Gabriel's Good News

It's been great to meet so many of you this past week in person! Once again, we have a lot of new students this year which is great to see! We're happy that the great work our teachers do with students is getting out into the community. Please continue to spread the good news about St. Gabes!

This is the first newsletter of the school year. I send one detailed newsletter each month with a mid-month email reminder. The newsletters are posted on social media and on our website for easy reference. There is a lot of important information in our newsletters so please take a few minutes each month to read them and let us know if you have any questions.

We're excited to continue to work with you and your families this year. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to our staff.

Many Blessings,

Mrs. Lisa Kleparchuk

Principal

September 17 - Welcome Back BBQ - Terry Fox Run & BBQ 11-12 pm

September 18 - PD/Staff meeting day. No school for students

September 23 - School Council meeting at 6:30 online.

September 28 - St. Gabriel Feast Day Celebration (Feast Day Sept. 29th). Stop by for a cupcake.

September 29 - Orange Shirt Day (GSACRD is recognizing National Day for TRC this day) Please attend for a special event followed by lunch. (more details to come)

September 30 - National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (School Closed)

Upcoming in October:

Thanksgiving celebration and lunch

Food Drive

We are starting the second week of school next week. If you haven't accessed your courses on Moodle yet, you are already behind. If you are missing courses in Moodle or PowerSchool, please contact Principal, Lisa Kleparchuk ASAP.

PowerSchool for students and parents

We no longer print and send home report cards. Marks are all recorded in PowerSchool on a continual basis, including comments if necessary. Parents and students are expected to check PowerSchool regularly.

Students - You can access PowerSchool using your student email and password.

Parents - If you don't have a parent PowerSchool account, please contact Principal Lisa Kleparchuk. 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.

⏰ Big Schedule Update for the New Year! ⏰

We’re shifting our hours around to serve you better! Here is what you need to know:

• Monday – Thursday: 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM (School doors are now open at 8:30 AM instead of 8:00 AM)

• Fridays: 8:55 AM – 1:30 PM (We're now open later on Friday mornings!)

**Important Note: We are no longer open late on Thursdays.

Join us for our School Council Establishment Meeting and play an active role in shaping our school community! Be a part of the discussion and help us share the good news of St. Gabes.

🗓 When: Wednesday, September 23

⏰ Time: 6:30 PM

💻 Where: Online

How to Join:

• Google Meet Link: meet.google.com/zgy-mvgy-xnr

• For questions or more information, please email Lisa Kleparchuk at lkleparchuk@gsacrd.ab.ca.

Interested in purchasing school spirit wear? Click on the link below to visit our online School Spirit Wear 2026 store. The store will close on September 27. All orders are paid online and delivered to the school.https://stgabriel2026.itemorder.com/shop/home/

We are excited to announce the availability of Dual Credit courses for the upcoming semester!

Dual Credit allows high school students to earn both high school and post-secondary credits simultaneously. This unique opportunity provides students with a head start on their college education while still in high school.

For this academic year, we are offering:

• Term One

• PSYC 1040 (Introduction to Psychology I) through NorQuest College

• Welding 1000 - through NAIT

• Term Two (TBC)

• PSYC 1040 (Introduction to Psychology I) - NorQuest

• PSYC 1050 (Introduction to Psychology II) - NorQuest

• SOCI 1000 (Introduction to the Study of Society) - NorQuest

• Mechanics - NAIT

• School of Media & IT - NAIT

The courses offered by NorQuest College are transferable to multiple post secondary institutions. Use the Transfer Alberta site to view where your course can be transferred to

Dual Credit offers numerous benefits, including:

• Reduced college tuition costs: Earn college credits while only paying the textbook fee.

• Early exposure to post-secondary education: Gain valuable college experience and prepare for the transition to university.

• Enhanced academic rigor: Challenge yourself with college-level coursework.

• Improved college readiness: Develop essential skills for success in higher education.

• Approx 13 spaces available
• Start date: Sep 15, 2026
• End date: Dec 15, 2026
• This would give the students about 14 weeks to cover the course content and assessments including their quizzes, 2 midterms and final.
• COST - none this year, except cost of textbooks if needed

• Introduction to Psychology I - PSYC 1040

This course is the basic foundation course in psychology. It provides an introduction to the scientific study of behaviour and the mind. This course examines the evolution of psychology, research methods, descriptive statistics, the brain and behaviour, human lifespan development, sensation and perception, states of consciousness, conditioning and learning, and memory.

Pathways for this course include Arts and Sciences Diploma, Disability Studies, Indigenous Studies, Social Work, and Therapeutic Recreation programs at NorQuest.

This course also transfers to many different postsecondary institutions such as MacEwan University, University of Alberta, Concordia University of Edmonton, and Athabasca University, just to name a few.

Are you interested in getting hands-on trade experience and building practical skills? Space is limited for the upcoming WELD 1000 course, and registration is now open!

Key Course Details

• Available Seats: Only 15 spots available!

• Course Duration: 10 Weeks

• Registration Deadline: Monday, September 21, 2026, at 12:00 PM (Noon)

Schedule & Locations

• Mandatory Onboarding Session

  • Date: Thursday, October 1, 2026

  • Time: 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM (TBC)

  • Location: SACHS

• Lecture Classes (Online)

  • Dates: October 1 – December 17, 2026

  • First Class: Tuesday, October 6, 2026

  • Schedule: Tuesdays & Thursdays | 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM

• On-Site Shop Day (In-Person)

• Date: October 24 OR November 21 (TBC)

• Time: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM

• Location: NAIT South Campus

• TBC - to be confirmed

If you are interested in taking this course or have any questions, email Mrs. Kleparchukj and we will get you signed up! (lkleparchuk@gsacrd.ab.ca)

Hello everyone! My name is Cierra McAra, and I am the school counsellor here at St. Gabriel Education Centre. I am here to support you with mental health resources, course selection, and post-secondary planning. If you would like to connect or have any questions, please feel free to email me at cmcara@gsacrd.ab.ca.

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.

Each month you can enter our draw for a gift card. The draw will be reset each month so you can win more than once!

Newsletter Draw Link

2026-27 Hope Begins - Encountering God’s Promise

Theological Background of Four-Year Faith Theme

Christian hope is not optimism or wishful thinking, but a theological virtue, rooted in God’s promises and sustained by the Holy Spirit.

This four-year plan draws on the mysteries of Christ’s life as a pathway for formation inviting our community not only to understand hope, but to live it deeply and visibly.

A prayer to start the school year:

Jesus, our hope,

walk with us into this new school year.

Renew our hearts, strengthen our faith,

and help us to be people of hope.

May our students see Your light through us,

and may our schools become places

where hope takes root, grows, and shines.

We place this year in Your hands.

Amen.

As part of our ongoing commitment to maintaining a safe and secure environment for all students and staff, we would like to inform you that video monitoring and consequently its audio recording, in some cases, may be used on school property, including school buses. For more information please access Administrative Procedure 165 on the division website.