Superintendent Message: Feb. 3-7

Inspired by Christ on a Journey to Encounter, Nurture, and Serve.

Inspiré par Dieu dans une Aventure à Découvrir, Grandir, et Servir.

February 3 - 7, 2025

Good morning,

Cynicism is contagious; so is hope.

(Richard Curwin, 2013)

As we move forward on our journey of hope, optimism stands hand in hand with it. Take a moment—now or sometime this week—to reflect on the most optimistic staff member or administrator you’ve known. What qualities made you see them as someone with a positive outlook on life? What set them apart? And how did being around them make you feel? Let this reflection inspire your journey of hope and positivity.

Blessings,

Kathleen Finnigan, Superintendent

Click here for a PDF copy of the poster.

January 29 was a fantastic day for innovation in education in RDCRS, as we hosted a dynamic workshop with our partners from ATLE (Alberta Technology Leaders in Education) focused on empowering schools to design their own esports programs.

Educators from across the province gathered at our division office to learn how creating a thriving esports program can benefit their student's collaboration, communication and cognitive skills. The workshop covered everything, including the first steps on how to to build a program to where to find local and national competitions for students. Like all curricular and extracurricular activities in our school knowledge and passionate coaches and mentors are key to our student's success.

We believe that esports offers incredible potential for students to be engaged development of STEM skills, and learn teamwork in a cooperative environment. We are thrilled to continue our growth of this exciting movement in education.

• Kylie Kissel, Director of Education Technology

• Strengthened in Spirit Faith Report
• Indigenous Education Services
• Upcoming Events

Click here for more information.

Click here for a PDF copy of the newsletter.

Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools (RDCRS) and the Alberta School Councils Association (ASCA) are partnering to host a Joint School Council meeting on Wednesday, February 26, from 6:00 - 7:30 pm at St. Joseph High School in Red Deer. This collaborative session aims to strengthen the partnership between school councils, trustees, and senior administration within RDCRS.

The meeting will focus on a number of key areas:

• Defining School Council: Clarifying the role of School Councils and the relationships between trustees, senior administration, and the Division.

• Consultation Areas: Identifying and discussing areas where School Councils can effectively contribute through consultation at both the school and Division levels.

• Council of School Councils: Examining the "Council of School Councils" model and exploring its potential development within RDCRS.

This joint exercise underscores the Division's commitment to building capacity and supporting the ongoing learning and development of its School Councils.

Click here to register. This event is open to everyone.

Hello,

The Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre (CACAC) and Red Deer Polytechnic are excited to invite you and your organization to take part in two outstanding learning opportunities: our upcoming workshop and conference.

Please feel free to share this invitation with anyone who may benefit from these events. If you have any questions or prefer not to receive future updates about learning opportunities, don’t hesitate to reach out.

We sincerely hope you’ll join us for these enriching and impactful sessions!

Warm regards,

Rob Moltzahn

Our Workshop:

We are pleased to introduce our speaker, Dr. Megan McElheran, for the Frontline Self Care workshop!

Dr. Megan McElheran is a Clinical Psychologist, and the CEO of Wayfound, an organization dealing with mental health services across the country. She has presented across Canada and the United States in a variety of discussions, including TEDx.

Dr. McElheran attended Stanford University where she received specialized training handling the treatment of PTSD. Throughout her career she has worked on assessment, and developing treatment for operational stress injuries in the military. Dr. McElheran went on to develop the Before Operational Stress (BOS) program that helps frontline workers in their proactive mental health training.

The Frontline Self Care workshop takes place on February 14th, 9:00am-3:00pm at The Centre of Excellence.

Tickets can be purchased through the link.

Our Conference:

We’re thrilled to announce that early bird ticket sales for the 2025 Transforming Practices Conference are now open!

This year’s conference promises to be our most exciting yet, with an incredible lineup of speakers who will inspire and transform how we approach Child Advocacy and those impacted by child abuse.

Save the date: Thursday, May 29th - Friday, May 30th, 2025 Red Deer Polytechnic. Act now to take advantage of early bird pricing—available only until January 31st. Additionally, we’re offering group discounts for 10 or more registrants!

Contact us at info@transformingpractices.ca to receive your exclusive discount code.

The Community Foundation of Central Alberta's Women & Girls Grant is now open for applications!

This grant supports organizations and projects in Central Alberta working to advance gender equity. If your organization's core activities, leadership, mission, and vision are committed to this important goal, you're encouraged to apply.

The application deadline is January 31, 2025. Learn more and apply on the Community Foundation of Central Alberta's website.

Click here for a PDF copy of the Dyslexia Friendly Materials Brochure.

To view a PDF copy of the Red Deer Public Library Service 2024 Report, click here.