 and Wednesday, December 20 at 7:00 pm. The concert will feature all students from

Kindegarten to Grade 6. In the spirit of our community we have arranged for you to enjoy presentations

from both the French and Spanish classes.

Due to fire regulations, we will be holding the concert on two separate nights. Students are only

expected to attend one concert performance as per the schedule below:

❖ Tuesday, December 19 at 7:00 pm for those with last name from A to K inclusive

❖ Wednesday, December 20 at 7:00 pm for those with last name from L-Z inclusive

Each family will receive two tickets (2) for the evening of your child’s performance that must be

presented at the door. Tickets will be sent home on Tuesday, Dec.13th.

For more information about this year’s concert, please refer to attached letter on page.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Mme Andrews at (780) 476-0606. Thank

you. Have a very Merry Christmas!

UPGRADED CONCERT SEAT RAFFLE This year we will be holding a raffle for reserved seating in the two front rows at the Christmas concert.

The monies from this raffle will be going to the ECSD Foundation which runs the Dreams for Kids

campaign, the proceeds of which go toward funding programs that directly benefit children in our

schools. Tickets will cost $2.00 each or 3 for $5.00. Each ticket drawn will be given two assigned seats in

one of the two front rows. ** Please note that these will not be 2 additional tickets, but an upgrade of

the tickets you have already received. Tickets will be on sale beginning on Monday, December 4th and

the draw date will be December 15th. You will be notified by phone if you are the lucky recipient of 2

assigned seats (in either the first or second row) to our concert!

Father Leo Green School Choir Our school choir began singing in late September and will continue until mid-May. The choir members

are students from Grade 3 to Grade 6. They meet every Tuesday and Friday during noontime recess

under the direction of Mme Andrews and assisted by Srta Tara. There are approximately 48 students in

the school choir this year. They will perform at various events and places such as the Legislature Building

(Wednesday, December 12 at 12:30 - 12:55) and our school concerts. They love to sing in French,

Spanish and in English! If you have the time, please come to watch our students perform. They would

love your support.

COLD WEATHER SCHOOL BUS CANCELLATIONS Please be advised that the following Radio and TV Stations will carry announcements with respect to transportation cancellations due to inclement weather conditions.

RADIO STATIONS

630 CHED AM 930 The Light CJCA CBC

CISN FM 103.9 SHINE 105.9 FM CHFA (CBC Fr.)

FRESH FM 92.5 TSN 1260 CFCW 840

INEWS 880 AM 95.7 CRUZ FM CAPITAL FM 96.3

The Bounce FM 91.7 The Bear 100.3 FM K97 97.3

UP! 99.3 FM SONIC 102.9 FM 102.3 NOW! Radio

HOT 107 FM 104.9 VIRGIN Radio FM

TV STATIONS

CITYTV CTV Edmonton GLOBAL Edmonton CBC TV

Every effort will be made to have messages broadcast commencing no later than 6:30 a.m.

APPROPRIATE WINTER WEAR Winter will soon be here and with it, the expected cold weather. Please

ensure your children are dressed appropriately for the weather. Label

all new winter wear with your child’s name so that it can be returned

easily if lost. Students who are ill should remain at home until they feel well enough to participate in all school activities, recess included.

ST. DOMINIC SAVIO PARISH NEWS

WE RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT

It is that time of the year where we begin to

prepare for the Sacrament of Confirmation, the

strengthening in God’s Spirit.

An information Packages will be provided in

December 2017, for all grade 6 Confirmation

Candidates.

Save the Date:

Note: Registration and Classes will be held at Saint

Dominic Savio Parish (14406-62 Street).

January 21, 2018: 1:30-2:00 p.m. Registration (Sign

In and purchase of materials) 2:00-3:00 p.m.

(Meeting for Parents and Confirmation Candidate)

January 30, 6:00-8:00 p.m.

February 27, 6-8:00 p.m.

March 13, 6-8:00m p.m.

April 24, 6-8:00 p.m.

April 10, 6-8:00 p.m.

RETREAT: MAY 05, 2018: 9:30-4:00 P.M.

CONFIRMATION DATE: May 12, 2018 @ 5:00 p.m. Mass

Saint Dominic Savio Parish ADVENT PENITENTIAL SERVICE

TUESDAY DECEMBER 19, 2017 @ 7:00 P.M.

CHRISTMAS MASS TIMES

December 24th Christmas Vigil Masses

6:00 p.m. & 9:00 p.m.

December 25th Christmas Day Mass

10:30 a.m.

December 31s New Year Eve 5:00 p.m.

January 01, 2018 Holy Day of Obligation

10:30 a.m.

www.fatherleogreen.ecsd.net

École/Escuela Father Leo Green 7512 – 144 Avenue • Edmonton, AB T5C 2R7 • Phone 780 476-0606 • Fax 780 472-0673

November 22, 2017

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Our Christmas concert, this year, will be held on Tuesday, December 19 and Wednesday, December 20 at 7:00 p.m. The concert will feature all students from Kindergarten to Grade 6. Due to the fact that we need to limit the number of people who are in the gym because of fire regulations, we are having students whose last name which are from A to K inclusive to attend the first night and students whose last names are from L to Z inclusive to attend the second night concert. In the spirit of our community we have arranged for you to enjoy presentations from both the French and Spanish classes.

This program, “A Glorious Night!” is a gift to our community of words, music, and song. We hope this gift will warm your hearts and brighten your day. Please find below some information and reminders about our program that we trust you will find useful in your planning.

Once again, please be aware that we need to limit the number of people who are in the gym for the evening presentation due to fire regulations. Everyone entering the gym for the program MUST have a ticket. Each family will receive two tickets (2) for the evening of your child’s performance that must be presented at the door. PLEASE DO NOT BRING MORE PEOPLE TO THE EVENING PERFORMANCE AS WE WILL HAVE TO REFUSE ENTRY. If there are special circumstances, please contact the office and let us know of the situation. If you do not need all of your tickets, please return the ones you do not need to the office so we can support those families who are have special circumstances. Tickets will be sent home on Tuesday, Dec.13th.

Dress Rehearsal:

· Our final dress rehearsal for the first night (December 19) will begin at 10:30 a.m. December 19.

· Our final dress rehearsal for the second night (December 20) will begin at 10:30 a.m. December 20.

· All students will be present in the gym for the morning dress rehearsals to watch the other studentsperform.

· We encourage extended family members to attend this morning showing as capacity in the gym doesnot allow for extra guests for the evening performance. Each family will be given tickets for only 2 people for the evening.

Evening Performance:

· The school and gym doors will open at 6:30 p.m. Please do not bring children earlier as the doors willbe locked and no supervision in classrooms will be available until that time. The program begins at 7:00 p.m.

www.fatherleogreen.ecsd.net

· Please do not park in the staff parking lot. This is reserved for the staff.

· Please have your children wear the requested clothes as indicated by their homeroom teacher.

· Students must be accompanied by a parent for the evening performance.

· Please be sure to bring your tickets as they will be collected at the door. Only the doors by the frontdoor will be opened for people to enter the gym. Everyone entering the gym must have a ticket.

· When students arrive, they will need to go straight to their classrooms.

· If you have siblings that will attend the show, they will need a ticket for the gym. NO supervision willbe available for these students so they will need to be with you in the gym.

· The front 2 rows will have reserved signs for those families whose names were drawn from the raffle.

· For safety and fire regulations, doorways and aisles must be kept clear during the performances.

· Out of respect for the other families and the performers, plus the safety of the children due to cordsfor the sound system and it being dark, please keep younger siblings with you and away from the front of stage during the performance.

· Children will be waiting to be picked up from their classrooms at the end of the evening after theGrand Finale. Your child’s teacher will keep your child in the class until an adult comes to pick them up.

The children and staff have all worked very hard to prepare for this evening. They are excited to share their work and so we please ask all of our guests to stay for the duration of the concert and enjoy all the performances. All students will be returning to the stage for the final song. The concert is about 45 minutes in length.

Thank you for your continued support. We look forward to sharing our concert with each of you.

Sincerely,

The Staff of École/Escuela Father Leo Green

UPGRADED CONCERT SEAT RAFFLE

This year we will be holding a raffle for reserved seating in the two front rows at the Christmas concert. The monies from this raffle will be going to the ECSD Foundation which runs the Dreams for Kids campaign, the proceeds of which go toward funding programs that directly benefit children in our schools. Tickets will cost $2.00 each or 3 for $5.00. Each ticket drawn will be given two assigned seats in one of the two front rows. ** Please note that these will not be 2 additional tickets, but an upgrade of the tickets you have already received. Tickets will be on sale beginning on Monday, December 4th and the draw date will be December 15th. You will be notified by phone if you are the lucky recipient of 2 assigned seats (in either the first or second row) to our concert!

SAC December News  It has been a very busy fall for the Father Leo Green SAC! Thank you to all who have been helping to plan and organize all of our events so far, and to those who have volunteered time and money to make all of them a success!! We look forward to the next part of the year and to bringing more of you into our group to help and support our kids and our school.    SAC Needs your help!  Class Reps -  There are still classrooms that do not have a Class Rep in place. This means that some of you are not receiving important information about upcoming events and happenings. If your child is in classes… KD, 1B, 2A, 5A or 6A Please consider stepping up as a Class Rep. It is a simple job - you forward emails from the SAC to your class group and try to come to the SAC meetings (there are only 4 left this year!!)     

 Hot Lunch 

Upcoming lunch date 

▪ Thursday, December 21 from Boston Pizza (full day of school) ▪ ORDER DEADLINE - Thursday, December 14 @ 10 pm 

If you would like to volunteer at 11:00 am on December 21 to help deliver the hot lunch, please email Lizet at flgsac@gmail.com . Lizet will confirm with all volunteers directly via email two days prior to the hot lunch date.  Use HealthyHunger.ca to order!! All of the Hot Lunches for the rest of the year are all posted in Healthy Hunger. It is so simple to sign up and get all the lunches ordered so you don’t have to worry about it for the rest of the year! We will be sending out reminder texts just before the order deadline dates and the lunch dates. 

o Payment can be made with Interac Online, Visa or MasterCard. o Items come as listed only. o If you have not done so already, you will need to set up an account 

at HealthyHunger.ca following the instructions on the website – but don’t fear, it’s super easy. 

o PLEASE CHOOSE THE CORRECT CLASSROOM/TEACHER.  French is at the top of the list, Spanish at the bottom. 

  

 

 

Christmas Art Cards   Thank you to everyone that has already placed an order for Christmas Art Cards. The printing is going well and we are caught up to date!! For those of you that 

haven’t ordered yet, the final deadline is Friday, December 8th. Please remember: when handing in the order, you must return it in its entirety – the order form with correct payment.    Please do not send post-dated cheques, and change will not be provided. Orders will be printed in the order they are received. If you have any questions, please contact Tammy Thornton at flgsac@gmail.com .  

Family Market Tradeshow  

The 2nd FLG Family Market on November 23rd was a tremendous success!   

We would like to thank everyone involved. We had 15 dedicated vendors who came out to participate with their beautiful and useful products and were an absolute pleasure to work with. There were kids with crafts, baking, slime, and stress balls; handmade quilts, knitted toques, and handmade deodorant & soaps. There was Norwex, Scentsy, Stella & Dot Jewelry, Lipsense, Mary Kay, and Sweet Infusion Honey. Some awesome Grade 6 volunteers (Kennedy, Carolina, Renato, Sierra, Evan and some last minute helpers) were a big help running the Pop and Popcorn Table. They did a really great job raising over $170.00! A giant THANK YOU goes out to all the families who took the time to come and browse, chat, shop and donate their money that day. For many of the vendors, this was their first plunge into markets like this and it was a really great experience. 

Thanks to the table fees, pop and popcorn sales, and the kind free-will donations we received, we managed to raise over $450.00. This money will help us to continue supporting the kids of our school.   

General News As some of you may not know, there are two councils at our school that help make our school an amazing place to be. Given the small size of our active parent group, both councils are made up of the same parents and elected positions, but in terms of the Government and the School Board they are treated as separate entities. The SCHOOL COUNCIL is made up of all the parents and guardians who have kids attending FLG, as well as the School Administration. We all work together to help 

support and define various aspects of the school community itself, in an effort to continually improve the experience of the students and families of FLG. Then there is what you all are familiar with, the currently named School Advisory Council (SAC). This is actually a legally registered Society that has the power and authority to fundraise and disburse funds to support the school and any activities, materials, technology, and programs that we see fit. It has come to our attention that there needs to be a few significant changes and updates to the way our SAC or Fundraising Society works. All of our core aspects, financial books, and meetings are 100% correct and running properly, but there are some bureaucratic issues that are very out of date and need to be addressed sooner than later. We will need to send out membership forms and gather a register made up of all of you who want to be a part and have a say in what we do as this fundraising society. We also need to come up with a new name that follows some mandated rules. These changes will be happening slowly over the next year, the board will be researching and clarifying everything over the next few months, and by the AGM in June we hope to be presenting information and options for how we will be moving forward. If anyone has any questions, please contact us at flgsac@gmail.com  Again, thank you to all who have helped make all of our fall fundraising and events a success! From all of us at the SAC we wish you all a blessed and Merry Christmas Season!!    

December 2017

O come, divine Messiah; the world in silence waits the day When hope shall sing its triumph and sadness flee away.

(O Come, Divine Messiah, S.J. Pellegrin)

The season of Advent is upon us. It is a sacred time of prayer, reflection, and preparation for the coming of Jesus. There are so many ways that families can share in the joy and anticipation of the birth of our Saviour. Archbishop Smith shares how we can bring the Word of God more deeply into our classrooms and homes in his message to us this month. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, as we light the candles on our Advent wreaths, we can also reflect on the hope, peace, joy, and love that is to be found in the gift of Jesus Christ. There are many special events that are being held in our parishes and schools; evenings of Advent song, the preparation of hampers for families who would benefit from extra support, extra opportunities to celebrate the sacrament of Reconciliation, to name a few.

The Catholic Bishops of Alberta and the Northwest Territories released a supplementary letter just before Catholic Education Sunday. In it, they gave a call to Catholics to join in and spread the great news of Catholic education. They share, “It is important that everyone be ready to stand up for our faith and for our schools. Please be prepared to speak out in support of our Catholic schools whenever you can. We are proud of who we are as Catholics.” You can read the entire letter at https://goo.gl/cauRBf. We will be proudly sharing the story of the richness of Catholic education in Edmonton Catholic Schools using the hashtag #ECSDFaithInspires in the upcoming months, and we encourage you to help us spread the message that Catholic education is an outstanding and important choice for families to guide our children and youth as they learn and grow in mind, body, and spirit. We are embarking on a legacy project and would like to be able to capture the journeys of families who have 3 or 4 generations that are able to share their story of Edmonton Catholic Schools. If your family is interested in participating, please email a brief overview of your generations to marketing@ecsd.net . The response to our Celebration of Catholic Education Evenings in November was tremendous! We have included the responses to the questions which people shared with us as part of the feedback sheets. Edmonton Catholic Schools is excited to participate in the Hour of Code, once again this year. This is the fourth year that we will be participating, and this year’s event will be the best one yet! Hour of Code is a global movement that is supported by Code.org with the purpose of reaching tens of millions of students in 180+ countries through a one-hour introduction to computer science and computer programming. Coding is a great way to develop literacy, numeracy, creativity, and thinking skills. Last year we had over 22,000 students participate and this year we are hoping for 25,000! Our goal is to have a <Bit of Code> In Every School. In his Sunday Angelus to mark the beginning of Advent last year, Pope Francis shared the following message: “In this season of Advent, we are called to expand the horizons of our hearts, to be amazed by the life which presents itself each day with newness.” I wish you all an Advent that fills you with this amazement! Sincerely, Joan Carr Superintendent

December 2017

Dear Friends,

In December, especially in Edmonton, we notice that the hours, minutes of sunlight

diminish. It is during this time of darkness that we begin a new liturgical year. The season

of Advent is upon us. Advent is a time of preparation for Christmas. We prepare to celebrate

the birth of Jesus Christ, the Light of the World (John 8:12). The prophet Isaiah foretold this

event when he wrote: The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who

lived in a land of deep darkness – on them light has shined. (Isaiah 9:2)

During this Advent season as we prepare for Christmas, I invite you to listen to Jesus, the

Word of God and to be guided by the Word. As the Psalmist writes: Your word is lamp unto

my feet and light to my path. (Ps 119:105)

There are many ways to listen to the Word. In our Catholic Schools the Word of God

proclaimed, studied and discussed. I invite you, as I have invited everyone in the

Archdiocese, to hear the Word of God in three ways:

1. To prepare a prayer space in your home or classroom where a Bible takes the place

of honour;

2. To pray a simple prayer before and after meals. I will assist you in this by offering

a biblical verse to help you to hear the Word of God. These are available through

the parish Sunday bulletin.

3. To discuss the Sunday homily as a family.

With Christ as our guide, may you continue to let your light shine before others, so that they

may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven (Matt.5:16) during the

Advent season and throughout the liturgical year.

I pray that you have a blessed Christmas!

Richard W. Smith

Archbishop of Edmonton

LIVING IN THE WORD OF GOD

Creation of a Prayer Space in the Home

In his recent Pastoral Letter, Living in the Word of God, Archbishop Richard Smith offers some

thoughts as to how we, as members of this Archdiocesan family, can together listen carefully to

the Word of God and, in a shared commitment, put it into practice. ” St. Paul teaches that faith

comes from what is heard. This means that the first act of the disciple is to listen carefully to what

God is saying to us in the words of Jesus. The hearing of Christ's Word demands a silent and

attentive listening. This requires effort and determination. Living in a world of noise, we must be

always cultivating, with the help of God's grace, an inner stillness in which we are disposed to

hear and be transformed by the Word of God.”

In the same way, Archbishop Smith invites families, too, to listen together to the Word of God.

“Through a careful listening to this Word, families encounter the Lord in their very midst and hear

within the depths of their hearts his assurance of love and call to holiness and service. One way

to make this happen is to create a prayer space in the home. I recall from my days as a parish

priest the practice of one family that created a sacred space in their home by simply placing a

candle in the corner of one room. They would gather daily around the lit candle to offer their

spontaneous prayers to God for his blessing upon their day.”

We, at Edmonton Catholic Schools, invite you to heed the call of Archbishop Smith. As we

approach the season of Advent, we are reminded that Advent is a time of great spiritual

preparation as we ready our souls for the coming of Christ. Advent is an important season in

which families can dedicate time each day to pray and to share the Word of God together,

preparing in a powerful way for the coming of Christ. This Advent Season, like many of the past,

will be filled with distractions and priorities which attempt to take away from our families

spiritually during this crucial time. Consider creating a prayer space in your home by placing an

Advent Wreath at the center of your dining table. As a family, gather around the Advent Wreath,

before or after meals, to light the Advent candles, to offer spontaneous prayers, and to listen to

the Word of God. During this Advent season, we hope that you will use these traditional tools

with your family and that God will use them to benefit your family with grace and love.

Sandra Talarico, Religious Education Consultant

ENGAGEMENT FEEDBACK 1

Celebration of Catholic Education Religious Education Parent/Guardian

Engagement Evenings Feedback

On November 1 and 2 the Trustees and Administration of Edmonton Catholic School District were pleased

to host parent engagement evenings at St. Charles Parish and Corpus Christi Parish titled: Celebration of

Catholic Education Religious Education Parent/Guardian Engagement Evenings. Each evening began with

the celebration of the Eucharist followed by a presentation and an opportunity for reflection. We were

delighted that Archbishop Richard Smith and Bishop Gregory Bittman were able to celebrate these

evenings with us. They were joined at our Lord’s table by the parish priests, deacons, and our District

Chaplains. Additionally, we were pleased that, so many community members attended Mass and the

program that followed.

We are happy to share some of the feedback and comments we received following each presentation.

Included below are corresponding links to more information and resources as well as highlights from the

presentations.

A. We asked participants: What is one thing from this evening’s presentation that you enjoyed most?

1. “The experiences and opinions of the children in the video; they are the principle role in this story. I

enjoyed the video and how the young students understood their Catholic faith and expressed

themselves with confidence.”

The video, Growing in the Spirit, was a collaborative effort between Learning Services Innovation and

many students from across the school district. It focused on asking students to express their thoughts on

what Catholic Education meant to them. Growing in the Spirit Video

2. “I enjoyed learning about the new curriculum and resources available for parents, teachers and the

parishes. Knowing what my children will be learning enables me to help them grow in their faith.”

Growing in Faith, Growing in Christ, the new Religious Education program approved by the Catholic

Bishops of Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and the Northwest Territories and developed in collaboration

with Catholic educators from across Canada, exemplifies the discipline and rigor with which the program

is delivered. Pearson Canada, the publisher, has developed a school, a home, and a parish website that

helps to integrate the faith into everyday life. Pearson Canada Student-Home Website

Username: ecsd99 Password: Student99

3. “I really appreciate how the Competencies formed through Catholic education are permeated from

Kindergarten to Grade Twelve and that teachers are receiving professional development in this area.”

We know that Catholic education means that students are given the opportunity to encounter Christ in

all aspects of their learning day, not just in Religion class. This means that our Catholic faith is permeated

throughout all subjects and all activities. The Learner Competencies Formed through Catholic Education

reflect the Alberta Programs of Study from a Catholic education standpoint and change the way that we

approach permeation. Learner Competencies Formed Through Catholic Education

4. “I was pleased to see the Archdiocese’s Sacramental Education Initiative. I have children who are

passed their sacraments, so this is a document with which I am unfamiliar.”

ENGAGEMENT FEEDBACK 2

The Standards for Preparing Children and Youth for the Sacraments in the Archdiocese of Edmonton are

the result of the Sacramental Education Initiative set forth by the Archdiocese and the Catholic school

boards chairs and superintendents from our Archdiocese. The Standards have been developed after four

years of wide consultation with priests of the Archdiocese, pastoral assistants, religious consultants,

parents, principals and teachers in our Catholic school districts. We invite you to contact your local

Catholic parish for more information about Sacramental preparation.

The Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton – Sacramental Preparation

B. We asked participants: What is one thing you wonder about or would like to learn more about?

1. “I am anxious to know if Religious Education is mandatory from Kindergarten to Grade Twelve.”

Religious Education is a scholastic discipline and not a complementary course; nor is it a supplement to

other disciplines, but underpins the educational activity of Catholic schools. Students are required to

participate in and complete Religious Education courses each year of their schooling with Edmonton

Catholic Schools. In high school, students typically complete nine credits in Religious Education within a

traditional classroom setting. Under some circumstances, and to accommodate special learning needs,

Religious Education is also delivered in alternative modes such as PASS (Part Time Alternative Self-Paced

School) or Revelation Online.

2. “What is ECSD doing about the alternative curriculum for sexual education in our schools?”

We have, and continue to teach the outcomes of the existing curriculum. To clarify, it should be noted

that the Council of Catholic School Superintendents of Alberta (CCSSA) did not submit a parallel

curriculum proposal to the government. CCSSA is working closely with Alberta Education in supporting

the curriculum development, and seeks to create a supplemental resource that ensures a Catholic lens is

provided for our learners. Our District has teachers participating in the working group that is developing

the new health and wellness curriculum.

3. “I appreciate that teachers and administrators continue their faith journeys in meaningful

professional development opportunities.”

Teachers and administrators have many opportunities to develop and grow in their faith. This includes

School Opening Mass, Permeation Afternoon, Faith Formation Afternoon, Father Michael Mireau Youth

Day, Faith Development Day, Grace for the Heart and Soul, Student Faith Development Days, District-

Wide Professional Development sessions on the RE Curriculum, as well as Social Justice Initiatives;

Religious and Moral Education Conference through the ATA; SPICE and Blueprints through the Alberta

Catholic School Trustees Association; Dinner and a Course through St. Joseph’s College; and the Treasures

of the Faith, the Certificate in Catholic Studies, and the Master of Religious Education through Newman

Theological College.

Included below are two links from the Alberta Bishops in their support of Catholic Education:

Catholic Education Sunday Bishop’s Letter Catholic Education Sunday Supplementary Statement

We thank those who were able to attend the parent engagement evenings and for sharing their

comments.