"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14)

January 1 - New Years Day

January 6 - Classes resume

From all of us at St. Lorenzo Ruiz, we want to wish you a very Merry Chritmas and a blessed holiday season. Please see the letter we emailed out to families below. See you all on January 6th.

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

As we approach the holiday season, we recognize that Christmas can be a dicult time

for many families. While this time of year is often associated with joy and togetherness,

we understand that for some, it can bring up feelings of stress, grief, and hardship. We

want to acknowledge that everyone's experiences are unique, and for some, the

holidays may not feel like a time of celebration.

We also know that the pressures of the season—whether due to financial struggles, the

loss of a loved one, mental health challenges, or complex family dynamics—can create

extra strain. Please know that it’s okay to not feel like “celebrating” during this time.

You are not alone, and there are supports available for families who may need

assistance or a safe place to turn.

In light of this, we want to remind you that there are local resources available to

support families who may need assistance during the holidays. Whether you or

someone you know is in need of food, emotional support, or crisis intervention, these

services are here to offer compassion, help, and understanding.

Support Services for Families in Our Area

Mental Health, Addiction Suicide and Family Violence

● Suicide Crisis Helpline – If you or someone you know is experiencing a crisis or

feeling overwhelmed, please reach out to the AHS Mental Health Help Line

1-877-303-2642 or text of call 9-8-8 for the Suicide Crisis Helpline 988.ca. Call 911

if someone is in immediate danger.

● Call the Addiction and Mental Health Help Line at 1-866-332-2322, available

24/7, this is a confidential service that provides support, information and

referrals to Albertans experiencing addiction and mental health concerns,

including problem gambling.

● First Nations and Inuit Hope for Wellness Help Line If you're experiencing

emotional distress and want to talk, call 1-855-242-3310. It's toll-free and open 24

hours a day, 7 days a week.

● Children's Help Phone – A confidential service offering counseling for children

and youth. Call 1-800-668-6868 or text CONNECT to 686868 kidshelpphone.ca.

● Family Violence Info Line – If you or someone you know is experiencing

domestic violence, help is available 24/7. You can reach the Alberta Family

Violence Crisis Helpline by calling or texting 310-1818 or visiting their online chat

for confidential support . Call 911 if someone is in immediate danger. Family

violence is a crime.

● Men & Call 1-833-327-MENS (6367) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for help and

support from one of our skilled and trained counsellors. When you’re struggling,

it’s hard to know who you can trust and where you can go menand.ca/get-help.

● Child Youth and Family Addiction and Mental Health Drop-in Counseling -

Serves families with children aged 6-17 years of age. Sheldon Kennedy Centre of

Excellence - Red Deer Polytechnic, 70 College Circle, Red Deer, Alberta. For

information call 403-340-5274.

Community Support Services

● 211 Alberta – A free and confidential helpline providing information about

community services and supports. You can reach them by calling 211 or visit

ab.211.ca.

● Social Diversion Team: If you are concerned for the wellbeing of someone who

is experiencing homelessness, mental health challenges or substance abuse

challenges, and they are not posing an immediate harm to themselves or others,

call 403-406-2200 between 7 am and 7pm, please call 2-1-1 for after-hours

referrals or support.

● If you are facing eviction or at risk for homelessness, Prevention Services are

available. To learn more about Red Deer’s programs visit

social-well-being-and-community-initiatives/housing-and-homelessness.

Food Supports

● Blackfalds Food Bank – Offering food assistance to those in need. Call 403-600-1768.

● Innisfail & District Food Bank (Serves Penhold residents) – Offering food

assistance to families and individuals in need. Call 403-227-0600 or visit Innisfail

Food Bank.

● Olds & District Food Bank – Available to help with food assistance for families.

Call 403-556-1693 or visit Olds Food Bank.

● Red Deer & District Food Bank – Offering food support to individuals and

families facing challenges. Visit Red Deer Food Bank or call 403-342-5355.

● Rocky Mountain House Food Bank – Supporting families with food security.

Call 403-845-7546

● Sylvan Lake Food Bank – Providing food for those experiencing food insecurity.

Call 403-887-4534 or visit Sylvan Lake Food Bank.

Additional Services:

● Connect with the main Alberta Supports Contact Centre: Call 1-877-644-9992

between the hours of 7:30 am to 8 pm (Monday to Friday, closed statutory

holidays) or email css.ascc@gov.ab.ca .

● 24-hour Emergency Income Support Contact Centre Get emergency financial

assistance to help with basic needs like shelter, food, clothing and

transportation. Open 24/7, call 1-866-644-5135 or email css.iscc@gov.ab.ca

● Emergency Needs Allowance If you require these emergency benefits, please

call the Alberta Supports Contact Centre at 1-877-644-9992 for more information

on how to apply www.alberta.ca/emergency-financial-assistance.

We encourage you to reach out to these services if you need support, or if you know

someone who may be struggling. No one should feel isolated during the holiday season,

and these organizations are here to help with understanding, care, and respect.

If this is not an emergent need and you would like to connect with a Family Support

Counselor in the new year please fill out this form bit.ly/fscreferral.

Please take care of yourself and each other. If you or your family need someone to talk

to or need assistance, we hope these resources can provide the support and

compassion you deserve.

Wishing you peace, comfort, and strength throughout the holidays.

Warmly,

Amy, Cindy, Danielle, Julie, Keitlyn, Kara, Madison, Melissa, Rozalyn, Tracy

Family Support Counsellors

Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools

https://www.rdcrs.ca/schools/fsec

SLR first ever Privilege Day was a huge success!! Thank you so much to all those who participated and made this a fun event! As explained yesterday, due to the extremely cold temperatures, our slurpee run had to be postponed. We will update with the new date when we return on January 6th.

Thank you to everyone who registered their child for SLR Ski & Snowboard Club! Registrations are now full but parents can add their child to the waitlist by emailing Mrs. Avila at ivygail.avila@rdcrs.ca

Provincial Achievement Tests (PATs) are administered annually to all Alberta students in grades 6 and 9. These standardized tests reflect the essentials that all Alberta students are expected to achieve.

Below is the schedule for PATs this year. Please note there is no Grade 6 Science PAT as it is a new curriculum and our students will not be writing Grade 6 Social Studies Curriculum as we are piloting some of the new Social Studies outcomes.

Please see the dates below for dates of PATs.

Grade 6 English Language Arts Part A - Wednesday, May 28

Grade 9 English Language Arts Part A- Thursday, May 29

Grade 9 K&E Language Arts Part A- Thursday, May 29

Grade 6 English Language Arts Part B - Thursday, June 12

Grade 9 English Language Arts Part B - Thursday, June 12

Grade 9 K&E English Language Arts Part B - Thursday, June 12

Grade 6 Mathematics Part A - Friday, June 13

Grade 9 Mathematics Part A - Friday, June 13

Grade 6 Mathematics Part B - Tuesday, June 17

Grade 9 Mathematics Part B - Tuesday, June 17

Grade 9 K&E Mathematics - Tuesday, June 17

Grade 9 Social Studies - Wednesday, June 18

Grade 9 K&E Social Studies - Wednesday, June 18

Grade 9 Science - Thursday, June 19

Grade 9 K&E Science - Thursday, June 19

Please see our 2024-2025 Annual Results Report below which can also be found on our website under the About tab.

We still have lots of parents who are not receiving our text communications. You will not rececive them until you opt in. Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools is now using PowerSchool SchoolMessenger for parent communications.

To opt in for text messages:

1. Grab your phone.
2. Text “Y” to 978338.

This is a quick and easy way to stay up-to-date with news, reminders, and urgent alerts from your school!

P.S. Our old system, Swiftreach, is no longer available. Make the switch today!

Parents: Click here for more information on the opt-in process.

We have been advised that class photos will be sent home in the new year once the lab has completed individual photos, and moved onto class photos. If you didn't see it last week, please see letter from Edge Imaging regarding an update on school photo orders.

There are two ways to view the status of your child's bus status. You can either go to our website and look at the bus status on the right hand side or you can download the Bus Status 4 App in your app store. The app is available for both apple or android users.

Download the New Bus Status App!

Bus Status 4 for iOS and Android notifies you when your school bus is cancelled or delayed.

Please download the Bus Status app at your earliest convenience to continue or to receive school bus notifications from Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools. To install this app, please follow the directions below:

Step 1: Download the Bus Status app by Box Clever.

Step 2: Open the app and select Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools from the list (you only need to select your district the first time you open the app. Bus Status will remember your selection).

Step 3: Go to All Buses. Tap the star to add a bus to My Buses.

Step 4: You’ll receive a notification when one of your buses is delayed, cancelled, or early.

Step 5: Tap the bell icon to see general notifications from Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools.

It's hard to believe we are already thinking about high school but ... Grade 9 parents/guardians please see the linked document for important information regarding transition to high school.

Colder weather has arrived! We know it can be tricky to convince teenagers to wear their jackets and warm footwear, but we ask that you please remind your children to dress for the weather as outdoor recess does continue through the fall and winter months.

There are two ways to mark your child's late or absence. You can email us at slrattendance@rdcrs.ca or call the school's attendance line at 403-406-7365 and press 1 to leave a detailed message. Please remember to include the reason for your child's late or absence. All late and absences MUST be excused or you will receive the automated attendance call. Any messages received after 9am may result in the automated attendance call going out.

If you are having troubles logging into Schoology, the Schoology Parent Reference Guide is a great resource for troubleshooting and how to's.

All families should have a parent portal set up. If you do not remember your login information or are having troubles logging in please call the school and we will be happy to provide you with your user name and reset your password for you. To access your parent portal please click on this link. You are not able to view forms or pay fees using the PowerSchool App.

What do parents access in PowerSchool?

• School Fees and Forms to access RYCOR for school fees and permission forms.
• School Engage To access Alberta Ed documents such as RDCRS Student Information Update Forms 2024-2025

Thank you to those who have filled out their form(s). We have started sending reminders to families who have not completed their forms. This document is a mandatory document that MUST be submitted for every student at the start of the school year. The purpose is to verify the information we have for each student is accurate and up to date. All you have to do is open the document, verify the information hasn't changed and submit. If you make any changes to the information, please save and submit. Please contact or stop by the office for help to complete this 2 minute form.

School Fees for the 2024/2025 school year are now past due. We will be notifying families with past due fees.

BIG NEWS! We now accept credit card payments at the office. Fees can be paid at our office by cash, cheque or credit card. To pay online, please log into your Parent PowerSchool account to view your fees and make your payment online through RYCOR. If you are unsure how to pay using RYCOR, please follow these steps:

1. Visit your school's website and click on the PowerSchool quick link (or use link above).

2. Sign in using your PowerSchool Username and Password. If you have forgotten either/or please contact the school office for assistance with resetting your password.

3. Click on link, "School Fees and Forms", located on the left-hand side.

4. Please follow the instructions provided on the screen when you are taken to RYCOR. If you have any questions, please contact the school office.

**RYCOR can only be accessed via PC/Tablet, the program does not work using the PowerSchool app.

PARKING UPDATE: We now have smaller school busses dropping students off out front of the school around 8:15 am. The front of the school will remain Drop and Go as these busses should be gone before families begin dropping off their children. If you notice a bus as you drop off your child, please be mindful of students in the vicinity. We thank you for your attention to this matter. As always, we remind our families to please use our North parking lot when parking and exiting vehicles. This is especially important on game nights when we have an abundance of visitors parking near the school. In an effort to show kindness to our community, we are asking our school community to please be considerate of our neighbours across the street and leave that parking for residents only.

If you need to reach our office for any reason, please contact our main line at 403-406-7365. This is also the number to call should you need to call in your child's attendance. This number is always available on our website.

A time to celebrate the joy of Christmas and come together as a community.

It was another fun week of themed days! Here a few highlights.

Our grade 9 students were busy decorating ornaments to donate to charity this week as part of a social justice initiative.

Please click on the link below to view this Health Canada resource on vaping and teens.

Students now have an opportunity to work on assignments during lunch recess on Wednesdays. Please see poster for more information.

If you think your child could benefit from speaking to a counsellor, please complete this form. A member of our counselling team will be in touch with you.

Lots happening with athletics these next couple weeks. Please pay close attention to the SLR Sports Calendar for up to date changes.

If your child is interested in playing any team sports this year, please fill out the Athletic Informed Consent form which can be found on RYCOR. To access RYCOR, please log into your PowerSchool account and click on fees and forms. Once in, click on your childs name and the forms will appear. Students will not be able to tryout until this form has been submitted.

For the most current practice and game times and locations, please see the SLR Sports Calendar.

For anything sports related, please see our SLR Sports Calendar. This calendar is updated regularily and is the best way to stay on top of everything SLR sports. If there is ever a change in the schedule, this is where you will find it.

Online ordering for the Eagles Nest Cafe is available at slr.hotlunches.net

Access code is: slr

New monthly menus will be posted to the website 7 days before the start of the next month.

Please seee parent letter for more information.

School Council meets the third Wednesday of every month at 6pm in the multicultural space at St. Lorenzo Ruiz. We encourage all our parents and guardians to join us! The next meeting will be on January 15.

School Council Information

Email: slr.schoolcouncil@gmail.com

As noted in the signage at our front entrance, to support the safety in and around our school we have indoor and outdoor cameras.

Please see the poster for more information.

A Christmas Gift for Your Students - GAMELAND Laser Tag & VRcade Awaits!

We hope this holiday season brings joy and excitement to you and all of your students! At GAMELAND Laser Tag & VRcade, we’re thrilled to spread some holiday cheer into our community of all ages. As a special Christmas gift, we’re offering every student a 2 FOR 1 coupon to enjoy an unforgettable laser tag experience at our Red Deer location. This is our way of bringing smiles, fun, and a bit of friendly competition to the season!

• What: 2 FOR 1 Laser Tag Coupon

• Where: Gameland Laser Tag & VRcade, 13-7619 50th Ave (Centre 76 Red Deer)

We’d love your help in sharing this Christmas gift with your students. We've attached a digital version of this coupon to share with your students and staff. Thank you for all the incredible work you do for the children in our community. Let’s make this holiday season extra special and full of fun, the more the merrier!

If you have any questions or need further details, please don’t hesitate to reach out by phone or email!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
GAMELAND Laser Tag & VRcade

403-340-2148

Bookings@gamelandreddeer.ca

The Alberta Sports Hall of Fame offers engaging educational programs that bring Alberta’s rich sports heritage to life. Students can dive into hands-on activities, explore unique sports artifacts, and hear inspiring stories of Alberta’s sports heroes. Our programs cover various themes, including Indigenous traditions, adaptive sports, evolution of sports, and the intersection of art and sport.

Programs Offered:

Art in Sport (K-4): Discover the connection between sports and art through mascots, jerseys, and medals.

Lasting Traditions (Grades 4-8): Explore Indigenous traditions in sports and culture.

Adaptive Sports (Grades 6-12): Learn about athletes who broke barriers in inclusive sports.

Innovation & Evolution (K-6): Students explore how sports and equipment have changed over the last century.

Pricing:

- In-house Programs: $75 for up to 30 participants, $150 for 31-60 participants.

- Outreach Programs: $125 per class.

For more information, please visit our website albertasportshall.ca/education-program

Click here for a PDF copy of the brochure.

Please see important information from Canada Homestay Network.