District Update

We hope all our families have a great long weekend. Today, our staff members participated in this school year's second Faith Day. We were grateful for the opportunity to come together with our communities and deepen our understanding of gratitude and thanksgiving. The day began with staff members attending Mass at their local parish. After Mass, we gathered at schools and worksites and engaged in learning activities to help us continue to grow in gratitude.

Grateful Hearts

April 24 was Administrative Professionals' Day. There are many people behind the scenes of our daily happenings who ensure our schools and workplaces operate well. Thank you to every administrative staff member for all that you do to support our students, our schools and our district.

Artwalk 2024

Artwalk is a long-standing Calgary Catholic tradition that recognizes the talents and gifts of our students through the visual arts. Each year, our schools each select one piece of student artwork to be showcased on the walls of our downtown Catholic School Centre. We lovingly refer to this annual project as one of the few rotating galleries in Canada that honours a collection dedicated to children's artwork.

View the Art 🎨

• Walk through our interactive virtual gallery
• Flip through our digital book

Artwalk Prayer

Lord God of all creation, you reveal your love to us in so many ways: in the beauty and abundance of creation, the warmth of family and friends, and the hearts and hands that serve our needs. Continue to bless artists, young and old, with joy and creativity as they strive to capture and communicate the beauty and love they see in the world. Through the work of their hands, may they help us to see your wonder more clearly, remind us of the sacredness of all life, and inspire within us deeper faith, hope and love. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Many blessings,

Dr. Bryan Szumlas

CCSD Chief Superintendent

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift.

—2 Corinthians 9:15

• April 28 National Day of Mourning (our flags will fly at half-mast to remember and honour those who have suffered and lost their lives in the workplace)
• May 1–31 Asian Heritage Month
  
• May 1 National Principals' Day
• May 5–10 Catholic Education Week
• May 5 National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls/Red Dress Day

• May 6–12 Mental Health Week
• May 6 School Bus Driver Appreciation Day
• May 8 Hats On! for Mental Health Day
• May 9 World Catholic Education Day (school communities are encouraged to wear blue)
• May 10 Bear Witness Day

Each year, the Alberta School Boards Association (ASBA) honours six outstanding first-year teachers with the Edwin Parr Teacher Award. School boards may nominate any first-year kindergarten to Grade 12 teacher who has taught in an Alberta school jurisdiction that is a member of the ASBA. This year, CCSD proudly nominated the following first-year teachers:

• Mr. Rainer Dalton, St. Helena School
• Mr. Quinn Demers, St. Alphonsus School
  
• Ms. Sarah Dupont, St. Matthew School
  
• Ms. Sarah Kehoe, Father Scollen School
  

• Ms. Cindy Le, St. Martha School
• Ms. Leila Linton, St. Veronica School
  
• Mr. Michael Marshall, St. Helena School
  
• Mr. Liam Papp, St. Timothy Junior/Senior High School
  
• Ms. Marie Patmore, St. Damien School
  
• Ms. Jocelyn Slivinski, Our Lady Queen of Peace School.

Each school board may then nominate one candidate for submission to their associated Zone Selection Committee. Each Zone Selection Committee will then select one nominee as the zone recipient of the award. Of our nominees, Ms. Slivinski has been selected to represent CCSD as our Zone 5 nominee. Congratulations to all! And thank you for your enthusiasm for learning and exceptional commitment to supporting student success.

On April 19, we gathered at St. Teresa of Calcutta School for a celebration and blessing after a renovation. This special occasion marked the school's official reopening after undergoing a significant modernization.

"My favourite things about the new school are the gym, the hallways and the classes. Everything looks new and fresh."

—Rhett B., Grade 4 student

Students played instruments, sang and performed beautifully, honoured guests gave greetings, and Father Adrian, our ordained district chaplain, blessed the updated facility and its community. The major modernization began in December 2021 and concluded in April 2023. During that span, the St. Teresa of Calcutta community was housed at Holy Child School.

"Walking into the renovated school felt like a renewal of our community. It is so bright—that’s my favourite thing. The natural light is rejuvenating and such a welcome change. It is a blessing to be a community again after a few years of being displaced. Holy Child was amazing. We felt very welcome there, but there is nothing like having our own space to grow and learn in.”

—Brittany B., school council chairperson and parent

"The renovation of St. Teresa of Calcutta gives us a school where the beautiful physical building now matches and complements the wonderful community and culture within our school. The brightness that the newness brings creates excitement right from the moment you step into the school. Having our art installation be that of a cross in our main foyer is the perfect way to greet families and show our faith."

—Glen Anderson, principal

Sleep Matters

This month, Dr. Peter Rawlek, CCSD's medical doctor, highlights the profound significance of sleep in nurturing healthy minds, bodies and communities. Did you know our children sleep on average one to two hours less than they did decades ago? The profound impact of this disturbance is increasingly evident with poor learning readiness, emotional instability, but especially, worsening overall mental health in students. Learn more about the consequences of sleep deprivation and the need to prioritize sleep at the following link:

• April — The critical role of sleep

• Cellphone Use in Schools Survey — The Government of Alberta wants to hear from Albertans about how students should use cellphones in schools. Click here to complete a brief survey. Input from this targeted engagement will help inform potential future government direction. The survey closes May 3, 2024.

• Caribbean Youth Summit 2024 — Explore social responsibilities, mental health, self-management, financial literacy and more at Youth Summit on May 4, 2024, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at CPS Headquarters – Westwinds (5111 47 St NE, Calgary).

• East Side Dance Festival — Attend back-to-back evenings of live dance, featuring talent from 17 Calgary schools, on May 9 and 10, 2024, at the University of Calgary Theatre (230 University Ct NW, Calgary). View the schedule and purchase your tickets through the UCalgary Theatre Services website.

• Bus Driver Recruitment Marketing Contest — Attention student marketers! You could be the one to design the perfect recruitment ad for school bus drivers using multimedia or print design for province-wide distribution and you could win cash for you and for your class. Check out the Alberta Student Transportation Advisory Council (ASTAC) website for details on how to participate in the ASTAC School Bus Driver Hiring Campaign. The entry deadline is May 15, 2024.

• My 1st Ride — Parents/guardians, kindergarten students and all other first time bus riders are invited to My 1st Ride, a free school bus safety program, on May 25 and 26, 2024. My 1st Ride helps make the first bus ride less scary by providing school bus orientation, a ride on a school bus and more. Click here to register for a free session.
  

We are sharing the following reminder on behalf of GrACE (Grateful Advocates for Catholic Education):

"GrACE Summit 2024 presents the opportunity for us to unite as a Catholic community and demonstrate our steadfast commitment to the tenets of Catholic education. The summit will concentrate on unity, dialogue and renewed commitment as essential elements in advancing Catholic education. Through collective engagement, we seek to strengthen our bonds and reaffirm our commitment to the continuous success and benefits of Catholic education, both within Alberta and beyond."

• Date and Time: May 10, 2024, from 8:15 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Location: The Catholic Parish of Corpus Christi (2707 34 St NW, Edmonton)

Click here for more information and to register.

We are sharing the following information on behalf of the Government of Alberta:

"As you are aware, Albertans can receive messages about life-threatening emergencies, such as tornadoes, wildfires, floods, or Amber Alerts, directly to their cellphones. This wireless public alerting is a national initiative that works with the Alberta Emergency Alert system to send potentially life-saving emergency instructions to all connected/compatible cellphones in the threatened community.

On May 8, 2024, at 11:55 a.m.,* the National Public Alerting System will send a test alert across Alberta to all broadcast platforms. During the test, an alert will go off followed by a text message letting cellphone users know the sound is part of a test and there is no need for concern."

🌐 Explore how you can better prepare for emergencies and disasters at alberta.ca.

*Time revised by the Government of Alberta on May 7, 2024.