SCHOOL NEWS
Important Dates
- December 2 – In class Advent Week 1 celebration
- December 2 – 12 Days of Christmas begins – daily fun Christmas events
- December 2 – Hot Dog lunch for Junior High students
- December 3 and 6 – Hot Chocolate sale – see info below
- December 4 – Junior High Hot Lunch – KFC
- December 4 – Dress rehearsal for Kindergarten concert 10:30 AM and 2:10 PM
- December 5 – Kindergarten Christmas Family Night and concert – 5:30
- December 5 – ECSD Kitchen Party – see poster below
- December 9 – In class Advent Week 2 celebration
- December 9 – Hot Lunch for Elementary students – order on PowerSchool by December 6 at 3:00 PM
- December 9 – In-School Glass Ornament (5C & 5D)
- December 10 – Elementary Christmas Concert and practice fieldtrips
- December 10 – Christmas concert for Grades 1 to 5 at West Meadows Baptist Church at 6:30 PM
- December 11 – Field Trip – Grade 1 – TELUS World of Science
- December 13 – Hot Lunch for Elementary students – Healthy Hunger, pay by December 8
- December 16 – Hot Dog lunch for Junior High students
- December 16 and 17 – Gingerbread sale – see info below
- December 17 – Junior High field trip to St. Gerard School – see below
- December 18 – Advent Celebrations 10:15 for Junior High and 11:15 for Elementary – everyone is welcome to attend!
- December 19 – Full Day of classes – dismissal at 2:42 pm
- December 19 – Junior High ‘Christmas Ball’ (dance) at 1:00 PM
- December 20 – Early dismissal at 12:00 pm, Christmas holidays start!
Dream for Kids – our school’s Advent Social Justice initiative
As we enter this season of sharing and supporting those in need, we are excited to launch a special initiative to help make a difference in the lives of children through the Edmonton Catholic Schools Foundation’s Dreams for Kids program.
What’s in a dream? Everything!
While we encourage our students to dream big, some children face significant challenges that can hold them back. Hunger, lack of basic needs, limited access to extracurricular opportunities, and struggles with mental health can make achieving their dreams feel impossible. Dreams for Kids steps in to provide support, helping children overcome these barriers and reach their full potential.
Our initiative will run from Monday, December 2, to Friday, December 13, and we are inviting students to bring in a donation of a Loonie, a Toonie, or a five-dollar bill. To make this meaningful, we suggest families have students earn their donation by doing an extra chore or act of service at home.
Each student who donates will receive a paper ornament to write their name on, which will be used to decorate the trees in the school entrance—creating a beautiful display of generosity and community spirit.
Elementary Christmas Concert: A Special Giving Opportunity
In addition, at our Grades 1 to 5 Christmas Concert at West Meadow Baptist Church on December 10, we will have a special jar available for parents to contribute Loonies and Toonies. Every donation will go directly to Dreams for Kids, helping to make a real difference for those less fortunate.
The deadline for cash donations is Friday, December 13. Thank you for supporting this initiative and for teaching our students the joy and importance of giving to others. Together, we can inspire hope and possibility this holiday season.
Elves of St. John XXIII – annual Junior High Social Justice Project
Our Junior High students will be working as elves for our annual Elves of St. John XXIII Project. This is a tradition at our school where Junior High students prepare and deliver shoebox gifts for the students at St. Gerard School Elementary School.
Students will work alone or in pairs, to create a gift by filling a shoebox for a student at St. Gerard. In the shoebox they are to place a book, which they will read to the student when we visit on December 17, small articles of clothing, games, or toys as well as a handwritten Christmas wish for the student. The total cost of items in the box should not exceed $20.00. Please only add new/unused items.
Kindergarten Christmas Family Night
Our Kindergarten students will have a Christmas Family Night on December 5 at 5:30 PM. Families and students are asked to come in pajamas and to bring a blanket for the family to sit on for the short performance and special activities. Since we don’t have room for extended family, there will be a dress rehearsal on December 4 in the classrooms during class time. Mrs. Eckford and Mme Carrie have sent home all the details for these two events. Please check your inbox more information.
Christmas concert – Grades 1 to 5
Here are the all the details you need to know about our Grades 1-5 Elementary Christmas Concert. It is always a very happy and exciting event, that helps us get into the Christmas spirit.
Location: Due to the number of students, our Christmas concert will be once again held at West Meadows Baptist Church – 9333 199 St NW, Edmonton, AB T5T 6E8
Date and time: Tuesday December 10 at 7:00 PM
Arrival time for students: 6:30 PM. Please note the church doors will not be open until 6:30 PM.
Dress Code: Festive attire. Please avoid clothing that may hinder movement on stage as students may be sitting, standing, and moving. We want everyone to be comfortable and enjoy the performance.
All students will have an opportunity to rehearse at the church on the day of the concert. You have already received a field trip permission form for this field trip to the church for a concert run through. The evening of the concert, students and families are asked to arrive at 6:30 PM. Parents can find a seat in the church and students will meet their teachers at the designated meeting point. Please note the church doors will not be open until 6:30.
Mme Davies and the students have been working hard preparing for this performance. We appreciate your support in making this event a memorable and joyful experience for the children. We look forward to celebrating the Christmas season with you at the Elementary School Christmas Concert!
Bottle Drive 9C Fundraiser
We are excited to share that the 9C class will be traveling to Montreal, Quebec City, and Ottawa in April 2025 as part of the French Culture and Language component of the French Immersion program. This enriching experience is a tradition in many ECSD French Immersion Junior High schools and offers students an opportunity to immerse themselves in French-speaking environments while deepening their understanding of Canadian history and culture.
How can you support?
Bring your empties to Green Bottle Depot Windermere and request to donate the funds to St. John XXIII Catholic School account.
They are open every day from 8:30 am to 7:00 pm.
They appreciate your support!
Hot Dog Lunch for Elementary students – December 9
To support the Grade 9C class trip to Eastern Canada, the 9C parents will be organizing an Elementary Hot Dog lunch. Order on PowerSchool by 3:00 PM on Friday December 6.
Hot Chocolate and Gingerbread for sale
Recreation Leadership 9 are running TWO fundraisers to support the class on participating in field trips and covering costs associated with the course. This allows us to try new activities that were originally out of our budget.
The two fundraising teams are working against each other to see who can raise the most funds with their fundraiser. This is to teach them about organizational skills, promotional skills, and to see how they work together to sign up for tasks and to contribute to the overall fundraiser as a group!
Study resources – grades 3 to 9
We’re excited to announce our partnership with Castle Rock Research, making top-notch educational resources more affordable for everyone! Check out the great discounts available for the 2024-25 school year:
- Problem Solved and Class Notes for $17.00 (originally $24.95)
All materials are updated to align with the Alberta curriculum in Math, Science, English, and Social Studies.
Get your copies now by visiting: https://schoolorders.solaro.com/8726
SCHOOL COUNCIL NEWS
November 27 update
Thank you to those who participated in the last meeting—your contributions truly matter and are greatly appreciated! We are currently looking for a Vice Chair; if you are interested or have any questions, please contact us. We look forward to seeing you at the next meeting.
The upcoming School Council meetings are scheduled for:
- January 22, 2025, at 6:30 PM
- April 9, 2025, at 6:30 PM
- June 11, 2025, at 6:30 PM
All parents and guardians are welcome to attend to stay connected and support our school community.
DIVISION NEWS
Christmas Kitchen Party
Celebrate traditional French-Canadian music, song, and dance!
Edmonton Catholic Schools is hosting a French Immersion Christmas Kitchen Party on Thursday, December 5. Join us for an interactive evening of music, dance, and refreshments. We are delighted to welcome the dynamic musical stylings of Robert Walsh, whose performance will have you dancing and singing along. Complimentary hot chocolate will be provided. Families can purchase chocolate crêpes offered by Alliance française at a cost of $5 for two crêpes.
Date: Thursday, December 5, 2024
Time: 6:00 – 7:30 PM
Location: École Holy Child Catholic Elementary School (9844 110 St NW)
Parking is available along the street and in the school parking lot.
This event is free; however, registration is required. Please click this link.
ECSD Survey
Edmonton Catholic Schools is committed to providing an excellent Catholic education to the more than 50,000 students we serve. We believe it is important to hear your thoughts on the overall performance of your child’s school and the Division so that we can see what’s working and what needs to be improved. One of the ways we gather your feedback is through the ECSD Annual Survey.
Your child received your survey today.
How to Participate?
- Fill out a Survey – Take a few moments to complete the survey—it’s a small step that makes a big difference for our Division.
- One Survey per Child – If you have more than one child in ECSD, please complete a survey for each student, focusing on their individual educational experiences.
- Return by January 10, 2025 – Return the survey using the provided business reply envelope. You can send it back through your child’s school or drop it in any Canada Post mailbox. Due to the Canada Post strike, you are asked to return the survey directly to school.
Chief Superintendent Anderson’s December Message
December 1 marks the First Sunday of Advent, a time of gratitude and joy for Edmonton Catholic Schools. December is also a time when our ECSD community has the opportunity to share feedback through various online surveys. In this monthly message, I will highlight these important events through the lens of goodness, truth, and beauty.
GOODNESS. I recently had the pleasure of joining Christ the King Catholic Elementary/Junior High School as they celebrated their Feast Day. The Feast of Christ the King marks the end of the liturgical year and celebrates Jesus patiently waiting for us in the Kingdom of Heaven. It was an uplifting opportunity for students to learn about our faith and to witness the acts of Catholic social justice embedded into the program that day.
December 1 marks the First Sunday of Advent, a time of gratitude and joy for Edmonton Catholic Schools. December is also a time when our ECSD community has the opportunity to share feedback through various online surveys. In this monthly message, I will highlight these important events through the lens of goodness, truth, and beauty.
TRUTH. As we mentioned in the November Message, in order for Edmonton Catholic Schools to be the best we can be, it is crucial to receive feedback from the entire ECSD community. To collect this feedback, staff, students, and parents/guardians will receive instructions over the next few weeks on how to complete the ECSD Annual Survey.
We appreciate that it can be hard finding time to complete surveys, however, your opinion is very important. Within the Division Plan for Continuous Growth, there are processes which specify how survey results are used to set targets for improvement for the Division and individual schools. Therefore, we strongly encourage every member of the ECSD community to share your feedback. Your efforts are greatly appreciated.
BEAUTY. As another Advent journey begins, each of us in the ECSD community joins together in prayer and reflection to prepare for the birth of Jesus. Each week of Advent is filled with liturgies and school-based celebrations where students share gifts and talents with their families. There are also wonderful Division events, such as our All-City Choir and Band Concerts. We are truly blessed to celebrate the beauty of our Catholic faith together as a Christ-centered community.
Christmas is always a joyous time for us as we celebrate the great gift of God’s love for us, incarnate in the baby Jesus. This year is extra special since Pope Francis will officially open the 2025 Jubilee on Christmas Eve by celebrating Mass in St. Peter’s Square and then opening the Holy Door of the Basilica. The theme for this special Jubilee celebration of our faith is Pilgrims of Hope, which is a beautiful complement to our ECSD theme of People of Hope. You can follow the Jubilee activities by clicking here.
I wish you and your family a glorious Christmas season, filled with the hope that flows from the birth of our Messiah!
Lynnette Anderson
Chief Superintendent
ST. THOMAS MORE PARISH NEWS
Here is the latest bulletin from our church: https://stm.caedm.ca/hp_wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Dec-1-2024.pdf
Here’s is the bulletin for kids: https://thekidsbulletin.com/
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