"Praise be to the LORD God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds." (Psalm 72:18)

December 8 - Staff Faith Day NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS

December 10 - Second Sunday of Advent (Peace)

December 11-22 - SLR Countdown to Christmas

December 11 - Don't be a Scrooge: Wear red & green

December 12 - Grinch Day: Wear green or grinch attire

December 12 - Band and Choir Advent Concert 6:30 - 8:30 pm

December 13 - Ghost of Christmas Past: Dress in gear from a different decade

December 14 - Holiday Socks: Wear Christmas socks

December 15 - Mad About Plaid: Wear plaid

December 17 - Third Sunday of Advent (Joy)

December 18 - Shine Bright: Wear lights, tinsel, glitter etc.

December 19 - Sunday Best: For Advent Mass

December 19 - Advent Mass 9:30 am at Sacred Heart Catholic Church

December 20 - Headwear: Wear hats, headbands, antlers etc.

December 21 - Holiday Sweaters: Wear a holiday sweater

December 22 - Pajama Day: Wear pajamas

December 24 Fouth Sunday of Advent (Love)

December 23-January 7 - Christmas Break

Join us for our countdown to Christmas with some fun holiday theme days!

We appreciate the efforts of our students in follwoing our cell phone policy. We have provided it here if you would like to review it with them.

Schools are considered commercial buildings. Only kitchens and common lunch areas are set up for microwaves. Our cafeteria area is not set up to be able to use a sufficient number of microwaves to support our school community. For this reason we are unable to have microwaves in our common area, and of course because of fire code and insurance regulations we are unable to have microwaves in classrooms. If you have any questions regarding this please feel free to contact Mr. Coumont at the school.

Great News! We received a shipment of school pictures from Edge Imaging this week. If you ordered pictures, your child should have brought them home from school on either Wednesday or Thursday. If you have any questions or concerns about your order, please contact Edge Imaging.

VISION STATEMENT:

Grounded in our faith, we extend a heartfelt invitation to all community members to develop a deep, genuine relationship with Christ. Through authentic and lifelong learning experiences, we will inspire personal growth and intellectual development rooted in choice, hands on learning and career pathways.

MISSION STATEMENT:

Our mission is to provide a safe, nurturing, and faith-filled environment where students are encouraged to find their unique voices, share their gifts and talents, and develop resilience in the face of challenges.Through inclusive environments, we empower every student to learn, grow and succeed. We believe in creating a strong sense of community where relationships are prioritized to ensure everyone feels connected and valued.

Thank you to everyone who donated to this year's CSS Giving Tree. This was St. Lorenzo Ruiz Middle School's first year participating in the division wide fundraiser, to support families in need. Together, SLR families raised a total of $750 in gift cards and cash. May this money bring joy and holiday spirit to those who receive it.

We would like to extend an invitation to all our families to join us on December 12 for our very first Advent Concert performed by our Band and Choir students. Please see invitation below for all the details.

We wanted to let you know that we are aware of google having the incorrect phone number for our school and are working to get it resolved. If you need to reach our office for any reason, please contact our main line at 403-406-7365. This is also the number to call should you need to call in your child's attendance. This number is alway available on our website. We thank you for your understanding.

URGENT: We are asking for your help, it is imperative that these forms get completed.

You should have received notification that the 2023-24 Student Information Update form was sent to you. This form is MANDATORY and required by Alberta Education. The information in this form must be updated and current. Please pay close attention to medical and legal alerts as these are often out of date and need to be current. The form can be found by logging into PowerSchool on your browser (not available on the app) and clicking on SchoolEngage at the bottom of the menu on the left hand side. Please take a few minutes to complete this form and submit. CHANGES MUST BE SAVED FOR EACH PAGE BEFORE CLICKING NEXT.

STUDENT INFORMATION UPDATE FORMS ARE PAST DUE AND MANDATORY

Important Information: Please use our North parking lot for parking or out front of the school for drop and go if drivers must remain in their vehicles. Please be considerate of our neighbours across the street and leave that parking for residents only.

UPDATE: On Monday, we sent home fee statements to those families with balances owing. Please pay these fees ASAP or call the office to make arrangements to pay as they are past due. We accept cash or cheque at the office or you may choose to pay using a credit card online by following these steps:

To pay online, please log into your Parent PowerSchool account to view your outsanding fees and make your payment online through RYCOR. If you are unsure how to pay using RYCOR, please follow these steps:

1. Visit your school's website and click on the PowerSchool quick link (or use link above).

2. Sign in using your PowerSchool Username and Password. If you have forgotten either/or please contact the school office for assistance with resetting your password.

3. Click on link, "School Fees and Forms", located on the left-hand side.

4. Please follow the instructions provided on the screen when you are taken to RYCOR. If you have any questions, please contact the school office.

**RYCOR can only be accessed via PC/Tablet, the program does not work using the PowerSchool app.

Join the Family Resource Network for their upcoming parenting seminars. Phone Tammy @ 403-896-5348 to register. More info below.

Red Deer Christmas Bureau - Applications being accepted until December 15th from 9 am to 3:30 pm. Phone 403-347-2210 to book an appointment.

Adopt A Family (The Outreach Centre) - Applications are currently being accepted. The program focuses on single parent families. who require extra help to provide for their family. Phone 403-347-2480 to book an appointment.

Adopt A Family (Salvation Army) - Applications Currently being accepted. Focuses on supporting low income families. Christmas Hamper drop off is December 17th. Phone 403-346-2251 for more information or to book an appointment.

Youth board game day - December 29th. For more information please see the poster below.

The basketball season has begun. Please pack our (newly installed) stands and come cheer on our Golden Eagles! Home and away game dates and times can be found on our SLR Sports Calendar.

We are still waiting for some volleyball jerseys to be returned. If your child played volleyball this season, could you please make sure the jersey is washed and returned to the school. We thank you for support.

As always, for anything sports related, please see our SLR Sports Calendar for the most current dates and times. This calendar is updated regularily and is the best way to stay on top of everything SLR sports. If there is ever a change in the schedule, this is where you will find it.

In case you missed it last week, our online ordering is now available at slr.hotlunches.net

Parents can now order in advance using this online system. Students are still able to pre-order at the school as well. For more instructions on how to sign up and use the system, please read this letter.

School Council Information

Email: slr.schoolcouncil@gmail.com

The common practice of Radon testing for SLR has now been scheduled for December 8 PD day. Please see the letter for more information.

Winter weather has arrived! We know it can be tricky to convince teenagers to wear their jackets, but we ask that you please remind your children to dress for the weather as outdoor recess does continue through the winter months.

As noted in the signage at our front entrance, to support the safety in and around our school we have indoor and outdoor cameras.

Chris Stefanick is an internationally acclaimed author, speaker, and television host who has devoted his life to inspiring people to live a bold, contagious faith.

Recipient of the Papal Benemerenti Medal, Archbishop Charles J. Chaput calls Chris “one of the most engaging defenders of the Christian faith on the scene today.” Chris’s live seminars reach more than 85,000 people per year. His reality TV show, videos, and radio spots reach millions of people, and his educational initiatives are turning the tide in the Church. He authored the Chosen Confirmation program which has already formed more than 500,000 teens.

A graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville, Chris is also the founder and president of Real Life Catholic, a non-profit which operates as the headquarters for Chris’s various initiatives. Above all, Chris is proud to be the husband to his wife Natalie and father to their six children.

https://reallifecatholic.com/

École Secondaire Notre Dame High School Presents elf - the musical at the Red Deer Memorial Centre. For more information, please see their poster.

Winter registration for all City of Red Deer arts & recreation programming begins next week on Tuesday, November 28 at 12:00 noon. New program options are viewable this Thursday, November 23, on My Activity Guide.

Say goodbye to the winter blues by enrolling in City of Red Deer programming this season. Winter programs include everything from swim lessons, preschool programs and fitness, to pottery classes, Zumba and so much more.

You are encouraged to create your own Activity Guide to review upcoming City of Red Deer programming at www.reddeer.ca/MyActivityGuide. The custom Activity Guide allows you to select categories, age groups and locations relevant to you and your family.

Please visit your Look’ n Book account prior to registration day to ensure access is up to date. For any questions regarding account access please contact Recreation at 403-309-8411.

Registration for winter programs begins at 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 28. There are three ways to register for City of Red Deer programs:

• Online through My Activity Guide at www.reddeer.ca/MyActivityGuide or directly through Look ’n Book at http://looknbook.reddeer.ca

• By phone: 403-309-8411

• In person at Collicutt Centre, G.H. Dawe Community Centre, Recreation Centre or Michener Centre

To note, we have updated our system to serve our online registrants more quickly. Confirmation emails will be sent within 24 hours in an effort to reduce the immediate load on our online systems. This means you may not receive an immediate receipt for your registration.

Happy registering!
The City of Red Deer

Please see poster for schedule for Dec. 4-9.

Homestay parents are currently needed for international students. For more information, please see the poster below.