Volume 7, Issue 2

École Monsignor William Irwin School 2629 Taylor Green, Edmonton AB T6R 3N8

Phone: 780-430-1121 Fax: 780-430-7742

This month, we (the staff of Ecole Monsignor William Irwin School) give thanks to God for the children in our school, for their family and friends, and we especially give thanks for their parents as they take on this grand responsibility of child-rearing with love and prayer. God became one of us in Jesus and understands all that surrounds the arrival and upbringing of children.

We strive to help our students grow in faith and to help them come to know love. Loving God, you hold all things in life and call us into your kingdom of peace; help us to walk the path of your truth and fill our lives with gratitude and faith, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

OCTOBER 2016 NEWSLETTER

ADMINISTRATORS’ MESSAGE

In this age of instant connectivity, our principal, Mme Christine, would like to maintain more frequent communication with families through the school blog. She updates the blog for parents several times a month.

Please ensure that your email address is current and on our “fan-out” list to parents.

Please ensure that you subscribe to our blog, which t is also linked on our website through the icon “Breaking News.” As well, here is a direct link:

THE BLOG

Have a great month everyone!

Fill in the information below for your child’s chance to win lunch with

Mme Christine!

Lunch with the Principal!

(Please detach and return to school office by Tuesday, October 11.)

I give my child permission to have lunch with the principal.

____________________________________

(Child’s name and class – please print)

____________________________________

(Parent Signature)

Here is a comment from our family that we’d like to share about our school:

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ST. THOMAS MORE PARISH NEWS

Home – School – Parish

ST. THOMAS MORE PARISH SACRAMENT NEWS Following is a link to the St. Thomas More Parish website with Parish news and the weekly Parish bulletin: stmparish.com First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion: 1st Reconciliation and 1st Holy Communion are offered to children in Grade 2. What an exciting year for these young children to celebrate TWO sacraments. See the green sacrament brochure in your Catholic school office or the Parish brochure stand for the details. All sacrament preparation is done at the Parish.

Catholic Education Sunday at St. Thomas More

Sunday November 1, 2015 is dedicated to Catholic Education. St. Thomas More Parish will celebrate the gift of Catholic Education at the 10:00 a.m. 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 a.m. Mass and help us to celebrate the gift of Catholic Education.

FIRST SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL MEETING

The first School Advisory Council (SAC) meeting is Monday, October 3 2016, at 6:30 p.m. All parents are welcome and encouraged to attend. This is a great way to find out what’s happening at school and to participate in the SAC’s decisions. PLEASE JOIN US!

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READ IN WEEK

Read In Week Oct 3-7, 2016 The READ IN 2016 theme: ONE WORLD, MANY VOICES! Reading is a treasure that we can all enjoy at any stage of our lives. Like exercise for your muscles, reading keeps your brain active and fit all through life! Reading can be for entertainment, learning or self-discovery and can be shared with family, friends, and strangers. The purpose of READ IN 2016 is to create a greater awareness of the importance of reading. Historically, the event has successfully promoted the school as an important place for the development of lifelong literacy. If you are interested in reading to a class at the school, please volunteer with your child’s teacher. There will be guest readers and authors at the school throughout the week as well as spontaneous reading times announced during each day.

THANKSGIVING CELEBRATION

Join us on Thursday, October 6 at 11:00 a.m. for our second school-wide Liturgy of the Word, celebrating Thanksgiving Day. Enjoy our Liturgical Music ministry, comprised of all Grades 1-6 students who will be performing under the direction of Madame Brassard, Miss Prystupa, and Mr. Wiens.

THERE IS NO SCHOOL ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 10! HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

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PICTURE DAY OCTOBER 12

Students, put on your finest clothes! Picture day is Wednesday, October 12. Look for the picture packages coming your way in preparation for that day!

MWI AT THE EDMONTON OIL KINGS GAME OCTOBER 21

MWI has a dedicated night at the Oil Kings game on Friday, October 21 at ROGERS PLACE!!! Any tickets sold will result in some funds for the school. Tickets are $20 each and the school gets $2 a ticket! MWI will also get money from the chuck-a-puck intermission activity. Our choir will be performing the national anthem.

CANADIAN PARENTS FOR FRENCH AGM OCTOBER 25

Canadian Parents for French (CPF) - Edmonton Catholic Schools would like to announce that r Annual General Meeting will be held on Tuesday October 25. The event will be held at Café Bicyclette (8627 – 91 street) with a wine & cheese at 6:30 pm and the AGM starting at 7:00 pm. There will be door prizes, including a draw for French Family Fun in Jasper ( a weekend for a family of 4 -worth $400). Our chapter has hosted the Gala D’art Oratoire for the last 10 years and has offered French language classes for parents of French Immersion students. If you want to know more about us or have some great ideas our chapter could pursue, we would love to hear about them. Please join us for this casual and fun evening – we look forward to seeing you there.

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YOUNG AUTHORS’ CONFERENCE

The Young Authors’ Conference will be held again this year at Monsignor Fee Otterson School on Saturday, November 5. Students can express their interest to Mrs. Williams (Grade 2A) or Mrs. Ostlund (Grade 6C). The day promises to be fabulous!

COUNSELOR’S CORNER

We all freeze for a moment when we feel anxious. But for kids with slow processing speed, this "frozen" feeling can happen throughout the day. Learn more about how slow processing speed and anxiety relate to each other. And find ways to help, such as classroom accommodations and strategies for note-taking

Slow Processing Speed and Anxiety: What You Need to Know

Slow processing speed and anxiety can fuel one another. Having to play catch-up all the time can make kids feel anxious. And being anxious can make it harder to process information. Click on the link below to read an article about slow processing:

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SCHOOL EVENTS AND HIGHLIGHTS

Welcome to our new custodian, Mr. James! We are glad to have you here!

Elementary Cross Country Run September 19 On Monday September 19, over 50 students from Ecole Monsignor William Irwin participated in the 28th annual Edmonton Catholic Schools Cross Country Run at Laurier Park. Golden Wolves athletes ran between 1200m and 2000m and raced against 30 other elementary schools! Over 15 of our students placed in the top 10 in their division! What a great start to our running season! Running Club members are now training to participate in the Autumn Cross-Country Class (formerly the CAPHER Race) which will be held on Saturday October 15 at Hawrelak Park. The coaches are very proud of the Golden Wolves cross country athletes!

Terry Fox Run September 29

The Terry Fox run always inspires our students to run with passion and courage. Students develop awareness for others struggling with cancer and step up (literally) to show their support by donating a twonie and by participating in the run. Grade 4 students presented to all classes to explain the importance and impact of this run! Way to go Golden Wolves! Here is a photo of students running and inspiring us with their enthusiasm.

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THINGS THAT ARE NICE TO KNOW AND REMEMBER!

Student Agenda and School Conduct Policy Form MWI’s student handbook is in your child’s agenda, which they received on their first day of school. The information in the agenda will help you and your child understand many of the school’s procedures and policies. The agenda goes home with a message every school day and should be acknowledged and signed by parents. Did you read and sign the Student Conduct Policy form? Please submit to your child’s teacher ASAP. Thank you! The School Website and BLOG Every week, the school’s website and BLOG are updated to keep you informed about events in the school and other things that are nice to know. On this website, you will find a link to the school’s calendar, links to bus routes and resources, among other things.

Student Safety Safety of students and staff has always been a top priority for our school community. All outside doors are locked during the day. Students enter their designated doors which are opened by their teachers. If you visit us during school hours, please use the front doors and buzz the office. Student entrances are opened at 8:40 am to allow for student arrivals. If students arrive late, they will need to report to the office and use the front doors. At recesses, staff will open the doors for students to enter and will scan all areas to ensure all students are inside. Parents/guardians picking up their children are asked to please meet their children outside at the designated exits after school or at a pre-arranged meeting place. Lunch at School Students in Grades 1 to 6 are invited to bring lunch to school. All children eat lunch in classrooms. Eating lunch at school is a privilege and a convenience for our families. Children will play outdoors from 12:10—12:25 p.m. followed by lunch from 12:25—12:45 p.m. A reverse lunch hour is part of our school day. Please consider providing a significant healthy snack for morning recess!

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Attendance and Early Departures If your child will be absent or late for school, please contact the office at 780 430-1121 before 8:15 a.m. or feel free to call anytime and leave a message on our answering machine. It is very important that we keep accurate records for your child. We encourage all parents to review regularly with their children the importance of punctuality. This skill will serve our students well as they grow and develop. If you will be picking up your child from school prior to regular dismissal time, please come to the office and sign him/her out. This is to ensure the safety and security of all our students. Parking Please do not park (pick up or drop off) in front of our neighbours’ driveways!! There are times when our neighbours have been “trapped” in their garages until a parent returns. We strive to be good neighbours as a school community!

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O C T O B E R 2016

Monday, Oct. 3 School Advisory Council (Parent Council) at 6:30 p.m. at MWI

Monday, Oct. 3 –

Friday, Oct. 7

Read In Week

Many exciting events are planned to celebrate reading! Watch for information on our BLOG!

Thursday, Oct. 6 Thanksgiving Liturgical Celebration 11:00 a.m. School Gym

Early dismissal at 12:10 p.m.

Yes, karate!

Monday, Oct. 10 Thanksgiving Day – No school

Wednesday, Oct. 12 PICTURE DAY

Thursday, Oct. 13 Early dismissal at 12:10 p.m.

Yes, karate!

Saturday, Oct. 15 Running Club at the Autumn Cross-Country Classic – Hawrelak Park

Thursday, Oct. 20 Early dismissal at 12:10 p.m.

Yes, karate!

Thursday, Oct. 27 Early dismissal at 12:10 p.m.

Yes, karate!

Friday, Oct. 28 Grade 5 Immunization

Monday, Oct. 31 HALLOWEEN! Parades start at 1:30 pm (English) and 2:15 pm (French)

Please see BLOG for updates on this event!

CALENDAR – ACCESS THE FULL CALENDAR AND UPDATES TO EVENTS THROUGH THE

WEB SITE

We love to read!