bienvenidos welcome bienvenue - ecsd.net library/sbfile/170904/4870e919-1180-40db-bc84...bienvenidos...
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French Immersion / International Spanish Academy
Telephone 780 482-3676 Fax: 780 488- 5859 www.grandin.ecsd.net
September News
Bienvenidos Welcome Bienvenue
The staff of École Escuela Grandin warmly welcome all of our families to the 2017-2018 school
year. We are very excited to begin a new journey of faith and learning with our students.
We extend an invitation to our new families to become part of the vibrant community created
by Grandin parents over the past several years. Parents are always welcome to join us for
school celebrations, and we hope that many of you will also attend the special school evening
functions offered throughout the year.
Please join us for our Meet the Teacher and Opening BBQ on Wednesday, September 20th.
The format this year will be a little different. Parents will be invited to drop their children in the
gym for a movie and proceed to classrooms to meet teachers for important curriculum infor-
mation. Following the presentation, parents are invited to join us for the Welcome BBQ. Please
order your hamburgers on PowerSchool before September 8th. We are looking forward to
meeting you!
This year, Edmonton Catholic Schools’ theme is Rooted in Jesus… Hearts to love, Hands to
serve. At Grandin School, students will deepen their understanding of Catholic social justice,
learning how we prepare our hearts and use our hands to serve our community. Our theme
book Beautiful Hands will inspire many wonderful moments here at Grandin.
We look forward to working together with parents and students in the Grandin tradition of
Faith, Language and Culture, in the of the city.
Lorelei Hironaka Sarah Fedoration
French Immersion / International Spanish Academy
Telephone 780 482-3676 Fax: 780 488- 5859 www.grandin.ecsd.net
Mark Your Calendars
Events are also updated on the school website: www.grandin.ecsd.net
September 4 Labour Day, No School
September 5 First day of classes
Staggered Entry for Kindergarten , Optional 100 Voices Orientation
September 6 Staggered Entry for Kindergarten , Optional 100 Voices Orientation
September 7 First day of kindergarten classes, dismissal at 11:15 a.m.
Early Dismissal for students in grades 1-6 at 11:36 a.m.
No 100 Voices
September 8 No Kindergarten Classes
First Full Morning for 100 Voices
September 11 Kindergarten Bussing begins
September 13 School Opening Mass at the Basilica, 9:30 a.m.
September 15 Hot Lunch
September 20 Curriculum Information Evening, Welcome Back BBQ
September 21 No School for all students, Staff Professional Learning Day
September 25 School AGM, 5:00 p.m.
September 29 Hot Lunch and Terry Fox Run
Please note the following for the 2017-2018 School Year October 4 Individual student photos
October 6 Thanksgiving Mass at the Basilica, 9:30 a.m.
October 9 Thanksgiving, No School
October 13 Hot Lunch
October 18 No kindergarten classes
October 20 Student Faith Day
October 23 School Council/Parent Society Meeting, 5:00 p.m.
October 27 Hot Lunch
November 10 Remembrance Day long weekend, No School
November 18 Tourtie re making, School Gym
November 24 Report Cards live on Power School
November 30 PD Day, No School for students 100 Voices—Grade 6
December 21 Full Day of classes, Dismissal at 3:15 p.m.
December 22 Half Day of classes, Dismissal at 11:36 a.m.
French Immersion / International Spanish Academy
Telephone 780 482-3676 Fax: 780 488- 5859 www.grandin.ecsd.net
2017-2018 School Year
FIRST DAYS OF SCHOOL - Important Information
The first day of school is Tuesday, September 5th for students in Grades 1—6. We are looking
forward to seeing all the students on the first day of school. Teachers will be at the doors to greet
students. Bright pink signs will be posted on the outside doors to indicate through which doors stu-
dents will enter.
Kindergarten students will participate in staggered entry on Tuesday, September 5th or Wednes-
day, September 6th. Their first full day will be Thursday, September 7th with dismissal at 11:15
a.m. Please note that kindergarten students have no school on Friday, September 8th due to a
professional learning event. Kindergarten bussing begins on Monday, September 11th.
The 100 Voices classes will have parent/child drop-in orientation on Tuesday, September 5th and Wednesday, September 6th. There are no classes on Thursdays. First full morning of class will be Friday September 8th. There is no bussing for 100 Voices students.
New Hours of Operation for 2017-2018
100 Voices Program Mon, Tues, Wed, and Fri (No Thursdays) Morning classes 8:25 a.m. – 11:31 a.m. (Instruction starts at 8:30 a.m.) Kindergarten Classes Morning classes
8:25 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. (Instruction starts at 8:30 a.m.) Grades 1-6
Mon, Tues, Wed, and Friday: 8:25 a.m. – 3:15 p.m.
**Thursday dismissal: 11:36 a.m. **
We are starting school 5 minutes earlier this year! Please arrive promptly to optimize learning time.
Thursday afternoons are used for staff meetings, collaborative planning, and professional development.
French Immersion / International Spanish Academy
Telephone 780 482-3676 Fax: 780 488- 5859 www.grandin.ecsd.net
Meet the Staff
There are both new and familiar faces at Grandin this year. We extend a warm welcome to all
the new faces on our staff and we look forward to having a great year together!
100 Voices Keri Wilson-Hackett Allison Fraleigh Anna Garoufalis
French Immersion Spanish Bilingual
Kindergarten Lisa Bussière Maria Juan Garcia
Grade One Sarah Fedoration Amanda Thomson
Miranda Normey Maria Juan Garcia
Grade Two Julia Dobbelsteyn Aitana Ruiz Reig
Grade Three Ariane Hossack Emmy Obén
Grade Four Raquel Karam (4/5) Marianella De Merchant
Grade Five & Six Brenda Hamilton Nancy Pinto
English Language Arts 4/5A, 5/6A, 5/6B
Julie Bullock
Music Athena MacGregor
Reading Support Lorraine Champagne
Learning Coaches Carmen Claydon Amanda Thomson
OT Assistant Marnie Babiy
Educational Assistants Tatiana Cristancho Emma Falconer Ivette Handal Daniel Harrington Katherine Porta Valenzuela Carmen Herrera
Custodian Staff Ruby Mayta Mesfin Tesfaye Etalem Getachew
Office Staff Lorelei Hironaka Sarah Fedoration Colleen Segin
French Immersion / International Spanish Academy
Telephone 780 482-3676 Fax: 780 488- 5859 www.grandin.ecsd.net
School Registrations
Grandin School continues to accept registrations for the 2017-2018 school year. For more information, please visit our school website at: www.grandin.ecsd.net or call the school at 780-482-3676.
School Fees
Kindergarten (fieldtrips, in-school presentations) $30.00
Grades 1-6 (fieldtrips, in-school presentations) $50.00
P l e a s e v i s i t o u r w e b s i t e f o r a f u l l
e x p l a n a t i o n o f o u r s c h o o l f e e s
Bus Pass Fees
Elementary $32.00 per month
Kindergarten – free bus pass for all kindergarten students attending their designated school
Family Plan (families of 3 or more)
Elementary $28.00 per month
Annual Pass Elementary $320.00 per year
Elementary Annual Family Plan $280.00 per year
The replacement cost for a monthly or annual Yellow Bus Pass is $5.00
Edmonton Transit Bus Pass 2017‐2018
The Edmonton Transit rate is $32.00 per month; the cost of a replacement ETS bus pass will be $71.00 which is the full cost that the District pays to ETS for each pass.
Bus pass fees should be paid online through Power School during the last week of the month so
that bus passes can be issued to students on the first of the new month. All bus passes must be
paid by the 7th of every month. Thank you!
Parents can also opt to pay an annual fee for bus passes. Please contact [email protected] to let her know if you will be purchasing monthly passes, or one annual pass (non-refundable).
French Immersion / International Spanish Academy
Telephone 780 482-3676 Fax: 780 488- 5859 www.grandin.ecsd.net
Request for Administration of Medication/Medical Treatment
Any student who requires medication or specific medical MUST fill out the Re-
quest for Administration of Medication or Medical Treatment. This form is availa-
ble at the school office and requires a doctor’s signature.
Forms are available by request from the school office. Please contact Colleen
Segin if you need a form.
CONSENT TO RECEIVE EMAIL COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE GRANDIN SCHOOL COUNCIL AND THE GRANDIN PARENT SOCIETY (Your Fundraising Society)
If you wish to receive emails from the Grandin parent or-ganization, please fill out and return the form (with the same title as above) to the school as soon as possible. The School Council and Parent Society send important updates
and communications regarding a variety of school activities, fundrais-ing events and volunteer opportunities for our school community. Only one form is required per family. Form in English and Spanish can be found on pages 11 and 12 of the newsletter.
French Immersion / International Spanish Academy
Telephone 780 482-3676 Fax: 780 488- 5859 www.grandin.ecsd.net
September Events
School Opening Mass
We will gather at the Basilica as a community to celebrate the opening of the year on
Wednesday, September 13th at 9:30 a.m. Students will walk so please make sure your child is
dressed appropriately for the walk as we will walk rain or shine. Please watch for the field
trip form in your child’s agenda. As always, parents are most welcome to join us!
Meet the Staff (Curriculum Info Night) & Opening BBQ
Please join us on Wednesday, September 20th for our Meet the Staff and Welcome BBQ event.
This year, we will begin our evening with our curriculum information presentations in each
classroom. Parents will make their way to classrooms and meet the teachers. The barbecue
will follow which will allow for parents and staff to visit.
We are providing child care in the large gym (in the form of a movie) so parents can attend the
classroom presentations. The schedule for the evening is as follows:
5:00 p.m.—5:10 p.m. Whole School Presentation in the gym
5:15—5:35 p.m. First Round of Classroom Presentations (Students stay in gym)
5:40 –6:00 p.m. Second Round of Classroom Presentations
6:00—7:30 p.m. Welcome BBQ on Tarmac
Parents are encouraged to order their hamburgers for the BBQ as soon as possible. Please go
to PowerSchool to pay for your BBQ items. All orders are due Friday, September 8th.
No School—Thursday, September 21
Mark your calendars! There will be no school for the students of Grandin School on Thursday,
September 21st due to a staff professional learning session. Classes will resume on Friday,
September 22nd.
Terry Fox Run—Friday, September 29th
A fieldtrip form will be sent home with students, as we will be running through the river valley
as in years past. We would love parents to join us. We’ll begin the run at 11:30 a.m. from the
tarmac, and then come back in time to enjoy Hot Lunch day for students who order. Please let
your homeroom teacher know if you can volunteer for this Social Justice event.
French Immersion / International Spanish Academy
Telephone 780 482-3676 Fax: 780 488- 5859 www.grandin.ecsd.net
We are pleased to continue to offer noon hour clubs suggested by the students
themselves. We will continue with CHESS CLUB this year—with Richard Pua. Forms to sign
up will be sent home. We also have a CROSS COUNTRY CLUB starting in September. Other
popular clubs last year included POKEMON CLUB, NUMERO CLUB, RUNNING CLUB, and
ART CLUB. These may continue if students are interested in continuing.
We also hope to get the ROBOTICS CLUB going this year and someone has offered to do
ZUMBA!!
Of course, FREE FOOTIE and SOCCER will continue this year as well….lots of clubs and acti-
vities to enhance our community life here at Grandin!
Social justice is recognizing and acting upon the power we have to make positive changes in the
world. Throughout the 2016-2017 school year, each class at Grandin identified areas of need in
our community and brainstormed ways they could help. Examples of actions they took
included :
• Donated their own gently used toys to students in need
• Prepared Christmas hampers for families in Kisikow Oswasis
• Prepared and served over 1000 sandwiches to people at the Mustard Seed
• Food bank collection for students at Saint Teresa of Calcutta
• Made cards to attach to meals provided by Meals of Wheels
During the 2017-2018 school year, students will continue to be actively involved in social justice
projects. We are working closely with the Basilica and Catholic Social Services to ensure that our
students deepen their understanding of Catholic Social Justice.
French Immersion / International Spanish Academy
Telephone 780 482-3676 Fax: 780 488- 5859 www.grandin.ecsd.net
Mabel’s Labels
See below for a great way to label your child’s school supplies. It is also a great
and simple way to fundraise for the school. You are able to order labels year
long and they have a variety of labels for everything from school supplies to
plastic containers.
French Immersion / International Spanish Academy
Telephone 780 482-3676 Fax: 780 488- 5859 www.grandin.ecsd.net
School Advisory Committee/
Grandin Fundraising Society The Society seeks to support the school communi-
ty through advocacy, financial support, volunteer
initiatives, and mentorship in a faith–based envi-
ronment. We encourage all parents to attend,
whether or not you have time to volunteer for
school activities. The Society meetings are a great
venue for keeping informed about your child’s ed-
ucation, and to contribute your feedback and ideas
which help keep Grandin a great place to learn and
grow. This year, we have tried to vary the day and
time of meetings, in the hope that more parents
are able to attend. All parents are warmly welcomed
to the meetings!
We wish to thank the 2016-2017 School Advisory
and Society members for their time and commit-
ment to making Grandin great!
School Society Members
Tari Hiebert—Chairperson
Maria Daskalakis—Vice Chairperson
Drina Schneider—Treasurer
Tina Uribe—Secretary
Coordinators
Hot Lunch Coordinator– Christie Oswald
Games and Bake Sale—Cindy Jara
Tourtière Coordinator—Michael Laderoute & Wendy Bosch
Book Fair—Teresa Marayag
Communications—Andrea Boehm
Outdoor Beautification—Tania Hope, Wendy Bosch
All parents are welcome to attend these meetings.
Dates for the 2017-2018 meetings are:
September 12th
September 25th - Annual General Meeting
October 23
November 15
January 16
February 20
March 14
April 16
May 22
THANK YOU!
The Grandin Fundraising Society has contributed generously
to enhancing educational activities within our school. Some
of the many projects funded in 2016-2017 include:
• Sound systems for classrooms
• Funds for Dia Grandin
• Materials for art club
• Subscription for Reading A-Z for all students
• Funding for field trips for all students
• Wirecast and green screen for Grandin Broadcast
• Hot Dog lunch for Mundialito
• Chromebooks
• Replacement projectors
• Registration and bussing for Cross Country Run
• Outdoor upgrades
Thank you so much for your contributions!
French Immersion / International Spanish Academy
Telephone 780 482-3676 Fax: 780 488- 5859 www.grandin.ecsd.net
CONSENT TO RECEIVE EMAIL COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE GRANDIN SCHOOL COUNCIL AND THE GRANDIN PAR‐ENT SOCIETY (Your Fundraising Society)
Children’s Name and Classes:
______________________________________ ______________________________________
______________________________________ ______________________________________
If you would like to be on the email list for the Grandin parent organizations, please fill out this form. The School Coun-cil and Parent Society would like to communicate with you by email to provide you with the following information: a) date and time of upcoming parent meetings; b) upcoming family-school events (Barbecues, Dances) and fundraisers; c) requests for volunteers for school events; d) information about how the School Council and Parent Society support École/Escuela Grandin; e) information and notices that must be sent to all parents and guardians of children attending Grandin, pursuant to the Society's Bylaws, and other information and news from the Society to keep you up-to-date.
If you consent to receiving emails from the Society, please return this form to your child's teacher. If you have more than one child attending Grandin, you do not need to fill out multiple forms.
One form per family is sufficient. If both parents wish to be on the email list, please include both parents' names and email addresses, below.
Please print very clearly!
Child(ren)’s Name(s) and Class: _________________________________________________________
Parent #1 - Your Name (Signature) :__________________________________________
□ YES, I consent to receiving emails from the School Council and Parent Society
□ NO, I do NOT consent to receiving emails from these parent organizations.
Parent #1's Email Address: _____________________________________________________
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Parent #2 - Your Name (Signature) :___________________________________________
□ YES, I consent to receiving emails from the School Council and Parent Society
□ NO, I do NOT consent to receiving emails from these parent organizations.
Parent #2's Email Address: ____________________________________________________
Please note that the School Council and Parent Society do NOT have access to the Edmonton Catholic School District's list of parent emails. If you wish to receive communication directly from your parent organizations, we need your con-sent! You may withdraw your consent either by making a written request to the School Council or Parent Society c/o École/Escuela Grandin, 9844-110 Street, Edmonton, AB, T5K 1J2, or you may be able to unsubscribe electronically from the email list.
French Immersion / International Spanish Academy
Telephone 780 482-3676 Fax: 780 488- 5859 www.grandin.ecsd.net
FORMULARIO DE AUTORIZACIÓN PARA RECIBIR INFORMACIÓN POR MEDIO DE CORREO ELECTRÓNICO DE PARTE DE LA SOCIEDAD DE PADRES DE FAMILIA DE LA ESCUELA GRANDIN. (Nuestra Sociedad para la Recaudación de Fondos)
Nombre y grupo de sus hijos (as):
______________________________________ ______________________________________
______________________________________ ______________________________________
Estimados Padres de Familia,
Favor de completar este formulario para inscribirse a la lista de correos electrónicos de la Sociedad de Padres de la Escuela Grandin. Al inscribirse, usted recibirá correos electrónicos con información importante: a) fechas y horarios de nuestras reuniones, b) eventos escolares, c) oportunidades de voluntariado, d) reportes de cómo apoyamos a la École/Escuela Grandin con los fondos recaudados y e) noticias y avisos.
Si usted está de acuerdo en recibir correos electrónicos de la Sociedad, por favor devuelva este formulario a la maes-tra de su hijo (a). Sólo se requiere un formulario por familia, aún si tienen más de un hijo (a) registrado en la escuela. Si ambos padres de familia desean estar en la lista de correos, por favor incluyan los dos correos electrónicos.
¡Por favor escriba con la letra más clara posible!
Nombre de sus hijos (as) y grupo: _______________________________________________________
Nombre y firma del Padre o Tutor: _____________________________________________________
□ SÍ, deseo recibir correos electrónicos de la Sociedad.
Correo electrónico: _________________________________________________________
□ NO deseo recibir correos electrónicos de la Sociedad.
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Nombre y firma de la Madre o Tutora: ___________________________________________________
□ SÍ, deseo recibir correos electrónicos de la Sociedad.
Correo electrónico: _________________________________________________________
□ NO deseo recibir correos electrónicos de la Sociedad.
Por favor tome en cuenta que la Sociedad NO tiene acceso a la lista de correos electrónicos de los Padres de Familia del
Distrito de Escuelas Católicas de Edmonton. Si usted quiere recibir comunicaciones de parte de la Sociedad, es necesa-
rio que otorgue su consentimiento. Si en el futuro usted quisiera retirar su consentimiento, puede hacerlo mediante una
solicitud por escrito dirigida a la Sociedad (c/o École/Escuela Grandin, 9844-110 Street, Edmonton, AB, T5K 1J2), o pue-
de desinscribirse electrónicamente de la lista.
French Immersion / International Spanish Academy
Telephone 780 482-3676 Fax: 780 488- 5859 www.grandin.ecsd.net
Hot Lunch Now Online
Each month there will be one or more Hot Lunches available to be ordered online. These lunches are delivered to the school and the children get to enjoy a nice hot meal. Lunch are ordered online.
To sign up and order, go to: ww w.healthyhunger.ca or call 1-800-818-6260 or 780 800-5588. We are listed under “E” for Ecole/Escuela Grandin.
1. Register Student
2. Login and add your children to the account
3. View all upcoming lunch dates
4. Place order and make payment online
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
September 15
September 29
October 13
October 27
November 17
December 1
December 15
January 12
January 26
February 16
March 16
April 6
April 20
May 4
May 18
June 15
French Immersion / International Spanish Academy
Telephone 780 482-3676 Fax: 780 488- 5859 www.grandin.ecsd.net
Cathedral Church of the Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton
10044 – 113 St., Edmonton, Alberta, T5K 1N8
Tel: 780.488.7295 Fax: 780.488.1530
September 1, 2017
Dear Parents:
Welcome back to another school year! I am excited to spend a fourth year with your wonderful
children at Grandin School.
I would just like to invite and encourage all of you that have children eligible for preparation of
Sacraments to consider enrolling them in St. Joseph Basilica’s Catechism School (which is the
means we have at the parish for preparation of the Sacraments). All students grade 2 or older and
baptized Catholic are eligible to prepare for their first confession and first communion. All stu-
dents in grade 6 and baptized Catholic are eligible to prepare for Confirmation. For any children
not baptized, we would also love welcome them for Baptism as well.
Registration for Catechism School will take place after all masses on the weekend of September
17th as well as after the 5:30pm mass on September 19th. You can find more information about
Catechism School on the parish website: stjosephbasilica.com
Should you have any questions feel free to contact me directly.
Sincerely,
Fr. Kristopher Schmidt
Associate Pastor, St. Joseph Basilica
780-488-7296 ex.223
French Immersion / International Spanish Academy
Telephone 780 482-3676 Fax: 780 488- 5859 www.grandin.ecsd.net
We welcome your feedback!
If you read this newsletter, print, sign and return this form to your child’s teacher. Your child
will be entered to win a lunch with the principal, Mme Hironaka. We welcome your feed-
back. Please write us and share what you like, what you would like to see in the future,
what you hope for our school!
Child’s Name:
Class:
Parent Signature: Feedback: Please tell us your thoughts about our school!
French Immersion / International Spanish Academy
Telephone 780 482-3676 Fax: 780 488- 5859 www.grandin.ecsd.net
TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION
Transportation Services: Hours: 7:15 AM – 5:00 PM Mon - Fri 7:15 - 4:00 PM Thursday Phone: 780 441 6078 Email: [email protected] Going into grade 1 September 2017. If your child is currently in half day kindergarten and you are eligible for transportation in grade 1 complete and submit a Transportation Application to our Transportation Office by May 26, 2017. Address or contact changes. Use the Transportation Change Form for changes (cancellation, change in address {if eligible} or contact information). This form is available at your child’s school and/or the District website at www.ecsd.net. Cancelling Transportation Email [email protected] to cancel bussing. To start transportation again a new Transportation Application form is required to be completed and sent in again. How long do transportation set up or changes take? Aug to Sept 29 changes take up to 3 weeks. Oct to May 31 changes take 2 weeks. When do changes/starts begin? Changes always begin on Wednesdays. How will I be notified about transportation? An automated call will go out the Friday prior to the Wednesday start date. Please contact your school to obtain your login and password to your Parent Portal to obtain your child’s bussing information. How will I be notified if I submit an application and I am not eligible for transportation? Your school shall contact you. Curb Service Transportation If your child is currently attending or will be attending a specific program in the district, where Curb Service transportation is provided; a Curb Service Transportation form must be completed and signed by the Consultant, Principal and Parent. Please contact your school.
French Immersion / International Spanish Academy
Telephone 780 482-3676 Fax: 780 488- 5859 www.grandin.ecsd.net
August-September 2017
Welcome to the 2017-2018 School Year! Our theme for this year is Rooted in Jesus…Hearts to Love and Hands to Serve. This beautiful motif illuminates the mission of Catholic education, to lead our students to come to know that they are members of the Body of Christ who are called to serve one another. St. Teresa of Ávila, the great mystic and Doctor of the Church, provides us with a beautiful vision of our Christian calling to serve the world: “Christ has no body but yours, no hands, no feet on Earth but yours.” It is empowering for our students to know that they are Jesus’ hands, feet, and heart in the world today.
On August 31, our staff gathered as a community to renew their commitment to Catholic education and to celebrate the Eucharist together. This special way of beginning each school year declares to all that Christ is the reason for our being, and that he is our model and teacher as we help our children to reach their God-given potential.
As we fulfill 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 have established our District Plan for Continuous Growth (2017-2020) to guide our work. This year, we begin with a District goal that is grounded in our special foundations and identity as a Catholic jurisdiction, followed by five goals that focus on teaching, learning, and student experiences. We have also included the measures and targets that we will use to assess our work to add clarity and focus. I invite you to visit our website to learn more about our goals and the key strategies that we will be implementing to achieve them at https://www.ecsd.net/AboutUs/annual_reports/Pages/District-Plan-for-Continuous-Growth.aspx .
District Goal Live and enhance the distinctiveness of Catholic education Goal One ECSD students are successful Goal Two The achievement gap between First Nations, Métis, and Inuit students and all other students is eliminated Goal Three ECSD is an inclusive school district Goal Four ECSD has excellent teachers, school and school district leaders Goal Five ECSD is well governed and managed
Edmonton Catholic Schools will see unprecedented expansion this year. We are delighted to be opening 5 new schools this fall and to be re-opening St. Margaret School to meet the increasing demand for Catholic education in the City of Edmonton. We wel-come Bishop David Motiuk, Christ the King, Corpus Christi, Father Michael Mireau, and St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Elementary/Junior High Schools to our District. It is a testament to the amazing Catholic educational experiences that we are providing to fa-milies to see flourishing enrolments in our new schools as they open their doors to serve their communities!
Pope Francis offered uplifting words of encouragement to those gathered at his first World Youth Day, and they resonate deeply with our theme. “If you follow these three ideas (go, do not be afraid, and serve), you will experience that the one who evange-lizes is evangelized, the one who transmits the joy of faith receives joy” (July 28, 2013). This is what we aspire to for our students, that they go fearlessly into the world to serve God and each other, building a better future for all.
I wish everyone an incredible year of learning and growth, deeply rooted in the love of Christ!
Sincerely, Joan Carr Superintendent
French Immersion / International Spanish Academy
Telephone 780 482-3676 Fax: 780 488- 5859 www.grandin.ecsd.net
Happy New School Year
Welcome to the 2017-2018 School Year. In the Eastern Catholic Churches (Byzantine Rite) the liturgical year has a for-mally designated beginning on September 1st, rather than the first Sunday of Advent (Roman Rite). What a blessing it is that we are starting a New School Year at the same time as the Eastern Christians are starting a New Church Year.
We read in St. Paul's letter to the Colossians, “Make the best possible use of your time” (Colossians 4:5). The key word in this statement by St. Paul is the word "time." New Testament writers use two Greek words for time: chronos and kairos.
Chronos time is chronological time, calendar time, time that moves along moment by moment, day by day, year by year. But kairos time is another kind of time, a special kind of time; time which is crucial; time which determines histo-ry. Jesus lived a life of kairos time. He never ignored a single moment or opportunity for doing good, for serving, for healing. He used time to the fullest: teaching, comforting, loving, preaching. Even when He was alone, He spent His time in prayer, communicating with God as to how best use the time that was left in His life.
The Lord gave us chronos time, calendar time, that we may turn it into kairos time, salvation time, time filled with op-portunities for us to respond to God's gracious invitation to the Kingdom; time for bearing in our lives the fruit of faith, hope and love.
The principal meaning of the word kairos in the New Testament is: the right time, the ripe time, the proper time, the opportune time for salvation. It is in this sense that St. Paul uses the word kairos in the second letter to the Corin-thians: "Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation" (II Corinthians 6:2).
Because the Church does not want us to lose the kingdom, it takes chronos, calendar time, and turns it into kairos, sal-vation time. It does this through the liturgical year which we also call the church year or the church calendar. Every day in the liturgical calendar is dedicated to the memory of some event or saint in the history of salvation. The Church has taken the Bible and placed it, planted it into the chronos or calendar time in order to turn the calendar into the kairos of our salvation.
So let us live out our salvation by taking the words of the theme for this school year Rooted in Jesus ... Hearts to Love, Hands to Serve and make them into actions filled with opportunities to respond to God's gracious invitation to serve and to love Him, our students, and one another.
Have a Blessed 2017-2018 School Year!
Fr. Julian Bilyj
District Chaplain