St. Francis of Assisi Academy

As we begin October, I want to share how grateful I am for the opportunity to serve as Principal of St. Francis of Assisi Academy for the remainder of the school year. St. Francis is a community that means a great deal to me. Having previously spent six years here as a teacher, returning to St. Francis has truly felt like coming home. It has been wonderful reconnecting with familiar students, families, and staff while also getting to know so many new faces.

My first few weeks back have reminded me of what makes St. Francis such a special place. Our students bring tremendous energy and joy to the school each day, our staff care deeply about the students they serve, and our families continue to be incredible partners. We were also very happy to welcome back our Vice-Principal, Mrs. Erick, from maternity leave. She has already been instrumental in supporting our school, and I am incredibly grateful to have her alongside me in this leadership role. As Mrs. Avramovic and her family prepare to welcome a new addition, we keep them in our prayers and wish them many blessings during this exciting time.

September was filled with opportunities for our students to learn, reflect, and come together as a community. Celebrating our Opening Mass together was a wonderful way to begin the school year, gathering as a faith community and asking for God’s guidance and blessing in the year ahead. From our Terry Fox Run to our learning and reflection surrounding Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, I was proud to see our students engage thoughtfully in experiences that encourage compassion, service, and respect for others.

As we enter October, our focus turns to the Common Good, one of the principles of Catholic Social Teaching. Jesus calls us to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31), reminding us of our responsibility to care for one another and work together for the wellbeing of all. Throughout the month, we will encourage our students to consider how their words, choices, and actions can strengthen our community, support others, and uphold the dignity of every person.

Thank you for such a warm welcome back and for the trust you place in our staff each day. I look forward to working alongside our students, staff, and families throughout the year as we continue to make St. Francis a place where every student is supported in their academic, social, and spiritual growth.

Wishing all of our St. Francis families a wonderful and blessed October!

Michael Annicchiarico
Principal

We are excited to welcome Ms. Esteves to the St. Francis of Assisi Academy community as our new librarian! Ms. Esteves will be with us Monday through Thursday afternoons and Friday mornings, supporting students and staff while helping foster a love of reading and learning. She is looking forward to getting to know our students and becoming part of our St. Francis community.

For the 2026–2027 school year, CTR Catholic is reemphasizing the importance of daily attendance and the role it plays in student success. Time away from the classroom means missing valuable instruction, discussion, guided practice, feedback, and opportunities to learn alongside teachers and classmates.

Across all grades, direct instruction is an important part of our teaching practice. Regular attendance ensures students are present for these learning experiences, which cannot be fully replicated through independent work at home.

If your child will be absent from school, please notify the school each day they are away. Prompt reporting helps us maintain accurate attendance records and ensure the safety and well-being of all students.

You can report an absence in any of the following ways:

• Use our online attendance form: https://stfrancis.redeemer.ab.ca/attendance
• Email: STF-Attendance@redeemer.ab.ca
• Call the school at 587-757-8702 to leave a message on our 24/7 attendance line or speak directly with Sue Oginski or Channon Lynch

Thank you for helping us keep our attendance records accurate and our students safe.

A reminder that our curbside lane is designated as a Stop, Drop, and Go Zone. To keep traffic moving safely and efficiently, this area is for active drop-off and pick-up only. Vehicles should not be left unattended or idle while waiting. If you need to wait for your child, please park in a designated parking stall.

Please help us keep our school grounds safe by following these expectations:

🚫 Do not park along the curb — this is our Stop, Drop, and Go Zone
🅿️ Use the school lot or Seaman Stadium parking when waiting
🐢 Drive slowly — please keep speeds to 10 km/h
🔥 Keep the fire lane clear at all times for emergency vehicles

Mornings and afternoons can be busy, and we appreciate everyone taking the extra time to drive carefully, follow these expectations, and help keep our students safe.

BrightArrow is our communication system for sharing important and time-sensitive school information with families, including text messages, phone notifications, attendance alerts, reminders, and other updates.

BrightArrow ParentHub connects using the email address or mobile number already on file with the school, allowing families to receive messages and access them through the ParentHub app. Keeping your contact information current in SchoolEngage is therefore incredibly important so we can reach you when needed and have the most up-to-date information to support your child.

We encourage all families to download and set up the BrightArrow ParentHub app. Please refer to the PDF at the bottom of this newsletter for a step-by-step guide to getting started.

The Rosary is a prayer deeply rooted in the Catholic Christian tradition, offering a simple yet profound way to strengthen spiritual life for people of all ages.

The Rosary is more than just a string of beads; it’s a pathway to deepening our relationship with God. It is a meditative prayer that occupies our senses to allow our minds to focus on the life of Jesus. The feel and colour of the beads, the crucifix on the pendant, and the medallion in the centre occupy our touch and sight. The sound of the prayers creates a rhythm for our ears to follow, and some rosaries even bear a floral scent to fill our noses. All of these help us to develop focus, patience, and a sense of peace so that we can enter into prayer more deeply.

From October 17–23, we will celebrate the gift of Catholic education and the important role it plays in the lives of our students. At St. Francis of Assisi Academy, our faith is at the heart of who we are, guiding our nearly 600 students as they learn, grow, serve others, and recognize God in one another. We are grateful for the students, families, staff, priests, and parish community who help bring this mission to life each day.

We invite our St. Francis community to join us for Mass at St. James Parish on Sunday, October 18 at 9:00 a.m. We also encourage everyone to wear blue on Thursday, October 22 as we celebrate Catholic Education Day together.

We look forward to celebrating and giving thanks for the gift of Catholic education throughout the week!

Your child’s school photos are now available to view and order online!

1. Access your photos through the St. Francis of Assisi Academy Gallery.
2. Use the login code found on the yellow QR flyer your child received on Photo Day.
3. You can sign in using any active email address.
4. Orders must be placed by October 15, 2026 to be included with the school delivery.

Can’t find your login code?

Visit Mountain West Support for Families and submit the requested information. Your code will be emailed to you within one business day.

School Photo Retakes

Students who missed Photo Day or need a retake will have another opportunity on October 27, 2026. Retakes are available for expression, poor posture, or head tilt rather than changes to clothing or hairstyle.

Sign Up for School Photo Retakes by October 25, 2026.

Need help with your order?

Call 1-888-644-4494, or email help@mountainwest.ca.

We are looking for a temporary, part-time Nutrition Program Assistant for the 2026–2027 school year. This is a Monday–Friday, mornings-only position and a great opportunity for someone who enjoys working in a school environment and helping ensure students have access to nutritious food throughout the day.

Responsibilities include preparing and serving food, maintaining a clean and welcoming food service area, managing inventory and purchases, and following food safety and AHS requirements.

If you or someone you know may be interested, please reach out to our Vice-Principal, Mrs. Kara Erick, at kerick@redeemer.ab.ca for more information.

Thank you to the parents who joined us for our first School Council meeting of the year in September. We appreciated the opportunity to connect, share ideas, and begin another year of working together to support our students and school community.

Our next meeting will take place on Tuesday, October 20 at 6:00 p.m. All parents are welcome, and we encourage anyone interested in learning more, sharing their perspective, or becoming involved in our school community to join us. We look forward to seeing both familiar and new faces in October!

If you would like to be added to the School Council email list to stay up to date on activities and information, or if you have any questions about getting involved, please email our School Council Chair, Laurie Locher, at schoolmomlaurie@gmail.com.

Our first school bake sale of the year will take place on October 7! If you are interested in donating baked goods, please sign up using the link below:

Our Hot Lunch Program runs twice each week on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with another great selection of lunches available throughout October. We are very grateful to our School Council for the time and effort they put into organizing this program for our students and families.

To view upcoming menus, ordering deadlines, and place an order, simply click on the Healthy Hunger logo to the right.

If your child is absent on a Hot Lunch day, we kindly ask that you consider donating their lunch to a student in need. If you would prefer to pick up the lunch, please contact Mrs. Sue at the front office at 587-757-8702. Any lunches that are not picked up will be donated.

Is your child ready to take the next step in their faith journey through the Sacrament of Confirmation? St. James Parish in Okotoks invites students in Grade 6 and up to participate in Confirmation preparation and deepen their relationship with God and the Church. Please review the information below or contact St. James Parish directly for additional details.

We’re excited to welcome our St. Francis families for a fun evening together at our Halloween Family Dance! The dance will take place in our school gym. Come dressed in your favourite school-appropriate Halloween costume and enjoy an evening of music, dancing, and Halloween fun.

Admission is $10 per family. Families will receive a notice through SchoolCash Online today with the option to pay in advance, or payment can be made in person at the door. School Council will also be running a canteen during the evening.

Important Reminder: Children must be accompanied by an adult—this is a family event! We can’t wait to see our St. Francis families on the dance floor!

The annual Jacket Racket is back! Families are invited to donate clean, gently used winter clothing to help ensure everyone in our community has access to warm clothing this winter. Donations will be accepted here at St. Francis of Assisi Academy until October 30.

The winter clothing giveaway will take place at Okotoks United Church on November 3, 5, 7, 10, 12, and 14. Everyone is welcome, and all clothing is provided free of charge.

Please see the poster below for specific giveaway dates and times.

We’re excited to offer Singit, a fun and interactive six-week singing program for students ages 7–11! Through group singing, students will have the opportunity to build confidence, make friends, have fun, and experience the joy of singing together. Over the six weeks, students will learn 2–3 performance-based songs and routines.

The program costs $180 per student and kicks off Friday, October 16, with sessions taking place in our Band Room from 12:30–1:30 p.m. each week (except November 20). The final lesson will take place during lunch on Thursday, November 26, in preparation for a performance at our Pace e Bene Awards on Friday, November 27.

Families interested in participating can register using the St. Francis/Singit Registration Form.

Please see the poster below for specific dates and additional details.

Whenever possible, we encourage families to schedule appointments outside of school hours. We understand that appointments may occasionally need to take place during the school day; however, please consider the instructional time students miss and the disruption that can occur when they are called out of class. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Morning supervision begins at 8:40 a.m. Please do not drop students off before this time, as supervision is not available. Students should proceed to their designated entrance and line up with their classmates rather than entering through the front office. Students arriving after O Canada at 8:55 a.m. are considered late.

We understand that students sometimes need to leave before the end of the school day, including for school athletics. Parents or designated adults picking up a student early must come into the school and sign them out at the front office. Office staff will then have the student sent to the office to meet them. Our front office becomes especially busy after 3:00 p.m. as staff manage bus updates and other end-of-day responsibilities. For safety reasons, we are unable to send students outside to meet a parent who calls from the parking lot or in response to an email requesting an early dismissal.

Click here to view bus route status

Click here for more information regarding bus requests/changes

**If your child will not be riding the bus in the afternoon, please let the office know by 3:00pm.**

Please also note that students are not permitted to ride a different bus than the one they are assigned to unless it has been pre-arranged and approved through CTR Transportation.

Acting Principal for 2026-27: Michael Annicchiarico

Vice Principal: Kara Erick

Website: stfrancis.redeemer.ab.ca

Address: #10 32156 Hwy 552E, Foothills, AB T1S 4Z1

Phone: 587-757-8702

St. Francis of Assisi Academy is a community of lifelong learners, where challenges are opportunities for growth, and individual gifts and talents are valued. Above all, we live with faith and love, reflecting the Peace and Goodness of Christ.