Dear St. Gabes Students and Families,

And just like that . . . half the school year is finished! We hope you all had a successful first semester, and if you didn't, please come see us so that we can help you make a plan to reach your goals. You might want to connect with our counsellor or learning support facilitator for some extra help. If you're new to us this semester, welcome to St. Gabes! We are happy you decided to join us and we pray that you have a wonderful experience here.

All students (new and returning) should take a few minutes to go over our Academic Integrity Policy, our course completion procedures and our student handbook, all which are linked below and can be found on our website.

Some big things start happening in schools right about now. Our registration for next year is open. We will be doing a draw at the end of each month for those people who register before the end of June. Share the good news of St. Gabes with your friends and neighbours . . . we welcome all students to our school.

We also have another really important survey to fill out (this is the last one). Parents/Guardians, yours will be coming in the mail (see the photo below so you know what it looks like). Students, yours will be attached to chocolate bars at school. Please take a few minutes to fill it out and provide us with your feedback.

With Lent beginning in February, as well as Random Acts of Kindness and Black History month, I hope you take some time to reflect, give to others, learn lots, and take care of your hearts and souls.

Renee Trottier, principal

February is Black History Month

Feb 1 - First day of semester 2

Feb. 5 - Donut Monday

Feb. 8-9 - Teachers' Convention - No School

Feb. 12-17 - Random Acts of Kindness Week (RAK Week)

Feb. 13 - Shrove Tuesday (pancake breakfast and Valentines events; School Council meeting

Feb. 14 - Ash Wednesday. Lent begins

Feb. 16 - PD Day. No School

Feb. 22 - Pizza Party Work Day!

Feb. 19 - Family Day. No School

Feb. 26 - Donut Monday

Feb. 28 - Pink Shirt Day; Card games and Math help from 11:00-12:00; ESSACHS Open House 6:30

Click on the picture to register your child (or yourself if you're over 18) for next year. We will do a draw for prizes each month for those who register before the end of June. If you have questions, please contact us and we can help.

Mrs. Harmony Terin is back from maternity leave! We are excited to see her here at school again teaching all things English and Social. Make sure you stop by her desk to say hi!

At the same time, we wish Mr. Ken Kordyback a heartfelt thank you for helping us out this past semester subbing for Mrs. Terin. Enjoy your time off!

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!

https://forms.gle/kx5u8TWpSDKAw8Jn8

Please Note - Seminar times can sometimes be moved based on the week's calendar. Please read your email for updates from your teachers.

Check your teacher's schedule for when they have flex time so that you can come in and get extra help. Attending seminars is an important way to ensure that you are successful in your courses.

Parents/Guardians - you will be getting an envelope in the mail that looks like this one. Please do not throw it out. This is the Alberta Education Assurance Survey and it's used to help us plan our goals for next year based on your feedback.

Please take a few minutes to fill it out.

Students, your surveys are at school and attached to chocolate bars - which you can eat once you fill out the survey ;)

Our next school council meeting is on February 13 at 6:30.

We are in need of a parent volunteer to be the secretary for our meetings. It's not a big job and can be done during the meeting. Most of our meetings are only an hour long. Meetings are once/month except for December and June. You can find the link to the meeting on the agendas which are posted on our website, or email Renee Trottier at rtrottier@gsacrd.ab.ca for the link. We're happy to have all parents and guardians join us, even if you can't commit to coming each month.

A school with a School Council is a strong, productive and viable school!

Have you registered for any courses for semester 2? If not, please see Mrs. Franklin and let her know which classes you would like to take.

Did you know that you can check your schedule on PowerSchool and find all the information you need. If you need help with any of this, please see Mrs. Trottier.

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.

Junior High students - remember that you are expected to join classes on time for prayer and announcements. Attendance in junior high is mandatory for all classes. If you are going to be absent, please contact Val Franklin at mailto:vfranklin@gsacrd.ab.ca or call us at 780-459-6616

Did you know that your absences from school add up over time. If you're struggling with attendance, please reach out. We can help!

Did you know that copying from the Internet, using AI, or even copying your friend's work, are all forms of plagiarism? Using someone else's ideas, words, or thoughts (including AI) without citing them can result in receiving a zero for your work and possibly being withdrawn from the course. In post-secondary school (university and colleges) you can be expelled from school. We have AI detectors, as well as many years of experience working with students. In the end, even if you don't get caught, you are only hurting yourself by not learning the concepts and skills on your own.

Please read our Academic Integrity Policy linked below.

We no longer print and send home report cards. Marks are all recorded in PowerSchool on a continual basis, including comments if necessary. Parents and students are expected to check PowerSchool regularly.

Students - You can access PowerSchool using your student email and password.

Parents - If you don't have a parent PowerSchool account, please contact Principal Renee Trottier. You will need an access ID and Password from the school in order to set up your account. You can add all of your GSACRD children on one account.

The PowerSchool App - Did you know there is an app for PowerSchool? It's super easy to use. Once you've set up your account, download the PowerSchool App from your phone's app store. When it prompts you for our district code, type in QNMM.

Note - parents, you must set up your account from a computer first. After that, you can access your account from your phone or the app.

MyPass is an Alberta Education secure self-service website for Alberta students to:

• View and print diploma exam results
• Register to write a diploma exam
• Order high school transcripts
• View progress towards a credential (diploma or certificate)
• View and print a Detailed Academic Report (DAR)
• Order additional copies of an awarded credential
• View student personal information

Link to MyPass: https://public.education.alberta.ca/PASI/myPass

This month on Ash Wednesday, we start the period in our liturgical calendar called, Lent.

A Reflection from Mark 1:9-15, Psalm 25

Often we speak about Lent as a desert time. Many of us will never spend time in a physical desert, but we do know what it is like to feel that our hearts are empty or dry. During the time of the pandemic, some of these feelings may be even stronger than usual. Let’s look at Jesus and listen to his experience in the desert.

At the beginning of Mark’s Gospel, (Gospel means “good news”) we see Jesus being baptized by his cousin, John, in the Jordan River. As He is baptized, we hear God speak these beautiful words, “You are my Son, whom I love.” Do you feel you are a beloved son or daughter of God? Perhaps during Lent, you would like to spend a little time each day in silence.

We are so used to being distracted by our devices, games, TV, school, work, etc. that it can be a challenge to just sit quietly and listen for the gentle whisper of God in our hearts. On Ash Wednesday we begin the Lenten practice of fasting. We will try to deepen our relationship with God through fasting and praying. In the story about Jesus, we hear that the Spirit descended upon Jesus. We received the gift of the Holy Spirit at our own baptism, so we can trust that the Holy Spirit will guide us to spend this quiet time in our personal desert, that is, our hearts. If we listen very carefully, we can hear God say to us too, “You are my beloved daughter; you are my beloved son”. “Believe the “good news’.”

Welcome to Semester 2! Time for a fresh start.

Did you know that as the school counsellor I am available to help you succeed each semester? We offer a variety of supports to parents and students that help students finish the courses they sign up for each semester. If you or your child did not accomplish what they had hoped in semester 1 then it might be a good idea to reach out and see what we can do differently to see more success this term. Success for everyone is different and every student is different. Here at St. Gabes we are able to tailor a unique support plan for students and families to achieve their goals.

Of course, there are always some basic supports that benefit everyone. This semester we have developed a "Success Checklist" that students can refer to each month to ensure that they are doing all the steps to support their own learning and advocate for themselves. These are available, along with teacher 101 support times and seminar schedules in the common room at St. Gabes. I can also send these resources to anyone interested over email.

Mrs. Webb is available on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays at St. Gabes to help you with all sorts of supports: individual counselling, post-secondary and career help, our new RAP program, and 1-1 help with your coursework. Please contact her to set up a time to meet at 587-983-2541 or email at: mwebb@gsacrd.ab.ca.

Note - Counselling referrals can be made by parents or teachers. Support is provided for individual or family concerns and referrals to outside agencies can be accessed through Mrs. Webb.

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/

Check out these sessions. Most of them start March, April or May.

Edmonton Regional Learning Consortium is now offering parent sessions that you might be interested in.

River's Edge workshop lineup for 2024 is updated. If you are interested in classes on any of the following topics, please click the link to register.

• Teen Wellness
  

• Embodied Stress Management

• Heartstrings: A Journey Towards Hope and Healing

• Circle of Security Parenting

• Talking about Puberty!

• The Compassionate Road to Building Self-Esteem

• Journey Through Grief: Touchstones of Hope

• Getting through the tough stuff: A workshop for supporting children and teens through self-harm, suicidal thoughts, and other disclosures.

• Parenting Through Divorce: Helping Kids Thrive

Do you need school supplies and are struggling to get what you need? Just ask at our front office. We have a few supplies available for students in need.

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 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!

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

https://forms.gle/kx5u8TWpSDKAw8Jn8

Did you know that we update our social media accounts on a regular basis? Following us is one of the quickest ways to find out what's going on at school and getting those last minute, emergency updates.

Please follow and share with your friends. We want everyone to know what a great place St. Gabes is!

https://www.facebook.com/StGabeHS

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

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

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