ABJ Scots Week at a Glance (SWAG)

This year's theme- "Rooted in Christ" - is inspired by John 15:5-8 "I am the vine; you are the branches... bear much fruit, and become my disciples." We seek to root ourselves in Christ's word, charity, sacraments, and His body the church. As Christian people, we strive to do God's will in the way that we treat and care for one another. As we embrace this year's faith theme, we remember that we are rooted in Christ's teachings as we aspire to be the bearers of His love in our classrooms, halls, and hearts.

The ABJ staff is committed to engaging our students, staff and community in the process of learning and growth in a school culture of diversity, acceptance, and equity where all people feel valued, loved, and a sense of belonging. Our collective efforts will be reflected in how we actively nurture a culture that engages students, staff, parents and our community in developing the values and priorities of a Catholic learning community. Together we are Rooted in Christ!

We are again very excited to be welcoming students, new and returning, to ABJ this Thursday. In the starting days of the semester, we anticipate a great deal of energy and excitement. We hope that you are enjoying the final day of summer break and we look forward to seeing you soon!

There are some significant changes to be expected this year, specifically in terms of technology following the release of Ministerial Order #014/2024 - Standards for the Use of Personal Mobile Devices and Social Media in Schools. In response to this order, we will be implementing the ABJ Personal Communication Device (PCD) Procedure. Please ensure that you review this procedure as it will significantly impact our school environment.

In the first two days of class this week, teachers will be reviewing the procedure with students so that there is a full understanding of expectations moving forward. We will enact the procedure beginning Tuesday, September 3.

Scots Week at a Glance (SWAG) weekly newsletters through smore are now more accessible to our English as an Additional Language (EAL) families. Please see the menu at the right top corner of the newsletter in order to translate this newsletter into the language of your choice.

Last week ABJ was a hub of excitement as students and parents were in the building for registration. The hope is that this energy continues this week as we return to classes on Thursday. Please see the button below for information on school supplies, locker assignments, school fees, bus passes, student photos, and ID cards.

Students wishing to purchase a parking pass can access the Google form through the button below.

Please stay tuned to announcements this week for information relating to clubs, groups, and team sports.

Students are recommended to acquire school supplies based on their courses and respective teacher expectations. Generally, students require a binder, loose leaf paper, pens, pencils, eraser, etc. for most courses. Any supplies beyond the basics will be directed by their individual teacher based on the nature of the course.

Students taking Math 10C require a TI84+ calculator.

Students are invited to bring a device to school as part of our district One to One Program. Through our One-to-One program, students are able to bring a Personally-Owned Device (POD) into the classroom for educational purposes.

Generally, a POD is a Chromebook or laptop where the specific intended use is to facilitate learning. Students will use their POD responsibly, and only with the permission and direction of the teacher or other staff member.

Chromebooks are recommended for our students due to their price, battery life, fast startup, and usability. Students may also use laptops if they so choose. These PODs will connect to a dedicated EICS WiFi network, which is available at all of our schools and restricts access to certain internet websites and social media platforms.

If a student does not bring their own device for learning, and it is mandatory that technology be used for an assignment or lesson, it is the school's responsibility to supply the device for the assignment/assessment.

Please also note that students are expected to follow the EICS One to One User Agreement - EICS One-To-One User Agreement

New this year, ALL students have lockers assigned to them. This is in support of the new Technology Procedure that is being implemented.

Students in Grade 9 will have assigned lockers with locks attached.

Grade 10s, 11s, and 12s will have a locker assigned to them but need to bring their lock from last year. Only school-issued locks are allowed on lockers. If students require a replacement lock, one can be purchased in the front office.

Combinations and locker numbers are on timetables picked up during registration.

All absences, regardless of whether an absence is excused or not, are monitored and followed up on as per the ABJ Attendance Process based on the EICS Administrative Procedure 330 - Student Attendance. Please take the time to review the newly updated ABJ Attendance Policy linked in the button below.

We will be employing measures for students on spare to be require their school ID to be out and visible during their spares. Only those students with a scheduled spare will be permitted to work in the common area or library. If a student is excused from class, the expectation is that the student is not in the school.

It is kindly requested that any meetings with staff and admin are booked in advance through communication with our front office staff or via email. Your understanding and cooperation is greatly appreciated.

Visitors to the building are asked to check in at the front office. If you are meeting a staff member or bringing something for a student, the individual will be called to the office or we will hold the item for the student at the office until it can be collected. Any visitors going into the building (outside of the front office) are asked to sign in and wear a visitors badge.

Students who were unable to pick up their timetables during registration may do so this week at the front office.

Please note that the timetable was developed using course requests that students completed in spring of 2024. Courses are very full and we will not be able to accommodate all requests. Only course change requests with valid academic reasoning such as course sequencing that is incorrect, completion of a course in summer school, insufficient prerequisites (course failure from previous year), or for other reasons as detailed in our ABJ Course Change Procedures will be considered.

Course change requests via Google form were made available from Monday, August 19 at 8:00 am until today. Counsellors have been diligently working on these requests in the order received. Our schedule is very complex and each course change takes time. Please note that requests made may result in a change in the student's overall timetable. As counsellors are focused on requests, they will not be responding to emails inquiring about the status of the course change request. Contact will be made via email or by telephone once the course change request is addressed. Please know in advance that we cannot accommodate continued changes to requests.

Your patience and understanding is much appreciated.

The first day of classes is Tuesday, August 30. There will not be staggered entry at ABJ. Students will attend their day A classes on the first day.

Daily prayer and announcements will be occurring shortly after the second bell in the morning. There is a warning bell that will ring 5 minutes prior to the start of the school day (and again at lunch time) to allow students enough time to get to their classes. The second bell indicates the time that students are expected to be in class and prepared to learn.

Please note that we do have a weekly Personalized Education Period (PEP) as part of the timetable. PEP is an opportunity for students to direct their learning for a more personalized educational experience. PEP will offer students the opportunity to access support for academic needs or engage in a health and wellness activity. Examples of PEP opportunities include fitness training in the workout room, Science lab reviews, essay writing review, and so on. More details will be shared in September.

PEP sessions will occur every Wednesday for 60 minutes except on early dismissal Wednesdays. The first PEP day will be Wednesday, September 11.

PLEASE INFORM THE SCHOOL OF ABSENCES.

There are currently two ways to report an absence:

• Entering attendance via PowerSchool parent portal - Please use this method when possible as it processed live in PowerSchool and will reduce the likelihood of a phone call going home as the following two methods of informing the school of absences require manual entry

• Calling the school at 780-467-2121

• Emailing the School at abj@eics.ab.ca

If your child is experiencing symptoms please choose:

1. “Flu-like symptoms”

2. “Other illness or injury” If they are experiencing symptoms that you do not deem to be flu-like, or your child has a medical appointment.

3. “Parent Excused.” If your child is experiencing no symptoms at all, please choose this. The parent excused absence should only be chosen if you are keeping your child home for a reason that does not pertain to a medical issue. (i.e dance competition)

If a student should start to feel ill during the day, they are advised to come to the front office and not to stay in class.

We are excited to welcome Mrs. Laurie Ciezki (lauriec@eics.ab.ca) to the role of Athletic Director as well as Mrs. Courtney St. Amand (courtney.stamand@eics.ab.ca) as Assistant to the Athletic Director. Please feel free to them for any Athletics comments, questions, or information.

Check out the new website (under construction) for all things Athletics.

In addition to Google Classrooms for each course, there is also a grade-level Google classroom. Students are asked to accept the invitation when they receive it in their school email. Parents will also be invited and are urged to accept the invitation as well.

The Scots Week at a Glance (SWAG) newsletter will be shared weekly on Sunday evenings or Monday evenings on long weekends. This will also be posted on our website and shared via social media. Stay informed on all things ABJ through the website, blog, and on social media.