750 Leger WAY, Edmonton, Alberta, T6R 3H4 Phone (780) 471 – 4218 (780) Fax 471 – 1731

November News 2017

Lord, we pray for the power to be gentle; The strength to be forgiving;

The patience to be understanding, And the endurance to accept the consequences

Of holding to what we believe to be right.

May we put our trust in the power of good to overcome evil And the power of love to overcome hatred.

We pray for the vision to see And the faith to believe in a world free from violence,

A new world where fear shall no longer lead us to commit injustice, Nor suffering bring selfishness to others.

Help us to devote our whole life and thought and energy

To the task of making peace, Praying always for the inspiration and the power

To fulfill the destiny for which we were all created.

This we ask of you, who is the Lord of peace, One God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Amen

Catholic Education Sunday

We traditionally celebrate Catholic Education on the first Sunday of the month. The purpose of Catholic Education Sunday is to come together as a community to celebrate

the gift of Catholic education. The goal of Catholic education is to assist our young people to know, love and follow the Lord. This love impels us to serve others, to give of

ourselves for the common good and to care for one another as peacemakers.

Please join us on November 5th, 2017 at St. Thomas More Parish for the 10:00 am mass to celebrate with our school and parish family.

REMEMBRANCE DAY OBSERVANCE Our school community will join to recognize the many soldiers, men and women, who have given their lives, over time, for our many rights and freedoms. Please join us on Thursday, November 10th at 11:30 am for our Remembrance Day Observance

Ceremony. Together we will celebrate and give thanks to the men and women who have served our country in the military. A reminder to all there will be no school on Friday, November 10th. Classes will resume at 8:25 am on Monday, November 13th.

REPORT CARDS Elementary: Report cards will go live on-line at 3:00 pm on November 17, 2017. Parent -teacher interviews will be held on Thursday November 23, 2017. Information regarding the sign-up process will be forthcoming. Junior High: There are only two formal reporting periods this year, January and June. In November and March, teachers will post an interim progress report on Power School. Teachers will then contact individual parents of students they are concerned about, to have a phone interview at an agreed time or schedule a face to face meeting on November 23rd. Information regarding the face to face meetings will be forthcoming. SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL We invite all parents to join us on November 15th @ 7:00 p.m. for our third School Council meeting. Our School Council is a group of committed and dedicated parents who want to support our school activities and build a strong school community. Your opinions and ideas are important. We invite all parents to please join us!

Parking Please do not use the staff parking lot as a student drop off or pick up. Grade 8 Trip to Eastern Canada – Celebrating 150 years! This year’s trip to Ottawa, Kingston and Montreal was a huge success. The weather was amazing, and the students could explore many different sites including The Royal Canadian Mint, the War Museum, the Parliament Building, Bellevue House, and the Montreal Science Museum. The students also enjoyed a ghost tour in Ottawa as well as an hour cruise through the 1000 islands near Kingston. One highlight was the Aura Light Show in Notre Dame Basilica in Montreal. The days were packed from morning until night and the students were great ambassadors of Archbishop Joseph MacNeil School.

Peace Tower, Ottawa

Fort Henry, Kingston

Rideau Hall, Ottawa

Montreal

Provincial Achievement Test Results

Grade 6 Provincial Achievement Test Results - 2016/2017

Test Group Acceptable Standard

Standard of Excellence

English Language Arts School District Province

94.4 92.3 91.5

38.9 22.3 20.9

Mathematics School District Province

88.9 73.5 76.2

22.2 10.7 13.7

Science School District Province

88.9 85.0 86.0

53.7 28.4 33.2

Social Studies School District Province

88.9 82.0 81.3

37.0 23.0 25.1

University of Alberta STUDENT TEACHERS AT AJM

We are very fortunate to have 3 Student Teachers, from the Faculty of Education at

the University of Alberta assigned to our school in this fall term. The time they

spend here will immerse them in the reality and complexities of school life. All Student Teachers are closely supervised by their Mentor Teachers and will be encouraged to become involved in activities throughout the school. We know this is a tremendous learning experience for the Student Teachers as well as our own students and staff. It provides our school staff opportunities for professional growth and development as they explore their thoughts and ideas about teaching, classroom, and school practices while mentoring the Student Teachers. The 3 Introductory Field Experience Student Teachers will be here from November 13-December 11, 2016 and have been observing classes at AJM on three Fridays in October.

FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT – December 3rd, 2017

Please join our AJM school family in celebrating the First Advent celebration on Monday December 4th at 9:30 am in our

gymnasium. His Grace Archbishop Joseph MacNeil will be in attendance.

Advent weekly celebrations for week 2 & 3 will occur in the

class.

Mark your Calendars… AJM Elementary Christmas Celebrations

December 5th @ 6:30 pm – Elementary

Christmas concert for gr. 1,3 5 December 6th @6:30 pm – Elementary

Christmas concert for gr. K, 2, 4

Halloween Dance This year the junior high students were asked to bring in a food bank donation instead of paying for their dance. The food collected will be donated to St Teresa of Calcutta school in downtown Edmonton. Mavericks Athletics We have had a busy start to the athletic season this fall. This year we have been granted permission to have our grade nine students be a part of our Maverick teams and so far have seen some great results. Soccer: Both the girl’s and boy’s teams did very well this fall. Although the weather did not cooperate at times, the teams both walked away with Championship trophies for their division. It was fabulous to see the two teams being able to compete at a level that allowed for them to be successful. Thank you to our coaches Mr. Barron, Mrs. DeForge and Miss. Stack for braving the cold and snow to guide our teams to victory. Cross- Country: Our cross-country runners enjoyed a lovely fall for running. The events were held at Gold Bar Park and our team did well running in the river valley and enjoying the scenery. Thank you to our coaches Ms. Lis, Mr. Shinkaruk and Mrs. DeForge for keeping our runners in shape for the races. Volleyball: This fall we have FOUR teams due to the grade nines being a part of our teams. We have senior teams that will play in a more competitive league and two junior teams that will play in a developmental league. There is an actual league this year for our junior teams so watch in the next newsletter to see how the mavericks do. Our coaching staff this year includes: Sr. Girls Ms. Lis and Mrs. Grattan Sr. Boys Mr. Shinkaruk and Mr. Sharkey Jr. Boys Mr. Fairfield and Mr. Cyr Jr. Girls Mrs. Porter and Mrs. Brudler

Curling: This year we have two teams competing in curling on Friday nights at the Derrick. Ms. Gaborak and Mrs. Skeels will guide our students hopefully to the button! Safety Protocols For information we have conducted three fire drills in the last month as well as our first lockdown drill. Important Dates

Nov. 1 WE Day in Calgary for junior high Nov. 2 Sr. Boys volleyball game – 4:00 pm Nov. 6 Sr. Girls volleyball game – 4:00 pm Nov. 7 Business junior high students to Skills Canada Exploration Nov. 9 Remembrance Celebration – 11:30 am Nov. 10 NO SCHOOL Nov. 14 Sr. Boys volleyball game – 4:00 pm Nov 15 SAC meeting – 7:00 pm (library) Sr. Girls volleyball game – 4:00 pm Nov. 17 Fall Marketplace Elementary report cards go live online Nov. 23 Parent Teacher Interviews Nov. 24 Elementary Fun lunch Nov. 28 Gr. 6 class trip to TELUS World of Science Sr. Boys volleyball game – 4:00 pm Nov. 29 Sr. Girls volleyball game – 4:00 pm

November 2017

“My soul shall glory in the Lord, for He has been so good to me.” (Taste and See, James Moore JR.)

The hymns which we sing in our liturgies and in the Mass are often rooted in scripture. The verse shared above comes from one of our most beautiful Eucharistic songs, and is based on Psalm 34. This psalm is one of thanksgiving in which the psalmist is praising God for deliverance from troubles. When you are struck by the beauty of the message in songs at church, consider looking at the reference at the end of the song in the hymnal and reading the corresponding scripture passage!

Archbishop Smith has released a pastoral letter to the Archdiocese that will provide special focus for our faith community over the next 5 years. It is deeply grounded in the words of Pope Francis, “These are the two conditions in order to follow Jesus: to listen to the word of God, and to put it into practice. This is the Christian life – nothing more. Simple, simple.” (Homily at Daily Mass, September 23, 2014)

You can read the pastoral letter, watch a video titled Archbishop Smith’s Pastoral letter in 60 Seconds, and find other resources at http://caedm.ca/Letter. Beginning with this month’s newsletter, we will also be including highlights of sections of the pastoral letter for your information and consideration.

We are very pleased to welcome our newly elected Board of Trustees: Ward 71-Terry Harris, Ward 72-Sandra Palazzo, Ward 73-Carla Smiley, Ward 74-Debbie Engel, Ward 75-Alene Mutala, Ward 76-Lisa Turchansky, and Ward 77-Laura Thibert. Their very first Public Meeting was held on October 30. The Trustees were sworn in and held their Organizational Meeting. Trustee Harris was elected as Chairperson for the upcoming year, and Trustee Palazzo was elected as Vice-Chairperson for the same period.

Our Alberta Education Accountability Pillar Results Report, which is our report card from the province, was released a few weeks ago. Our results, which are outstanding, reflect our commitment to continuous growth! Visit our website to view the overall summary. https://www.ecsd.net/AboutUs/annual_reports/Documents/sbfile/171017/ECSD%20Acc.%20Pillar%20Summary%20October%202017.pdf

Catholic Education Sunday is being celebrated across Alberta on November 5th this year. We celebrate Catholic education for the advantage, richness, and success that Catholic education brings to our students and families. Please check our website and our social media each day during the week of October 30 – November 3 as we highlight different aspects of what makes Edmonton Catholic Schools so great for our children and families. You can also join us on Catholic Education Sunday (November 5) at St. Joseph Basilica for the Commissioning Mass for our new Edmonton Catholic Schools Board of Trustees at 12:15 pm. Bishop Bittman will be presiding.

. . . 2

One of the significant characteristics of Catholic education is that, in addition to having our faith permeated in all aspects of the school day, all students also have courses in Religious Education. In Elementary and Junior High, all students have Religion classes within their schedules. At the High School level, students are expected to complete 9 credits in Religious Education within their program, and which contribute to Alberta Education's criteria of 100 earned credits required as the minimum for graduation.

We are pleased to begin sharing a new video series for students and parents on Staying Safe in a Digital World. Our first video is titled Privacy. The series features our STAY (School Team Advisor for Youth) Officer, Rick Cole, who will offer simple tips on how to be sure that we remain safe in the online world. You can access this video by visiting www.ecsd.net and clicking on the video title on our banner. We will use social media to share the release of future episodes.

In this month which is dedicated to remembrance and peace, I will leave you with a tweet from Pope Francis: “Let us bring the flame of Christ’s love to humanity which needs true happiness and peace so much.” (October 20/17)

Sincerely, Joan Carr Superintendent

Spirits, Saints, and Souls. The early days of November within the Catholic Church mark the

month for which we commemorate the memory of all the faithfully departed. While All Hallow’s

Eve spurs the popular imagination with Spirits, this is really intended to prime the mind and

heart to focus on the Saints and Souls who have lived and passed. These Saints and Souls are the

faithfully departed - our brothers and sisters in Christ who have gone before us. Initially it may

be emotionally difficult to let go of them due to their physical absence; however, eventually we

come to realize their spiritual presence remains which both offers and reminds us of a different

form of human connection. This is why we need to remember them in prayer and also request

they pray for us too. Contrary to a popular misconception, we pray not to them, but rather for and

through them. Together we help comprise what is such a central element to our Christian Faith:

the Communion of Saints. In so doing, we understand how there is continuity between this world

and that of the next. This is a long standing tradition in the Church which shows how life in

Christ is indeed eternal and our relationship with Him extends into a community. Those who

have died in the peace of Christ are still alive in and with Him because of their Faith and ours

which continues. To help ensure this, it is the work of every member of the Church, which

includes all the baptized believers - both living and deceased - to help bring people into a

relationship with Christ and an intimacy with God. And so each time we celebrate Mass in

School or on Sundays, we remember that the entire mystical Body of Christ is present, together.

Effectively, because our departed have already arrived at the place to which we are also seeking

to be, they can therefore offer the inspiration, insight, and guidance we need, in response to the

prayers we make for ourselves and for them. Though death can be hard, it is a part of this life,

and which also leads to the next. And so November is a gift to recognize and remember those

good souls who have died & are yet still very much in spirit with us.

Most sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Dean Dowle

LISTENING AND DAILY ATTENTIVENESS TO THE WORD OF GOD

On September 14, 2017, Archbishop Richard Smith issued his Pastoral Letter - Living in the Word of God to the clergy and the lay faithful of the Archdiocese of Edmonton. In his message, the Archbishop recalled his baptism:

“On May 10th, 1959, at just two weeks of age, I was taken by my parents to our parish church to be baptized. It is without question the best and most important action my mother and father ever undertook on my behalf. By the sacrament of Baptism, I was washed with the mercy of God the Father and given the gift of new life through a communion of love and friendship with his Son, Jesus Christ. Furthermore, it brought me into the community of people who follow Jesus Christ as Lord and united me to them by the bestowal of the Holy Spirit, who dwells within all the baptized. With the passage of time my gratitude for being a member of the Church has steadily deepened. It is truly beautiful to be a Catholic. What begins at Baptism is a way of life that is shaped by sacred teachings, strengthened by sacramental celebration, and marked by loving service of neighbor” (Archbishop Richard Smith).

It is true that at Baptism, our life in Christ begins. Baptism makes us disciples; to respond to his call to follow him. Yet what does it mean to follow Jesus? Simply, it is a matter of listening and doing. An authentic disciple of Jesus Christ is one who first listens to his Word and then puts it into practice. In the Archbishop’s Pastoral Letter, we are offered insight as to how we can listen carefully to the Word of God and, in a shared commitment, put it into practice.

Saint Paul teaches that faith comes from what is heard, meaning that the first act of the disciple is to listen carefully to what God is saying in the words of Jesus. The hearing of Christ's Word demands a silent and attentive listening. Yet, we live in a world surrounded by noise and confusion, thus we must work particularly hard to cultivate that inner stillness to hear and to be transformed by the Word of God. On the Archbishop’s part, he suggests that we take as little as ten minutes each day to read a few lines of the Bible; to pray together at mealtime; and to create a prayer space in the home:

“I encourage 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. Here I suggest three simple ways by which our families can make the Word of God central to their daily living and draw from it guidance and peace: Grace at mealtime, creation of a prayer space in the home, and family discussion of the Sunday Homily” (Archbishop Richard Smith).

As families, it is especially important to gather and to reflect deeply upon the Word of God. In this way we will not only support one another as we grow in our relationship with Jesus, but we will also encourage one another to embrace the common mission that is ours in virtue of our Baptism into his Church.

Sandra Talarico Religious Education Consultant

Weekend Mass Times

Saturday Vigil: 5:00 pm

Sunday: 8:30 am, 10:00 am,

12:00 pm & 6:00 pm

Catholic Education Sunday at St. Thomas More

Sunday November 5th is dedicated to Catholic Education. St. Thomas More Parish will celebrate the

gift of Catholic Education at the 10:00 AM Mass. The family of schools that are associated with STM

will be honoured and celebrated at this Mass. Children will read, carry the gifts and help with

offertory at this special Mass. Please plan on attending the 10:00 am Mass and help us to celebrate

the gift of Catholic Education.

Confirmation

Confirmation 2017 has started with over 200 students and 30 volunteers. Please pray for all these

students. Confirmation 2018 registrations will start in May 2018, and will be for anyone who is 11 or

12 by November 2018.

First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion

1st Reconciliation and 1st Holy Communion are offered to children in Grade 2, with the program

starting in February. Please see the green sacrament brochure in your Catholic school office or parish

brochure stand for the details. Drop-in Registrations, will occur from 9-11:00 a.m. on the 1st Saturday

of each month (Oct. thru Feb.) at St. Thomas More Parish. To prepare for the drop-in registration

please read the green brochure thoroughly and select the dates of the various sacrament meetings

that you will attend with your child.

Contact: Call Corina or Sara at the parish office for more information. 780-434-6313 ext. 223

Baptism: for children up to 7 years old

Children in grade 2 who wish to receive the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Communion can

be baptized as late as just before receiving their 1st Communion as long as parents have registered

with Diane by the end of January.

Contact: Diane Middleton - Sacrament Assistant at the Parish Office - 780-434-6313 ext. 233

Want to volunteer?

We are always looking for help around the parish. If you’re

interested in volunteering we are using the Remind App join the

classroom Youth Volunteers by texting (204) 800-5266 with the

phrase @helpstm and we will update you with available times to

and volunteer opportunities!

YouCat 4 Youth

Y4Y is a new youth ministry for those in grades 4 – 12 to explore the Youcat and know the depths of their Catholic faith by going through the catechism. Each night will start in a prayer, followed by a related game/activity, a themed teaching, discussion and then snack and finish off in a short prayer. This is a FREE program, so all are invited to attend! For more info contact the Youth Coordinators at the Parish office: youth@stmparish.com

Dom Savio Youth Group

FREE food, fun, and much more! Everyone in Grades 9 – 12 is

welcome to Dom Savio Youth Group. It’s a great place to hang out,

play games, deepen our faith and grow together. We meet every

week after the 6:00 pm Sunday mass in the Youth Room, from 7:00

until 8:30 pm. With no cost, this youth group is open to all! Come

and drop in!

Contact: Sara, Youth Coordinator: youth@stmparish.com OR 780-

434-6313 ext. 223