STAR Catholic Outreach

September 19 - NO SCHOOL for students - PD day for staff

September 29 - Wear your orange shirt 🧡

September 30 - NO SCHOOL - Truth & Reconciliation Day

October 13 - NO SCHOOL - Happy Thanksgiving!

October 14 - NO SCHOOL for students - PD Day for staff

November 3 - NO SCHOOL for students - PD Day for staff

November 7 - NO SCHOOL for students

🌻Fall Break - November 10-14🌻

November 17 - Welcome Back from Fall Break

Dear STAR Catholic Outreach School Community,

It is with great excitement and gratitude that I join you as Principal of STAR Catholic Outreach this year. Although this is my first year in this role, it feels very much like a homecoming—I am thrilled to be back with STAR Catholic and to continue the tradition of supporting students in their unique learning journeys.

Throughout my career, I have been blessed to serve in both Black Gold Schools and Elk Island Catholic Schools as a teacher, Assistant Principal, and Principal. Each experience has strengthened my belief that education is not just about academics, but about relationships, growth, and helping every student discover their God-given gifts.

On a personal note, my family and I live on an acreage, and I enjoy reading, gardening, and scrapbooking in my spare time. These hobbies remind me of the importance of balance and creativity—values I also bring into my work with students and staff.

I look forward to walking alongside you this year, building strong connections, and celebrating the successes—big and small—of our students. Together, I know we can make this an awesome year filled with faith, learning, and community.

May God bless us all with a school year full of joy, growth, and opportunity.

With gratitude and excitement,

Mrs. Tracy Melnyk

tracy.melnyk@starcatholic.ab.ca

This year, STAR Catholic Outreach has a brand new staff. Each one of us is super excited to be here and we bring a wealth of experience, gifts, and talents!

Mr. Brandon Geiger - All things Math & Science!

brandon.geiger@starcatholic.ab.ca

Mr. Daniel Hughes - Social Studies, Religion, Off Campus & Options

daniel.hughes@starcatholic.ab.ca

Mrs. Tracy Melnyk - Principal & English Language Arts

tracy.melnyk@starcatholic.ab.ca

Mrs. Jennifer Nelson - Administrative Assistant

jennifer.nelson@starcatholic.ab.ca

I graduated from the University of Alberta in December of 2021 with a Bachelor of Science / Bachelor of Education Combined Degree and began teaching shortly afterwards in January of 2022. I am engaged to be married in July 2026, and my future wife and I are beyond excited to start this new journey together!

Before becoming a teacher, I had a variety of fun work opportunities:

• I worked as a baseball diamond maintenance 'aficionado' as my first job; at 14 years old, I was driving quads while grooming shale, cutting grass, chalking and painting foul lines, etc. in my city.
• Starting in high school for almost 6 years, I delivered pizza for a restaurant in my hometown. I had an incredible amount of fun driving around, listening to music, meeting new people, and eating free pizza!
• Throughout university, I worked at another local company that sold goods and services to farmers and industrial customers. Through this job, I became a commercially trained truck driver, delivered crop seeds, fuels, lubricants, and chemicals to farmers, and learned many office skills as well.

Outside of the classroom, I have many different hobbies and enjoy various activities that keep me quite busy. My fiance and I are both quite competitive, and love playing card games, board games, and video games against each other; we also enjoy collaborating on putting puzzles together. When we step outdoors, we really enjoy hiking and spending time in the mountains. Whenever possible, I always recommend that people travel if they can! I have been to many different countries, including Australia, Italy, Fiji, Spain, Aruba, Curacao, and I cannot wait to see more of the world. I am incredibly active within the baseball and hockey communities, as I hold various positions across a few different organizations and try to help minor sports anyway that I can. I have been a baseball coach and hockey referee for about 10 years. I am a huge advocate for being involved in the community and encourage everyone to volunteer for or participate in games / sports whenever they can!

I am also a huge fan of all things entertainment- I love watching sports, TV, movies, listening to music, and playing video games. If you ever feel like debating a movie, critiquing a video game, or want to share a sports highlight or a cool song, I would love to chat about it. If I have never heard / watched your topic starter or recommendation, I promise I will!

Hello everyone my name is Mr. Hughes and I am dedicated to providing an engaging and effective virtual learning experience for all students. My areas of passion and expertise include history, religion, classics, and social studies. This is my sixth year of teaching following my graduation from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Education, majoring in Social Studies and minoring in Chemistry. During my studies, I focused much of my coursework on history, particularly ancient history, which remains one of my strongest academic interests. Prior to teaching, I worked in several industries across Alberta, including non-destructive inspection, landscaping, and lease-hand work. These experiences provided me with a broad perspective and a deeper appreciation for Alberta’s land, history, and people. Beyond teaching, I enjoy photography, complaining about telecom companies, hiking, and watching my favorite sport teams disappoint me.

I am honored to be part of the STAR Outreach team, where I continue to teach Social Studies and contribute to the mission of Catholic education.

Hello Everyone! My name is Jennifer Nelson and I am the new Administrative Assistant at STAR Catholic Outreach. I am the friendly voice that greets you on the phone when you call and am here to answer any questions you have.

I come to this role with many years of experience in the education field and am very excited and honoured to be joining this amazing team. I enjoy spending time with my family, especially outdoors, hiking and skiing, but will never turn down a quiet afternoon reading and drinking tea. I look forward to meeting and getting to know all of our students and their families.

As we are growing Outreach, and delving further into the world of careers, we would like to give our Outreach a name. We would like to choose a name that reflects the purpose of Outreach, which is:

Outreach is designed to provide a flexible, personalized education for students who cannot access learning in a traditional school setting. It serves learners who need alternative schedules, individualized support, or specialized programming. The goal is to help students achieve their educational outcomes, such as completing high school, upgrading courses, taking supplementary courses that are not offered at their school, all while providing a student-centered environment delivered through technology and in-person support.

Quote from Policy 25:

The names that go forward to the Board for consideration may:

4.1 Have significance for the students, parents and the community of the particular facility;

4.2 Be associated with saints or individuals who have exemplified Catholicity;

4.3 Be easily identifiable with the facility;

4.4 Not be in conflict with the names of other facilities in the system, or surrounding divisions;

Please ensure that the name you submit, does not go against the Board Policy, and does not have any association with residential schools. Only names that comply will be brought forward to the Board of Trustees.

Here is the link to the survey, due Sunday, September 14th: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdc0iF42EnkYHUZzOwg6N66JlBxvWlgBED8nh13zE6FvArmZg/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=117113363264696836504

On September 30, Canadians across the country will mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. This day invites us to pause, to remember, and to honour the children who never returned home from residential schools, as well as the survivors, their families, and their communities.

As a Catholic community, we are called to reflect deeply on this part of our nation’s history. It is a time for humility, prayer, and a renewed commitment to walk the path of healing and reconciliation. True reconciliation requires truth, listening, and a willingness to seek forgiveness with sincerity of heart.

Wearing an 🧡orange shirt🧡 on this day is one way to show solidarity, inspired by the story of Phyllis Webstad, whose new orange shirt was taken from her on her first day at residential school. The orange shirt has become a symbol of how the residential school system took away the identities, languages, and cultures of Indigenous children.

As people of faith, we are encouraged to pray for healing, to educate ourselves, and to build relationships rooted in respect and understanding. Together, we can embrace the Gospel call to love our neighbour and to work for justice and peace.

Let us mark September 30 not only as a day of remembrance, but also as a renewed call to action—to walk alongside our Indigenous brothers and sisters in truth, humility, and hope.

**Note - Because we are not in school on Sept 30, please wear your 🧡orange shirt🧡

on Monday, Sept 29.

Welcome back! Here’s how you can access your Canvas account to get started with your courses:

1. Go to Canvas

   • Open your web browser and go to: https://starcatholic.instructure.com

2. Log in with your STAR Catholic account

   • Enter your STAR Catholic email address (the same email you use for all school accounts).

   • Enter your STAR Catholic password.

3. Access your courses

   • Once you are logged in, you’ll see your Dashboard.

   • Click on your courses to get started.

👉 Tip: If you have trouble logging in, make sure you’re using your STAR Catholic email (not a personal email). If you forgot your password, contact the school office and we’ll help you reset it.

School fees for the 2025-2026 school year have now been sent out. Please check your email boxes and click on the School Cash Online link provided to complete the transaction. We kindly ask that you submit payment at your earliest convenience.

We appreciate your prompt attention to this matter and your continued support of our school community. If you have any questions or require assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact our school office—we are happy to help 780-980-0955.

Create a MyPass Account

All students require a MyPass account to obtain diploma marks, transcripts and so much more. If you have not created an account, please click on the link below and follow the instructions on how to do so.

Create a MyPass account

Watch the video below on how to get your MyPass Account!

Now is the time to mark your calendars for all of the cool Open House opportunities at our local Post Secondary Schools! October is a bust month for Post Secondary applications so make sure that you are ready with your MyPass Account and have everything ready to apply - Applications open to most school on October 1, 2025. Be PREPARED!

You can find all GrACE information here: https://secure.smore.com/n/dyw413

https://www.starcatholic.ab.ca/division/school-board/board-highlights