It was a short week but a full one at STMN! Prayer Assembly and Orange shirt day on Tuesday, Silly Sock day and Early dismissal on Wednesday, Thanksgiving Mass on Thursday and of course PD day on Friday. It is amazing to see that we are already in October. Thank you Jesus for the beautiful colours of FALL!

1. Thanksgiving Mass 🧎🏻‍♀️🦃🙏
2. Orange Shirt Day Highlights 🧡🍊📙
3. Parent Council/Foundation Meeting 🙋🏻‍♂️👫👪
4. MHCB Update 🤳📷🌆

🎉 Don't forget about the Harvest Ball Coming Soon! 🏆

STMN Office Staff:

🦸🏻‍♂️ Mr. Darby Murphy (Principal)

🦸 Mrs. Melanie Sorochan (Ast. Principal)

🧙🏻‍♀️ Ms. Fronde Dubuc (Secretary)

At St. Martin’s Catholic School, we recently had the great blessing of celebrating Mass together with the students from St. Mary's Junior High and High School. This special occasion allowed us to unite in worship and strengthen our faith as a larger Catholic community. We are deeply grateful to Father Robert and Father Irney for leading us in this beautiful liturgy, offering their guidance and spiritual leadership.

The Mass was a powerful reminder of the central role that our faith plays in our lives and education. Gathered together as one body in Christ, we reflected on the importance of unity, love, and service. Our students were engaged in the prayers, readings, and reflections, deepening their connection with God and with one another.

At St. Martin’s, we are grateful for moments like these, where we can come together in the Eucharist and experience the joy of being part of the wider Catholic community. Mass is not just a part of our routine—it is a sacred encounter that strengthens our faith and reminds us of our mission to live as disciples of Christ.

We are excited to invite all parents and guardians to our upcoming Parent Council Meeting on WEDNESDAY October 9th at St. Martin's Catholic School. This is a wonderful opportunity to get involved, share your ideas, and help shape the future of our school community.

Your input and participation are invaluable in ensuring that our school continues to be a nurturing and engaging environment for our children. Whether you're a returning member or new to the council, we welcome you to join us for a productive and collaborative evening.

The meeting will begin at 7:00 PM in the school staff room. There will be a virtual link sent out the day of the meeting by email for those who are unable to attend in person but we hope you can join us. We look forward to seeing you there and working together to make a positive impact on our school!

We are so excited to let everyone know that co-author of Fatty Legs, Christy Jordan-Fenton will be visiting our students on Tuesday, October 8th. Jordan-Fenton co-wrote the best-selling memoir Fatty Legs with her mother-in-law, Margaret Pokiak-Fenton (Olemaun). Fatty Legs is the story of Margaret Pokiak-Fenton who as a young Inuit girl, was eager to attend an “outsiders’ school” to learn how to read. However, she had to leave her family and community behind in order to attend this residential school, where she overcame much cruel treatment from both students and adults. We are very fortunate to have Christy Jordan-Fenton attend our school to share her family's story.

• Oct. 8: Author Christy Jordan-Fenton at St. Martin's 📚
• Oct. 9: Parent Council/Foundation Meeting @ 7:00pm 👪
• Oct. 9: Quesada Hot Lunch 🌮
• Oct. 10: School Picture Day 📸
• Oct. 11: FREE Hot Dog Lunch Day 🌭
• Oct. 14: Thanksgiving Holiday 🦃🍗 NO SCHOOL
• Oct. 16: Edo Japan Hot Lunch 🍜
• Oct. 18: FREE Hot Dog Lunch Day 🌭
  
• Oct. 19: Harvest Ball 🎉
• Oct. 23: Subway Hot Lunch 🥪
• Oct. 25: FREE Hot Dog Lunch Day 🌭
  
• Oct. 30: Booster Juice 🥤

At St. Martin's Catholic School, our commitment to living out Gospel values inspires everything we do. This year, we integrated these values into our observance of Orange Shirt Day, a day of remembrance for the survivors of residential schools and an important step toward truth and reconciliation in Canada.

As educators, we recognize that learning about the past is essential for shaping a better future. This year, we engaged students in meaningful classroom activities, discussions, and reflections on the history and legacy of residential schools. Through these lessons, our goal was to help students develop empathy, critical thinking, and a deeper understanding of the truth about Indigenous history in Canada, all within a Catholic framework of love, justice, and healing.

Our teachers emphasized the role of learners as active participants in reconciliation. Students were encouraged to ask questions, share their reflections, and explore how they can contribute to healing and justice in their communities. Guided by our faith, we focused on building compassionate, informed citizens who are committed to standing in solidarity with others, especially those who have been marginalized.

Happy October everyone! I hope everyone had a great first month back at school. I am thoroughly

enjoying my time at St. Martin’s and am becoming more familiar with all the new faces. MHCB in-class programming is now underway for grades 1 through 6. Grade 1B and 1Y are participating in a program called “Worry Woo’s” and have met the Monster of Worry, the Monster of Loneliness, and the Monster of Insecurity! They have learned positive ways to cope with worry, qualities that make a good friend, and why feeling insecure makes some people want to hide. Grades 2 through 6 are participating in the “Open Parachute” program and will be learning about resilience, self-awareness, social responsibility, and the importance of connection and systems of support. Grade 2 is working through the Peer Dynamics unit; Grade 3 Building Friendships; Grade 4 Embracing Uniqueness; Grade 5 Bullying Prevention & Strategies; and Grade 6 Repairing, Speaking Up, and Respecting Each Other. Pre-K and KG will begin in-class programming after Christmas.

We have also started the Kindness Klub at lunch on Thursdays for Grade 5 and 6. So far, students have prepared welcome goody bags for new students in the school and a special surprise for the “Saint of the Week” which will be announced each week at the prayer assembly. Additionally, our first after-school club, Nature Photography, has started. Grade 5 and 6 students head to Pysanka Park to take photos related to the theme of the week. As you can see, we have been very busy over here at St. Martin’s!

– Mrs. Scripture

GrACE stands for Grateful Advocates for Catholic Education: advocating for publicly-funded Catholic education in the province of Alberta. Supported by the Alberta Bishops, Alberta Catholic School Trustees Association and Catholic School Superintendents of Alberta, its mission is to inspire, invigorate and embolden the spirit of Catholic education in order to unite, engage, educate and communicate with one voice. GrACE is a partnership of stakeholders resolutely committed to Catholic education within the province of Alberta. GrACE launched in November 2018 with representatives from 16 Catholic school divisions across the province. Below find some interesting information if you want to be involved:

• GrACE Summit OCTOBER 2024 - Program 1.pdf

• Registration Link

• GrACE September Newsletter

All of our students and staff received a #grow tshirt on Thursday! #grow #eics #godanswersprayer

PARISH EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

(Weekday Divine Liturgies are celebrated Mon.-Fri. at 8 AM)

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St. Martin's Catholic School

Asst. Principal: Mrs. Melanie Sorochan

Main Office: Ms. Fronde Dubuc

Email: stmn@eics.ab.ca
Website: https://stmn.eics.ab.ca/
Location: 4314 - 54A Avenue, Vegreville AB T9C 1C8

Phone: (780) 632-2266
Facebook: stmartinscatholicschool