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Dear Parents/Guardians, Students and Staff:

We must compliment all of the students at St. Richard’s for being truly

exceptional – happy, kind and very well mannered! The staff is

OUTSTANDING! Thank God for all of you! How fortunate we are to live out

our Catholic faith every day at school!

Meet the Staff & Parental Involvement Thank you to all of the parents who came out to our FIRST REPORTING

PERIOD - MEET THE STAFF AND PROGRAM INFORMATION EVENING on

September 22nd. We absolutely love to have parents involved in the learning

at St. Richard School! So many of you signed up to support the children by

volunteering for various positions. God Bless you for that!

Remember…. You are expected, respected and valued! Your energy and

enthusiasm make a huge difference and your input about how to improve

our school is always accepted.

Read-In Week Oct. 3- 7 Come read a story to your child’s

class. Contact the teacher to book a day and time.

We look forward to the joys and challenges October will bring.

Learn, Pray, Love!

Mrs. K. Sosnowski, Principal

Mr. Peter Trybus, Assistant Principal

Do small things with great love …

Saint Teresa of Calcutta

October, 2016 Newsletter

Inside this Issue…

Oct. Nov. Dates 2

Skating Information

School Council 3

Terracycle

Safety 4

Halloween Tips 5

Running Club

Family Liaison Worker

St. Theresa Church 6

Sacramental Preparation

Calendar 7

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Upcoming Events for October

October 3 - 7 Read In Week Theme “One World, Many Voices”

October 07 Thanksgiving Celebration 1:00 Everyone welcome!

October 10 Thanksgiving Day NO SCHOOL

October 11 - 21 Canadian Cognitive Abilities Test for Gr. 6

October 17 Skating Begins for K - Gr. 3

October 26 We Day in Calgary - Gr. 6 Students - 4:00 AM - 6:00 PM

October 31 Halloween Parade @ 1:00

Looking Ahead … November Dates

Food Bank Collection Month

Nov. 4 Student Recognition 1:00

Nov.6 Catholic Education Sunday

Nov. 7, 14 Skating for K - Gr. 3

Nov. 7 Gr. 5 Immunizations

Nov. 9 Remembrance Day Observation @

11:00

Nov. 10 NO SCHOOL – STAFF PD DAY

Nov. 11 NO SCHOOL Remembrance Day

Nov. 15 Joanne Ladouceur Gr. Social Studies

Nov. 18 Report Cards Available on

Powerschool ONLY Gr. 1- 6

Nov. 23 Demonstration of Learning 3:30 - 7:30

Nov. 21 - 24 Scholastic Book Fair in Library

Nov. 26 First Sunday of Advent

Nov. 30 Grades 2 & 3 Suessified Christmas

Carol Arden Theatre

Skating K – Gr. 3

Thank you to Mrs. Voss for arranging the skating

lessons for our students!

Skating dates for 2016 are:

Monday, October 17, 2016

Monday, October 24, 2016

Monday, October 31, 2016

Monday, November 7, 2016

Monday, November 14, 2016

The times for each grade is as follows:

Kindergarten: bus leaves at 8:45am with lessons

9:30-10:15am

Grade 1: bus leaves at 9:45am with lessons

10:15-11:00am

Grade 2: bus leaves at 10:30am with lessons

11:00-11:45am

Grade 3: bus leaves at 11:15am with lessons at

11:45-12:30pm

We will be skating at Mill woods Recreation

Centre. The bus will shuttle students back and

forth from the school to the arena.

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SAC First Meeting Very Well Attended WOW! What a great turn out to our first School Advisory Council meeting!

Thank you to all of the parents who came to the meeting and to everyone who

signed up to volunteer on various committees. We have a new executive…

Chair and Co-chair - Ulanda and Nigel Ryder

Secretary - Lorna Johnson

Treasurer -Sukhrpreet Kroad

We still have open positions to fill.

At St. Richard School, parents are expected, respected and valued! Join in the joy of your child’s learning. Volunteer today!

TerraCycle Project

This year the Grade 5 class will continue to

collect items for our TerraCycle project. TerraCycle is a company in Toronto that takes

garbage and turns it into new and useful products like pallets and picnic benches. The Grade 5 class

has made boxes for each classroom to deposit their items in. We will empty them each Friday.

We are doing this to reduce garbage in our school and to encourage everyone to re-think what

garbage is, to care for God’s creation and to respond to Pope Francis’ encyclical on the

environment and human ecology “Laudato Si”. Please bring in these items from your home or

your workplace …

empty cookie and snack wrappers that will get up-cycled into backpacks and pencil cases.

dried out sharpies, whiteboard markers, pens, felt markers and highlighters.

Thank you for your contributions!

You make the world a cleaner, better place!

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Safety at St. Richard’s is Our Main Concern ...

Parking - Please remember that the parking lot is for staff only at all times. Please do not cut

through the parking lot as you walk into the school yard. Please do not enter the condominium

complex across the street from our school. They have sent a letter asking our parents not to

trespass,

U-Turns - No u-turns are to be made in front of the school. Police will issue tickets.

J-Walking - To j-walk means to cross the street in the middle of the road instead of at the

crosswalks. Police will issue tickets.

Locked Doors

All of the doors, except for the front, office doors, are locked during school hours. This is for

the safety of the students and staff.

Fire Drills & Lockdowns

We practice fire drills and lockdowns during the first few months of school and again in the

spring for safety purposes. A lock down means that we have all the children and staff secure

their positions, and lock their classroom doors. All of the outside school doors are also locked.

We have been asked by our district to practice lock downs in the event that there is a danger in

the neighborhood and we need to protect our children from intrusions.

Evacuations

In the rare event that we would have to evacuate the school, a fire alarm would ring, the

children would exit the building and, once they are out, it would be announced that we are to

evacuate to Meyokumin School. If students are unable to return to school, parents would be

called to come and pick their children up from Meyokumin.

Emergencies

Any emergencies or important announcements will be posted on our district and school websites.

www.strichard.ecsd or http://www.ecsd.net We will also send a Synrevoice message.

Allergies, Other Medical Conditions and Medications

Please inform the school of any allergies or other important medical conditions concerning your

child. Parents must always sign a form before any medication can be administered.

EPI PENS – Please ensure that all EPI pens are up to date.

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Halloween safety: Tips for families

PLEASE: NO WEAPONS OR GOREY COSTUMES ARE TO BE WORN AT SCHOOL

These safety tips for parents, children and homeowners will help keep everyone safe and happy this Halloween For parents:

Do not use masks. Masks make it hard for children to see what’s around them, including cars. Try a hypoallergenic (less likely to cause an allergic reaction), non-toxic make-up kit instead.

Make or buy costumes in light-coloured material. Place strips of reflective tape on the back and front of

costumes, so that drivers can better see your child. Costumes should fit properly to prevent trips and falls.

Avoid items such as oversized shoes, high heels, long dresses and long capes.

Dress your child for the weather. Add layers if needed. Put your child’s name, address and phone number on

his costume. Children under 10 should be accompanied by an adult

for trick or treating. By the age of 10, some children are ready to go trick-or-treating with a group of friends.

Keep in mind that gum and hard candy can pose a choking risk for young children.

Remove make-up before bedtime to prevent possible skin and eye irritation.

For children and youth:

Carry a white bag or pillowcase for your candy and add some reflective tape. Dress for the weather. Cold weather or water

absorbent materials in the rain can be very uncomfortable.

Bring a cell phone, in case you need to make an emergency phone call.

Always travel in groups. Be sure there are at least 3 of you at all times.

Let your parents know where you're going to be at all times.

Don’t visit houses that are not well lit. Never go inside a stranger's house.

Use the sidewalk whenever possible. If there's no sidewalk, walk on the side of the road facing traffic.

Don't criss-cross back and forth across the street. Work your way up one side of the street, and then start on the other.

If you have any allergies, tell the person who is giving out the treats.

Don't eat any of your treats before you get home. Once home, ask your parents to look through your treats with you to make sure everything is okay.

Alternatives to traditional trick-or-treating

Local community centres sometimes offer Halloween night activities.

Local shopping centres often have trick-or-treat nights for young children in a more controlled environment.

Plan a Halloween night at home with themed games and movies. Invite friends.

Running Club Congratulations to all of our students who joined the school Running Club and have been practicing before and after school. Everyone did very well at the district Cross Country Run on September 20 at Laurier Park. Thank you to Mr. Gagnon and Mrs. Malkin, for the many hours spent coaching our children in the Running Club.

Family Support at St. Richard School My name is Wynita Marshall, as the Family School Liaison Worker for your school. I am available for students at the school, or with families at the school, the home, or in the community. I provide advocacy, connection to community resources, parenting support, and answer questions. Matters are confidential and are only disclosed as required under the Children's First Act and the Health Profession Act. Last year I worked with parents to develop bedtime routines and parenting strategies, connected families to Family Support for Children with Disabilities, supported the parent-school relationship, referred for sports/camp funding, and advocated on behalf of families with agencies such as Alberta Works and Capital Region Housing; I worked with students in groups to develop anxiety management skills and individually with managing feelings, and handling change. Depending on your situation we could be working together for one or two meetings or ongoing throughout the school year. Should you have any questions or an area you would like support with please contact

Wynita Marshall, BSW, RSW Family School Liaison Worker Cell Phone 780-908-5750

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ST. THERESA’S ANNUAL RUMMAGE SALE will be held in the Church basement on

October 15 & 16, 2016 Time: Saturday 9:00 am to 4:00 pm

Sunday 10:00 am to 2:00 pm

IF YOU HAVE; CLOTHING, SHOES, TOYS, BOOKS, HOUSEHOLD ITEMS, SMALL ELECTRONIC ITEMS OR

SPORTING GOODS, THAT ARE GENTLY USED AND CLEAN WE ASK YOU TO BRING THEM TO THE CHURCH

FROM Tuesday, October 11 to Friday, October 14 between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. (we cannot accept any donations prior to

October 11)

DUE TO HEALTH CONCERNS, SPACE CONSIDERATIONS AND THE COST OF DISPOSAL FOR UNSOLD ITEMS WE

WILL NOT ACCEPT BEDS, MATTRESSES, UPHOLSTERED & LARGE FURNITURE ITEMS, APPLIANCES, OLD TV’S

& MONITORS

SACRAMENTAL PREPARATION DATES FOR 2016-2017

PARENT INFORMATION EVENING:

Thursday – April 20, 2017 - 7:00 pm at St. Theresa Church

FIRST RECONCILIATION PREPARATION

SESSIONS

Saturday – April 29 at 10:00 AM

Saturday – May 06 at 10:00 AM

FIRST EUCHARIST - PREPARATION SESSIONS

Saturday – April 29 at 12:00 Noon

Saturday – May 06 at 12:00 Noon

Teaching Mass Thursday – May 11 at 6:30 PM

FIRST RECONCILIATION CELEBRATION

Saturday – May 13 at 10:00 AM

FIRST EUCHARIST CELEBRATION

Saturday – May 13 at 5:30 PM Mass

PARENT INFORMATION EVENING:

Thursday – October 06, 2016 - 7:00 pm at St. Theresa Church

FIRST RECONCILIATION PREPARATION

SESSIONS

Saturday – October 22 at 10:00 AM

Saturday – October 29 at 10:00 AM

FIRST EUCHARIST -

Saturday – October 22 at 12:00 Noon

Saturday – October 29 at 12:00 Noon Teaching Mass

Thursday – November 03 at 6:30 PM

FIRST RECONCILIATION CELEBRATION

Saturday - Nov.5 at 10:00 AM

FIRST EUCHARIST CELEBRATION

Saturday – November 05 at 5:30 PM Mass

PARENT INFORMATION EVENING:

Thursday – January 26, 2017 - 7:00 pm at St. Theresa Church

FIRST RECONCILIATION PREPARATION

SESSIONS

Saturday – February 04 at 10:00 AM

Saturday – February 11 at 10:00 AM

FIRST EUCHARIST - PREPARATION SESSIONS

Saturday – February 04 at 12:00 Noon

Saturday – February 11 at 12:00 Noon

Teaching Mass Thursday – November 03 at 6:30 PM

FIRST RECONCILIATION CELEBRATION

Sat. Feb. 18 at 10:00 AM

FIRST EUCHARIST CELEBRATION

Saturday – February 18 at 5:30 PM Mass

FALL SESSIONS

WINTER SESSIONS

SPRING SESSIONS

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Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1

2

Read-in Week

“One World, Many

Voices”

3

Lockdown Practice

1:00 p.m.

Boy’s & Girl’s Club 3:00 –

4:30 (Gr. 2-6)

4

5

World Teacher Day

6 11:47 Dismissal (1- 6)

EXTRA K CLASS – FALL WALK

A.M & PM

SACRAMENTAL PREP MTG.

@7:00 pm St. Theresa

Church

7

Thanksgiving Celebration

1:00 Everyone is Invited to

Attend!

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9 10

Thanksgiving

NO SCHOOL

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Gr. 6 Cognitive Abilities

Test 11th – 21st

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New Corpus Christi School

Fall Parent Information

Session

7:00 pm St. Richard School

Gym

13

11:47 Dismissal

14

Priest Visit

15

Rummage Sale at St.

Theresa Church Basement

9:00 am – 4:00 pm

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Rummage Sale

St. Theresa Church

10:00 am – 2:00

17

Skating K – Gr. 3

Boy’s & Girl’s Club 3:00 –

4:30 (Gr. 2-6)

18

19

Kindergarten Lego Field Trip- In Class

20

11:47 Dismissal

21

Priest Visit

22

23 24

Skating K – Gr. 3

Boy’s & Girl’s Club 3:00 –

4:30 (Gr. 2-6)

25

26

Gr. 6 “We Day” in Calgary

4:00 AM - 6:00 PM

27

11:47 Dismissal

28

Priest Visit

29

30 31 Skating K – Gr. 3

Halloween Parade & Parties

1:00 Gr 1- 6

Boy’s & Girl’s Club 3:00 –

4:30 (Gr. 2-6)

October 2016