As we move into the fifth week of Lent and draw closer to Easter, our hearts are called to reflect more deeply on Jesus’ message of mercy and forgiveness. This Sunday’s Gospel (John 8:1–11) reminds us of the power of compassion over judgment. Jesus challenges those ready to condemn, showing us that no one is without fault—and that love and mercy must lead the way.

Lent is a time for transformation. It invites us to look inward, to soften our hearts, and to choose kindness over criticism, humility over pride, and service over self-interest. When we care for one another with patience and understanding, we reflect God's love and grow closer to the people He calls us to be.

As a school community, may we continue to walk this Lenten journey with open hearts, serving others with gentleness and grace—just as Jesus did. Let’s encourage one another to be instruments of God’s mercy in our classrooms, homes, and beyond.

Monday, April 7

• KMW John Janzen Nature Centre
• Peer Mentors visit

• KTR John Janzen Nature Centre

• Gr 3 Harbour Pool
• Peer Mentors visit
• Hot Lunch

• Library Day Gr 1-4

Friday, April 11

• Cereal Box Challenge
• Peer Mentors visit

Looking Ahead...

April 14 - N1 SWC, School Council Meeting 6:30

April 16 - N2 SWC

April 18 - Good Friday, no school

April 22 - Earth Day

April 23 - Secretary's Day

April 24 - Hot Lunch

April 25 - Gr 2 TPet

The big Cereal Box Domino Event is this Friday, April 11 at 11:00 AM in the gym! 🎉

If you haven’t brought in your cereal boxes or boxed non-perishable food, there’s still time! Let’s keep stacking up kindness for the Fort Saskatchewan Food Bank.

Don’t forget to send in your donations by Wednesday morning! Let’s make this domino chain (and our impact) as BIG as possible!

As part of our school safety procedures, we conduct emergency drills throughout the school year. These include fire drills, lock downs, and hold and secures. These drills are essential for ensuring that students know how to respond in a real emergency situation. On Tuesday, April 8, our school will be conducting a practice lock down and hold and secure. We wanted to inform you ahead of time so that you can discuss the purpose of these drills with your child.

We are thrilled to share that our St. John XXIII Choir has been nominated for the Provincial Music Festival! This incredible honour recognizes the hard work, talent, and joyful voices of our students, as well as the dedication of Mrs. Schaub in leading them with passion and heart. Congratulations to our young vocalists—your beautiful harmonies are being heard far and wide!

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 2

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

Our St. John XXIII School Council is excited to announce a new spring fundraiser, made possible by Bonnie Doon Flowers Garden Center.

Pansies are perfect for early-season planting, with the ability to withstand cooler temperatures and the unpredictable weather of May.

Each pansy bowl is 12” in diameter and 5” deep. The cost of the pansy bowl is $28 each.

How to Order:

• Orders can be placed through your Munchalunch account starting March 30th

• The deadline for orders is April 20th at noon.

• Pansy Bowls must be picked up at the school on Thursday, May 8, 2025, between 1-3pm or 6-8pm.

🌸Don’t miss out—order yours today! 🌸

Ever wondered what the role of your school council is? We’ll be sharing insights into the different positions that make up your school council. This week: the Secretary.

The Secretary plays a key role in documenting each meeting's proceedings. They are responsible for accurately recording the minutes and ensuring they reflect the decisions and directions agreed upon during the meeting.

Voting for school council positions for the 2025/2026 school year will be held during the AGM in May. If you’d like more information or to put your name forward for any school council position, please email st.johnxxiii.psc@gmail.com

Stay tuned for more insights into the other roles on the council!

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!

Your input and ideas are crucial to making a positive impact at St. John XXIII. Come be a part of the conversation and help shape the future of our school!

All current St. John XXIII students are required to fill out the Next Year Intentions form (and not a new registration form) in PowerSchool so that we can plan accordingly for next 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. Please refer to the PowerSchool page on our website for more information.

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