Superintendent Message:Oct.28-Nov.1

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

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

October 28 - November 1, 2024

Good morning,

Catholic Education Week was celebrated across the province last week. In Red Deer Catholic schools, staff shared a common liturgy based on our division faith theme, ‘Inspired by Christ on a Journey to Encounter, Nurture and Serve’ with a focus on how our Catholic faith calls us to serve one another with the love of Christ. Many thanks to the RDCRS Faith Coach Team and the Communications Department for creating a video highlighting students participating in faith events in every school within our Division and sharing on social media and the RDCRS website.

Throughout last week, we witnessed many Grade 4 Bible celebrations in our school communities. Based on the leadership of Nadine Rolheiser and Angela Ward, Faith Coach Team from St. Patrick’s Community School, they said,

“We are truly grateful for the gift of Catholic education, which allows us to nurture not only the academic growth of our students but also their spiritual development. Today our Grade 4 students received their very own Bibles, marking an important step in their faith journey.

Throughout the year, the Grade 4’s will be able to explore the Bible, learning about its teachings, stories, and how it can guide their everyday lives. We are excited to help them discover the richness of Scripture, fostering a deeper understanding of their faith and the values we hold dear."

Throughout last week, we also witnessed Holy Family School celebrating alongside the residents of Victoria Park and Ecole Secondaire Notre Dame High School 2025 Grad Committee selecting the Central Alberta Sexual Assault Support Centre as their charity for their service project.

Finally, we wish to extend a huge congratulations to the St. Marguerite’s Early Learning Team, Principal LaBrecque, Selena Frizzley, and Communications and Community Relations Coordinator, Patrick Teskey, for receiving a Canadian Association of Communicators in Education (CACE) Coup de Coeur Award for the “St. Marguerite’s BEARS Early Learning Video”.

Enjoy the week ahead with the excitement of Halloween and conclude the week with All Saints Day.

Kathleen Finnigan, Superintendent

Holy Trinity Catholic School would like to celebrate our HT Girls Volleyball Team that has had an amazing season so far playing in the Chinook's Edge Southern Athletics Association!

The HT girls volleyball team is a small team with only eight players, which means that all girls are working extremely hard on the court! They have come so far this season perfecting their skills and continuing to encourage and motivate one another. They have won 80% of their games, with their only 2 losses to Westglen from Didsbury.

Last week, the HTS girls won 27-25 against École Deer Meadow and closed a 10 point gap in their game against Westglen. It has been an exciting season, with many moments of celebration.

We can't wait to see what happens at the CESAA tournament! Let's bring a banner back to Olds!

Saturday Oct 19th I accompanied 9 NDHS & 3 St Joe's X-Country runners to provincials hosted in Grande Prairie. My Senior women's runner, Ms Cassidy Reefhuis made a friedn during the 5k competition.

Cassidy passed, noticed and returned to help her fellow competitor, Aberhart’s Toni Pan, who rolled her ankle during the Senior Women’s 5k race. Cassidy helped Toni back up and walked her through the pain. Toni was able to run the last kilometer. Near the finish I watched Cassidy slow down, and look back several times for Toni to catch up. They held hands as they crossed the finish line together.

Cassidy exemplified kindness, sportsmanship and friendship. I thought you would both like to know the caliber of student athletes we get to work with in Red Deer Catholic.

St Joe’s Keira Buckland provides an eye witness account (video below)

Cheers,

James Ward

Join us for the RDCRS Board of Trustees Engagement Session and help shape the future of RDCRS! Choose which session to attend below: online or in-person.

Online: November 12, 2024 | 6:30 - 8:30 PM
Register Here: Zoom Link

In-Person: November 13, 2024 | 6:30 - 8:30 PM
Location: St. Thomas Aquinas Middle School Learning Commons
Register here: In-Person Registration
Registration closes November 12 at 4:30 PM

Share your thoughts on:

1. Classroom priorities
2. Budget considerations
3. Culture
4. The future of RDCRS

Don’t miss this chance to make your voice heard!

#WeAreRedDeerCatholic #CommunityEngagement #EducationMatters

Our partnership with Victoria Park Seniors Community began with the Gr. 3D class that had a wonderful visit playing games such as Snakes and Ladders and other activities like parachute with the residents.

We are so grateful to the Red Deer Catholic Regional Education Foundation that is providing our transportation for this opportunity to enrich each other's lives and serve our community. This is a connection that will be dearly cherished.

• Jeff Tuchscherer, Principal - Holy Family School

October 24, 2024

Red Deer Advocate - Sod turning ceremony held for Blackfalds school

October 23, 2024

Central Alberta Online - Sunny visits St. Gregory the Great Catholic School in Blackfalds for Classroom of the Month

rdnewsNOW - Sod turning ceremony held to mark construction of new Blackfalds school

Central Alberta Online - Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools breaks ground for new Blackfalds school

Todayville - Red Deer Regional Catholic Schools celebrates new school for Blackfald

Red Deer Advocate - Central Alberta high school football playoffs set

• Indigenous Education Services
  
• Upcoming Events

Click here for a PDF copy of the newsletter.

Good Morning,

I hope this message finds you well. My name is Paige Foley, and I manage the education programs at the National Music Centre.

I wanted to share an exciting new education program we’re launching on Thursday, November 21st, called Voices of Canada. This program is designed for Grades 1 to 5 and aligns with the Alberta Social Studies curriculum. This program supports learning about diverse communities, cultural identities, Alberta’s history, and the formation of Canada.

I have attached a poster of this program. It would be wonderful if you could share this with the teachers and schools in the Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools.

We believe this is an excellent opportunity for students to discover musicians from across Canada and explore how their home provinces, languages, and cultures have shaped them as musicians and people.

Program Details:
Date: Thursday, November 21st
Time: 10:00 AM or 1:00 PM
Cost: $20 per person (includes GST and General Admission)
Duration: 1 hour (program) + museum exploration time
No-Charge Chaperones: One free adult ticket per 10 students.
Location: Studio Bell Performance Hall

Featured Artists:
Tina Hartt – Montreal-born bilingual jazz vocalist, specializing in French chansons and jazz.
Ron McNeill – East Coast songwriter, known for his heartfelt, roots-inspired music.
Troy Kokol – Award-winning Métis folk and country artist and songwriter.

Curriculum Ties:
Grade 1:

• Students explore cultures and histories of diverse communities.

• Students explore ways groups and communities contribute to identity and belonging.

• Students explore ways to acknowledge and demonstrate understanding of cultures.

Grade 2:

• Students explore the diverse physical regions in Canada

• Students explore the foundational heritage of First Nations, Francophone, and Métis communities.

Grade 3:

• Students investigate natural and created features of Alberta

• Students explore how diverse people contribute to the identity of Alberta

• Students explore Alberta's identity

Grade 4:

• Students examine significant historical events that contributed to the formation of the country of Canada.

• Students examine how the fur trade contributed to the development of Canada.

Grade 5:

• Students investigate ways of studying people, places, and events.

• Students investigate ways to learn about the world and take action for change

We’d greatly appreciate your help in spreading the word about this program to ensure that as many students as possible can benefit from this enriching experience. I’m happy to provide more information if needed!

To register, teachers are invited to visit the following link: https://www.studiobell.ca/voices-of-canada

Thank you for your time.

Warm Regards,

Paige Foley

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Paige Foley | (she/her, elle)
Programs Manager
Gestionnaire de programmes