april 2016 issue st. …st. helena newsletter as the uncertain oh, give us pleasure in st. helena...

320 64th Ave NW Calgary, AB T2K 0L8 Phone: 500-2049 Fax: 500-2249

Dear Parents / Guardians,

I hope that you have found time in the season of Lent to deepen your connection with your family and your community. Please enjoy a safe and happy Easter break, and we will see you when school reopens on APRIL 4th.

Thanks to all the parents who joined us this Wednesday to celebrate our Outstanding Work Habit and Honour Roll recipients. A full list of students is inside the newsletter.

Mr. Michael Gallant Mr. Bruce Mac Donald Principal Vice Principal

www.cssd.ab.ca/sthelena

April 2016 Issue

St. Helena Newsletter Did you Know?

Our website trans-

lates information

into several

languages!

Welcome to April at St. Helena School!

Prayer for April

My Lord, I thank

thee for the

wisdom and love

that is spoken

through the lives

of strong men

and women.

Grant that I may

be willing to learn

of them, and

gladly serve where

I am needed,

remembering that

thou art Lord of

all. Amen.

St. Helena School prides itself on being a “Catholic Community of Caring” School. This means that our students and staff make extra efforts to demonstrate that they “care”, both within our school community and outside of it. Update: April 10-16 is National Volunteer Week See Ms. Davis for volunteer opportunities with We Volunteer Now. Thanks for your support! Please stay posted for future updates and projects as they become organized. Together, we can create a caring atmosphere and foster the Catholic Community of Caring within our school and community. Sincerely, St. Helena Community of Caring

A Prayer in Spring

by Robert Frost

Oh, give us pleasure in

the flowers to-day;

And give us not to think

so far away

As the uncertain

harvest; keep us here

All simply in the

springing of the year.

Oh, give us pleasure in

the orchard white,

Like nothing else by day,

like ghosts by night;

And make us happy in

the happy bees,

The swarm dilating

round the perfect trees.

And make us happy in

the darting bird

That suddenly above the

bees is heard,

The meteor that thrusts

in with needle bill,

And off a blossom in

mid air stands still.

For this is love and

nothing else is love,

The which it is reserved

for God above

To sanctify to what far

ends He will,

But which it only

needs that we fulfill.

St. Helena Newsletter www.cssd.ab.ca/sthelena

Catholic Community of Caring (CCC) Corner

It is very important that you phone the school if your child(ren) is going to be late for

school or away for an illness or medical appointment. If a student is late they must come

to the office through the front door and check in. School bell rings at 8:35 am and

attendance is taken at 8:40 am. If phoning in an absence before school hours please leave

a message on the answering machine. The office number is 403-500-2049.

“What did you learn at school today?” What does your child learn at school and how are they assessed? Understanding the Assessment of your child can help your child's learning and success. Please follow this link to a parent resource from Alberta Education if you would like to find out more about what your child learns and how they are assessed at school: http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/mychildslearning/

Student Lates/Absences

Inside Story Headline

Community Resources

“It won’t happen to my child” is what many parents feel about drug use. Yet all too often, today’s kids are experimenting with drugs. Here are some facts on drug use you should know: 12 is the average age for first use of alcohol Alcohol addiction in children can happen within only 6-18 months. Marijuana is the most widely used illegal drug in Canada. AADAC is now called Youth Addiction Services (403) 297-4664 Resources through Youth Addiction Services are free of charge and can be accessed on the AHS website: www.albertahealthservices.ca- Health Information; Diseases & Conditions,

Located at the Alberta Children’s Hospital, the Family & Community Resource Centre is one of the essential components of the Alberta Health Services and helps to promote Family Centered Care in child health services. The Family & Community Resource Centre provides a comfortable and supportive environment where families, service providers, and community members can find reliable child health information, receive support, access child health education, and connect with community resources. The Education Calendar is an online listing of the education activities provided by the Community Education Service (CES) and its community partners. To see what education activities are being offered, go to:

https://fcrc.albertahealthservices.ca/ces/newsletter/2014-11-newsletter.pdf

Coaches’ Corner

“Home of the Hawks”

Badminton

Badminton season is in full swing!!! We are off

to a smashing start!!!

Our students have been

to several tri-meets thus

far in the season and

will continue to take

part in meets after the

break.

City Championships

will take place on April

27 (Gr. 7), April 28

(Gr. 8) and April 29

(Gr. 9) at St. Francis

High School.

Flag Football clinics will

begin soon. We would

like to thank our

coaches in advance for

their dedication and

hard work.

Gr. 7—Mrs. Kecman &

Mrs. Allen

Gr. 8—Mr. Cross

Gr. 9—Mr. Clovechok

April 2016 Issue www.cssd.ab.ca/sthelena

Straight Talk About Drugs

http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/mychildslearning/

http://www.albertahealthservices.ca-

https://fcrc.albertahealthservices.ca/ces/newsletter/2014-11-newsletter.pdf

All students are expected to share their Brightspace (D2L) username and passwords with their parents so that

you can monitor progress and assignment grades. Our school webpage (www.cssd.ab.ca/sthelena) contains

important links and information – updated often! Important events are pushed out on Twitter

(@sthelena_ccsd). All Twitter information is repeated on our school’s web page.

When you are dealing with hundreds of students coming to school in the morning and leaving at dismissal,

the school parking lot can be a very chaotic place. Student safety is always a concern for school staff, but keep-

ing children safe in the parking lot requires the cooperation of everyone – from school staff to parents and the

students themselves.

Here are a few safety tips that drivers should observe when dropping children off at school and picking them up: Obey the speed limit and traffic rules Be courteous to other drivers Remind students to look both ways in the parking lot, even though it is not a street Students should not run or play in the parking lot Parents should respect school staff who enforce traffic rules as well as bus drivers who are picking up stu-

dents The new skateboard park that has opened on the corner of Centre St and 64th Avenue has been very popular! We remind students and parents that this is OFF SCHOOL GROUNDS! The staff do not supervise this area, and students who do not have off campus privileges are expected to stay on school property. If your son/daughter is going to the skate park, please invest in appropriate safety equipment (helmet, wrist guards, etc.) and be clear that you expect them to be worn during skating.


St. Helena Newsletter

Communication

St. Helena Parking Lot Safety

Skateboard Park (Off School Grounds)

http://www.cssd.ab.ca/sthelena

JR.HIGH SCHOOL COUNSELLOR AVAILABILITY:

Tuesday (8:35am—3:00pm)

Wednesday (8:35am—3:00pm)

Thursday (until 11:30 am)

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ HIGH SCHOOL REGISTRATION: We survived High School registration! The good news is that all Grade 9 students will be heading off to High School this fall! For students attending Notre Dame High School, meet the T.A. will be held on May 26, 2016 Time 6:30pm. _______________________________________________________________________________________ Ways to Help Your Teen Stress Less Not all teenage stress is related to traumatic events. Sometimes your adolescent may be stressed out from a problem with friends, too much homework or an overly busy schedule at school or extracurricular activities. Here are some ways to help minimize stressors: Check in with them regularly. Be sure to always know what is going on with your adolescent by asking about their day, their friends and their feelings. Do not assume they have nothing to say just because they are not saying it. Sometimes they just need to be asked. Asking questions and knowing how you can help are the best ways to reduce stress in your adolescent's life. Cut back on the fun. Too many extracurricular activities at once can overwhelm teens. They need time to relax and do nothing, which can lead to more creativity and less stress. Promote healthy eating, exercise and sleep. For children, adolescents, and adults, proper nutrition and regular exercise can go a long way to feeling more relaxed. Both have been proven to fight stress and boost en-ergy. Teens should be trying to get 8-10 hours of sleep a night. Sleep deprivation makes it very challenging for them to regulate emotions and learn. Create a schedule. Having a regular, reliable schedule can help your teen feel more organized. Have a fami-ly calendar up on the wall where all events are listed so that everybody in the house knows when things are going on. This allows everyone to get prepared in their own way and to not be surprised by events they did not know about. Take off the pressure. Teens often feel a lot of stress because of the pressures they feel are put on them by their parents or teachers. While it's good to encourage them to do well in school, sports or life, try not to make them feel like you loving them depends on how well they do. Be sure to tell them that it does not matter what the outcome is, as long as they put forth their best effort. Learn to relax. The benefits of relaxation breathing or zoning out to music are good to learn early on in life. Figuring out what relaxes your adolescent now can help keep them grounded for the inevitable stresses of life later on. There are some helpful apps that can be used to teach your teen to relax; MindShift, Breathe2Re-lax and CBT-iCoach Avoid caffeine and sugar. Too much sugar or caffeine can create anxiety, which can lead to more stress. Try to and do away with these ingredients in your adolescent's diet (particularly energy drinks if they consume them). While you will not be able to eliminate all stress in your adolescent's life, there are things you can do to decrease the amount of stress he or she deals with regularly and do what you can to help them learn to man-age their stress.



Counsellor’s Corner — Mr. Lozynsky



Teacher/Grade Honour Roll Outstanding

Work Habits Teacher/Grade Honour Roll Outstanding

Work habits

7L Ms. Lucyk

Emmanuella B. Mikhalia C. Trisha C. Gabby E. Aydan G. Jasmine J. Britney K. Oliver M. Sarah M. Rhoda O. Heny P. Benjamin R. Tharindu R. Jimmy S.

Haider C. Kassandra M.

7O Mrs. Ostapiuk

Barach B. Lanah B. Angela C. Carolina D. Daphnee G. Jose G. Ethan L. Juan Felipe L. Angel M. Kirsten M. Icelynn P. Cole R. Ashton S. Sophia V.

Neil A. Wol D. Patricia T. Kennedy T.

7M Ms. MacSween

Laci B. Daniel C. Clairrenz C. Elijah D. Daniel G. Cassidy H. Hailey L. Rebecca M. Eron M. Grisham S.

Damiloa A. Rene G. Michael K. Hailey L. Zyah N. Sandra O.

7R Ms. Rimban

Mark A. Denzal D. Cassandra G. Richard G. Michelle J. Marcus K. Michal K. Marei L. Sharlette M. Kole M. Kristina P. Sienna R. Ethan S. Carter S. Abigail T.

Dominic A. C.J. C. Lucas C. Garen D. Magid K. Jerome R.

7Mc Ms. McClure

Alysandra B. Kasandra B. Luiz D. Jasmin D. Dannah M. Aerianne M. Phebe O. Quinton P. Alem S.

Nicolas A. Nana-Manye G. Morgan H. Brooklyn M. Clyde W.

8C Mr. Cross

Alyanna A. Adrian B. Carren D. Chelsea F. Savannah G. Lauren L. Thomas L. Juliana M. Benjamin P.

Yosan F. Megan G. Sean G. Russell M. Kisanet M. Daniel R.

8D Ms. Davis

Marcuz B. Betiel B. Aaron C. Jaelyn C. Paulette O. Lade O. Debbie P. Adrian R. Shelby S. Andrea S. Jacqueline T. Anthony W.

Jenna B. Kyle H. Sabik K. Cheyenne T. Kaye Anne M.

8E Ms. English

Nikko A. Eva B. Hilda C. Morgan C. Klyza D. Cristian D. David G. Kosi I. Alessandra I. Jordana I. Skylar K. Jay N. Edwin O. Ayo O. Jade P. Maye Anne W. Raegan W.

Raven B. Kaitlan P.

8P Mr. Polga

Kim A. Aaron A. Jyrus C. Alyssa C. Victoria C. Nnenna C. Katie F. Alexa G. Brooklyn K. Teegan M. Matteo M. Mila M. Thomas S. Lenette U. Theo vK.

Savindi A.

8Z Mr. Zembiak

Anton D. Dillon F. Teah H. Yohannes M. Trisha M. Jacob N. Nathan Q. Chase S. Aiden T. Mary W.

Nikira C. Wyatt S.

T E R M

3

H O N O U R

R O L L

&

O U T S T A N D I N G

W O R K

H A B I T S

Congratulations to Ms. English and the St. Helena Band students for receiving most outstanding band at the AIBF

(Alberta International Band Festival) at Bishop Carroll on March 16.



9C Ms. Cross

Ethan K. Emelie O. Madison P. Hiruni R. Jamie T. Evan W.

Nicky B. Gabriella G. Priscilla K. Rebeka N. Justin N. Julianne P. Maira P. Fernando Q. Miljan S. Jakob T.

9E Mr. Elford

Jeremiah A. Carlos B. Latrell C. Theresa C. Patricia D. Gabriella G. Elissa G. Cory H. Joshua N. Tonya N. Adam O. Jewel Q. Samantha R. Basil V. Sonia W.

Hunter B. Brody K. Hana P. Gordon W. Christina Y.

9H Ms. Hryhoryshyn

Athiei B. Alvie D. Jyra G. Anisse G. Cole M. Paul N. Brayden O. Ashley O. Louis P. Madison P. Soliana U.

Chayton C. Ani E. Jaina M. Matthew P.

9N Ms. Nelson

Gabby G. Patrick J. Katrina L. Julia O. Chloe S. Katherine S. Elisabeth T. Trinity T. Isabelle W. Bennie W.

Kerrick C. Madison S.

9P Ms. Paniec

Salome A. Aaron A. Amy B. Paulo C. Matthew D. Maia E. Beza G. Claire H. Jack H. Cianna J. Michelle K. Kristi M. Brook M. Godwin M. Bronte S. Carlee S. George T. Ivan T.

Shecaniah G. Alec R. Bianca S.

Congratulation to all the

students who received

certificates for their work in

Term 2.

T E R M 3

H O N O U R

R O L L

&

O U T S T A N D I N G

W O R K

H A B I T S

St. Helena Band Update

Spring Program Schedule 2016 For Parents of Early Elementary Students (Ages 5 to 9 years)

Workshop Location: St. Martha School 6020 4 Avenue NE

Brought to you by the District’s Family/School Support Team

Proactive Parenting Toolbox

Wednesday April 13, 2016 . Time: 6:00-7:30 pm.

This workshop covers effective approaches to parenting your young child. This presentation will have a focus on building

strong and supportive relationships, improving communication, solving problems collaboratively and effective discipline

practices.

Understanding & Responding to Children’s Emotions

Wednesday April 20, 2016. Time: 6:00-7:30 pm.

This workshop is designed for parents who are dealing with a child who may be struggling with anxiety, anger or aggres-

sion. A section of the presentation will focus on child/parent separation and how to bridge the relationship while away

from your child. Attention will be given to strategies which will assist with talking to your child about their moods and

emotions.

Family Routine, Effective Consequences and Behaviour Management

Wednesday April 27, 2016. Time: 6:00-7:30 pm.

This session looks at strategies to help your child with daily routines including getting out the door on time, bedtime rou-

tines, and dealing with homework. In addition, part of the session will focus on behaviour management when dealing with

your child including effective consequences, time-outs and discipline taking a positive approach.

Friendships & Social Skills

Wednesday May 4, 2016. Time: 6:00-7:30 pm.

This workshop explores age appropriate social skills for your child. Topics covered will include how play skills build on each other, learning your child’s play style and how to best support them. In addition, parents will learn how to teach their chil-dren the foundational social skills necessary to be a good friend.

Free childcare provided on site: Registration required. Space is limited.

To register please email Brittany Doherty at [email protected] with name and

number of people attending, school child attends, whether childcare is required & age/grade

of children attending.



mailto:[email protected]

Healthy Tee Healthy Teens ns



april 2016 issue st. …st. helena newsletter as the uncertain oh, give us pleasure in st. helena...

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