Volume 6, Issue 5

École Monsignor William Irwin School 2629 Taylor Green, Edmonton AB T6R 3N8

Phone: 780-430-1121 Fax: 780-430-7742

A Christmas Prayer

God of love, Father of all, the darkness that covered the earth

has given way to the bright dawn of your Word made flesh. Make us a people of this light. Make us faithful to your Word,

that we may bring your life to the waiting world. Grant this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

http://www.catholic.org/prayers/prayer.php?p=3230

DECEMBER 2015 NEWSLETTER

ADMINISTRATORS MESSAGE Few times during the year are more sacred for a family than Christmas. Along with the Advent season, Christmas time is rich in traditions which, despite commercialism, still stir our hearts and imagination. The Christmas tree, the manger scene, the music and carols, the lights shining in the winter darkness joyfully proclaim the birth of Jesus Christ and call us to come and adore him. Christmas and Advent customs appear everywhere today. The symbols of the seasons bring families together and connect us with our Catholic faith. The Christmas tree and manger scene remind us of the beauty and sacredness of nature. The poor shepherds and the circumstances of Christ’s birth, marked by poverty, remind us of the forgotten poor of our world. The Child and Joseph and Mary teach us of the dignity and importance of children and families. We will celebrate the beginning of Advent at 11:00 a.m. on December 3rd. We will gather as a community in a series of Christmas Concerts on the evenings of December 14th (Grade 1), December 15th (Grade 2), and December 16th (Grade 3). The performances will begin at 6:30 p.m. The sound of music is in the air! On December 4th (French) and December 11th (English), we invite families to join us in the gym at 8:10 a.m. for carols. On December 11th (Kinder English) and December 17th (Kinder French), there will be family evenings here at MWI. O Come, O Come Emmanuel! First term report cards went home last week. It seems fitting that as we begin the season of Advent—a time of hope and promise—that you receive a reporting of your child’s Catholic educational journey. It was nice to see so many of our parents for conferences on November 26th. Communication between family and school is an important component in ensuring your child’s growth and success. Enjoy this most “wonder-filled” time of the year with your family! May God’s blessings continue to fill your lives with peace and joy! Merry Christmas! Mrs. Lang

ST. THOMAS MORE PARISH NEWS

Home – School – Parish

Christmas Mass Times at St. Thomas More Parish Christmas Eve Dec 24 4:30, 7:00, 9:30 and 12:00 midnight

Christmas Day Dec 25 10:00 and 12:00 noon New Year’s Eve Dec 31 5:00 New Year’s Day Jan 1 9:00, 11:00, 6:00

ST. THOMAS MORE PARISH SACRAMENT NEWS

First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion are offered to children in Grade 2. If you and/or your child are interested in learning more about receiving the Sacraments of Baptism, First Eucharist, or Confirmation, please contact Michelle Brassard, the school's chaplain, at michelle.brassard@ecsd.net so you can receive more information. St. Thomas More offers Drop-in Registration at the parish. The Drop-in Registration occurs from 9-11 am. The final three Drop-In Registrations are Saturday, December 5, and then twice more in January. Following is a link to the St. Thomas More Parish website with Parish news and the weekly Parish bulletin: stmparish.com

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SPRIT WEAR PARENTS! Spirit wear is available to order until December 5 (extended from November 27). There are sizers in the school lobby – all of the items are represented so you can see what size might fit your child. Adidas wear is true to size. We do however recommend ordering one size larger for hoodies.

Support the SAC

Golden Wolves!

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ADVENT CELEBRATION Our annual Advent celebration takes place on Thursday, December 3 at 11:00 a.m. in the gym. O Come all Ye Faithful! Parents and siblings are welcome but the gym does get crowded.

BABYSITTING COURSE FOR GRADE 6 STUDENTS ATTENTION PARENTS WHO ARE LOOKING FOR A RELIABLE BABYSITTER! 33 of our Grade 6 students will be participating in the Red Cross Babysitting course on Thursday afternoon, December 3 and 10. The program consists of the following topics presented over an 8 hour period: Rights and Responsibilities First Aid Skills for Caring Injury Prevention Skills for Getting Along Personal Safety and Security Safety Handling Emergencies This is an excellent course and our student participants will be well prepared as future babysitters!

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JOIN US FOR CHRISTMAS CAROLS EARLY IN THE MORNING!

The School Advisory Council is organizing a unique event this year – singing Christmas carols in the “early” morning of Friday, December 4 for families of students in French Immersion, and then again on Friday, December 11 for families of students in the English program.

Carols start at 8:10 a.m. and we will sing until 8:30 a.m.

Parking is always a matter of consideration for our neighbours! Thank you!!

GETTING INTO THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT ONLINE Christmas is such an exciting time of year: decorating, gift giving, and readying our hearts and minds during Advent. We can also get into the Christmas spirit with the many resources available to us online. Whether it’s exploring the best times to view the Northern Lights with your family, “elfing” yourself, family, and friends to spread some Christmas cheer, looking at the Christmas story in a different way, or doing fun Christmas-themed activities with your kids, there are so many online resources at your disposal. Here are some favourites for you to explore and to enjoy with your family during the holiday season! We printed these last year and had so much fun with these links that we’re running them again! Merry, Merry, Christmas! http://www.aurorawatch.ca/ - watch for the best times to view the Northern Lights

http://www.elfyourself.com/ - “elf” yourself and have a good laugh https://www.portablenorthpole.com/ - make a personalized free video message from Santa http://www.northpole.com/ - Christmas crafts, recipes, games, and stories for kids https://www.youtube.com/ - search the “Nativity Story” to see the story of Jesus’ birth presented in different and unique ways

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STAFF LUNCHEON DECEMBER 10 Parents very generously donate their time and cooking/baking talents to feed a most appreciative staff on Thursday, December 10. You can volunteer food or time on Sign-up Genius. AND THANK YOU FROM THE STAFF OF MWI! http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c054fa5ad2da2fe3-monsignor

CHRISTMAS CONCERTS IN DECEMBER

Christmas Concerts for Grades 1, 2, and 3

The teachers at MWI are very excited to share with you the JOY of Christmas through their students, your children! Christmas concerts attract a fairly large audience and so we have different evenings for different grades. Here is the line-up!

Monday, December 14 Grade 1 6:30 PM

Tuesday, December 15 Grade 2 6:30 PM

Wednesday, December 16 Grade 3 6:30 PM Your child needs to arrive a half hour before the concert time. Students are meeting in their classrooms.

CHRISTMAS VACATION DISMISSAL DATES AND TIMES The last day of school before Christmas break for Grades 1-6 will be on Friday, December 18. Classes dismiss at 12:20 p.m. Please note that Thursday, December 17, is a full day of classes for all students. Students will be bussed to the theatre in Windermere to see The Good Dinosaur that morning! School resumes on Monday, January 4, 2016! REMINDER!! Our rescheduled ski day for Grades 4, 5, and 6 is also the first day back! Be ready!

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JANUARY 4 RESCHEDULED SKI DAY Our rescheduled ski day for Grades 4, 5, and 6 is Monday, January 4 (the first day back after Christmas break!)! What a fantastic way to start the 2016 school year – outside!

JANUARY 11 SAC MEETING 6:30 PM Please join fellow parents at the School Advisory Council meeting on Monday, January 11, 2016 at 6:30 p.m. in the school staff room.

JANUARY 14 ST. JOHN XXIII OPEN HOUSE On Thursday, January 14, 2016, our school is hosting an OPEN HOUSE for parents interested in finding out more about the new school opening in Windermere: St. John XXIII. This Kindergarten to Grade 9 School will offer dual track programs – French Immersion and a regular English stream. More details and time to follow next month.

Some quotes from Pope John XXIII:

I have looked into your eyes with my eyes. I have put my heart near your heart.

See everything, overlook a great deal, correct a little.

JANUARY 15 FRANCO FUN DAY

Edmonton Catholic Schools is sponsoring approximately 950 students from 11 schools in a FRANCO FUN DAY! This event is hosted by Holy Cross Académie Internationale and will be held on Friday, January 15th, 2016. This full day event will showcase what French language and culture can offer students outside their academic environment. It will give Grade 5 - 8 students the opportunity to meet and interact with

fellow second language learners as well as Francophone artists and leaders in the community... all the while having fun in French! Grade 5 and 6 French Immersion students at MWI have selected workshops and will enjoy a day away from the classroom and be engaged in a tremendous experience! C’est superb!

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JANUARY 17-18 CASINO A big thank you to all of the volunteers who have signed up to work the MWI Casino on Sunday, January 17 and Monday, January 18 at WEM. We appreciate your dedication! Parents and neighbours and grandparents who are not working this casino are welcome to sit on the other side of the table and to support the casino/fundraiser in a wholly fun way! If you know what we mean… Um… improve your math skills?

HOT LUNCH IN JANUARY There is a second hot lunch scheduled for January, 2016. Watch for details!

STAFFING NEWS Our evening custodian, Leo De Pedro has accepted a new position (head custodian) at another school. We wish him all the best in his new position and thank him for his work and dedication in keeping our school clean and safe. We will say farewell to our student teachers in December. Miss Rolph, Mlle Gomez, Miss Rolf, Mlle Lajud, Mlle Paskevich, and Miss Komlodi have been very strong in their roles as classroom teachers under the guidance of Mr. Leskow, Mme Carol, Mr. Pagacz, Mme Julie, Madame Nisbet, and Mrs. Bezubiak. We will miss their energy and enthusiasm and all the wonderful new ideas they bring to our classrooms and school community. Hopefully we will see them again one day, perhaps as official teachers at our school!

Good luck everyone! And God bless!

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY TOOLS – PENCIL GRIPS How does your child hold his/her pencil? Did you know that the pencil must be held in a manner that provides both stability and mobility? Speed, legibility, and endurance of handwriting are influenced by the way a student holds the pencil. Pencil grips help children maintain a position of stability to allow for efficient mobility and improved handwriting. Writing, drawing, doodling: these tasks often compete with activities at home that do not require a pencil! We encourage practice! Your child’s teacher has access to five different types of pencil grips, one of which is shown above. Let’s get it right!

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LOST AND FOUND BOX Lots of jackets, hoodies, boots, etc. get separated from their wearers every day! If you are looking for something, the Lost and Found box is located near the “Grade 2” washrooms in the hallway. At the Demonstration of Learning, parents had an opportunity to claim lost items and all leftover items are then donated to a charity. The boxes fill up fast. Please check any time.

COUNSELLOR’S CORNER

Mental health is on everyone’s minds these days. No pun intended and it’s no laughing matter! There are a few places you can call if you, your child, or someone in your care, is having a mental health crisis: Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. The Children’s Mental Health - Crisis Line offers support by phone to children and teens during a crisis. Call 780-427-4491. The Mental Health Help Line provides crisis intervention, information about mental health services and referrals to other agencies. Call toll free 1-877-303-2642. 211 is a free information and referral system for thousands of community and social services in Alberta. It is available day or night by dialing 211. http://www.caregivervillage.ca/index.php/webapp

WHEN YOUR CHILD IS SICK Children who are not well find it difficult to achieve at school. They may also become a source of infection for others in their classroom and on the playground. Sick children need rest to heal their bodies! We no longer have a cot and a “sick” room in the office. As well, it is difficult for us to supervise children who are not quite ready to be full participants in the classroom and who should be outside at recess.

Your assistance is needed as we head into the next round of cold and flu season. Keep sick children at home until they are healthy and rested.

When your child is away, please call the office… 780-430-1121

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SCHOOL EVENTS AND HIGHLIGHTS

ROCKS AND MINERALS GRADE 3 On November 2, 3 and 4, all six Grade 3 classes participated in hands-on activities in order to learn about rocks and minerals. With the help of geologist, Karen Scott, the students had fun learning how to differentiate between the three different types of rocks as well as the different tests needed to identify a variety of different minerals. A special thank you to our awesome volunteers!

OIL KINGS GAME AND FIRE TRUCK VISIT, WITH 3B

We’re having a good time!

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DARE TO CARE PRESENTATIONS

École Monsignor William Irwin School Dares to Care!

Parents on MWI’s School Advisory Council arranged a dynamic trio of approaches to anti-bullying through the DARE TO CARE program earlier this November. The program included an interactive and informational parent session, an afternoon PD with staff, and a presentation and skit creation with students in Grades 3 to 6. And it’s not because we have an overt bullying problem. The Dare to Care program more clearly delineated bullying behaviour from normal peer conflict situations. The program states:

“Bullying behavior is not always easy for adults or children to recognize or define. A fight between friends or siblings, or rough play between children with equal power is conflict, not bullying. Bullying is when a person or group of people repeatedly and intentionally use their power to hurt, embarrass, threaten or exclude another person.”

Presenter Kim Edwards (in photo) provided statistics, scenarios, and strategies that contributed to our understanding of the scope of the problem that includes cyber-bullying as well. Teachers, parents, and children learned the importance of creating a “caring majority” of individuals who are mobilized and empowered to speak out and to be present to those who are potentially marginalized. Ms. Edwards underscored the importance of developing not only a skill set to

help children feel more confident and competent in dealing with bullying situations but also the importance of creating healthy environments where empathy and deep caring are the norms.

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HALLOWEEN CANDY RECAP

On Monday, November 9, members of the MWI School Advisory Council gathered a TON of Halloween candy donated by our students from their escapades on October 31st! Trudging around town in a car filled to capacity with candy, our wonderful parent, Julianna, drove to the Food Bank. Thank you to all of the families who donated!

AVIATION MUSEUM VISIT GRADE 6C NOVEMBER 10

HANDBALL NOVEMBER 14 AND 21 This year, École Monsignor William Irwin fielded two handball teams. Our Grade 5/6 team competed on November 14 while our Grade 3/4 team had their tournament a week later. The students did a wonderful job representing our school and displayed excellent teamwork and sportsmanship. Thank you for all of your hard work at the practices. We are so proud of our Golden Wolves! This year’s team members:

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Grade 3-4 Handball Team

Kyler, Mia, Pierson, Jack, Nolan, Andrew, Simon, Sam, Rowan, Anika, Blitzer, Jan, Paige, Ethan, and Alden

Grade 5-6 Handball Team

Jacob, Elliott, Logan, Olin, Paulina, Connor, Matthias, Caleb, James, Taytum, Marianna

LEGO AND TECHNOLOGY GRADES 1A AND 1C Students in Grades 1A and 1C have been working on a very interesting cross-curricular project, that started by building a mobile robotic plane or alligator or vehicle. Students then made environments that best suited their robots – these environments were either strongly science-based or based in a social studies 3-dimensional space. Very cool! There was also a lot of writing going on! With very difficult words to construct too!

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PREPARING FOR CHRISTMAS IN NOVEMBER Students from Grade 6B enjoyed rotating between stations in the class, where they made different ornaments for their Christmas tree that was raffled off at the Demonstration of Learning at the end of November. They also enjoyed other activities such as drawing and sharing stories of Christmas’ past, as well as what they would be doing over the holidays this year, all while enjoying hot chocolate, cookies, and candy canes. What a great morning they had!

ONE VOICE Every week on Thursday mornings, students gather to unite their voices and sing. This “class” is called One Voice and it is such a treat to hear. Three teachers, Mme Brassard, Mlle Gillian, and Mr. Hutton, select liturgical music and lead students in song. Mme Brassard and Mr. Hutton play the tunes on their guitars. Below is a photo of students from the English program surrounded by the trees that were raffled off at the November Festival of Trees!

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CHRISTMAS TREE FUNDRAISER November 26

So delightful it was to see the amazing and beautiful, inspiring and jovial spruce trees all decked out in our gymnasium! This Festival of Trees fundraiser involved the silent auction of 33 trees decorated by each of our classes. Proceeds were collected by students and the SAC.

THE BEAR DONATES A DRUM SET! Lucky MWI music program! Our school became the proud recipients of a drum kit worth over $3200.00! The drum kit was donated to radio station the Bear 100.3 and Paul Brown asked listeners which school they thought would benefit! An MWI parent called in right away (thank you Konowalec family!) and voilà! Thank you Paul Brown, Yukon Jack, Jillian Foote, and Ryan Meyer for setting up the kit and providing us with your entertaining presence! Mme Gaboury plans to incorporate drums into the orchestra for the spring concert. The students are so excited!

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BOOK FAIR This year’s book fair was another resounding success! Sukee won $25.00 and Ethan and Joyce each won $10.00. Thank you parents and students for your great support for literacy! Thank you to all of you who supported the Book Fair as more than $10,000 was spent on books going into children’s hands.

HOT LUNCH VOLUNTEERS What a delicious hot lunch we had on November 27 – thank you to the SAC and to parents below (wow!) who showed up to help distribute the food to classrooms! Special thanks to Michelle Tiano for the ordering set up!

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CALENDAR – ACCESS THE FULL CALENDAR AND UPDATES TO EVENTS THROUGH THE WEB SITE

D E C E M B E R

Sunday, November 29 First Sunday of Advent

Thursday, December 3 Advent Celebration 11:00 AM

Early Dismissal

Babysitting Course Grade 6 Students – afternoon

Friday, December 4 Christmas Carols and Coffee 8:10 AM French Immersion Families – Please be mindful of where you park!

4C and 4E Bowling AM

Saturday, December 5 Volleyball Tournament St. Matthew School

Sunday, December 6 Choir and Hand Bell Choir to the Legislative Building 6:30 PM

Monday, December 7 Snowshoes Arrive (the junior ones)

Thursday, December 10 Early Dismissal

No Karate

Staff Luncheon

Babysitting Course Grade 6 Students PM

Friday, December 11 Christmas Carols and Coffee 8:10 AM English Program Families– Please be mindful of where you park!

Deadline for food contributions to the Bissell Centre – each class will have specific food to bring!!

Kinder Christmas (Mme Carrie & Mme Gisele) Tonight!

Monday, December 14 Grade 1 Dress Rehearsal 1:30 PM, Christmas Concert 6:30 PM

Tuesday, December 15 Grade 2 Dress Rehearsal 1:30 PM, Christmas Concert 6:30 PM

Wednesday, December 16 Grade 3 Dress Rehearsal 1:30 PM, Christmas Concert 6:30 PM

Thursday, December 17 Full Day of School for everyone – Movie at Windermere!

No Karate

Kinder Christmas (Ms. Byrne & Mrs. Muskego) Tonight!

Friday, December 18 Early Dismissal

Blessings to you all!

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Monday, January 4 2016!! First day back after Christmas break

SKI DAY Grades 4, 5, and 6

Monday, January 11 SAC Meeting 6:30 PM

Thursday, January 14 Early Dismissal

Volleyball Team to St. Mark School

St. John XXIII OPEN HOUSE held at MWI. More details to come.

Sunday, January 17 and Monday, January 18

MWI Casino! You are welcome to support our school from the other side of the table! Palace Casino WEM!

Saturday, January 23 Arts Alive Conference at Our Lady of Peace School

Thursday, January 28 St. John XXIII Registration Night at MWI. Watch for more details.

Thursday, February 4 MWI OPEN HOUSE for Kindergarten and Grade 1, 6:30 PM

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LUNCH WITH THE PRINCIPAL Congratulations to twins Claire and Grace from 4C who were chosen to invite friends and have lunch with Mrs. Lang in November! Fill in the information below for your child’s chance to win lunch with Mrs. Lang in December! -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lunch with the Principal (Please detach and return to school office by Friday, December 4.)

I, ________________________ give my child permission to have lunch with the principal.

___________________________________ (Child’s name and class – please print)

___________________________________

(Parent Signature) -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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