Dear St. Gabes students and families,

As we head into June, the excitement of summer is definitely in the air! This month brings us a whirlwind of activity as we celebrate our students' achievements, wrap up the school year, and prepare for the exciting possibilities that lie ahead.

Here's a look at some key events for June:

• Grade 12 students: We're incredibly proud of our graduating class - we are excited to celebrate their graduation with them on June 14. Graduates, keep an eye out for detailed information regarding specific events and timings.
• Final Exams: Many classes will be finishing up coursework and assessments during the first few weeks of June. This is a crucial time for students to finish their coursework and unit exams, and prepare for finals and the next school year.
  
• Our BIG MOVE! The day is finally set! We will be moving on June 27 and 28th so the school will be closed on those days while we move and get ready for the new school year.

A Word of Appreciation:

I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of you, our dedicated parents and guardians, for your continued support throughout the school year. Your involvement in your child's education makes a significant difference. To those of you who are adult learners at St. Gabes, we are so grateful that you chose us to further your education - we have loved getting to know you. If this is the end of your journey at St. Gabes, we wish you all the best and look forward to your visits.

We look forward to celebrating the successes of all our students this June!

Many Blessings to you all,

Renee Trottier,

Principal

It's that time of year when we update our staff for the following year. This year we are so blessed that all of our current staff will be returning next year.

St. Gabes returning staff:

Renee Trottier - Principal and option teacher

Val Franklin - Office administrator

Monique Webb - School Counsellor; option teacher; RAP and Green Certificate coordinator

Julie Lamoureux - Learning Support Facilitator; English, Social, grade 9 and religion

Julie Bedi - Math and Sciences, CALM

Candace Ketsa - Math and Sciences

Harmony Terin - English, Social and Aboriginal Studies

Frank Breen - Math, Sciences, grade 9, and PE

We are so excited to share the news that we will be moving on June 27-28. Our new school is located at 39 Sunset Blvd., St. Albert. Our phone number will remain the same as now, 780-459-6616.

Our entrance is at the back of the school. The front of the school building is Holy Family Catholic School which is an elementary school. Students will have to be aware of driving through a school zone to get to school and to not block busses at the front. We can't wait to show you our brand new school!

We will have further announcements in August about parking, etc.

**See exam schedule for exam and review session dates and times**

June 7 - last day for high school students to hand in coursework

June 10 - PD Day - No School

June 14 - Grade 12 graduation starting at 10:00.

June - 17 - Grade 9 farewell at 1:00 online. Check your email for information.

June 21 - National Indigenous Peoples' Day. No exams but students can come for help, review, etc.

June 27 - School is closed while we move

June 28 - School is closed

August 26 - 1:00 - Office opens to the public

August 28 - First day of classes

Thank you for taking the time to read about what's happening at St. Gabes each month. Our newsletter is a really important way for you to keep up with what's happening at school.

Each month you can enter our draw for a gift card. I reset the draw each month so you can win more than once!

Congratulations to Imelda Uchman for winning the draw for the month of May. Please stop by the office to pick up your gift card!

Dear Families,

Thank you to all those who have already completed their registration for the upcoming school year. For those who haven't yet registered, we kindly remind you to do so at your earliest convenience. Registering promptly allows us to accurately plan for class sizes, allocate resources efficiently, and tailor our educational programs to meet the diverse needs of our students. Your timely registration plays a crucial role in helping us create the best possible learning environment for your child.

If you are a returning student who is under the age of 18, your parent/guardian was sent an email. Log into your Parent Portal account and you can register from there.

If you are over 18 and would like to return, you can register as a NEW student using the link below.

Please contact the school if you need any support with the registration process.

Click here to register for the 2024/25 school year.

If you are in grade 9 or higher, including adult students, and you are interested in Summer School, GSACRD offers an amazing Summer School opportunity for you. Click the link below for more information.

Grades 9-12 can find out information and registration details here.

Our school opens on August 26 at 1:00 for any students or parents/guardians who want to come in for to meet with us.

Classes start on August 28th. Keep an eye on your email for updates from your teachers.

If you are new to St. Gabes, you will need to see Mrs. Trottier, Mrs. Webb, or Mrs. Lamoureux on the first day of school for an orientation meeting.

Please click on the link for our exam schedule. Take note of the dates that you have to be in class to write exams and attend review sessions. The schedule includes review session dates and times.

Diploma exams cannot be moved or missed for any reason. If you miss your diploma, you will have to reschedule it for August by booking it on MyPass.

High School students - if you have time conflicts with a final exam, replacement exam, or review session, please contact your teacher to set up an alternate time to write the exam or attend a review session.

Grade 9 PATs dates are set and cannot be changed. If you have an unavoidable absence, please contact Mrs. Trottier as soon as you can. You can write the exam the following day (which means writing 2 exams in one day). You cannot write final exams/PATs earlier than the scheduled date. All grade 9s will write their PATs on site at St. Gabriel Education Centre, 15 Mission Ave. Teachers will provide grade 9 review sessions after each exam until 12:00. Grade 9 students should make arrangements to be picked up at 12:00.

Final Exam Schedule - ALL STUDENTS

On, or before, June 26 all textbooks and Chromebooks must be returned to St. Gabriel Education Centre. Please note, not returning school resources will result in a fee to pay for the replacement of the item. Damage will be assessed a fee to either rebind the book or replace it, depending on the damage. Thank you for your attention to this!

Hot Tip - Just bring your textbook with you when you come to write your exam. 😉

Grade 12s! If you are eligible to graduate and haven't heard from Mrs. Bedi yet, please contact us as soon as possible.

Our graduation is by invitation only. Graduates, please check your email and fill out the RSVP form so that we know how many we are setting up and getting food for.

When - June 14, 2024

Time - 10:00-12:00

Location - St. Albert Parish Church Basement (7 St. Vital Ave).

Cost - Free for grads and their families

Grade 9 Year End Celebration and Farewell will be held online on June 17 at 1:00. We have have a short program to celebrate our grade 9 students. Grade 9 parents and students, please check your email for more information.

Did you know that there are A LOT of scholarships available to students in grades 9-12? Check out our website for all the information. Note - many deadlines are approaching in the next few days and weeks so if you want to apply, get on it ASAP.

We are excited to announce a few new programs that we'll be offering at St. Gabes next year!

1. Home Education - If you or someone you know is interested in home education for children ages Kindergarten - Grade 12, please check out our website and contact us for more information.

2. Math and Science Bootcamps - If you're taking Science 24 and Math 20-3 next year, you have an opportunity to finish both classes PLUS 2 options in one semester. Mr. Breen and Mrs. Webb will be running a once a week in-person "bootcamp" to get at least 4 courses done in one semester. Students have to commit to coming to school one day per week for the full day. This is an in-person class only! Students who are online and who need these courses can still take them asynchronously.

3. Math - Mrs. Ketsa will be offering two new math courses at St. Gabes:

• "Extended Math Class" - Semester 1 students will take Math 15 OR Math 10-3 (depending on mark from grade 9). In semester 2, students will take Math 10C or continue with Math 10-3 (depending on mark from first semester). Semester 1 courses are only offered in-person. Should you need online, Math 10-3, Math 15 and Math 10C will only be offered asynchronously.
• Math 30-3 - We are bringing back Math 30-3 with Mrs. Ketsa. Math 30-3 is often required for entrance into trades programs.

4. Aboriginal Studies - Mrs. Terin will be offering Aboriginal Studies 30 next year. This course can be used for University entrance. Contact Mrs. Terin if you'd like more information.

5. RAP, Green Certificate, and Urban Agriculture - Mrs. Webb will be working with Star of the North to continue volunteering with their gardens. Students can gain credit in courses for their work in the gardens. We are also planning to bring chickens into this program so students can learn more about urban agriculture and raising chickens in the city. She will also continue her work with the RAP and Green Certificate programs.

6. Religious Studies 15, 25, 35 - We have completely new courses for religious studies. Mrs. Lamoureux will be teaching all the religion and will guide you through the study of religion and faith. These are great courses that are engaging and interactive and Religion 35 (5 credit) can be used for university entrance requirements. Contact Mrs. Lamoureux for more info.

Click on our website link below and use the drop down menu to read our course offerings and graduation progression.

June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples Day. This is a day for all Canadians to recognize and celebrate the unique heritage, diverse cultures and outstanding contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.

The Canadian Constitution recognizes these three groups as Aboriginal peoples, also known as Indigenous peoples.

Although these groups share many similarities, they each have their own distinct heritage, language, cultural practices and spiritual beliefs.

In cooperation with Indigenous organizations, the Government of Canada chose June 21, the summer solstice, for National Aboriginal Day, now known as National Indigenous Peoples Day.

For generations, many Indigenous peoples and communities have celebrated their culture and heritage on or near this day due to the significance of the summer solstice as the longest day of the year.

National Aboriginal Day (now National Indigenous Peoples Day) was announced in 1996 by then Governor General of Canada, Roméo LeBlanc, through the Proclamation Declaring June 21 of Each Year as National Aboriginal Day. This was the result of consultations and statements of support for such a day made by various Indigenous groups:

• in 1982, the National Indian Brotherhood (now the Assembly of First Nations) called for the creation of National Aboriginal Solidarity Day

• in 1995, the Sacred Assembly, a national conference of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people chaired by Elijah Harper, called for a national holiday to celebrate the contributions of Indigenous Peoples

• also in 1995, the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples recommended the designation of a National First Peoples Day

On June 21, 2017, the Prime Minister issued a statement announcing the intention to rename this day National Indigenous Peoples Day.

National Indigenous Peoples' Day

St. Gabes assurance plan and our goals for 2024-2027 are now complete and posted on our website under, "About Us". Please check it out and thank you to those of you who provided feedback on our surveys.

If you have questions about our goals, please contact Mrs. Trottier.

I would like to take this time to thank our School Council for their dedication and attendance this year. A school with parent involvement is always stronger for it.

Thank you to our Council:

Yvonne Dutton - Chair

Sue Donovan - Vice-Chair

Colleen LaGrange- member

Tony LaGrange - member

Sheenagh Donovan - student representative

Rachel LaGrange - student representative

GSACRD Trustee, Joe Becigneul - St. Gabe's Trustee representative

Thank you as well to those of you who joined our meetings when you could and to those who couldn't attend but provided feedback either by email, phone or surveys. Your involvement, in whatever way that looks for you, is welcome and appreciated.

Our first School Council meeting for next year is September 17 at 6:30 pm. Our meetings are online and short. All parents and legal guardians are welcome to attend. We also need one high school student to represent the students' perspective. Please consider joining us next year.

You can find the agenda and meeting link on our website under "About Us/School Council". https://www.stgabe.gsacrd.ab.ca/about-st-gabriel/school-council-parent-council

We look forward to seeing you!

As the school year winds down, please consider showing your appreciation for the staff at St. Gabe's school. On June 13th the Parent Council would like to show them how much we appreciate them! If you want to send an etransfer or get involved, please send an email to stgabeschoolcouncil@gmail.com and I will respond with my personal email for the etransfer.

We would also love to have words of appreciation & thanks sent to the school. Please consider sending in cards or emails to the school to let them know how much they are appreciated. I can pick up donations/cards in the St. Albert area.

Thank you, Yvonne Dutton

Chair, St. Gabriel School Council

On behalf of the staff of St. Gabriel Education Centre, I would like to wish all of the fathers, grandfathers, step-fathers, and those in the role of father, a very happy Father's Day on June 16th.

We've noticed a lot of students are forgetting to sign out when they leave the school. This causes a lot of issues with safety and knowing who is in our building. Please remember to stop at the office and check out using the QR code. Thank you!

1. Check in - Always check in at the office - sign in with our QR code. This is for students and guests.

2. Check out - Always check out again before you leave.

It's important that we know who is in the building for safety reasons. If there is a lock down or evacuation, we need to be able to identify who is at school so that we can help to keep you safe.

3. Do not wander into areas of the school that aren't part of St. Gabe's. Our division office employees are working in other classrooms and offices in the building and we do not want to disturb them.

4. Parking - DO NOT park in the staff parking lot to the east of the school. You will be asked to move your car. You can park in the public parking lot across the street, in front of the school on the street, at the tennis court parking lot, and on the side streets.

5. Washroom facilities - we have 2 washrooms dedicated for student use close to our common room. There are student washroom signs on the doors. Do not use the staff washrooms that are closest to the front office.

6. Bring your own reusable water bottle. We now have a water bottle filling station in the hallway.

Just a reminder to read over our course completion policy which is linked in Moodle and can be found on page 6 of our student handbook. We believe in flexibility at St. Gabes but we are NOT a self-paced school. Students are expected to keep on track with completing assignments and exams. Students who hand in assignments and complete exams late may find themselves withdrawn from their courses. Teachers are under no obligation to mark assessments that are more than 2 weeks late or from previous units. Again, be sure to talk to your teachers if you are struggling with the course load. Communication is always the key to success.

On May 19th, we celebrated Pentecost Sunday, one of the most important feast days of the year. Pentecost Sunday concludes the Easter season and celebrates the beginning of the Church. Pentecost Sunday always occurs 50 days after the death and resurrection of Jesus, and ten days after his ascension into heaven.

Happy Birthday, Church

It was right after Pentecost that Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit, preached his first homily to Jews and other non-believers.

He told the people that the Jesus they crucified is the Lord and was raised from the dead, which "cut them to the heart." When they asked what they should do, Peter exhorted them to repent of their sins and to be baptised. According to the account in Acts, about 3,000 people were baptised following Peter's sermon.

How is it June already?!

Did it sneak up on you too? In the hustle and bustle of the final stretch before summer break, it's crucial for our students to prioritize their academic success while also caring for their well-being. All assignments are due June 7, and then its time for studying and seeking extra help as we approach exams. Whether it's reviewing for final exams, completing projects, or catching up on assignments, now is the time to buckle down and make use of the resources available. Remember, our doors are always open for extra support – drop by during office hours for help, scheduling one-on-one sessions with teachers, or just come in and work in our space to avoid the distractions of home. And we have SNACKS (and coffee too)!

Additionally, as stress levels may rise with deadlines and exams looming, it's essential for students to practice effective stress management techniques. Taking breaks, maintaining a balanced schedule, staying physically active, and seeking support from friends, family, or counselors can all help alleviate stress and promote overall well-being.

Let's finish this academic year strong together!

Mrs. Webb is at St. Gabes on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays. Email her to set up a time to meet if you need support.

mailto:mwebb@gsacrd.ab.ca

Don't forget to check out our "Mental Health and Wellness" section on our website for wellness ideas, tips, resources and sessions that are being offered. Click on "community supports" for information about services in St. Albert and area to support you or your family.

Did you know that Alberta has a service that you can call, text or live chat? It's called 2-1-1 and it's a distress service that covers a really large number of topics. It's free, confidential and operates 24/7.

https://ab.211.ca/

Did you know that Mrs. Julie Lamoureux is our learning support facilitator? She is available every day except Wednesdays to help you with your coursework. Just email her to set up a time to meet!

mailto:jlamoureux@gsacrd.ab.ca

Students participated in urban, no-till gardening at Star of the North. We have many plans in place for next year to volunteer at the gardens and maybe even help take care of some chickens! Contact Mrs. Webb if you're interested!

Thanks to everyone who joined us for our awards presentation on Thursday. We are very proud of all of our students. Congratulations on a fabulous semester!

https://www.facebook.com/StGabeHS

https://www.instagram.com/st.gabes/

If you follow us on Instagram or Facebook, you will have seen some testimonials that we've posted recently.

Please leave us a review on Google or Facebook. It will only take you a few moments but it will go a long way to advertising our program to others in the province. The more students we have, the more robust the programming we can offer. Thank you in advance!

• Just a friendly reminder to park in the student designated parking areas:
• Public lot across the street\
• In front of the school on the street
• Public lot by the tennis courts
• On the side streets

• We kindly ask that you comply with the following:

  1. Do not park in our staff parking which is located to the east of the school

  2. We also ask that you do not use the handicapped parking spot for drop off and pick up as we have students who need it.

  
  

  Thank you!

Please fill out the link for our draw! (Please do not enter more than once per month)

Teachers are available:

Monday to Wednesday
8:30 am to 3:00 pm

Thursday

8:30 am to 5:30 pm

Friday

8:30 am to Noon

Email: rtrottier@gsacrd.ab.ca
Website: https://www.stgabe.gsacrd.ab.ca/.
Location: 15 Mission Ave, St. Albert, AB, Canada
Phone: (780)459-6616
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StGabeHS