" Rejoice always. Pray continually. Give thanks in every situation because this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

February 2 - PD Day (No school for students)

February 13 - Shrove Tuesday

February 14 - Ash Wednesday (Lent Begins)

February 14 - Valentines Day

February 19 - Family Day (No school)

February 19-23 - Winter Break for Students

February 20 - Holiday

February 21 - PD Day (No school for students)

February 22 - PD Day (No school for students)

February 23 - PD Day (No school for students)

February 28 - Pink Shirt Day

February 28 - Lent Mass

We wanted to take a moment to thank our students for an AMAZING first week back in 2024! The energy in the building was so great and everyone has settled right back into routine. These extreme cold temperatures have had us shifting to indoor recess for most of the week. It is looking like we should see a break in the weather next week but we would like to take this opportunity to share with you again our Inclement Weather and Outdoor Recess Practice Parent Letter that was sent out to families on Monday. It can also be found under the Parent tab on our school website. With the fluctuating temperatures, we would like to remind our students to always be prepared for outdoor recess by having warm outdoor clothing.

We are excited to announce we will be offering Ski & Snowboard Club! Please review our information letter that was also emailed home to families today. If your child is interested in joining, there will be an important student meeting during lunch recess on Monday January 15th.

We would like to remind our families to please use our North parking lot when parking and exiting vehicles. This is especially important on game nights when we have an abundance of visitors parking near the school. In an effort to show kindness to our community, we are asking our school community to please be considerate of our neighbours across the street and leave that parking for residents only.

As you know in Grade 6 and Grade 9 students have Provincial Achievement Exams (PAT's). Here is the exam schedule for the PAT's.

Grade 6 English Language Arts (ELA) Part A Writing May 15

Grade 6 ELA Part B June 12

Grade 6 Math Part A June 13

Grade 6 Math Part B June 14

Grade 6 Social Studies June 19

Grade 6 Science June 20

Grade 9 ELA Part A Writing May 13

Grade 9 K&E ELA Part A Writing May 13

Grade 9 ELA Part B June 12

Grade 9 K&E ELA Part B June 12

Grade 9 Math Part A June 13

Grade 9 Math Part B June 18

Grade 9 K&E Math June 18

Grade 9 Social Studies June 19

Grade 9 Science June 20

St. Lorenzo Ruiz 2023-24 Handbook is now posted on our website under the About tab. Please take a moment to read through as there are some policies and information we think you might find useful in there.

As always, if you need to reach our office for any reason, please contact our main line at 403-406-7365. This is also the number to call should you need to call in your child's attendance. This number is alway available on our website.

UPDATE: We will be sending out daily reminders starting next week to those who have not completed their forms so please complete and submit your past due forms to avoid these alerts.

You should have received notification that the 2023-24 Student Information Update form was sent to you. This form is MANDATORY and required by Alberta Education. The information in this form must be updated and current. Please pay close attention to medical and legal alerts as these are often out of date and need to be current. The form can be found by logging into PowerSchool on your browser (not available on the app) and clicking on SchoolEngage at the bottom of the menu on the left hand side. Please take a few minutes to complete this form and submit. CHANGES MUST BE SAVED FOR EACH PAGE BEFORE CLICKING NEXT.

STUDENT INFORMATION UPDATE FORMS ARE PAST DUE AND MANDATORY

UPDATE: On Monday, we sent home fee statements to those families with balances owing. Please pay these fees ASAP or call the office to make arrangements to pay as they are past due. We accept cash or cheque at the office or you may choose to pay using a credit card online by following these steps:

To pay online, please log into your Parent PowerSchool account to view your outsanding fees and make your payment online through RYCOR. If you are unsure how to pay using RYCOR, please follow these steps:

1. Visit your school's website and click on the PowerSchool quick link (or use link above).

2. Sign in using your PowerSchool Username and Password. If you have forgotten either/or please contact the school office for assistance with resetting your password.

3. Click on link, "School Fees and Forms", located on the left-hand side.

4. Please follow the instructions provided on the screen when you are taken to RYCOR. If you have any questions, please contact the school office.

**RYCOR can only be accessed via PC/Tablet, the program does not work using the PowerSchool app.

Triple P: Fearless is a 6 week program for families of children ages 6-14 with anxiety. Phone Tammy @ 403-896-5348 to register.

Catholic Social Services is offering a six week group for families with (pre) teens ages 11-14 struggling with managing their anger. Contact Donna at 403-347-8844 to register.

Red Deer Family Resource Network is offering various teen programs in January. Please see the poster for dates. Contact Tammy @ 403-8965348 to register.

Family Resource Network is offering a program to support families through separation and divorce. Contact Tammy @ 403-896-5348 to register.

Active Parenting is a 6 week course for parents looking for guidance and support with raising a teenager. Contact Tammy to register @ 403-896-5348.

We are in full swing with basketball season. Our teams are playing hard and winning games! Please join us and cheer on our Golden Eagles - home and away game dates and times can be found on our SLR Sports Calendar.

Basketball fees are now in Rycor and can be paid online using a credit card or at the office by cash or cheque.

We are still waiting for some volleyball jerseys to be returned and volleyball fees to be paid. If your child played volleyball this season, could you please make sure their jersey is washed and returned to the school and that fees are paid up. We thank you for support.

As always, for anything sports related, please see our SLR Sports Calendar for the most current dates and times. This calendar is updated regularily and is the best way to stay on top of everything SLR sports. If there is ever a change in the schedule, this is where you will find it.

Online ordering for the Eagles Nest Cafe is available at slr.hotlunches.net

Parents can order in advance using this online system. Students are still able to pre-order at the school as well. For more instructions on how to sign up and use the system, please read this letter.

Want to earn money for our school by simply shopping for groceries? Please see the poster below for more details.

Our next School Council meeting will take place on January 18, 2024 at 6:30 pm. Attendance is open to all parents and guardians. If you wish to attend virtually, please contact the office for more information at 403-406-7365.

For anything else related to School Council, please contact:

School Council Information

Email: slr.schoolcouncil@gmail.com

Winter weather has arrived! We know it can be tricky to convince teenagers to wear their jackets, but we ask that you please remind your children to dress for the weather as outdoor recess does continue through the winter months.

As noted in the signage at our front entrance, to support the safety in and around our school we have indoor and outdoor cameras.

St. Francis of Assisi presents Disney's Frozen Jr. Tickets go on sale January 8, 2024 and showtimes are February 29 & March 1, 2024. For more information, please see poster.

We are excited to extend an invitation to you to become a homestay host for international students enrolled in our school. Your participation in this program is vital, and it is through the support of families like yours that we can provide an enriching experience for our students.\

By opening our doors to students from around the world, we enhance our programs, strengthen our community, and offer life-changing experiences to our Canadian students, shaping their perspectives in a meaningful way.

Our dedicated hosts have discovered that homestay has not only brought them lifelong friendships but also created lasting connections across the globe. They take pleasure in sharing Canadian experiences and customs with their international students, fostering cultural exchange and understanding.

To support our homestay host families, we have partnered with the Canada Homestay Network Society (CHN), a family-led, not-for-profit Canadian organization that has been a leader in homestay since 1995. CHN provides comprehensive orientation, 24/7 emergency support, a host allowance to help offset expenses, and the opportunity to bring the world right to your front door.

If you would like more information about becoming a host for one of our students, please reach out to hostinfo@canadahomestaynetwork.ca, call 1-877-441-4443 ext. 2264/2176, or visit

https://whyihost.ca.

To start the process of becoming a CHN host, please visit:

https://hostportal.chnonline.ca/apply

The Red Deer Christmas Bureau is holding their 2nd Annual Book & Bottle Drive this Saturday January 13, 2024! For more information please see their posters.