At Father Leduc Catholic School our vision is that ALL students will learn at high levels surrounded by Christ's love. Our mission means that our caring staff will collaborate with your child to create a school environment where they can engage in ways that will optimize their learning.

This week we have now started a very special season in the Church called Lent. It’s a time when we get ready for Easter by praying, helping others, and making small sacrifices to grow closer to Jesus.

In the First Week of Lent, we hear about Jesus going into the desert for 40 days. He was all alone, fasting and praying, but He never gave up. Even when He was tempted, He chose to follow God’s plan.

What does this mean for us? It reminds us that even when things are hard—like when we’re tempted to be unkind, impatient, or not listen—we can ask Jesus to help us be strong, just like He was.

As we move into week two, we are going to share this message with our students:

🙏 Pray every day, even just a short prayer to thank Jesus.
💜 Give up something small, like a favorite treat, to show our love for God.
😊 Be kind by helping a friend, sibling, or classmate.

Thank you to the families who were able to attend our Ash Wednesday Mass. It is indeed a special opportunity to celebrate our faith with our peers. Thank you to our school Religious Education Coordinator Mrs. Loitz for leading us in advance.

Enjoy this second week in Lent,

Mr. Fountain, Principal

Mrs. Lobkowicz, Vice-Principal

Mme Donna Hayden, Vice-Principal

Monday, March 10

• NO School

Tuesday, March 11-Day 4

• 7:30 am-Grade 6 Badminton Practice
• Grade 6- D.A.R.E

Wednesday, March 12-Day 5

• 3:15 pm-Grade 8 Girls Basketball Practice

Thursday, March 13-Day 6

• Grade 6 Badminton Tournament

Friday, March 14- Day 1

• Grade 6 Badminton Tournament
• 4 pm- Final Ski Club

March 10- PD Day NO SCHOOL

March 10- Babysitter Training 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.

March 12 @7:30am Badminton Tryouts (Boys and Girls Singles)
March 14 @7:30am Badminton Tryouts (Boys Doubles and Girls Doubles)

March 14- Final Ski Club 4-9pm at Rabbit Hill (sign up on School Cash Online)

March 17 @7:30am Badminton Tryouts (Mixed Doubles)

March 17-30- Read A Thon for our school library

March 17- Gr.6 Field Trip to U of A

March 18 & 19- Gr.4 Overnight at Royal Tyrell Museum in Drumheller, AB

March 18- Gr.5/6 Badminton wrap-up Pizza Party

March 20 & 21- Goota Desmarais Inuit presentations to each class

March 20- Celebration of Learning 4-7pm

March 21- JH assembly presentation

March 24-28- Rocks & Rings (indoor curling) for all grade during phys. ed.

March 27- Open House for in-coming grade 7 students

We wanted to kindly remind parents and students that while we understand the convenience of using delivery services like Skip The Dishes, it’s not conducive to our school environment to receive multiple deliveries each day. These frequent drop-offs can cause disruptions to our school routine and create security concerns.

We also, as a reminder, that energy drinks and soda are not permitted at school for the health and safety of our students. For more information on the harmful risks of energy drinks, please visit

https://cps.ca/documents/position/energy-and-sports-drinks

We encourage students to bring their lunches from home or participate in our school’s lunch program. Thank you for your understanding and support in helping maintain a smooth and focused learning environment for all! 😊🍎

Miss. Andrews and Mrs. Brown will be hosting Jr. High Badminton Tryouts on the following days next week and the following:

• March 12 @7:30am (Boys and Girls Singles)

• March 14 @7:30am (Boys Doubles and Girls Doubles)

• March 17 @7:30am (Mixed Doubles)

Kids will need to know how old they were, on September 1, 2024, for placement in either junior, intermediate or senior

If you have any questions, please contact: kayla.andrews@starcatholic.ab.ca and sydney.brown@starcatholic.ab.ca

Please note, we now have safety patrollers at the corner of Southfork Dr. and Sheppard Blvd.

Our school Read-A-Thon begins on Monday March 17, 2025 and is sure to be a fun and exciting event.

We understand that your time is valuable. We also know that providing the best education for your child is important. That's why we are encouraging everyone to activate their student's Read-A-Thon account as soon as possible. The instructions are straightforward, making it quick and hassle-free, and it should take less than 5 minutes of your time.

Watch a short video to see how to signup your reader:
https://youtu.be/12tmuXH8zCg

This account will serve as a hub for recording and monitoring your child's progress as a Reader in the event, and for you to share their Read-A-Thon message with friends and family. Use the link below to activate your student's Reader account:
https://www.read-a-thon.com/readers/r/323732353731/1.

Families will be receiving notification via School Messenger on Friday March 7 and in the weekly update sent out on Sunday March 9.

Thank you so much for your participation and support. Together, we can make this Read-A-Thon an amazing experience for our young readers!

Thank you,

Mrs. Hibbs

Prizes

• 2 class prizes
• The CLASS with $1000.00 in CLASS DONATIONS wins popsicles for the entire class
• The CLASS with $1500.00 in CLASS DONATIONS wins popcorn and a movie for the entire class

As the snow melts, consider sending extra clothes with your kiddos as they often get wet at recess. Spring is fast approaching!

Today, Sunday, March 9, is the final day to register. Open until 8pm or we have reached max number.

Day to register!Father Leduc Catholic School is thrilled to offer Babysitter Training by Educaid Training at the school on Monday, March 10, 2025, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Students are asked to bring their own snacks/lunch, water bottles, and writing utensils. All other course materials and equipment are provided. The cost for the workshop is $65 plus GST. Payment is due at the time of registration. $10 from each registration will be donated back to the school's fundraising society. Here is the Registration Link.

• Course Description →This course is appropriate for young persons (in Grade 6 OR at least 12 years old) eager to learn more about responsible independence, taking care of siblings or other children, and/or starting their business. This course includes a detailed look at accident prevention, identifying hazards, what to do in an emergency, and basic first aid (including hands-on CPR and choking protocols for infants and children).

Cost: $5.50

1 drink per student, snack size (355ml)

Flavour options are:

• Strawberry (strawberries, passion fruit, guava, and yogurt)
• Pineapple Chill (pineapples, strawberries, and bananas)*dairy-free option

Delivery will be:

• Tuesday, March 25th for ESC T/TH and Grades 1-3
• Wednesday March 26th for ECS M/W and Grades 4,5,6,7A,7B
• Thursday March 27th for 7C,7D,7E,7FI, all grade 8's

The order deadline will be March 14th.

Funds raised will be used to rent a ninja course for our school-wide Faith and Wellness Day.

The excitement is building as our Grade 4 students gear up for their amazing Overnight at the Museum adventure in Drumheller! But before they pack their bags, we're raising funds to make this trip unforgettable – and we need YOUR help!

Hot Dog Lunch Coming Your Way!
As part of our fundraising efforts, we’re hosting one more Hot Dog Lunch on March 13th! It’s the perfect chance to enjoy a tasty lunch while supporting our students on their journey to Drumheller. Every hot dog you order helps make this special field trip a reality!

Let's make this trip a huge success and give our Grade 4s an experience they’ll never forget!

Hello Families,

I’m thrilled to share an incredible opportunity for your student! In 2026, we’ll be embarking on a once-in-a-lifetime international travel experience to Québec and Montreal in 2026 and we’d love for your child to join us.

Educational travel offers so many benefits, including:

• Personal Growth – Encourages independence, adaptability, and financial responsibility.

• Cultural Exposure – Expands global awareness and fosters cultural sensitivity.

• Hands-On Learning – Brings classroom lessons to life with real-world experiences.

• Unforgettable Memories – Inspires students and leaves a lasting impact on their future.

Exploring new places and immersing in different cultures opens doors to personal and academic growth—and I can’t wait to make this happen for our students and community!

To give you all the details and answer your questions, we’re hosting a parent information meeting where we’ll cover:

• What we’ll see and experience on this trip

• How this opportunity will benefit your child

• Why now is the best time to start planning

• How your investment is protected

• How we’re keeping this safe and affordable

Meeting Details:

Father Leduc Catholic School on Monday March 17th 2025 at 6pm or join us virtually.

RSVP Required: Please register here to receive the meeting details and updates: https://rsvp.eftours.ca/j2zfsm2

Feel free to share this link with other families who may be interested!

Can’t attend but want more info? Register and select “No, but send info”, and we’ll keep you in the loop.

We’re so excited about this adventure and hope your student can be part of it. Can’t wait to see you there!

Many thanks,

Hannah Allum

Tour Consultant

Book a meeting with me

EF Education First

Tel: (778) 504-7027

Follow EF on: LinkedIn Facebook Twitter www.ef.com

EF proudly supports the Olympic Games

If you can not make it in person, here is the Google Meet link https://meet.google.com/myd-qdru-ciz

Grade 7 and 8s are engaged in some deep mathematical thinking in their Math WIN block - they love any opportunity to write on the windows!

On June 10, 2025, we will be spending the day celebrating Indigenous cultures. Please consider volunteering at the school on June 10. We will have all students participating in a variety of activities and will need many volunteers to make this day a success.

Contact Mrs. Barrett at erin.barrett@starcatholic.ab.ca if y ou would like to volunteer.

Thank you for your support in this important initiative.

Gold Medal win at the Champs Vallee Tournament .

Congratulations! Proud Lightning

Hello Parent/Guardians

Could I please ask for some feedback regarding School fundraisers? I have attached a quick survey with only 4 questions. If I could get as many responses as possible to help guide our future goals that would be greatly appreciated.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VKZF3JK

Thank you,

School Council

Your feedback is essential in helping us create the best possible learning environment for our students. To assess our school’s strengths and identify areas for growth, we invite you to complete the 2025 Division Parent Survey.

Your insights will help guide our Division’s future direction and ensure we continue to meet the needs of our students and families. Please take a few moments to complete the survey by clicking the link below:

STAR Catholic Parent Survey 2025

The survey will be open from February 4th to March 17th.

Thank you for your time and valuable input! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.

When parents and speech therapists work together, children can do better in speech treatment. How a speech assessment feels for parents might change how they work with their child’s speech therapist. But we don’t know much about what speech assessments are like for parents.

We will ask parents what their child’s speech assessment was like for them. We will also ask what helped, and what made things worse. We will use what we learn to help speech therapists improve assessments for parents. That way, parents and speech therapists can work better together, and help children with talking and listening.

Parents helped us build this study, so we could talk with other parents, find out what speech assessments are like for them - all so we can help speech therapists and parents help children.

We’d love to see parents involved in our school community! Volunteering is a great way to make a difference and show your support. Whether it’s helping out in the classroom, assisting with special events, or lending a hand during lunch, every bit of time makes an impact. We also encourage you to attend School Council meetings, where you can have your voice heard and play an active role in shaping the direction of the school. Together, we can create a strong, vibrant environment for our students to thrive! If you are interested in helping out, please email Tracey at dtberry@telus.net.

We’d love to see parents involved in our school community! Volunteering is a great way to make a difference and show your support. Whether it’s helping out in the classroom, assisting with special events, or lending a hand during lunch, every bit of time makes an impact. We also encourage you to attend School Council meetings, where you can have your voice heard and play an active role in shaping the direction of the school.

Together, we can create a strong, vibrant environment for our students to thrive! If you are interested in helping out, please email Tracey at dtberry@telus.net.