December 2016 and January 2017

Dear Parents,

The Catholic Church officially began the season of Advent this past weekend, Nov. 27.

Advent is the time when we begin to prepare for the celebration of the birth of Christ.

All classrooms will be talking about Advent over the coming weeks and they will all have

an Advent Wreath to gather around.

Please join us on Thursday Dec. 22 at 1:30 p.m. as we have our final Advent Celebration

and a blessing over our Christmas Hampers. This long-standing tradition of the St.

Teresa community is to care for one another, and one way of doing that is by providing

hampers for families who find themselves in need this season. We continue to need

some drivers, so please contact the office if you are available to help. Another favorite

tradition is to join as a community with a Santa Pancake Breakfast on Dec. 23rd followed

by Christmas Caroling at 11:00 am.

December is a short but busy month at St. Teresa School. Please check the calendar at

the back of the newsletter for all the activities and join us when you can. As we enter

the season of Advent we prepare for the coming of Christ.

Since Christmas is a time of giving, the students, staff and parents of St. Teresa School

will be involved in several Social Justice Projects as an example- Kids Care Challenge, to

help those in our community and beyond during this Christmas Season.

Soon it will be a time to relax and to enjoy the Christmas season. It is also time to take a

moment to give thanks for all that we have shared together in our first term. As

Christmas is a time for children, we give thanks, especially for the joy which they bring

into our lives. we are reminded, daily - during all our meetings, changing schedules, lost

mittens, forgotten assignments how fortunate we are to work with children: for children

see to the heart of things and their honesty, kindness, and joy remind us all of

the true meaning of Christmas.

We wish to extend a special “Thank you” to Mrs. Bodnar, who assumed the role of Acting

Assistant Principal in Mr. McGregor‛s absence. Thank you for your support and dedication

with our students and staff.

Our warmest wishes and blessings for a joyful Christmas – May the true joy of

Christmas that is the love of Christ, be shared with family and friends. May you find His

peace, love and joy in the coming New Year.

Mrs. L. Huk Mr. MacGregor

Principal/Directora Assistant Principal

THE TRUE LIGHT OF CHRISTMAS

It's time to start out on the road to Christmas! We have almost four weeks to

get ready for this joyful event. All around us we can already see signs that we

are getting ready: lights and decorations in the street, store Windows lit up

with thousands of lights, houses adorned with lights...lights everywhere! Of

course, many of these lights are about trying to sell things or about Christ­

mas stories but look deeper and you'll see more...Keep looking for another

light:

• the one that comes into your house only if you open wide the win-

dows of your eyes,your ears, and your heart...

• the light that you receive as a gift and then give away,

• the light that never goes out,

• the light that lights up your whole life

• the Light that has a name; Jesus Christ, Light of the world.

Now is our Advent time...Come along as we search for the light.

Es tiempo de empezar la espera y el camino hacia Navidad! Nos quedan cuatro

semanas para alistarnos para este acontecimiento tan alegre. A nuestro alre­

dedor podemos ver las luces y decoraciones que adornan las casas,calles y al­

macenes. Hay que tomar un tiempo para poder reflexionar sobre el verdadero

signif icado y buscar la verdadera luz:

Que entra a tu hogar cuando abres las ventanas de tus ojos, de tus orejas y

tu coraz6n

Que recibes como regalo y en seguida las devuelves

Que nunca se apaga

Que alumbra to vida

Que tiene el nombre de Jesus Cristo, luz del mundo

Ahora es el tiempo de Adviento ...acompananos a buscar

esa luz.

DEMONSTRATION OF LEARNING Our first report card of the year went live on PowerSchool on November

25th. Please remember to check PowerSchool to view your child‛s report

card. Parents and students are invited to our Demonstration of Learning

that will be held on:

Thursday, December 1, 2016

1:30 – 4:00 p.m. and 5:00 — 8:00 p.m.

The format this year will be a combination of meeting time with the

teacher as well as some time for your child to show you what they have

learned in the first term of school. If you require more than just a

brief talk with the teacher, please arrange for an extended time on

another day.

ST. TERESA SPIRIT WEAR

During Demonstration of learning we will be selling St. Teresa Spirit

Wear. Each item will be $5.00. There are limited quantities and sizes, so

please come early.

BREAK THE RULES DAY

On December 2nd, we will be having a Break the Rules Day. Each class

will decide which “rules” they will get to break. The charge for each

broken rule will be $1.00. All donations will go towards Kids Care

Challenge, Sign of Hope Campaign.

SPANISH BILINGUAL MASS

On Friday, December 9th, at 9:30am, all grade 1-6 Spanish students will

be attending a Spanish Bilingual Mass at St. Thomas More Church. We

welcome parents to join us at the church.

HANDBELL CLUB

The St. Teresa‛s Handbell Club will be performing at the University of

Alberta Hospital on Wednesday, December 14th at 12:00pm.

ST. TERESA OIL KINGS NIGHT

Come watch your St. Teresa Choir sing the national anthem at an Oil Kings

game. The game is at Rogers Place on Sunday, December 18th at 4:00pm.

Tickets are only $20.00 each! Thank you to Mrs. Gatzke for leading the

choir. (Please see attached order form. Order form needs to be in by

Friday, Dec. 2nd.)

SLEIGHRIDE

On Wednesday, December 21st come dressed for a sleigh ride!

Please make sure you are dressed for the weather. Make sure you have

your winter coat, hat, mitts and snow pants. Be ready to sing Christmas

carols as you are dashing through the snow!

ADVENT CELEBRATION

Our final Advent Celebration will be held in the gym on Thursday,

December 22nd at 1:30pm. The celebration will include the blessings of

the Christmas Hampers. We invite you to join us to share in the

celebration of what is an amazing community project. The generosity of

our community is overwhelming. Thank you and we hope to see you there!

SANTA‛S BREAKFAST

Come join us on Friday, December 23rd for our annual Santa‛s Breakfast.

Our wonderful parent volunteers will be making pancakes for all students,

generously provided by the S.A.C. Don‛t forget to wear your pajamas and

don‛t be surprised if Santa shows up! (Please see attached form if you

would like to volunteer)

MONTHLY BUS PASSES

Please note that payment for monthly bus passes is due before the 1st

of each month.

For your convenience, payments can now be made on-line. If you would

wish to pay for the rest of year, please let the office know.

Please make sure your payments are made before the due date.

REGULAR YELLOW BUS PASS………….$32.00

FAMILY PLAN YELLOW BUS PASS…$28.00

Parents please remember :It is illegal to jaywalk and you can be

ticketed. The current fine can be up to $250.00. Please take the few

seconds it takes to walk to the crosswalk. It is worth the safety of your

child.

Please be advised that the following Radio and TV Stations will carry announcements with

respect to transportation cancellations due to inclement weather conditions.

RADIO STATIONS

630 CHED AM 930 The Light CJCA CBC CISN FM 103.9 SHINE 105.9 FM CHFA (CBC Fr.) FRESH FM 92.5 TSN 1260 CFCW 840 INEWS 880 AM 95.7 CRUZ FM CAPITAL FM 96.3 The Bounce FM 91.7 The Bear 100.3 FM K97 97.3 UP! 99.3 FM SONIC 102.9 FM 102.3 NOW! Radio HOT 107 FM 104.9 VIRGIN Radio FM

TV STATIONS

CITYTV CTV Edmonton GLOBAL Edmonton CBC TV

SCHOLASTIC BOOK CLUB GIFTS

If you are ordering books from the classroom Scholastic Book

Orders as gifts (Christmas, Birthday, etc.) for your children,

we ask that you clearly indicate this so that you can arrange for

pick-up rather than the books being sent home with your child.

GRADE 5 IMMUNIZATION HEPATITIS B/HPV

The Community Health nurses will visit our school to administer the

second round of Hepatitis B/HPV immunizations to our Grade 5 students

on Friday, January 27th. The remainder of the schedule is as follows:

Round 3 Friday, April 21, 2017

ST. TERESA NOVEMBER HIGHLIGHTS

FESTIVAL OF TREES On November 25th, Mrs. MacGregor, Mrs. Gatzke, Ms. Tabachniuk, Mrs.

Hanneman and Mr. Troyano, with our wonderful parent volunteers, took

the grade 5s and 6s to the Festival of Trees. After their beautiful

performance, the students were able to enjoy various activities; looking

at the amazing displays, shopping and eating. Thank you, Mrs.

MacGregor, for arranging this festive fieldtrip!

INLINE SKATING

Alien Inline Skating returned for another year. Our gym has been turned

into a roller rink for two weeks starting November 28th and rolling on

through December 12th.

HOT LUNCH

We had two wonderful hot lunches this month. The school enjoyed a

lunch from Panago Pizza and from Nitza‛s Restaurant. A huge thank you

to all the parents who volunteered. There would be no hot lunches if it

were not for all your hard work.

EDMONTON PUBLIC LIBRARY

Thank you to the Edmonton Public Library for coming in and showing the

grade 4-6 students the books that are up for the Young Readers Choice

Awards(YRCA). The books that are up for this year‛s awards are

available to check out from our library.

THE NED SHOW

REMEMBRANCE DAY

On Wednesday, November 9th, we recognized Remembrance Day with a

beautiful and poignant gathering. Thank you to Mrs. Gatzke, Sra.

Campanaro, Mr. Morrison and the grade 5 students for their preparation

and presentation.

ST. TERESA REMEMBRANCE DAY ARTWORK

LETTER FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT

December 2016

“Therefore, keep awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come...

And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.” ~ Mark 13:35-37

The month of December is joyous for many reasons in Edmonton Catholic Schools. Our schools

enter the exciting time of Advent, which has us anticipating the birth of Jesus. This scripture passage is one

which is often used during Advent. Jesus is giving his disciples a message of hope about the coming of the

Messiah, assuring them that they should keep faith in God’s promise, even during challenging times. It

calls for us to be alert and to prepare a place for Jesus in our daily lives.

Classrooms will be abuzz with activities that help students to prepare just such a place in their lives

for Jesus and explore the great gift of love that our Father has given us in the person of His Son over the

four weeks of Advent. In this year where We are Called… to be Leaders of Hope and Mercy in Edmonton

Catholic Schools, we are reminded of what hope truly means as we prepare for the birth of our Savior.

Our schools and sites also turn their attentions to mercy through their many social justice projects.

Our annual We Care Challenge is one way in which this occurs. Many of our schools and sites carry out a

variety of engaging activities to raise funds for the Edmonton Catholic Schools Foundation and Catholic

Social Services’ Sign of Hope Campaign. Other schools will collect socks and mittens, build hampers, and

raise funds for the many organizations in Edmonton and beyond that help people in need.

We have several exciting enrichment opportunities for students who are passionate about music

through our All-City Choir and All City- Band Programs. These highly committed students come together

regularly to hone their skills as ensembles. There are several occasions for people to enjoy these

spectacular groups at their Christmas concerts. The concerts start at 7:30 pm: All City Choir @ St.

Joseph’s Basilica- Dec. 5, Junior All City Band @ John L. Haar Theatre (MacEwan)-Dec. 7, Senior All

City Band @ U of A Convocation Hall – Dec. 13.

Our Council of Elders hosts a Sacred Pipe Ceremony four times a year to welcome and honour each

new season hosted at a Nehiyaw Pimatisiwin (Way of Life) School. The winter ceremony will be held at

Our Lady of Peace School on Thursday, December 15. This is a time to celebrate friendships, welcome new

friends to the circle, and to ask God/Creator for his blessings. If you are interested in attending the

Sacred Pipe Ceremony, please contact The Council of Elders office at 780-471-2360.

. . . 2

There are many times where we report our accountability to the public. There are two major

reports of this nature which will be presented at the November 29 Public Board of Trustees Meeting, our

Audited Financial Statements, August 31, 2016 and the combined Annual Education Results Report 2015-

2016 and Three-Year Education Plan 2016-2019. Once approved by the Board of Trustees, the reports

will be posted on our public website on the Annual Reports and Results page at

https://www.ecsd.net/AboutUs/annual_reports/Pages/default.aspx.

As we turn our eyes towards Christmas and the birth of Jesus, we also reflect upon the willingness

of his mother, Mary, to humbly serve our God. Her incredible faith, echoed in her joyous acceptance of the

news that she was to give birth to the Messiah, reminds us that God calls on us, too. Pope Francis shared

the following thought on Twitter - “Mary is the woman who says yes, a yes of surrender to God, a yes of

surrender to her brothers and sisters. May we follow her example.” (02/13/16) Mary’s ‘yes’ changed our

world!

I wish you all a blessed Advent and a Holy Christmas as you turn your eyes towards a lowly

manger in the town of Bethlehem and the precious gift of love to be found there!

Sincerely,

Joan Carr

Superintendent

ST TERESA OIL KINGS NIGHT

SANTA‛S BREAKFAST VOLUNTEER FORM

BREAKFAST WITH SANTA

On the morning of Friday, December 23rd, we will be having Breakfast with Santa beginning at 9:00 am for all of the children in the school.

Our pancake breakfast will be served compliments of School Council. We ask that your children still eat a little something before coming to

school.

Parent volunteers are needed from 7:30am to 11am, or for as much of that time as you can spare. The children are served breakfast by the

volunteers and Santa makes a special appearance to wish everyone a Merry Christmas!

There will also be coffee and pancakes for all of Santa’s Helpers at the end!

HO-HO-HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

Thank-you,

Jennifer Kuhnert Breakfast Coordinator

———————————————————————————————————————————–——————————————

I CAN HELP AT THE PANCAKE BREAKFAST!

(Please complete and return to the General Office by Wednesday, December 14th)

I can help serve: Yes No

I can help cook (must be there at 7:30am): Yes_ No

NAME:

PHONE #:

I CAN BRING/LOAN:

SPATULAS, PANCAKE FLIPPERS

ELECTRIC GRIDDLES

THE PANCAKE BREAKFAST COMMITTEE WILL CONTACT YOU AND CONFIRM ARRANGEMENTS.

CITY OF EDMONTON LEISURE ACCESS PROGRAM

CELEBRATING ADVENT AS A FAMILY

What do January 1st and November 27 have in common this year?

They are both considered a New Year!

The first Sunday in Advent falls on November 27 this year and so it is the

first day of our New (liturgical) Year. During this time of advent, we are

joyful and hopeful as we prepare for the celebration of the birth of Jesus.

This is a time that we can give our children the gift of tradition as we

deepen their understanding of the Church’s celebration of this season.

Create and use the Advent Wreath as a family to prepare for the birth of Jesus:

The Advent wreath has many rich symbols that can help make the Advent season meaningful to

us because we focus on Jesus. At first glance, you see four candles that are evenly spaced around

a circle of evergreen branches. But what does it mean?

Circle: The circle is a symbol of God who is eternal and everlasting.

Evergreen plants: Evergreen plants have leaves all year long which symbolize Jesus Christ who

has conquered death and given us everlasting life.

Candles: The candles represent Jesus Christ as the light of the world. The warmth of the candle

and bright light that it brings during the cold, dark winter help us remember the new life Jesus

has given us.

Four candles: The four candles represent the four Sundays leading up to Christmas. Each

week, we light one more candle.

Three purple candles: Purple was used in ancient Rome as a symbol of royalty. We use

purple to remember that Jesus is the Messiah or King. Purple helps us remember that we must

prepare in a special way; especially through prayer and penance.

One rose candle: We light the rose candle on week three. This is known as Gaudete Sunday; a

Latin word that means rejoice. We know that Christmas is almost here!

Blessing your Advent Wreath as a Family

http://www.loyolapress.com/our-catholic-faith/liturgical-year/advent/about-advent/blessing-an-advent-

wreath

Praying together as a Family

Sit the Advent Wreath in the middle of your table. Light the candle. Say a short prayer from the link below

or sing a verse of “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.”

http://www.loyolapress.com/our-catholic-faith/liturgical-year/advent/prayers

Have a Blessed Advent.

MESSAGE FROM THE BISHOP Amoris Laetitia Chapter 3

Looking to Jesus: The Vocation of the Family

As a member of two music ministry groups, I am fascinated with the many ways that the themes found in favorite hymns and songs

celebrate the ‘Word of God.’ Whether Sing to the Mountains, Sing a new Song, or Go Tell it on the Mountain, the message of God

found in each musical piece touches the heart of the Gospel message we proclaim. Pope Francis opens this chapter by reminding us

that the core of the Gospel message, the Kerygma, “is what is most beautiful, most excellent, most appealing and at the same time

most necessary.” (58). Pope Francis outlines the need for us to enter more deeply into the Word of God “which we must hear again

and again in different ways, and which we must always announce in one form or another.” (58). Very much like how I hear a

similar message via different hymns and songs, I can learn more and interpret nuances differently because of the various styles of

music. As for the message our Pontiff states: “nothing is more solid, profound, secure, meaningful and wise than that message.”

(58). This chapter explores in great detail, through many illustrative scriptural examples, the Church’s teachings on marriage and the

family.

“Our teaching on marriage and the family cannot fail to be inspired and transformed by this message of love and tenderness;

otherwise, it becomes nothing more than the defence of a dry and lifeless doctrine.” (59). Echoing the call for a pastoral approach to

deepening our understanding of family and marriage encountered in chapter 2, Pope Francis posits that “the Christian family can be

fully understood only in the light of the Father’s infinite love revealed in Christ, who gave himself up for our sake and who

continues to dwell in our midst.” (59). Through sharing beautiful examples of Christ’s love, mercy, and compassion, the chapter

goes into great detail about how marriage and family life is to be viewed as ‘a gift’ from the Lord.

In reminding us of God’s divine covenantal love for all of humanity, our salvation history, we recall that “through his Church,

Christ bestows on marriage and the family the grace necessary to bear witness to the love of God and to live the life of

communion.” (63). In several examples such as: the miracle at Cana, friendship with Lazarus and his family, and sympathizing with

grieving parents over the loss of a child, Jesus “demonstrated the true meaning of mercy, which entails the restoration of the

covenant.” (64). Jesus models ‘gratuitous love’ in the face of sin and in doing so models how we are called to do the same in our

relationships. Pope Francis reinforces this point through recounting the nativity narrative where “the incarnation of the Word in a

human family, in Nazareth, by its very newness changed the history of the world.” (65). Mary said ‘yes’ to have the Word

conceived in her womb. Joseph too said ‘yes’ in naming Jesus and watching over mother and son. We witness the struggles and toil

of a family, who despite the harshness and challenges life can sometimes bring, such as exile, persecution and humiliation, hold

their communion with God with humility and love. “The covenant of love and fidelity lived by the Holy Family of Nazareth

illuminates the principle which gives shape to every family…on this basis, every family, despite its weaknesses, can become a light

in the darkness of the world.”(66.) This is truly a hope-filled message.

From the example of the Holy Family, we next examine several documents of the church, such as Second Vatican Council’s

Pastoral Constitution, Gaudium et Spes, which promotes the dignity of marriage and family. We learn that in marriage “Christ the

Lord makes himself present to the Christian spouses in the sacrament of marriage and remains with them.” (67). Through the

incarnation, Jesus “assumes human love, purifies it and brings it to fulfilment. By his spirit, he gives spouses the capacity to live

that love, permeating every part of their lives of faith, hope and charity.” (67). This is central to the foundation of the Christian

family.

Pope Frances cites the work of Blessed Paul VI (Humanae Vitae) which brings out the “intrinsic bond between conjugal love and

the generation of life: married love requires of husband and wife the full awareness of their obligations in the matter of responsible

parenthood…“the exercise of responsible parenthood requires that husband and wife, keeping a right order of priorities, recognize

their own duties towards God, themselves, their families and human society.” Pope Francis furthers his views through citing Saint

John Paul II’s Familiaris Consorto which “defined the family as ‘the way of the Church…how spouses, in their mutual love,

receive the gift of the Spirit of Christ and live their call to holiness.” (69). This is echoed by excerpts from Pope Benedict XVI’s

Deus Caritas Est, where he states “marriage based on an exclusive and definitive love becomes an icon of the relationship between

God and his people…God’s way of loving becomes the measure of human love.” Further, in Caritas in Veritate, Benedict XVI

stresses the importance of love in society “as a place where we learn the experience of the common good.” (70). The message is

consistent in all cases: love is at the heart of our existence. Marriage and the family are rooted in love; a love that is radiated and

witnessed through Jesus.

The chapter progresses to a detailed examination of marriage including the nuptial mystery, sexuality, imperfect situations, the

ministry of marriage, procreation, and the sanctity of life. The message of the “Church’s teaching is meant to help couples

experience in a complete, harmonious and conscious way their communion as husband and wife.” (82.) The chapter then explores

the role of family and the Church. Pope Francis asserts that “the Church is a family of families, constantly enriched by the lives of

all those domestic churches…the church is good for the family and the family is good for the Church. The safeguarding of the

Lord’s gift in the sacrament of matrimony is concern not only of individual families but of the entire Christian community.” (87.)

Pope Francis assures us that “the experience of love in families is a perennial source of strength for the life of the Church.” (88).

Examples of the beauty of marriage, the value of family and the profound sense of God’s covenant of love with humanity are

abundant in this chapter.

Just as a song sounds better when others join in and lend harmony, Pope Francis’ shared wisdom on marriage and family life in this

chapter is succinctly captured in his closing words: “The beauty of this mutual, gratuitous gift, the joy which comes from a life that

is born and the loving care of all family members – from toddlers to seniors- are just a few of the fruits which make the response to

the vocation of the family unique and irreplaceable, both for the Church and for society as a whole.” (88). What a wonderful song

these words would make!

FAMILY FUN ACTIVITIES TO DO THIS WINTER

Here are some fun things you can do together this Christmas

break:

-Make paper snowflakes

-Bake cookies for the neighbours

-Watch a Christmas movie together

-Dance to some holiday music

-Build a blanket fort

-Read a Christmas story

-Bake a cake for Jesus‛ birthday

-Go for a walk and look at Christmas lights

-Have homemade hot chocolate

-Have a pajama day

-Start an Advent calendar

-Have a picnic by the Christmas tree

-Make an ornament or Christmas decoration

-Do a random act of kindness

-Visit a local museum

-Build a snowman

-Catch snowflakes on your tongue

-Have a family game night

-Make an handmade gift

-Go skating

-Have snowball fight

-Spend time with your family

-Make holiday scented playdoh

-Make a Christmas card

Escuela St. Teresa School

December 2016

Sun Mon Tue

Wed Thu

Fri Sat

1

2

3

*Demonstrati Learning

on of *Hot Lunch-Panago

1:30pm-4pm/5pm-8pm *Kindergarten Puppet

*Last Day of the Book

Fair Show

*Break The Rules Day

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

*Spanish Bilingual

Mass-9:30am

St. Thomas More Church

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

Last Day for *Handbell Club *Hot Lunch-Burrito

Libre

Inline Skating performs@the UofA

*3A/3D-Inschool

Fieldtrip

18

19

20

21

22

23

24 *Oil Kings Night *Grade 6s to City *Sleigh Ride *Full Day *Half Day

4pm-Rogers Place Hall(AM) *Advent Celebration *Santa’s Breakfast

1:30pm in th e gym *Pajama Day

25

26

27

28

29

30

31 Christmas Day New Year’s Eve

Christmas Holidays

Escuela St. Teresa School

January 2017

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 *New Year’s Day

2 3 4 5 6 *Ukrainian

7 *Ukrainian

Christmas Eve Christmas Day

8 9 *Back at school

10 *2C/2D in school

11 12 13 14

fieldtrip

15 16 17 *Ski Day

18 19 20 21

22 23 *Kindergarten

Registration

24 25

*Gr 6 students visit

26

School PD Day

27

*gr5-immunization

28

For 2017-2018 Louis St. Laurent *No Schooi* *No kindergarten *Hawaiian Day

29 30 31

Coming up soon…

February 1st-Ski Day and SAC meeting

February 7th-District Faith Day-no school

February 8th-St. Teresa Open House 6:30 pm Feb. 12-17-Random Acts of Kindness Week

February 20th-Family Day-no school