JP II November Newsletter

A number of our Fall Sports and Activities have come to an end. We appreciate the time and commitment from our teams in golf, cross country, football, soccer and Jr. Volleyball. It has been an excellent fall, full of opportunities and success. A great job by many hardworking and dedicated students and athletes. Thank you to our staff and community coaches for their dedication to our extra-curricular programming at JP II.

On October 23 and 24, we had our Semester One Student-Led Conferences. Thanks to all parents/guardians who attended and had an opportunity for your student to explain how they are doing in school, what their goals are, and what they can do to improve.

Please help us continue to push the message that the key ingredient to success is regular attendance. We want our students to achieve to the best of their abilities and the way they will do that is by coming to classes consistently.

JP Admin Team

Mr. Yockey, Mrs. Kirby, Mr. Donahue

Greetings from Chaplaincy and welcome to November, a month of reflection, prayer, and spiritual renewal at John Paul II Collegiate. As we embrace the beauty of this time of year, with its crisp air and the changing seasons, we are to remember despite the change of seasons, we have something that is eternal and unchanging…the constant presence of God in our lives. We are called to reflect on the gifts we have received and how we can share them with those around us. This month, we are excited to deepen our school’s journey of faith through special devotions, including our weekly noon Mass, Adoration, and the praying of the rosary. At John Paul II Collegiate, we are not just a school—we are a community of faith. In everything we do, we strive to become the very best version of ourselves, guided by the teachings of Jesus Christ. Our community is blessed with opportunities to encounter Christ in a profound way every week.

In addition to our weekly Mass, we are excited to announce that John Paul II Collegiate will now host weekly Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Adoration is a time of quiet reflection before the Eucharist, allowing us to encounter Jesus in a deeply personal way. This is a beautiful opportunity for students and staff to spend time in the presence of the Lord, to lay down their worries, and to listen for His voice in the silence of their hearts. In the hustle and bustle of life, it is easy to forget the importance of stillness. Adoration offers us that stillness, that chance to simply be with Jesus and let Him guide us.

Another devotion we are excited to highlight this month is the praying of the rosary. The rosary is a powerful prayer that invites us to reflect on the life of Christ through the eyes of His mother, Mary. The rosary gives us a power model for how to walk through life’s challenges with faith, hope, and trust in God’s will. It is a prayer that invites us to imitate Mary’s “yes” to God and to trust in His plan, even when it is difficult to understand. As we pray the rosary together, we grow in faith as a school and as individuals, knowing that we are never alone—Mary and Jesus are always by our side.

Thank you so much to our parents and caregivers for entrusting your children to our school and we look forward to an exciting and faith filled month. St. John Paul II, pray for us.

Our Social Justice League has over 30 dedicated members whose main purpose is to serve others as Christ served us. As mentioned in our last newsletter, our League set the very ambitious goal of raising 10,000 items of food for donation to our local food bank. We have almost completed our Fall food drive, with Halloween night being the wind up.

That night, our League member will go door to door, not asking for candy & goodies, but if they can get nonperishable food items for our local food bank. If you have any items to donate, please send them with your children for donation. Please encourage your children to bring items to their period 1 class. There is a prize for the class that collects the most food items, and there has been a “spirited” competition between some classes in regard to who will collect the most.

CAREER NEWS

Applications

Some post-secondary application deadlines are as early as December 1. Please check your institution of choice for deadline dates or make an appointment with guidance to assist with the application process.

Post-secondary opportunities

It is difficult to provide all the dates of all the events that are happening at each post-secondary institution so please be sure to navigate to the website of your preferred post-secondary institution to see what events are upcoming. These events could include information sessions about specific programs or colleges, scholarship applications, tours, application workshops and so much more.

Grade 11 students

Even though you are not applying for post-secondary schooling at this time, it is important to be aware that a year from now you may likely be doing so. Please understand that your grade 11 marks are very important for next year’s early application process.

Academic Guidance

Any student at JPII can seek out academic guidance regardless of the grade they are in.

This may include:

 looking at what classes to select in high school to align with your post-graduation plans,

 post-secondary options,

 making university, college or technical institute applications,

 exploring the trades pathways as a career,

 scholarship opportunities,

 credit checks

 and so much more……

Feel free to stop by Mrs. Fransoo’s office to make an appointment if you need assistance with your high school and post-graduation goals.

Saturday, Nov 16 is Louis Riel Day so we will be honoring this day on Friday, Nov 15. We will ask that students and staff wear their Ribbon Skirts/Shirts, Moccasins, and any flower beadwork, if you have them, on that day. We will also have soup and bannock in the Braided Journeys room that day while supplies last.

Students should also watch for the sign-up sheet for our Braided Journeys Family Christmas Meal which will be happening in December.

Welcome to November. We are well into the school year and maybe feeling some stress

or anxious feelings with assignments, midterms etc. Here are some coping skills for teens.

Teens can all use some coping strategies. Below I hope you will find suggestions for

coping that will help you or a friend.

You are more capable than you might think at times. I welcome you to use the strategies

that work best for you.

A- Z Coping Skills for Teens:

A: Allow yourself to feel. Identifying how you feel at this time can be helpful. Maybe you

can’t or don’t want to share how you are feeling at this moment, but there are many

helpful ways to do so. Put your feelings into a song, a poem, paint, draw or write in a

journal. All are healthy ways to express your feelings.

Apps A few apps that could help you during this time are: Always There, Kids Help Phone

App, Calm, MindShift.

B: Books: Reading is a great way to escape from the worries of the world. You could listen

to an audiobook or maybe even an online magazine. Books can be healing.

BREATHE JUST BREATHE

Being OK with not being OK right now is OK. You may find that you have many

strengths you never thought you had to cope.

C: Connection We all need connection. Who are those people in your life who lift you up?

Connect with them knowing that they may need someone to listen to them as well at

some other time.

Care about yourself. Write a positive message to yourself and put it on your mirror with

an erasable marker. You could write a positive note to yourself on a card and put it by

your bed to remind yourself that you will get through this.

D: Decide to reach out and ask for help if you need it. Reaching out is a strength, not a

weakness. Your School Counsellors and other professionals are there to help as well as

many online support services. It’s ok to reach out.

E: Express your emotions. Feelings are neither right nor wrong. It’s what you do with them

that matters. If you hurt yourself or someone else, then that needs to be changed. Finding

a positive way of expressing your feelings that work just for you will matter. Exercise is always

helpful. If you have never exercised before, start now. Try getting out for 15 mins. or more walk

each day especially if you have not exercised before. It’s a great way to clear the mind. You can do it! Find an app or video that helps you.

F: Focus on your strengths by finding the strategies that work for you. There are so

many coping strategies. Ask your friends what they are doing to cope and use the ones

that you think might work for you.

G: Give yourself and others a break. Know that everyone is doing their best to cope. This

is a challenging time for all. Feel your feelings.

H: Hope. It is so important to maintain a hopeful perspective. It may be hard, but you can

do it! There is much to look forward to. If you can’t see it create it.

I: Invite others to help you: Kids Help Phone, your parents, another trusted adult, find

someone who can really help you.

J: Just be courageous. You will get through this using all the strengths you have.

K: Kindness is always a good thing. Do a Random Acts of Kindness for someone else

today. A little postcard or note in your neighbor’s mailbox can make their day.

L: Listen to music It soothes the soul. Find or create a chill playlist for yourself. Try making

one to ease your mind.

M: Mindfulness matters. Focus on your breath.

N: Naming game: 54321 Grounding Technique. What is the 54321 method? The 54321 (or

5-4-3-2-1) method is a grounding exercise designed to manage acute stress and

reduce anxiety. It involves identifying 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3

things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste. I would add an

extra 1, One thing you are grateful for. 543211.

O: Open your mind to new ideas. This is a time where you can figure out new ways of

doing things. There are so many possibilities, a new blog, maybe you can start singing for

the first time. It is limitless to what you can do.

P: Prioritize your well-being. Positive self-talk matters. Make sure you are speaking to

yourself the way you would speak to your best friend.

Q: Quiet your mind. Be still! There are times that you may want to retreat to your room

and just be still and let go of all your worries.

R: Rest is essential. You might get to sleep in at this time and that is great but remember

to get a good night’s sleep. A routine of getting up in the morning and going to bed at

the same time is vital and will help especially during a time of elevated stress.

S: See or do something new. Take an online virtual tour to reduce some of your stress:

Trust that this will not last forever. Take each day one day at a time. Develop and

maintain those positive connections with people that heal and help not hurt and harm.

Most importantly, make sure you take care of yourself.

T: Take a free online class and learn something new Treat yourself to an extra-long

bubble bath or shower … enjoy.

U: Understanding your coping skills matters. What has worked for you in the past to

help you cope? Try some of the ideas that you know help.

V: Visualize Where is your safe place? You may need to visualize this safe place more

often than usual at this time. I tend to go to the beach and hear the waves crashing on

the shore with the sun beating on my face surrounded by the people I love. Having a safe

place to go in your mind can be helpful.

W: Watch a funny TV show, or anything funny that will get your mind off all the serious

stuff.

X: eXtra special. That’s the way you need to treat yourself. So, start today. Try a in-person

or virtual paint night and have some fun.

Y: YOU MATTER. Remember this always.

Z: A-Z you can create another list. Please share your coping skills and strategies. You

are capable and can cope.

Calling all members of the Arts Academy Club! We will hold our first event of the year on October 29th from 3:45 to 5:00 pm in the Commons. We will have a pumpkin painting night. You must submit a sketched plan that includes the necessary materials. You may work with a group, partner, or independently. You only need to submit 1 plan for each group. Please list all group members in your plan. This event is only open to 15 students. Please apply quickly. Applications will close on October 22nd. Submit your proposals to the Arst Academy Group. You must be a member of the Arts Academy Club to participate in this event. Are you interested in becoming a member? Please request to join the club on Edsby. This will give you access to all of our future events and activities. Stay posted for more incredible artistic opportunities.

The Senior Girl’s soccer team had one of its best seasons in years. The team started the season in late September with a one-day tournament in Prince Albert at Carlton Comprehensive High school where we lost to Carlton High School and St. Mary High School. Despite the losses, it was a learning experience where the team was able to concentrate on developing specific skills. This turned out to be very valuable for we won our next two games against Lloydminster Rosary High School and North Battleford Comprehensive at a Saturday one day tournament. Next, we played Martinsville on their homefield where we lost a hard-fought game 3 to 1. At regionals we defeated Chief Keenatch High School 4-0, a game where we played our best game up until that point in the season. The win guaranteed a place at the Provincial 4A Girl’s finals held in Martinsville on Friday, Oct 25 and Saturday October 26. This was the first time we qualified for provincials in over ten years, quite an accomplishment for a team comprised of mostly grade nine and ten students. Our first game against Yorkton Regional High school two years running provincial champions was a nail biter. We led twice in the game but ended up losing 3-2. The girls continued their excellent play in the bronze medal game, despite having no substitutes at the end of game but lost 2-1 to Regina Luther. Overall, the athletes were a joy to coach. The team looks forward to next year.

John Paul II Collegiate

Vice-Principal: Mr. Frazer Donahue

Vice-Principal: Mrs. Karolyn Kirby

Main Office: Aurora Ironstand

Phone: 1-306-446-2232

Email: john.paul@loccsd.ca

Website: John Paul II Collegiate (loccsd.ca)

Location: 1491 97th Street

North Battleford, SK

S9A 0K1

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