St. Gabriel Education Centre

Dear St. Gabes students and families,

Happy April and the start of Holy Week, the most important week in the Christian calendar.

Our Lenten Campaign continues until June so please click on the link to donate to the Ukrainian Refugee Relief Fund. We have thousands of Ukrainian refugees seeking a safe place to live who are arriving in central Alberta daily. They need our support.

Please make sure you register for next year. Our St. Gabes program is very unique in Alberta. This year we served well over 300 students from across the province and we are continuing to grow. Students report that they enjoy the flexibility of learning in a blended online/in-person program. The earlier you register, the easier it is for us to plan for next year in terms of courses we can offer and staffing.

I pray that you all have a safe and healthy spring!

Many Blessings to you all,

Renee Trottier,

Principal

Thank you for taking the time to read about what's happening at St. Gabes each month. Our newsletter is a really important way for you to keep up with what's happening at school.

Congratulations to Kayla Veenstra for winning the draw this month! Please stop by the school to pick up your gift card!

Don't forget to enter our draw for a gift card! I reset the draw each month so you can win more than once!

https://forms.gle/kx5u8TWpSDKAw8Jn8

April 6 - Wear a jersey or green shirt in remembrance of the Humboldt Bronco tragedy

April 7 - Good Friday. School is closed

April 10 - Easter Monday. School is closed

April 21:

• PD/Staff meeting day. School is closed.
• Semester mid-point cut-off. All coursework should be caught up and handed in.

April 26 - Administrative Professional's Day. Remember to thank Mrs. Franklin for all she does for you!

Registration for next year is now open! Please click on the link HERE. You can find out more about St. Gabes by checking out our website or calling one of the staff.

If you know anyone interested in an alternative, flexible form of education, please tell them about St. Gabes and ask them to give us a call!

We use PowerSchool to record all of our students' marks. This is an essential communication tool for teachers in sharing how their students are doing with students and parents/guardians. All parents/guardians of students under 18 should have a PowerSchool Parent Portal account. Please refer to the information below to create and access your account.

If you've never set up an account and you don't know your access ID and access Password, please contact Renee Trottier and I will send you the information. If you already have an account and have forgotten your password, click "forgot password" to generate a new one.

Note - You must set up your account for the first time from a computer. After that, you can access your account from your Internet browser on your phone.

Setting up PowerSchool Instructions

If you have trouble with any of this, please contact Renee Trottier and I will help you get things set up.

Did you know that you can access your PowerSchool account from an app? Once you have your account set up, go to your app store and download the PowerSchool app. It will prompt you to type in your school division's code. GSACRD's code is

QNMM

It's as simple as that!

Our next School Council meeting is on April 20 at 6:30 pm. We will be going over our division survey results and asking for feedback from parents. Please join us to discuss this very important topic. All parents/guardians are welcome to join us.

We meet once per month except for December and June. All of our meetings are online. You can find the agenda and meeting link on our website under "About Us/School Council". https://www.stgabe.gsacrd.ab.ca/about-st-gabriel/school-council-parent-council

We look forward to seeing you!

We are thrilled to announce that St. Gabriel Education Centre will be moving into Holy Family Catholic School during the next academic year. This is an exciting opportunity for our school community, and we want to share some important details with you.

St. Gabriel Education Centre has outgrown its current space, and we have been actively exploring options to better support our student's learning needs. After careful consideration and planning, we believe that moving into Holy Family Catholic School will provide a more inclusive and enriched learning environment for our students, with access to more resources and specialized programming.

As part of this move, St. Gabriel Education Centre will have a designated space within Holy Family Catholic School, with ample space, parking, and a separate entrance at the back of the building.

We will work closely with parents and students to ensure that everyone is well-informed and supported throughout the process. We are excited about this new chapter in our school's history and look forward to working together to create a vibrant and inclusive school community that supports the learning needs of all students.

Our new address will be 39 Sunset Blvd.

Students in Religion - You can use this volunteer time toward your service hours.

The International Children's Festival has always depended on volunteers to keep its multi-day adventure for kids running every year. Volunteering has many benefits including helping others, discovering new skills, making friends, resume and post-secondary application building and making a difference in the community.

The Youth Ambassador program is designed for youth ages 12 to 18. Youth Ambassadors are the ‘first-face’ of the Festival, greeting kids as they arrive on-site, providing information to teachers and parents at our Info Booths, warming up audiences at our Feature Performances and answering questions from the public.

This position is great for youth who like to help out and are comfortable speaking to guests of all ages . Youth Ambassadors are guided by the Ambassador Captains and must attend a mandatory orientation on Sunday, May 28 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at The Arden Theatre (5 St Anne Street). Pizza lunch will be provided.

Visit childfest.com today for more information on Volunteer Roles, Volunteer Standards, and the Application Process.

Further information: Joelle Weisbeck, festivalvolunteer@stalbert.ca, 780-700-8205

Bailey Exell

Festival School & Community Facilitator | Community Services

City of St. Albert, The Botanical Arts City
C: 587-920-9851

City of St. Albert | 5 St. Anne Street | St. Albert, AB | T8N 3Z9
bexell@stalbert.ca | www.stalbert.ca

www.facebook.com/cityofstalbert | www.twitter.com/cityofstalbert

As we venture through Lent, it often feels as though we will never make it to Easter. It feels long, bleak and tiresome. But, as we follow along with Jesus on the way of the cross to the resurrection, we don't dwell on Good Friday. We don't stay at the cross. The story doesn't end at His death. The story begins when He rises from the dead and opens the gates of salvation for us all! Isn't that amazing?! Let us not dwell on the darkness, for it has been conquered once and for all! Truly He has risen! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Did you Know?

Easter is the longest Season in the Roman Catholic Liturgical Calendar! It's 50 days long (7 weeks!) After the fasting, it's time for feasting! Now, that's worth celebrating!

Summer Camp Camp is back, at Our Lady of Victory Camp!

Come this summer to encounter Christ, encounter community, and encounter creation.

July 8th - Grand Re-opening BBQ All are welcome

July 9-13 - High School Camp (gr. 10-12)

July 16-20 - Elementary Camp (gr. 4-6)

July 30-Aug 3 - Junior High Camp (gr. 7-9)

August 6-10 All Ages Camp (gr. 4-9)

You can register at olvcamp.com Should you have any questions at all, please contact our parish Youth and Family Coordinator, Aidan at Aidan.OToole@caedm.ca.

High School Nights- Grades 10-12

April 3, May 1, June 5 & June 26

Middle School Nights- Grades 7-9

April 17, May 8, June 12 & June 26

Elementary Nights- Grades 4-6

April 24, May 29 & June 19

All Youth Nights are 6:30-8:30 pm in the Parish Hall

Don't forget to check out our "Mental Health and Wellness" section on our website for wellness ideas, tips, resources and sessions that are being offered. Click on "community supports" for information about services in St. Albert and area to support you or your family.

Our school counsellor at St. Gabriel Education Center is Mrs. Tracy Delhez. She is able to provide social and emotional support to students both online and at school. Mrs. Delhez is available at SGEC on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays. Counselling referrals can also be made by parents or teachers. Support is provided for individual or family concerns and referrals to outside agencies can be accessed through Mrs. Delhez. For more information or to book an appointment please contact Mrs. Delhez at mailto:tdelhez@gsacrd.ab.ca

Thank you to the families who donated to Sacred Heart Church's food drive and to all of the students who joined us for our field trip. We had a great time making lunches for the people who live in inner-city Edmonton. We started with mass at St. Albert Parish, then travelled to Sacred Heart Church where we decorated the lunch bags, made 200 lunches, and toured the church. Father Mark, from Sacred Heart, shared with us the importance of giving and supporting those in need and he explained how they end up living on the street. He also shared a very informative lesson on Truth and Reconciliation and the effects of colonialism. Overall, it was a great day and the staff and students enjoyed themselves and learned a lot.

Check out our social media Facebook and Instagram accounts this month for special advertisements about St. Gabes!

Did you know that we update our social media accounts on a regular basis? Following us is one of the quickest ways to find out what's going on at school and get those last-minute, emergency updates.

Please follow and share with your friends. We want everyone to know what a great place St. Gabes is!

https://www.facebook.com/StGabeHS

https://www.instagram.com/st.gabes/

Just a friendly reminder to park in our lower parking lot when you are coming to the school. The lower lot can be accessed from the back alley parallel to our school.

Please do not park in the following areas:

• our handicapped spot (unless you are handicapped and are coming into the school)
• in the spots at the front of the building or in the upper lot on top of seven hills
• in front of our garbage bin (the truck has left our garbage a few times because the bin was blocked).

Peer Prep Program for students in grades 6-9.

The Peer Prep Program is the first initiative launched by Youth in Action (YIA). Designed specifically for youth in grades 6-9, this pilot project is focused on delivering workshops that address critical topics and themes identified by the YIA committee as gaps in current programming in our community.

How do I register?

There is no need to register! All workshops are offered on a drop-in basis in the Multipurpose Room at Servus Credit Union Place. Join us for any of the workshops that are of interest to you.

Parent Workshop Series: How to Help Your Stressed-Out Teen

When

Date: Wednesday, May 17, 2023
Start Time: 6:30 pm
End Time: 7:30 pm

Where

St. Albert Public Library

Stress in young people doesn’t always look like stress in adults. But like adults, children and teens—even those with life-altering losses—can find healthy ways to cope. Participants will learn to spot the signs of excessive stress and, with the right tools, manage it.

This workshop will examine symptoms of stress in tweens and teens and how you as parents can help them cope. We will also talk about anxiety disorders being the most common mental health problem in Canada and provide guidance on when to get help.

This free event is part of a parent workshop series. View all workshops

Don't forget to enter our newsletter draw and give us feedback on the things you'd like to see or read about each month!

https://forms.gle/kx5u8TWpSDKAw8Jn8

Email: rtrottier@gsacrd.ab.ca
Website: https://www.stgabe.gsacrd.ab.ca/.
Location: 6 St Vital Ave, St. Albert, AB, Canada
Phone: (780)459-6616
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StGabeHS
Twitter: @stgabes

Monday to Wednesday
8:30 am to 3:00 pm

Thursday
8:30 am to 5:30 pm

Friday
8:30 am to Noon
All teachers are available