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ABJ Scots Week at a Glance (SWAG)
April 22 - 26, 2024
This Sunday is Good Shepherd or Vocation Sunday in our church. Over the weekend masses we are asked to pray for vocations. Our school is blessed to have witnessed men and women who serve as priests, deacons, and consecrated persons. We continue to pray that the Holy Spirit helps others to respond generously and courageously to their call.
April 22 is Earth Day, an observance that celebrates the achievements of the environmental movement and raises awareness of the need to protect the earth’s natural resources for the future generations.
Important Dates
April 22
- Bus evacuations practice
- Grade 12 Registrations
- Senior Boys Rugby vs. Jasper Place at NorWesters Field #1. Game starts at 4:45 pm.
April 23
- Citadel Club at The Three Musketeers. Meet in the common area at 5:45 pm.
- Grade 12 Registrations
- Senior Boys Handball vs. Queen Elizabeth and McNally at ABJ. Games at 4:30 and 5:30 pm respectively.
April 24
- PEP Day. Choose your session at pepapr24.sched.com
- PE 30 Swim Tests
- Senior Boys Rugby vs. Bellerose at St. Albert Field #2. Game starts at 4:45 pm.
April 25
- Band/Choir Student Trip to Anaheim
- Boys and Girls Rugby at Lynn Davies Rugby Tournament
April 26
- PE 30 Swim Tests
Upcoming...
May 1
- Early Dismissal
May 2
- Grade-level Assemblies for students in grades 9, 10, and 12
May 3
- PD Day. No School.
May 5
- ABJ Led Mass at OLPH 12:30 pm
May 13
- ELA 9 Provincial Achievement Test Part A
May 15
- FLA 9 Provincial Achievement Test Partie A
Organization of the SWAG
The newsletter is organized based on our four school assurance priorities for this year.
- Faith Integration
- Learners and Learning
- Systemic Wellness
- Community Engagement
FAITH INTEGRATION
OLPH Weekly Bulletin and UpLIFT Prayer Requests
April Chaplains' Corner
Volunteers Needed for OLPH Vacation Bible School
Consider volunteering at OLPH Parish’s Vacation Bible School this July - looks amazing on a resume!
REAL Foundation Annual Golf Tournament
GrACE - Grateful Advocates for Catholic Education
GrACE Contest
A Celebration of Catholic Education
2023-2024 Theme: Go Light Our World, “Let your light shine before others that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16
GrACE exists to inspire, invigorate and embolden the spirit of Catholic education in order
to unite, engage, educate and communicate with one voice on its behalf. GrACE, in partnership with the REAL Foundation, is happy to present this contest to EICS students. This is our sixth annual GrACE Contest: A Celebration of Catholic Education.
We invite EICS students of all grade levels to submit work reflecting the importance of, and their experience with or contribution to Catholic education. This year our theme is Go Light Our World. Entries need to reflect this theme. It is often helpful if students include a few sentences to go with their entry on how it is connected to this year’s theme.
Student Submissions could include such things as (but not limited to):
*Please note, all digital submissions need to be in “view all” format before submitting.
A work of art
A poster
A formal or informal essay
Original music
Poetry
A presentation (video or otherwise) of social justice work
etc
Contest Rules
All Submissions due to CLS by April 22 in digital format through the school chaplain.
Prizes will be presented May 5 in each community’s parish (This is the kick-off to Catholic Education Week). There will be 14 prizes!
K-8 students = 50 dollar prize in the form of a gift card
9-12 students = 100 dollar prize in the form of a gift card
LEARNERS AND LEARNING
Grade 12 Registrations
Course selections for our current grade 11s going into grade 12 will be taking place this week. Please ensure that courses have been selected based on achievement, teacher recommendation, and post-secondary requirements. Counsellors and admin will be reviewing students' course selections one-on-one, but students are please asked to come prepared with their signed course selections forms and any questions that they may have.
Please refer to the information below.
PEP: Supporting Students' Academic, Spiritual, Physical, and Emotional Wellbeing
Student Opportunity: Reading with Madonna Students
Learning Spotlights
Elks Cheer Team in PhysEd 20 and 30 Classes
Thanks to the Elk Cheer Team for coming into the PE 20 and 30 classes. If you’re interested in joining the FREE Stunt Academy, check out the poster below.
Health 9 - Pitching In and Learning About Nutrition
As part of Mr. Siaotong's Health 9 class and focus on Mental, Social, Emotional, and Spiritual Health, our students did a clean-up (social service) last week in the student parking lot. Thank you for helping to keep our community clean!
Miss Mills' Health 9 class took a trip to Walmart to learn about nutrition labels. They learned about serving size and practiced comparing product prices to find the best deal. Everyone did a great job collaborating in their groups in order to accomplish the task!
Foods 30
Mrs. Miskew's Foods 30 students have been preparing a number of beautiful breads as part of their Yeast Unit - Winston Knot breads and Bohemian Kolaches. Kolaches are a a sweet Czech pastry made of yeast dough. Kolaches are flat and generously filled in the middle with fruit, poppy seed, or cream cheese filling. Students have done a fantastic job with this unit!
Social 9 Economics Unit Project
Social Studies 9 had a “practice run” for their upcoming economics unit project. Students created a fake business to buy and sell products to each other with fake currency. They practiced marketing and negotiating, and learned about profit and debt. Stay tuned for what’s to come!
EICS Summer School
Grade 12 Post-Secondary and Diploma Supports
Post-Secondary Reminder
Scholarships
Northeast Capital Industrial Association 2024 Scholarship
The Northeast Capital Industrial Association (NCIA) is once again distributing $5,000 in scholarships (5 x $1,000 scholarships) to students attending a high school in Alberta's Industrial Heartland. This will be the third year that we have offered this scholarship opportunity. To read more about last year's scholarship recipients, visit our website.
The NCIA Scholarship is open to Grade 12 students planning to pursue post-secondary studies in a STEM program, Environmental and Conservation Sciences program, or trade.
This year, students can apply directly for the scholarship instead of having to be nominated to apply. We will be promoting this opportunity on NCIA's social media channels (X and LinkedIn) as well as through our website.
Students
- Students will need to complete the signed application form with their personal information and provide a short abstract of 300-500 words.
- The Principal or Assistant Principal will need to sign the application form.
- Students must submit their application ON or BEFORE June 30, 2024.
NCIA
- A committee from NCIA will review the applications and select recipients in July/August.
- Successful applicants will be notified in August 2024.
As a reminder, the below scholarship opportunities are still active and available to students.
Scotiabank Scholarships
- 16 x $3,750 in awards
- 4 themes: Financial Wellness, Future Women Leader, Diversity, and STEM
- Deadline: May 3, 2024
- Learn More
H&R Block Canada Scholarships
- 10 x $3,000 in awards
- Valuable student-friendly info on taxes (click Learn More)
- Deadline: April 26, 2024
- Learn More
myBlueprint Awards
- 5x $1,000 in awards
- Only accessible via the myBlueprint Student account (instructions below)
- Deadline: May 17, 2024
How students enter:
Log in to your myBlueprint Account (It is your ABJ Id/email. The password is the same as it is for you to access the network)
Click the Tasks > Scholarship Tab
Read through the Terms and Conditions
Click Enter Draw > Confirm Entry
Norquest College Program Previews
SYSTEMIC WELLNESS
Citadel Club Final Show of the Year - The Three Musketeers on Tuesday April 23!
ith lavish sets, hundreds of costume pieces and epic swordfights, our production of The Three Musketeers provides endless visual elements to enjoy. But with so many moving pieces, how does the audience know where to look? A sharp lighting design guides the audience’s eye through the story, as our Students Club members will learn in their pre-show workshop with the Musketeers lighting designer, Sophie Tang! Sophie’s designs have been seen all across Canada in plays, musicals, and operas. Her Students Club session will illuminate just some of the techniques and tricks that she used to light up this production!
The run time is approximately 2 hours and 10 minutes (including a 20 minute intermission). The talk-back should end around 10:05PM. So please be prepared to be back at school for a bout 10:45pm.
Please meet Ms. Nelson and Mr. Grondin in the lower common room for 5:45 on Tuesday April 23.
Improv Team Update
Another amazing night at the NAIL competition for the ABJ Improv Team, they placed second! Both scenes had the audience laughing, special shout to Avery Simpson for her impression of a Kaleidoscope! Congrats to the seniors who will graduate this year, Teanna Mackney, Cassidy Rudiak, and Avery Simpson. Finals are May 8th!
Upcoming Student Council Events
Upcoming spirit days:
- May 2 - Star Wars Day (They wanted "May the 4th be with You" but there is no school that day...
- June 12 Dress Like a Teacher or Dress Like a Student
Ultimate Scavenger Hunt (a.k.a. USH)
- April 26-May 3
- Registration April 15-24
- A long-standing tradition at our school. In teams of 10 + 1 teacher rep, teams will take part in a scavenger hunt on the goose chase app. This is a great team-building event. We have a $10 entry fee per team as a fundraiser for the Lurana Shelter. Team registration is first come first serve. Grab forms from Mrs. Boake’s room 189 and return them too. . This is a fun activity to participate in and a great way to connect with our school community as well as potentially win awesome prizes.
Here Comes the Sun: Student Wellness
Students in grades 9 and 10 have been attending assemblies focusing on their wellness through the PEPY model which emphasizes three "dots"- physical, social, and spiritual. Students in grade 12 helped to put together some promotional videos about each of the "dots".
For more information on Here Comes the Sun at EICS and the PEPY Project, see here.
Students are encouraged to "check in" to celebrate the efforts they are making in caring for their social wellness. At the May 2nd assembly, our chaplains will be leading students through ways to care for their spiritual wellness.
Student Supports
Strathcona CANTEEN Youth Hub April Calendar
Community Supports and Events
Volunteer Opportunities
Student Opportunity : Minister’s Youth Council Recruitment
The Alberta Government is seeking approximately 40 junior and senior high school students from across Alberta, between the ages of 14 and 19, representing diverse interests, identities, backgrounds, and perspectives, to join next year’s council.
Council members will learn about topics related to government and the inner workings of Alberta’s education system. They will have an opportunity to speak directly with the Minister of Education Demetrios Nicolaides and senior leaders in the ministry and provide their thoughts and ideas on how to strengthen education for all Alberta students.
Of the 40 council members, there will be up to eight returning members and at least 32 new members. Participation on the council will provide students the opportunity to make a tangible impact on Alberta’s education system, strengthen their leadership skills, and leave a legacy for future generations.
The deadline for submitting student applications is April 30, 2024. For more information, please visit alberta.ca/student-engagement.aspx.
Athletics
Check out the new website for all things Athletics.
Women's Flag Football Spring Development Camp
HS Badminton Update
This weekend marked the end of the High School Badminton season, as our ABJ Scots competed at M.E. Lazerte in their final tournament of the year. This event saw both our doubles and singles players face off against top-level competition in the province, battling hard in many competitive matches. The team had a number of standout performances, including Matteo Schlack coming back to win from a 10-19 deficit to win 21-19, a win which qualified him for the winners bracket in the Senior Boys Singles division. Dominic Lorenson and Nicole Escalona also saw success in the Intermediate Mixed Doubles division, coming up just short of the medal matches in the consolation bracket. All competitors showed great effort and sportsmanship, ending the season with some impressive performances. Go Scots!
Thank you to Mr. Kent for dedicating his time to coaching our players this season!
Grade 9 Badminton Update
The Grade 9 Badminton team had a strong tournament in Fort Saskatchewan on Saturday. Olivia & Faye (girls doubles), Jacob (boys singles), Benzene (girls singles), Isaiah and Christina (mixed doubles) all finished top 3 in their pool to make playoffs! Only Olivia and Faye won in their quarter final match, but all teams played very strong and showed great Scots spirit!
Grad Update
Please contact Mr. St. Jean with any questions relating to French Immersion Grad 2024.
Grad Parent Communication Letter
Please see HERE for the Grad 2024 Letter sent to grads and parents/guardians prior to spring break.
If you have any further questions, please do contact advisors at abjgrad@eics.ab.ca. The grad advisors meet weekly on Wednesdays and they will respond to your queries after spring break as they are able during our weekly meetings.
Cafeteria Menu
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
UFest - May 24 and 25
UFest Edmonton Ukrainian Festival is a celebration of Ukrainian culture, food, music, visual arts, crafts and dance. This two-day event brings together people of Ukrainian heritage, as well as attracts audiences of many diverse cultures.
Долучайтеся до нас, щоб разом вшанувати українську культуру на найбільшому багатоденному українському фестивалі у Західній Канаді!
This year, The Feyeria Bandura Ensemble is one of the mainstage performers, and our very own Mrs. Ryl and grade 9 student Andriana Slavych are part of this group.
Mark your calendars for this important cultural event!
Parent Reminders and Information
Attendance Reminder
Did you know that our school has team meetings every week that review the academic and attendance issues of each grade level? As we are several weeks into the new semester it is very important that families take the time to keep us informed. Please ensure you are informing the school each time your child is absent, ill or late. We do not wish to have the auto callouts emailing and phoning your home, but if there are unverified absences this will continue to occur. Staff will email when absences start to exceed certain thresholds. If you are having trouble with your Parent PowerSchool account please call our front office at 780-467-2121 or email: abj@eics.ab.ca
Approved 2024-2025 Calendar
Please see below for the Board of Trustees approved 2024-2025 school year calendar.
EICS Board of Trustees Monthly Highlights
Communications
Newsletter Translation Feature Reminder
SWAG
The Scots Week at a Glance (SWAG) newsletter will be shared weekly on Sunday evenings or Monday evenings on long weekends. This will also be posted on our website and shared via social media. Stay informed on all things ABJ through the website, blog, and on social media.