HOLY TRINITY SCHOOL 1717 - 41 Street SE T2A 1L2 Ph.: 403–500-2032 Fax: 403–500-2232 Principal: Robert Ranger Assistant Principal: Debra Tapping e-mail: robert.ranger@cssd.ab.ca Secretary: Kathie Millan

Principal’s Message The month of December begins our new liturgical year with Advent, a word derived from Latin that means “coming”. During Advent we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus. On Tuesday December 12 we will be celebrating our Family Christmas Liturgy at Holy Trinity Church at 6:30pm. During this liturgy each classroom will have an opportunity to perform a Christmas carol. A brief reception will follow the liturgy in the front entrance of the Church. This liturgy is replacing our traditional “Christmas Concert” at the school. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Father Minh for his weekly visits to our school for our walking Wednesdays and our Tuesday Prayer Club. It has been wonderful to have his support and guidance as we continue together on our faith journeys. I would also like to thank all of the students that been regularly joining us for prayer club. It has been an enriching experience of faith and community building. As we progress through advent we will continue to focus on praying the rosary and building our prayer cubes. I want to thank all of the students who applied for the various jobs within our Junior ATB bank. Their response and efforts were overwhelming. We spent time over three days doing job interviews with almost 40 students. I am excited about sharing the successful applicants with our school community at our Active Learner Assembly on Tuesday December 5. Please stay posted for more information later in December and January as we move forward with this great initiative. On behalf of the staff and students of Holy Trinity, I would like to extend our warmest wishes to you and your family for a Blessed and Holy Christmas. May each of your families continue to be blessed with the Lord’s bountiful goodness and abundant love in the New Year. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Principal, Mr. Ranger Assistant Principal, Mrs. Tapping

DECEMBER 2017

Newsletter

Kindergarten – Mrs. Knox

P says pppppp, Polly Panda likes to paint. The Kindergartens have begun to learn the letters of the alphabet, their sounds, and actions that go with each letter. Each day we have been writing the upper case and lower case letters and learning words such as PUP that are spelt by the letters we are learning. Please continue to practice the letters and sounds with your child at home. We just finished creating a paper chain to countdown the days to Christmas. Each night the students can rip a chain off after they say their prayers and as the chain gets smaller, it is closer to Christmas!

Grade 1 – Mrs. Meek

We are continuing to review our letter names and sounds to help us with our reading and writing. Please continue to practice the sight words and mini books that come home. We are continuing to focus on using our spelling words in our writing so a quick daily review at home really helps! In Math, we have begun our Numbers to 20 unit and we are learning how to represent numbers as numerals, pictures and words. In Science we wrapped up our Creating Colour unit and will begin to identify our 5 senses and discuss how they keep us safe. In Social Studies we are understanding what groups we belong to and how to be a good citizen. We will also begin to focus on Advent and explore the Christmas season.

Grade 2 – Mrs. Pierson & Mrs. Armstrong

We can't believe how the last few months have flown by. November has been filled with lots of different learning opportunities. In our journals we focused on expanding our sentences and vocabulary to make our writing more interesting. The students love sharing their ideas with their peers, and this gives them the chance to get different ideas as well. We have been so impressed with the students reading, and their ability to challenge themselves with difficult vocabulary. This month in Science we started our magnets unit learning about the different poles on a magnet, and what attracts and repels. The students got to be scientists for a few days and test their skills around the classroom. At the end of the month the students went on a field trip to Telus Spark, and became architects for the day. It was very exciting to see students use their knowledge, and work so well together in groups. In Math we have focused on skip counting, and have started place value. We have given each student their own place value card, and give them different activities each day. This gives students a variety of learning opportunities.

Grade 2/3 – Miss Dahl

This past month the students in Grade 2/3 have done an excellent job practicing and performing their Reader’s Theater stories. Keep up the good work! This month we will be working on addition and subtraction facts to 18, and the students will be learning games to aid them in these facts. Any additional practice they could do at home would be much appreciated! We have started to prepare for our “trip” to Peru by learning about the different regions and learning some basic phrases in Spanish! Soon we will be learning about traditions and celebrations in Peru, including how Peruvian’s celebrate Christmas! During this season of Advent, we will be learning about the Jesse Tree and the symbols and stories that go along with it. Students have decorated ornaments that will be displayed on our classroom tree. This month, we are responsible for leading our Advent Mass on December 12, this will follow our 6:30 Christmas Concert. I would like to extend my warmest wishes and Merry Christmas to families! Feliz Navidad!

Grade 3/4 – Mrs. Herbert Wow! I cannot believe December is here already. November was a busy month for grade 3/4. It included field trips and making night-lights in a glass fusion class. I know December is going to be equally as eventful with the Christmas concert fast approaching. The students have been practicing very hard and are sounding fantastic! I hope everyone can come hear them perform on December 12th. Merry Christmas!

Grade 4/5 – Mrs. Tapping & Mrs. Knox In Science we are learning about weather. We have to pick a city anywhere in the world and look at the weather each day. We have been learning about air pressure and about clouds and how they predict weather. We have been learning about the 4 seasons, why they occur and how they affect how we live. One important thing we learned is that the earth is slanted, which causes the seasons. We have started subtraction up to 4 digits in Math. We have to borrow from the next number on the left. We have been learning expanded form and pictorial form in addition. We have been estimating the answer then finding out if our answers are correct. Un, deux, all the way to 100 we have been learning in French. We have been labeling items in our classroom such as les ciseaux (scissors) and un effaceur (eraser). We have learnt how to tell time and labeling the different rooms in our school in French.

In Language Arts we have been continuing our read aloud of the ‘Door to Time’ and working on our predicting skills. We have been learning about syllables and how to count them. We have stepped into the poetry world and created a few of our own. We have been practicing becoming writers. We are continuing to edit our writing pieces using COPS – capitalization, organization, punctuation and spelling. In Grade 5 Social we are learning about Canada’s regions and focusing on The Atlantic Region. Atlantic Region is located in the Maritimes. In Grade 4 we have been learning about the Grassland Region of Alberta which is where we live. So far in Art we have created an art piece using Lines. We also have been working creating a 3D drawing of our hand. We helped the Kindergartens make art for Christmas using their hands to create a wreath.

Grade 5 – Mrs. Mutual The grade fives are diligently preparing their musical number for the school’s upcoming Christmas Liturgy and concert on Dec.12 at Holy Trinity Church. Christmas is an exciting time of year, and students will be using their imaginations in writing and publishing a Christmas Story for Language Arts. With the help of the Calgary Public Library, students are learning how to code on computers and will continue these lessons through January. In Social Studies, students are discovering the natural resources, landforms, and climates of Canada’s many regions, along with the history of our land. Being adept in basic facts are fundamental Math skills students are required to know; please help monitor that your child continues to work on these at home. It is with great pleasure we welcome Mr. Dur, a student teacher, to our classroom for December.

Grade 6 – Miss Ritchie During the month of November, Grade 6 had a presentation about the Junior ATB program. All of us had to write a resume and if we wanted to apply for a job we had to fill in out a job application. With this program we are learning about leadership and how to apply and interview for a job. It was hard to compete against our classmates, but we are very supportive of each other and we will be happy for whoever gets the positions. - Alicia and Bo

PE – Ms. Manastyrski Coming up in December, students will be working on various net games such as badminton and volleyball. In these units, they will be participating in activities that will develop their hand eye coordination while having lots of fun! During the last week before Christmas break, we will also incorporate games that are Christmas themed which will focus on their fundamental movement skills such as running, throwing/catching, kicking and more!

Music – Mrs. Obrigewitsch The students in each music class are busy learning the melody and words to their Christmas carol songs. They are very excited to show you what they have accomplished. See you Tuesday, December 12, at 6:30 pm at Holy Trinity Church. We will also be listening to a variety of classical music composers during December to see how their music has influenced movies and TV shows.

Learning Commons – Mrs. Thiessen Season’s Greetings from the Learning Commons! The Learning Commons continues to be a very busy space in our School Community. The Calgary Public Library Coding Buddies Program, Grade 1 & 2 Craft Club and Grade 3 & 4 Lego Story Starter Clubs are all underway and have been very well attended by our students. Recess breaks continue to be very active with students currently working on the Advent Lego Wall Project. We also have a “Marble Run” project being built by some of our grade 3 & 4 boys. They have designed a marble run that is mounted on a partial wall in the Learning Commons. This project is being built with recycled paper rolls and tape, and is proving to be a real challenge. This month our students and school community received a wonderful “Gift of Reading” and donation from “First Book Canada” and the “TD Bank Group”. Together these organizations are giving a free book to each of our students to take home! Also, the grade 1 & 2 classes will participate in a “Reading Celebration” on December 15th with author Carolyn Fisher. Thank you so much to First Book Canada and the TD Bank Group for your support and generosity! I would like to extend a “Merry Christmas” to all of you and your families. May you all enjoy the Joy and Peace of the holidays!

Boys and Girls Club – closed December 18th to 22nd Parents please note that the Boys and Girls Club will be closed the week of December 18th to the 22nd. Please make sure you have alternate arrangements for your children for after school.

Tell us how we are doing! If you have comments or suggestions please complete and send back to school with your child.

Student Name: Homeroom: Parent Name:

Kids Stocking Stuffers Cost: $5 (value over $60) The City of Calgary Parks and Recreation is offering a Kids Stocking Stuffer Booklet for the cost of $5.00. It is an affordable gift idea for kids up to 17 years old. It includes 10 coupons for various recreation activities such as free swim admission, free skate admission, free leisure centre admission. Booklets will be on sale beginning Nov. 20 at the following locations, while supplies last:

• Online at CITYOnline • At our indoor pools or leisure centres • At the Recreation Customer Service Centre, 2808 Spiller Road SE • Trico Centre for Family Wellness,11150 Bonaventure Dr. S.E. • Repsol Sport Centre, 2225 Macleod Tr. South • Genesis Centre, 7555 Falconridge Blvd. N.E. • Vivo for Healthier Generations, 11950 Country Village Link N.E.

For more information please visit: http://www.calgary.ca/CSPS/Recreation/Pages/Fees-and-passes/Kids-stocking-stuffers.aspx?WT.mc_id=Recreation-stockingstuffers-Nov20-rw-01

St. Vincent de Paul Christmas Food Drive As part of the Holy Trinity Parish community, we have been asked to help out the Society of St. Vincent de Paul with a Christmas food drive. The food drive will be held from December 5th to December 14th. Each class is being assigned a food type to bring in. If you wish, instead of food, you could send in a toonie to be put towards buying perishable foods to compliment the food hampers. These would be purchased by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Families may choose whether to participate or not. Class Food Type Kindergarten-Knox Boxed macaroni or spaghetti

Gr.1 Meek Rice

Gr.2 Armstrong/Pierson Canned soups

Gr. 2/3 Dahl Canned meat or fish

Gr. 3/4 Herbert Canned beans in sauce

Gr. 4/5 Knox/Tapping Jam

Gr. 5 Mutual Peanut butter

Gr. 6 Ritchie 1 Litre sized boxes of fruit juice

Healthy Children December 2017 Parent Newsletter

To find an electronic copy of this newsletter visit www.ahs.ca/csh

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To find an electronic copy of this newsletter, visit www.ahs.ca/csh

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Note: No classes March 27 or 29

Where: The Alex Community Food Centre 4920 – 17 Ave SE (Forest Lawn)

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Contact: Erin at 403.801.6755 or egionet@thealex.ca

Priority will be given to community members who self-identify as living in a low-income household.

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1000 Fifth Avenue SW, Calgary, Alberta T2P 4T9 403-500-2000 www.cssd.ab.ca

CALGARY CATHOLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT MONTHLY NEWS

ConnectionsDECEMBER 2017

Board of Trustees’ Christmas MessageThe Advent season is an opportunity to prepare for the joyful celebration of Christ’s birth through prayer and reflection. This ties perfectly into our faith theme for the year, “Ask; and it will be given you” (Mat-thew 7:7). Together, as a district, we have been exploring the power of our faith through prayer, reflection and gratitude. Advent is also an opportunity to reflect on the things we are grateful for. Like all of us, I am grateful for my family, friends and health. To read the full message, visit our website under News.

Chief Superintendent’s Christmas MessageWe hope our Calgary Catholic community is feeling the spirit of the season as we prepare for Christmas. We also hope that during this festive season, we can all find a moment or two to thank God for our bless-ings and reflect. For the 2017-2018 school year, we have been exploring the power of prayer. Every year we choose a faith theme to guide us in our journey and this year it is, “Ask, and it will be given you,” as the first part of a three-year theme, “Ask, and it will be given you; search and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7). To read the full message, visit our website under News.

Celebrating Faith Day & Shepherd Leadership Recipients 2017On Wednesday, November 1, the Calgary Catholic School District came together as a community to cel-ebrate the annual Faith Day event at the BMO Centre. Over 5,000 employees gathered to listen to keynote speaker, Bishop McGrattan, lead the district in prayer and reflection and help explore the 2017–2018 faith theme, “Ask, and it will be given you” (Matthew 7:7). Faith Day is also an opportunity to recognize employ-ees in the district who model the qualities of a shepherd leader. Visit our website under News to learn more.

Auburn Bay & Airdrie Sod TurningsCCSD recently celebrated two sod turnings and site blessings in the communities of Auburn Bay and Airdrie. On Friday, October 27, members of the CCSD community, along with government representa-tives, gathered in the community of Auburn Bay, where a new K–6 school is scheduled to open in fall 2020. On Monday, November 13, a sod turning and site blessing was celebrated in the community of Morningside in Airdrie where a new Catholic elementary school is also expected to open in fall 2020. Currently, CCSD has five new schools in various stages of development. Learn more on the CCSD website under Schools/Future Schools.

CCSD Partners with the National Women’s Hockey TeamCCSD has an exciting new partnership with the National Women’s Hockey Team. Watch some of the best fe-male hockey players in the world as they train for the 2018 Winter Olympics at WinSport. Tickets are only $10 and $7.50 will go back to your school for fundraising. Buy tickets and learn more on our website under News.

Diploma Preparation Courses – December 2017 & January 2018Diploma Preparation Courses are being offered at Bishop Grandin, Notre Dame and Father Lacombe High Schools in December and January to prepare students for exams. Visit our website under Students/Academic Support/Diploma Preparation Courses to learn more and register.

Hear the Angels SingJoin us in celebrating the songs of Advent and Christmas at the annual Calgary Catholic School District High School Choral Festival, featuring Bishop Carroll, Bishop McNally, Bishop Grandin, Bishop O’Byrne and St. Mary’s. The event takes place on Tuesday, December 5 at 7 p.m. at St. Michael’s Catholic Community (800 - 85 Street SW). Hope to see you there!

Christmas HolidaysCalgary Catholic schools and administrative offices will be closed beginning on Friday, December 22 and will reopen on Monday, January 8. We wish everyone a joyful Christmas season!

Did you know?

Our annual District Day with the Calgary Hitmen will take place on Friday, February 23. Mark your calen-dars and check the district website soon for more information on ticket sales.

Holy Trinity School December 2017 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

Nov. 28 to Dec. 1

1 9:00 – 11:30 & 1:00 – 2:45 Parent Conferences No Classes

2

3 4 Day 5

5 Day 6

6 Day 1 Yoga Instructor – Division 1 – AM 9:15 – 10:15 Coding Club Gr. 5

7 Day 2 Yoga Instructor – Division 1 - AM

8 Day 3 1:00 – 1:45 Sacrament Class

9

10 11 Day 4 9:15 – 10:15 Coding Club Gr. 3/4

12 Day 5 6:30 pm – Christmas Liturgy @ Holy Trinity Church

13 Day 6 14 Day 1 9:15 – 10:15 Coding Club Gr. 5

15 Day 2 9:00 – 10:15 Author Visit – Carolyn Fisher – Gr. 1 & 2

16

17 18 Day 3 NO BOYS & GIRLS CLUB - Dec. 18 to Jan. 5

19 Day 4 9:15 – 10:15 Coding Club Gr. 3/4

20 Day 5 6:00 pm – School Council Meeting

21 Day 6 Last full day of classes before break Pajama Day

22 23

24 25 26 27 28 29 30

31

Christmas Break

Holy Trinity School January 2018 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 1

New Year's Day

2 3 4 5 6

7 8 Day 1 Classes resume

9 Day 2 9:00 – WinSport - Gr.4/5, 5 & 6

10 Day 3 11 Day 4 9:15 – 10:15 Coding Club Gr. 3/4

12 Day 5 13

14 15 Day 6

16 Day 1 9:15 – 10:15 Coding Club Gr. 5 11:20 – 11:50 – Div. II – Hymn Sing

17 Day 2 18 Day 3 1:15 – 1:45 Div. I – Hymn Sing

19 Day 4 9:30 am - Epiphany

20

21 22 Day 5 YouthLink – Gr. 6 Jan. 22 to Jan. 25

23 Day 6 9:15 – 1:00 Blue Flame Kitchen –Gr. 5

24 Day 1 9:15 – 10:15 Coding Club Gr. 5

25 Day 2 26 Professional Day No Classes

27

28 29 Day 3 30 Day 4 31 Day 5

Christmas Break