October 2017 Cardinal Leger Junior High School

Inside this issue

Administrators Message ............. 1

Staff Directory ............................. 2

Student Drop Off & Pick Up……….3

Important Dates .......................... 4

Sharing the Good News .............. 5

Leadership 9 ............................... 6

Charger Sports ............................ 7

Important Links and Information 8

Superintendent’s Message ......... 9

Message From Bishop Motiuk..... 10

STAY Message ............................. 11

Parent Evening Series ................. 12

Celebrating Catholic Education ... 13

Administrators Message We had a great September as we welcomed

406 students for another year at Cardinal

Leger. Some of the activities included stu-

dents in our grade 7 music program partici-

pating in Jump Start at St. Joes, our Outdoor

Ed 8 and 9 students taking to the water in

different canoeing activities, and all of our

students participating in the Terry Fox Run on

September 28th. Our boys and girls soccer

teams had a soggy start to their season but as

October begins, they are preparing for

playoffs. The cross country running team also

has had to deal with the weather and will be

participating in the City Championships on

October 5.

This year at Cardinal Leger, we are pleased to

be able to offer a variety of academic sup-

ports to our students. Mrs. Bolling, our

Learning Coach, continues to support all of

our students with their programming and can

be reached at the school to discuss specific

student needs. Mrs. Esposito-Neri is our ELL

lead teacher as well as having support blocks

in Language Arts, and Mrs. Steeves has dedi-

cated time for math support.

We are also very aware of the need for stu-

dent mental health supports. Mr. Taylor

Jacobs, our Family School Liaison Worker

(FSLW) is here Wednesdays and Fridays and is

available to meet with students who might be

struggling with stress and anxiety or friend-

ships and relationships. Mr. Green and Mr.

Cole are our School Team Advisors for Youth

(STAY) and are here on Monday and Thursday

mornings, respectively. As well, Mr. Joel

Pukalo, a registered psychologist, is available

to support students and families. Should you

feel you need support from any of these indi-

viduals, please contact the school and ask to

speak to one of the administrators.

As we move into October, we encourage

parents to visit PowerSchool on a regular

basis as it is a great way to stay informed

about your child’s progress. Teachers have

been asked to keep their PowerSchool

Gradebooks up to date. Should you have any

questions of your child’s teachers, you can

access their mail directly through Pow-

erSchool.

All fees are also now posted to PowerSchool

and we ask you to please make payment

either through PowerSchool or in person at

the office by VISA, Mastercard, or Debit.

Mr. P. Meurs, Principal Mrs. K. Germaine, Assistant Principal

Cardinal Léger Catholic Jr. High School Ph. (780) 475-6262

Staff Directory

Grade 7 Homeroom Teachers

Mrs. M. Bruno Mr. C. Goueffic

Mr. M. Harvanka Mrs. J. Moore Ms. K. Reilly

Grade 8 Homeroom Teachers

Mr. G. Hansen Mrs. L. Lakusta

Mr. E. Motut (Mr. Motut 2) Mr. F. Romano Mr. J. Villella

Grade 9 Homeroom Teachers

Mrs. P. Esposito-Neri

Mr. M. Lepore Mr. E. Motut (Mr. Motut 1)

Mrs. K. Rogozinski Mrs. C. Stagliano

Additional Teachers

Mrs. C. Bolling - Learning Coach

Mr. S. Mackey Mrs. A. Steeves

Support Staff

Mrs. Maria Fabiano - Admin. Assistant Mrs. A. Bootsma - Clerk/Librarian

Mrs. J. Slugoski—Educational Assistant Ms. A. Bradshaw - Therapeutic Assistant

Additional Student Supports

Mr. T. Jacobs—FSLW

Mr. R. Cole—STAY Advisor Mr. D. Green—STAY Advisor Mr. J. Pukalo—Psycholgist

Custodial Staff

Mr. M. Wondimagenehu

Mr. R. Velasquez

Administration Mr. Peter Meurs - Principal

Mrs. Karen Germaine - Assistant Principal

JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL ZONES

Just a reminder that school zones have now

been extended to include all junior high

schools. Please be aware and drive with cau-

tion when dropping off or picking up stu-

dents.

Student Pick Up and Drop Off

If you are dropping off or picking up your

child, we ask that you park along 88A Ave-

nue and avoid parking on 144 Avenue as

this is a bus zone where the school spe-

cials drop off and pick up the students.

Please also avoid dropping off or picking

up your child in the staff parking lot at the

front of the school. This parking lot is for

staff use only as there is limited space.

STUDENT DROP OFF AND PICK UP

Important Dates

October 5—Thanksgiving Celebration

Our Thanksgiving Celebration will begin

at approximately 8:45 AM, please feel

free to join us!

October 6—Staff PD Day—NO CLASSES

Staff will be participating in professional

development and there are NO CLASSES

scheduled for students.

October 9—Thanksgiving

There is NO SCHOOL on this day as we

have the opportunity to give thanks for

the many blessings we have.

October 10—Parent Council Meeting

Please join us in the staff room at 6:30

pm for our first Parent Council Meeting.

Meetings are held throughout the year

and new parents are always encouraged

to join us.

October 13—Outdoor Ed 8-1—Mountain

Biking / Predator-Prey

The grade 8 Outdoor Ed students will be

spending the day in the river valley

mountain biking and playing Predator-

Prey.

October 16—Dr. Gelmini—Grade 9

W are pleased to welcome Dr. Gelmini to

our school. He will be demonstrating

everyday chemistry for our Grade 9 stu-

dents.

October 17—Outdoor Ed 8-2—Mountain

Biking / Predator-Prey

The grade 8 Outdoor Ed students will be

spending the day in the river valley

mountain biking and playing Predator-

Prey.

October 20—Grade 9 Outdoor Ed—Fire

Building / Geocaching

Staff from River Valley programs will be

working with our students on fire build-

ing and geocaching skills.

October 23—Grade 9 High School

Presentation

Staff from Archbishop O’Leary will be at

the school to speak to our grade 9s

about high school preparation and re-

quirements.

October 25—Picture Retakes

Smart Photography will be at the school

in the morning for picture retakes.

October 25—Pre-AP Conference at Sir

John Thompson

Mrs. Rogozinski will be taking 10 Grade 7

Pre-AP students to this student confer-

ence at Sir John Thompson Junior High

where students from all the junior high

Pre-AP schools in the district will be par-

ticipating.

Oct. 31—Halloween Dance

Student dance will be held in the gym.

Students are encouraged to wear cos-

tumes.

November 3—Outdoor Ed 9—Rock

Climbing

Grade 9 Outdoor Ed students will be

headed to Vertically Inclined for a day of

rock climbing.

November 9—Remembrance Day Cele-

bration

Our Remembrance Day Celebration will

begin at approximately 8:45 AM, please

feel free to join us!

November 10—NO School

There is no school as this is a day in lieu

for Remembrance Day.

November 21—Grade 9 Immunizations

Grade 9s will be receiving their first of

their immunizations on this day.

Nov. 23—Demo of Learning—

Interview Format

This is an opportunity for parents

and students to meet with teachers

to discuss student progress. Inter-

view times must be pre-booked.

Information on interview bookings

will come home in November.

November 24—Outdoor Ed 8—Rock

Climbing

All Grade 8 Outdoor Ed students will be

headed to Vertically Inclined for a day of

rock climbing. 4

Sharing the Good News … Chaplain’s Message

"God is so merciful toward us. We too should learn to be merciful, especially with those who suffer." The Prayer of St. Francis with Pope Francis

The Charitable Chargers Social Justice Club

Throughout the school year, this group of students have been called to serve those less fortu-nate in our school, as well as local and global communities. The “Charitable Chargers” will be organizing monthly activities to fundraise, advocate and volunteer with a variety of non-profit organizations within Edmonton. They will also be working with the L’Oeuvre Léger Organiza-tion in Montreal, our school namesake’s foundation to educate and share knowledge of its global missions in South America, Africa and Asia. As a Catholic school, it is our intention to come to feel a sense of solidarity for those in our world who are less fortunate. As part of this initiative, we will be asking for the support of our school community to donate and be a part of this giving experience. We encourage you to participate in whichever way works best for your family as we all have different circumstances that dictate our ability to give. What we do hope is that you all share with us your prayers as we grow in Christ and social justice for our world.

Upcoming Events:

Thanksgiving Food Drive October 2 – October 13

The “Charitable Chargers” will be collecting food donations every day in support of the Edmonton Food Bank.

Thanksgiving Celebration October 5 8:45am – 9:30am

Please join us in the gymnasium for our Thanksgiving Celebration.

The Cardinal Leger Grade 9 Leadership group for 2017-18 has already been busy as the school year has started up. They were here on Day 1, greeting and assisting with the grade 7 Pancake Breakfast and registration. Students also helped out in organizing the Terry Fox Run and Orange Shirt Day. We are looking forward to another great year to-gether!

Leadership 9 Students Elijah A. Marissa A. Alessandro B. Isabella C. Daxter E. Athena F. Alessandra F. Mya F. Hannah F. Serena G. Sylvana H. Anite I. Kimberlie J. Abok J. Lydia K. Gabriella K Jennifer L. Kyle L. Anna L. Breianna L. Virgilio M. Sarah M. Samantha M. Kadeem M. Antonio M. Natisha R. Max R. Kitara S. Kayla V. Teacher: Mrs. Esposito-Neri

Leadership 9

7

Charger Sports

Charger Soccer

Boys Team Eladio A. Robel A. Tomas A Eman B. Luke B. Khass C. Jose D. Mario D. Sal D. Daniel D. Joshua E. Dante G. Domenico M. Joel M. Seanan O. Samuel P. Kyle R. Ilyass U. Giacomo V. Coaches: Mr. Lepore & Mr. Motut 1

Girls Team

Marissa A. Maria A. Vanessa C. Isabella C. Brigid D. Jasmine F. Adisyn F. Isabella G. Naomi G.

Danika H. Kimberlie J. Adrianna K. Ellexia M. Anastasia P. Francesca P.

Alexia S. Brianna S. Carly W.

Coaches: Mrs. Bolling & Mr. Harvanka

Charger Cross Country

Hilda J. Zander J. Allison K. Olivia M. Salvador M. Carlee S.

Cole S. Matteo S. Jennifer T. Rylie Z.

Coach: Ms. Reilly

Charger Volleyball

Senior and Junior Tryouts will begin in early October. Tryout dates will be announced on daily broadcast.

Stay tuned!!

8

Important Links and Information

PowerSchool Use the link below to connect to PowerSchool and keep in contact with teachers about your child’s progress. Parent password required; contact Mrs. Fabiano in the office if you do not have access. https://powerschool.ecsd.net/public/

Teen Mental Health On September 9th, the staff at Cardinal Leger participated in “Go to Educator” training where we became familiar with the terminology of mental health and things to look for to help sup-port our students. An excellent resource for parents, students and schools is the Teen Mental Health site. It can be found at: http://teenmentalhealth.org/

School Resources We have some additional in-school resources for the students at school. Taylor Jacobs is our Family School Liaison Worker who supports students as a counsellor, as well as linking families with outside services, as needed. Doug Green and Richard Cole are our STAY Advisors (School Team Advisors for Youth) who are retired police officers. They are here to educate, mentor and empower students while raising awareness of issues students face in our community.

Payment Options

ALL FEES ARE NOW POSTED TO POWERSCHOOL

This year all payments must be made either online though PowerSchool or Debit or Credit

(Visa and Mastercard only).

We will no longer be accepting cash for any payments, including the purchase of bus passes.

9

Superintendent's Message

October 2017

O come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into His presence with

thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise! ~Psalm 95: 1-2~

This beautiful passage from Scripture is an invitation to us to come worship our Father with a joyful noise and to give thanks for the gift of

salvation. The history of humanity is full of examples of God’s saving grace. God’s ongoing manifestation of His love for us through acts of

salvation such as the gift of His Son, Jesus, makes this call to thanks and praise timeless.

We have many reasons to give thanks in Edmonton Catholic Schools. The past few weeks have seen the opening celebrations of two of our

new schools, Corpus Christi and Father Michael Mireau Catholic Elementary/Junior High Schools. The next few weeks will see the com-

munities of Bishop David Motiuk, Christ the King, and St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Elementary/Junior High Schools gathering together in

the communion of home-school-parish to celebrate this vital partnership at the heart of Catholic education. These schools have opened

with flourishing enrolments. The commitment of the Government of Alberta to provide new schools to help us serve the needs of the

approximately 42,500 students whose families have chosen the gift of Catholic education in Edmonton Catholic Schools this year affirms to

us all that Catholic education is in great demand!

There are many opportunities for us to engage with our parents and guardians as partners in education. We are pleased to offer an op-

portunity to learn and dialogue about the philosophy and topics from the Religious Education Programs of Study on November 1 at St.

Charles Parish with a repeat session on November 2 at Corpus Christi Parish. I have included a flyer with more details and information on

how to register. We are also pleased to offer a series of sessions on mental health. The first one is on November 8 and focuses on practical

strategies for managing ADHD. The attached flyer details all the mental health sessions for the year with registration details.

We have just released an updated electronic version of the book Holy is Thy Name – Honouring the Namesakes of Edmonton Catholic

Schools, which was first produced in 2006. This book proudly shares the stories of our rich Catholic heritage. Visit https://www.ecsd.net/

AboutUs/catholic-identity/Pages/Holy-Is-Thy-Name.aspx to view this beautiful tribute to our namesakes. In addition to the names of each

of our schools and sites, you can learn about the new name of our central office, Lumen Christi Catholic Education Centre, which honors

the light of Christ.

The civic election on October 16 is an important opportunity for all citizens. In addition to voting for your City Council and Mayor, you will

also have the opportunity to vote for your Catholic Trustees. We have created a page on our public website where you can view videos

which each candidate has had the opportunity to record, as well as find maps of the wards and other information. This can be found at

https://www.ecsd.net/boardoftrustees/election-2017/pages/default.aspx.

In his homily for the Marian Jubilee Mass on October 9, 2016, Pope Francis shared that Mary serves as our model of thanksgiving. “After

hearing the message of the Angel, she lifted up her heart in a song of praise and thanksgiving to God: ‘My soul magnifies the Lord…’ Let

us ask our Lady to help us recognize that everything is God’s gift, and to be able to say ‘Thank you’. Then, I assure you, our joy will be

complete. Only those who know how to say ‘Thank you’, will experience the fullness of joy.”

Wishing you a blessed, joyful thanksgiving!

Joan Carr

Superintendent

“F’s,” Report Cards, Faith and Pearls When I was going to school, when it came time for report cards at the end of the year, I confess that I never ever got an “F.” But I wished I had. Let me explain.

Not that long ago, I was asked to share a few words to a graduating Grade 12 class. I started by telling these young women and men that I was privileged to have had a “sneak peek” at their report cards. And they all got “F’s.” Needless to say, they were shocked. I had some quick explaining to do before one of them passed out.

Look, I get it that report cards are meant to give students and parents an idea of how the students are doing in their studies – what they’re doing well and where more work is required – in reading, writing and math, and the sort.

Yet, in a Catholic School, a report card is meant to tell us even more. Yes, we all want our students to do well in their academic achievements; and I might add that in Catholic Schools they do very well! The “even more” part of report cards are the “F’s.”

Faith. Family. Friends.

The big picture of what a Catholic School does is to help prepare our children for success in life by grounding them in their faith. Faith in a God who created us, who cares for us, and who loves us. And to help our children, in turn, share their faith with family and friends.

Another way of putting this is by asking ourselves “What do we value most in life?” Faith. Family. Friends.

Let’s look at how Catholic Schools accomplish the “even more” by revisiting the “Parable of the Pearl Buyer” in Matthew’s Gospel. Jesus is asking his disciples and followers what the Kingdom of God is like? He uses a number of examples to convince us that the Kingdom, that is, eternal life with God in heaven, is something so beautiful and so precious that we would want to do everything to acquire it.

So the “Parable of the Pearl Buyer” tells us that when someone “finds one that is unusually fine, he goes and sells everything he has, and buys that pearl” (Mt 13: 46).

Pearls are especially beautiful and precious. And rare to come by.

Do you know how pearls are formed?

Well, if I understand well, an oyster feeds by filtering out food that it captures when particles are drawn into its mantle cavity. However, sometimes a piece of sand gets stuck in the flesh of an oyster and the oyster is unable to rid itself of this “irritant.” So instead the oyster secretes a milky solution which layer by layer covers the piece of sand. Eventually a pearl is formed. What was once an irritant has become smooth and round, a pre-cious gem.

Pearls are produced by life, a life which has overcome death.

Jesus is the Pearl of Great Faith. He willingly endured his passion and death upon the cross. In doing so, he took upon himself the “irritants” of our sins, overcame death, and granted us salvation and eternal life.

We too experience irritants in life. (Just ask my priests; many might say that their bishop is one of their biggest irritants!). Struggles. Health issues. Family problems. Arguments with friends. Difficulties in accepting myself the way I am.

Yet, God gives us the grace to overcome whatever irritants life sends our way so that, layer by layer, the irritants become smooth and acceptable. Pearls in the making!

Friends, that’s why I love Catholic Schools. They journey with our children each day, forming them in the precious gift of faith, preparing them for true success for life.

Faith. Friends. Family.

God bless! Bishop David

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A Message from Bishop Motiuk

School Team Advisors for Youth (STAY)

Junior high schools in the Edmonton Catholic School District each have ‘School Team Advisors for

Youth’ (STAY) which are comprised of retired Police Officers.

The STAY role involves:

•Educating, mentoring, and empowering students.

•Educating and mentoring parents on the realities their children face each day by raising parent aware-

ness on these issues.

•Educating and mentoring staff on the realities that students face each day. Working in partnership

with the administration of the school to develop action plans for safety and health of all students.

Stay Advisors in our junior high schools make a difference in the lives of our youth by encouraging them to “STAY” in school. The STAY

teams work hard to ensure our youth succeed in life.

Welcome Back

Can you believe a month has gone by since our students have been back at school? Our STAY Advisors

have been busy getting to know students and staff in five new schools as well as reacquainting ourselves

with the students in our existing schools. Our goal is to build healthy relationships with as many youths

as we can. Our message for the month of September to the students was that of respecting what the

Technology Responsible Use Agreement sets out. We want to make sure that everyone abides by the

conditions set out in this document.

We are blessed to have Wi-Fi in all our schools that allows access to the internet. Students can use their

personal devices to access the internet through WI-FI and their own 3G networks. Students are encour-

aged to use networks responsibly.

Parents, please encourage your children to use technology wisely and appropriately. Online reputations

are important and they can greatly impact their future. Please continue to educate yourself in the ever-

changing world of Social Media, both its perks and its pitfalls. The internet is a great place to research

this information. If you would like to speak to a STAY member, please contact your school directly and

they will help you with this.

STAY Alert

October 2017