“You are my joy. You are my heart’s delight. My Child, you are My delight, you are the comfort of My Heart. I grant you as many graces as you can hold. As often as you want to make Me happy, speak to the world about My great and unfathomable Mercy. You have taken a great part in My Passion; therefore I now give you a great share in My joy and glory.” (Jesus to St. Faustina, Divine Mercy in My Soul, 27, 164, 205)

Monday, April 28

• Regular school day

• KTR Breadlady,
• St John XXIII Numeracy Night
• Peer Mentors visit

• KMW Breadlady

• Library Day Gr 1-4
• Peer Mentors visit

Friday, May 2

• PD Day - no school for students

Looking Ahead...

May 6 - NK TPet

May 7 - Early Dismissal 2:10, Hats on for mental health

May 8 - Gr 1 Muttart trip

May 12 - N1 & N2 SWC in class

May 13 & 14 - Spring Photos

May 13 - Volunteer Appreciation, Hot Lunch

May 14 - Gr 2 Winspear

Thank you to all of our students for pitching in to make our school yard free from litter. Students picking up garbage brought awareness to a healthier planet, promoted environmental action and fostered a sense of collective responsibility for our planet. Way to go St. John XXIII!

On Wednesday night our Board of Trustees celebrated staff who have been recognized by our division for making a lasting difference in our schools.

• Kim Frey will represent our division as nominee for the CCSSA Excellence in Catholic Education Award.
• Megan Yockey is our St. John XXIII nominee for the Edwin Parr Award, which recognizes first-year teachers.

Congratulations to these ladies and to everyone who was nominated to represent EICS! Your commitment to our students and daily leadership help shape the heart of Elk Island Catholic Schools.

We are thrilled to announce that The Servant Leadership Squad is hosting the 12th annual school wide talent show! All students are welcome to share the gifts and talents that God has blessed them with during this show. A Dojo message was sent this past week, with all of the details and the paper consent form was sent home as well. Please return the consent form to the school by Tuesday, April 22nd.

If you have misplaced the letter, please refer to the document linked below.

"St. John XXIII’s Got Talent” will take place on Friday, May 30th at 1:00pm in the gym.

Spring means new life, growth, and time for new adventures around the corner. While this year's staff and students work diligently to honour the current year we are in, administrators have been in the planning stages for next year since January.

There are many ways in which we plan for and support student transitions from grade to grade and school to school.

As part of this planning, please let the office know if your family is moving and won't be attending St. John XXIII for the next school year. Please log into your PowerSchool account and fill out the Next Year Intentions form. This form is located on the left hand side, above the Grades and Attendance dropdown.

We invite EICS students of all grade levels to submit work reflecting the importance of, and their experience with or contribution to Catholic education. This year our theme is Rooted in Christ. Entries need to reflect this theme. It is often helpful if students include a few sentences to go with their entry on how it is connected to this year’s theme.

Student Submissions could include such things as (but not limited to):

• A work of art

• A poster

• A formal or informal essay

• Original music

• Poetry

• A presentation (video or otherwise) of social justice work

• etc

Contest Rules

All Submissions due to Mrs. Maynard by May 1

Prizes will be presented May 25 in each community’s parish (The week of World Catholic Education Day, Thursday, May 29). There will be 14 prizes!

• K-8 students = 50 dollar prize in the form of a gift card

PreK, KTR and Gr 1-4 students will have the opportunity to have an individual picture taken on Tuesday, May 13th and for our KMW class, on Thursday, May 9th. Anyone who is absent on Tuesday can have their photo taken on Wednesday.

The St. John XXIII Yearbook Committee has been working hard to make this year’s yearbook special - featuring a student-designed cover, fun interviews with our kinder and grade 4 students, and snapshots of the moments that made this school year unforgettable. It’s more than just a book—it’s a keepsake your family will treasure for years to come.

How to Order:
Order online through your Munchalunch account.

Sales open Thursday, April 17 at 10 AM and close Monday, May 5 at noon.

Cost: $30 — a small price for memories that last a lifetime.

Thank you for your continued support!

We’ll be using Munchalunch for ordering hot lunch! It’s a simple, convenient way to choose and pay for your child’s lunch online. You can easily pay with a credit card (Visa/Mastercard), debit-credit card, Google Pay, Apple Pay, or a pre-paid credit card.

How to Register:

1) Go to: https://munchalunch.com/schools/stjohnXXIII

2) Click the “Register Here” button (as shown below). The system will guide you through the registration process.

3) After adding your children, click the green “Order Lunch!” button to order.

4) Next time, just click the “Login Here” button to access your account.

Ordering Information:

Online ordering for May Hot Lunch is live:

• Tuesday, May 13 - Boston Pizza

• Wednesday, May 28 - Tim Hortons

Important Reminders:

• Orders will be accepted up to 7 days before the hot lunch date.

• If your child is ill or absent on a hot lunch date, you’re welcome to pick up their lunch order by 11:30 AM. If you’re unable to do so, please consider it a donation for a child in need.

• Please note that we are unable to issue refunds. We appreciate your support of our hot lunch program, as the prices include costs associated with running the program and help raise funds that benefit the student experience at our school. Thank you for your understanding!

If you need assistance with ordering, please contact our hot lunch coordinator Brandy at Hotlunchstjohnxxiii@gmail.com

We're excited to offer our remaining Big Box of Cards sets! Each box contains 35 handcrafted cards for just $36.32. Choose between the All Occasion box or the Birthday box set—perfect for any celebration!

Hurry, as these sets are available on a first come, first serve basis and quantities are limited. You can order as many boxes as you'd like from our available stock, so be sure to stock up for all your upcoming events! Payment is quick and easy through MunchaLunch, and must be made at the time of order. Don’t miss out on this fantastic deal!

At St. John XXIII, we are committed to creating a Christ-centered, distraction-free learning environment that nurtures the well-being of all students. To support this, personal digital devices (cell phones, tablets, smartwatches, and gaming devices) should remain at home or stored in backpacks and powered off during school hours (8:30 a.m. – 3:15 p.m.) unless used for teacher-led instruction. All parent communication during the day should go through the school office to minimize classroom disruptions. Thank you for helping us foster a focused and faith-filled learning space!

The REAL (Religious Education Activities for Life) Foundation is once again asking for your support for our 22nd annual golf tournament on Wednesday May 21, 2025 at the Broadmoor Golf Course. This tournament raises funds to support Catholic education in the Elk Island Catholic Schools. These funds enable students to be inspired by Catholic speakers, attend faith-based retreats and leadership activities along with the goal of providing student scholarships in our high schools and parishes. This strengthens the Catholic education of Elk Island Catholic School students from kindergarten to Grade 12 in Strathcona County, Fort Saskatchewan, Camrose and Vegreville.

A jubilee is a special celebration, renewal, and forgiveness period rooted in religious and secular traditions. In the Christian tradition, a Jubilee Year, or Holy Year, is a time of special spiritual significance declared by the Pope, often held every 25 years (or during extraordinary jubilees). It offers Catholics a unique opportunity for renewal in faith, repentance, pilgrimage, and the reception of special graces or indulgences. The jubilee concept symbolizes mercy, justice, and restoration, inviting people to reflect on forgiveness, equality, and spiritual growth.

Full article below.

Email: stj@eics.ab.ca
Website: https://stj.eics.ab.ca/
Location: 9526 89 Street, Fort Saskatchewan, AB, Canada
Phone: 780-998-7777
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/St.JohnXXIII
Twitter: @St_JohnXXIII