4214 -127 Ave.
Edmonton, AB T5A 3K6
Ph. 475 - 0158 FAX 478 -8635
www.stmariagoretti.ecsd
Inside this issue…
December 2014
Newsletter #4
Administration Team Message
In the rhythm of a school year, December is a beautiful time to appreciate the wonder of life
and to give thanks for our many blessings. As a Catholic school, we are a life-giving place and
the gifts our students, staff and families share give meaning to our lives.
It was wonderful celebrating your children's learning at the November, 27th Celebration of
Learning. We sincerely thank our families for their partnership and look forward to continued
student growth this school year.
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School News
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November Recognitions
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Christmas Concert

Advent Celebrations

Burundi Update

Bring and Buy Sale

Dismissal Times

Transportation
Throughout this Advent Season,

Reading Corner
help us slow down our lives,

School Council News
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Capital Health News
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St. John Bosco Parish News
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Superintendent's Message &
This weekend marks the beginning of the new liturgical year as well as the beginning of Advent. We hope that this season of Advent offers our families, students and staff, ways to prepare for Christmas with peace and joy so that we are truly ready to celebrate the birth of
Christ.
LOVING LORD
Loving and compassionate God,
Your quiet presence is unveiled
in the soft December light.
and tend to our souls.
Give us courage and wisdom
to become more authentically human.
May this blessed time be filled
with the warmth of family and friends,
and may we extend this blessing
Christmas Blessings!
to all those who are lonely.
We ask this through Jesus Christ
Our Lord, in the love
of the Holy Spirit, one God,
forever and ever.
Amen
We invite you to come and share with us in our preparation for Christmas. We are lighting the
candles on our Advent wreath each Monday, during our Channel 77 broadcast. We will also be
celebrating during our St. Maria Goretti Advent Celebration and reconciliation on Monday,
December 1std at 10:30 a.m.; all are welcome!
Next Newsletter
December 19th , 2014.
Our Christmas concert theme, “Christmas Around the World”, will also help us to celebrate
Jesus’ birth on Thursday, Dec. 11th at St. John Bosco Church at 7 p.m. The doors open at 6:30
p.m. We are asking that you bring a Food Bank donation as admission. We are collecting these
items for the St. John Bosco Parish Food Bank.
Many blessings to you and yours this Christmas season!
Mrs. Lori McDonough
Principal
Principal: Mrs. Lori McDonough
Assistant Principal: Mrs. Michelle LaFrance
Secretary: Mrs. Renee Bourlai
Mrs. Michelle LaFrance
Assistant Principal
Web Site: www.stmariagoretti..ecsd.net
“Christmas Around the World”
Advent/Christmas Concert
This year's Advent/Christmas concert, “A Christmas
Story, will be held on Thursday, December 11th.
Our performance will be at 7:00 p.m. at our venue
St. John Bosco Church. Our school population has
grown in size and as a result seating will be at a premium. Please try to limit your guests to immediate
family. The Doors open at 6:30 p.m. We will have
a staging rehearsal on the morning of Wednesday
Dec. 10th at the church but not a dress rehearsal.
Tickets are not required for the concert, however,
donations for the St. John Bosco Parish Food Bank
would be greatly appreciated. Students should be at
the church by 6:30 p.m. and proceed directly to
their assigned space.
Please refrain from chewing gum, bringing beverages into the church or wearing caps of any kind.
.
Sign of Hope
Thank you to all the families that supported our Sign
of Hope raffle.
We raised $737.00 with your
generous support!
The lucky winners are:
Best Seats un the House-Alison K.– 4A
Best Seats in the House– Lucas P. 5/6
5lb. Chocolate Bar -Alex S. –1B
Stuffed Monkey –Maria M.—Gr. 1A
Gift Certificates to Chianti– Alix R. 5/6
Gift Certificates Chianti- Jessie R.—3A
Oil Kings Tickets -Maria K.– 2/3
Social Justice -“Change for Burundi”
Again this year, we are striving to support those in need globally, and locally,
by getting involved in Social Justice Projects. We have chosen to re-connect
with a school in Burundi, Africa.
Throughout this year, we will be doing activities to
communicate with the students and teachers at the
school in Burundi. The funds raised will assist them
in their educational and financial means.
As one of our initial fundraising activities, each
class collected coin donations to fill their buckets.
On Halloween, the buckets were weighed.
Ms. Eastman’s Grade KA class had the heaviest bucket! KA’s Pumpkin weighed 14.83kg. Second was Mrs.
Olynyk’s Grade 1A class, and third was Mr. Haro’s
Grade 6A class. For a total of 34.52kgs. of coins. We
collected a total of $534.00 in coin donations. All
the money we raised will go directly to support our
partner school in Africa.
Advent Celebration
During the Advent season, we invite you to come
and share with us in our preparation for Christmas.
We will be lighting the candles on our Advent
wreath each Monday morning, during our Channel 77
broadcast. We will also be celebrating during our
St. Maria Goretti Advent Celebration and
reconciliation on Monday, December 1st at 10:30
a.m. We look forward to the Advent season and we
wait in great anticipation for the coming of the
Christ Child.
Christmas Holiday Dismissal Times
Dear, Parents and Students,
We will be switching our Thursday dismissal time
to Friday during the last week of school. This will
allow for an early dismissal prior to the Christmas
break. Our dismissal times will be as follows:
On December 17th we will have our 6th AnThursday, December 18, at 3:15 p.m.
nual Bring and Buy Sale. We ask all parents
Friday, December 19, at 11:59a.m.
and students to help participate in the Bring
Please make sure you send lunch with your child
and Buy Sale, by bringing in quality slightly
on Thursday, December 19th.
used toys, books, stuffed toys, electronics,
and Christmas items. All the money raised will
Ski Lessons Grades 5 and 6
go to Burundi.
Please bring in your items from December
11th to 16th. We hope to see you there.
Sincerely, St. Maria Goretti Grade 6 Class.
Thank you
From The
Grade 6 Class
The Grade 5 and 6 students are going skiing or
snowboarding at Snow Valley on Friday, December
5th and again, on Monday, February 2nd. Buses
will be leaving St. Maria Goretti at 9:00 a.m. and
will return to the school by 3:00 p.m. Please be
reminded that the regular yellow buses do not
transport skis or snowboard equipment. Parents are
therefore asked to drop off their child’s equipment
at the school prior to departure. If you have any
questions, please contact Mr. Haro @ 780-475-0158.
S.M.G. Glee Club Sings for the
Christmas Season
Thank you to
Mrs. Murray,
our Playschool
Teacher,
for decorating
our S.M.G.
front entrance
for Christmas!
St. Maria Goretti Glee Club, a choir of Grade 3,4,
5, and 6 students under the direction of
Mrs. Rozhdestvensky and her daughter, Anastasia,
will perform concerts on: Dec. 6th at “Oil Kings”
Sing for Santa, Dec.8th at City Hall, and Dec. 12th
at the Edmonton International Airport. These special concerts are our school’s gift from the heart
to the community this Christmas Season.
Thank you goes out to Mrs. Rozhdestvensky and
Miss Anastasia!
From the Reading Corner
One of the most important gifts a parent can give
to their child is the gift of time. Setting aside time
daily to share in their children’s learning
experiences and to read with them is extremely
important in helping children to be successful.
Here are some suggestions in making reading
important in your home. When reading with your
child remember to:
 Prepare before reading.
 Discuss what is known about the topic to be
read, before reading .
 Ask questions.
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Also remember to:
Make predictions about story content.
Interact and reinforce while reading.
Encourage questions, comments, and
predictions.
Compliment good interaction.
Give your child the opportunity to discuss what
they have read.
Congratulate success in reading!
School Council News
November saw the regular meeting of the School
Council and Association. Parents came to hear the
School Plan for Continuous Growth, giving their
input.
The students also enjoyed a wonderful hot lunch
this month on Western Day. Thank you to the many
volunteers who helped to make this fun lunch
possible, and especially, to Mrs. Cerhit for leading
the team. We look forward to providing a hot lunch
and Pyjama Day on Dec. 12th.
As we approach the end of this calendar year, we
would like to thank all of our many volunteers who
have helped to make this such a great beginning for
the students of St. Maria Goretti. January will be
the start of many more wonderful experiences for
all students, and we look forward to continuing to
work with all St. Maria Goretti School family
members, towards an enjoyable and enriched school
experience. Everyone is welcome!
Give the time to read…
Happy Reading and Listening!
Home Reading
The winners of the Home Reading Program for the month of November are:
KA - Keira F.
KC— Lilah M.
1B - Eleanor H.
2A - Zachary W.
3A – Franz A.
4/5 — Jordan S.
6A – Mikayla B.
KB— Alexander C.
1A - Alex F.
1C - Nikita H.
2/3—Isabella C.
4A —Brandi L.
5/6— Emma Brook S.
School Council
Wishes you a Blessed
Christmas and a
Very Happy New Year!
St. Maria Goretti students and staff thank
the Parent Council for all their hard work and
dedication in fundraising and supporting our
school in many different ways. It is through
your efforts that we are able to participate in
many wonderful activities and enhancement
experiences.
Digital Citizenship
As Edmonton Catholic Schools continues to expand its role of providing a 21st century learning
environment, it is critical that our teachers and
students are familiar with the responsibilities of
being digitally connected citizens.
Transportation News
Our transportation system has an excellent record
for service, however, given the extremes of Edmonton weather, a route can take 50% longer in adverse
weather conditions. Parents are advised that if a bus
does not arrive within twenty minutes of its scheduled time, they are to assume the bus is not coming.
Parents must ensure that their child knows to return
home or to a pre-selected location and the parents
must make alternate arrangements to get their child
to school. Parents should also ensure that children
are supervised at the bus stop.
Teachers must be aware of the impacts of student participation in the digital world so they can
recognize “teachable moments” that arise as
students explore and create in an online
environment. Students and parents must become
aware of the benefits and risks that are associated
with digital interactions and that ultimately
Children should be suitably clothed to withstand
students must be able to make responsible
weather extremes. Children should have a place to
choices and decisions as they navigate and
go in the event the bus does not arrive. Children
interact within the digital world.
should have alternate arrangement for getting to
school should the bus not arrive.
For information on our District Digital Citizenship policy and the regulations log on to
The following radio and TV stations will carry
www.ecsd.net. The information on this page will
provide an overview of the direction the District announcements with respect to transportation
cancellations due to inclement weather conditions:
is taking along with a number of resources for
your reference.
Every effort will be made to have messages
broadcast commencing no later than 6:30 a.m.
New Drop-off Zone
The safety and security of our students is our
first priority. We need your cooperation to ensure
that students arrive and depart safely. To this end,
there will be some changes to the signage and
parking in front of the school. The bus zone is
going to be removed in front of the school and
instead this is going to be a drop-off area. When
this comes into effect, we encourage all parents
to honour the Drop Off Zone, and do not park in
this area. Please do not double park on the road in
front of the school.
The safety of all our students is dependent upon
everyone’s willingness to follow the rules of the
road and procedures. We would ask that you respect the parking areas especially the reserved area of parking for staff members. We have staff arriving at bell time and often they cannot find a
place to park. We appreciate your support in
providing a safe environment for all children.
Choose Safety over Convenience!
Safely On Board
On Friday, November 21st, the students at St.
Maria Goretti School from Kinderrgarten to Grade
6 were treated to a special presentation on bus
safety. The consultants from Safely on Board
came out to the school and reviewed basic bus
safety. The students had a lively puppet presentation with Bertran the puppet. The safety rules
were reviewed using brightly colored story
boards.
Thank you Mr. McQueen!
A special thank you to Emma’s grandpa,
Greame McQueen. He brought his Kenworth
Truck to St. Maria Goretti School for a
presentation for the 2A class.
The students then went out to a school bus and
learned about the Danger Zone around the bus.
They boarded the bus and learned about the
equipment and the emergency exits on board.
They practiced an emergency evacuation drill.
Proper behavior was reviewed while waiting,
boarding and riding the bus.
Steven says, “Thank you for giving every kid in
our class little model trucks. I really liked learning about how you use your big truck to bring
food to Nunavut”.
Emma says, “Papa you surprised me when
you came to my class. I liked learning about
your job with IRT”.
Healthy Smiles, Healthy Kids
Fluoride Varnish is an
easy, safe and effective way
to strengthen teeth and help prevent cavities.
Alberta Health Services, Oral Health Program
staff will be visiting your school to offer Fluoride
Varnish Service for Kindergarten to Grade 2 students. Watch for information and a consent form
coming home with your child. Please fill it out,
sign it and send it back to school so your child
can take part in this valuable program.
Families Helping Families
As a social justice project
that followed We Day, our
Gr. 6 class organized a Bake
Sale for Families Helping
Families.
Thank you to the parents that
brought baking and thank you to the
students that sold the baking during
the demonstration of learning.
Through your generous support we
were able to raise $625.00 to help
families in our school who are experiencing difficult times.
Remembrance Day Celebration
Volley ball Team
(by Annie Desautels)
St. Maria Goretti Elementary School hosted a Remembrance Day Celebration in their gym November 6, 2014.
With just over 300 students in attendance they were
blessed by the presence of the Currell family’s participation. The Currell Family, have four members of the 2051
-19th Alberta Dragoon Cadet Corp based in Northeast
Edmonton. When the Army Cadet Corp was asked if
they would have anyone interested in helping the
school with their celebration, the Currell family stepped
forward and were proud to honour those that are and
were in the Canadian Forces by providing the colour
party for the school. Warrant Michael Currell was parade marshal and carried in the Canadian Flag while his
brother Sargent Kenneth Currell carried in the Alberta
Flag, Master Corporal Nicole Currell and Trooper/Lance
Johnathan Currell were honour guard. The group led
participating dignitaries from Junior Navy Cadet, Brownies, Girl Guides, Beavers, Cubs and Scouts into the gymnasium. Also in attendance was Father Ramano from
John Bosco Perish. Many parents, grandparents and
great-grandparents attended the celebration as well.
The schools staff that organized the event were pleased
with the number of representatives they had within
their own school and surrounding community.
Congratulations go out to
our girls and boys Volleyball
Teams on a successful season. The students
participated in two tournaments one at Elizabeth Seton and the other at J.J. Bowlen. The
girls won silver at J. J. Bowlen and the boys
won the Consolation Round. Both girls and
boys teams won silver medals at Elizabeth
Seton. The students played hard and represented St. Maria Goretti School well!
A special thank you to our coaches,
Mr. Haro and Mrs. Desautels!
Grade 2/3A & 3A Visit
at St. John Bosco
Church with
Father Romano
WE DAY
On November 3, 2014, eighteen Grade 6’s
went to We Day in Calgary. We Day is an inspiring experience that brings together a generation of youth to be engaged in changing the
world. Inspiring students to be a part of the
solution, not part of the problem. We Day focuses on many different causes and was designed to bring youth together to identify and
promote different ways they can make the
world a better place. Social empowerment was a
main theme at We Day, motivating students to
become involved in social justice locally and
globally.
Fr. Romano took the Grade 2/3 class and the
Grade 3 class on a tour of the church. He explained all the parts of the church.
Thanks Fr. Romano!
Thank you to the Parent Council for your
support in this event!