Hello,

It's a very short important week, and the Lenten Season has begun! Teachers' Convention will occur on Thursday and Friday, which means our students are up for an extra long weekend in the sunshine!

Please note the following:

Thursday March 6 & 7

- Teacher's Convention, the school will be closed for students as our staff gather with their peers. Enjoy your extra long weekend!

Sunday March 9

- Spring Forward! Roll those clocks ahead, Daylight Savings time change occurs.

Monday March 10

-Substitute Teacher Appreciation Week begins! We are very fortunate to have some very special substitute teachers who step up to facilitate learning when our teachers are unavailable. Our Subs are a special part of our Saints Family!

Tuesday March 11

- St. Mary's is blessed to welcome the Alberta Musical Theatre for a very special musical presentation of Rapunzel, beginning at 9:30am.

Wednesday March 12

- Be sure to log into PowerSchool to place your order for our next vendor hot lunch, Popeyes, to be served on Thursday March 20th.

- Hot dog pre-orders are also due for Thursday's Hot Dog Day.

Thursday March 13

- Micro Market Day! Our Saints love to showcase their business sense, testing new products, marketing plans and strategies!

-Hot Dog Day!

Friday March 14

- It's a Kinder Friday!

-You've Got Mail! Watch your inbox, Report cards will be emailed home at the end of the day.

-Term 2 CTS classes end for junior high.

Mon Mar 17- St. Patrick's Day, wear green. T3 JH CTS classes begin, Church fundraiser!

Wed Mar 19- PTI's 4-7pm, watch for sign ups next week.

Thurs Mar 20- PTI's continue, Micro Market, Popeyes hot lunch.

Fri Mar 21- PD Day, No school.

Wed Mar 26- Author Visit, Reconciliation for eligible gr 2 students @ 5pm

Have a wonderful weekend!

Parent-Teacher Interviews will be held on Wednesday, March 19, from 4:00–7:00 PM, and Thursday, March 20, from 4:00–7:00 PM. Your student is welcome to attend to showcase their classroom successes.

Please use the SignUp Genius link below to select a 15-minute time slot that works best for your family. Be sure to find your child's teacher's tab at the top, click on it, and choose an available slot.

Don’t forget to visit the Scholastic Book Fair during PTIs—a great opportunity to browse, shop, and support this important library fundraiser!

If you need assistance with booking, please contact the office. For additional time or special arrangements, reach out to your child’s teacher.

With a short week, our MicroSociety ventures made the most of their time! Students worked ahead on production for next week's market and actively reached out to community members and business representatives to build mentor relationships. Our students thrive when we work together!

The biggest excitement in Saints' City this week was the announcement of the winner of the Heart Agency draw for the contest they ran at the To Infinity and Beyond dance last week. The dance was a fantastic collaboration between the Heart Agency, Government, and the Booster Group. Congratulations to Zayden and Lennyx, who won a selection of gift cards and prizes from all of our ventures!

Big News from the Trout Tank!

Exciting changes in our small school within a school—the fry we’ve hatched have officially graduated from their nursery basket into the big tank!

Students are thrilled to watch these little swimmers grow, change, and explore in their new environment. It’s an amazing hands-on experience in learning about life cycles and ecosystems!

Stay tuned for more updates as our trout continue their journey!

Students and staff enjoyed a feast on Shrove Tuesday thanks to the kindness of the Education Foundation, and our very own parent volunteers!

Thank you to Father Michael and the families who joined us for our Ash Wednesday Prayer Service. We are grateful for Father Michael’s guidance in helping us prepare our hearts for the Lenten journey—a time of prayer, reflection, and renewal as we draw closer to the joy of Easter. May this sacred season deepen our faith and help us grow ever stronger in God’s love.

We're excited to begin a Lenten Soup Project, to help raise funds for much-needed repairs to Immaculate Conception Church. This project is a wonderful way for our entire school community to come together—each contributing a small part to create something great, healthy, and delicious. Everything is better together!

All students will enjoy Lenten Soup on Holy Thursday, and we kindly ask for monetary donations at that time to support this important cause.

To prepare for the meal, we are collecting ingredient donations from our school families. If you are able to contribute, please sign up for an item using the link below. All ingredients should be brought to the school by Thursday April 10th.

Our staff and students from K to Grade 8 will take part in preparing the soup, making this a true community effort. While we are not charging a fee, we gratefully accept any monetary donations you may be willing to give. All funds collected will go toward the Immaculate Conception Church repairs.

Thank you for your prayers, efforts, and generosity!

Our next hot lunch is from Popeyes and will be served on Thursday, March 20. Be sure to place your order by Wednesday, March 12!

Order easily through your PowerSchool Parent Portal and enjoy hot lunches from our favorite vendors. You can plan ahead and order lunches all the way through Spring Break! Orders close about a week before each lunch date, so you can order at your own pace or all at once—whatever works best for you.

Please note that missed lunches due to student absences are non-refundable.

Need help with your PowerSchool account? Call Mrs. Nelson, she's here to help!

https://gpcsd.powerschool.com/public/

The Pre-K & Kindergarten Open House on February 25th was a wonderful event! If you missed it, don’t worry—online registration is now open for parents to pre-populate student data ahead of the official registration day on March 10th. Registration links can be found at: https://www.gpcsd.ca/apps/pages/StudentRegistration

📅 Feb 24 – Mar 9: Parents can enter student information online to streamline the registration process.
📝 March 10: Online registration officially opens, and the office will begin processing applications.

Important Reminder:

• Current St. Mary’s students do not need to register again.
• Pre-K parents should contact the office by March 5th to indicate program preferences.

Help us spread the word about the benefits of "Living that Saints Life" and welcome new families into our faith-filled learning community! 💙

Immaculate Conception Church is hoping to raise funds to complete much-needed repairs to our building, and we would love your support! Consider joining us for our St. Patrick’s Day Supper and Sing-Along—a wonderful evening of food, fellowship, and music. Tickets are available at the church or in the school office, and all are welcome!

Another great way to support our small parish is by purchasing a Church Cookbook, available in the school office. Every purchase helps us in our efforts to maintain and care for our beloved church. Thank you for your generosity and support!

Parenting is rewarding , but it can also be exhausting and stressful. If you're looking for practical tips and support, check out the Triple P Parenting website. They offer simple, proven strategies to help make parenting a little easier - because we all need a little support sometimes!

St. Mary's does not charge base fees for the academic year, however, certain programs do have fees attached.

Fees for our Pre-K program are due monthly by the 4th of each month.

Junior High CTS classes have been invoiced and emailed home. Statements will reflect fees for the whole year, however, only fees associated with Term 1 and Term 2 are past due.

Fees related to the upcoming Grade 4-8 ski trip are payable through PowerSchool.

Fees can easily be paid online through the PowerSchool Parent portal, or in person in the office. Please don't hesitate to contact the office if you have any questions or would like to make arrangements for payment.

https://gpcsd.powerschool.com/public/

St. Mary's Catholic School is located on the beautiful lands of Treaty 8 Territory. We respectfully honour the First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples who have lived on and cared for these lands since time immemorial and who continue to do so today.

Email: stmarys@gpcsd.ca
Website: stmarys.gpcsd.ca
Location: 9001 103 St, Sexsmith, AB, Canada
Phone: (780) 568-3631
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StMarysSX