
Shining Bright @ Madonna!
MCS News - November 12th, 2023
Gospel Reading: Matthew 25:1-13 - The Parable of the Bridesmaids
It reminds me of the Girl Guide motto - Be Prepared.
Father Jim, in his homily, asks us a great question: As we are the bridesmaids...From where are we gathering our oil to keep our lamps lit?
Who are the lights in our world who are guiding our path? Who is fueling our lamps to keep us going? It's a great reflection: Our parents? Our Parish? Our Faith - which leads us to hope?
Grateful for another fitting Gospel message as we return from fall break and engage in conversations with the young leaders at Madonna Catholic School about modeling Christ-like behaviours, showing Madonna's young learners positive choices, and leading peers to places of love, kindness, joy, patience, inclusion, safety and peace.
Welcome Back, MCS Families! We are delighted to see you again!
Let's GLOW Together!
Mme Gravelle
Principal
This Week @ MCS
November:
13- Monday
- Indigenous Assembly at 9 AM
- First Recess Grade 3&4 Soccer Committee Meeting
- World Kindness Day
14-Tuesday
- Swimming for 3&4G, 2L, 4P, 3V
- Collaborate Team Meetings for teachers to review student data and create meaningful lesson integrations for learning success for all students
- Great day of learning!
- Student Support Team Meeting
- Swimming for 1S/W, 1B, 2&3O
- OLPH Parish Priest Visit
- Teacher Leading & Learning Meetings
17 - Friday
- 4P Linking Generations Visit
- Hot Lunch for those who ordered
You're Invited to Join us for our 2nd Annual....
Advent Wreath Night
Where: Madonna School
When: November 23rd @ 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Cost: Free
We Provide: Greenery, Wire Fame, Candles and an Advent Booklet
Please Bring: 4 Candle Holders (Taper Style Holders)
If you made an Advent Wreath last year, we encourage families to sign up and bring their wreath back with them. You can add on to it, making it special for this Advent season!
Please sign up using this QR Code or Link: https://schoolinterviews.ca/code/n66y5
Launching MCS Prayer Club!
Starting NEXT WEEK, November 22, our MCS Prayer Club will official launch. All children are invited to spend a morning recess with Christ in the chapel, lead by Mrs. Spindler.
Grade 4 Art Club!
Calling All Grade 4 Artists!
Mrs Pineau is holding an Art Club for Grade 4 students who would either like extra time for their class projects or for their own chosen projects. The club will be meeting Tuesdays during lunch recess in the Art Room on a first come basis (sign up will be during Art class in the morning).
Temporary Cafeteria Assistant Position Available
Funded by our Nutrition Grant, Madonna Catholic School is seeking a Temporary Cafeteria Assistant to lead the expanded Grab & Go Breakfast Program.
Hours per week: 6 hours
Pay rate: $19.76/hour
Duties include: Ordering/shopping for food and snacks, organizing and planning meals, distributing/collecting food items, proper preparation, cooking and storing of food
Schedule: Meals and snacks are to be warm and ready for approximately 8:30am. The schedule is flexible and adaptable upon discussion with the successful candidate. The tentative and basic schedule is:
- Mondays: prepare/cook breakfast foods for distribution Tuesdays and Thursdays, order/shop/pick up food, organize grab & go breakfast snacks for distribution that day - 3 hours.
- Tuesdays: Heat prepared food, distribute/collect, clean, prepare Grab & Go snacks for next day - 1.5 hours
- Wednesdays: Grab & Go Snacks (no hours)
- Thursdays: Heat prepared food, distribute/collect, clean, prepare Grab & Go snacks for next day - 1.5 hours
- Friday: Grab & Go Snacks (no hours)
Knowledge of food/storage preparation and experience working in a public food preparation setting is an asset. This position commences immediately upon onboarding of successful candidate and ends June 25, 2024.
For any questions or inquiries, please email mcs@eics.ab.ca. Please email with your contact information and resume if you are interested in this position.
We are excited to expand our Grab & Go Breakfast Program!
Keeping Children Safe on the Playground
Your child's safety is our #1 priority. This includes their physical safety, along with their emotional, psychological and spiritual safety.
As you know, before the break, we temporarily adjusted playground access while we gathered information to respond in the best possible way to help all MCS children play safely together on the playground. Before the break, all students participated in a workshop to practice, explore and reflect on safe play on the playground and at recess. Since those workshops, and continuing this next few weeks, Miss Emma will be engaging in conversations with students about the workshops and their learning take-aways. The goal is to build children's capacity for physical space, respecting it, and building communities of kindness.
Our support to build safe play continues this week!
Gradual Reopening of our the Playground
As we focus on safe play with all children, this week's playground schedule continues as it was before the break, and is displayed below. It is also posted on all of the children's recess doors.
Thank you for reminding children of the schedule and engaging in conversations with your child about the part they play in keeping everyone safe and having loads of fun at recess.
Grade 3 & 4 Soccer Committee
Before the break, Mme Gravelle met with all Grade 3 & 4 students who play soccer. They talked about what is working, what's not working, as well as what they would like to see to help them have more fun playing soccer. They talked about mentorship, leadership and about what a soccer game looks like when playing with Grade 3 & 4 students vs what it looks like with their littlest peers. They discussed what changes in play need to occur to keep everyone safe.
This week, Mme Gravelle will work with the soccer committee again and a soccer agreement will be signed, outlining the play choices they commit to making in order to play and lead in soccer.
Continuing to Build a Caring Community
Before the break, all teachers worked together to connect their class with another class to create Class Buddies. Every class, from Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 4 has at least one other buddy class. Buddy activities will begin organically within the learning environment as reading buddies, for example. In the near future, each buddy group will also participate in recess-play activities to extend their connections beyond the classroom.
When we know each other, we care about each other. A stronger caring Madonna Catholic School community will be built. Class Buddies create:
- Connection
- Community
- Empathy
- Awareness
- Inclusion
- Joy and Hope
Together, we are building a positive future!
Should you have any questions, please connect with Mme Gravelle or Miss Podoborozny.
Critical Response Procedures: Information for Parents & Guardians
Our Elk Island Catholic Schools website outlines for parents why we conduct multiple safety procedures and it explains each of the different safety practices we complete each year. Our Superintendent Mr. Paul Corrigan also shares how you, as parents and guardians, can help.
You are invited to peruse the information linked here for your convenience:
Critical Response Procedures: Information for Parents & Guardians
Cold & Flu Season - You Can Help!
Avoid spreading the illness. It's encouraged that your child stays home when they are sick.
Alberta Health Services suggests that if you have a flu or cold to stay away from others to avoid spreading the disease.
You are always welcome to connect with your child's teacher to help catch up on what learning has been missed. A great go-to at home to keep up on learning is to read with your child and practice adding, subtracting, and re-grouping.
My Health Alberta: https://myhealth.alberta.ca/health/Pages/default.aspx
Save On Foods Wye Road supports Madonna Catholic School!
Did you know that it also works on 15% off Tuesdays?
Did you know that Save On Foods will also Ad Match any advertised price?
Shop @ Wye Rd Save on Foods, save money & support Madonna Catholic School!
Launching FLIPGIVE!
FlipGive Fundraising for MCS
This season, fundraising for Madonna Catholic School is going to be so much easier with FlipGive, a free fundraising app.
We earn cash back on every purchase we make all year long! All you have to do is shop anytime with the brands you already love, like Home Depot, Walmart, Sport Chek, Indigo, Old Navy, Apple, Esso, and Loblaws. No more going door-to-door selling chocolate bars - it’s completely virtual and contactless.
There is no cost to parents or anyone that uses it (other than their own online purchases). Literally, by logging into the website and/or app, choosing your store and shopping, Madonna will receive a percentage of each purchase. There are many stores and services to choose from – even purchasing gift cards through this site earns the school rewards!
Join our team now and you’ll get a $5 bonus the first time you shop: https://flipgive.app.link/teams/join?joincode=WK2MXH
Or enter this code: WK2MXH
Login in online or download the FlipGive App. To start earning, search your favorite store through the app. Your purchase will earn our school money.
If you have any questions, please contact Kim Mahoney at kim@acappellacatering.com.
Arriving On Time Sets Your Child Up for Success!
The first bell for children to enter school is at 8:33am.
When children are able to enter into their day following the gentle routines they are used to, children step into learning peacefully and calmly which sets their day up for success.
Thank you for your help ensuring your child arrives on time.
We are here to help. If it's a struggle to arrive on time, please feel free to reach out to the school leadership team, or our Family Wellness Worker, Mrs. Norrie.
Sacramental Preparation @ OLPH Parish
First Communion will be celebrated in our parish the weekend of December 2-3. As usual, children have been grouped together by school. EICS staff and admin will be part of these celebrations with students and their families.
For the First Communion Celebrations the weekend of December 2 and 3, Mass Times are as follows:
Saturday Dec 2 at 5:00 pm – students of Ecole OLPH, St. Theresa and Holy Redeemer schools (EICS)
Sunday December 3 at 8:30 am – Homeschool, Public Schools and other Catholic Schools (non Sherwood Park)
Sunday December 3 at 10:30 am – students of EPK, St. Luke & St. Nicholas schools (EICS)
Sunday December 3 at 12:30 pm – students of Archbishop Jordan, Holy Spirit and Madonna Catholic schools (EICS)
The winter session of preparation for both these sacraments will begin in January 2024.
Parents of students in grade 2 and older are invited to contact the parish to register for sacramental preparation with their children. They can email SACRAMENTS@OLPH.CA to register or get any questions answered.
OLPH Parish News
Sunday Mass: 8:30 AM, 10:30 AM, 12:30 PM and 7:00 PM.
If parents have any questions, they can also contact the church by phone 780-467-5470 or email sacraments@olph.ca
Help us celebrate those who go above and beyond to create safe spaces for their students, continue to work hard to make learning fun and inspire the next generation to be bold innovators and creators.
Prime Minister’s Awards recipients for Teaching Excellence, Teaching Excellence in STEM and Excellence in Early Childhood Education can receive:
- A certificate from the Prime Minister
- National recognition and promotion of their best teaching practices
Classroom and Recess Fun
Grade 1 & 2 Playground Safety
Grade 1 & 2 Playground Safety
Grade 1 & 2 Playground Safety
Grade 1 & 2 Playground Safety
Grade 1 & 2 Playground Safety
2&3O Cogito French Fun
2&3O Cogito French Fun
2&3O Cogito French Fun
2&3O Cogito French Fun
2&3O Cogito French Fun
2&3O Cogito French Fun
2&3O Cogito French Fun
1B Arabian Horse Literacy Project
1S/W Arabian Horse Literacy Project
1S/W Arabian Horse Literacy Project
GOTCHA Shinning at Madonna
Virtual Gotcha Assembly
Grade 2 Gotcha Winners
Grade 2&3O Gotcha Winners
3G Gotcha Winners
Miss P Staff Gotcha Winner
4P Gotcha Winner
Kindergarten Gotcha Winners
3V Gotcha Winners
Kindergarten Gotcha Winners
Halloween Fun!
Grade 2 Halloween Centers
Grade 2 Halloween Stations
2L Halloween Costumes
Grade 2 Halloween Centers
Grade 2 Halloween Centers
Grade 2 Halloween Centers
Grade 2 Halloween Centers
Ms. W Glowing Halloween Costume
Pre-K Halloween Fun!
Remembrance Day Ceremony
Upcoming Events:
November:
13 - Welcome Back!
13 - Indigenous Assembly @ 9:00am - All are invited!
14 - Swimming for 3&4G, 2L, 4P & 3V
16 - Swimming for 1S/W, 1B, 2&3O
21 - Swimming for 3&4G, 2L, 4P & 3V
22 - Face to Face Ministries
22 - School Council Meeting @ 7 PM
23 - Advent Wreath Night
23 - Swimming for 1S/W, 1B, 2&3O
27 - Earth Ranger's Assembly
28 - Swimming for 3&4G, 2L, 4P & 3V
30 - Swimming for 1S/W, 1B, 2&3O
Mark Your Calendars:
Madonna Catholic School & COGITO Academy
Advent Celebration
Friday, December 15 @ 7:00pm
at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish
Invite your whole family!