St. Mary's News
There are plenty of things happening at St. Mary's School! Click on the links to the left for more information. The newsletter is published and emailed every week. Check your inbox for the most recent newsletter. If you are not receiving the newsletter, we must not have an updated email on file for you. Please update your email contact on your school account.
St. Mary’s School – St. Mary’s Message
Friday, November 30, 2018
“I pray that you… will have the power to understand the greatness of Christ’s love. I pray that you can understand how wide and how long and how high and how deep that love is”
Ephesians 3:18
Update: Starting in November our email newsletter will now be sent out the first and middle of the month. You will be able to find all newsletter information contained here anytime on our website in news items or under the Parents tab.
Virtue of the Month: December (Generosity)
@STMARYS.CTR 
@STMARYSOKOTOKS
Upcoming Events (Online Calendar)
Nov. 30 – Day in Lieu of Interview Evening (No School)
Dec 2 – Advent Liturgical Season begins (new 7:30 am Sunday Mass Time starts)
Dec. 3 - 9:30 am – 2:30 pm Gr. 5 Advent Retreat, 7:00 pm Gr. 5 Advent Concert at St. James Church
Dec. 4 - 11:00 am Blessing of the Advent Wreaths
Dec. 5 – Follow-up Waste Audit (how much compost are we diverting from the landfill?)
Dec. 10 – 13 - Fall Book Fair
Dec. 10 – 7:00 pm Gr. 1 & 2 Advent Concert at St. James Church
Dec. 12 – 9:00 – 10:30 am 1M, 1:00 – 2:30 1C Visits the Museum for the Old-Fashion Christmas, 2:00 Kindergarten M/W Advent Concert in the gym, Mission Mexico Day
Dec. 13 – 9:00 – 10:30 am 1W, 1:00 – 2:30 1G Visits the Museum for the Old-Fashion Christmas; 2:00 Kindergarten T/TH Advent Concert in the gym.
Dec. 14 – 9:00 – 10:30 am 1B Visits the Museum for the Old-Fashion Christmas,
Dec. 17 - 7:00 pm Gr. 3 & 4 Advent Concert at St. James Church
Dec. 18 – 7:00 pm Gr. 6 Band and French Concert Practice
Dec. 19 – Space Exploration Presentation by Space Agency Engineer 1 pm
Dec. 21 – 9:45 am Family Group Activity, 11:25 – 11:45 Christmas Caroling in the gym, PJ or Red and Green Day
Jan. 7 - Classes resume
Jan. 9 - Parent Council Meeting 6:30pm
Jan. 10 - Arctic Exploration Presentation
January - Swimming Lessons start (see schedule here)
School News
Advent Concert Schedule - check out our website for all details on dates, times and locations!
Kindergarten Registration - For an existing family at St Mary’s please follow the steps below to sign your son/daughter to attend kindergarten for the 2019-2020 school year.
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Existing families DO NOT need to set up new SchoolEngage account to register a new child at Kindergarten or any other grade level. Simply ADD your new student to our system using the PowerSchool Parent Portal
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Log on to PowerSchool Parent Portal;
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Click on the School Engage icon;
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Click on "Add a Student" and you are on your way to creating a new inquiry.
If you have not yet set up your PowerSchool Parent Portal please contact the office.
Winter Weather – Please see the school website on inclement weather. Bus delays and cancellations are posted on our website and outdoor recess temperature guidelines are outlined in the procedure.
Organics Recycling – St. Mary’s students will begin sorting their waste into 3 categories starting this fall. We will have plastic/paper recycling, organics and landfill waste. Students will be involved in lessons on what is acceptable for each category.
School Pick-up/Drop-off – A reminder that parents are asked to use the Parent Drop-off loop in the morning and after school to drop off their children safely.
#Relationships - For the past year, CTR Catholic has been laying the foundation for an initiative we call #Relationships in a Digital Age. The purpose of this initiative is to develop both curriculum and school culture to help students examine the impact that screen time and smartphones have on their relationships with God and each other, with an overarching personal wellness focus. Parents and guardians will be key in this initiative. See this video for more details! Check out the goals students have created.
PACE (Parents Advocating for Catholic Education), I invite you to watch this one minute video clip in support of Catholic education Be Not Afraid: Be a Voice for Catholic Education.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ykjWKPSfVuM&feature=youtu.be
You are also invited to sign this online letter of support (petition) to have your voice heard and let our government know that you are standing up for Catholic education in our province PACE Petition Supporting Catholic Education. Feel free to share this with 2 of your friends to help us spread the word. PACE plans to present this to the government in the next few months, so please show your support today. https://pace.nationbuilder.com/_pace_petition
Together we are many and one! Thank you for your prayers and support.
Knit Wits Club has started up once again at St. Mary’s School! We have around 50 students who are learning to finger knit or use needles or looms! The first scarf or toque they make will be filled with toiletries and donated to those in need for Christmas. We would be very grateful if St. Mary’s students and families would help us stuff our toques. The following is a list of items that we could use:
Toothbrush Gift Card Toothpaste Candy Treat
Soap Warm Socks Shampoo Crossword Puzzle Book and pen
BodyWash Any other ideas you may have
The above items are merely suggestions. We know families are asked to give so much during this season, so any items will be helpful! Also, if you happen to have any wool or knitting supplies lying around your home that you would like to donate we would gladly accept these and put them to good use! Thank you for all of your support!
Christmas Tree Ornaments - Did you know we do many service projects during the year. Currently our I2He Club is selling ornaments. ALl profits go to funding more service projects!
Community News
Alberta Health Services - Parent Newsletter.
Town of Okotoks – News, Activities and Events in our Community can be found in the Town of Okotoks Newsletter.
Parish News
St. James Church (Okotoks) Mass Times - Saturday 5:30 PM; Sunday 7:30 AM; 11:00 AM; 5:30 PM
St. Michaels Church (Black Diamond) – Mass Times 9:30 AM Sunday
Visit https://stjamesparishokotoks.ca/ to see the Bulletin for more information about the many events to participate in!
Meet our Parish Office Friends…
We work closely with St. James Parish staff and you will see them at activities we hold at the Church and events here at the school.
Now you can put a face to a name!
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Parish Office Phone: 403.938.3122 – Email
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Living Nativity - St. James Parish is hosting the annual Living Nativity on Saturday December 15, 2018 from 4 to 8 pm. We would like to encourage school children and their families, as well as staff to attend to see first hand the reason for the season. This re-creation is a must-see seasonal experience!
PARENT COUNCIL News
All Parent Council News and Events are posted on our website.
Next Meeting – Wednesday, January 9th @ 6:30pm. Our Parent Council is busy working to create meaningful events for students and families. If you are interested in contributing, please contact them or attend a Council meeting – the first Wednesday of the Month!
Advent Wreath Night – Thank you to our parent volunteers for a great community building night.
Did you know?
Child Absent from school? Call 403-938-8048 or fill out the absence form on our website! Also if you are taking your child from school please fill out an extended absence form.
Safe and Caring Schools - Feeling safe and cared for is the foundation of learning! At school we work hard to ensure that any issues students may have are dealt with and resolved. Here are some tips to consider:
>Call the school right away - it is easier to resolve a small issue before it gets to be a big thing
>Make sure your child talks to a supervisor if something happens at recess.
>If your child is bored or lonely, remind them about structured recess. A teacher leads a game every recess!
>Join a recess club to change their days (examples of student clubs: French Club, I2He, J-O-Y Club, Newspaper Club, Choir, Intramurals, Knit Wits, Chess Club, Coding…)
What is the season of Advent about?
Advent comes from the Latin word meaning "coming." Jesus is coming, and Advent is intended to be a season of preparation for His arrival. While we typically regard Advent as a joyous season, it is also intended to be a period of preparation. Prayer, penance and fasting are appropriate during this season of self-preparation. The purple color associated with Advent is also the color of penance. The faithful should fast during the first two weeks in particular and receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
The color of the Third Sunday of Advent is rose. This color symbolizes joy and represents the happiness we will experience when Jesus comes again. The Third Sunday is a day of anticipatory celebration – Joy! Finally, Sundays during Advent, just as during Lent, should be celebrated because we celebrate the resurrection of Our Lord every Sunday. It is important to remember there are no particular rules for how the we should observe Advent. Often families will use Advent wreaths as reminders of the time before Christmas.
Check out 2 minute Advent Reflections here.
