APRIL 2018 Welcome Back everyone….

…from what I hope was a restful and enjoyable Spring Break and a wonderful Easter weekend.

Before we jump into April, the staff at St. Vladimir would like to thank everyone for attending our Demonstration of Learning and Open House on March 21st. We had a fabulous turnout and hope you all had an opportunity to share in your child’s learning experiences. For anyone who didn’t have a chance to come out, feel free to contact your child’s teacher to discuss your child’s progress.

We now look forward to the upcoming third, and final, term of the 2017/2018 school year and the many events that will be taking place. We start the month off by wrapping up our Lenten Season with our Easter Liturgy of the Word. We will all gather as a community, in our school gym on Monday, April 9th at 11:00AM, to celebrate with Father Paul and hope you can join us for this celebration.

We also start our second round of Reading Rockstars on Wednesday, April 11 through to Wednesday, May 16. Rockstar Sessions run from 3:00 to 4:00PM and applications can be picked up at the office if your child is interested in participating. Our WE Team members delve into their next social justice endeavor which will see them volunteering their time at a local senior’s shelter. A huge thank you goes out to Cardinal Legere Catholic Junior High for providing the transportation to and from the shelter. Their willingness to help us out has made this an affordable endeavor and we truly appreciate their support.

Your support for school spirit got off to a great start at our Demonstration of Learning with many families purchasing

the newly arrived St. Vladimir T-shirts and hoodies. These items will be available at the school throughout the remainder of

the year for anyone interested and orders can be placed at the main office or through your child’s teacher. An order form

can be found in this newsletter.

Lastly, just a friendly reminder to follow us on Twitter at StvladimirECSD and see the many exciting things happening

at our school and in our classrooms each and every day.

Have a fabulous month and please do not hesitate to come in to the school if you have any questions or simply to say hello.

Mr. A. Buttigieg Mrs. J. Schipper

Principal Assistant Principal

We began accepting registrations for the 100 Voices Program for the 2017-2018 school year starting on February 1, 2018.

100 Voices Pre-Kindergarten programs are District early learning programs for 3 and 4-year-old children. Children may be eligible to access funding from Alberta Education to cover the cost of the program. To access funding, children would need to meet the criteria identified by Alberta Education guidelines relative to their age group. Children who do not meet the criteria may be accepted to pay a monthly tuition of $375/ month depending on space in the program.

Who can attend?

• To be eligible for two years prior to Kindergarten, your child should be 3 years of age and toilet trained by September 30th of 2018. (special consideration may be provided to children identified with special needs.)

• To be eligible for one year prior to Kindergarten, your child must be 4 years of age on or before March 1, 2019 and toilet trained (special consideration is provided for children identified with special needs.)

If you have any questions regarding the 100 Voices program, please contact our Early Learning Facilitator, Ms. Jands or our main office at 780-476-4613.

We began accepting applications for our Full Day Kindergarten program starting February 1, 2018. This program is offered to children who will be five years of age on or before March 1, 2019. On the registration form, we require a copy of the birth certificate, baptismal certificate (if you are Catholic), and an Alberta Health Care number. If you have any questions regarding the program, please contact the office at (780)-476-4613 . We are also accepting registrations from any students entering grade 1 through to grade 6. Registration packages are available at the school or on the Edmonton Catholic School Board website.

100 VOICES REGISTRATIONS FOR 2018/2019

KINDERGARTEN to GRADE 6 REGISTRATIONS FOR 2018/2019

We will be gathering as a faith community for our Easter Liturgy of the Word on:

Monday, April 9 at 11:00AM In our school gym

Please come out and join us!!

EASTER LITURGY OF THE WORD!!

We unveiled our new St. Vladimir merchandise at our Demonstration of Learning; hats, toques, T-shirts, and hoodies. If you didn’t have a chance to order your merchandise and would like to do so, all items are available at any time throughout the school year. Simply contact the school to make payment and place your order.

St. Vladimir Wear Order Form 2017/2018

Student’s Name:__________________________ Grade:___________

ITEM COLOUR LOGO SIZE COST

Jersey Hoodie

NAVY

GREY

Youth Or

Adult S M L

XL

$32.00

Jersey T-

shirt

NAVY

GREY

S M L

XL

$11.00

Russell Dry Fit T-shirt

NAVY

GREY

S M L

XL

$24.00

Toque

Blue $14.00

Cap Blue $15.00

Parent Signature:_____________________________________

ST. VLADIMIR SWAG!!

Our second round of Reading Rockstars commences on Wednesday April 11th. Applications are available in the office and sessions are run by Edmonton Public Library Staff, in conjunction with school staff. The purpose of the program is to encourage a love for reading. All sessions are held after school on Wednesdays from 3:00 – 4:00PM. The next sessions run from:

APRIL 11 thru to MAY 16 3:00PM – 4:00PM

On Monday, April 9th we will be receiving a full set of gymnastics equipment through our District Loaner Pool. Heather Rootsaert, our District Physical Education Consultant, will be visiting the school to in-service our staff as they will incorporate the gymnastics equipment into classroom physical education classes for two weeks.

Our next Healthy Hunger Lunch is MacDonalds and is scheduled for:

Friday, April 13, 2018

Our next SC Sponsored Hot Lunch is scheduled for:

Friday, April 27, 2018

All our students have access to two very valuable on-line resources – Raz Kids and Mathletics. They are encouraged to use these programs on a regular basis to supplement their learning at school in both language arts and mathematics. Both these programs can be accessed from home.

READING ROCK STARS!!

GYMNASTICS!!

HEALTHY HUNGER!!

SC HOT LUNCH!!

RAZ KIDZ AND MATHLETICS!!

The Executive members of our School Council would like to extend an invitation to all parents who are interested

in helping throughout the year. Important dates to remember are:

Monday, April 9, 2018 at 6:00PM – next SC Meeting

The School Council would like to remind everyone that the FundScrip Fundraiser will be running ALL YEAR!!

How Does FundScrip Work?

Buy gift cards, raise money for our school!

With FundScrip’s growing list of leading retailers, you can find gift cards for the basics like groceries and gas but, they also carry

a large variety of other categories including: pharmacy, home improvement, department store, restaurants, pizza, coffee

shops, household items, clothing stores, movies & books, travel, and more. All gift cards come from the retailers themselves;

so you can be certain they'll be accepted when you use them.

SIGN UP TODAY AND ORDER ALL YEAR LONG…

Remember to use our school GROUP CODE:

P2NCZY

SCHOOL COUNCIL – IMPORTANT INFORMATION!!

SCHOOL COUNCIL FUNDRAISER – FundScrip!!

This year, Edmonton Catholic School District has a theme founded on the words of Teresa Avila, “Rooted in Jesus;

Hearts to Love, Hands to Serve.’ The staff, students and parents at St Vladimir have been keeping their eyes and

ears open to catch students showing this theme in action, both in and out of the classrooms. We have been

acknowledging these acts of exemplary service on a bulletin board located near the office by writing a few words

about what that student has done. In addition to this, we have been acknowledging these acts of love and service

at our full school gatherings/celebration. If you witness an act of service or love from our students do let us know.

Our choir members have been rehearsing, and will continue to rehearse, throughout the month of April for the upcoming District Celebration of the Arts which takes place on Wednesday, May 2nd at the Northern Jubilee Auditorium. The choir rehearses at lunch recess and will be taking the following trips off site during the months of April and May in preparation for the main event:

Thursday April 12, 2018- 1:15pm to 3:00pm at St. Kateri School

Thursday April 26, 2018- 1:15pm to 3:00pm at St. Teresa School

Wednesday, May 2, 2018 - 12:40 pm to 2:40 pm at the Jubilee Auditorium

HEARTS TO LOVE AND HANDS TO SERVE!!

CHOIR!!

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

April 2018 …Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” ~John 20: 19-21~

This passage from the Gospel of John occurs on Easter morning. The disciples of Jesus are bereft at the loss of their shepherd, and it is a time of sorrow and fear. Jesus reveals himself to his followers many times over the course of the following week, and a consistent theme is that they don’t recognize him as he walks among them. Each time that his people finally realize that their Lord has been walking beside them, their sorrow turns to joy. It is with that sense of joy that Jesus passes on his mission to the disciples, to go forth and spread the Good News of God’s love. That is the call that he also shares with each of us as we discover the magnitude of God’s love; to go forth and be missionary disciples.

Edmonton Catholic Schools has once again been named one of Alberta’s Top 70 Employers! This annual competition, which is held by Postmedia Network Inc. and Mediacorp Canada Inc., takes a comprehensive, comparative look at various aspects of operations and human resources practices to determine which organizations have the most progressive and forward-thinking programs. This is the third consecutive year that we have earned the designation, and we are proud to be one of the leaders in our field in creating exceptional conditions for our employees!

Each year, the Council of Catholic School Superintendents of Alberta sponsors the Excellence in Catholic Education Awards. These awards honor individuals who provide our students with exceptional learning experiences that are deeply rooted in our Catholic faith. We are delighted to share that 3 of our leaders are receiving this prestigious award: Floriana Bruni-Bossio, principal of St. Stanislaus Catholic Elementary School; Heather Kaup, principal of Mother Margaret Mary Catholic High School; and Hugh MacDonald, principal of St. Joseph Catholic High School.

April offers opportunities for parents and guardians to join us in learning. The last session in our Mental Health Parent Evening Series, Supporting Your Child’s Mental Health (Go-to Educator)/Program Transition, will be held on Wednesday April 18 from 6:30-8 pm. There will be two sessions which will focus on mental health literacy and supporting your child as they move from home to the Early Learning, Elementary, Junior High, and Senior High levels. Visit http://bit.ly/ECSD-Parent-Series for more information and to register.

We are pleased to host an evening with renowned speaker and author Father Richard Leonard on Tuesday, April 24. Join our Board of Trustees for an inspiring evening titled Confessions of a Catholic Educator – What Catholic Education Can Do for Your Child and What You Can Do for Catholic Education. The event is from 6-9 pm and includes dinner. Father Leonard is a master storyteller whose ability to hold the audience’s attention through a combination of vivid work portraits, humour and song, make him a much sought-after speaker. Visit https://ecsdconfessions.eventbrite.ca to learn more and register. . . . 2

In the 2018-19 school year, Edmonton Catholic Schools will be expanding dual credit offerings, in partnerships with additional post-secondary institutions and industry/business. We have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate with Mount Royal University to offer students two courses to explore their passions and interests in Aviation. The two dual credit Aviation courses, which are required courses within the Mount Royal University Bissett School of Business Aviation Diploma, will be offered at St. Joseph Catholic High School to interested grade 11 and 12 students who meet the pre-requisites of English 30-1, Math 30 -1, and medical clearance.

By offering the courses after school hours, it will enable students from across our District to enroll. Students will be able to develop their knowledge to achieve Transport Canada requirements respecting navigation and aviation operations, along with Basic Meteorology to interpret weather information for pilots as supplied by Atmospheric Environment Services. In partnership with WestJet, our students will be able to experience flight simulation and in-flight experiences with trained pilots. WestJet will support this opportunity through personnel, simulator experiences, and site visitations at YEG. For more

information, please contact cheryl.shinkaruk@ecsd.net. The provincial budget was tabled on March 22. Our preliminary findings are that the government will continue to

provide funding for enrolment growth and we will continue to receive dollars to eliminate school fees related to instructional

supplies and materials, as well as to provide transportation costs for children living 2.4 km or more from their designated

school. We will receive new dollars to expand our School Nutrition Program. Overall, the rate of funding per student remains

unchanged. In the upcoming weeks, we will continue to analyze the provincial budget and its implications for our District.

I wish you all a blessed Easter season, and leave you with a reflection from Pope Francis: “Let the risen Jesus enter your life, welcome him as a friend, with trust: he is life! If up till now you have kept him at a distance, step forward. He will receive you with open arms. If you have been indifferent, take a risk: you won’t be disappointed. If following him seems difficult, don’t be afraid, trust him, be confident that he is close to you, he is with you and he will give you the peace you are looking for and the strength to live as he would have you do.” (Pope Francis, Homily, 03/30/13) Sincerely, Joan Carr Superintendent

April 2018 Christ is Risen! Alleluia! Alleluia! Dear Friends, In my Christmas message to you, I spoke of the Light of Christ that broke through the darkness. Jesus Christ is the Light of the world. During his life on earth, many came to believe that Jesus was the Messiah. Image now if you can, their disappointment when he died on the cross! That light which had come into the world seemed to have gone out…but we know that the light continues to shine. At the Easter Vigil, we celebrate the light of Christ through the blessing and the lighting of the Paschal Candle. From this candle, on that night of nights, the light of Christ slowly spreads through the Church. The light of Christ is alive in the Church. We also renew our baptismal promises at the Easter Vigil as a sign of our renewed commitment to live as Christian witnesses in the world. In parishes throughout the Archdiocese, many adults and children enter the Roman Catholic Church, after many months of preparation through the sacrament of Baptism. They receive the light of Christ from that same Paschal Candle and make their promise to live a Christian life. As a community of disciples, we are overwhelmed with joy at the rebirth of these newest members of the Church. The newly baptised are fully initiated through Confirmation and First Eucharist. Their presence is a sign of new life. In fact, they are called “new sprouts” or neophytes. These “new sprouts” are like the children in our Catholic Schools, who come to our schools in search of the Risen Lord. They encounter the Lord in the teachers and staff and also in each other. They encounter the Risen Lord in the Word of God and in the Sacraments. On their journey of faith I hope that they too will come to know and believe in Christ; to follow where He leads them. I prayer that this Easter Season be a time of growth and joy in the Risen Lord! Richard W. Smith Archbishop of Edmonton

APRIL 2018

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

1 2 EASTER MONDAY NO CLASSES

3 CLASSES RESUME GR 3 - TELUS WORLD OF SCIENCE

4 5 6 7

8 9 EASTER CELEBRATION (11:00AM) SC MEETING (6:00pm) GYMNASTICS EQUIPMENT ARRIVES FOR 2 WEEKS

10 11 READING ROCKSTARS (3:00 – 4:00)

12 CELEBRATION OF THE ARTS REHEARSAL

13 HEALTHY HUNGER

14

15 16 17 18 READING ROCKSTARS (3:00 – 4:00)

19 20 21

22 23 24 100 VOICES – ZOO-2-U FIELDTRIP

25 READING ROCKSTARS (3:00 – 4:00)

26 CELEBRATION OF THE ARTS REHEARSAL

27 SC HOT LUNCH

28

29 30