St. Gabriel Education Centre

Dear St. Gabes students and families,

Wow! And just like that . . . it's June! The year just flew by again. On behalf of the staff of St. Gabes, I just want to say what a fabulous year this has been and how honoured we feel to work with you and/or your children each day. We have amazing students at St. Gabes. We will miss those of you who are moving on to post-secondary or the world of work and we wish you all the best in your future endeavours. Please feel free to come by and visit us any time!

June is also when we recognize both Indigenous People's month and Pride month. To that end, we at St. Gabes want to reaffirm that we are honoured to serve students of every race, culture, religion, gender, and sexual orientation. No exceptions . . . just outstanding education offered with respect, compassion and sensitivity. Any discrimination will not be tolerated and we avow to continue to create safe, welcoming and inclusive environments for all students, parents, and staff at St. Gabriel Education Centre.

As always, June is a very busy month filled with really important dates and information so please take a few minutes to read through our newsletter. Please make sure you let our staff know if you have any questions or need any assistance with anything.

Many Blessings to you all,

Renee Trottier,

Principal

It's that time of year when we have to say farewell to staff members who are changing roles for the next year. We thank the following staff for their dedication and talent which they have shared with our staff and students. We will miss them greatly.

Christina Doehring - After 3 years of teaching online, Ms. Doehring will be returning to Legal School to teach grades 4/5 once again. We will miss the laughter, flexibility and creativity that Ms. Doehring brought to St. Gabe's. Legal School is fortunate to gain such a strong, dedicated teacher.

Christian Pagnani - We thank Mr. Pagnani for his hard work making creative and engaging English and Social lessons for our students, building courses for us, and for all the Moodle help he provided (which honestly, was mostly for the rest of the staff). We will miss the support he provides his students, his ability to make tough things make sense, and his witty sense of humour.

Allex Rumbles - Ms. Rumbles took on a hefty course and learning load this year and did an incredible job with it. We thank her for her dedication to her students, for updating many courses and assignments, and for her calm, flexible demeanour. Ms. Rumbles is a joy to work with and we will miss her dearly.

Chantelle Blair - Ms. Blair joined us this year as a doctoral student working with Mrs. Delhez and then in January, took on our Learning Support Facilitator position. This is not an easy job to learn but Ms. Blair did an amazing job and we are sad to see her leave. She will be continuing her studies for her doctoral program.

And while it's always difficult to say goodbye, we also want to welcome the following teachers to St. Gabes for next year:

Candace Ketsa - Mrs. Ketsa is returning to St. Gabes from a year as our division math and numeracy consultant. Mrs. Ketsa was one of the original St. Gabe's teachers when it was a Storefront School, and was also one of our online teachers for 2 years during COVID. We are excited to have her return to St. Gabes where she will be joining Mrs. Bedi in the math and sciences department.

Katie Doucette - Ms. Doucette will be joining us to cover for Mrs. Terin while she continues her maternity leave. Ms. Doucette will be teaching English and Social grades 9-12. We look forward to getting to know Katie and having her join our St. Gabe's family.

Frank Breen - Mr. Breen will continue with St. Gabe's to cover for Mrs. Lamoureux while she is on maternity leave. Mr. Breen has been working with us for most of this school year and we're excited to have him back for next year.

Val Franklin, Julie Bedi, Tracy Delhez, and I are all returning for another year.

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.

Congratulations to Rachel LaGrange for winning the draw this month! Please stop by the school to pick up your gift card!

Don't forget to enter our draw for a gift card! I reset the draw each month so you can win more than once! This is our last draw for the year.

https://forms.gle/kx5u8TWpSDKAw8Jn8

As this school year comes to an end, it's time to once again recognize and reward the hardworking staff at St. Gabriel's! The school council would like to provide a lunch for the team on June 26. We need your help with this! We are looking for donations of funds to get some tasty trays from Mercatos and maybe something alcoholic for enjoying once the school year is done. If you want to donate some desserts for that day, we would appreciate that too!

We would also love to have words of appreciation & thanks sent to the school. Please consider sending in cards or emails to the school to let them know how much they are appreciated. I can pick up donations/cards in the St. Albert area. If you want to send an etransfer, please send an email to stgabeschoolcouncil@gmail.com and I will respond with my personal email for the etransfer.

Thank you, Yvonne Dutton

Chair, St. Gabriel School Council

I would like to take this time to thank our School Council for their dedication and attendance this year. A school with parent involvement is always stronger for it.

Thank you to our Council:

Yvonne Dutton - Chair

Sharon Brown - Vice-Chair

Christina Doehring - Secretary

Sherry Gural - member

Robin Shields - member

Board Chair, Joe Becigneul - St. Gabe's Trustee representative

Thank you as well to those of you who joined our meetings when you could and to those who couldn't attend but provided feedback either by email, phone or surveys. Your involvement, in whatever way that looks for you, is welcome and appreciated.

Our first School Council meeting for next year is September 12 at 6:30 pm. Our meetings are online and short. All parents and legal guardians are welcome to attend. We also need one high school student to represent the students' perspective. Please consider joining us next year.

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!

June 8 - Last day of classes for high school students. All high school coursework is due, including unit exams.

June 9 - PD Day. School is closed

June 12 - Diploma exams begin (See exam schedule)

June 15 - 11:00 am - Semester 2 awards and year-end liturgy

June 15 - 12:00 - 1:00 - BBQ for all students

June 19 - Last day of classes for Junior High students

June 21 - National Indigenous Peoples' Day. No exams are scheduled for today. Teachers are available for help.

June 28 - Last day of school for all GSACRD students.

Please click on the link for our exam schedule. Take note of the dates that you have to be in class to write exams and attend review sessions.

Diploma exams cannot be moved or missed for any reason. If you miss your diploma, you will have to reschedule it for August by booking it on MyPass.

High School students - if you have time conflicts with a final exam, replacement exam, or review session, please contact your teacher to set up an alternate time to write the exam or attend a review session.

Grade 8 and 9 finals/PATs dates are set and cannot be changed. If you have an unavoidable absence, please contact Mrs. Trottier as soon as you can. You can write the exam the following day (which means writing 2 exams in one day). You cannot write final exams/PATs earlier than the scheduled date.

St. Gabriel Education Centre Final Exam and Review Session Schedule

Check with your teacher for any updates to the review or exam schedules.

Just a few friendly reminders:

• No phones, computers, tablets, wearable technology, etc. are allowed in our exam rooms
• Students will need to bring headphones (plug in kind) if they are using audio
• Students must stay for the minimum amount of time indicated on their exam. Check with your teachers what the minimum time is for your exam/s.
• Students have up to double the amount of time allotted for the exam. Check with your teachers what that time is for your exam/s.
• Students needing to use the facilities will be accompanied by a staff member who will wait for them outside the door and then escort them back to the exam room.
• Snacks are allowed as long as they are not noisy, smelly or distracting.
• Be mindful of your body odour/body sprays and colognes. It is summer, the room gets warm so overly pungent smells can be amplified and distracting in exam rooms.

On, or before, June 28 all textbooks and Chromebooks must be returned to St. Gabriel Education Centre. Your best practice is to bring your textbook when you come to write your final exam. Please note, not returning school resources will result in a fee to pay for the replacement of the item. Damage will be assessed a fee to either rebind the book or replace it, depending on the damage. Thank you for your attention to this!

MyPass - To check your grades, be sure that you have signed up for MyPass. This is an essential site for all Alberta high school students. Your grades will be posted there mid-July. You also need to order transcripts through MyPass. Please do not contact the school regarding diploma exam marks as we don't get this information until the fall. You need MyPass to see your diploma grades. Grade 10 and 11 students should also sign up for MyPass so that you can track your high school progress and download your detailed Academic Report.

If you are graduating this year and you haven't spoken with Mrs. Bedi yet, please contact her ASAP. We are planning a lovely celebration on June 28 at 10:00 am followed by lunch for our graduates and their guests. There are still a few of you who haven't given us a grad picture yet. Please stop by the school so we can take it ASAP. If you're out of town, you can send us a picture that you take yourself if you'd prefer.

Our grade 9 Farewell is on June 8 at 6:00 pm. We will start upstairs in our boardroom for our celebration and then move downstairs to our classrooms for socializing. If you have a child in grade 9 at St. Gabe's and you would like to attend, please check your email from Mrs. Doehring for the RSVP Google form. We need numbers to plan for seats and food. As well, please make sure you've emailed Mrs. Doehring your pictures. Thank you!

On June 15 the staff of St. Gabe's will host our year-end liturgy and semester 2 awards ceremony at 11:00 am. If you are receiving an award, you will be notified by email.

From 12:00-1:00, we will have our year-end BBQ to celebrate our year. Students and parents are welcome to join us. Please fill out this quick form so we know how many people to expect for food. Only fill it out if you plan to join us.

BBQ RSVP Form

There is still room to register for the fall. Please do so as soon as you can.

If you are interested in registering for next year, please click on the link HERE. You can find out more about St. Gabes by checking out our website or calling one of the staff.

Please contact Val Franklin or Renee Trottier if you have questions about this process.

If you are in grade 9 or higher, including adult students, and you are interested in Summer School, GSACRD offers an amazing Summer School opportunity for you. Click the link below for more information.

Grades 9-12 can find out information and registration details here.

All St. Gabe's students will start on August 29th. Our school opens at 8:00. Teachers are on-site at 8:30.

If you are new to St. Gabes, you will need to see Mrs. Trottier or Mrs. Delhez on the first day of school for an orientation meeting.

June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples Day. This is a day for all Canadians to recognize and celebrate the unique heritage, diverse cultures and outstanding contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.

The Canadian Constitution recognizes these three groups as Aboriginal peoples, also known as Indigenous peoples.

Although these groups share many similarities, they each have their own distinct heritage, language, cultural practices and spiritual beliefs.

In cooperation with Indigenous organizations, the Government of Canada chose June 21, the summer solstice, for National Aboriginal Day, now known as National Indigenous Peoples Day.

For generations, many Indigenous peoples and communities have celebrated their culture and heritage on or near this day due to the significance of the summer solstice as the longest day of the year.

National Aboriginal Day (now National Indigenous Peoples Day) was announced in 1996 by then Governor General of Canada, Roméo LeBlanc, through the Proclamation Declaring June 21 of Each Year as National Aboriginal Day. This was the result of consultations and statements of support for such a day made by various Indigenous groups:

• in 1982, the National Indian Brotherhood (now the Assembly of First Nations) called for the creation of National Aboriginal Solidarity Day

• in 1995, the Sacred Assembly, a national conference of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people chaired by Elijah Harper, called for a national holiday to celebrate the contributions of Indigenous Peoples

• also in 1995, the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples recommended the designation of a National First Peoples Day

On June 21, 2017, the Prime Minister issued a statement announcing the intention to rename this day National Indigenous Peoples Day.

National Indigenous Peoples' Day 2022

St. Gabe's will honour this day with prayers and learning during the day. Please feel free to join us.

Our Code of Conduct has been approved by staff and school council and is posted on our website under "About Us". Each year, we review our policy and go over it with staff and parents.

On behalf of the staff of St. Gabriel Education Centre, I would like to wish all of the fathers, grandfathers, step-fathers, and those in the role of father, a very happy Father's Day on June 18th.

"Arise! I have appointed you as a witness of what you have seen!"

(Acts 26:16)

On May 28th, we celebrated Pentecost Sunday, one of the most important feast days of the year. Pentecost Sunday concludes the Easter season and celebrates the beginning of the Church. Pentecost Sunday always occurs 50 days after the death and resurrection of Jesus, and ten days after his ascension into heaven.

Happy Birthday, Church

It was right after Pentecost that Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit, preached his first homily to Jews and other non-believers.

He told the people that the Jesus they crucified is the Lord and was raised from the dead, which "cut them to the heart." When they asked what they should do, Peter exhorted them to repent of their sins and to be baptised. According to the account in Acts, about 3,000 people were baptised following Peter's sermon.

We are continuing with our campaign to support Ukrainian refugees. Please use the QR code below to donate to this worthy cause.

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.

Our school counsellor at St. Gabriel Education Center is Mrs. Tracy Delhez. She is able to provide social and emotional support to students both online or at school. Mrs. Delhez is available at SGEC on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays. Counselling referrals can also be made by parents or teachers. Support is provided for individual or family concerns and referrals to outside agencies can be accessed through Mrs. Delhez. For more information or to book an appointment please contact Mrs. Delhez at mailto:tdelhez@gsacrd.ab.ca

Click on the link below to read more about Corinne Eckert's Social Skills Training courses.

Click HERE

There are five main aspects of personal health: social and emotional, occupational and financial, physical, spiritual, and academic. In order to be considered "well," it is important for none of these areas to be neglected.

Experience a world of wonder, surprise and delight at this year’s International Children’s Festival of the Arts – the largest and longest-running event of its kind in North America!

The Children’s Festival is a colourful arts event that showcases the highest calibre of performing, literary and visual arts designed specifically for families and children. This year we’re thrilled to host incredible talent from across Canada, the United States, Netherlands, France and Korea through six feature performances, and also offer a variety of paid interactive activities, free activities and so much more!

The Peer Prep Program is the first initiative launched by Youth in Action (YIA). Designed specifically for youth in grades 6-9, this pilot project is focused on delivering workshops that address critical topics and themes identified by the YIA committee as gaps in current programming in our community.

What can youth expect at the workshops?

Through games, presentations, and of course snacks, young people will have the opportunity to engage in interactive and engaging sessions facilitated by YIA committee members. The workshops will focus on preparing youth for high school and navigating areas that the YIA committee wished they had extra guidance on. The program offers a unique opportunity for young people to develop their skills, gain valuable knowledge and insights, and build strong relationships with their peers.

How do I register?

There is no need to register! All workshops are offered on a drop-in basis in the Multipurpose Room at Servus Credit Union Place. Join us for any of the workshops that are of interest to you.

Healthy Relationships and Boundaries

June 6 from 6:30-8:00

For more information click the link or contact Shannon Piller

https://stalbert.ca/city/fcss/programs-services/development/yia/peer-prep/#bullying

Shannon Piller
Youth Asset Development Coordinator

Phone: 587-709-2420
Email: spiller@stalbert.ca

A husband notices his wife hasn’t been answering him when he talks, so decides to take her to the family doctor to see what’s wrong.

“Doc, I think my wife is going deaf,” he explains when they arrive.

It’s something the doctor has seen many times before and he comes up with a simple routine to test the wife’s hearing.

“Stand some distance away from her and ask her a question,” he tells the man. “If she doesn’t answer, move a little closer and ask again. Keep doing this until she answers. Only then will we be able to tell how hard of hearing she really is.”

The man walks across the room and follows the doctor’s instructions.

“Sweetie, what’s for dinner?” he asks.

No answer.

He walks closer and asks again.

“Honey, what’s for dinner?”

Still nothing.

The man repeats this several times until he is standing right in front of his wife.

Finally, she answers him,

“For the 20th time, I said we are having chicken for dinner,” she yells.

Did you know that we update our social media accounts on a regular basis? Following us is one of the quickest ways to find out what's going on at school and getting those last minute, emergency updates.

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/

https://twitter.com/stgabes

Just a friendly reminder to park in our lower parking lot when you are coming to the school. The lower lot can be accessed from the back alley parallel to our school.

Please do not park in the following areas:

• our handicapped spot (unless you are handicapped and are coming into the school)
• in the spots at the front of the building or in the upper lot on top of seven hills
• in front of our garbage bin (the truck has left our garbage a few times because the bin was blocked).

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!

Email: rtrottier@gsacrd.ab.ca
Website: https://www.stgabe.gsacrd.ab.ca/.
Location: 6 St Vital Ave, St. Albert, AB, Canada
Phone: (780)459-6616
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StGabeHS
Twitter: @stgabes

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

Thursday
8:30 am to 5:30 pm

Friday
8:30 am to Noon
All teachers are available