OLMP Royals Report

The season of Advent is a time of expectation, when we prepare our home and our hearts to celebrate the birth of Jesus on Christmas Day. The word Advent is derived from the Latin word adventus, which means “coming”.

Advent is a season of hope, a time to nurture peace and experience joy in anticipation for the love that is made incarnate with the birth of Jesus.

This Advent season, EICS is once again embarking on a series of almost daily videos that feature students and division leadership reflecting on what the themes of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love mean to them. You can view them all on our YouTube Channel.

Here is an Advent Reflection that is extra-special to us here at OLMP:

Finding Hope in Hardship: Luisa's Advent Reflection from OLMP Catholic School

Please remind your student to visit the tables in front of the gym for any lost and found items.

Items remaining at the end of the week will be donated.

We need your help!

On Friday, December 20th, OLMP Catholic School will be hosting a Turkey Dinner for ALL of our students as a special way to celebrate the Christmas season ⛪🔔🎄

We are asking parents/guardians for Christmas baking donations to serve as the dessert.

If you are able to donate a dessert, please email us at olmp@eics.ab.ca and let us know:

• The type of dessert(s) you will be donating
• The amount of servings the dessert(s) will provide
• The approximate date and time of drop-off (please note: we kindly ask that all desserts be dropped off prior to 9:00 a.m. on December 20th so that we have time to get them arranged for the Turkey Dinner)

Please ensure to include an ingredient list with any dessert(s) you donate for this amazing annual event 💕

Thank you, and God bless! 🙏

• December 9:
• Christmas Candy Cane Grams Sales at Lunchtime
• December 10:
• Christmas Hat and Accessories Day
• Christmas Candy Cane Grams Sales at Lunchtime
• December 11:
• Christmas Candy Cane Grams Sales at Lunchtime
• December 12:
• Christmas Colours Day
• Christmas Candy Cane Grams Sales at Lunchtime
• December 13:
• School CLOSED
• December 16:
• Grades 5 and 6 Ski Trip to Rabbit Hill Snow Resort
• December 18:
• Christmas Sweater Day
• December 19:
• Grades 7 to 9 Ski Trip to Canyon Ski Resort
• December 20:
• Pajama Day
• Annual Turkey Dinner for ALL students
• Afternoon trip to Duggan Cinemas for grades 5 to 8 to watch "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever"
• December 21 to January 5:
• Christmas Break - School CLOSED ⛪🎄🎁

Please visit our website to view the full school calendar.

Please see our the January high school final exam schedule which outlines dates as well as exam protocols.

On Friday, December 20th, following the Annual OLMP Turkey Dinner, all grade 5 to 8 students will walk to Duggan Cinemas to watch the movie, "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever".

Please ensure your child has proper winter attire for the walk.

There is no charge for the movie. Snack packages are available to pre-order for $8.00 through the Parent Portal of PowerSchool until December 16th. Purchases may not be available at the theatre, so we encourage pre-orders.

Check out the movie trailer here.

Grad Hoodies are now available to order in the Parent Portal of PowerSchool!

Please see the online form for item details.

Deadline to order is December 18th.

Dear Parents,

As a token of appreciation this holiday season, Lifetouch is offering discounts on school photography!

• 50% off a purchase of $50+ with code CDEC50
• 40% off a purchase of $40+ with code CDEC40
• 30% off a purchase of $30+ with code CDEC30
• 
  

Valid through December 14, 2024

To order, log in to your account on mylifetouch.ca or create an online account.

Thank you!

Please be sure to contact Mrs. Twitchell at lorindatw@eics.ab.ca BEFORE 11:00 on Hot Lunch days if your child is not at school and you need their hot lunch set aside. Thank you.

January Hot Lunch is available to order now. Deadline is December 12th.

To order:

• Go to the PowerSchool login section of the OLMP website
• Log into the Parent Portal
• Go to Forms and Fees -> Student Fees
• Make your selection(s) and pay for the order

If you require assistance logging into the Parent Portal, please contact the school office at olmp@eics.ab.ca or 780-672-2975.

Upcoming Hot Lunches:

December 10: Skyway

December 17: East Side Marios

December 20: Annual Turkey Dinner served to all students

January 7: Wok Box

January 14: Dominos Pizza

January 17: Booster Juice

January 21: Boston Pizza

January 28: Skyway

Keep an eye on the weekly Royals Report for updates on how OLMP is

🤜crushing🤛

these goals!

FAITH INTEGRATION: Our students, staff, and EICS community will be provided a faith integrated environment through worship, witness, and service.

LEARNERS AND LEARNING: Our students and staff will develop to their fullest potential through multiple pathways.

SYSTEMIC WELLNESS: Staff and student well-being, in mind, body, and spirit, will be supported through programming and education.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: EICS provides enhanced opportunities to support student success through communication, engagement, and partnership.

Click here to read an exciting update on the upcoming canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis!

Where: Canyon Ski Resort, Red Deer

When: Thursday, December 19th, 2024

Fees:

• $70 for lift pass, lesson, ski/snowboard rental, and bus transportation OR
• $45 for lift pass, lesson, and bus transportation (for those who have their own gear) OR
• $30 for bus pass and lesson (for those who have their own gear and season pass).

Permission forms can be picked up in the Phys Ed office.

Completed forms are due no later than Tuesday, December 17th. Please hand in your completed forms to Mr. Reinhart or the Phys Ed office.

Where: Rabbit Hill Snow Resort, Edmonton

When: Monday, December 16th, 2024

Fees:

• $58 for lift pass, ski/snowboard rental, and bus transportation OR
• $35 for lift pass and bus transportation (for those who have their own gear) OR
• $13 for bus transportation (for those who have their own gear and season pass).

Permission forms will be handed out by your homeroom teacher.

Completed forms are due no later than Thursday, December 12th. Please return your completed form back to your homeroom teacher.

If you have any extra questions, please see Mr. Reinhart.

As OLMP looks forward to the arrival of Christ at Christmas, we also look back on the blessings of November.

Thank you to all the students who participated in the House Month Competitions. Congratulations goes to Hildegard House for winning 15 of the 35 points up for grabs; and congratulations to all the winners of all the competitions seen below!

OLMP is full of connection, full of love, and excited about what the House System has in store!

• High School Dodgeball Tournament Winner: Hildegard House

• Middle School Dodgeball Tournament Winner: Lisieux House

• Art Competition (Middle School Division Winner): Callie Zwicker

• Art Competition (High School Division Winner): Mia Gendreau

• Writing Competition (Middle School Division Winner): Sophia Craig

• Writing Competition (High School Division Winner): Sarah Mills

• Chess Tournament Winner: Jacob Matthiessen

Community members can join the OLMP Grad 2025 online auction through Facebook to support our fundraising for grad celebrations.

The online auction closes Sunday, December 8th @ 8 p.m.

Please make alternate plans for a pick-up/drop-off location as our staff parking lot is no longer available as an option. This area has become far too congested in the past and is an extreme OH & S concern. Also, to ensure the safety of our students, staff, and bus drivers:

PLEASE STAY CLEAR OF BUS LANES AT THE BEGINNING AND END OF OUR DAY.

Please follow the flow of traffic in the student parking lot on the south side of our building. You will notice that there is no longer a "turn left" option (right turns only) when you exit the parking lot.

Alternatively, please also look at streets/locations other than the alleys that are close to our school where students can safely access our school site.

While we understand that this takes away some convenience, we are concerned about the safety of your children.

Thank you for your attention to this.

Please take a few minutes to complete your child's demographic forms, medical forms, and all yearly consents (FOIP, tech use, field trips) on PowerSchool.

It is important that this information be kept up-to-date every year, especially if there is a change in medical status, parent/guardian/emergency contact information, and/or address.

If you need assistance with using PowerSchool - including completing and submitting yearly consent and demographic forms online - please visit the main EICS website for instructions and helpful video tutorials.

To ensure a safe environment for all, we kindly ask that all parents and guests sign in at the school office upon arrival. Please refrain from using side doors to enter classrooms or the gym unless it is during an authorized after-hours event.

This helps us maintain an organized environment, keep track of who is on campus, and ensures we can assist you promptly.

Thank you for your support and understanding as we prioritize the safety of our school community.

OLMP School is a 1:1 technology school.

This means students from grades 5 - 12 should have a fully charged device available daily.

As stated in the handbook:

Students should bring their devices to class with the following criteria:

• 6 hours of battery life

• Internet access (Chrome browser preferred)

• Google apps for education downloaded

• Minimum screen size of 7 inches and physical keyboard

Thank you for supporting their learning by reminding your child to charge and bring their technology daily.

Student success and a sense of belonging starts with consistent attendance at school.

Ensure that your child is consistently attending, so we can help them reach their full potential. Please reach out to your child's teacher, school administration, or our FWW team if attendance is a challenge for your family.

"Good attendance" is attending >95% of classes - which is roughly missing 0-1 days per month.

Student absences can be reported through the Parent Portal on PowerSchool:

PowerSchool can also be used to view grades and report cards, pay fees, and update student information (including medical information).

You can view the EICS Parent Technology Handbook for further details on these items.

Our Elk Island Catholic Schools IT department is continuing to work on implementing additional features, so keep an eye out in our Smores for future updates!

To access PowerSchool, please click here.

Fees can be viewed and paid for through the Parent Portal in PowerSchool under "Forms and Fees".

Families that need financial assistance can apply for our fee waiver program using the link below.

Deadline to apply is December 13, 2024.

Fee Waiver Program for 2024-2025

The November 2024 Elk Island Catholic Schools Monthly Highlights are now available!

November's edition features:

• Updates on the Board’s assurance and advocacy efforts,
• Approval of the 2023-2024 Audited Financial Statements,
• Progress on the construction of Blessed Carlo Acutis Catholic High School,
• Insights into the vital work of our Inclusive Learning Services team in supporting students and families, and more.

The full highlights are available on the EICS website.

OLMP Catholic School

Email: olmp@eics.ab.ca

Website: https://olmp.eics.ab.ca/

Phone: 780-672-2975