St. Cecilia Community Messenger

Mon, Dec 9, Day 3

Tues, Dec 10, Day 4

Wed, Dec 11, Day 5

Thurs, Dec 12, Day 6

• Lockdown Practice PM

Fri, Dec 13, Day 1

• Student Faith Day - Face to Face Ministries

Dec 19: Art Walk Evening event Details TBA

Dec 19: Last day of classes before Christmas break

Dec 20: PG day - No classes

Dec 20 - Jan 6, School closed for Christmas holidays.

Jan 6: Classes Resume, Epiphany

Jan 13: New Year's Liturgy

Jan 16: School Council Meeting 6:30 PM.

Jan 17: Educational Assistant's Day

Jan 23: Progress Reports Issued

Jan 27: Coco Brooks and Spolumbo's fundraiser begins

Jan 30: PT Conferences Evening

Jan 31: PT Conferences - No classes

Feb 13-14: Teacher's Convention

Feb 20: School Council Meeting; 9:30 AM.

Feb 24: Last day for Coco Brooks and Spolumbo's

Feb 26: Pink Shirt Day

Join Us for St. Cecilia's Pub Night and Silent Auction!

Mark your calendars for February 8th, 2025, as we host a fun-filled evening for an incredible cause—supporting our playground project!

Your ticket includes a $7.99 voucher, but this event is more than just a night out. We’re hoping to see attendees who are excited to participate in our silent auction and contribute to raising funds for our playground.

This is a chance to come together as a community, have a great time, and make a meaningful impact for our children. Let’s make it a night to remember—see you there!

Pub Night Ticket Form.pdf

On Dec 12, Calgary Police Services will be on site to help with a lockdown practice. Please note the letter in the attachment below.

Student birthdays are announced over the intercom as part of morning announcements and some classrooms may sign happy birthday or do something else for birthdays. We ask that parents please NOT drop off birthday food for classroom celebrations. This often causes disruptions in the classroom and students with food insensitivites or allergies may be affected. Thank you for your support on this.

As part of our efforts to spread joy for the coming of Christ during the holiday season, each class has been making handmade Christmas cards and will take a winter walk in the neighborhood next week and during the last week before the holidays. Please watch for information coming from your child's classroom teacher about this activity and if you are available to volunteer to supervise, that would be most appreciated.

The following are the December AHS Healthy Children and Teens newsletters on “Parent well-being” ready to be shared with your school community. Please feel free to post on your school website or include in your school newsletter.

The holiday season is full of excitement and joy but for some parents and caregivers, it may also feel hectic and overwhelming.

Share these articles with families that include information about how they can balance caring for themselves and their kids and teens this holiday season and throughout the year.

• Show yourself some love: Tips to balance caring for yourself so you can care for your child (English and French).
• Self-care: Take care of yourself so you can care for your teen (English and French).

Hello Families,

Since November was the month of Remembrance and December is the month of festivities, I wanted to address grief during this time. There are a lot of articles about this topic, and I have included one here as well as links for support. You are not alone.

How to Cope with Grief During the Holidays and New Year

Written by: Stephanie A. Sarkis Ph.D. Published in Psychology Today, December 2022.

Loss during the holidays can feel much more intense.

Key points

• Grief can intensify during the holidays.
• Consider setting a time limit on social gatherings.
• Listen to what your body needs while you are grieving.
• Speak with a mental health professional during this incredibly stressful time.

Loss, and the grief that accompanies it, can be unbearable during the holidays. Facing a new year without your loved one can feel insurmountable, and it may hurt to even think about it. Here are some ways to take care of yourself during the holidays and the new year.

Source: Danie Franco/Unsplash

All Your Feelings Are Valid

You may have well-meaning friends and family trying to "cheer you up." Whatever feelings you have right now are valid, and you have a right to feel them. If you haven't experienced or let yourself experience these kinds of intense feelings before, grief can make you feel like you are out of control. It is normal to experience multiple feelings at once—sadness, anger, disappointment, and even relief. You must give yourself time to feel your feelings. The more we try to push our feelings down or compartmentalize them, the more they return with a vengeance.

Limit Your Time at Social Gatherings

You may have people telling you that one of the best ways you can handle grief is to get out around other people. However, you also have a right to want time to yourself. You have experienced a great loss and may not feel up to hanging around other people right now. When you go to holiday gatherings, try setting a time limit for yourself. With a limited time, you can still benefit from socializing without pushing yourself to exhaustion.

Try Not to Compare Yourself

During the holidays, people can put up a good "front" at holiday gatherings. It may appear to you that everyone is happy. However, we really don't know the struggles other people are going through. It may be that people have experienced a loss just as profound as yours. You may also find that friends and family members that have experienced the same loss as you appear to be "handling it better."

Everyone copes with grief in different ways. If your loved ones appear to be sailing through grief, know that they may be experiencing most of their pain behind closed doors. They may also be stuffing their grief down, only for it to show up later. And some people just don't feel grief the same way as others. Everyone has their unique path through grief—there's no "right" way to experience it.

Accept That People May Say Hurtful Things

Unfortunately, people who may mean well can say hurtful things about your loss. In a perfect world, everyone would just say they're sorry for your loss and let you know you have their support. However, sometimes people don't know what to say when someone is grieving, so they say very unhelpful things. Accept that sometimes people will say things about your grief or your loved one that doesn't sit well with you. You may even feel anger, such as when someone well-meaning says, "They are in a better place," when you would much rather that they were here with you. It's up to you how and if you want to respond. You have the right to tell someone that something they said is hurtful to you. Grief has a way of making us much more direct in our communication with others. Remember that others may be struggling with how to best comfort you.

Listen to What You Need

Sometimes grief can be so strong that we forget or don't get signals that we are hungry, thirsty, or tired. Pay extra attention to how you are feeling. Sometimes hunger can masquerade as anger. If you have difficulties remembering to eat, set a timer to go off at mealtimes. It is normal to have a weaker or stronger appetite while grieving. It may be helpful to see your primary care doctor just to give them a heads up about what you are going through and to ensure your health, especially your ability to sleep, is within a normal range.

Sometimes people need medication to help them through insomnia that accompanies grieving. It's harder to process change and our emotions when we are sleep-deprived. Check in with yourself regularly to make sure you are getting the food, water, and rest that you need.

Talk to a Mental Health Professional

You are going through an incredibly stressful life event at a difficult time of year. Talking over your experiences, or just having someone to listen without judgment can help you through this difficult time.

To find a therapist near you, visit the Psychology Today Therapy Directory

Helpful Links:

https://www.holidays.griefshare.org/

https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/info/Page13161.aspx

https://www.kidsgrief.ca/

https://www.hospicecalgary.ca/childrensgriefcentre/groups/kidsclub/

St. Cecilia School is happy to welcome Face to Face Ministries next week for our Student Faith Day. During the day, students will participate in a variety of Faith Formation activities which will help them to feel closer to Jesus. Please note the breakdown for the day in the image below. A big thank you goes out to our School Council for their support with Student Faith Day.

December is dedicated to Advent and the coming of Christ. This refers to the preparation for the celebration of remembering Christ's birth more than 2000 years ago, but also the prayerful, spiritual preparation for the second and final coming of the Lord. To help us in our preparations, the Diocese of Calgary has prepared a listing of Advent penitential services, events and prayers: https://www.catholicyyc.ca/advent.html

For the entire time that students are with us this month, we will be in the liturgical season of Advent. Check out “Living the Church Year with Students” on Page 4 for some quick ideas of ways to mark the Advent season in your own classroom or office.

Have you ever wondered about why Jesus is sometimes called “The Way, the Truth and the Life?” Have a look on page 3, where we explore the scriptural background to how Jesus described himself to his disciples.

At the end of the month of December, our Church will enter into a Year of Jubilee with the theme “Pilgrims of Hope”. Page 2 has some information on the anticipated opening of the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica on December 28th.

We know that December is a very busy month with student celebrations, extra family events, and lots of preparations for the holidays. Make sure to take time to enter into the ‘reason for the season’ by making time for prayer and reflection. If you like to have some music to bring you into the seasonal mood, don’t forget that our district’s “Hear the Angels Sing” high school choral festival takes place on Monday, Dec. 2 at 7pm at St. Michael’s Catholic Community – all are welcome!

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.

Here are a few details on the families for whom we are collecting donations. As a school community and as a teaching opportunity for our students we are requesting alms (cash donation, we suggest a toonie per child) for these families. Families may submit a small donation to the office and we will keep the donations until Dec 20 when it will be delivered to St. John Paul II.

• Family 1: Philippines-Guatemala. 8 family members.
• Family 2: Israel. 3 family members
• Family 3: Eritrea, 4 family members
• Family 4: Ethiopia, 6 family members

At our Advent liturgy last week, Father Paul spoke to students about the importance of giving to the needy during Advent. Students understand that giving alms to the poor help to strengthen our Faith in Jesus and by folliowing HIS example, we come closer to him. Indeed, this season is about giving, not receiving. We thank you for your donations to our needy families and please note that we are now accepting donations at the office. Thank you!!

Catholics are encouraged to give alms during Advent as part of their spiritual preparation for Christmas. This practice is rooted in the tradition of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, which are key components of both Advent and Lent12.

Almsgiving during Advent serves several purposes:

1. Witness to Charity: It is a way to show love and compassion towards those in need, reflecting the fraternal charity that is central to Christian teachings3.
2. Act of Justice: Almsgiving is seen as a work of justice that pleases God, helping to address the inequalities and needs within the community3.
3. Spiritual Preparation: By giving alms, Catholics prepare their hearts and minds for the coming of Christ, both in the celebration of His birth and His eventual second coming2.

This tradition emphasizes the importance of caring for others and living out the values of the Gospel in everyday life.

(Courtesy of MS Co Pilot)

Sixties Scoop refers to a time period where Indigenous children were removed from their families by government agencies and placed in foster care. There continues to exist a larger proportion of Indigenous children in foster care than other demographics. Please take a look at the article in the attachment to learn more.

Each year Alberta schools are required to analyze data and make plans for continual school improvement. Our school plan flows from the School District plan and is framed around District Priorities which are; Faith Formation, Student Success, Well Being and Indigenous Education. Our school plan is housed on our school website at this link: Reports & Publications - St. Cecilia School.

Over the coming weeks I will include snippets of data from our AEM report and Student Voice Survey in this newsletter. Ongoing discussion, analysis will occur at the school level as the school year continues to unfold.

Each year, students in grades 4-5-6 are asked to complete the Student Voice Survey. The SVS collects data on the District Board Priorities and students are asked a variety of questions.

This image presents survey data on "Student Success" focusing on four key aspects of student learning and autonomy. Let's analyze each component:

1. Technology Use for Creative Learning:

- 29.41% Strongly Agree they have opportunities to use technology creatively

- 51.96% Agree

- Combined positive response: 81.37%

- 12.75% Disagree

- 5.88% Strongly Disagree

- Area of strength, but room for improvement in technology integration

2. Using Gifts and Talents:

- 26.47% Strongly Agree they can use their gifts/talents to their full potential

- 43.14% Agree

- Combined positive response: 69.61%

- 24.51% Disagree

- 5.88% Strongly Disagree

- Significant room for improvement as nearly 30% feel their talents are underutilized

3. Choice in Learning Demonstration:

- 11.76% Strongly Agree they can choose how to show their learning

- 42.16% Agree

- Combined positive response: 53.92%

- 34.31% Disagree

- 11.76% Strongly Disagree

- This is an area of concern with 46% feeling they lack choice in demonstrating learning

4. Understanding Learning Style:

- 29.41% Strongly Agree they understand how they learn best

- 57.84% Agree

- Combined positive response: 87.25%

- 10.78% Disagree

- 1.96% Strongly Disagree

- Strongest area overall, with most students understanding their learning style

Key Findings:

1. Students generally understand their learning styles well

2. Technology integration for learning is relatively strong

3. Major improvement needed in providing choice/autonomy in learning demonstration

4. Need to better support students in utilizing their individual gifts and talents

These results suggest a need to focus on personalizing learning experiences and providing more opportunities for student choice while maintaining the strong foundation in learning style awareness.

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.

December 4, 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

To access the Calgary Catholic Minutes for the Regular Board Meeting November 27, 2024, well as previous minutes, please access this link: https://www.cssd.ab.ca/highlights-minutes.

Formed, AKA Netflix for Catholics

All About Shrove Tuesday

My Child's Learning: A Parent Resource

Canadian Parents for French - CPF is an advocacy group whose aim is to promote French bilingual education.

St. Cecilia Student Handbook

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

21 Things You May Not Have Known About the Indian Act

Indigenous Veteran's Day - Nov 8.

The Seven Sacred Laws Animated Web Series

RupertsLand Institute

Indigenous Elder Definition

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.

Healthy childhood development through outdoor risky play: Navigating the balance with injury prevention.

Brief review about outdoor play

The importance of regaining outdoor PA

HealthyHunger.ca Healthy Hunger.

Bullying Prevention Resources for Alberta Government

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

Aug 26-Sept 2024: https://secure.smore.com/n/8n1cr

Sept 9-13, 2024 : https://secure.smore.com/n/at85k

Sept 16-20, 2024: https://secure.smore.com/n/uaxp4

Sept 23-27, 2024: https://secure.smore.com/n/kb635

Sept 30-Oct 4, 2024: https://secure.smore.com/n/kuvsr

Oct 7-11, 2024: https://secure.smore.com/n/kaxy90

Oct 14-18, 2024: https://secure.smore.com/n/t5dgy

Oct 21-25, 2024: https://secure.smore.com/n/knphv

Oct 28-Nov 1, 2024: https://secure.smore.com/n/d01564

Nov 4 - 8, 2024: https://secure.smore.com/n/9ntu5p

Nov 11 - 15, 2024: https://secure.smore.com/n/9qev8

Nov 18 - 22, 2024: https://secure.smore.com/n/dh3q1

Nov 25 - 29, 2024: https://secure.smore.com/n/8fae1

Dec 2 - 6, 2024: https://secure.smore.com/n/7zygut

Dec 9-13, 2024: https://secure.smore.com/n/emyb5