Principal’s Message

As the new school year begins, I am very excited to be joining the staff as the Principal of St. Philip

School! A new school year always brings mixed emotions for students, staff and parents alike. There is an element of excite-ment mixed with a little fear and sometimes some apprehension. We are sad to say farewell to the relaxed days of summer but ex-cited to come together again as a school community.

As we begin the new year, we welcome all families to our St. Philip Community. We recommit to creating the best faith-filled learning community possible for your children. St. Philip will continue to be a safe place for your children, where each student feels loved and cared for and challenged to be the best that they can be. I look forward to working and learning with all of you and anticipate a great year together.

We continue to welcome new families to our school community within our catchment areas yet we are able to have reasonable class sizes for our children.

Our school is made up of a community that includes students, staff and parents! Without all of these three entities working to-gether we are not strong or able to support one another. That is why I ask that you consider joining our School Advisory Com-mittee. Here is where you can have a voice in and support what goes on in your school community. Please attend our Meet the Staff Evening on Thursday, September 20th and sign up!

We strongly encourage families to access our school web site at www.stphilip.ecsd.net , as we will use it to share the most im-portant and current school news.

If at any time, you have questions or concerns not addressed on our website, please feel free to contact any of our staff or school administration team.

We look forward to sharing the year ahead!

Thank you,

Mr. Spadafora

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

St. Philip Staff 2

Important Dates 3

School Hours 4

Housekeeping Rules;

Parent Portal

5

School Fees; Online Payments 6

Bus passes; Milk; Volunteers 7

Upcoming events 8

Safety; Parent Concerns; Weather

9

Immunizations grade change*** 10

Terry Fox Run 11

Orange Shirt Day 12

Italian Language Program; CPLI 13

PATHS program 14

Superintendent’s Message 15

Bishop David’s Message 16

September School Calendar 17

STAFF LIST 2018-2019

TEACHERS Principal – Mr. Spadafora

Assistant Principal – Ms. Stefancik

Early Childhood – Mrs. Filice

Grade 1A – Mrs. Mazzotta

Grade 1B – Mrs. Fedorak

Grade 2A – Mr. Balice

Grade 2/3A – Ms. Caputo/Mrs. Bui

Grade 3A – Mrs. Gallo-Bubula

Grade 4A – Mrs. Giaretta / Mrs. Warnes

Grade 4/5A – Mrs. Dent / Mrs. Mollame– Borges

Grade 5A – Mrs. De Grazia

Grade 6A – Mrs. Dafoe

Grade 6B – Mr. Tait

Grade 6 - Mrs. Jermey

Learning Coach – Mrs. Verduci

Music – Mrs. Warnes

SUPPORT STAFF

Administrative Assistant– Mrs. Carchidi (formerly Ms. Zawalak)

Library – Mrs. Chaput

E.A. – Mrs. Dwyre

E.A. – Mrs. Pottruff

E.A. – Mrs. Armani

E.A.—Mrs. Silva

E.A.—Mrs. Ricioppo

TASL (Speech & Language) - to be announced

Family School Liaison Worker - to be announced

CUSTODIAL STAFF

Mr. Sirica—Head Custodian

Mrs. Chau – (Light duty) after school

Important Dates 2018-2019 (As of Aug 27, 2018— subject to change)

Sept. 4 – First Day of School Feb 18- Family day (No School)

Sept. 4 & 5– Kindergarten Staggered Entry Feb 28-Mar 1- Teachers Convention (No School)

Sept. 7 - Kindergarten First Full Day of School Mar 5 – Carnevale

Sept. 12 – Opening Mass at St. Matthew’s Parish (1:15 p.m.)

Mar 6 - Ash Wednesday Celebration (2:00 p.m.)

Sept. 19 - Terry Fox Run (2:00 p.m.) Mar. 14 – Kindergarten Demonstration of Learning (all day)

Sept. 20 - Meet the Staff Night K-6 (6:00 p.m.) Mar. 15 – Report cards go online

Sept. 28 – Grade 6 Camp Mar 20- Demonstration of Learning

Oct. 3 – Thanksgiving Celebration (10:30 a.m.) Mar. 21 – Full Day switch

Oct. 8 –Thanksgiving Day (No School) March 22 –Half Day switch

Oct. 12 – School Pictures Mar 23-31- Spring Break

Oct. 31 - Halloween Activities (during school hours) Apr. 1- Classes resume after Spring Break

Nov. 1– School PD Day (No School), All Saints Day April 17- Confessions in school 9:00-12:00

Nov. 5 – Photo Retakes Apr. 18 – Stations of the Cross (10:30a.m.)

Nov. 7 – Remembrance Day Commemoration (2:00 p.m.)

Apr. 22 Easter Monday (No School)

Nov. 12 – Day in Lieu for Remembrance Day (No School)

Apr 24– Easter Celebration (2:00 p.m.)

Nov. 23 - Report Cards go online May 3 – St. Philip Day (9:00am celebration)

Nov. 26 - 30 – Scholastic Book Fair May 9- Spring Concert

Nov. 29 – Parent/Student/Teacher Conferences May 20 – Victoria Day (No School)

Dec. 19- Advent Celebration (10:30 a.m.) May 22 – Kindergarten Info Night (6:30 p.m.)

Dec. 20 - Full Day switch May 29 – Mary Celebration (2:00p.m.)

Dec. 21 – Half Day switch June 25 – Gr. 6 Farewell (9:00 a.m.)

Dec. 23 – Jan. 6- Christmas Break June 26 – Fun Day

Jan. 7 – Classes resume after Christmas Break June 27 - Year End Mass (9:15 a.m.)

-FULL DAY

Feb. 5– District Faith Development Day (No School)

June 28 - Last Day of School – HALF DAY

- Report Cards go online Feb. 6 – Open House (6:30 p.m.)

SCHOOL HOURS

Morning Recess 10:05 AM -10:20 AM Lunch 11:50 AM -12:10 PM Lunch Recess 12:10 PM - 12:30 PM

Afternoon Break 5 minutes

KINDERGARTEN TIMES

Morning supervision begins at 8:06 AM. Therefore all students are to wait outside until the first bell at 8:21 AM. Please do not drop your children off any earlier than 8:06am. After school supervision ends at 3:13 PM. Please ensure your child(ren) are picked up by that time. Continuous late pick ups will be monitored and reviewed by the Principal.

*If your child will be late or absent from school please call the office at 780-475-3566 by 8:20 am

or 12:30 pm for afternoon classes to avoid the automated phone message from Swift.

Also, if you child arrives to school late, they must visit the office before going to their classroom to

get a late slip and ensure attendance has been properly changed.

Monday 8:21 AM- 11:50 AM 12:30 PM – 2:58 PM

Tuesday 8:21 AM- 11:50 AM 12:30 PM – 2:58 PM

Wednesday 8:21 AM- 11:50 AM 12:30 PM – 2:58 PM

Thursday 8:21 AM- 11:46 AM NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS

Friday 8:21 AM- 11:50 AM 12:30 PM – 2:58 PM

AM CLASS PM CLASS

Monday 8:21 AM- 11:21 AM 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Tuesday 8:21 AM- 11:21 AM 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Wednesday 8:21 AM- 11:21 AM 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Thursday NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS

Friday 8:21 AM- 11:21 AM 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Office Hours: 8:00AM - 3:30PM

• Supervision outside begins at 8:06AM, therefore all students (& parents) are expected to wait outside until the bell rings at 8:21AM (weather depending).

• If late, students must come get a late stamp from the office before going to their classroom.

• If you are picking up your child early, you must sign him/her out in the office. • Parents are to wait in the front lobby or outside for end of the day pick up of

children. Please do not go the classrooms to retrieve your children. • Please no parking in any of the stall in the staff parking lot!

• No microwaves or hot water available for student lunches.

www.powerschool.ecsd.net It is very important that all parents/guardians set up their parent portal for the new school year. If you have never accessed your parent portal or have forgotten you username/password, please call the office for a quick set up/reset. With your parent portal, you will be able to view your child’s attendance record, report cards, bus route information (if applicable), and most importantly pay school fees or upcoming fieldtrips costs. All payments this year must be paid online using a credit card, debit/visa card or an online banking account. Online payments reduce the chances of monies being misplaced by students and lessens the workload of the teachers and office staff.

School fees for the 2018-2019

Kindergarten: $30 Gr.1-6: $50

School fees cover the use of technology apps and licenses, as well as student agendas

and visual journals.

Additional fieldtrip costs will arise in individual classes throughout the year; you will

be asked to pay for those a few weeks before the fieldtrip online.

ONLINE PAYEMENTS— PowerSchool Parent Portal Account All fees this year will have to be paid online. This initiative alleviates extra work for teachers, admin and students. It should not be the students responsibility to bring in cash or cheques to school. Paying online is very easy. It allows you to pay directly from your bank account or with a credit card or debit/visa card. Please note that you must log in to PowerSchool through a parent account– not the student account. If you forget your password or have not yet received the “reset password” email. Please don’t hesitate to call the office to have it reset for you. In the event that you have issues paying at home, please come to the office to make a payment with a credit card or debit/visa card only.

OnLine Fee Payment Instructions

1. Log in to PowerSchool at: https://powerschool.ecsd.net/public/ *For the parents who have not yet logged into their parent portal account, please call the office to received more information or to reset your password. 2. Select ‘School Fees’ from the Navigation Menu and then click on to connect to the Student Quick Pay website. 3. Select the tab with the student’s name to view itemized fee details 4. Click to Add specific items to the Cart or choose to Add ALL at once 5. Once selected, View Cart or proceed to Checkout 6. Enter the credit card or debit/visa information and Submit Payment

Mrs. Carchidi is happy to help with this process, so please don’t hesitate to call the office 780-475-3566

Students may purchase white or chocolate milk for 75 cents at lunch

time. You may also purchase a milk card for $10.00 (15 milk purchases)

online through your parent portal account starting September 4th.Milk

sales will begin in the 3rd week of September.

PARENT VOLUNTEERS

Please remember to sign in at the office and get a volunteer name tag if you are a parent vol-unteer in the school on any given day. As per District Policy and Regulation 135: all parents

wishing to volunteer must fill out a Volunteer Registration Form (See your child’s Teacher or stop in the office).

Yellow/ETS Bus Pass = $32.00/month

Bill 1 Eligible Yellow Bus Pass = Free Bill 1 Eligible ETS Bus Pass = $18.00

*Bill 1 Eligibility means that your residence is more than 2.4KM (walking distance) from

your designate school

Family Plan Yellow/ETS bus pass = $28.00

*Family Plan means 3 or more siblings are riding the Yellow or ETS bus.

All Kindergarten students riding the yellow bus will receive a free buss pass

All payments must be made online through PowerSchool Parent Portal during 1st week

of every month.

BINGO VOLUNTEERS

NEEDED

Bingos subsidize: Fieldtrips, the cost of Activities, Technology, Books, Supplies & more!

A few hours of your time will help benefit all of the

students (and your wallet too)! It’s Fun! It’s Easy! It’s for our children! We even

feed you!

A sign up sheet with future bingo dates for the year will be sent home with

your child in September.

SEPT 28— Grade 6 Camp

Our grade 6 students will be attending Birch Bay Camp on September 28th. The bus will leave the school at 9:00AM and return to school that evening around 8:00PM. Parents please watch for the fieldtrip form that will be coming home shortly with more information.

SEPT 20 - MEET THE STAFF & FAMILY PIZZA NIGHT

This year, along with our School Council, we will have Meet the Staff Night and Family Supper.

It will take place on Thursday, September 20th at 5:45 pm in our school gym.

On this evening, parents will have the opportunity to learn more about the school and district initia-

tives from the admin team, and more detailed information from your child’s teachers. This is an ex-

cellent opportunity for you to meet your child’s teacher and begin to build that important working

relationship!

The evening will include a Pizza Supper, Family Social, School Advisory

Council Annual General Meeting with elections & parents will have the

chance to meet with classroom teachers in the gym.

Students will bring home an invitation and form to fill out if you plan to at-

tend. Pizza supper will be $5.00/family.

SEPT 12 -SCHOOL OPENING CELEBRATION Please join us on Wednesday, September 12th at 1:15 PM for our school opening mass at

St. Matthew’s Parish— 13131 86 Street.

As is our tradition, students will be walking to the church so please make

sure they dress for the weather!

Kindergarten and grade one students will ride the yellow school bus.

ALL students are expected to attend. If they do not return their fieldtrip

form, they will have to go home for the afternoon as ALL supervisors will

be at Church.

PROTOCOL FOR PARENT CONCERNS

Edmonton Catholic Schools recognizes the freedom of all members of the school community (students, staff, parents and neighbours) to voice their concerns in an appropriate manner to the appropriate school personnel. The principle of “first con-tact” needs to be followed. This means that the person(s) who have the concern, have the responsibility to begin addressing the concern directly with those persons with whom they have the concern before taking their concern elsewhere. Generally, in most cases, this would mean talking with or meeting with your child’s teacher prior to meeting with or emailing the school administration when you have a concern. If resolution is not found please then involve school administration. If needed, District School Operations Services (SOS) may also be involved as needed. SOS can be reached at 780- 441-6090. All parties will deal with concerns in a manner that is constructive and consistent with the teachings of the Catholic Church.

For the safety of your children, you are reminded that the school parking

lot is for teacher use only from 7: 45 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. and is never

available for parent parking during these hours.

Please DO NOT drive into the parking lot to turn around or to drop

off as it is very unsafe!

As well, the bus zone at the front of the school is only to be used by our

school buses for student drop-off and pick-up. Please do not park or stop in

the bus zone. You can be ticketed by EPS.

Dropping off students at a cross walk or in the middle of the street

is illegal and unsafe. The safest place to drop students is along the

curb on 87 Street. Please do not park in the drop off zone and please use

the patrolled crosswalks on 87 street and 144 Avenue.

Procedures

1. Decisions regarding outdoor activities are to take into consideration inclement weather that may result from the following conditions or combination of conditions:

-Continuous rain, Extreme wind, Extreme cold and/or Air Quality.

2. The suggested guideline is that students do not go outside if the temperature is -20° C or colder, or if the temperature and wind chill factor are -20° C or colder.

3. Air quality is to be monitored similar to extreme cold temperatures. The suggested guideline is that students do not go out-side when air quality reaches an index of 7 or more. Principals are to carefully monitor the air quality in their area when the index reaches levels of 4-6 which indicate a moderate risk.

4. Each principal is to have procedures in place to be used during inclement weather.

• Environment Canada’s weather for Edmonton can be consulted at https://weather.gc.ca/city/pages/ab-50_metric_e.html. You may also choose to phone Environment Canada at (780) 468-4940 (English) or (780) 495-2145 (French).

• Environment Canada’s Air Quality Health Index is available at https://weather.gc.ca/airquality/pages/abaq-001_e.html .

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER

As you are important partners in ensuring that school-aged children are immunized, we are writing to inform you of upcoming changes to the school immunization schedule. Currently, children in Alberta are offered three doses of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and Hepatitis B (HBV) vac-cines in Grade 5.

Alberta is moving from a three-dose vaccine schedule in Grade 5 to a two-dose vaccine schedule in Grade 6 for both HBV and HPV. The Government of Alberta is making this change to align with the evidence, which shows administering two doses at least six months apart provides children with good protection against HBV and HPV diseases. This change aligns with a number of jurisdictions in Canada that have already adopted a two-dose schedule for both vaccines. The Grade 9 school immunization program, which includes the diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis (dTap) and Meningococcal (MenC-ACYW) vaccines will continue to be offered without change. Alberta Health Services Public Health will work closely with you and your school(s) to ensure that the school im-munization program does not interfere with students taking the Provincial Achievement Tests. Beginning in the 2018/19 school year, public health nurses will also be offering immunizations to students in Grades 1 to 9 who are missing immunizations. Public health nurses will work with individual schools to schedule these immunizations. While it is the aim of Public Health to minimize disruptions to both school and classroom instruction time, public health nurses require adequate space and appropriate time to provide a safe, quality school immunization pro-gram. We are asking for your continued support to provide immunizations in schools and to implement these changes. Immunization is one of the most important and effective public health tools we have for protecting our children, schools and communities from communicable diseases. Alberta’s current immunization rates are not high enough to prevent cases of some vaccine-preventable diseases. A summary of changes to the immunization program is available below. More details on the immunization sched-ule for children are available on the Alberta Health websitewww.health.alberta.ca/health-info/imm-routine-schedule.html.

2018/19 School Year Children in Grade 5 will not be immunized with the HPV and HBV vaccines, as they will be offered the vaccines the following year in Grade 6. Public health nurses will also be reviewing the immunization records of all students from Grades 1 to 9 to assess immunization status and contacting parents if their children are missing immun-ization information. If parents provide consent, students can be immunized at school. Parents will continue to have the final decision on immunizing their children. 2019/20 School Year With parental consent, children in Grade 6 will be immunized with the HPV and HBV vaccine on a two-dose schedule. Public health nurses will also be reviewing the immunization records of Grades 1 to 9 stu-dents who are new to the school to assess immunization status and contacting parents if their children are missing immunization information or is not up to date for immunization. Parents will continue to have the final decision on immunizing their children.

Dear Parents/Guardians,

36 years ago, a young Canadian named Terry Fox started his Marathon of

Hope to help raise funds to cure cancer. Sadly, he was not able to complete

his marathon, but his dream lives on in the Terry Fox Run.

On Wednesday, September 19th , St. Philip students and staff will participate in

the nationwide Terry Fox Run. At 2 p.m., all students will gather on the

school tarmac and walk and/or run on the school grounds.

We are asking for donations of a “Toonie ($2) for Terry (or more!).”

All proceeds will go towards the Terry Fox Foundation for cancer research.

If you would like to make a donation, please send the money with your child

on or before Wednesday, September 19th.

As well, please remind your child to

wear red and white on our run day as we

celebrate this great Canadian hero.

To date, over $700 million has been raised

worldwide. For further information, please

check out the website at

(www.terryfox.org).

Thank you in advance for your support!

Orange Shirt Day is an outcome of the 2013 Joseph Mission Residential School Com-memoration Project and Reunion that took place in Williams Lake, BC. The name stems from a story told by former residential school student, Phyllis Webstad, who had her new orange shirt, bought by her grandmother, taken from her as a six-year

old girl. She spoke powerfully of how it seemed to her that nobody cared and, in this personal way, her story speaks to the many harms experienced by children in the resi-

dential schools.

A date in September (September 30) was chosen because it is the time of year when chil-dren were taken from their homes to residential schools, and because it is an opportunity to set the stage for anti-racism and anti-bullying policies for the coming school year. Orange Shirt Day provides the opportunity to discuss all aspects of residential schools and to help continue the work of reconciliation.

Safe and Caring has partnered with Alberta Teachers Association, Edmonton Public Schools, Edmonton Catholic Schools, the City of Edmonton and Morgex Insurance to bring Orange Shirt Day to Alberta. Municipalities from all over the Province have been invited to participate and show their support for Orange Shirt Day.

On September 28th, we invite you to stand with Safe and Caring, and the countless others across Canada to participate in Orange Shirt Day. The Edmonton event will in-clude residential school survivors, students from across the province, officials from all lev-els of government and traditional entertainment.

By wearing an orange shirt, we recognize the harm done to residential school students and inter-generational survivors. Let's celebrate the resiliency of Indigenous Peoples and recognize the ongoing healing process. Join us to make schools and com-

munities places where every child matters!

CPLI Italian Language School

Comitato Promotore della Lingua Italiana (Located at St. Philip School)

Offers 1-day to 5-day program (M-F) for morning (9am-12pm) and afternoon (1pm-4pm), with Thursday afternoon exclusively for our older students (K-3, already attend-ing regular English school).

Students are immersed in the Italian language from our first day of school. Using the communicative language learning method our students learn "school ready" skills and grade level learning in Italian that transfer into their English language environment. Phone: 780-722-5391 (Antonella Cortese) Website with links to further information and registration forms: www.comitatopromotoredellalinguaitaliana.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Comitato-Promotore-della-Lingua-Italiana/112139012210287?ref=hl

St. Philip Italian Program Proud & Strong!

On August 26th, Mrs. Gallo-Bubula, Mrs. Verduci & Mrs. Mazzotta had a fun day promoting our EXCELLENT Italian Language Program at the Viva Italia Festival in Giovanni Caboto Park. All people they spoke with were highly im-pressed with what our school has to offer!

Parents…have you ever heard of the PATHS program? PATHS stands for Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies, and is an award winning program aimed at helping schools teach social-emotional skills throughout the day- skills that will help children at any age; such as friendship skills, how to deal with strong emo-tions, and make good decisions. Research studies clearly show the benefits that this type of learning has on children’s academic performance, ability to succeed with goals and get along with others. Our school is excited to be teaching PATHS in our school this year, starting with kindergarten to Grade 6. Throughout the year, we will be sharing with you aspects of the program that your children are learning through PATHS in the classroom.

PATHS (Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies) is a universal, teacher-lead social-emotional curriculum that is designed to:

Improve understanding and recognition of emotions. Prevent or reduce behavioural problems. Improve self-esteem. Improve critical thinking skills. Increase effective learning in the classroom.

Research has shown that the PATHS curriculum is effective as both a prevention and an intervention program for the development of healthy children socially, emotionally and academically. The curriculum is designed for chil-dren ranging from preschool to Grade 6.

How will PATHS help my child?

When children feel good about themselves, when they are able to identify how they are feeling and become good problem solvers, they are likely to be motivated to work to their potential and to keep trying when they face chal-lenges. With the PATHS program being implemented in your child’s school, they will become more socially and emotionally competent individuals. Many parents say that the ideas taught in PATHS are some of the most im-

portant goals that parents have for their children, such as how to be a good friend, be responsible and make good choices.

Why is it important for parents to know about PATHS? Parents are a child’s most important, influential role model. The more you understand about the PATHS Program

in your child’s chool, the more you will be able to support your child’s social and emotional skill development. By joining together in using positive ways to teach children self-control, emotional understanding and problem solv-

ing, teachers and parents can create a positive learning environment. This will impact your child’s social-emotional well-being, as well as contribute to your child’s academic success.

Page 15

Edmonton Catholic School District Parent Newsletters September 2018

What I Learned Over the Summer: Martyrdom and Witnessing to the Beauty of Faith

After a relaxing and enjoyable summer, we return once again to the classroom, renewed and full of excite-ment as a new School Year begins.

When I was a student, our teacher would welcome us back, then invite each of us to share something special that happened during summer vacation.

In keeping with this tradition, one of the highlights of my summer was a trip to Ukraine. I sit on an interna-tional advisory committee with Patriarch Sviatoslav, the Father and Head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church world-wide. Our small group of five bishops (we affectionately call ourselves the “G5!) is a bit of a “think tank,” reflecting on the where the Holy Spirit is calling us to be as Church in the years to come. (Now my friends – if I may call them that – asked me “How in the world did I get on a think tank?” Of course, what I heard was, “Oh, how wonderful, Bishop David, that you’re part of this exciting and visioning process!”

Anyway, after two days of meetings, I took part in a pilgrimage to Stradch, near Lviv, western Ukraine. In 1951, Rev. Mykola Konrad, the local pastor, was called to make a sick call to an elderly parishioner. Today, that would not be anything extraordinary. However, in 1951, communism was in full strength and the Church was out-lawed in the Soviet Union. Father Mykola, accompanied by the parish cantor, Volodymyr Pryjma, went in secret to administer the Sacraments of Holy Communion and Penance to a member of their flock. Perhaps it was a setup by the communists. When they arrived, they were killed on the spot, dying the death of a martyr for the faith.

Each year, this year included, the local parish in Stradch organizes a pilgrimage in honour of the Holy Mar-tyrs Father Mykola Konrad and Cantor Volodymyr Pryjma. The pilgrimage Divine Liturgy was lead by Patriarch Sviatoslav, 12 bishops (including me), and 200 priests. If that is not awesome in and of itself, some 30,000 children, youth, families, and elderly men and women joined in the celebration, many walking on foot the 15 kilometre trek from Lviv! To say it was inspiring sells it short; I was spellbound. The event instilled in me faith beyond words.

Martyrdom. Witness.

All of us may not be called to martyrdom like Father Konrad and Cantor Pryjma (thank God!) However, the scriptural meaning of martyrdom (from the Greek marturia) means witness. Indeed, the entire mission of the Church, entrusted to us by Jesus, is to give witness to the love of God the Father in the world today. Jesus, after his resurrection from the dead and just before he ascends to heaven and to the Father, tells his disciples, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

During this new School Year, may you and I be true witnesses of Jesus’s love and mercy to our classmates, teachers, parents, brothers and sisters, friends, neighbours, and strangers.

And, in so doing, let us recall the words attributed to Saint Francis, “Preach the Gospel at all times, if neces-sary, use words.”

Have a great School Year!

God bless!

Bishop David

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

2 3

Labour Day No School

4 First day of school for grades 1-6

Kinder Staggered

Entry

5

Kinder Staggered Entry

6 7

First day for Kindergarten

8

9 10

11 12

School Opening Mass 1:15p.m.

@ St. Matthew

Parish

13

14

15

16 17

18

Cross County Run @ 2:00

p.m.

19

Terry Fox Run @ 2:00p.m.

20

Meet the Staff & Family

Pizza Night @ 5:45p.m.

21

22

23 24 25 26 27 28 Grade 6 Birch Bay Camp Orange Shirt Day!

29

30

Oct. 8 Thanksgiving Day– No School

Oct. 12—PICTURE DAY