Message from our Holy Cross Administration

Lent is a time to “Create Ourselves Anew”. It is a

season for penance, reflection, helping others

and fasting in order to prepare ourselves for

Christ's Resurrection and for our own

Redemption. Often, we are asked, why do we

need a special time of year to concentrate on

these things . . . shouldn’t we always be creating

ourselves anew? Of course, we should always

work towards being the best person we are called

to be. The Church recognizes, however, that we

are all human. We do need special times to

remind us what it means to be a person of faith, a

follower of Jesus. Lent is one of these special

times. Please join us in our Lenten journey of

prayer, fasting, and service.

Mme Lorraine Sylvestre Principal

M. Ed Jean Assistant Principal

  

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Chaplain’s corner In conjunction with Black History Month, this month's saint was Saint Josephine Bakhita. She

was born in Africa in 1869. Kidnapped at a young age, she was sold into slavery. Her captors

mockingly named her Bakhita, meaning “fortunate”. After many harsh masters, Bakhita was

bought in Khartoum by a kindly Italian consul, Callisto Legnani. He gave her to his friend,

Augusto Michieli, whose wife was expecting a baby. They traveled to Italy and she was left in

the care of Canossian Sisters at the Institute of the Catechumens in Venice. Bakhita studied and

learned about God there. In 1890, she was baptized, taking the name Josephine. The Michielis

returned to take her back to Africa; however, Josephine refused to go. She was legally

protected and chose to remain with the Canossian Sisters. Joining the community, she made

her profession in 1896. She remained a nun for fifty years, ministering in various ways and

earning the love of those she served. After her death in 1947, she ultimately was canonized by

Pope St. John Paul II in 2000. Her feast day is February 8th.

~ From “Picture Book of Saints” (Lovasik, pg. 126)

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Black History Month As Black History Month comes to a close, we would like to take the opportunity to thank the

various people who helped to enrich our learning during this month. We would like to

recognize and thank the Edmonton Chapter of the National Black Coalition of Canada, who

generously provided funding for the drumming during our opening ceremonies and for the

drumming workshops on February 19. We would like to thank Reckey Lloyd and Ereni Perez of

Sangea Academy, who engaged us with their drumming, dancing and singing, and who

educated us on the history, rhythms, and meanings of West African Drumming. We would like

to thank Mr. David Shepherd MLA for coming to speak to us and share with us his knowledge of

Black History in Alberta and Edmonton. And a special thank you to Mrs. Geraldine Simpson,

who worked with us to organize these special events.

We hope that during this month, students and staff had the opportunity to gain a new

perspective of the people and events that shape our world and worldview. It is through our

shared stories and histories that we can get a deeper understanding of where we come from

and where we want to go.

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Rocks and Rings On February 10th and 11th, our PYP students took part in the Rocks and

Rings program. Students enjoyed learning how to throw the rocks, sweep,

and count points. This program provides students with a great introduction

to curling, without the need for real ice.

  Alberta Opera On February 24th, students in Kindergarten to Grade 6 were

treated to an amazing musical performance of Sleeping

Beauty. Always a hit with the students, the talented cast

presented this age-old tale with a modern twist! We look

forward to welcoming them back next year for their

performance of Cinderella!

NEW REGISTRATIONS welcome!

Holy Cross continues to accept registrations for our Early

Learning and Junior High programs for the 2020-2021 school

year. Encourage your friends and neighbors to come out and

learn more about our programs - you are our best advocates!  

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Junior Basketball 2020 This year, we had a young and new team for the Junior Girls. This made the start of the year challenging but allowed for a lot of improvement! A couple of key moments in our season were having a big overtime win for our last home game and making it to the consolation final in the Father Michael Troy Tournament, where we lost a close game. The girls all showed so much improvement all season and we want to thank them for their hard work! Thank you also to all of the family members and friends who showed up to support us and cheer us on at many of our games.

The Junior Boys’ basketball team had a very successful season

and did well in their tournament. The boys represented Holy

Cross with good sportsmanship and fair play. We congratulate

the boys on their dedication to learning, their willingness to take

on challenges, and their team spirit -qualities that will serve them

for many years to come! Tout seul on va plus vite, mais ensemble

on va plus loin.

Thank you to the teacher coaches and a special thank you to our

parent coach, Mme Menard, for her tireless dedication to our

junior teams!

   

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Father Michael Mireau Youth Faith Day On Monday this week, our Grade 8 students spent the day with all of the Grade 8 students from

Edmonton Catholic Schools as well as the Grade 8 students from the surrounding Catholic

School Districts for the annual Father Michael Catfish Mireau Youth Faith Day. The activities

were facilitated by Steve Angrisano, a Catholic motivational speaker and singer. It was an

incredible day celebrating our ability to Serve Like a Superhero!

   

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Pink Shirt Day

Pink Shirt Day is a day when people wear pink to symbolise a stand

against bullying, an idea that originated in Canada. It is celebrated

on various dates around the world. In fact, last year alone, people

in almost 180 countries shared their support of Pink Shirt Day

through social media posts and donations. On February 26, 2020,

we encouraged everyone to practice kindness and wear pink to

symbolize that we do not tolerate bullying. We had many staff and

students who took part in this important day.

Family movie Night

Holy Cross Families enjoyed a movie and popcorn in the large gym on

Friday, February 21st. Thank you to the SAC for making this

community-building event possible!

W.I.S.E.S.T.  On Tuesday, February 18th, 2020, eight grade 6 girls had the

opportunity to participate in the CHOICES conference. This

conference is put on by the University of Alberta's WISEST

(Women in Scholarship, Engineering, Science and Technology.)

It focuses on science, technology, engineering and math and

gives students the opportunity to experience hands-on

activities, hear from inspiring speakers, and interact with

female role models. Students were first treated to a chemistry

demonstration and a visit from an Edmontonian student who

placed third last year in Canada's National Science Fair. Next,

they got to test the pH levels and enzymes present in artificial

cat saliva in order to determine whether the health of the

animal's kidneys. Students also got to visit a real pharmacy lab

to create their own hand cream and collaborated to build a zip

line harness safe enough to transport an egg. It was a fantastic

day!

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APEGA 

Congratulations to our junior high students who participated in the APEGA-sponsored Science

Olympics at the University of Alberta on February 22nd. Throughout the day of activities, the

students did an excellent job representing Holy Cross with their creation of an automatic

seeding machine and other STEAM-inspired projects. Thank you to the students for their hard

work and dedication to their projects and to M. Sarango and M. Hughes, the mentor teachers.

   

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Shrove Tuesday  On Tuesday, February 25th, we celebrated Mardi Gras, or Shrove Tuesday. This is our last feast

before we begin the Lenten season. Holy Cross students were treated to a pancake breakfast.

Thank you to Mrs. Megic for organizing this event, and to the many parent volunteers who

make this event possible for our students.

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Ash Wednesday

On Wednesday, February 26th, the Catholic community celebrated

Ash Wednesday which signals the beginning of the Lenten season

leading up to Easter. Students participated in an in-class celebration

during the day and heard the Gospel reading of Matthew 6: 1-6, 16-18.

This Scripture passage refers to three actions which we are

encouraged to do during Lent - give alms, pray, and fast.

As a family, think of ways that you can incorporate these three elements into your Lenten

journey. Can you donate food, clothes, money, etc. to those in need? Can you go to church

more often, or pray before meals or before going to bed (if you don't already do so)? Can you

abstain from watching television, eating sweets, or something else which you enjoy? By

participating in these three initiatives, you are preparing your mind, body, and soul for the

death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Plastic cutlery Single-use plastics, such as straws and cutlery, make up a large part of litter both on land and in

the oceans. Both Canada and the EU are scheduled to ban single-use plastics beginning in 2021.

On Shrove Tuesday, your child received a cutlery set courtesy of Morgex Insurance. Holy Cross

will no longer supply plastic cutlery in the office or the canteen. If your child uses cutlery for

their lunch, please send the reusable cutlery that they received on Shrove Tuesday, or reusable

spoons, forks or “sporks” from home. Thank you for your support!

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CTF in MYP To kick off the second semester, Photography students worked in small groups to collaborate

and complete a quick research project about the evolution of Photography throughout the

years. This allowed students to build more background about the subject while developing new

relationships with others in their class!

Students then had a chance to explore the basic functions of a D-SLR camera and take pictures

around the school in their small groups.

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Winter LEARNING in 100 Voices Our 100 Voices class has been exploring winter and ways that people and animals cope with the

cold and snow. After reading winter books like "The Mitten", "Bear Snores On" and "When Will

It Be Spring?", we created our own animal faces to play hibernation in our classroom cave. We

also made pine cone bird feeders to help the birds find food in winter!

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Mois de la Francophonie

In 2018, the Alberta Government declared March “Mois

de la francophonie albertaine” (Alberta Francophonie

Month). At Holy Cross, we will be celebrating the

French language and culture through song, dance, and

art throughout the month of March. We welcome the

many francophone visual and performing artists who

will be presenting workshops, including Virginie

Rainville, Steve Jodoin, Macha, Doris Charest,

Circofables, The Edmonton Metis Dancers, and La Girandole. Our opening event is March 2nd

with presentations from our Edmonton Catholic Schools’ French consultant, Diane Beaudry,

Edmonton francophone performer Sympa César, and of course, our opening day wouldn’t be

complete without “la tire”!

Please note that this is a change from our one-day Cabane à sucre event, in favor of more

activities spread throughout the entire month.

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Celebration of Learning Our March Celebration of Learning will be on Wednesday, March 18th , from 4:00pm to

8:00pm. The Celebration of Learning is for all students from 100 Voices to Grade 9. There are

no appointments necessary - please come as you are able.

This is a wonderful opportunity for your child to share his or her accomplishments and is an

important part of our home-school partnership. Holy Cross Académie Internationale staff

members very much value the positive working relationship we have with our parent

community. We strongly encourage all parents who have concerns about their child’s learning,

be it academic, social, or emotional, to contact the teacher as required. Do not wait until the

Celebration of Learning to advise the teacher of your concerns.

While at the Celebration of Learning, families are invited to stop by our French book fair. We

look forward to celebrating your child’s achievements with you on March 18th!

 Music in MYP  On March 10 at 9:40 am, the Grade 8 and 9

Band students will be performing in the annual

Band Share Day at the Francis Winspear Centre

of Music. This is a day where junior high and

high school bands from all over the district

come together to share in their love of music!

Students will be performing Salvation is

Created and Gathering in the Glen.

Admission to the event is free, so please join us if you can! Please be there for 9:30am in case

there is a change in schedule and we perform earlier than expected.

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Final exam schedule Please let your child’s teacher or the school office know if your child will be away for any of the

exam dates so arrangements can be made to reschedule.

For the 2019-2020 school year, final exams are scheduled as follows:

May 4th:

● Grade 6: Provincial Achievement Test: French Language Arts: Part A

● Grade 7: Final Exam: English Language Arts: Part A

● Grade 8: Final Exam: English Language Arts: Part A

● Grade 9: Provincial Achievement Test: English Language Arts: Part A

May 6th:

● Grade 6: Provincial Achievement Test: English Language Arts: Part A

● Grade 7: Final Exam: French Language Arts: Part A

● Grade 8: Final Exam: French Language Arts: Part A

● Grade 9: Provincial Achievement Test: French Language Arts: Part A

June 15th:

● Grade 6: Provincial Achievement Test: French Language Arts: Part B

● Grade 7: Final Exam: French Language Arts: Part B

● Grade 8: Final Exam: French Language Arts: Part B

● Grade 9: Provincial Achievement Test: French Language Arts: Part B

June 16th:

● Grade 6: Provincial Achievement Test: English Language Arts: Part B

● Grade 7: Final Exam: English Language Arts: Part B

● Grade 8: Final Exam: English Language Arts: Part B

● Grade 9: Provincial Achievement Test: English Language Arts: Part B

June 18th:

● Grade 6: Provincial Achievement Test: Math: Part A

● Grade 7: Final Exam: Math: Part A

● Grade 8: Final Exam: Math: Part A

● Grade 9: Provincial Achievement Test: Math: Part A

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June 19th:

● Grade 6: Provincial Achievement Test: Math: Part B

● Grade 7: Final Exam: Math: Part B

● Grade 8: Final Exam: Math: Part B

● Grade 9: Provincial Achievement Test: Math: Part B

June 22nd:

● Grade 6: Provincial Achievement Test: Social Studies

● Grade 7: Final Exam: Social Studies

● Grade 8: Final Exam: Social Studies

● Grade 9: Provincial Achievement Test: Social Studies

June 24th:

● Grade 6: Provincial Achievement Test: Science

● Grade 7: Final Exam: Science

● Grade 8: Final Exam: Science

● Grade 9: Provincial Achievement Test: Science

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Holy Spirit and Lent

By Fr. Glenn McDonald, CSB

During the season of Lent, the Holy Spirit tends to get overlooked. Preparing for the cross, death and resurrection of Jesus is naturally the focus of Lent, but where is the Holy Spirit in all of this?

Gathering people together in peace and unity is a hallmark of the Holy Spirit. In the second chapter of Acts, we read these words about Pentecost:

“When the day of Pentecost had come, [the apostles] were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability” (Acts 2:1-4).

The Spirit creates unity by empowering the Apostles to speak the languages of others, so that the message of God’s love and peace might be proclaimed throughout the world. Where does unity occur in the Lenten season? We need look no further than Ash Wednesday. Like at Pentecost, the Spirit sends forth the fire of God’s merciful love with the message, “Repent and believe in the Good News.” The Spirit leaves behind a signature - a cross of ashes - upon each forehead that means, “This one belongs to God’s way of love.” As we look around and see all our brothers and sisters in Christ who are marked with this same sign, we are reminded of the unity of the family of the Church. Ash Wednesday helps all of us to recommit ourselves to the unity that God’s love creates.

Freedom is another indicator of the Spirit’s presence during Lent. Again, we read in the Acts of the Apostles a story about Paul and Silas who have been imprisoned for proclaiming the gospel message. The Spirit works to free them:

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose” (Acts 16:25-26).

The Spirit comes with a violent earthquake to free Paul and Silas from the injustice that has been done to them. During the Lenten season, the Spirit seeks to free us from the prison of sin by revealing how we treat God, others and ourselves. The Spirit’s insight into our words and actions, which are not always loving or merciful, can, like an earthquake, shake us. Thankfully, the Spirit also reminds us that God seeks out sinners and continually offers us the chance to proclaim the gospel message more authentically with words and actions of love.

The Holy Spirit is always with us, especially during Lent. The whisper of the Holy Spirit reminds us of who we were made to be, and accompanies us towards living out the resurrection in our everyday lives.

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