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The Good News March 10, 2024
St. John XXIII Catholic School
Fourth Sunday of Lent (Laetare Sunday)
Leadership Message
Today is the halfway mark of the Sundays of Lent. This Sunday is known as Laetare Sunday it is a Sunday of joy.
At St. John XXIII we find joy when we embrace every student as a child of God with unique and amazing skills, gifts and talents. We look for and see what every child brings to our community as they grow and develop into young leaders with ideas and hopes for our world.
Specifically, in grade four, we target building leadership capacity in each student as they belong to our Student Leadership Squad. The students work together with staff on developing those skills that help students to see themselves as faith-filled, capable, responsible and ethical leaders who can make a difference.
March 2024
Monday, Mar. 11
- School Interviews Program opens at 9am
Tuesday, Mar. 12
- Father Abraham visit - Gr. 2
- PSC Meeting 6:30
- Regular School day
- Regular School day
- Kindergarten 3 Way Conferences
Looking Ahead...
Mar. 18 - School Interviews Program closes at 12 noon
Mar. 19 - 3 Way Conferences 3:30-6:30pm
Mar. 20 - 3 Way Conferences 4:00-7:00pm, Hot Lunch, Alms Reward Day
Mar. 21 - The Cereal Box Challenge
Mar. 22 - Start of Spring Break
Apr. 4 - Gr 3 Telus World of Science
Apr. 9 - Gr 4 TPet
Apr. 11 - Family Literacy Night 6:00-7:00pm, Hot Lunch
Apr. 15 - PSC Meeting 6:30pm
Apr. 17 - Gr 2 Gymnastics
Apr. 19 - Gr 3 gardening with Sharon
Visit with Archbishop Smith
We had an exciting day at school last Tuesday when we were visited by Archbishop Smith! The whole school came together for a special celebration filled with prayer, song, and the chance to ask His Grace some questions. It was a wonderful experience that brought us all closer and allowed us to continue to share in our faith.
Congratulations to Our St. John XXIII School Choir
Congratulations to our St. John XXIII Choir! They performed at the Fort Saskatchewan Music Festival on Thursday, March 7th and won the Nutrien School Choral Award.
Thank you to all the students for their hard work and Mrs. Schaub for all of the wonderful work she did to prepare the choir.
SAB High School Peer Mentors
This week our Peer Mentors from St. Andre Bessette will start their mentorship program at our school. They will be connecting with some of our SJ students two to three times a week until June 2024. Their focus will be building relationships, numeracy, literacy, and wellness. We are happy to have such wonderful community connections!
Supporting the Fort Sask Food Bank - Our Lenten Service Project
The Cereal Box Challenge
Don't forget to bring in a box of cereal or any non-perishable food items packaged in boxes, such as macaroni and cheese, to contribute to this worthy cause. Donations can be brought to the school until March 20th. A domino track will be set up to showcase the impact of our donations. The cereal boxes cascading through the track symbolize the ripple effect of our collective kindness and support.
Date: Thursday, March 21st, 2024
Time: 11:00 am
Location: Saint John XXIII Gymnasium
Lenten Almsgiving - Alms Reward Day
The season of Lent is a high point in the Catholic calendar. It is an opportunity for “spiritual self-improvement” as we look towards living Lent with mercy. Lent focuses on an increased emphasis on prayer, fasting and almsgiving.
On Wednesday, March 20, 2024, the students at St. John XXIII will be celebrating ”Alms Reward” day! As a part of our Lenten initiative this year, we will be working in conjunction with Our Lady of the Angels Parish and collecting money to donate to the Fort Saskatchewan Food Bank.
This is an optional activity where students (with the help of their parents), choose which rewards they would like for the day. Students are asked to bring in donations to participate. Students need to sit down with their families and figure out which rewards they would like to buy for the day. Students need to bring in the completed form with payment that can be sent to school in a sealed plastic bag.
Upcoming Conferences March 15, 19 & 20
Parent-Student-Teacher conferences will take place on Tuesday, March 19th from 3:30-6:00 pm and Wednesday, March 20th from 4:00-6:30 pm. The first 1.5 hours of each night will be in person conferences, and the last hour will be virtual via Google Meets.
Kindergarten will have additional time slots on Friday March 15th from 9:00 am -3:00 pm.
An email with all of the details about how to book your interview was sent Friday, March 8th - check your email!
The website will go live on Tuesday, March 11th at 9:00 am.
The website will be closed for bookings on Monday, March 18th at 12:00 pm.
Your child's Evidence of Learning journey will be shared with you next week. We are looking forward to connecting with you and your child to celebrate their learning progress and together, setting learning goals for their future growth.
We have many items that have accumulated in our Lost and Found. Please check for any of your child's lost items when you are at the school for 3 Way Conferences
Growing Brains & Sharing Smiles! It's a GREAT Day to be a St. John Kid!
Parent School Council
If you would like to attend our next PSC meeting via Zoom, at 6:30 March 12th, 2024, please click the link below to register
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAtdeypqjMuH9QZa2mo_mXttfDUWb3F0Vvo
Hot Lunch
Please ensure that you have selected the correct homeroom class for your child when you create your account/place your Hot Lunch orders. If you have made an error, please edit the account as soon as possible.
Important School Information
2024-2025 Nature Programming at St. John XXIII
Limited Spaces Available
Nature Kindergarten
Our school offers a supplemental Nature Kindergarten program which operates Tuesdays/Thursdays and some Fridays. This paid program offers students the opportunity to spend a large part of their day outside engaged in meaningful ways of learning with their body, mind and spirit, while located in a natural setting. Enrolment in this program provides an option to attend kindergarten full time.
Nature Program Grade 1 and Grade 2
This program provides students with an opportunity to spend two half days outside each week. This paid program connects students to nature by fostering rich learning experiences, physical literacy and independence.
Please visit our website to access the Nature Programs Parent Handbook, found in the Quick Links
If your child is currently attending St. John XXIII, and you would like to register in one of our Nature Programs (K,1 or 2) please submit a B.3)Nature Program Application
Planning for Next Year - Next Year Intentions Declaration
All current St. John XXIII students are required to fill out the Next Year Intentions form (and not a new registration form) in PowerSchool so that we can plan accordingly for next year. Please log into your PowerSchool account and fill out the Next Year Intentions form. This form is located on the left hand side, above the Grades and Attendance dropdown. Please refer to the PowerSchool page on our website for more information.
St. John XXIII School Website
Did you know that our school website is full of important information, where you can find answers to many of your frequently asked questions? Please visit our website, where you will find information about the following (and much more):
- how to apply for busing
- details of the programs offered at St. John XXIII
- our bell schedule, school events calendar and PowerSchool support
- School Parent Council, hot lunch dates and how to order hot lunch
- how to report student absences
- how to contact staff
2024-2025 Online Registration is Now Open!
Registration for Kindergarten, Nature Programs and NEW students began ONLINE, February 1st. Please note that Nature programs will be number dependent.
- To go to the EICS Kindergarten webpage - please click here. This includes a Kindergarten calculator, programming and transportation information.
- Pre Kindergarten at St. John XXIII, screening information click here
- St. John XXIII Pathways Program click here
- EICS NEW Student Registration-click here
- To request transportation, click here
2024-2025 Elk Island Catholic Schools Pre-Kindergarten Inquiry Form
*Please note, you only need to register your child if they are entering Kindergarten or are brand new to St. John XXIII
*If your child is currently attending St. John XXIII, and you would like to register in one of our Nature Programs (K,1 or 2) please submit a B.3)Nature Program Application
Community Events
Saint John XXIII Catholic School
Email: stj@eics.ab.ca
Website: https://stj.eics.ab.ca/
Location: 9526 89 Street, Fort Saskatchewan, AB, Canada
Phone: 780-998-7777
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/St.JohnXXIII
Twitter: @St_JohnXXIII