The Good News March 2, 2025

In this week's Gospel Jesus reminds us that our actions reflect what is in our hearts. True Christian love is not just a feeling—it is love in action.

This passage reminds us of the importance of continued learning, prayer, reflection, and humility in our discipleship. None of us have all the answers, and we all have room to grow. When we open our hearts to learning more about Jesus, spend time in prayer, and humbly seek to do God’s will, we allow His grace to shape us.

At St. John XXIII, we help our students understand that love is more than just words—it is found in kindness, sharing, forgiving, and taking care of one another. We shine God’s light in the world when we are “lit from within” with His love, showing others what it means to follow Christ through our actions.

“A good person brings good things out of the good stored up in their heart…” – Luke 6:45

Monday, March 3

• Regular School Day

• Shrove Tuesday (pancake snack for all students)
• Grade 3 Nature Trial Day (9:00-11:15 am)

• Ash Wednesday Mass at 10 am (here)
• Early Dismissal (Dress in Purple for Lent)

• Nature Kindergarten field trip to SWC (Snowshoeing)
• Choir at Fort Sask. Music Festival (am)

Friday, March 7

• PD day (No school for students)

Looking Ahead...

March 10 - N1 SWC, School Council Meeting 6:30

March 11 - Hot Lunch, Gr3 TPet, NK Penguin visit

March 12 - Gr4 Hockey Hookey, N2 SWC, Open House 6:30

March 14 - Gr1 Fitset Ninja, Assembly 1:24

March 18 & 19 - Parent Teacher Conferences

March 19 - Hot Lunch

March 20- NK TPet Dream catchers (1-3 pm), Kindergarten (additional) Conferences

March 21- Day in Lieu (No school for students)

March 24-28- Spring Break (No school for students)

March 31- Students first day back after Spring break

Parent-Student-Teacher conferences will take place on Tuesday, March 18th from 3:30-6:00 and Wednesday, March 19th from 4:00-6:30. The first 1.5 hours of each night will be in person conferences, and the last hour will be virtual via Google Meets.

Kindergarten will have additional time slots on Thursday, March 20th from 9:00 - 3:00.

Details will be sent in next week's newsletter.

Your child's Evidence of Learning journey will be shared the week of March 10th. We are looking forward to connecting with you and your child to celebrate their learning progress and together, setting learning goals for their future growth.

In preparation for the season of Lent, we will be celebrating Shrove Tuesday, March 4th, with a Pancake snack served at lunch time. Eggcellent P'Eats has graciously offered to once again provide our Shrove Tuesday Pancake Snack!

This is a special, faith tradition for our school community and we are so grateful to Eggcellent P'Eats for the love and support they've shown our St. John XXIII family.

If your child has any dietary restrictions/food allergies that you have not already notified the office about (via PowerSchool Medical form), please notify the office by 1pm tomorrow, Monday, March 3rd.

Remember that students will still need to pack snacks for the day, as well as anything else they might want in their lunch in addition to the pancakes.

We continue to be so blessed to be able to celebrate our faith during the Liturgical year. The season of Lent begins this Wednesday, Ash Wednesday.

Father will lead a Liturgy for school community at 10:00am in our school gym. During this time, staff and students will receive ashes on their forehead. Every year, the ashes for Ash Wednesday are made by burning the palm leaves from the previous year’s Palm Sunday.

Our School Council values your input and encourages you to share your suggestions on how funds from our school fundraisers should be allocated. We are dedicated to ensuring these funds benefit all students inclusively. Your feedback is vital to us and will be discussed at our monthly School Council meetings. Please click the link to share your ideas with us. https://forms.gle/qqDazTubZ65GUKv89

We’ll be using Munchalunch for ordering hot lunch! It’s a simple, convenient way to choose and pay for your child’s lunch online. You can easily pay with a credit card (Visa/Mastercard), debit-credit card, Google Pay, Apple Pay, or a pre-paid credit card.

How to Register:

1) Go to: https://munchalunch.com/schools/stjohnXXIII

2) Click the “Register Here” button (as shown below). The system will guide you through the registration process.

3) After adding your children, click the green “Order Lunch!” button to order.

4) Next time, just click the “Login Here” button to access your account.

Ordering Information:

Online ordering for March Hot Lunch is live:

• Tuesday, March 11 - Wok Box

• Wednesday, March 19 - Montana's

Important Reminders:

• Orders will be accepted up to 7 days before the hot lunch date.

• If your child is ill or absent on a hot lunch date, you’re welcome to pick up their lunch order by 11:30 AM. If you’re unable to do so, please consider it a donation for a child in need.

• Please note that we are unable to issue refunds. We appreciate your support of our hot lunch program, as the prices include costs associated with running the program and help raise funds that benefit the student experience at our school. Thank you for your understanding!

If you need assistance with ordering, please contact our hot lunch coordinator Brandy at Hotlunchstjohnxxiii@gmail.com

We're excited to offer our remaining Big Box of Cards sets! Each box contains 35 handcrafted cards for just $36.32. Choose between the All Occasion box or the Birthday box set—perfect for any celebration!

Hurry, as these sets are available on a first come, first serve basis and quantities are limited. You can order as many boxes as you'd like from our available stock, so be sure to stock up for all your upcoming events! Payment is quick and easy through MunchaLunch, and must be made at the time of order. Don’t miss out on this fantastic deal!

All current St. John XXIII students are required to fill out the Next Year Intentions form (and not a new registration form) in PowerSchool so that we can plan accordingly for next year. Please log into your PowerSchool account and fill out the Next Year Intentions form. This form is located on the left hand side, above the Grades and Attendance dropdown. Please refer to the PowerSchool page on our website for more information.

Nature Kindergarten

Looking for a full-time kindergarten option that nurtures curiosity, independence, and a love for the outdoors? Our Nature Kindergarten program offers an enriching extension to regular kindergarten, operating on Mondays, Thursdays, and some Wednesdays, allowing children to attend five days a week.

This curriculum-aligned, play-based program immerses students in nature, fostering learning through hands-on exploration that engages the body, mind, and spirit. Children spend a large part of their day outside, developing confidence, resilience, and a deep connection to the world around them.

The cost for this full-time kindergarten experience is $350 per month

Nature Program – Grades 1 to 4

Imagine your child exploring forests, discovering wildlife, and learning through hands-on experiences—all while covering the grade-level curriculum in a dynamic outdoor setting! Our Nature Program provides students with two half-days of outdoor learning each week, where they develop physical literacy, independence, and a deep connection to the natural world. This unique, curriculum-aligned program turns science, math, social studies, and literacy into real-world adventures, making learning more engaging and meaningful.

The cost for this enriching experience is $60 per month—an investment in curiosity, confidence, and a lifelong love of learning.

If your child is currently attending St. John XXIII, and you would like to register in one of our Nature Programs (K,1, 2, 3, 4) please submit a B.3) Supplemental Program Registration form

Please visit our website to access the Nature Programs Parent Handbook, found in the Quick Links

At St. John XXIII, we are committed to creating a Christ-centered, distraction-free learning environment that nurtures the well-being of all students. To support this, personal digital devices (cell phones, tablets, smartwatches, and gaming devices) should remain at home or stored in backpacks and powered off during school hours (8:30 a.m. – 3:15 p.m.) unless used for teacher-led instruction. All parent communication during the day should go through the school office to minimize classroom disruptions. Thank you for helping us foster a focused and faith-filled learning space!

The EICS Board of Trustees has officially approved the 2025-2026 school year calendar. A big thank you to the parents who joined our school council meetings to share feedback—your input is always valued and appreciated!

Each year, the goal is to create a calendar that balances required instructional hours with quality learning time for students while also ensuring meaningful professional development for staff. EICS also considers local school division calendars to align where possible, especially for transportation purposes.

One key update for next year: schools in Fort Saskatchewan, Sherwood Park, Strathcona County, and Vegreville will have early dismissal every Wednesday.

Did you know that you can support EICS by directing your property taxes to Catholic education? Please read this letter from EICS Board of Trustees Chair Le-Ann Ewaskiw to learn about this meaningful opportunity to strengthen Catholic education for our students.

Nominations are now open for the upcoming Municipal and School Board Election, October 20, 2025.

Information and nomination forms are available on our division website:

• EICS Catholic School Trustee Election Information

• Division Blog Post - Nominations are Open for the 2025 Election

Thinking of Trusteeship? This handbook provides essential information about the role of Catholic school board trustees, and the unique mission of publicly funded Catholic education. Please click here:

• 2025 Municipal Election - Handbook for Prospective Candidates

Email: stj@eics.ab.ca
Website: https://stj.eics.ab.ca/
Location: 9526 89 Street, Fort Saskatchewan, AB, Canada
Phone: 780-998-7777
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/St.JohnXXIII
Twitter: @St_JohnXXIII