Leadership Message
“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” 1 John 4:16
In the midst of uncertain and unprecedented times, we come together as a faith community surrounding our children with peace, calm, and love. I continue to be incredibly proud of our Saint John XXIII community and EICS in the ways that we are responding to the current COVID-19 pandemic. Our staff has once again stepped up to be (as Jody Carrington challenges) “bigger, stronger, kinder, and wiser” as we hold these littles in uncertain and worrisome times. Thank you parents for all you continue to do to calm your children’s worries and support the staff at Saint John XXIII.
Important messaging came out today, March 15th from EICS March 15 Coronavirus update. Please ensure you have read through this and stay informed.
To specify some of the updated protocols directed from Alberta Health Services-Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, on March 14, 2020 regarding the Coronavirus and how this impacts our school-at Saint John XXIII:
Saint John XXIII will be open to staff and students only. Parents and other guardians may come to the office to collect a student/drop off items, but are not to be allowed further into the school. Should you need to come into our school, please enter through our main doors, use the provided sanitizer at the front entrance, and check in at the office.
All assemblies are cancelled until further notice. To further increase the social distancing, all gatherings of students of more than two classes will be cancelled, including eating lunch in the gym. Starting Monday, students will be eating lunches in their classrooms.
Our Open House scheduled for this Wednesday, March 18 has been cancelled until further notice.
Our Three-Way Parent-School-Teacher conferences (March 24 & 25) have been cancelled until further notice.
At this time, we will continue with Hot lunch this Thursday and milk program but our staff will need to distribute as parent volunteers are not allowed in school at this time. We will reassess this if it becomes unmanageable for our staff.
All field trips and presentations have been cancelled until further notice.
Our independently owned and operated Treehouse Daycare will remain in operation. However, operators will be asked to bring the child to the side entry doors for pick up and drop off with the parent. Parents are asked to wait outside.
Our Student Teachers from Concordia scheduled to begin tomorrow will be deemed as staff, and will be able to enter the school as long as protocols from AHS are followed.
Students are not to use the spout portion of water fountains, please ensure your child has a labeled water bottle for filling.
Hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette will continue to be reinforced.
After direct consultation on March 14, 2020 from Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta Chief Medical Officer of Health, and Alberta Education, all schools and school division facilities have been directed to adhere to the following according to the Alberta Guidelines for school protocols March 13, 2020: https://www.alberta.ca/assets/documents/covid19-alberta-guidance-for-schools-and-child-care-programs.pdf
Zero Tolerance Directive Regarding Student and Staff Illness
Parents/guardians of students/children and staff should be informed that by the direction of Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health there is zero tolerance for children or staff with any respiratory symptoms attending schools or school division facilities across Alberta. This includes Elk Island Catholic Schools.
Any student or staff member with respiratory symptoms, such as a cough, mild cold, or flu-like symptoms (e.g. fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, fatigue, headache, muscle aches, and including symptoms that may seem like a mild cold) must inform the school immediately and remain home for 14-days while they monitor their symptoms.
In the home, parents are urged to closely monitor their children for possible respiratory symptoms such as cough or symptoms of a mild cold, or flu-like symptoms. This is crucial, as students with symptoms can then be identified early and remain home, before riding the morning bus or being dropped off at school. Again, if symptoms are present in a student, they must remain home for 14-days while those symptoms are monitored.
Teachers and school staff are urged to closely monitor their classrooms, and if any student is having respiratory symptoms such as cough or symptoms of a mild cold, or flu-like symptoms the steps below should be followed. The same steps should be followed if a staff member begins to experience respiratory symptoms.
1. If a student, child or staff develops respiratory symptoms while at school, they should be removed from the school environment.
2. Schools and school facilities promptly separate the student/child or staff with symptoms of COVID-19 (e.g. fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, fatigue, headache, muscle aches, and including symptoms that may seem like a mild cold) in an area separate from others, with adequate supervision until they can go home.
3. To help prevent transmission, the most important steps are to reinforce strict respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene practices and to have the ill student/child or staff stay two meters away from others. If possible, the student should be placed in a separate room from other students/children with a closed door. Any rooms they have been in while symptomatic should be cleaned and disinfected before others enter them.
4. Schools must notify parents/guardians if their child begins to experience respiratory symptoms while at school and arrange for immediate pick up.
5. Students and staff must remain home for 14 days, regardless of changes in symptoms over that time. If symptoms have improved, parents must contact the school to update the school upon the end of the 14 day period. If symptoms persist past the 14-day period, please consult with your school before your child returns.
6. Since younger children and children with special needs may not always be able or willing to identify or disclose symptoms, they should be closely monitored by staff for symptoms.
Students or staff returning from travel outside of Canada
Parents/guardians of students/children and staff are informed that by the direction of Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health that, as of 3:30 pm March 12th, any student or staff member who returns from travel outside of Canada must contact the school to notify of their return, and as directed by Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, self-isolate for 14-days before returning to school or school division facilities.
During self-isolation, monitor for the development of any possible symptoms. If possible COVID-19 symptoms do develop, please notify Alberta Health by phoning 811.
If students or staff are tested for COVID-19, those who test negative will be advised individually by AHS about a return to school and work.
Important Considerations:
If your family is planning travel outside of Canada for March Break, and that travel includes an EICS student, that student will have to self-isolate for 14-days starting upon your return home. The student WILL NOT be able to return to school until that 14-day self-isolation expires.
If parents or family members have travelled outside of Canada, but your child or a related staff member has not, Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health advised that the child and staff member can still attend school or work. If any symptoms develop they will then be subject to the same 14-day period away from school and school division facilities.
This continues to be an ever-evolving situation, please check the EICS website for the most current communication linked here
As always, our children rely on us for age-appropriate information and a sense of hope and reassurance. I continue to experience so many amazing people stepping up and surrounding our children with love, hope, and faith. I continue to believe in our Saint John XXIII village as we Love-First, Last and Always. Thank you parents and families for your continued prayers, love, and support.
Blessings,
Bonnie-Lynne Boehm
Catching that Leprechaun at Saint John XXIII! Makerspace-March 16th
It will soon be St. Patrick’s Day and those pesky leprechauns will be up to their old tricks! Prankster Patricia has challenged the students of St. John XXIII to build the perfect leprechaun trap. This year, we are going to try to outsmart those sneaky leprechauns! Building will take place in the afternoon of March 16th. Students will be meeting with their partners and building in their classrooms or in small groups around the school.
Please support your child by:
- Helping them bring in recycled items to create their traps.
- Sharing in their enthusiasm
- Ensuring that the "creating" and "making" happens at school with their partners and not at home (Students need the opportunity to problem solve and explore). Feel free to create one at home too! Those pesky Leprechauns go everywhere!
Have fun discussing and brainstorming ideas with your child. We can’t wait to see the amazing ideas St. John XXIII students come up with! This will be the year we catch a leprechaun!
Preschool at Saint John XXIII-Welcome A Fairytale Beginning Preschool-Registration begins Wednesday at 8:45 am
As shared previously, our Inclusive Faith-based Pre-Kindergarten program at Saint John XXIII will not be sustainable and therefore, unable to continue for the 2020-2021 school year.
We are delighted to share that we are beginning a beautiful partnership with a local independent organization, A Fairytale Beginning Preschool, who will offer a play-based, faith integrated Preschool at Saint John XXIII. Starting fall of 2020, A Fairytale Beginning, will be offering 4 day a week programs (am or pm option) for 4 year olds. There will also be a 2 year option on Friday mornings. Registration for these will begin on Wednesday, March18th, at 8:45 am and will be on a first come first serve basis. For more information or to receive a registration package please contact the preschool office at 780-912-1167 or makinofficemanager@gmail.com.
Website: https://www.fairytalepreschool.com/
Our Saint John XXIII Student Support Team is working closely with EICS Inclusive Learning services to navigate the new Early Learning Funding Framework and Program Unit Funding (PUF) model that were recently released. We will be communicating with our current families after Spring Break once we have more detailed information on supports for next year.
OLA Parish News
Our Lady of the Angels Parish is now inviting Catholic children in Grade 2 to prepare for the Sacrament of the Eucharist (First Holy Communion) at Our Lady of the Angels Parish. Registration is open until April 3, 2020. No late registrations will be accepted.
Class dates:
- April 18, 2020 OLA Church meeting room 10:00 am (Parents required to stay)
- April 25, 2020 OLA Church meeting room 10:00 am
- May 3, 2020 OLA Church 2:00 pm Celebration Mass
Registration forms are available online on our school website linked here or at the church office. There is a $25 registration fee to cover the costs of materials. Please provide a copy of your child's baptism certificate when registering. Questions can be directed to the OLA Church office at 780-998-3288.
*If you would like your child to receive their First Communion this year and they have not yet celebrated their First Reconciliation, please contact the OLA Parish office at 780-998-3288 to make an appointment to meet with Father Kris.
Saint John XXIII Catholic School
Email: stj@eics.ab.ca
Website: https://stj.eics.ab.ca/
Location: 9526 89 Street, Fort Saskatchewan, AB, Canada
Phone: 780-998-7777
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/St.JohnXXIII
Twitter: @St_JohnXXIII
