St. Cecilia Community Messenger

Tues, Feb 11, Day 1

Wed, Feb 12, Day 2

• NED Assembly for Students. More info below. 2:15 PM

Thurs, Feb 13 - Teacher's Convention, no classes

Fri, Feb 14 - Teacher's Convention, no classes

Feb 8: Pub Night

Feb 13-14: Teacher's Convention

Feb 17: Family Day - No classes

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

Feb 20: St. Matthew Open House 5:30 PM. Please see attachment below.

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

Feb 26: Pink Shirt Day

March 1: Francophone Month

March 4: Djembe drums

March 4: Shrove Tuesday, Thank you to St. Cecilia Knights of Columbus for supplying pancakes.

March 5: Ash Wednesday Mass

March 6: Pick up Spolumbos and Coco Brooks

March 20: School Council 6:30 PM

March 24: Readathon begins

March 25: Lockdown Practice 10:00 AM

March 27: Lenten Liturgy 10:30 AM

April 7: Book Swap

April 11: Pledges from Read A Thon Are Due

April 16: Holy Thursday Liturgy

May 1: Asian Heritage Month

May 8: Spring Family Dance

May 15: School Council AGM

May 19: Victoria Day - No Classes

May 22: Marian Liturgy

May 28: ELA PAT - Gr 6 Students

May 30: Sacramental Recognition Liturgy - 10:30 AM

June 5: School Council Meeting - 9:30 AM

June 6: PG Day - No classes

June 12: Gr 6 ELA PAT Part B

June 13: Gr 6 Math Part A

June 18: Year End Mass

June 21: National Indigenous People's Day

June 25: Last day of classes for students

June 26: Last day for teachers

All parents are welcome to join us at St. Cecilia at our upcoming School Council meeting on Feb 20 at 9:30 AM. Please open the attachment below to view the agenda.

On Wed, Feb 12 students will have the opportunity to attend a school wide assembly from NED. NED stands for Never Give Up, Encourage Others, and Do Your Best.

The assembly is a school-wide experience that transforms how students face challenges.

Please note that this is a free presentation. Students will be allowed to purchase yo yos at the school office at recess and lunchtime between Feb 12 and 21. Details and various options are in the attachment below. Purchasing a yo yo is completely optional.

More information is available at this link or in the video below.

Please consider supporting the Calgary Catholic Education Foundation raffle which is currently underway. The CCEF supports Catholic Education by providing grants to schools for things such as playgrounds and technology upgrades. You may purchase your ticket at this link: 2025 CCEF ANNUAL 50/50 RAFFLE | Rafflebox

Or, scan the QR Code.

Thank you for supporting the CCEF!!

Students have been learning about and celebrating the contributions of people of African descent this month. Each morning students have the opportunity to participate in a trivia question with the chance to win a prize. On Thursday afternoon, Div 1 students listened to a story about John Ware and Div 2 students learned about Amber Valley. Video links are below.

Hello Families,

Practicing mindfulness during the winter can be incredibly beneficial, especially when the days are shorter and the weather can be more challenging. Here are a few tips to help you stay mindful during the colder months:

1. Embrace the Season: Instead of resisting the cold, try to find beauty in winter. Notice the crisp air, the quiet of a snowy day, or the patterns of frost on windows.

2. Stay Active: Physical activity can boost your mood and help you stay present. Whether it's a winter walk, skiing, or indoor yoga, find ways to keep moving.

3. Create Cozy Spaces: Make your home a sanctuary. Light candles, use warm blankets, and create a space where you can relax and meditate.

4. Practice Gratitude: Take time each day to reflect on what you're grateful for. This can help shift your focus from the cold and darkness to the positive aspects of your life.

5. Mindful Eating: Enjoy seasonal foods mindfully. Savor the flavors and textures of winter dishes like soups, stews, and hot beverages.

6. Stay Connected: Winter can sometimes feel isolating. Make an effort to connect with friends and family, whether in person or virtually.

Do you or your children have any specific mindfulness practices you enjoy during the winter?

Take Care 🙂

February is dedicated to the Holy Family – how fitting for us since we are anticipating the Family Day long weekend following Teacher’s Convention halfway through the month.

In the liturgical calendar, February begins with the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord on Feb. 2. This is also sometimes called Candlemas. Check out Living the Church Year with students on page 3 for some ideas on how to bring this episode from Luke’s gospel to life with students!

Page 2 continues our exploration of the person of Jesus and how he is depicted in art. This month, see the images of Jesus on the Sea of Galilee.

We invite you to celebrate the Jubilee Year! Page 1 has a section on the Jubilee of Hope including the CCSD Jubilee Calendar – an interactive site with challenges, readings and virtual pilgrimages in the lives of the saints. You can find that Calendar here: https://view.genially.com/67574d5c6b829f2d1aef5e9c/guide-jubilee-year-calendar

In the month of February, the universal Church will recognize a special Jubilee of Artists!

February is also Black History Month – check out the section on page 3 with links to resources and don’t forget to visit the our district’s own Black History Month google site with activities and resources for each division: Black History Month.

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.

1. "I feel good about myself."

- 35.29% of respondents strongly agree that they feel good about themselves.

- 43.14% disagree that they feel good about themselves.

- 14.71% strongly disagree that they feel good about themselves.

This data suggests that a significant portion of the respondents struggle with self-esteem and positive self-perception. Addressing this could be an important area of focus.

2. "I can deal with disappointment in healthy ways."

- 20.59% of respondents strongly agree that they can deal with disappointment in healthy ways.

- 51.96% disagree that they can deal with disappointment in healthy ways.

- 21.57% strongly disagree that they can deal with disappointment in healthy ways.

The data indicates that many respondents have difficulty coping with disappointment in a constructive manner. This could be an area where building resilience and healthy coping mechanisms could be beneficial.

Overall, the survey results highlight the need to support students' self-esteem, self-acceptance, and ability to manage difficult emotions and setbacks in a healthy way. Developing targeted interventions and programs to address these areas could help empower students and enhance their resilience.

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.

February 7, 2025

To view the Calgary Catholic Board Meeting Highlights for the Regular Board Meeting of February 5, 2025, as well as previous Highlights please access the following 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

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