SEPTEMBER 2016

A Prayer for the New School Year

Blessed are You, Lord, God of all creation.

All beginnings are a sign of Your love for us.

Be with us as we begin a new year.

Bless each step we take.

Help us to feel Your presence in the exciting experiences

that await us.

Teach us something new each day.

We want to learn new things,

make new friends,

and say new prayers.

Give us courage to ask questions.

Help us to be a friend to the new people around us,

in our classes, on the playground, at lunchtime, and at home.

Let Your Holy Spirit guide our words and deeds.

Each time we experience a new friend or a new truth,

let it remind us of You.

Administrators’ Message p. 2 Meet the Staff p. 2 Enrollment p. 3 Hours of Operation p. 3 Chaplain’s Corner p. 4 Meet the Staff p. 4 Traffic Safety Event p. 4 School Picture Day p. 4 Staff PD Day p. 5 Access to School Building p. 5 School Fees p. 6 Property Taxes p. 6 Verification of Information p. 6 Medical Alerts p. 7 Food Allergies p. 7 Student Agenda Book p. 7 Lunch at School p. 7 Reporting Cards p. 7 School Patrols p. 8 Parent Concerns p. 8 Communication p. 8 Safety Drills p. 9 Terry Fox Walk/Run p. 9 Cross Country Run p. 9 School Council Meeting p. 10 St. Charles Parish News p. 10 Message from Archbishop p. 10 Message from Superintendent p. 11 September School Calendar p. 12

ADMINISTRATORS’ MESSAGE

It is with much enthusiasm that we welcome you to the 2016-2017 school year! We look forward to

another wonderful year with many opportunities for learning and growing.

We would like to formally welcome all of our new families to St. Lucy School. Additionally, we would like

to welcome all of our new staff members to our school. These include: Mrs. Gale (Grade 2B), Mrs.

Stabel (Gr. 3B), and Mrs.Radomski (Gr. 6B). Please extend a warm hello to them when you see them in

the hallways.

It is important to remember that a teacher is only one part of the learning process; parents are

extremely important in determining how well a child will perform and how much a child will learn during

the school year. We very much look forward to working with you to provide a rich faith filled education.

May God bless each of you as we journey together this year!

Ms. Silvia Franzese (Principal) Mrs. Heidi Maas (Assistant Principal)

MEET OUR STAFF

Teachers: Kindergarten A Mrs. Pino Kindergarten B Mrs. Martin Grade 1A Mrs. Ramos Grade 1B Mrs. Robalo Grade 2A Mrs. Colistro Grade 2B Mrs. Gale Grade 3A Mrs. Cimino Grade 3B Mrs. Stabel Grade 4A Mrs. Robinson Grade 4B Miss Luchak Grade 5A Mrs. Valerio Grade 5B Miss Paniccia Grade 6A Miss Bossart Grade 6B Mrs. Radomski

Learning Coach Mrs. Pryma School Chaplain Mrs. Heidi Maas Music Mrs. Valerio and Ms. Ochoa

Administrative Assistant: Mrs. Weleschuk

Librarian/Office Clerk: Ms. Huber

Educational Assistants: Mrs. Asi, Mrs. Candiani, Mrs. Ghede, Mr. MacPherson, Mrs. Pilon, Mrs.

Prodor

Head Custodian: Mr. Hunde

Light Duty Custodian: Ms. Turi

Administration: Assistant Principal – Mrs. H. Maas

Principal – Ms. S. Franzese

ENROLLMENT

Enrollment fluctuates somewhat at all grade levels during the month of September. Our funding is

based on the enrollment count on September 30th. As of Thursday, September 1st, our school

enrollment was as follows:

Kindergarten 42

Grade 1 50

Grade 2 44

Grade 3 56

Grade 4 46

Grade 5 40

Grade 6 58

Total: 336

HOURS OF OPERATION FOR 2016-2017

Grades 1 – 6: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 8:25 a.m. Entry Bell 8:30 a.m. Start Bell 8:30 – 12:00 Instructional Time 10:00 – 10:15 a.m. Outdoor Recess Break 12:00 – 12:20 p.m. Indoor Lunch Break 12:20 – 12:40 p.m. Outdoor Lunch Break 12:40 p.m. PM Registration/Attendance 12:45 – 3:00 p.m. Instructional Time 1:55 – 2:00 p.m. Wellness Break 3:00 p.m. Dismissal Time

Thursday

8:25 a.m. First Bell

8:30 a.m. Second Bell

10:00 – 10:15 a.m. Outdoor Recess Break

12:01 p.m. Dismissal Times

Kindergarten: Kindergarten AM: Monday to Friday 8:25 – 11:07 a.m.

Kindergarten PM: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 11:47 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

(no classes Thursday afternoons)

CHAPLAIN’S CORNER

“Blessed are the merciful…for they shall receive mercy.” Matthew 5:7

This year our district theme is, “We are Called…To be Leaders of Hope and Mercy.” We will explore and develop our understanding of this theme over the coming months, beginning with our School Opening Celebration which will take place on Wednesday, September 14 at 9:00 am. We would like to extend an invitation to all parents to join us during this special

time of prayer and reflection as we begin a new school year together. Grade four students will be receiving a Bible during the celebration and we invite all grade four parents back to the classrooms for a special classroom celebration and time of fellowship immediately following the school liturgy. As your school chaplain, please do not hesitate to contact me at any time with any questions or concerns that you may have related to our Religious Education program here at St. Lucy School.

MEET THE STAFF NIGHT – THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8TH @ 6:30 P.M.

Our “Meet the Staff Evening” is intended for parents and teachers to come together at the beginning of

the new school year and focus on the educational programming that the children will be receiving.

Program delivery, school philosophy, school policy, goals and initiatives as well as

classroom routines and expectations will be outlined by the administrative team and

teachers. Outlined below is the format for the evening:

Administrative Team Presentation 6:30 – 7:00 p.m. (Gym)

School Council Presentation 7:00 – 7:10 p.m. (Gym)

Classroom Visits/Presentations (7:15 – 7:35 and 7:40 – 8:00 p.m.

(Classrooms)

TRAFFIC SAFETY EVENT

We are happy to inform you that the Ministry of Transportation has selected St. Lucy School as

the Edmonton area school that will host their annual Traffic Safety Event on Tuesday,

September 13th (9:00 – 11:00 a.m.). The event is designed to bring attention to the need for

safety in and around the school area in terms of traffic. Various community members will

explore the following topics with our Grade 3 students:

Pedestrian Safety

Bike Safety

School Bus Safety

“The Way to Be” – Respect, Doing the Right Thing

We very much look forward to hosting this exciting event!

SCHOOL PICTURE DAY

School photos (individual and group) will take place on Friday, September 16th. Every

student will have (3) individual portraits taken, and an online order form will be sent home

the same day. Students should wear brightly coloured clothing (not green please) and bring

large smiles. Proofs of your child’s pictures and optional picture packages will be made available to you

and orders will be returned in October.

STAFF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAY – FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23RD (NO SCHOOL)

There will be no school for students on Friday, September 23rd. The St. Lucy Staff will be

spending the day engaged in professional development and working on the School Growth

Plan.

ACCESS TO SCHOOL BUILDING

Office Hours

Access through the front door for parents doing the business in the office is from 8:00 –

3:30 each day, with the exception of Thursdays when staff is in staff professional

development meetings.

Student Access/Security

Safety and security of the children in our school is a priority. To that end, all school doors are locked at

all times. Students are asked to enter and exit through their designated door.

Parent Drop Off and Pick Up of Children

All parents dropping off students are to drop their child(ren) at their designated door(s). Parents picking

up a child at the regular dismissal time are asked to meet them outside their designated door. In the

event that you have multiple children, please organize a location outside of the school where you will

meet your children. If you are picking up a child early due to an appointment, please check in at the

main office and sign your child out.

Volunteer/Visitor Access

Our front door is reserved primarily to welcome and receive visitors, guest presenters and volunteers,

which are asked to proceed directly to the office. All volunteers should be pre-arranged with the

classroom teacher or office staff and are required to sign in at the school office and wear a visitor

identification tag.

If you wish to see a teacher, please call and book an appointment, as staff will not be called out of class

to meet with parents. These procedures are for the safety of everyone and minimize disruption to

instructional time. We thank you for your cooperation with this.

In the event of an emergency situation within the community, or school, please check the school

website to remain informed and attend to the automated phone/email communications that are sent

from the school/district. In such instances, it is imperative that phone lines remain open at the school;

therefore, parents are asked to refrain from directly contacting the school as this will enable school staff

to contact emergency providers and District personnel. Thank you for your support in ensuring our

students and staff remain safe.

SCHOOL FEES

In keeping with District Policy #130, there will be no school fees charged this year for basic resources

and materials. Basic resources are those resources and materials which are necessary to fulfill the

mandatory requirements of the compulsory components of the Alberta Program of Studies, as well as

the infrastructure to support the student’s daily functioning within the school.

St. Lucy School may, however, collect funds on a strictly cost recovery basis for educational activities in

the following categories: extra-curricular teams/clubs, fieldtrips, farewell ceremonies, and school

activity costs.

This year, we will be collecting the following: Student Agenda Book (for Grade 1-6 students) $10.00 Bus Pass (for students riding the Yellow Bus) $32.00 (free for Kindergarten) We will be collecting the student agenda book fee via teachers during the month of September.

For bus passes, we recognize that payment in September can be difficult, especially for those parents

who have a number of children returning to school. Therefore, a number of payment options are

available. Please choose the payment plan which best suits you:

Payment in Full

Quarterly payments (please submit four postdated cheques)

Monthly payments (please submit ten postdated cheques)

Please contact Mrs. Weleschuk in the school office to make arrangements to pay fees. Fees may be paid

by cash, cheque, or credit card. Starting in October, parents will have the opportunity to pay for bus

passes and fieldtrips on line. More information on this will be included in the October school

newsletter.

PROPERTY TAXES

All property owners are encouraged to examine their TAX NOTICE to ensure that their support is

assigned to Edmonton Catholic Schools. If you own a business or are in a business partnership, please

check to see that your taxes are being allocated to our district (partial allocations can also be

designated). If there is an error, please contact City Hall at 780 496 5090.

VERIFICATION OF STUDENT REGISTRATION FORMS

Copies of the registration information we have on file will be sent home next week. Parents are asked

to check this information over carefully, make any necessary changes and return the forms to the

school. We also ask that parents of students who are of First Nations, Metis, or Inuit descent identify

this on the registration forms. In some cases, this enables us to access additional supports.

It is extremely important that we have accurate information regarding our students in the event of an

emergency. As per the information above, parents of students who are new to our school, as well as

parents of students in grade four, are asked to also complete FOIP forms.

MEDICAL ALERTS

Upon occasion, parents request that staff members administer medication to students who are not sufficiently mature or reliable enough to care for their own needs. In order to administer medication to a student, we require a “Request for Administration of Medication/Treatment Form” to be complete and on file in the office. A copy of this form may be obtained from the school office. It is the parents’ responsibility to keep us informed of medical conditions and correct information regarding treatment and emergency contact information.

FOOD ALLERGIES

This year, we have several students with severe allergies to peanuts/nuts and to all seafood/shellfish. Therefore, we request that parents and students refrain from bringing peanut/nut and fish products to school. Teachers whose students suffer from these allergies will be notifying all students and parents within their classrooms regarding precautions and procedures in their individual classrooms. If you child has a life threatening allergy to a specific food product, please notify the office.

STUDENT AGENDA BOOKS

Each student in our school must have an agenda book. It is very important that parents read the

opening pages of the book to familiarize themselves with school policies and procedures. Parents are

asked to sign the agenda book to indicate that they have read and understood our school expectations

on page 15. Students are expected to use the book to help plan their class work and homework, and to

facilitate communication between parents and teachers.

For all students, the agenda book will also be used to stamp late admittance. If the book is lost, the

student will be required to purchase another as it is crucial in day to day activities. Replacement

student agendas may be purchased at the office for $10.00.

LUNCH AT SCHOOL

All children eat lunch in their classrooms. Eating lunch at school is a privilege and

a convenience for our families. However, it involves the organization and

scheduling of grade five and six monitors to assist the students, and requires

extra supervision for staff. Therefore, appropriate behaviours on the part of

all students is greatly valued and appreciated. We would like to take this

opportunity to thank the “lunch monitors” and staff who will organize the monitors and who will

provide wonderful service to our community. We ask that students please bring required eating utensils

(forks/spoons) from home so that we can reduce the amount of plastic waste at our school.

REPORT CARDS AND DEMONSTRATION OF LEARNING DATES

First Report Card Posted Online: Friday, November 25th, 2016 Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews: Thursday, December 1st, 2016 Second Report Card Posted Online: Friday, March 17th, 2017 Demonstration of Learning: Thursday, March 23rd, 2017 Final Report Card Posted Online: Thursday, June 29th, 2017

If you wish to discuss your child’s progress, please feel free to call the school at anytime to set up an appointment with your child’s teacher.

SCHOOL PATROLS The Alberta Motor Association organizes the School Safety Patrol Program for schools throughout Alberta, including St. Lucy School. Grade 6 students at the school are offered the opportunity to become members of the School Safety Patrol Team to assist other school children to cross the roads safely. The commitment involves patrolling before and/or after school throughout the school year in all weather conditions. The experience builds leadership and service qualities in students. The safety of our students is paramount. As such, we would like to take this opportunity to recognize

the daily contributions made on the part of our school patrols and their coordinators.

PROTOCOL FOR PARENT CONCERNS – POLICY OF FIRST CONTACT

Our staff believes that open and collaborative communication is most important in order to maintain a

positive learning environment for our students. Please feel free to contact us to discuss any questions

you might have. Edmonton Catholic Schools recognizes the freedom of all members in the school

community (students, staff, parents, and neighbors) to voice their concerns in an

appropriate manner to the appropriate school personnel. The principle of

“first contact” needs to be followed. This means that the person(s) who

have the concern, have the responsibility to begin addressing the concern

directly with those persons with whom they have the concern before taking

their concern elsewhere. If resolution is not found, lease then involve school

administration and School Operation Services (SOS) as needed. Thank you for your collaboration in this

matter. It is working together that we create an excellent learning environment for our children.

COMMUNICATIONS

Ongoing communication between the school and home is one of the most important contributions we

can make for the educational development of our students. By working together, we will help our

students achieve their academic best.

Website

On line communication is the quickest and most accurate source of information for parents. Our

school’s website is www.stlucy.ecsd.net. Our website will be updated regularly and includes general

information, important dates, school newsletters, special events, and educational links for student,

parent, and staff learning.

Friday Envelope

At the beginning of the school year, each child will receive, free of charge, an envelope referred to as

“Friday Envelope”. This system helps reduce frustration with trickles of paper coming each day

throughout the week. Furthermore, we believe this will help to promote organizational skills, as well as

help to model for our students good habits of responsibility, while creating organization, consistency

and continuity throughout the whole school. Parents are asked to read the contents of the envelope

each weekend, at their leisure and return any forms requiring completing. All “Friday Envelopes” must

come back each Monday. In the event, that a child loses, or damages his/her envelope, a replacement

envelope must be purchased at a cost.

Newsletters

Newsletter will be emailed out to you as part of your child’s electronic distribution lists or can be

accessed at any time, at your leisure, electronically through the school’s website. This year, we would

like to be completely paperless to reduce our environmental footprint and costs of printing. As such, we

are reminding all parents to submit their email addresses and/or to access the website. The school

website is www.stlucy.ecsd.net.

SAFETY DRILL PRACTICES

In general, we will be practicing our fire drills in the Fall and Spring. We will practice

lockdown and shelter in place procedures in the winter months. There valuable exercises

are required so that the staff and students are aware of what the procedures are should

one of these events occur. For some of these practices, the students will be aware that they will occur.

Other practices will be surprise events. In all cases, the office will make an announcement following the

practice.

TERRY FOX RUN – MARATHON OF HOPE

To commemorate the 36th Anniversary of the first Terry Fox Run, St. Lucy School staff and

students will participate in the National School Run Day on September 29th. Children from coast

to coast will participate in a physical activity that will help to remind them of a person who never

gave up and worked his entire short lifetime to raise money for cancer research. He had a single

purpose and a single message that asked us to examine our hearts and give so that this dreadful

disease can be eradicated. We are asking that each family donate a toonie ($2) for each St. Lucy

student in the family. This can be sent to the classroom with your child on or before September

28th. Parents and/or relatives are most welcome to join us in the walk on September 29th (11:00

a.m.). Thank you for your continued support. For more information about Terry Fox and his

amazing legacy and to donate, click on the link http://www.terryfox.org/.

CROSS COUNTRY RUN

The Edmonton Catholic Cross Country run will be happening on Monday, September 19 at Hawrelak Park. The students who sign up will leave the school at approximately 1:30 p.m. and will return at 5:00 p.m. Forms and further information will be going home next week to students who are interested.

SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL

At. St. Lucy School, we value the School Council, the Parent Advisory Association, and the roles these

groups play in contributing to our school programs. The council works closely with the school, staff, and

administration to advise and liaise with us, and to inform both the school and parent community. This

includes discussions on things such as new policies, fundraising, and new programs.

Our first SAC meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 14th. Please consider joining

us – meetings take place in the staff room.

ST. CHARLES PARISH NEWS

First Reconciliation and First Eucharist Classes at St. Charles Parish Is your child 7 years old or in grade 2 and up? If so, you can register your child for their First Reconciliation on the following dates at the Church:

Fall 2016 Registration: Thursday September 29, 2016 from 9AM to 7PM Saturday October 1, 2016 from 9AM to 12NOON

Spring 2017 Registration: Thursday March 16, 2017 from 9AM to 7PM Saturday March 18, 2017 from 9AM to 12NOON

For more information on requirements and classes, please contact Amber Tweedy at the St. Charles Parish Office at 780-456-5399 ext. 105 or by email at Amber.Tweedy@caedm.ca You can also check the church website for information about these Sacraments and Baptism, Confirmation, RCIC, and more at: http://saint-charles.com/sacramental-preparation/first-reconciliation-first-eucharist/

MESSAGE FROM ARCHBISHOP SMITH

Dear Friends,

Welcome to a new faith filled school year.

The theme for our new school year, “We are called…to be leaders of Hope and Mercy” continues to focus

our attention on the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy which has as its central message God’s

forgiveness. Each of our schools designated a Jubilee Door of Mercy, modelled on the official Doors of

Mercy opened by our Holy Father, Pope Francis, last December. As you walk through the Holy Door at

your school may you be reminded that our God is a God of Hope and Mercy. May we continue to be

instruments of His hope and mercy in our schools and communities.

May God continue to bless each of you this school year.

Sincerely Yours in Christ,

Richard W. Smith

Archbishop of Edmonton

August - September 2016

Welcome to the 2016-2017 School Year! Our theme for this year is We are Called…To Be Leaders of Hope and Mercy. The scripture

which we have chosen to guide us this year provides us with a truly beautiful image for Catholic education. It speaks to us of

nurturing our students so that they become leaders of hope and mercy who show compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and

patience. At the most fundamental level, they are learning how to clothe themselves in Christ to create a world of great hope.

Christ is the focal point of all that we are and all that we do in Catholic education. On August 30, our staff gathered together as a

community of Christ to renew their commitment to Catholic education and to celebrate the Eucharist together. This uplifting

celebration is such a wonderful way for each of us to celebrate our vocation and our role in fulfilling our District’s mission to provide

a Catholic education that inspires students to learn and that prepares them to live fully and to serve God in one another.

Our ongoing commitment to providing the best possible educational opportunities to our students and their families is reflected in

the six goals that we have established in our District Plan for Continuous Growth (2016-2019). I invite you to visit our website at

https://www.ecsd.net/AboutUs/annual_reports/Pages/District-Plan-for-Continuous-Growth.aspx to look more deeply at the

richness of each of these goals and the promise that this plan holds for your children.

Goal One Live the Distinctiveness of Catholic Education

Goal Two Every Student is Successful

Goal Three The Edmonton Catholic School District is Inclusive

Goal Four Quality Teaching and School Leadership

Goal Five Engaged and Effective Governance

Goal Six First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Students are Successful

This is such an exciting year for Edmonton Catholic Schools. As we continue together on our mission to provide a Catholic education

that inspires students to learn and that prepares them to live fully and to serve God in one another, we are welcoming two new

schools and a new educational partnership into our Edmonton Catholic Schools family. St. John XXIII and St. Brendan Catholic

Elementary/Junior High Schools are opening this fall, and we welcome Kitaskinaw Educational Authority from the Enoch Cree Nation

into partnership with us. We are truly blessed to be able to serve these communities!

Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, is a shining example of what it means to be a leader of hope and mercy. I would like to share one of

his many inspiring, hope-filled tweets with you as you begin the exciting journey of a new school year. “God is inviting you to dream:

He wants to show you that you can make the world a different place.” (July 30, 2016) This is the essence of Catholic education,

empowering our children to make the world a better place!

I wish everyone an amazing year of growth and discovery as members of our Edmonton Catholic Schools family!

Sincerely,

Joan Carr

Superintendent

S u n d a y M o n d a y T u es d a y W e d n e s d a y T hur s d a y F r id a y S a t ur d a y

1 1st Day of instruc-

tions (half day)

Staggered Entry (K)

2 Early Learning

Conference (no school for kinder-garten students)

3

4 5

Labour Day (no school)

6 Staggered Entry For Kindergarten

Students

7 Kindergarten

Bussing Begins

9:00 a.m. School Assembly

8

6:30 p.m. Meet the Staff

9 10

11 12 13

Traffic Safety Event (Gr. 3 stu-

dents in a.m.)

14 School Year Opening

Celebration (9:00 a.m.)

6:30 p.m. School Council Mtg.

15 16 School Picture Day

(individual and group pictures)

17

18 19 Cross Country Run

20 21 22 23 St. Lucy Profession-

al Development Day (no school for

students)

24

25 26 27 28 29 Terry Fox Walk/Run

11:00 a.m.

30

11750—162 Avenue

Edmonton, Alberta

T5X 4L9

PHONE: 780 456 0053 FAX: 780 457 4361

EMAIL PRINCIPAL

Silvia.Franzese@ecsd.net

www.stlucy.ecsd.net

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St. Lucy Catholic Elementary School

“Growing With God”

CALENDAR OF

EVENTS