Dear St. Gabes Students and Families,

Happy December! Advent starts today and with it, a time of reflection. It's really easy in December to get overwhelmed with shopping, decorating, baking, etc. but it's also an important time to slow down, take a breath, and reflect.

From December 2-13 we are collecting new socks, and new or gently used winter coats, toques, mitts and grocery gift cards for the people that Sacred Heart Church of the First People's serves in downtown Edmonton.We have a box under the tree in our common room where you can place your donations. If you have gift cards or cash, please leave them with the front office.

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 is January 10 and all coursework is due January 10. After January 10, all students will need to make appointments to see their teachers.

If you are behind in your coursework, it's important that you contact your teacher. You may need to retake the course next semester depending on how far behind you are. Remember, our course completion policy states that if you are more than 2 weeks behind, teachers are not obligated to mark your assignments.

Looking ahead to 2025, we're committed to fostering an environment where every student can thrive and get the individualized attention that they need. Thank you to our teachers, parents, and exceptional students for making St. Gabes the special place it is.

Wishing you a joyful Advent Season!

Many Blessings!

Renee Trottier

principal

Dec. 1 - First Sunday of Advent

Dec. 5:

• 12:45 - NAIT Information session
• 1:45 - Advent celebration with HFCS (the elementary school we're attached to)

Dec. 12:

• 11:00 - 1:00 - St. Gabes Grand Re-Opening and lunch (RSVP to Renee Trottier)
• 1:00 - Norquest Career VR Presentation

Dec. 16 - Christmas Hat Day

Dec. 17 - National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day. Wear your ugliest Christmas sweater

Dec. 18 - Christmas PJ Day (or just regular PJs)

Dec. 19 - Red and Green Day

• 11:00 - Semester 1 awards (check your email for an invitation later in December)
• 12:00 - Christmas snacks and activities

Dec. 20 - Last day of school. Wear sparkly things today.

Jan. 6 - Classes resume

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!

November's winner is Lisa Galway. Congratulations! Please stop by the school for your gift card

Keep an eye on your email! Our semester 1 awards are on Dec. 19 at 11:30 followed by Christmas party activities.

If you're receiving an award, you will get an email ahead of time from Mrs. Trottier.

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 10. After January 10, all high school students are required to make an appointment if they want to see their teacher.

This schedule is also available on our website and Moodle homepages.

Link to Schedule

In November's newsletter, I shared a few places where students can register for diploma prep courses. All of our newsletters are linked on our website under "News and Events/Newsletters and Important Notices".

• No devices like phones, tablets, smartwatches, etc.
• No backpacks or purses
• No jackets
• Clear bag policy - bring any supplies you may need in a clear bag or simply bring your supplies without a bag into the exam room.

As well, remember if you are caught plagiarizing your work (this includes copying from another student or copying from AI ) you will be expected to redo the material and if you are under 18, your parents will be contacted.

Please take a few minutes to go over our student handbook so that you are aware of our procedures.

Thanks to all of you for filling out the Alberta Assurance survey last spring. 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.

Our safe and caring results, as reported by our students, continues to outpace the province at 97% and our 3 year average is 98%. 100% of students report that they have access to the supports and services they need to be successful at school and in life.

See our full results on our website by clicking on the link.

St. Gabes Assurance Plan Survey Results and Goals 2023/2024

Every year our division conducts a survey of our own to supplement the one that Alberta Education does. The information we garner from it is invaluable. We use it to plan, program, and to create the best learning environment possible for you or your children.

Students and Parents - please take a few minutes to fill out the survey, You will find the link in the email that was sent with this newsletter.

Students, this link is in the email and also available at school.

Join us on Dec. 12 at 11:00 for our Grand Re-opening. We will start with a short ceremony including a smudging and blessing for our school, followed by lunch.

Please email rtrottier@gsacrd.ab.ca or call the school at 780-459-6616 if you plan to join us.

We need to know how many people will be attending so that we can plan for chairs and food.

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

On Sunday, December 1, the season of Advent began. Advent is a four-week period leading up to Christmas during which we prepare ourselves to celebrate Christ’s coming into our world. Jesus’ coming was always part of God’s plan for our salvation. The Jewish people waited hundreds of years for the coming of a Savior. The coming of Jesus was foretold by the prophets in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, there was one great prophet, who was very important in preparing the people for the coming of Jesus, our Saviour. His name was John the Baptist.

The 1st Sunday of Advent symbolizes Hope with the “Prophet’s Candle” reminding us that Jesus is coming. The prophets of the Old Testament waited in hope for the Messiah's arrival

The 2nd Sunday of Advent symbolizes Faith with the “Bethlehem Candle” reminding us of Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem. Micah had foretold that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.

The 3rd Sunday of Advent symbolizes Joy with the “Shepherd’s Candle” reminding us of the Joy the world experienced at the coming birth of Jesus. To the shepherd's great joy, the angels announced that Jesus came for humble people like them. Pink symbolizes joy.

The 4th Sunday of Advent symbolizes Peace with the “Angel’s Candle” reminding us of the message of the angels: “Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men.”

Join us on Dec. 5 at 1:45 for our Advent celebration. All are welcome!

We will be joining our sister school, Holy Family Catholic School.

What a busy fall it has been here at SGEC! We have had several field trips this fall to help our students enjoy our community while learning important skills. So far this year we have: helped at the Star of the North Gardens, taken several shopping trips to practice budgeting, attended a Career Fair at West Edmonton Mall, and hosted a Halloween Parade for the students of Holy Family Elementary.

December shows no signs of slowing down! Our students have already decorated the school for the holidays. December 5th we will have a NAIT recruitment presentation where students can chat with a NAIT representative to learn about what programs they offer, how to apply, student life and much more! December 12th, following our Grand Opening Celebration, we will have NorQuest college providing a free VR session to explore jobs and careers! Parents are always welcome to join us for any events and presentations at the school.

As your school counsellor I am just one member of our school team that can help students achieve success. Students can come in anytime to see me for help with: their course work, planning and scheduling, catching up if they have fallen behind, help communicating their needs to their teachers, career and academic counselling, and 1-1 sessions to listen, help problem solve, or offer crisis support. I am 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 me to set up a time to meet at 780-970-7632 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.

St. Gabes art students (and some staff and parents) had a great session with local artist, Lorraine Berube from the St. Albert Art Guild. She showed us how to use ink to create bright, beautiful pieces of art.

• Do not park in reserved staff spots - you will be asked to move
• You are welcome to park in any other open spots in the parking lot
• You can also park on the street and walk to the back

Thank you!

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

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: 39 Sunset Blvd.,(rear entrance) St. Albert, AB, Canada
Phone: (780)459-6616
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StGabesHS

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

Teachers are available:

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

Thursday

8:00 am to 5:30 pm

Friday

8:00 am to Noon (teachers are available at 8:45)