Blessed John Paul I Newsletter

Dear Blessed John Paul I Families,

Welcome to the 2026-2027 school year! We are excited to begin another year of learning, growth, faith, and community together. As we open our doors to new and returning students, we are filled with gratitude for the opportunity to partner with you in supporting your child's academic, spiritual, social, and emotional development.

This year, we proudly embrace our new school mascot, the Blessed John Paul I Lobos, and the spirit of the Wolf Pack. Wolves thrive through connection, teamwork, and caring for one another, qualities that reflect the strong sense of belonging we strive to foster within our school community. Throughout the year, students will be encouraged to live the P.A.C.K. Way through Perseverance, Accountability, Community, and Kindness. These values will guide our daily interactions, learning experiences, and our commitment to helping every child reach their God-given potential.

As a Catholic school, we are reminded that Christ calls us to walk together in faith and love. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells us, "Let your light shine before others" (Matthew 5:16). We hope that each member of our Wolf Pack will discover ways to share their gifts, serve others, and be a light within our school and beyond. Through prayer, worship, and faith-filled learning opportunities, we will continue to nurture hearts that are rooted in compassion, hope, and service.

Whether your family is joining us for the first time or has been part of our community for many years, know that you belong here. We look forward to celebrating successes, overcoming challenges, and creating meaningful memories together throughout the year.

Together, let's make this a year of growth, faith, and excellence as we live the P.A.C.K. Way.

One Pack. One Community. Many Gifts.

Blessings,

Rosanne Boutin
Principal
Blessed John Paul I School

#VamosLobos 🐾

As we begin an exciting new school year, we are pleased to share that our staffing assignments have now been finalized. We are grateful for the dedicated team of educators and support staff who will serve our students and families throughout the year. Each member of our Wolf Pack brings unique gifts, talents, and a commitment to helping every child learn, grow, and flourish.

We extend a warm welcome to our new staff members and are delighted to have them join our Blessed John Paul I community.

Complexity Teacher: Sra. Glenda Garrido James

Kinder English: Mrs. Patricia Beazer

Kinder Spanish: Sra. Katharina Gonzalez

Grade 1A (English): Mrs. Alyssa Heck

Grade 1B (Spanish): Srta. Olivia Hoeppner

Grade 2A (English): Mrs. Jaclyn D’Souza

Grade 2B (Spanish): Sra. Vanessa Nieto Guiterrez

Grade 3A (English) :Mr. Evan Valdez

Grade 3B (Spanish): Srta.Veronica Herrara

Grade 3C (Spanish): Srta. Vanessa Fereer Arin

Grade 4/5A (English): Mr.Salvador Galdamez

Grade 4B (Spanish): Sra.Vanesa Blanco Claramonte

Grade 4/5C (Spanish): Sra.Jessica Melara-Zelada

Grade 5B (Spanish): Sra. Veronica Jimenez

Grade 5/6A (English): Mrs. Jennifer Weir

Grade 6B (Spanish): Sra. Karla Alumina

Music and Grade 5A Support: Mrs. Elizabeth McKay

Instructional Coach:Sra. Katharina Gonzalez

Assistant Principal: Sra. Olivia Hernandez

Emotional Behavioral Specialist: Ms. Kendall Armstrong

FSLW: Mrs. Jenny Beltran Faryna

Custodial: Ms. Terri Manger and Ms. Gurpreet Kaur

We would like to share an important update regarding speech-language services for the 2026-2027 school year. At this time, school-based speech-language services will not be provided for students in Grades 1-6. Students with existing speech or language needs will continue to be supported through classroom strategies, collaboration with families, and referrals to community-based services where appropriate.

Open and respectful communication is essential to a strong home-school partnership. Throughout the school year, we encourage families to connect regularly with their child's teacher regarding questions, celebrations, concerns, or updates that may impact student learning and well-being.

As the staff member who works most closely with your child each day, your child's teacher is always the first point of contact for classroom-related questions or concerns. Teachers are best positioned to provide information about student progress, classroom expectations, assignments, and day-to-day experiences. Should additional support be needed, school administration is always available to work collaboratively with families and staff.

Together, through ongoing communication and partnership, we can support each student in thriving academically, socially, and spiritually as members of our Wolf Pack community.

For other inquiries, we encourage families to connect with us using our school's public email address whenever possible. Using the school email helps ensure your inquiry is directed appropriately and allows us to respond as efficiently as possible.

If you are looking for our public email address, it can be found at the bottom of our school website homepage. We encourage families to save this contact information for easy access throughout the school year.

Maintaining open communication is an important part of our home-school partnership, and we are committed to supporting families by providing timely information, answering questions, and working together to support student success.

Helpful reminders:

Examples:

• Supervision begins at 8:02 AM; please avoid early drop-offs.

• Label all lunch containers, water bottles, and sweaters!

• Visit our school website or PowerSchool for forms, updates, and attendance.

• During September and Early October, students will take part in literacy and numeracy screening. These assessments screen for gaps of each student's current skills and help inform instructional planning for the rest of the semester. Families will receive results once screening is complete, and further details will be provided in the October newsletter.

  
  

Please let the office know if you are planning on being away from school for an extended period of time. We understand that family travel and time spent with loved ones can be meaningful and valuable experiences for children. We also recognize that families may have important cultural, family, or personal reasons for travelling.

At the same time, we would like to share some important information about how an extended absence from school may affect your child’s learning.

When students are away from school, they miss more than classroom assignments. Teachers provide daily instruction, discussions, hands-on activities, presentations, group work, and opportunities for students to ask questions and receive feedback. These learning experiences cannot always be replaced through work completed at home.

Teachers are not required to prepare individual assignments or lessons for students who are away on vacation.

When your child returns to school, teachers will continue with the regular classroom program and may not be able to reteach all of the learning that was missed during the absence. Your child may need additional time to catch up and become comfortable with the classroom routine again.

Extended absences can be particularly challenging when students are already developing their English language skills or require additional academic support. Regular attendance provides students with important opportunities to practise English, build relationships, participate in classroom conversations, and receive ongoing support from their teachers and classmates.

We also encourage you to talk with your child about what they may miss while they are away and how they can prepare for their return.

We value our partnership with families and want every student to experience success at school.

ECSD is hosting a Newcomer Information Night, and I am hoping that you can share this information below with your families.

We are handing out flyers at One World and the Intercultural are highlighting this event with their families. We are requesting families to Register for Newcomer Information Night

Here is some messaging for you to share with your families:

Dear Families,

Edmonton Catholic School’s One World…One Centre is inviting newcomer families to a special information evening on Wednesday, September 23, 2026 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Lumen Christi Catholic Education Centre (9405 50 Street).

This event is a great opportunity for families who are new to Canada to learn more about Edmonton Catholic Schools and the supports available.

You will receive information on:

· Intercultural Services

· Community Partnerships

· School Procedures

· PowerSchool

· Busing

· Resources for English Language Learners

Meet community partners and attend breakout sessions with Intercultural Liaisons on topics critical for new families to integrate into schools - available in 10 languages: Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, English, Filipino/Tagalog, French, Spanish, Tigrinya, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese.

There will be an opportunity to ask questions, meet ECSD staff and community partners, and learn about the support available.

Light snacks and refreshments will be served, and on-site childcare from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM.

Please register by September 11, 2026, by clicking here or by calling 780-441-6060.

For more information visit Newcomer Information Night

We look forward to welcoming you!

Edmonton Catholic Schools utilizes the SchoolMessenger SafeArrival system to simplify reporting absences for families. It is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and you can report your child’s absence in advance using any of these options:

• SchoolMessenger App (iOS or Android)

• PowerSchool (click on the SchoolMesenger icon in the left hand menu)

• Website: go.schoolmessenger.ca

• Phone: 1-833-788-7662

Using SchoolMessenger is quick, convenient, and helps keep your school informed and your child safe. For full instructions and more information, visit ecsd.net/reportingabsences.

Hot lunch dates will be sent via school messenger after our SAC meeting in September.

In honor of National Truth and Reconciliation Day on September 30 we welcome all students and staff to wear orange t-shirts. There is also no school on September 30.

Students will have individual and class photos taken on Tuesday, October 6.

Our school's annual Terry Fox Run will take place on September 24 for all students. More information will be forthcoming.

We are asking parents to refrain from parking and using the designated bus lanes for drop off.

We greatly appreciate everyone's efforts to keep all of our students safe.

Our Woodvale Community League supports our school and the families in our community in a variety of ways.They offer a matching grant program to the school for the purchase of items for our students. In past years, they have supported with the purchase of technology, resources and updated classroom furniture. Parent volunteers are required for Bingo shifts with Woodvale to raise funds for such purchases. The school receives $500 for every volunteer shift, that there is no experience necessary, and friends/grandparents/family can volunteer in honour of your child/school. This is 5 times more than what other workers would get for working a bingo.

Here are the listings of the upcoming Bingos:

Sunday SEPTEMBER 20 2026

Friday OCTOBER 2 2026

Tuesday, October 20, 2026

This past year we received matching grants to help pay for document cameras and projectors for the classrooms.

Please email for more information: woodvalebingos@gmail.com.

Every shift covered by Blessed John Paul I families credits our school directly. Thank you for your consideration and support!

Please visit ecsd.net to see school calendar dates for next school year.

Link

Did you know there are services/resources available to families who are wanting further psychiatric or mental health assessment for their children that is covered by Alberta Health. Please contact Kendall Harnett (Mental Health Manger) at kendall.harnett@curemd.ca for more information.

Families who are concerned about their children's learning and achievement, concentration and attention can also request a referral from their family physician to the http://www.theconnectclinic.com/ who also provides assessments that are covered by Alberta Health.

Family Futures has summer camp opportunities available for families.

Please visit https://familyfutures.ca/programs-services/camps/ for more information.

Corpus Christi has Confirmation schedule available for parents for next school year. Please see the link below.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.cloversites.com/db/dbfc9f5b-c296-416c-a56e-92dd34f1ef86/documents/2027_Confirmation_Schedule.pdf

Please see the brochure for First Reconciliation dates and times.

Please see the brochure for First Communion dates and times.

Please see the following links for confirmation information.

Confirmation Reg. Form (Gr.6-12): https://sttheresa.caedm.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/2027-Reg.-Form-Confirmation-1.pdf

Confirmation 2027 Program:

https://sttheresa.caedm.ca/sacraments/confirmation/