Principals’ Pen

Lent - Lent began last week on Ash Wednesday and is a season of reflection and preparation before the celebration of Easter. By observing the 40 days of Lent, Christians replicate Jesus Christ’s sacrifice and withdrawal into the desert for 40 days. Lent is a time to reflect on one’s own faith journey, to support others and to fast and sacrifice in a variety of ways. Students at Father Robinson are encouraged to think about others during Lent by participating in the Pool our Love Campaign food drive. Please plan on donating nut free granola bars and juice boxes to the Pool Our Love food drive collection in the pit. Please join us at our upcoming Lenten liturgies. Your presence is always welcomed.

INSPIRE YXE FREE Youth Conference – Mar. 6-7 - GSCS Gr. 6-12 students are invited to attend INSPIRE

YXE 2020. The conference will bring youth together from all over Saskatchewan to inspire them to overcome

their struggles, find their identity in Christ, build healthy relationships, and influence the world for God. Due to

the generosity of our sponsors, all participants will attend the conference for FREE. The event includes live

music, motivational speakers, games, sports & prizes. Nearly 20 guests from, across Canada will be presenting

including Jassie Virk (cohost of the Alpha Youth Film Series) and Leah Perreault (Director of Mission at St.

Paul's Hospital). Leader/Teacher/Parent workshops are also included at no cost. For more details and to register

please go to www.inspireyxe.com.

Three Way Conferences - Conference dates are scheduled for March 26 3:30 - 8:00 p.m. and Friday, March 27th

8:45 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. A reminder to all that there will be no regular classes for students on Friday, March 27th.

Conference scheduling begins March 19 @ 6 p.m. until March 24th @ 6 p.m. We will again be using Parent-Teacher

Conference Scheduler (PTC Scheduler) to schedule conferences as directed by the Greater Saskatoon Catholic School

Board. Please search your email Inbox or junk mail for NoReply@gscs.sk.ca Subject: GSCS Parent Account

Information. Access and password information is emailed by Greater Saskatoon Catholic School. Only the most

recent email containing the most recent password will work. Families who are new to our school will have received access

information shortly after the time of registration.

- In response to the high number of password resets for parent accounts for Three-way Conference bookings, our

school division has set up a parent password self-help tool. Please take a moment now to enroll now at

https://password.gscs.ca with your user name and password which was given to you by the school board. Using

these credentials, you are able to first enroll and then set up your own password. Instructions are posted on the

homepage of our website. Please access the site from an actual computer opposed to a smart phone to prevent

login issues.

- For Conference bookings, simply go to https://apps.gscs.ca/ptc and login with your username and password. You will not be able to schedule conferences until March 19th @ 6p.m.

March Madness Basketball Tournament - March 12th from 12:30 to 3:00 pm all students will be attending a portion of the in school March Madness basketball tournament. The grade eight parents are hosting a concession and all students are invited to bring money for popcorn, Gatorade, candy bags and long johns. Items are $1.00 or $2.00. Thank you Mr. Kunz for organizing our in house grade 7 and 8 tournament. It is a great school spirit day. Wear your Father Robinson clothing on this day! Coronavirus update - The Government of Saskatchewan has updated information, including a Q&A document, at http://www.saskatchewan.ca/coronavirus Thank you parents who have contacted the office with questions or concerns. Please rest assured that the school administration is following the school division guidelines which come directly from the Government. If there are any changes to the guidelines, you will be informed.

Principal: Sherry McLean Vice Principal: Ralph Kunz Office Coordinator:: Mary Ann Hill Trustees: A. Risling, R. Boechler, T. Hawkins Pastor: Fr. Ephraim Mensah & Fr. Deyre Azcuna

Catholic School Community Council (CSCC) ): Marilena Soares

Phone: (306) 659-7200 Attendance: https://go.schoolmessenger.com

Email: Father.Robinson@gscs.ca March 5, 2020

www.gscs.sk.ca/studentsandfamilies/schools/RBI

2020 Dates to Remember

March 6-Tim Horton’s Hot Lunch 9-PLD- No School 12-March Madness Basketball tournament 13-Lenten Liturgy- 1:15 pm 16- Lenten Liturgy- 2:15 pm 19-PTconference scheduler opens 20-Ski Trip grades 5-8 24- PT conference scheduler closes 24- Spring Photos- K2, 1-3/4 25- Spring Photos- K1, 4-8 25- Lenten Liturgy-2:15 pm

8:35 am - First Bell 10:10 - 10:25 am Recess 11:40 - 12:25 pm Recess/Lunch 1:55 – 2:10 pm. Recess 3:10 pm Dismissal

Table Mountain Ski-trip – Our grade 5 – 8 students will be going skiing and snowboarding on March 20. Attendance will be taken in the classroom at 6:30 a.m. The bus leaves at 6:45. Information packages have gone home and need to be returned to along with payment to your classroom teacher by the end of today. Students should arrive back at the school by 5:30 – 6 p.m. 2020-2021 Year Calendar – A division calendar has been posted to the Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools website for the next school year. It may be found at www.gscs.ca Please note this is the division calendar and is not specific to Father Robinson school. Social Media Support Information for Parents- Here are a few information sites for parents and guardians; Commonsense media, Media Smarts and National online safety.com. Please google these sites for tips, information and suggestions. Many students are requiring continued support in the area of appropriate usage of social media apps and electronic devices. At a recent conference it was suggested that parents and teachers must work together to develop UPSTANDERS. An upstander is a person who takes action, particularly when the easiest or most acceptable course of action is to do nothing. Parents are also encouraged to google “Dear Gregory.” This is a letter from a mother to her son Gregory when he receives his first cell phone. It is worth a read as many of her expectations are common sense and are good reminders for all adults to ensure child online safety. Aunt Kathy’s Fundraiser – Our Grade 8 students are raising money for their farewell. Orders are available from any Grade 8 student. Some forms are available at the office if needed. Orders must be returned to the office by March 19th. Vacations/Homework- Teachers are often requested to provide homework in advance of a family holiday where school days will be missed. This request can be very challenging since so much teaching and learning today is group work and experience based. It is also very time consuming for the teacher to accommodate this request for numerous families at various times throughout the year. Please note that homework that is missed will be expected to be caught up upon the students’ return. Mathletics and RAZ kids are available on line and students will be requested to read daily as their “homework.” Thank you for your cooperation and understanding in this regard.

Outer Wear - Thank you for sending appropriate outer wear for your children. Ski pants, extra socks and mitts or rain paints and rubber boots depending on the forecast are most helpful. Please see our guidelines for outdoor breaks:

First Student Canada – You can subscribe to receive notifications of bus delays and

cancellations. Information can be found at https://saskatoon.firststudentinc.com or by calling 306-343-3300. Please advise your children to return home if the bus has not arrived at their stop after 10 minutes and contact the bus company. We do not want any students walking to school without parent permission.

FATHER ROBINSON CATHOLIC SCHOOL COMMUNITY COUNCIL (CSCC) NEWS

Our CSCC meetings for this school year will be held in our library @ 7:00 p.m. on the following dates: April 6, May 4 and June 15. Everyone is welcome to attend. We want to remind families that we will provide childcare at the school. If you require childcare support so you can attend the meeting, please email Mrs. McLean at smclean@gscs.ca in advance of the meeting so sitters can be arranged. Please see the CSCC section of the Father Robinson School website for further details about the Father Robinson Catholic School Community Council: https://www.gscs.ca/studentsandfamilies/schools/RBI/Pages/SchoolCouncil.aspx

Kindergarten Registration (Fall 2020 - 2021) It’s not too soon to think about kindergarten for next fall! At Father Robinson school, we strive to see students reach their full potential in a faith-filled learning environment, as well as teaching children that they have what it takes to reach out and make the world a better place. If your child will be five years old by Jan. 31, 2021, he or she can begin kindergarten in September this year Registration forms will be available at the office. Birth Certificate and Saskatchewan Health card are required. A copy of the Baptismal Certificate if students are Catholic will also be requested. Please call us at 659-7200 if you need further information.

Please ensure your child is ALWAYS prepared to go outside. Our weather policy is as follows: Outside -25o C and warmer Optional -26o C to -29 o C (stay in or go outside, supervisors in both areas) Inside -30o C and colder (all students indoors)

Healthy Hunger Lunches - The Father Robinson Catholic School Community Council appreciates your support in using the Healthy Hunger program for our special lunches. A list of scheduled dates follows: Mar. 6, Tim Hortons Mar. 20, Dominos/Munchies (Gr. 5 -8 Ski Trip- do not order a lunch if you are skiing)

Apr. 3, Wetzels Apr. 24, Taco Time May 12, Food truck TBA May 27, Family Pizza/Munchies June 19, Freshii *Please sign up at Healthyhunger.ca to order each lunch separately or order for the year for ease.

2019-20 FUNDRAISING GOALS

Friends of Father Robinson School Community Association

Each year, the parent council of Father Robinson School actively coordinates and

delivers many fundraisers to help provide many unfunded items for our children. This year, the parent council will be running the following fundraisers: School Wins Twice – September to October ($2,500) Achieved: $2434

Gift Cards – November to December ($1,600) Achieved: $1591

Bingo – November ($2,500) Achieved: $3536

Turkey Lunch – December ($0) Achieved: $11

Coupon Books – March ($500)

Bedding Plants – May ($1,500)

Yearbook – June ($0)

Hot Lunches – every couple of weeks ($3,900) To date: $2740

Thank you for your support!

Celebrating 25 years supporting Catholic Education for the Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools. For

less than $1 a day, please support the gift of Catholic Education for your child, grandchild or loved one

by becoming a monthly donor today.

https://foundation.gscs.ca/ways-to-give/come-to-the-table-annual-campaign/

COMMUNITY

The Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools Foundation is pleased to invite you to the 20th annual ‘Swing into Spring’ Fashion Show & Dinner on Thursday, May 7, 2020 at Prairieland Park – Hall B. Once again, plans are well under way for a fabulous evening of fun, food, fashions, camaraderie and great prizes. Support school division employees as they step out of their traditional roles to walk the runway in the latest spring fashions. Please check the posters displayed at your school or the Foundation website at https://gscs.ca/foundation Early Bird tickets purchased before April 1, 2020 are $70.00ea or $75.00ea after April 1, 2020 Tickets are available through the Foundation office. Phone: 659-7003 Fax: 659-2013 Email: catholicschoolsfoundation@gscs.ca Your presence helps us put faith in education. EACCA Spring Sports Registration Read how, when and where to sign up children for spring sports in our spring newsletter. http://www.erindalearborcreek.org/newsletter The EACCA on-line registration site is : https://registration.erindalearborcreek.org/ If you register in a sport with the EACCA, registrations are regular rates until March 15th. Late registration charges will commence on March 15th. All registrations will close on March 31st.

123 Nelson Road

Saskatoon, SK - S7S 1H1 Canada Tel: (306) 659-5800 Fax: (888) 897-7980

Announcing Middle Years Youth Ministry - EDGE

The Cathedral of the Holy Family Parish is launching Middle School Ministry

once again! EDGE is a program for youth in Grades 6-8 who want to:

• have fun

• learn about the Christian faith in a personal way ▪ meet God as our Father and friend

These groups will run from 7:00 to 9:00 pm on scheduled Tuesdays during the year, hosted at the

Cathedral of the Holy Family. Our team of volunteers and mentors can’t wait to meet you! If you

have any questions, get in touch with Cat.

Mark your calendars with these EDGE dates for the 2019-2020 school year!

Mar. 19, Mar. 24, Apr. 14, Apr. 28, May 12, May 26

Jr. Youth Retreat Feb. 8-9

Andy Korvemaker

Faith Formation Minister

andy@holyfamilycathedral.ca 306-659-5803

.