St. Cecilia Community Messenger
Nov 11-15, 2024
Week at a Glance
Mon, Nov 11 - Remembrance Day, no classes
Tues, Nov 12, Day 3
Wed, Nov 13, Day 4
- World Kindness Day
Thurs, Nov 14, Day 5
Fri, Nov 15, Day 6
On the Horizon
Nov 17: Metis Week
Nov 17: Bullying Awareness Week
Nov 19: Advent Food Drive Begins
Nov 21: School Council Meeting
Nov 26: Scholastic Book Fair Arrives
Nov 28: Evening PT Conferences
Nov 29: PT Conferences - No classes
Dec 2: Bookfair leaves
Dec 13: Student Faith Day - Face to Face Ministries
Dec 19: Last day of classes before Christmas break
Dec 20: PG day - No classes
Greetings
Newsletter Views
The image below shows some analytics from last week's newsletter. Thanks very much to all families for opening and reading our communication. The weekly newsletter is the primary mode of communication to the school community by school administration and we endeavor to publish all relevant information or anything that might be of interest to our community. Stay connected with our school community by following us on Instagram! This is a great way to get an inside look at the exciting events, classroom moments, and student learning happening in our building. Please note that our newsletter continues to be the official method of communication for schoolwide events. Each teacher is responsible to communicate classroom information through their chosen method.
Follow us @st.cecilia_cssd and join the fun!
Google Reviews and Marketing
It will soon be time to begin our marketing campaign for the fall of 2025-2026. Kindergarten and grade 1 are entry points for French Immersion in Calgary Catholic and all families are encouraged to inquire. Summit Kids is our childcare provider and they operate right inside the school. They offer before and after school care as well as Kindergarten care during the day. Please mention our school to families and friends. In this day and age, word of mouth and the recommendations of family and friends carries a lot of weight. Another thing that carries weight is online/Google reviews.
We would like to ask families to write a positive Google Review for St. Cecilia. It is easy to do this. Simply do a Google Search of the school name and then, look for the Google Reviews link on the right side of the page. Please refer to the screenshot below. If you do not feel compelled to leave a positive review, we would love the opportunity to sit down and listen to feedback so that we can improve the educational services we provide.
Volunteer Orientation
Links are down below in the Useful Links section. Please view the orientation and complete the acknowledgement form.
School Council Information
Our next School Council meeting will be held on Nov 21, 2024. All parents are automatically members of School Council and as such you are welcome to attend the meetings and to voice your opinions on the matters discussed in those meetings. I would encourage all parents to attend at least one school council meeting over the course of the school year.
Please see the minutes from the October meeting in the attachment below.
Playground Fundraising
Our school playground is scheduled for removal next summer and as such, fundraising for a new playground is also continuing. Thanks to the efforts of our Education Society (Foundation) we are please to offer the following activities. Your participation will help to grow fundraising efforts to assist with building a new playground here at St. Cecilia.
Growing Smiles Fundraiser
Christmas is coming and what better way to create a festive atmosphere than to add some greenery or a poinsettia to your home. Please see the attachment below for information on selection and how to order. You may also click on this link to place your order. Thank you for your support. St. Cecilia School Foundation (Bilingual)
50/50 Draw
The 50/50 fundraiser is live, https://www.rafflebox.ca/raffle/ffscs-playground
Ticket sales close at midnight on November 26th, open to Alberta residents 18 and over so please share with friends and family! Winner will receive 50% of the total minus rafflebox fees.
Student Success
Calgary Public Library Events
The following events being held at the Calgary Public Library may be of interest to St. Cecilia families. Please click on the links for more information.
Caretakers of the Land: Traditional Inuit Games - Dec 11
Storytelling through Stop Motion - Dec 17
A Day in the Life of the Mayor of Calgary - Jan 22
Parent and Trustee Forum
Please consider attending this important event. You may RSVP at this link.
Triangulation
Since September teachers have been gathering evidence of learning. Teachers will comment on student progress at the Nov 29 PT conferences and then progress reports will be sent home at the end of January. There will also be another round of PT conferences held in January to discuss progress.
The information in the image below refers to triangulation which is a way of explaining what constitutes evidence of learning and the various sources of evidence.
Well Being
Wellness Worker
Dear families,
This week we are going to revisit the topic of sleep. According to information published in Lancet Child & Adolescent Health on July 29, 2022, “Children who had insufficient sleep—less than nine hours per night—at the beginning of a two-year study had less grey matter or smaller volume in certain areas of the brain responsible for attention, memory, and inhibition control, compared to those with healthy sleep habits.” “These differences persisted after two years, a concerning finding that suggests long-term harm for those who do not get enough sleep.”
This persistent lack of sleep not only had an impact on their mental health (stress, anxiety, depression) and cognitive functioning (decision making, conflict solving, working memory, and learning) but it affected the structure of their brains!
We see a lot of behaviours at school because many students are not getting enough sleep and it’ s a real struggle for them to get through the day.
Click on the link below and check out this excellent guide. It has a lot of information and helpful tips.
Take care.
Alberta Health Services Digital Newsletter
Please take a moment to review the following well being resources from Alberta Health Services.
Faith Formation
Faith Formation - November Newsletter
In the month of November, the Church devotes itself to prayer and remembrance for the faithfully departed and for souls in purgatory. On November 2, we celebrate All Souls Day – a great opportunity to pray for all those we know who have died, especially those in our families and communities. Page 4 of this issue includes a Prayer for the Deceased.
This month, on page 3, we explore Jesus’ identity as the Light of the World and how that inspired some great classical art in the 17th century.
Check out information on the Formed resource series on “The Case for Jesus” on page 2. Formed is an online subscription-based service that most of our parishes have provided access to. If you don’t have an access account, check with your local parish!
Page 2 also has some information on a popular devotional – the scapular.
We are excited for our district Faith Day tomorrow – November 1! Pray for an enriching and joyful day to celebrate our faith theme: “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift”!
Faith Formation Service Projects: Jacket Racket, Advent Food Drive, Family Support
As part of our service projects St. Cecilia staff and students will work on the Jacket Racket winter coat collection. We will also participate in a Food Drive for St. Vincent de Paul between Nov 12 and Dec 12. More information will be forthcoming on the logistics of these service projects.
For the Food drive, we will have a list of desired items. Each class will be asked to contribute to the food drive. Please note that participating in charitable actions and service projects such as these is part of our Catholic Faith and these are learning opportunities for students.
Family Support
As part of our service projects for this school year, St. Cecilia has committed to helping to support several families from the Castleridge Community and John Paul II school.
Indigenous Education
Enrollment in A Catholic School for Non-Catholics
The Education Act requires the Calgary Catholic School District to prioritize resources and facilities for resident (Catholic) students. Therefore, we cannot guarantee the advancement of a non-resident (non-Catholic) student from one grade to the next in the same school or from elementary to junior and senior high school.
We do not reassess the enrollment priority of a non-resident student during a school year, but we may do this for a future school year. This may result in us informing you to seek enrollment at a different school in the Calgary Catholic School District or another school division for a future school year.
Please contact me at denis.fortier@cssd.ab.ca or by phone at 403 500 2063, if you have any questions about your child’s enrollment priority.
Board of Trustees Priorties
Board Meetings
November 6, 2024
Just a reminder that the schedule of the Board Meeting dates is posted on the district website and can be accessed through this link: https://www.cssd.ab.ca/meeting-schedule
Useful Links
Faith Formation Links
Student Success Links
My Child's Learning: A Parent Resource
Canadian Parents for French - CPF is an advocacy group whose aim is to promote French bilingual education.
K to 12 Education in Alberta: This link gives a broad overview of Alberta's K to 12 education system.
New LearnAlberta Parent Support Website: Contains an overview of grade level topics and is a good place to start for parents who are looking for ways to engage with their child's education.
Programs of Study: Links to K-12 programs of study as well as Tools for Parents.
Please click the links below to view the volunteer orientation and please make sure to complete the acknowledgement forms. These steps are very important in keeping you up to date as a school volunteer.
Volunteer Orientation: https://youtu.be/QaOxx2x3-eM
Acknowledgement Form: https://forms.gle/sDCD7aYau9PTGgSPA
Indigenous Education Links
Wellness Links
Action for Happiness Action for Happiness is a great resource to bring more positivity in our lives.
The Summit - The Summit program is an Alberta Health Services program that supports children and families experiencing mental health concerns that need to be addressed. They provide long term counselling as well as walk in’s.
CanLearn Society - A great resource for parents on how to manage mental health issues or concerns in the home.
Brief review about outdoor play
The importance of regaining outdoor PA
HealthyHunger.ca Healthy Hunger.
Links for Playground Donations
For St. Cecilia School students/parents, please click below link to login school fee payment account to make the donation:
https://www.studentquickpay.com/CSSD/Default.aspx
For guest donors, please click below link to login and make the donation:
https://www.studentquickpay.com/CSSD/MyAccount/Main.aspx?webitemid=8670
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