Today is Palm Sunday, also called Passion Sunday, and it marks the beginning of Holy Week. Holy Week is a very sacred time of the liturgical year. A time when gather alongside our families and faith communities as we prepare ourselves for Easter by prayerfully reflecting on the events of Jesus’ passion and death. May this week, we remember to respond to suffering with love and remain steadfast in our joy of the hope that Easter brings! God’s blessings to each of our students and their families.

Monday, April 14

• N1 SWC
• 4M Share and Care Program
• School Council Meeting 6:30

• Peer Mentors visit

• N2 SWC

• Shadow play 10 am in the gym, everyone welcome
• Library Day Gr 1-4
• Peer Mentors visit

Friday, April 18

• Good Friday, no school

Looking Ahead...

April 21 - Easter Monday, no school

April 22 - Earth Day

April 23 - Secretary's Day, Easter Mass at OLA church

April 24 - Hot Lunch

April 25 - Gr 2 TPet, Gr 3 Pottery Guild, Gr 4 RAM

April 29 - KTR Breadlady, St John XXIII Numeracy Night

April 30 - KMW Breadlady

Students enjoyed watching the domino effect of all of these cereal boxes! The Fort Saskatchewan food bank is going to appreciate all of this food that will go to local families in need. Thank you St. John XXIII families!

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

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!

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’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 April Hot Lunch is live:

• Thursday, April 24 - Cobs

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