“Take all of this out of here and stop turning my Father’s house into a market. ”

John 2:16

In this Sunday’s gospel we see a different side to Jesus. As he stands in a sacred Jewish temple he is filled with righteous fury. He condemns those who are busy making money in his Father’s house. The money changers and sellers are exploiting pilgrims who come to Jerusalem to worship. They make profit out of people’s piety and change the Temple from a place of prayer to one of commerce. Jesus is outraged. He will not have holiness become just another commodity that is sold.

In our current world of sound bites, social media and short attention spans, we must be careful that we do not approach our faith in the same way.

As we move into the third week of Lent let us take an opportunity to release a grudge we have with someone or forgive someone else. Let us work towards using this time of Lent to purify our hearts and open ourselves to God’s message of love. When we show compassion and forgiveness for others we are reflecting the love and compassion God has for us.

March 4

- HS Badminton vs. J.Percy Page and Memorial at J.Percy Page. Games at 4:15 and 6:00 pm.

March 5

- If you need help in Math and Science, please email Mrs McGhan to save your place for Tuesday lunch time Math and Science tutoring. karrym@eics.ab.ca. See the updated tutor list attached the button at the bottom of the newsletter.

- Citadel Club at The Sound of Music. Meet in the common area at 5:00 pm.

- Grade 9 Boys BBall Playoff vs Rudolph Hennig at ABJ. Game starts at 4:00 pm.

- Grade 9 Girls BBall Playoff at FR Haythorne. Game starts at 5:15 pm.

March 6

- Early Dismissal

March 7

- Regenerate Youth Wildlife and Forestry Summit in Canmore

- Envirothon Information meeting at lunch time in room 132

- ABJ Open House 6:00 - 8:30 pm

- NEW LOCATION for Dance Club - now meeting in the Dance Studio at lunch time

March 8

- Regenerate Youth Wildlife and Forestry Summit in Canmore

Upcoming...

March 9

- Cheer Metro Zones at Harry Ainlay

March 11

- Guest Speaker Joe Melendrez

March 13

- Mandatory Grade 12 Indigenous Students meeting at lunch time in room 226

March 18

- Grade-level assemblies

The newsletter is organized based on our four school assurance priorities for this year.

1. Faith Integration
2. Learners and Learning
3. Systemic Wellness
4. Community Engagement

Last Monday, ABJ hosted a "Prayer Vigil for Ukraine" in the large gym with Fr. Slavko Dumec to commemorate the second anniversary of the start of the war in Ukraine. Thank you to all the staff and students for their solemn participation in this event.

If you would like to financially support Ukrainian newcomers to Canada, please make your donations to Ukrainian Canadian Social Services by using this QR Code on the attached poster designed by grade 11 student Ava Jenkins.

There are still many spots available for our annual YFast retreat March 21st-22nd. If you attend YFast, you will not only have a great time, but you will also fulfill the Christian Action Hours Requirement for your Religion class this semester. Please see Miss Fichter in Room 137 for a form and more information.

Well done to ABJ Robotics who competed at the VEX Provincial Championships in Calgary on Saturday, March 2nd.

All teams competed hard, and we even had one team, 9409Z, who finished 2nd overall in the qualification rounds with a record of 5 wins and 1 loss. Well done to the grade 10 team for such an accomplishment in their first provincial championship.

In the end, an alliance of the ABJ grade 10 team and the ABJ Grade 11 team went into the knockout rounds and fought hard, but lost in the quarter finals.

Thanks to all who competed at this event and represented ABJ with class and Scots pride.

Well done to all who competed:

Grade 10

1. Evan Bortnick

2. Darien Harrison

3. Rhys McChesney

4. Matt Vass

Grade 11

1. Glenn Armstrong-Strauss

2. Flynn Donovan

3. Prince Linga

4. Lucas Thorne

5. Smith Wurster

Grade 12

1. Benjamin Clark

2. Ajani Inniss-Reynolds

3. Nathan Kriese

4. Jack Lymburner

5. Bryce Meurling

6. Riley Salewski

It should be noted that all for all of the grade 12s, this was their final robotics competition for ABJ Robotics. Mr. Crosbie wants to thank them for their leadership and commitment to the program.

Thank you also to Mr. Crosbie for the countless hours dedicated to supporting the teams to be strong competitors in the field of robotics!

Collection boxes are available outside the front office and will be available during Open House as well. Thank you in advance for your generosity!

Thank you once again to all the students and families that attended this information event on February 20. If you were not able to attend that evening, you can access a link to the presentation here or by clicking on the photo below: Planning for Grade 10 and Beyond

Mr. Selinger's Math 20-3 students reviewed scale factors and scale statements through a Star Charts activity that integrated Indigenous star stories, specifically Cree lore about stars. This was a great opportunity for students to work collaboratively in reviewing important math concepts and learn more about Indigenous ways of knowing.

A number of our high school students are participating in the Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) program as mentors to students from Holy Spirit Catholic school. Mentors and mentees meet weekly for games, activities, and fostering healthy relationships. This past week, mentors led tours for their mentees to experience a little bit of what it is like to be an ABJ student.

Each year over 400 selected students in grades 4 to 9 from both Elk Island Public Schools and Elk Island Catholic Schools are invited to spend the day with a variety of well-known children and young adult authors, illustrators and graphic artists—working with them and learning the tricks of the trade.

Students who show special interest or aptitude in the areas of writing and illustration are invited by their teacher to attend the conference. Attendance is teacher selected and there is no open registration, however, every attempt is made to give opportunities to those students who would value most from this experience. Any interested grade 9s are invited to see Mrs. Boake in room 189 for more information.

Discover CUE at Info Night

Think Open House but on a smaller scale.

Thursday, March 7 | 5:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

See the opportunities that await you! We look forward to welcoming you and showing you how your big future starts with CUE’s small campus experience.

PLUS! Sign up to receive an application code by email to apply for FREE that night!

Can’t make it to campus? We don’t want you to miss out. Register to receive the application code to apply for free as well as link to the virtual event, including a welcome from President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Tim Loreman and a live stream of our faculty presentations!

(Application fee waived for domestic students only)

REGISTER HERE

School of Health and Life Sciences

Saturday, March 9

Starts at 8:30 am

NAIT Main Campus, Feltham Centre

Click HERE to register

School of Skilled Trades

Saturday, March 16

9 am - 2 pm

NAIT Main Campus

Click HERE to register

Learn how to help your child with the social and technological pressures they face in the world today. Together we will go through research-based ways we can support children when they are feeling the pressure of their digital lives. Issues addressed include interacting with strangers online, understanding their digital identity, and healthy relationships. The content of this workshop is geared for parents and caregivers with children between 9-14 years of age.

The presentation is on Monday, March 11 from 6:00 to 7:30 pm, with an opportunity for Q & A from 7:30 to 8:00 pm.

Location

St Luke School
22139 S Cooking Rd,
Sherwood Park, AB T8E 1G9

Cost

Free, Registration Required. Click here to register: Digital Wellbeing - For Parents and Caregivers of children ages 9 to 14 years., Monday, March 11, 2024, 6 - 8pm - Family and parenting supports | Strathcona County

For more Information email: FamilyResourceNetwork@strathcona.ca

PEPY Empowerment Health is an innovative approach to wellness where an investment and focus in building resilience and well-being is proactive and not just reactive.

It’s a system built on a belief that wellness is the state of the best possible physical, social and spiritual health. If you can keep these integrated and balanced, your mental health will take care of itself naturally. Learn more about it at our next assembly in March.

The ABJ Wellness Hub is now accessible through the ABJ website. It is a safe, confidential and non-judgmental space to connect with your School Counsellor, Family Wellness Worker & other supports. The Wellness Hub provides...

• A place to connect with resources & services in your area.
• Ways to quickly access services & reduce barriers.
• An opportunity to learn more about your over all mental wellness and well-being.
• A means to raise awareness about Mental Health & Wellness.
• Education on various topics of interest.
• A way for Counsellors and Family Wellness Works to support and connect with students

Thank you to Mrs. Cowen, Mrs. Glass, Mrs. St. Amand, and Mrs. Tames for creating this amazing resource for our school community!

Interested in learning more about Teen Group or to register, check out Connections Psychology linked here.

Interested in learning more about Connected Parenting or to register, check out Connections Psychology linked here.

We are excited to welcome Mrs. Laurie Ciezki (lauriec@eics.ab.ca) to the role of Athletic Director as well as Mrs. Courtney St. Amand (courtney.stamand@eics.ab.ca) as Assistant to the Athletic Director. Please feel free to them for any Athletics comments, questions, or information. Stay tuned to social media for team updates as well.

Check out the new website for all things Athletics.

The team placed 5th at true north competition after putting on great performances both Friday and Saturday at the Edmonton Expo Centre. The team competes again at Metro Zones next weekend on March 9th at Harry Ainlay. Way to go team!

Congratulations to the high school basketball teams on successful seasons!

The senior boys lost in the quarter finals on Monday. The senior girls won their game Monday to make it to the semifinals on Wednesday. There they were stopped by the soon to be league champions.

The junior girls made it to the semi finals. It was a close game that went to overtime with the Scots falling just short.

The junior boys won their semifinal to play in the finals, hosted at ABJ. Shout outs to Ms. Miko and Mr. Maloney for helping to set up the gym, Mrs. and Mr. Wimmer for running the Metro admission table, the scorekeepers, Makara, Jack and Isaiah, and Liam for added entertainment as our Scots mascot. Thank you to Jamie and Carter for announcing the starting lineups and welcoming the teams. Congratulations to the players and coaches Tam, Dan and Neil, for winning the Metro Championships for the second year in a row. It was a very exciting evening with the gym full of fans.

Grade 9 Basketball Girls and Boys couldn't get past Sherwood Heights in the last regular season game, but both teams are headed to the playoffs with games on Tuesday. The girls play FR Haythorne and the boys play Rudolph Hennig at home.

The boys Rugby team has a huge group and are eager to get started. The girls Rugby team has a great group and are looking for a few more players. Check the dates and times on the weekly calendar and come out to the open gym practices to meet our highly qualified U of A Pandas who will be coaching the girls.

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

Please see below for the Board of Trustees approved 2024-2025 school year calendar.

Scots Week at a Glance (SWAG) weekly newsletters through smore are now more accessible to our English as an Additional Language (EAL) families. Please see the menu at the right top corner of the newsletter in order to translate this newsletter into the language of your choice.

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.