Dear St. Gabes students and families,

It's almost April and it clearly it's coming in like a lion and not a lamb. So much snow!

Our spring break starts tomorrow and on behalf of the staff of St. Gabe's, I want to wish you all a safe and happy spring break and Easter holiday. School starts again on April 2nd.

Our mid-semester cut-off is April 5. Please take time over spring break to get caught up in your coursework. After April 5th, if you are too far behind, we start talking about withdrawing you from the course. Please chat with your teachers or our learning team if you need help.

Please make sure you register for next year. Our St. Gabes program is very unique in Alberta and this year we served well over 300 students from across the province and we are continuing to grow. Students report that they enjoy the flexibility of learning in a blended online/in person program. We continue to offer grades 7-12, and adult education. Our tuition fees for students over the age of 20 are much less than at post-secondary institutions.

Please go over our newsletter and note the important upcoming events.

I pray that you all have a safe and healthy spring!

Many Blessings to you all,

Renee Trottier,

Principal

March 22 - No School. Spring break begins

April 2 - First day back from Spring Break

April 5 - Wear green for the Humboldt Bronco's Logan Boulet effect (organ donation)

April 9 - School council meeting 6:30 pm

April 18 - Easter mass at St. Albert Parish with SACHS students. 9:30 am

April 19 - PD/Staff meeting day. No School.

April 22 - Earth Day

April 24 - Admin professional's day (be extra nice to Mrs. Franklin)

April 28 - National Day of Mourning for workplace accidents and deaths.

May 1 - Hat's on for Mental Health.

Thank you for taking the time to read about what's happening at St. Gabes each month. Our newsletter is a really important way for you to keep up with what's happening at school.

Each month you can enter our draw for a gift card. I reset the draw each month so you can win more than once! Congratulations to Kayla Veenstra! Please come to school to pick up your gift card.

Congratulations to Michelle Weatherly. Please come to the school to pick up your gift card!

Dear Families,

Thank you to all those who have already completed their registration for the upcoming school year. For those who haven't yet registered, we kindly remind you to do so at your earliest convenience. Registering promptly allows us to accurately plan for class sizes, allocate resources efficiently, and tailor our educational programs to meet the diverse needs of our students. Your timely registration plays a crucial role in helping us create the best possible learning environment for your child.

Please contact the school if you need any support with the registration process.

Click here to register for the 2024/25 school year.

We will do a draw for prizes each month for those who register before the end of June. If you have questions, please contact us and we can help.

Our winner for our registration draw is . . . Logan Crozier. Please come to the school after spring break to pick up your prize!

Grade 9 parents, please fill out the following form regarding Grade 9 farewell.

We meet once per month except for December and June. All of our meetings are online. You can find the agenda and meeting link on our website under "About Us/School Council". https://www.stgabe.gsacrd.ab.ca/about-st-gabriel/school-council-parent-council

We look forward to seeing you!

GREEN SHIRT DAY FOR ORGAN DONOR AWARENESS AND REGISTRATION - April 5

In honour of the Logan Boulet Effect, in support of
organ donor awareness and registration across Canada.

Register · Tell Your Family · Be Inspired

1. Check in - Always check in at the office - sign in with our QR code. This is for students and guests.

2. Check out - Always check out again before you leave.

It's important that we know who is in the building for safety reasons. If there is a lock down or evacuation, we need to be able to identify who is at school so that we can help to keep you safe.

3. Do not wander into areas of the school that aren't part of St. Gabe's. Our division office employees are working in other classrooms and offices in the building and we do not want to disturb them.

4. Parking - DO NOT park in the staff parking lot to the east of the school. You will be asked to move your car. You can park in the public parking lot across the street, in front of the school on the street, at the tennis court parking lot, and on the side streets.

5. Washroom facilities - we have 2 washrooms dedicated for student use close to our common room. There are student washroom signs on the doors. Do not use the staff washrooms that are closest to the front office.

6. Bring your own reusable water bottle. We now have a water bottle filling station in the hallway.

Just a reminder to read over our course completion policy which is linked in Moodle and can be found on page 6 of our student handbook. We believe in flexibility at St. Gabes but we are NOT a self-paced school. Students are expected to keep on track with completing assignments and exams. Students who hand in assignments and complete exams late may find themselves withdrawn from their courses. Teachers are under no obligation to mark assessments that are more than 2 weeks late or from previous units. Again, be sure to talk to your teachers if you are struggling with the course load. Communication is always the key to success.

As we venture through Lent, it often feels as though we will never make it to Easter. It feels long, bleak and tiresome. But, as we follow along with Jesus on the way of the cross to the resurrection, we don't dwell on Good Friday. We don't stay at the cross. The story doesn't end at His death. The story begins when He rises from the dead and opens the gates of salvation for us all! Isn't that amazing?! Let us not dwell on the darkness, for it has been conquered once and for all! Truly He has risen! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Did you Know?

Easter is the longest Season in the Roman Catholic Liturgical Calendar! It's 50 days long (7 weeks!) After the fasting, it's time for feasting! Now, that's worth celebrating!

Check out this video from our division chaplain, The Doug Kramer.

When we look up at Jesus on the cross, we see a man in his worst moment. Naked, tortured and vilified. Jesus looks down on us from the cross and says "Bring me YOUR worst moment and let me take it with me to the grave.". And he transforms our worst moments - our sin, our judgement - and transforms it on Easter Sunday.

April! Time sure has a way of flying by. Spring break is always a welcome change to our schedule. However, coming back from a break can leave us feeling overwhelmed. June feels so far away and yet our classwork comes week after week faster than we feel we can keep up with sometimes. Yet spring also comes with a sense of renewed energy! The sun is out, the temperature is warmer and more people are out and about. So how can we take this sense of renewal and apply it to our school work?

Here are a few ways to capture that spring energy and apply it to school:

1. Get outside! Go for a walk once a day, even if just for a few minutes. Better if you can do it with a pet or a friend for some added connection and purpose.

2. Be silly! You are never too old to jump in a puddle or dance in the rain. If you have a young child in your life, find some time to spend with them exploring outside looking for bugs or floating sticks in puddles.

3. Set a schedule and goals. Be intentional about scheduling your time. Schedule shorter study and work sessions, but schedule them more frequently and take breaks in between. Schedule some time to get outside, it will help your focus and attention.

April is also a great time to plan for next year. Whether your plans are for returning to high school, upgrading, applying for jobs or applying to post-secondary I can help! I am available Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays to meet with students and help you with your plans and applications. And don't forget to check out our scholarships section on the website!

Mrs. Webb is at St. Gabes on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays. Email her to set up a time to meet if you need support.

mailto:mwebb@gsacrd.ab.ca

Don't forget to check out our "Mental Health and Wellness" section on our website for wellness ideas, tips, resources and sessions that are being offered. Click on "community supports" for information about services in St. Albert and area to support you or your family.

Did you know that Alberta has a service that you can call, text or live chat? It's called 2-1-1 and it's a distress service that covers a really large number of topics. It's free, confidential and operates 24/7.

https://ab.211.ca/

Did you know that Mrs. Julie Lamoureux is our learning support facilitator? She is available every day except Wednesdays to help you with your coursework. Just email her to set up a time to meet!

mailto:jlamoureux@gsacrd.ab.ca

Parenting Sessions

Edmonton Regional Learning Consortium is now offering parent sessions that you might be interested in.

Social Emotional Learning Grades 7-12 - 5 Part Series

The Four Seasons of Wellness

Understanding the New K-6 Science Curriculum: A Session for Parents

Approaching May Mindfully

When Things Don't Turn Out as Planned

River's Edge Counselling

River's Edge workshop lineup for 2024 is updated. If you are interested in classes on any of the following topics, please click the link to register.

• Teen Wellness
  

• Embodied Stress Management

• Heartstrings: A Journey Towards Hope and Healing

• Circle of Security Parenting

• Talking about Puberty!

• The Compassionate Road to Building Self-Esteem

• Journey Through Grief: Touchstones of Hope

• Getting through the tough stuff: A workshop for supporting children and teens through self-harm, suicidal thoughts, and other disclosures.

• Parenting Through Divorce: Helping Kids Thrive

Did you know that a few times each month we buy our students lunch? We also have donut Mondays and snacks available everyday. Come in, attend a class, get some help from your teachers, and enjoy some yummy food!

Please leave us a review on Google or Facebook. It will only take you a few moments but it will go a long way to advertising our program to others in the province. The more students we have, the more robust the programming we can offer. Thank you in advance!

• Just a friendly reminder to park in the student designated parking areas:
• Public lot across the street\
• In front of the school on the street
• Public lot by the tennis courts
• On the side streets

• We kindly ask that you comply with the following:

  1. Do not park in our staff parking which is located to the east of the school

  2. We also ask that you do not use the handicapped parking spot for drop off and pick up as we have students who need it.

  
  

  Thank you!

Please follow and share with your friends. We want everyone to know what a great place St. Gabes is!

https://www.facebook.com/StGabeHS

https://www.instagram.com/st.gabes/

Please fill out the link for our draw! (Please do not enter more than once per month)

Teachers are available:

Monday to Wednesday
8:30 am to 3:00 pm

Thursday

8:30 am to 5:30 pm

Friday

8:30 am to Noon

Email: rtrottier@gsacrd.ab.ca
Website: https://www.stgabe.gsacrd.ab.ca/.
Location: 15 Mission Ave, St. Albert, AB, Canada
Phone: (780)459-6616
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StGabeHS