Ecole St. John XXIII School News

October 1, 2026

SCHOOL NEWS

IMPORTANT DATES

• October 1 – JH Cross Country Run at Rundle Park – pick up at school at 4:30
• October 1 – Extracurricular Music Experience at Oscar Romero High School for Grade 6 students – Thursday afternoon, pick up at school at 4:30
• October 1 – 9C & 9D parent mtg for Quebec Trip at 5:30 in the library
• October 1 to 16 – Food Bank Collection for St. Thomas More Food Bank
• October 1 to 20 – School Fundraiser – Holiday Collection Catalogue
• October 5 – Eric Reinhart – You’re Not Alone presentation for Grades 6 to 9
• October 5 – Sr. Boys Soccer Quarterfinals – 4:15 location to be determined
• October 5 to 9 – READ-IN Week and HERO Week – see poster below
• October 6 – Sr. Girls Soccer Quarterfinals – – 4:15 location to be determined
• October 7 – Sr. Boys Soccer Semifinals – 4:15 location to be determined
• October 8 – Dress as your hero
• October 8 – Sr. Girls Soccer Semifinals – 4:15 location to be determined
• October 9 – Dress in STJ attire
• October 9 – Thanksgiving Liturgical Celebrations
  • JH at 11:30 AM
  • Elementary at 1:30 PM
• October 9 – Sr. Boys/Girls Soccer Final – 4:15 at Sister Annata Brockman
• October 11 – STJ Feast Day
• October 12 – Thanksgiving Day – NO SCHOOL
• October 19 – Referendum Day – NO SCHOOL
• October 20 – Junior High Hot Lunch – see below to register
• October 22 – Wear Blue for Catholic Education
• October 23 – Elementary Hot Lunch – volunteers needed
• October 27 – Photo retakes
• October 28 – Grades 6 and 9 Immunization
• October 30 – Halloween Fun
• October 30 – School fees and course fees due
• November 1 – All Saints’ Day

STAY HOME WHEN SICK

The health, safety, and well-being of our students and staff remain Edmonton Catholic Schools’ first priority.

Staying home when sick is one of the most important ways we can protect our school communities. Students and staff need to monitor for symptoms daily before coming to school. Anyone who is exhibiting symptoms of illness, including fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, new or worsening cough, or shortness of breath, should remain at home until their symptoms have improved and they have been free of fever for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication, and they feel well enough to resume normal activities. If your child becomes sick at school, please come and pick them up as quickly as possible. Keeping illness out of our schools is a shared responsibility. Please inform us if your child will not be attending for any reason.

ECSD continues to follow the guidance and direction provided by Alberta Health Services, Alberta Health, and Alberta Education to support our schools in reducing the risk of transmission of illness and maintaining safe and healthy learning environments for our students and staff.

SCHOOL FEES/JUNIOR HIGH COURSE FEES/BUS FEES

School fees and Junior High course fees are now posted on PowerSchool and are due October 30. We kindly ask for your prompt attention to this important matter, as these fees help us continue to provide excellent learning experiences and fun opportunities for our students. Bus fees are already posted on PowerSchool and can be paid in advance or on the first day of each month.

Technology Fees at STJ

Technology fees at École St. John XXIII help support the digital tools, resources, and educational platforms that enhance student learning throughout the school year. These fees contribute to the provision and maintenance of school Chromebooks, digital subscriptions, and other online learning resources used to support instruction across all grade levels. Chromebooks are provided to students to facilitate access to digital learning opportunities, educational programs, and online resources. In addition, students in Grades 5 to 9 will use the Government of Alberta’s Vretta platform to support their learning and preparation for the Provincial Achievement Tests (PATs). Access to this platform is available on division devices only and is particularly important, as its use is now mandatory for students writing the Grade 6 and Grade 9 PATs. These technology resources help ensure that students have opportunities to develop their digital skills, engage in meaningful learning experiences, and become familiar with the online tools they will use for provincial assessments.

Online Subscriptions for St. John XXIII 2026-2027

CELEBRATING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT: ST. JOHN XXIII HONOUR ROLL

At St. John XXIII, we are proud to recognize and celebrate students who demonstrate dedication, perseverance, and a commitment to excellence in their learning. Students who meet our Honours or Honours with Distinction criteria will be recognized four times throughout the school year, with their names shared with our school community.

• November 19
• January 29
• March 11
• June 15

Honours
Students who achieve:

• 81–90% in all core subjects: Math, Science, ELA/FLA, Social Studies, and Religion
• A Proficient standard in all other subjects
• No NHI (Not Handed In) assignments or outstanding work

Honours with Distinction
Students who achieve:

• 91–100% in all core subjects: Math, Science, ELA/FLA, Social Studies, and Religion
• A Proficient standard in all other subjects
• No NHI (Not Handed In) assignments or outstanding work

We look forward to celebrating these achievements while continuing to encourage every student to grow, persevere, and strive for their own personal best throughout the school year.

HOT LUNCH – Junior High Hot Lunch starts October 20

As we welcome everyone back for a new school year, we are excited to get the Junior High Hot Lunch Program started again!

You will need to register for the new school year.

1. Go to Healthyhunger.ca
2. Click add students
3. Add:

• first name
• last name
• Alberta
• Edmonton
• St. John XXIII Junior High
• Select grade, ensure Homeroom is correct

Hot Lunch Ground Rules

If your child is sick or absent on a lunch day, or if you have already ordered lunch and your child will be absent, please contact the school to let them know what you would like to do with the lunch:

• Donate it to another student, or
• Arrange to pick it up by the end of the day

Ordering cut-off

The ordering deadline is the previous Thursday at MIDNIGHT for the upcoming Tuesday lunch.

Please do not message the hot lunch coordinator, the school, or Healthy Hunger asking to add an order after the deadline. Unfortunately, once the ordering window has closed, late orders cannot be added.

We are there to help your child

We ask that you remind your child to speak up right away if anything is missing from their lunch.

We do make rounds during lunch and will always try our best to help. If we have extra food available, we may be able to provide a substitute. However, this is not always possible.

STJ DIFFERENCE

This year, we are introducing something new. The St. John XXIII Difference. Each month, our students and staff will focus on a different way we can live out the teachings of Jesus and make a positive difference in our school and in the lives of those around us. Through simple acts of kindness, compassion, gratitude, service, courage, and faith, we will be reminded that being a follower of Jesus is not just about what we believe; it is about how we live. Each monthly focus will give us an opportunity to grow together as a Catholic school community and to make The St. John XXIII Difference in our community.

SCHOOL COUNCIL NEWS

SCHOOL COUNCIL

School Council – November 16 at 6:30 in person and on TEAMS

Thank you to all the parents who participated in our Annual General Meeting; we had 55 attendees. We also elected our 2026-2027 Executive. A huge thank you to our outgoing Chair and Vice Chair, Nicola and Kristina. They were instrumental in providing our students and staff with many special events. Their work is much appreciated by all!

Meet your new STJ School Coucil:

• Chair – Stella
• Vice Chair – Ochuko
• Secretary – Lindsay
• Treasure – Gill
• Member at Large – Tobi

We invite all parents and guardians to join us on Monday, November 16 at 6:30 pm for our next School Council. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn more, ask questions, and get involved in supporting our school community.

We hope to see you there!

Stay Connected!

ST. THOMAS MORE PARISH NEWS

Here is a message for all families from our Church.