October Newsletter

The Rosary is a prayer deeply rooted in the Catholic Christian tradition, offering a simple yet profound way to strengthen spiritual life for people of all ages.

The Rosary is more than just a string of beads; it’s a pathway to deepening our relationship with God. It is a meditative prayer that occupies our senses to allow our minds to focus on the life of Jesus. The feel and colour of the beads, the crucifix on the pendant, and the medallion in the centre occupy our touch and sight. The sound of the prayers creates a rhythm for our ears to follow, and some rosaries even bear a floral scent to fill our noses. All of these help us to develop focus, patience, and a sense of peace so that we can enter into prayer more deeply.

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Did You Know?

The word “Rosary” comes from the Latin word rosarium, which means crown of roses or garland of roses. Each prayer can be considered a spiritual rose offered to honour the Mother of God, the Blessed Virgin Mary.

October is dedicated as the Month of the Rosary, with the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary celebrated on October 7. This feast day was established in 1571 by Pope Pius V to commemorate the victory of the Christian fleet at the Battle of Lepanto.

Just a reminder that, in accordance with the Alberta Ministerial Order (June 2024), cell phones and smart watches are not permitted during the school day. To support learning and reduce distractions, please leave devices at home or store them, powered off, in backpacks. To contact your child, please call the office, and we would be happy to deliver a message to them.

Information will be sent home with students and in an email on Monday. Tickets can be sold from Monday, October 5th to Monday, October 19th. The draw will take place at 10 AM on Tuesday, October 20th in the H.S.A foyer. Winners will be contacted that day via phone number.

Prizes will be drawn in the following order:

1st - Gift of Flight

2nd - $100 Visa Gift Card

3rd - $50 Visa Gift Card

There will be prizes awarded to students for selling tickets and the classroom with the most sold tickets.

We know it seems a little early to be talking about sledding, but we wanted to give families plenty of notice before the snow arrives!

Sledding is a favourite winter activity at HSA, but with so many students participating, we have run out of space to safely store all of the sleds. Moving forward, we are asking students to bring only “magic carpet” style sleds to school. These can easily be rolled up and stored, helping us keep our hallways and storage areas organized.

Thanks for helping us get ready for another fun winter of sledding at HSA!

From October 17–23, we will join Catholic school communities across Alberta in celebrating Catholic Education Week and the gift of faith-filled education. There are several ways your family can take part:

PRAY
Please join us in praying for our students, staff, families, parishes and Catholic schools throughout the week.

SHARE
Follow your school and Christ The Redeemer (CTR) Catholic Schools on social media (@ctrcatholic) as we share stories of faith, learning and service from across our division. We also invite you to share what Catholic education has meant to your family using #IBelieveinCatholicEd.

GIVE
Catholic Education Sunday is October 18. Collections will be taken during Saturday evening and all Sunday Masses that weekend.

This year, the Diocese of Calgary is providing a special one-time matching contribution to the portion of the Mass collection supporting Catholic school districts in our Diocese, including CTR. You can also give online through the Diocese of Calgary Giving Page.

WEAR BLUE + SUPPORT CTR
On Thursday, October 22, students, staff and families are invited to wear blue as a visible show of support for Catholic education.

Families are welcome to visit the CTR Apparel Shop for CTR and faith-inspired apparel to wear during Catholic Education Week and throughout the year.

Order by Monday, October 5, to receive your items in time for Catholic Education Week. Orders will be delivered to your school.

Website: www.holyspirit.redeemer.ab.ca

Location: 4 21 Street SE, High River, AB, T1V 2A1

Email: hsaofficeadmin@redeemer.ab.ca

Phone: 403-652-2889