Superintendent Message - Oct. 21-25

Inspired by Christ on a Journey to Encounter, Nurture, and Serve.

Inspiré par Dieu dans une Aventure à Découvrir, Grandir, et Servir.

October 21 - 25, 2024

Good morning,

Welcome to Catholic Education Week! We are truly blessed to have publicly funded Catholic education in our province—something we cherish with deep gratitude and strong resolve. Enjoy your time together in worship and praise as we highlight the gift of Catholic education in RDCRS.

I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude and congratulations to everyone as we celebrated the sod-turning ceremony for St. Veronica Catholic School in Blackfalds. Last Thursday alongside MLAs, the Mayor of Blackfalds, Father Liju, Elder Darryl, and trustees, we witnessed the exciting first step towards our 22nd RDCRS school. This moment represents the beginning of something deeply meaningful—not only for Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools but for the entire community of Blackfalds.

It was a truly beautiful sight: the students from St. Gregory Catholic School sang the national anthem and the closing song with such grace, while little ones—soon to be St. Veronica's first students—joyfully dug into the soil with their small shovels alongside dignitaries. Parents watched proudly, knowing that Catholic education remains vibrant and strong in Blackfalds.

St. Veronica, the patron saint of kindness and charity, reminds us all of the importance of compassion, respect, and service to others—values that lie at the very core of Catholic education. Her selfless act of comforting Jesus on His way to the cross offers a timeless lesson for us, especially for the young hearts and minds who will soon fill the classrooms of this school.

A special thank you to Ryan Ledene, Maria St. Pierre, Patrick Teskey and Teresa Borchers for their dedication and teamwork in bringing this important project to life. I also want to acknowledge and thank everyone who lent a hand in the final hours leading up to the ceremony—your efforts are deeply appreciated! We now look ahead with excitement and anticipation to the day we will come together again to open the doors of St. Veronica Catholic School.

Warm regards,

Kathleen

Maryview has been on a journey of actively engaging our students and staff in authentic experiences to help encounter and nurture their relationship with Jesus, as well as serve in His name. With service as a focus of ours this year, we are committed to serving our local school community and also our community of Red Deer.

Maryview School had great success with the recent food drive! From October 1 - 8, the school raised a total of 2035 lbs and almost 2000 items of food that was donated to the Red Deer Food Bank! Families shared heartwarming stories of their children coming home and creating lists of items they wanted to buy for the Food Drive, and some students even emptying their own piggy banks to help with the cause! Students shared that they felt happy to support those in need, as Jesus has taught them and modeled in his own life. See our school’s video capturing some highlights!

October 19, 2024

Central Alberta Online - Central Alberta students embark on aviation adventure

October 16, 2024

Red Deer Advocate - Red Deer school celebrates 40 years of education

rdnewsNOW - St. Teresa of Avila School marks 40 years

• Strengthened in Spirit Faith Report
• Indigenous Education Services
• Upcoming Events

Dear GrACE Apostles,

Catholic Education Week holds deep significance for the Catholic community, especially in today’s increasingly secular world. It stands as a beacon of hope and commitment.

A Time for Unity and Reflection

Catholic Education Week is a dedicated time for prayer, reflection, and unity within the Catholic community. It celebrates the vital role that Catholic schools play in shaping young people.

Celebrating the Value of Catholic Education

This week provides an important opportunity to reaffirm the value of Catholic education. Our publicly funded Catholic schools nurture students into compassionate, morally grounded individuals who contribute positively to society.

A Collective Purpose

Catholic Education Week unites the community to recognize the importance of Catholic education, pray for our students, and seek blessings for the future. It is a time to express gratitude for the opportunities Catholic education provides and to recommit to upholding the values and teachings of the Catholic faith.

"Testify! Share the Reason for Your Hope"

The theme, “Testify! Share the Reason for Your Hope,” serves as a powerful reminder of the responsibility that comes with the privilege of publicly funded Catholic education. It calls for the courage to ensure that schools remain true to Church teachings while pursuing academic excellence.

May God bless and guide each of you as we embark on this important time in our Catholic education calendar. Together, let us testify to our faith, share our stories, and build a community rooted in hope and love.

Blessings and much love,

'Jesus, I trust in You!'

Kate

Executive Director | GrACE

Here is the information for this month's Theology on Tap.

https://www.stmarysparishreddeer.ca/event-details-registration/theology-on-tap-2

We are very excited to have Mike Landry come and speak about "Who calls us?" What is God like and why we worship him?

Click here for a PDF copy of the newsletter.

Hi Red Deer Catholic Schools

You are invited to attend the Mustard Seed's 4th Annual Bowls for Bellies Soup Cook-off on Oct 27th at RDP in Red Deer, in support of the School Lunch Program. Last year over 400 people attended this event, helping to raise over $30,000 for students in need of a healthy lunch in 50 plus Central Alberta Schools. Over 95,000 lunches were delivered to vulnerable children last year. Up to 700 lunches every school day.

Bowls for Bellies - The quest for the Bowly Grail!

Scott Tilbury

Senior Development Officer - Southern Alberta

Cell: 403.598.7076

Direct: 403.598.7076

Fax: 587.457.5455

The Mustard Seed

6002 54 Avenue Red Deer, AB T4N 4M8

TheSeed.ca

SPARC Red Deer and SPARC Sylvan Lake are pleased to announce the SPARC Family Challenge which offers 4 weeks of simple, free, family- friendly challenges, to complete at home or in your community to help your kids grow up great! By participating in the SPARC Family Challenge, you can create strong positive connections with your kids and within your family.

The purpose is to educate families about the 40 Developmental Assets, which are research-proven life experiences or building blocks which all children need to grow up healthy, caring, and responsible. Research shows that the higher number of these assets a young person has, the more likely they are to thrive and to engage in positive behaviours and avoid risky behaviours.

Through every day, achievable activities, we can build assets in our kids and help them thrive. Families will receive a weekly email with ideas on how to build assets in their children and can win awesome prizes at the end of the 4 weeks. Please see attached poster in PDF and PNG format. For more information, and to register, visit sparcreddeer.ca/events and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Registration deadline is November 1st at noon.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kr6-mKAx2bv9RH5UDgLoqPSGAVyPKgx_/view

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jDGxXeInKG2rQKsWZCsEcdZwfl0yPR6W/view

Share your feelings on “Why Military Matters” to win one of 10 trips to the 2025 Invictus Games in Vancouver!

We are encouraging as many youths as possible to take part in the ATCO IG25 Student Competition: Why Military Matters, a special contest for students in Grades 4-9 for their chance to win one of 10 trips for two (student & parent/guardian) to the Invictus Games in Vancouver.

Please forward it to your teachers who can help share this with their students or to parents for them to learn more.

Attached is the Official ATCO IG25 Student Competition Rules, a poster for you to print, post and promote at your school and on this webpage, there are links to various short videos for you to share with teachers and parents about the Invictus Games and inspirational stories about some of the athletes.

WIN A STUDENT EXPERIENCE AT THE INVICTUS GAMES

As we lead into Remembrance Day, we take the time to acknowledge the courage and sacrifice of those who served their country, on and off the battlefield. This year, ATCO is offering a new way for Alberta students to share their feelings about the heroes who make up our Armed Forces and Veteran communities.

ATCO is inviting Alberta students in grades 4 through 9 to enter a creative composition on WHY MILITARY MATTERS for a chance to win one of 10 trips for two (student and parent/legal guardian) to attend the Invictus Games in Vancouver from February 15-17, 2025.

Competition runs from October 15 – November 11, 2024.

Submit Your Entry online and learn more at www.atco.com/IG25contest

Creative Composition instructions:

Each creative composition should describe Why Military Matters? (between 150 – 650 words). The composition must be relevant to the theme, whether there is a personal connection, an understanding of the importance of the military in Canada or the need to support our military veterans.

The composition can either be completed in the form of a short essay, poem, song or video. Compositions should be interesting, creative, inspirational or heartwarming.

Eligible entries will be judged on the content of the composition. Judging criteria will include:

• Interpretation: How well the theme “Why Military Matters” is interpreted
• Creativity: How original the theme “Why Military Matters” is depicted
• Composition: The overall design and quality of the composition
• Emotional impact: Whether the piece evokes emotion

All compositions must be original and written in English to be considered valid for the ATCO IG25 Student Competition.

Learn more about the Invictus Games and ATCO’s support.

For more information about the contest, please contact us at community@atco.com

Erin Newell-Lupien (she/her)

Manager, Communications & Community Investment

ATCO Ltd.

C. 780 264 7627

A. 10035 – 105 Street, Edmonton, AB T5J 1C8

In the spirit of reconciliation, we acknowledge the traditional territories and homelands on which many of our ATCO operations and facilities are located. We honour and respect the diverse history, languages, ceremonies, and culture of the Indigenous Peoples who call these areas home.

Click here for a PDF copy of the contest poster.

Good morning!

This is a quick note inviting you and members of your organization to the Red Deer Symphony Orchestra's first Open Rehearsal of the 2024-25 season, which takes place on October 19, 2024 at 1:40 PM, at the RDP Arts Centre.

Our Open Rehearsal program is free to attend, and provides an opportunity for people to look "behind the curtain" and see how a professional-level orchestral concert comes together. People who participate in this program are better able to realize the amount of work involved in each performance, and are provided an educational study guide in advance, along with a presentation and Q&A with musicians associated with the concert.

This Open Rehearsal features cello soloist Kathryn Fakeley, who will introduce us to the cello and some of the music she will be performing, both in rehearsal and later that evening at RDSO's season premiere.

Please feel free to send this invitation to your own contacts, or anyone you think might be interested. To register, please use our Open Rehearsal Registration Form.

Let me know if you have any questions, or would like more information on the RDSO or our community programs.

With many thanks,

Matthew Whitfield

Executive Director

Good morning,

The RCMP National Youth Services is facilitating online classroom training sessions for Bullying and Exploitation. They have opened it up to local schools in our community.

I am familiar with Safer Schools Together and One Child and the information they present is really good and aligns with our parent information session.

Please see the attached forms above if you are interested in sharing/distributing with your staff.

Be Kind – Anti Bullying presentation with Safer Schools Together November 20th, 2024 at 1:00 pm EST

Online Safety for Youth with One Child December 12th, 2024 at 1:00 pm EST

Regarding the registration deadlines, as long as you get the registration into us at least a couple days before the event, you should be good to go.

Register by sending an email to rcmp.youth-jeunesse.grc@rcmp-grc.gc.ca with the specific topic of interest, student grades, and preferred language (French or English).

Therese

Cst. Therese Berube

Youth and Community Action Team

Red Deer RCMP

4602-51 Avenue, Red Deer, AB

T4N 2N2

403-406-2300

The Alberta Sports Hall of Fame offers engaging educational programs that bring Alberta’s rich sports heritage to life. Students can dive into hands-on activities, explore unique sports artifacts, and hear inspiring stories of Alberta’s sports heroes. Our programs cover various themes, including Indigenous traditions, adaptive sports, evolution of sports, and the intersection of art and sport.

Programs Offered:

• Art in Sport (K-4): Discover the connection between sports and art through mascots, jerseys, and medals.

• Lasting Traditions (Grades 4-8): Explore Indigenous traditions in sports and culture.

• Adaptive Sports (Grades 6-12): Learn about athletes who broke barriers in inclusive sports.

• Innovation & Evolution (K-6): Students explore how sports and equipment have changed over the last century.

Pricing:

• In-house Programs: $75 for up to 30 participants, $150 for 31-60 participants.

• Outreach Programs: $125 per class.

For more information, please visit our website albertasportshall.ca/education-program

Click here for a PDF copy of the brochure.