The Good News - August 28, 2022

Welcome Back to School! St. John XXIII August 28, 2022

Leadership Message

Welcome Back to School!

It is with great joy and gratitude that we welcome you and your children to our Saint John XXIIII village for the upcoming 2022-2023 school year. Walking through the classrooms and halls of Saint John XXIII this week, the dedication and commitment to your children is evident. Teachers and staff members have been preparing, praying, and planning for each of your children with enthusiasm and love.

Our EICS division theme this year is "Better Together - One Body in Christ ". Coming out of the past few difficult years of the pandemic is the perfect time to have a theme about building community. Saint Paul’s Letter to the Romans, from which our scripture for the theme is found, is a plea to all Christians, to hold fast to faith because it’s our faith that brings us together and strengthens us.

During the pandemic there were many forces seeking to polarize and to separate us. We are not meant to be separate. Christ calls us to be in community. We are made to be in relationship with each other. Simply put - we are called to love and serve the Lord by loving and serving each other.

As we journey through this year together, may we remember that we are in collaboration with God. God needs us to do His work. We can’t do God’s work without being in relationship with Him and with others. We are Better Together ! Your children are in excellent hands and we are so blessed to have such a strong, dedicated school community. Thank you for entrusting your child in our care at St. John XXIII.

We are so excited for this week and cannot wait to greet your children!

Blessings,

Mrs. Willis Dengler

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First Day of School/First Week Back... What to Expect

We are excited to welcome our students back to school on Tuesday and Wednesday for staggered entry and then the whole school for Thursday. Some important information for the first day:

1. Bell rings at 8:45 am. Your child's teacher and staff members will be outside to meet and greet your child and family. Look for the numbered balloons to see where your child's door is.

2. Dismissal is 3:15 pm.

3. Please see information below re: parking, drop off, pick up, bus.

4. Lunchtime: students will play first and then eat. Teachers this year will once again build in two snack breaks am and pm, prior to or after recess. We are encouraging students to have their nutritious snacks inside rather than out so they can focus on their movement and play during recess. This also assists with safety (choking and wasps) and care for our environment (less waste in our playground).

5. Welcome Back Assembly Tuesday, September 6th 9:00 am

Staggered Entry: August 30 & 31

Staggered Entry for grades 1-4

August 30: Staggered Entry Students with last names A-L

August 31: Staggered Entry: Students with last names M-Z

Staggered Entry for Monday/Wednesday Kindergarten:

- Child’s last name starting with A - R, orientation will be on Wednesday, August 31st from 9:00 am to 11:00 am

- Child’s last name starting with S - Z, orientation will be on Wednesday, August 31st from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm

Staggered Entry for Tuesday/Thursday Kindergarten:

- Child’s last name starting with A - M, orientation will be on Tuesday, August 30th from 9:00 am to 11:00 am

- Child’s last name starting with N - Z, orientation will be on Tuesday, August 30th from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm

September 1: First day of classes for all students

*We have also created some grade level picture frames for photo ops for you that will be near your child's entrance doors in the fields* Please send in any photos you are willing to share in our Smore and social media to Mrs. Willis Dengler kristinew@eics.ab.ca

Learning and Growing Together: What will we learn this year?

As Catholic educators, we commit to providing learning opportunities in the context of Gospel values, where each student is celebrated and nurtured. Every day at Saint John XXIII, your child will connect with and experience how much God loves them through relationships with staff, peers, and parish members. In addition to our connection to Christ, staff will work with your child to achieve specific learning outcomes as outlined by Alberta Education.

To be partners on your child's learning journey, we invite you to click on the links below:

Kindergarten, Kindergarten at a Glance

Grade 1, Grade 1 at a Glance

Grade 2, Grade 2 at a Glance

Grade 3, Grade 3 at a Glance

Grade 4, Grade 4 at a Glance

New 2022-2023 Bell Schedule

First bell rings at 8:45 am and dismissal is 3:15 pm. Morning supervision begins at 8:30 am. Please do not drop off students earlier than 8:30 am.

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STJ23 Bell Schedule 2022-2023.pdf

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If you arrive after 8:50 am, please take your child to the front door and ring the doorbell to contact the office

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Looking Ahead

Mon. Sept. 5 - No School
Tues. Sept. 6 - First Faith Assembly
Wed. Sept. 7 - Early Dismissal
Wed. Sept. 14 - Meet the Staff 5:30-6:30
Thurs. Sept. 15 - Reckie Lloyd ( K-2 am 3-4 pm)
Thurs. Sept 22 - Terry Fox Run
Sept. 26-30 - Truth and Reconciliation Week
Thurs. Sept. 29 - Orange Shirt Day
Fri. Sept. 30 - No School - Truth and Reconciliation Day

Parking Lot Protocols Please do not allow students to cross the parking lot at any time

For the safety of all St. John XXIII students, there are a few very important parking lot protocols to follow.

*Most important* Please do not allow students to cross the parking lot at any time. Encourage use of the sidewalks adjacent to the lot and crosswalks. Our students are little and are hard to see when people are backing up. We had some near misses last year and need your cooperation with this. Modeling and reinforcing pedestrian safety is key for young children. It’s always best to walk on sidewalks or paths and cross at street corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks. Every child is different, but developmentally, most kids are unable to judge the speed and distance of oncoming cars until about age 10.

Our kinders line up beside our parking lot, please do not park in front of the basketball area or double park. Help us keep all students safe.

Visitor parking spaces: We have 15 visitor parking stalls (identified with the Visitor parking sign). These spaces are closest to the road. These stalls are available on a first-come, first serve basis and we would like to encourage our families to try to be courteous and leave these spaces for our families with infant children or our families with children with complex needs. If these spaces are full, please do not come into the parking lot to drop off your child.

Park and walk: As has been a familiar practice for most of our SJXXIII families, please make a plan with your child for a meeting spot, park down the street or around the corner. This keeps kids active and safe and greatly reduces the congestion in between the two schools. Some parking is available across the street. Please do not park in a numbered stall as these are reserved for our friends at Win Ferguson.

Walking School Bus: A fantastic practice in other schools is the Walking School Bus. Parents who live near one another make a plan to walk to school along a route, picking up kids along the way. Find out who lives by you and make a safe and active plan to walk to school!

Thank-you for your cooperation and commitment to keeping our kids safe. Remember, student safety will always trump convenience.

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2022-2023 Supply Lists

For the 2022-2023 school year, you will be required to purchase or supply basic school supplies for your child, including a one-to-one technology device for students in grade 4. Enhancement programming costs such as field trips etc. will be posted to your PowerSchool account in the fall. You will receive an email when the fees have been posted.

Staples is offering special pricing for parents from Elk Island Catholic Schools. You may choose to get your school supplies from Staples or from another retail store, click the button below to access the school supply lists provided by our school and by Staples.

2022-2023 St. John XXIII Supply Lists