"Those who seek the LORD lack no good thing." (Psalm 34:10)

January 14 - YMCA After School Drop-In (New Day - new permission form required)3:10-5:00pm

January 15 - School Council Meeting 6-7pm

January 15 - Ski Club Night 4-9

January 21 - YMCA After School Drop-In 3:10-5pm

January 22 - Ski Club Night 4-9

Janary 24 - Grade 9 Discovery Days at SJHS

January 28 - YMCA After School Drop-In 3:10-5pm

January 29 - Ski Club Night 4-9

January 31 - PD Day NO SCHOOL

Parents/guardians would have received emails this week regarding surveys.

• Grade 7 families received a letter about Alberta Educations Assurance Survey that will be coming out some time in January.

• Grade 6,8,9 families would have received a letter about the Schollie survey that can be completed now until January 31st.

Both these surveys help our school to celebrate our many successes and also identify areas for our growth.

We thank you in advance for completing these surveys and working with us to make St. Lorenzo Ruiz the best possible school for your children.

If you did not receive the survey information or have questions please contact us at the office at403-406-7365.

As we start our planning for the 2025-2026 school year we ask that families start thinking about their enrollment intentions for next year. Please watch for our 2025-2026 Intentions form that we will be sending out to families closer to the end of January. The data we collect from this form will up us to begin planning for next year.

Our YMCA After School Drop-In has a new night! Starting Tuesday January 14th it will be held weekly on Tuesdays from 3:10-5:00pm. If you are interested in having your child attend, please complete their permission form. A copy of the permission form was sent home to families via email but can also be picked up here at the office.

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

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 are still looking to order school photos please click on this link to order online.

To select backgrounds, please follow these instructions from Edge Imaging:

On our ordering page there are 3 tabs at the top, "gallery", "shop", and "Add Student". It's not possible to change backgrounds in the "Shop" tab. However, there are over 200 options available if you hover over the student's image in the "Gallery" tab. Notice the "change background" prompt on the bottom right corner of the student's image.

Please see image for a screenshot of demo order page.

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.

On Friday January 24, 2025 Grade 9 students are invited to attend St. Joseph High School's Discovery Days. This event provides an opportunity to explore the transition to high school, learn about the various CTS option courses available and get a glimpse of SJHS as a potential future school. If you would like your child to attend this event, please log into your PowerSchool Parent Portal, click on Fees and Forms on the left hand menu, then click on Permission Forms to find the Discovery Days form. If you have any questions or need your PowerSchool password reset, please call the office at 403-406-7365.

Agenda:

12:45 pm - Depart St. Lorenzo Ruiz to St. Joseph High School

1:00 pm - Arrive at St. Joseph High School gymnasium

1:00 - 2:15 pm - Discovery Days

2:20 pm - Board buses and return to St. Lorenzo for 3:03 pm (regular dismissal)

Grade 9 parents/guardians please see the linked document for important information regarding transition to high school.

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 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.

Lots of smiles on this brisk walk for slurpees and snacks as part of SLR Privilege Day!

Staff and students gathered in worship at Sacred Heart Church to celebrate the glorious Epiphany, honoring the revelation of Christ to the world.

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 you are interested, please cheer on our senior boys as they play in the 2024 LTCHS Gr. 9 Boys Basketball Invitational tournament this weekend. Schedule can be found on our SLR Sports Calendar.

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!

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.