Dear St. Gabes Students and Families,

Happy New Year everyone! I hope that all of you had a wonderful Christmas full of love, laughter, family, friends, safe travels and good health.

Starting in January, we begin the final press to the end of the semester. Our schedule for January's final exams, review sessions and diplomas are posted below. Please click on the link and be sure you know when your review sessions and exams are scheduled. Our last day of classes for high school students is January 11 and all coursework is due January 12.

After January 11, all students will need to make appointments to see their teachers.

Junior High will continue classes throughout the month of January using the new schedule as posted below. All option coursework is due January 18. Your new options will start February 12.

Please take a minute to check over your semester 2 schedules to ensure you are taking the courses you need to graduate or upgrade. Please see Mrs. Trottier if you need any assistance with this.

Wishing you all a very happy and blessed 2024!

Renee Trottier, principal

January 8 - Classes Resume

January 10 - ELA 30 Part A diploma

January 11 - Social 30 Part A diploma, last day of classes

January 12 - Last day to submit coursework

January 16 - School council meeting

January 18 - Junior High - All option coursework due

January 22 - Math 30 diploma

January 23 - ELA 30 diploma

January 24 - Social 30 diploma

January 26 - Chemistry 30 diploma

January 29 - Physics 30 diploma

January 30 - Science 30 diploma

January 31 - PD Day - School closed

February 1 - First day of semester 2

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. I reset the draw each month so you can win more than once!

December's winner is Norm Weller. Congratulations! Please stop by the school for your gift card

https://forms.gle/kx5u8TWpSDKAw8Jn8

Please note that the Junior High Schedule will change slightly due to the return of Mrs. Lamoureux who is back from maternity leave. Please see the picture below for updated times.

All option coursework is due Jan. 18. Your new options will start Feb. 12.

Click on the link for our schedule for final exam/diploma review sessions, grade 10 and 11 final exams, and diplomas. It's important to know this schedule as teachers are not freely available after January 11. All high school students are required to make an appointment if they want to see their teacher.

Due to exams and review sessions, our club dates will be cancelled for the month of January. Stay tuned for lots of opportunities to hang out and make new friends on Thursdays starting in February.

A huge thank you to our School Council, parent community and especially, to our chair, Yvonne Dutton for providing a wonderful Christmas lunch for our staff. We are very blessed to work with such a caring and supportive community.

Our next school council meeting is on January 16 at 6:30.

We are in need of a parent volunteer to be the secretary for our meetings. It's not a big job and can be done during the meeting. Most of our meetings are only an hour long. Meetings are once/month except for December and June. You can find the link to the meeting on the agendas which are posted on our website, or email Renee Trottier at rtrottier@gsacrd.ab.ca for the link. We're happy to have all parents and guardians join us, even if you can't commit to coming each month.

A school with a School Council is a strong, productive and viable school!

Have you registered for any courses for semester 2? If not, please see Mrs. Franklin and let her know which classes you would like to take.

Are you unsure whether you are registered in classes for semester 2? Did you know that you can check your schedule on PowerSchool and find all the information you need. If you need help with any of this, please see Mrs. Trottier.

GSACRD Dual Credit Opportunities and Student Registration

Have you heard? Dual Credit registration for Term 2 is now underway. Students have the ability to enrol in a University/College course while still in highschool. The focus of these courses is to provide exploration, experience and to satisfy an elective for those students wanting to investigate what courses beyond high school look like. This experiential learning is open to all grade 10, 11 and 12 students but the focus and rigour is geared towards grades 11 and 12 as you have to have a good foundation of learning under your belt in high school to find success in these courses. Many courses involve independent learning while others are scheduled after-school so students should ensure they have minimal extracurricular or work related conflicts before they sign up.

Students in grade 10,11,12:

Please fill out this link if interested:

https://forms.gle/39zD9v8x9LimTitq6

Courses offered online: (through GSACRD in partnership with Norquest College)

Introduction to the Study of Society

(Wednesdays 4-7 pm running from Feb. 14 - June 5th)

Introduction to Psychology I

(Mondays 4-7 pm running from Feb.12 - June 3)

Please sign up before January 12th, 2024.

Thanks to all of you for filling out the Alberta Assurance survey last spring. We just got our results this fall and we had a record number of students and parents participate. Our results overall are really great. Both students and parents report that they're engaged in school, they like school and their teachers, and they feel safe at school. See our full results on our website by clicking on the picture.

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. Do not wander into areas of the school that aren't part of St. Gabe's. Our division office employees are working in other classrooms and offices in the building and we do not want to disturb them.

4. Parking - DO NOT park in the staff parking lot to the east of the school. You will be asked to move your car. You can park in the public parking lot across the street, in front of the school on the street, at the tennis court parking lot, and on the side streets.

5. Washroom facilities - we have 2 washrooms dedicated for student use close to our common room. There are student washroom signs on the doors. Do not use the staff washrooms that are closest to the front office.

6. Bring your own reusable water bottle. We now have a water bottle filling station in the hallway.

Junior High students - remember that you are expected to join classes on time for prayer and announcements. Attendance in junior high is mandatory for all classes.

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 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 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

Thank you to everyone who contributed to our service project during Advent. We were able to contribute a bag of warm coats and clothing to St. Albert Parish's CWL drive. I joined Anita Heit and Nathalie Sleeno to sort all of the items and Anita and her husband delivered everything to Sacred Heart.

Even though Christmas technically ended with Epiphany on January 6, as Catholics, every day is, in the most basic sense, Christmas. That’s because every day, the Word becomes flesh in the sacraments, particularly the Eucharist; and through the sacraments, the people of God become of the Body of Christ in the world. Just as Mary’s “yes” made her an instrument of God’s incarnation in the world, by our “yes,” we too birth the Son of God into the world. So with that, enjoy this adorable video about Christmas, told by children.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

For many of us the Christmas break is a time for relaxing, but for others, it's a hectic, crazy 2 weeks with lots to do. For our students it can be very similar. Maybe you are able to take some time off - a well deserved break from your school work, or you might find the lack of routine and schedule creates an avoidance cycle, or you might use the time to get back on track so you start the new year positively. Wherever you are, with whatever you are facing this Christmas break, know that we at St. Gabes are here for you.

School takes hard work and perseverance. But where does our perseverance (motivation to over come challenges) come from? Skills that are needed to have perseverance include: resiliency, problem solving, awareness of your mental health needs and how to treat them, faith, positive peer relationships, connection to community, safe environments (at work, home and school), and positive adult relationships. The key is accessing these supports in your life and fostering them. If you would like to learn more about how to build your perseverance, reach out to us! We can help.

Mrs. Webb is available on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays at St. Gabes to help you with all sorts of supports: individual counselling, post-secondary and career help, our new RAP program, and 1-1 help with your coursework. Please contact her to set up a time to meet at 587-983-2541 or email at: mwebb@gsacrd.ab.ca.

Note - Counselling referrals can be made by parents or teachers. Support is provided for individual or family concerns and referrals to outside agencies can be accessed through Mrs. Webb.

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.

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.

https://ab.211.ca/

Exam Month Equals Increased Anxiety. If someone is having a hard time, we naturally want to help fix things for them or problem solve. Sometimes, this is not the best thing for that person. They may be looking for safety, calmness, quiet, connection, or more.

Anxious thoughts and feelings can make you feel like you're in real danger. Having the courage to work through those thoughts and feelings is the first step. You can be afraid (or anxious) and still have the courage to do it anyways.

Kids Help Phone - 1-800-668-6868

AHS Mental Health Helpline - 1-877-303-2642

Follow GSACRD Voice on Instagram for more mental health information and resources.

Congratulations to all of our students who received awards for the first semester! We are very proud of your accomplishments, your character and perseverance. A special thank you to Board Chair, Lydia Yeoman's for joining us to celebrate our students' achievements. Below are just a few pictures of our awards recipients.

Note - you may have an award waiting for you at Mrs. Franklin's desk. Check your email - Mrs. Trottier sent out emails to everyone who received awards.

Join us every Monday Morning for coffee (or hot chocolate or tea) and donuts! Nothing like a little sugar and caffeine to get us going in the morning. We invite all students to come to school, connect with your teachers, attend a seminar and treat yourself to some sugary goodness.

Note - If you don't want donuts, we have fruit, granola bars, and lots of other snacks that you can enjoy.

Edmonton Regional Learning Consortium is now offering parent sessions that you might be interested in.

River's Edge workshop lineup for 2024 is updated. If you are interested in classes on any of the following topics, please click the link to register.

• The Core: Emotionally Empowered Men

• Teen Wellness

• Embodied Stress Management

• Heartstrings: A Journey Towards Hope and Healing

• Circle of Security Parenting

• Talking about Puberty!

• The Compassionate Road to Building Self-Esteem

• Journey Through Grief: Touchstones of Hope

• Getting through the tough stuff: A workshop for supporting children and teens through self-harm, suicidal thoughts, and other disclosures.

• Parenting Through Divorce: Helping Kids Thrive

Do you need school supplies and are struggling to get what you need? Just ask at our front office. We have a few supplies available for students in need.

Just a friendly reminder to park in the student designated parking areas:

• Public lot across the street
• In front of the school on the street
• Public lot by the tennis courts
• On the side streets

We kindly ask that you comply with the following:

1. Do not park in our staff parking which is located to the east of the school

2. We also ask that you do not use the handicapped parking spot for drop off and pick up as we have students who need it.

Thank you!

Please leave us a review on Google or Facebook. It will only take you a few moments but it will go a long way to advertising our program to others in the province. The more students we have, the more robust the programming we can offer. Thank you in advance!

Please fill out the link for our draw! (Please do not enter more than once per month)

https://forms.gle/kx5u8TWpSDKAw8Jn8

Did you know that we update our social media accounts on a regular basis? Following us is one of the quickest ways to find out what's going on at school and getting those last minute, emergency updates.

Please follow and share with your friends. We want everyone to know what a great place St. Gabes is!

https://www.facebook.com/StGabeHS

https://www.instagram.com/st.gabes/

Email: rtrottier@gsacrd.ab.ca
Website: https://www.stgabe.gsacrd.ab.ca/.
Location: 15 Mission Avenue, St. Albert, AB, Canada
Phone: (780)459-6616
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StGabesHS

Teachers are available:

Monday to Wednesday
8:30 am to 3:00 pm

Thursday

8:30 am to 5:30 pm

Friday

8:30 am to Noon