Ste. Marie Catholic School

October is a beautiful month to reflect on gratitude, faith, and the many blessings within our Ste. Marie school family. We have much to be thankful for and many opportunities this month to come together as a Catholic school community.

Catholic Education Week will be celebrated October 17–23, 2026. This year’s theme, “The Power of the Holy Spirit,” is inspired by Romans 15:13 and invites us to place our trust in God and recognize the Holy Spirit at work in our lives, filling us with joy, peace, and hope: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Catholic Education Sunday is October 18, and we invite our families to join us for Youth Mass at 10:00 a.m. in Rycroft. We hope to see many of our students and families there as we celebrate our faith and the gift of Catholic education together.

Please also keep Father Rock in your prayers as he prepares for a well-deserved holiday. Father Rock will be away for the month of October, and we wish him safe travels, rest, and a wonderful time away. We are grateful for all he does for our students, families, and school community and look forward to welcoming him back.

Our annual Aspen Alfred Memorial Art Show and Sale will take place on October 22. Parents and families are invited to come and purchase their children’s artwork, with all donations going to the Kids with Cancer Society in memory of Aspen. This continues to be a very special tradition at Ste. Marie, giving our students an opportunity to share their creativity while supporting children and families facing cancer.

We would also like to welcome and thank our new School Council members, Jody Lefley, Candace Boire, and Andrea Magill. They have already jumped in to support our school by taking on the hot lunch program and exploring fundraising ideas that will benefit our students. Their first event is the motivational magic show with Steve Harmer on October 6. Our School Council is always looking for volunteers, and they will keep families updated through their Facebook page, Ste. Marie School Council.

As Thanksgiving approaches, we are especially thankful for all of the families who make Ste. Marie such a special place. Thank you for your continued support, for sharing your children with us each day, and for helping us create a school community rooted in faith, kindness, hope, and belonging.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his mercy endures forever.” — Psalm 107:1

Carla Knezevich

September 8 was the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which celebrates Mary’s birth. Since Mary is our school’s patron Saint, we had a little birthday party!

Our students are continuing to explore Building Thinking Classrooms, an approach that encourages students to think deeply, work together, and find creative ways to solve problems. Instead of always being given the answer, students are encouraged to ask questions, share ideas, explain their thinking, and learn from one another.

If you walked into a Building Thinking Classrooms classroom, you might notice that it looks a little different from a traditional classroom. You could see:

• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Students working in small groups rather than sitting individually.
• 🧍 Students standing at whiteboards or other vertical workspaces while solving a problem.
• 💬 Lots of discussion — students explaining their ideas, asking questions, and comparing different ways to solve a problem.
• 🧠 Students working on challenging problems where there may not be one obvious way to get the answer.
• ✏️ Lots of trial and error — students trying an idea, making mistakes, changing their strategy, and trying again.
• 👩‍🏫 The teacher moving around the room, asking questions and prompting students to think rather than simply giving them the answer.
• 🔄 Different groups using different strategies to reach a solution.
• 🎯 Students explaining their thinking, not just giving the final answer.

The grade 5/6 class had a great time at Saddle Hills for the "Leaders of Tomorrow" event!

Our Grade 5/6 students showed their Terry Fox spirit by helping raise funds for the Terry Fox Walk! They ran a Toonie Trolley, selling delicious snacks, and hosted a pancake lunch for our school community. Their goal was to raise $1,400, and they are excited to have doubled their goal! 🎉

A huge thank you to our Grade 5/6 students for all their hard work and to everyone who participated in fundraising and supported our Terry Fox Walk. Your generosity, enthusiasm, and school spirit helped make this fundraiser a tremendous success!

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