St. Andrew School

October Newsletter 2015 Message from Administration

We would like to thank everyone for helping make our start to the school year so successful. It was terrific to see the incredible turnout for our many September events including the Family BBQ, Parent/Teacher conferences, the first school council meeting, our school opening mass, the Terry Fox Run/Walk and the volunteer orientations. If you were not able to attend the two volunteer orientations and would still like to volunteer in the school, please make arrangements to attend the orientation on Monday, October 5th at 8:15 AM. Parents must complete a volunteer orientation and fill out the volunteer forms each school year. Fee sheets were sent in early September. We highly recommend that fees are paid on line as soon as you are able. We encourage you to use the on-line payment method (go to our district website – http://www.cssd.ab.ca/parents/fees/). If you are paying with cash, we ask that you bring the exact amount as we cannot make change. We recognize how overwhelming September can be for school expenses above and beyond fees. If your payment will be delayed or you are having any difficulty paying your fees please call Mr. Gillis to discuss payment options. Finally, there is much to give thanks for as we “walk humbly” into October. We at St. Andrew School count our blessings daily. We hope that everyone has time over this upcoming Thanksgiving week-end to give thanks for all the blessings in your lives. God Bless.

A PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING “O God, when I have food, help me to remember those who are hungry;

When I have work, help me to remember the jobless;

When I have a home, help me to remember those who have no home at all;

When I am without pain, help me remember those who suffer.

And remembering, help me to destroy my complacency; bestir my compassion, and be concerned enough to

help by word and deed, those who cry out for what we take for granted.”

Joe Gillis Karman Ogorevc Principal Assistant Principal

News from School Council

School Council Meetings

School council provides an

opportunity for parents, administrators and teachers to

work together to provide a vibrant and effective school

community.

St. Andrew’s School Council meets every month, on alternating Friday mornings at 9:00

AM and Wednesday evenings at 6:30 PM.

All parents/guardians are welcome to attend.

Upcoming Meetings:

Friday, October 23/15 9:00 AM

Wednesday, November 18/15 6:30 PM

Friday, December 11/15 9:00 AM

Wednesday, January 20/16 6:30 PM

Friday, February 19/16 9:00 AM

Wednesday, March 9/16 6:30 PM

Friday, April 22/16 9:00 AM

Wednesday, May 18/16 6:30 PM

Volunteers

Healthy Hunger Thanks so much to those parents who have offered to help with our Healthy Hunger Lunch and Snack Program as well as our Family Dances. Their time and effort will ensure the con-tinuation of these programs and activities to our students. There are still many volunteer opportunities available. For more information, email Sherry Choma at st.andrew@cssd.ab.ca.

If you haven’t already done so, be sure to sign-up for our Healthy Hunger Lunches and

Snack Program.

Even if you were registered last year, you’ll need to re-register again this year.

Visit www.healthyhunger.ca for a listing of

lunch and snack days for the entire school year.

Next Parent Council Meeting

Friday, Oct. 23rd @ 9:00 AM

Thanksgiving Liturgy Our Thanksgiving Liturgy will take place on Thursday, October 8th at 10:30 a.m. in the gym. As always, we welcome parents and friends to celebrate with us. As part of our “Walk Humbly with God” theme we are asking students to bring a non-perishable food item during the week leading up to the liturgy. These items will be donated to the Holy Name Cares Society at Holy Name Church. Our Grade 3 students will be leading this liturgy with Father Mario presiding. We take this opportunity to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!

Fire Drill and Lock-Downs As part of our focus on Occupational Health and Safety, all schools are mandated to practice

evacuations on a regular basis. We will follow this practice during the course of the school year. We attempt to make these practices as practical and non-frightening as possible. Procedures are reviewed during assemblies and also by homeroom teachers to ensure that all students know the process. In September we did have a Fire Drill and we plan to have a Lockdown practice on October 2nd at 1:30PM.

From the Office Reminder: If your child is going to be away please call the office along with informing the teacher. If you do not reach someone during office hours you are welcome to leave a message, stating the reason for the absence, the child’s name, and homeroom. Thank you for your cooperation. Important Upcoming Dates to Remember:

October 1 – Healthy Hunger

October 2 – Practice Lockdown at 1:30PM

October 5 – Volunteer Orientation

October 8 – Thanksgiving Liturgy at 10:30AM, Healthy Hunger Popcorn

October 9 – Professional Day (No Classes)

October 12 – Thanksgiving Day (No Classes)

October 13/15/20/22/27/29 – Swimming for Grade 3/4 at Killarney Pool

October 15 – Healthy Hunger

October 22 – Healthy Hunger Popcorn

October 28 – Picture Retakes

October 29 – Healthy Hunger, Pumpkin Carving Night

Music - 6-5 Social Studies – Miss Gamber

The Kindergartens have been working on distinguishing between their speaking and singing voices, and have been learning several singing and action games. In October, the Kindergartens will continue to expand their repertoire of singing and action games. During September, the Grade 1, 2’s and 3’s have been learning a wide variety of singing and action games. The students have been exercising their creative thinking and improvisation skills by modifying these games on the fly.

The Grade 4 and 6/5 classes worked very hard on the hymns for our Opening Mass, and did a great job leading the singing of those hymns on Sept. 17th. Great work everyone! We have also been playing a few games that are old favourites, such as Ninja and Concentration. All of the students learned about the flute and Schubert for our monthly instrument and composer feature. We listened to Chaminade’s Flute Concertina and Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony, as well as Beatbox Flute’s Inspector Gadget Remix. In October, all of the students will review the written rhythms they learned last year and add several new patterns. The students will have opportunities to sight-read four-beat rhythms alone and in a group, and also to conduct the class through a four-beat rhythm. In social studies 6/5, we have settled into a steady routine and both classes have finished chapter one. The grade 5’s will move directly to Chapter Two: The Atlantic Region, while the grade six class is currently preparing to present their performance-based assessment for chapter one. The entire class (along with the grade 4’s) will also be participating in CIVIX: Student Vote for the upcoming Federal election. Stay tuned for the results! French/Science – Mme. St. Gelais Science 6: Students are learning about trees as individual plants and as part of the forest ecosystem. They will examine local species and learn to recognize the characteristics of different trees and learn to develop skills in describing and interpreting the structural features of trees. Students will also learn about living things found on, under and around trees and study the interaction between trees and the forest environment. They will study how humans use our forests and become aware of some environmental issues while developing an awareness of the need for responsible use of our forests. Science 5: Students are learning about organisms that live in, on and around wetlands and about adaptations that suit pond organisms to their environment. They are also learning about the interactions among wetland organisms and about the role of each organism as part of a food web. Moreover, they will also understand the role humans can play in and around wetlands and how our actions can affect wetland habitats. French 6: Currently students in Grade 6 are studying My Community which includes the buildings in their community as well as the community helpers and modes of transportation. Their first assignment is to work on an acrostic poem about their future occupation. Throughout the school

year, students will continue listening to the music of Gregg LeRock, whose concert we will be attending on Friday, May 27th. His website is www.gregglerock.ca French 5: Students in grade 5 are currently working on the unit My Elementary School. This unit includes studying the classroom timetable, areas inside and outside the school, healthy school snacks, and school

personnel. Telling time tends to be the most difficult area of study each year. Please feel free to review telling time with your child at home (in English) which will only strengthen their skills as we work on it in French at school. Throughout the year we will continue to listen to Gregg LeRock as well, in preparation for the concert which we will be attending on Friday, May 27th. You can access his website at www.gregglerock.ca French 4: Students are learning to get comfortable with second language learning through listening to, reading and speaking French. Our first unit of study is Our Classroom. Students will learn simple classroom interactions and classroom vocabulary. Throughout the year they will be learning French as a Second Language through songs as well, in preparation for the Gregg LeRock concert on Friday, May 27th which the Grade 4-6 classes will attend. You can access his website www.gregglerock.ca Kindergarten Kindergarten has been working slowly through the letters, this month we will be working on the letters T, V, and W. For math we will be concentrating on creating and growing patterns and collecting data. We will continue to have our color days please see the Kindergarten calendar for dates. In Religion we are concentrating on giving thanks and thanking God for our gifts. The class has moved on from learning about listening, participation to showing respect and cooperating. We will continue to discuss our 5 senses and how we use them. Near the end of the month the class will begin to talk about community helpers such as firefighter, police officer, postal worker... Grade One – Mrs. Nicholson

September has been a busy month in Grade One. The students have come a long way in terms of remembering daily routines and procedures. They are settling in and are able to cope well with a full six hours of school. In Language Arts we are reviewing a letter sound a day using the Jolly Phonics Program. The children seem to really enjoy the stories and musical chants which correspond to the letters. Please continue to practice and review the sounds with your child. We have started the Home Reading Program whereby your child takes home three books

from the classroom library and reads them at home with adult assistance for a week. Please ensure your child returns his/her Home Reading baggie on their specific day. In Math we are currently working on representing numbers to 20. This unit focuses on number relationships. Children develop meaning for whole numbers by building, comparing and ordering sets. In Science we have started Topic A entitled “Creating Color”. In this unit students will explore coloured materials, learn about different forms of colours, how they are created, what happens when they are mixed, and how they can be transferred from one material to another. Students will learn to

distinguish and describe colours, and work with a variety of materials to create, modify and apply colours. In Social Studies we are working on the first unit entitled, Me and My World. This unit introduces students to the major theme of belonging and helps them explore some of the ways that belonging connects with citizenship in their homes, schools and communities. In Religion we are using a new district wide resource entitled, . Growing in Faith Growing in Christ. The first unit is called, I am a Child of God. During this unit, students will look at the creation of the natural world and of humanity as the act of a benevolent God who want to share His love. Grade 2 – Mrs. Letwin The Grade 2 monthly newsletter is also available through our school website. Please check us out there too! http://www.cssd.ab.ca/scholls/standrew/ Find “Homeroom News”—Click on Grade 2 Religion The students are enjoying the daily Bible reading, prayer, and reflection each da. They are becoming actively involved in the discussions during this time. This month students will be using Religion class time to prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday. Students will complete poems and prayers for this special holiday and reflect on what they have to be thankful for. Other October themes of study include: Let’s Come Together-I Belong-We Gather-We Belong Language Arts Journaling, story writing, and reading groups will be ongoing throughout the year. As the year progresses, we will continue to develop oral, written, reading, and presentation skills. We are currently working on writing interesting sentences as well as developing written responses and journal entries based on our reading groups and the Thanksgiving holiday. Science We will be continuing our first Science unit entitled “Exploring Liquids”. Students will learn about nature of liquids and the interactions of liquids with other materials. They will explore liquids by examining droplets, by watching liquids trickle down slopes, by investigating flow rates and by observing liquid interactions with a variety of materials. Through this topic students will learn that water is our most important liquid, that we use water in many ways and that water is essential to life. Math We are continuing to work hard in our first unit “Number Sense.” Here is the list of learner’s outcomes:

Describe order or relative position, using ordinal numbers to 10. Represent and describe numbers to 100, concretely, pictorially and symbolically. Compare and order numbers to 100. Illustrate, concretely and pictorially, the meaning of place value for numerals to 100. Demonstrate and explain the effect of adding zero to, or subtracting zero from, any number.

Demonstrate an understanding of addition with answers to 100 using multiple strategies. Apply mental mathematical strategies that will be taught in class. Social Studies We have almost completed our first unit in Social Studies. Upon completion we will begin Unit 2-“More about Our Communities: Regina, Iqaluit, and Bouctouche.” In this unit students continue their inquiry into the nature of communities by focusing on characteristics of human geography-specifically, cultural and linguistic characteristics. Students examine ways that the three communities- Regina, Iqaluit, and Bouctouche- express their cultural and linguistic identities. Grade 3 – Mrs. Henderson TIME CAPSULES “This year in Grade 3 we are doing time capsules. We took a photo of ourselves and measured our bodies with string. We wrote a little bit about ourselves too. We also traced our handprints. We traced around our hand and wrote a goal on it. It will be fun to open our time capsules in June and see how we have changed.” By: Tessa TERRY FOX “If I could run to change the world, I would run for peace. Peace is important for our world. People would be kind to each other and the world would be a better place to live.” ---By: Bradyn “Terry Fox is a true Canadian hero because he ran over 5000 km across Canada. He raised 500 million dollars. He wanted to cure cancer. I hope we find a cure so that Terry’s dream comes true.” ---By: Kian “Terry Fox is a great example of our school theme ‘Dream Big, Work Hard and Stay Humble’ because he didn’t take credit for his achievements. He asked for $1 for every Canadian, not for him to keep, but for other people with cancer. His goal was to raise one million dollars, but now we have raised five hundred million. Don’t you think that if each Canadian gave $1 more, we would reach the billions?” ---By: Finn NEW STUDENT REFLECTIONS “St. Andrew is great because everyone is kind and caring! My favorite part about this school is all the fantastic activities that we do. It makes me happy when the whole school goes to church. I am glad to be at St. Andrew School!” By: Keira BEADS OF COURAGE www.beadsofcourage.ca “I love the bead that I picked because it has nice colors. My bead is special because it will go to sick kids in the hospital.” By: Tano PRAYERS “Dear Heavenly Father, Guide me to dream big, work hard and stay humble. Help me to stay positive when something is wrong. Help me get along with my new classmates. Guide me to be confident when I am scared. Forgive me when I do something wrong. Amen.” ---By: Adam “Dear Heavenly Father, Help me to be a good sister. Guide me when I am at school. Forgive me when I fight with my friends. Keep me safe when I am sleeping. Amen.”By: Elliexiah

Grade 4 Mr. Ogorevc

LA – The focus of September is laying the foundations of our year by brushing up on the fundamentals of reading and writing. We have begun our first grade 4 novel, Tales of a 4th Grade Nothing. Our weekly wordwork has also been introduced, where students will get a new set of words every day 1 that must be completed every day 6. Social Studies – Begging the year in Social Studies we are studying maps and globes. Following the maps and globes unit, we move into our focus for the year Alberta: The Land, Histories and Stories. This will begin with a study of the landscape of Alberta and the different ecosystems we have in our province. P.E./Health – Be began by playing cooperative games and doing cooperative activities. Fair play and staying active have been the themes for this month. Religion – We will begin with the first Unit – The Church hands on the good news. In this unit we will examine the New Testaments where we will look to learn that it is a testimonial of faith handed on to us by the first Christians and our parish community today.

Grade 6/5 Miss Borras

Language Arts: September has been a very busy month for our 6/5’s. Our first unit in Language Arts Dr.Seuss! Over the course of the unit, students will examine his work through poetry, stories, and variety of media to meet the following learner outcomes: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view, and represent to explore thoughts, ideas, feelings and experiences. Students will identify key characteristics of a variety of forms or genres of oral, print and other media texts. Students will discuss the connections among plot, setting and characters in oral, print and other media texts. Over the course of the year, students will continue to develop their literacy skills through a number of mediums. These include but are not limited to the following: Literacy circles, journaling, and home reading program. Math: Our first unit in math is Number Sense. With the help of Pearson Math Makes Sense 6/5 and Mathletics students will meet the following learner outcomes: -Students represent and describe whole numbers to 1,000,000 -Students use technology to solve problems involving operations with large numbers. They use and explain the order of operations with and without technology. -Students will identify multiples and factors, prime and composite numbers. -Students represent, compare, and order integers. -Students use a variety of estimation strategies in problem-solving contexts. -Students use mental math strategies and number properties to determine answers for basic multiplication and division facts. They apply a variety of mental math strategies for multiplication. Religion:Our first theme in religion is “Friendship”. Students will demonstrate an understanding of friendship through a variety of mediums.

St. Andrew School October 2015 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

1 DAY 2 -Healthy Hunger

2 DAY 3 -Lockdown @ 1:30

3

4 5 DAY 4 6 DAY 5 Grade 5 Vaccinations

7 DAY 6

8 DAY 1 -Thanksgiving Liturgy 10:30

-Popcorn Day

9 Professional Day (No Classes)

10

11 12

13 DAY 2 -Swimming Gr. 3/4

14 DAY 3 15 DAY 4 -Healthy Hunger - Swimming Gr. 3/4

16 DAY 5 17

18 19 DAY 6 20 DAY 1 -Swimmng Gr. 3/4

21 DAY 2

22 DAY 3 -Swimming -Popcorn

23 DAY 4 School Council @9:00am

24

25 26 DAY 5

27 DAY 6 -Swimming Gr. 3/4 -WE Day!

28 DAY 1 -Picture Retakes

29 DAY 2 -Healthy Hunger -Pumpkin Carving -Swimming Gr. 3/4

30 DAY 3 31

St. Andrew School November 2015 (Draft) SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

1 2 Faith Day

(No Classes

3 DAY 4

4 DAY 5

5 DAY 6

-Popcorn

6 DAY 1 7

8 9 DAY 2 10 DAY 3 -Remembrance Day Liturgy

11 Remembrance Day (No Classes)

12 DAY 4 -Healthy Hunger

13 DAY 5 14

15 16 DAY 6

17 DAY 1 18 DAY 2 School Council @ 6:30pm

19 DAY 3

Popcorn

20 DAY 4 Family Dance

21

22 23 DAY 5

24 DAY 6 -Parent Council (PM)

25 DAY 1 26 DAY 2 -Parent Conferences (PM) -Healthy Hunger

27 Parent Conferences K-9 (No Classes)

28

29 30 Professional Day K-9 (No Classes)

2223 34TH St. SW

(PH) 403.249.7764 (Fax) 403.249.9952 (website) www.holynameparish.org

Office Hours Monday – Friday 9:30 – 4:00 pm

Mass times: Tuesday – Friday 9:00 am; Saturday 5:00 pm;

Sunday 9:00 am and 11:00 am

Reconciliation – Saturday 4:00 – 4:45pm

Confirmation 2015 – MOVING IN THE SPIRIT Confirmation registration is ongoing. Classes have begun for Confirmation candidates in Grade 9 to Grade 12. Classes begin the last week in September for Confirmation candidates in Grade 6 to Grade 8.

Confirmation Mass is November 27, 2015 at 7:00 pm

Further information is available online at www.holynameparish.org

Holy Name Parish Vehicle Raffle

First prize; Mercedes-Benz GLA250 SUV 4Matic

Retail value $46,733.66

-Premium, Premium Plus, and Sport Package trims

-Calcite White Exterior w/ Crystal Grey Interior

Second prize; $5,000

Third prize; $3,000

Tickets; $5.00 each or 3 for $10.00 75,000 printed

Draw Date; November 20, 2015, 7:00pm, Bishop Carroll High School

Raffle license #408479 Must be 18 years old to purchase tickets

AROUND THE PARISH IN OCTOBER

RCIA - a journey in our Catholic Faith continues on Tuesday evenings at 6:45 pm. This is a call to anyone who would like to learn more about Catholicism and possibly enter into full membership of the Catholic Faith. Contact the Parish office for further information.

Baptism course takes place on the last Monday of every month. If you have a newborn or child who has not received this sacrament, please contact the Parish office to make arrangements for the course and to baptize your child into a life with God.

Sunday School and Liturgy of the Word for Children programs have started and take place during the 11:00 am Mass. Once again this year we are using the acclaimed “SEEDS” and “GOOD NEWS” programs. SEEDS is for children 3 to 5 years old and GOOD NEWS is for children in Grade 1 to Grade 4.

Join fellow parishioners for a cup of coffee following the 9:00 am and the 11:00 am Masses each weekend.

“His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness …” 2 Pet.1: Have a peaceful and blessed Thanksgiving

Fr. Mario & the Holy Name Staff

As the school year opens, you may be looking for resources to help your children prepare for their upcoming units or tests. Our school now has an account with the alberta.exambank.com web site—an online study tool designed specifically to help Alberta students assess themselves as they progress throughout the year and prepare for their tests and exams. Resources are available for academic subject areas in all grades from Kindergarten to Grade 12. On ExamBank, students can practice sample tests in the subject area they wish. They can even choose to concentrate on just an individual unit in a course if they prefer. When a test is completed, it is automatically marked for the student so they can immediately see where their strengths and weaknesses lie. The tests are randomly generated from a large selection of questions, so students can write an exam multiple times to become better prepared. Since ExamBank started in March of 1999, hundreds of thousands of Alberta students have used the service to prepare, reduce test anxiety, and ultimately improve their performance. Students can use this service both at school and at home using the following login information: Username: st.andrew Password: andrew123

For students to write an exam, go to http://alberta.exambank.com/, click on the area you wish to practice along the left hand side, then 'Start Test' to the left of the exam that you would like to practice. They should then log in with your organization's username and exam password, answer the questions, and press the 'Submit' button on the bottom when you are done. The test will then be marked, and any mistakes highlighted.

ST. ANDREW SCHOOL

T-SHIRTS On sale now to students, staff and

parents/family

$10/shirt

-----------------------------------------

(FRONT) (BACK)

We will be selling St. Andrew T-Shirts to all our students, staff and family members beginning on

Wednesday, September 23. Cost is $10/shirt. Please complete the form below and return it to the main

office along with your cash or cheque (made out to St. Andrew School). T-shirt supplies are limited.

St. Andrew T-Shirt Order Form

SIZE QUANTITY COST $10/Shirt

Youth Small

Youth Medium

Youth Large

Adult Medium

Adult Large

Adult XLarge

TOTAL ENCLOSED: $______________

PARENT NAME: _____________________________________

CONTACT NUMBER: _________________________________

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

CALGARY CATHOLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT MONTHLY NEWS

ConnectionsOCTOBER 2015

The 7th Annual Calgary Catholic Run and Walk raises over $37,000!

We are proud to announce that the Calgary Catholic Run & Walk raised $37,554 this year—the larg-est amount ever! The Calgary Catholic Education Foundation, the Calgary Catholic Immigration Society and the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation will each receive a cheque for $12,518. A big thank you to all our participants, sponsors and organizers for making this happen! Also a special thank you to Bishop Henry for providing our opening prayer. Check out our event video!

November 1 is Catholic Education Sunday

On this day, we recognize and celebrate the wonderful work that is taking place throughout the province in our Catholic schools. It is an opportunity to support quality Catholic education in our community and to ensure that the present and future needs of Catholic education are met. Catholic Education Sunday is also an opportunity for us to share our spirit of generosity. The Calgary Catho-lic Education Foundation (CCEF) is a charitable organization dedicated to enhancing educational experiences for students in the Calgary Catholic School District (CCSD). The foundation provides grants that support innovative programs and projects that touch the lives of students in our schools.

On November 1, there will be a special collection at each mass. Look for the envelopes in the pews of your parish. We thank you in advance for your contribution. In Paul’s letter to the Romans, God shows us that it only takes one person, or one action, to make a difference in many lives. Let that person be you. For more information about the Calgary Catholic Education Foundation, visit www.theccef.ca.

No Classes – Thanksgiving Monday and Faith Day

There will be no classes in district schools on Thanksgiving Monday, October 12. As Thanksgiving Day approaches, we turn our thoughts to the abundance we have received from God and, recall-ing our faith theme—“walk humbly with God”, give thanks for our many blessings with grateful hearts. All district schools will also be closed on Monday, November 2 for our annual Faith Day—an inspirational, faith-based professional development day for all staff. Each year, this event provides district staff with unique opportunities for professional growth, reflection and a reaffirmation of our common goal of Catholic education.

Calgary Catholic celebrates three sod turnings

During the month of September, the Calgary Catholic School District (CCSD) cel-ebrated three sod turnings and site blessings for future schools in the communities of Skyview Ranch (pictured), Legacy and Silverado. In Skyview Ranch, a K–9 school is ex-pected to open in the fall of 2017. In Silverado, a K–9 school is also expected to open in the fall of 2017. In Legacy, a Grade 10–12 high school is expected to open in 2017–2018. To learn more, please visit the Future Schools area of our website.

Blessing the site before construction begins on a new school is a CCSD tradition that allows us to acknowledge the importance of providing a faith-based education for

our children at each new school. Calgary Catholic currently has 10 new schools in various stages of development. Extensive planning and public consultation goes into the decision making process of every new school we open. Entrance procedures, attendance boundaries and school naming are determined and developed through the Help Plan Our Future (HPOF) public participation process.

Did you know?

Over the past year, the Calgary Catholic Education Foundation has provided $250,000 in school grants to 46 schools in the Calgary Catholic School District.