![page background](https://cdn.smore.com/_fr/abstract.cccafddb.jpg)
ABJ Scots Week at a Glance (SWAG)
April 8 - 12, 2024
This weekend in our church we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday. In the Roman Catholic Church, Easter has always been a celebration of the great love that God has for His Creation. A love that was shown when the Divine Son became incarnate and dwelt among us, sharing in our lot, showing us the way to the Father, and making the perfect offering in atonement for our sin.
Blessed John Paul II once said: “Divine Mercy! This is the Easter gift that the Church receives from the risen Christ, a gift which it offers to all humanity.”
A wonderful gift that we will all appreciate this week is the opportunity to participate in a Byzantine Divine Liturgy. Our ABJ Chaplains are hard at work in partnership with Bishop David Motiuk preparing to offer multiple masses this week to our student body and we are forever blessed by their leadership and support. We look forward to celebrating with Bishop Motiuk, Father Rendy, Father Slavko and Deacon Cyril representing the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Edmonton.
Thank you in advance to the students and staff who have stepped up to fill the various ministries. Parents are welcome to join us on April 11.
Important Dates
April 8
- Grade-Level Assemblies for students in grades 9, 10, and 11
- Men's and Women's Soccer Tryouts at 3:30 pm on the Emerald Hills turf
- Senior Boys Handball vs. Leduc and Vimy in Edmonton. Games at 5:45 and 6:45 pm respectively.
April 9
- If you need help in Math and Science, please email Mrs. McGhan (karrym@eics.ab.ca)
to save your place for Tuesday lunch time Math and Science tutoring. This will be the last tutoring session at school until May 21.
- Creative Writing book sale at lunch time in the common area
- Aboriginal Studies 10 to Sacred Heart Parish of the First Peoples at 12:15 pm
- Senior Boys Handball vs. Ross Sheppard and Beaumont at Ross Sheppard. Games at 4:45 and 5:45 pm respectively.
April 10
- PEP Day. Choose your session at https://pepapr10.sched.com/
- Men's Soccer Tryouts at 2:15 pm on the Emerald Hills turf
- Women's Soccer Tryouts at 3:30 pm on the Emerald Hills turf
April 11
- Easter Masses
- Grade 10 Registration One-on-Ones from 3:30-6:30 pm by appointment
April 12
- PhysEd 30 Camping Trip forms due to teachers
- Semi-Formal School Dance from 8:00-10:00 pm
Upcoming...
April 13
- Grade 10 Registration One-on-Ones
April 17
- Three Way Conferences from 3:30-6:30 pm
- Grade 11 Registration One-on-Ones
April 18
- Three Way Conferences from 3:30-6:30 pm
April 20
- Grade 11 Registration One-on-Ones
April 25
- Band/Choir Student Trip to Anaheim
Organization of the SWAG
The newsletter is organized based on our four school assurance priorities for this year.
- Faith Integration
- Learners and Learning
- Systemic Wellness
- Community Engagement
FAITH INTEGRATION
YFast
Prior to spring break, a number of students participated in our yearly Lenten fasting retreat. During this event, students took part in a number of sessions under the umbrella of a Harry Potter theme. Session one was focused on Seeking Christ's Light through a game of Quidditch, discussion, and Lectio Divina. Session two was Finding Light in the Dark (Christ is our Light). Students participated in a presentation from Mr. Joly, scavenger hunt, and discussion of the seven deadly sins. The third and final session was Being the Light! In this session, students competed an obstacle course through the Forbidden Forest with a follow-up discussion and debrief on God as our refuge. As part of the retreat, students also learned about the Lurana Shelter from Sister Mary Clare and had the opportunity for confession with Father Jim and Father Ben from OLPH Parish. All in all it was an active, fun, and meaningful retreat for students and staff alike. Students also raised $1652 for the Lurana shelter!
Thank you to Chaplains Miss Fichter and Miss Lakusta for planning yet another engaging and spiritually uplifting YFast retreat, as well as Mr. Selinger, Mrs. Chase, Mrs. Boake, Mr. Joly, and Ms. Fortin for assisting with YFast!
OLPH Weekly Bulletin and UpLIFT Prayer Requests
Register here: https://www.albertamarchforlife.com/events
April Chaplains' Corner
Adoration at ABJ
GrACE Newsletter
LEARNERS AND LEARNING
PEP: Supporting Students' Academic, Spiritual, Physical, and Emotional Wellbeing
PEP Feature Sessions
Important Information for the PhysEd 30 Camping Trip
Any students attending the PhysEd 30 camping trip must ensure the following:
If you missed the meeting las week, come see Miss Miko to get your forms
Join Google Classroom: nw446xw
Get forms back to your PE 30 teacher by April 12th
Let teacher know ASAP if you can not attend
Take swim test (if did not do AquaSize Class)
April 24th - 2:30 - 3:00
April 26th- 1:30 - 2:00
Registrations for 2024-2025
In preparation for next school year, students currently in grades 9 and 10 have been contacted via email to book one-on-one meetings with a counsellor, administrator, or a member of our learning support team to review course selections and ensure that students are being set up for success. Last week, counsellors ran sessions with classes to share course information and distribute course selection forms. Information on how to book appointments has been sent out to parents/guardians via email. This is the primary way that 2024-2025 course registrations for students currently in grades 9 and 10 will be taking place so it is important for appointments to be booked.
Registrations for students currently in grade 11 and going into grade 12 next year will be taking place the week of April 22nd. There will be an assembly for all grade 11s in period 1 on Monday, April 8 where counsellors will discuss registration and distribute course selection forms. It is important that all grade 11 students attend this assembly from 9:30 - 10:00 am.
Please refer to the registration presentation linked below and the ABJ School Handbook for course and fee information. We are offering a variety of new options for the 2024-2025 school year! Check out the link below for details on these exciting new offerings at ABJ.
Semester 2 Three-Way Conferences
Bookings for student-parent-teacher three-way conferences will be opening on Wednesday, April 10.
Teachers are currently working on ensuring that grades and teacher comments are up-to-date in PowerSchool as of the bookings opening on Wednesday. Please take the time to review the detailed teacher comments specific to each student that have been created. These comments serve to guide further understanding of students’ strengths and areas for growth, as well as recommended paths for subsequent levels of the course.
Learning Spotlights
Skills Alberta - Edmonton Regional Competition
Congratulations to Madison Bender who won the bronze medal Saturday at the Edmonton Regional competition for Skills Alberta. She is now advancing to the Provincial level on May 8th and 9th. Thank you to Mrs. Nelson for mentoring Madison in preparation for the competition. We are beyond proud of Madison and her exceptional work yesterday. Go Scots!!!
Leadership 9 Gratitude Garden
Miss Mills' grade 9 Leadership class created a "Gratitude Garden" for students and staff to share what they are grateful for on flowers lovingly decorated by students in the class. Thank you to all those in our school community who planted flowers of gratitude in the garden!
EICS Summer School
Grade 12 Post-Secondary and Diploma Supports
RCMP Youth Camp
Scholarships
Scholarships Canada Webinar
Wondering how you can get your hands on funding to help you pay for school?
Scholarships Canada is hosting an Interactive Webinar to help walk you learn all about scholarships, bursaries, awards, and more. They will cover scholarship myths, share some interesting listings, and talk about how you can leverage your unique personal story to help you find scholarship opportunities and apply with confidence.
Bring your questions!
Takes place April 9th and is FREE! Click HERE to register!
As a reminder, the below scholarship opportunities are still active and available to students.
Scotiabank Scholarships
- 16 x $3,750 in awards
- 4 themes: Financial Wellness, Future Women Leader, Diversity, and STEM
- Deadline: May 3, 2024
- Learn More
H&R Block Canada Scholarships
- 10 x $3,000 in awards
- Valuable student-friendly info on taxes (click Learn More)
- Deadline: April 26, 2024
- Learn More
myBlueprint Awards
- 5x $1,000 in awards
- Only accessible via the myBlueprint Student account (instructions below)
- Deadline: May 17, 2024
How students enter:
Log in to your myBlueprint Account (It is your ABJ Id/email. The password is the same as it is for you to access the network)
Click the Tasks > Scholarship Tab
Read through the Terms and Conditions
Click Enter Draw > Confirm Entry
Calling all Future Surgeons!
Calling all FUTURE SURGEONS! Are you someone that is interested in potentially pursuing MEDICINE in the future?
The U of A might have the Summer Camp for you! DISCOVER THE WORLD OF SURGERY! Through a 5-day camp, you will have a chance to explore surgery through HANDS-ON experiences with expert-led sessions!
Check out the poster attached for more info and to register!
U of A Summer Career Camp
Are you someone who really doesn't know what they want to pursue after High School?
This U of A Summer Camp might just be the perfect fit for you!
The University of Alberta Career Centre will be hosting an in-person Summer Career Camp from Monday, July 8 to Friday, July 12, 2024. The camp offers a dynamic week-long experience tailored for high school students. Our goal is to empower students with the essential skills and insights needed to navigate and craft a fulfilling and flexible career path for the future.
Here are the key details:
Date: Monday, July 8 to Friday, July 12, 2024
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Location: Central Academic Building (CAB), University of Alberta North Campus
Cost: $300 + GST
Who can participate:
Students currently in grades 10, 11, or 12
Individuals taking a gap year or pursuing post-Grade 12 upgrades
*Please note: Grade 9 students at the time of registration are not eligible to participate.
Registration is available now and will remain open until June 9, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. (MT).
SYSTEMIC WELLNESS
Solar Eclipse Reminder and Opportunity
Semi-Formal School Dance - Friday, April 12
Monday is the last day to get tickets in the common area at lunch time!
Art Society of Strathcona County Art Show and Competition
Student Supports
Community Supports
Volunteer Opportunities
Athletics
Check out the new website for all things Athletics.
Athletes of the Month for March
Cheer Takes 5th in the Province!
The ABJ Cheer team put on a fantastic performance this weekend at Provincials and took home 5th place in the province for high school cheerleading. The athletes exhibited amazing sportsmanship and showed so much growth and dedication this season. The Provincial cheer competition has hundreds of athletes compete and our team held their own against some fierce competition. We are so proud! This competition wraps up our Cheer season for the year.
Thank you to Mrs. Santos for coaching this year's Cheer team on the road to success yet again! Thanks also to Miss Lakusta for her support of the team as well.
Handball Update
Our Senior Men’s Handball Team has been absolutely crushing it beating Victoria 37-3 and finishing off Memorial 28-17 last Wednesday evening. It was a great road trip victory!
Soccer Tryouts
Grad Update
Please contact Mr. St. Jean with any questions relating to French Immersion Grad 2024.
Grad Parent Communication Letter
Please see HERE for the Grad 2024 Letter sent to grads and parents/guardians prior to spring break.
If you have any further questions, please do contact advisors at abjgrad@eics.ab.ca. The grad advisors meet weekly on Wednesdays and they will respond to your queries after spring break as they are able during our weekly meetings.
Cafeteria Menu
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Parent Reminders and Information
Attendance Reminder
Did you know that our school has team meetings every week that review the academic and attendance issues of each grade level? As we are several weeks into the new semester it is very important that families take the time to keep us informed. Please ensure you are informing the school each time your child is absent, ill or late. We do not wish to have the auto callouts emailing and phoning your home, but if there are unverified absences this will continue to occur. Staff will email when absences start to exceed certain thresholds. If you are having trouble with your Parent PowerSchool account please call our front office at 780-467-2121 or email: abj@eics.ab.ca
Approved 2024-2025 Calendar
Please see below for the Board of Trustees approved 2024-2025 school year calendar.
EICS Board of Trustees Monthly Highlights
Communications
Newsletter Translation Feature Reminder
SWAG
The Scots Week at a Glance (SWAG) newsletter will be shared weekly on Sunday evenings or Monday evenings on long weekends. This will also be posted on our website and shared via social media. Stay informed on all things ABJ through the website, blog, and on social media.