Principal's message
Dear St. Gabes Students and Families,
Happy May 1st Everyone!
May and June are very big and busy months in school with courses finishing up, exams, awards ceremonies, graduation . . . it's a busy time for eveyrone but with patience and persistence, we can get to our goals by the end of June!
If you missed the announcement last month, I will be retiring at the end of June. St. Gabes new principal will be Lisa Kleparchuk. Lisa comes to us from Legal School where she has been the principal for the past 4 years. Before that, she was a vice-principal at Ecole Notre Dame in Morinville and at Sister Alphonse Academy. She specializes in special education and is an accomplished teacher and leader. I am confident that St. Gabes will be well served by Lisa. I have enjoyed my time at St. Gabes more than I can express. I've said many times that this has been some of the most gratifying work I've ever done. I'm so grateful for the relationships I've made and I'm looking forward to coming back to sub for the teachers here. While I'm so sad to be leaving, I'm also looking forward to spending more time with my growing family and my husband who also recently retired. I have 4 little grandchildren who I can't wait to spoil more often.
Please take a few minutes to register for next year, the link is in the information below. Thank you to those of you who have already sent in their registration package. Planning our staffing for next year is very difficult if we don't know how many students we have returning as teacher's jobs are based on the number of students we have.
Summer school registration is also open now. The link is below. I always encourage students to take a course or two during the summer so that it frees up time in grade 12, just in case you need to take an extra course or upgrade a mark. Grade 9 students (going into grade 10) are allowed to take 2/3 of PE10, CALM, or Religion 15. Grades 11-12 are allowed to take one core or two options. Core classes are in person at SACHS while options (PE, CALM, Religion) are online. If you have questions, please reach out to Wade Michael or Cara Mazur at SACHS.
May is also the month of Mary and we're still celebrating Easter so it's a big month for the church. We also recognize Mental Health Week in May and Teacher's Appreciation Day. Mother's Day is on May 11 so be sure to celebrate the special "mom's" in your life.
Please take a few minutes to read through our newsletter and note the important upcoming events.
As always, please reach out to us if you have any questions. We are always happy to help.
Many Blessings,
Renee Trottier, principal
May is the Month of Mary.
FINAL EXAMS START IN MAY. See schedule below
May 1 - 2:00. Grade 9 online High School Information meeting
May 4 - "May the 4th Be With You"
May 5 - Red Dress Day; Cinco de Mayo
May 6 - Teacher Appreciation Day
May 7 - Hat's on for Mental Health
May 11 - Mother's Day
May 16 - PD/Staff meeting day. School is closed.
May 19 - Victoria Day. School is closed.
UPCOMING!
JUNE 6 IS THE LAST DAY TO HAND IN COURSEWORK
Newsletter Draw
Thank you for taking the time to read about what's happening at St. Gabes each month. Our newsletter is a really important way for you to keep up with what's happening at school.
Congratulations to Christine Cookson for winning our newsletter draw. Please pick up your prize at school.
Each month you can enter our draw for a gift card. I reset the draw each month so you can win more than once!
PLEASE REGISTER!
Thank you to all of you who have already registered for next school year. This helps us so much with planning staffing and courses. If your child is a current student and will be returning for next year, you should have received an email to register your child already. If you didn't receive the email, please let Mrs. Trottier know and I will send it again.
If you're over 18 (as of September 1, 2025), or a returning grade 12 student, you will register as a NEW student for 2025/2026 (even if you are a current student).
If you have questions, please contact us and we can help.
You can use this great drop down menu planning document to plan out your high school courses. You can complete it on your own and bring it to school and one of us will review it with you or you can set up a time to meet us to create it together. It's a very handy tool.
Be sure to sign up for your MyPass account as well so you know what courses you have and what courses you still need to graduate. Information about MyPass is below and on our website under Quick Links.
On, or before, June 25 all textbooks and Chromebooks must be returned to St. Gabriel Education Centre. Please note, not returning school resources will result in a fee to pay for the replacement of the item. Damage will be assessed a fee to either rebind the book or replace it, depending on the damage. Thank you for your attention to this!
Pro Tip - Just bring your textbook with you when you come to write your exam. 😉
Are you graduating this year or wondering if you have the credentials to graduate? Check on MyPass, or talk to Mrs. Bedi, Mrs. Webb, or Mrs. Trottier to see if you're eligible to graduate. We can help you figure it out!
If you already know that. you're graduating, please let Mrs. Bedi know if you're coming to our ceremony.
When - June 26, 2025
Time - 10:00-12:00
Location - St. Albert Parish Church Basement (7 St. Vital Ave).
Cost - Free for grads and their families
Note - Mrs. Bedi will be sending out an RSVP Google Form.
Copying, Plagiarism and AI
Did you know that copying from the Internet, using AI, or even copying your friend's work, are all forms of plagiarism? Using someone else's ideas, words, or thoughts (including AI) without citing them can result in receiving a zero for your work and possibly being withdrawn from the course. In post-secondary you can be expelled from school.
Please read our Academic Integrity Policy.
School Rules!
1. Check in - Always check in at the office - sign in with our QR code. This is for students and guests.
2. Check out - Always check out again before you leave.
It's important that we know who is in the building for safety reasons. If there is a lock down or evacuation, we need to be able to identify who is at school so that we can help to keep you safe.
3. Parking - Parking is first come/first served. Do not park in spots that have no-parking signs on them.
4. Bring your own reusable water bottle. We now have a water bottle filling station in the hallway by the bathrooms.
PowerSchool for students and parents
Students - You can access PowerSchool using your student email and password. You have single user sign on now.
Parents - If you don't have a parent PowerSchool account, please contact Principal Renee Trottier. You will need an access ID and Password from the school in order to set up your account. You can add all of your GSACRD children on one account.
The PowerSchool App - Did you know there is an app for PowerSchool? It's super easy to use. Once you've set up your account, download the PowerSchool App from your phone's app store. When it prompts you for our district code, type in QNMM.
Note - parents, you must set up your account from a computer first. After that, you can access your account from your phone or the app.
MYPASS - HIGH SCHOOL AND ADULT STUDENTS
MyPass is an Alberta Education secure self-service website for Alberta students to:
- View and print diploma exam results
- Register to write a diploma exam
- Order high school transcripts
- View progress towards a credential (diploma or certificate)
- View and print a Detailed Academic Report (DAR)
- Order additional copies of an awarded credential
- View student personal information
Link to MyPass: https://public.education.alberta.ca/PASI/myPass
May is a big month this year! We are still in the season of Easter until Pentecost Sunday on June 8 but May is also the month of Mary so we have a lot to celebrate this year!
Historians aren’t exactly sure why May was chosen to honour Mary, but many believe that May being the month when spring is in full bloom has a lot to do with it. May is the height of spring–gardens everywhere are alive with blooming flowers and trees are filling their branches with leaves. This new beginning and new birth in nature remind us of the life Mary gave to Jesus. Without Mary giving birth to Jesus, all the events that followed: Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection wouldn’t have happened. So, it’s believed that May (when nature is showing signs of life) is the ideal month to honour the woman who gave life to our Saviour.
When Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth, they could have gossiped and complained about how their plans and dreams were broken. Instead they gave thanks to God because His plans are better even and especially when we don't get what we planned. Give thanks to God always - Fr. Goyo.
May Counsellors Update
How is it May already?! The rest of our term is going to fly by. Amongst the whirlwind, don't forget that Mother's Day is May 11th. Whoever fills that special space in your life, be sure to take a moment to let them know how much their support means to you. Speaking of support, I'd like to take a moment to remind you of the support we can offer you at St. Gabes:
Academic Support: We offer academic support to students through various means, including one-on-one meetings, group study sessions, and workshops on study skills and time management. As we approach final exams, please reach out, or encourage your child to reach out, if they need assistance with exam preparation or managing academic stress.
College and Career Guidance:
We can assist with college and career planning. We encourage students to schedule appointments to discuss their post-secondary plans and to take advantage of the resources available (on display in our main hallway).
Community Resources: We understand that some challenges may extend beyond the school environment. We can connect students and families with community resources and outside support services as needed. Whether it's accessing mental health services, finding tutoring assistance, or obtaining financial aid information, we're here to help navigate these resources.
Upcoming Events: Please mark your calendars for our upcoming events: Red Dress Day (May 5), May 7 Hats on for Mental Health, May 16 & 19 No school, May 21 - RCMP Meet and Greet and Career Exploration at Servus place May 10:00-4:00pm.
Do you know when your final exams are? Be sure that you know when your final exams are! Not sure? Check out our newsletter, Moodle, our website, or contact us and we will show where to find the information. And for your ease, here is the link Final Exam Schedule for ALL students
Contact Information: As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out. You can schedule appointments by contacting Monique Webb at mwebb@gsacrd.ab.ca.
Counselling Hours
Mrs. Webb is at St. Gabes on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays. Email her to set up a time to meet if you need support.
Mental Health and Wellness
Don't forget to check out our "Mental Health and Wellness" section on our website for wellness ideas, tips, resources and sessions that are being offered. Click on "community supports" for information about services in St. Albert and area to support you or your family.
Do You Need Help With Your Coursework?
Did you know that Mrs. Julie Lamoureux is our learning support facilitator? She is available every day except Tuesdays to help you with your coursework. Just email her to set up a time to meet!
Do you know about 211?
Did you know that Alberta has a service that you can call, text or live chat? It's called 2-1-1 and it's a distress service that covers a really large number of topics. It's free, confidential and operates 24/7.
Staff analyzing our Survey Results
We always take time to go over our results and find ways that we can use your feedback to improve St. Gabes.
Newsletter Draw
Please fill out the link for our draw! (Please do not enter more than once per month)
Social Media
Please follow and share with your friends. We want everyone to know what a great place St. Gabes is!
St. Gabriel Education Centre
Email: rtrottier@gsacrd.ab.ca
Website: https://www.stgabe.gsacrd.ab.ca/.
Location: 39 Sunset Blvd., (rear entrance)
Phone: (780)459-6616
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StGabesHS
