Message from our Holy Cross Administration

Bonjour! Welcome back to a new school year! To all our returning students, we are excited to see you again and hope you had a restful and fun-filled summer. To all the students and their families who are new to our school community, we extend the warmest welcome and hope you will feel at home within our Holy Cross Family. This year’s district theme is:

Walking together in the  light of Christ  

 We are children of light. When we walk in love as Christ loved us, Christ becomes our pattern. When we pattern our lives after Christ, we imitate God. As we begin the new school year, let us consider how we can live as children of light, wherever we find ourselves. Mme Lorraine Sylvestre Principal M Ed Jean Assistant Principal

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 New Registrations for 2019-2020 

We continue to accept registrations for the 2019-2020 year. Registration forms are available on our website www.holycross.ecsd.net or at the school office. 

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Milk

Beginning September 9th, Grades 1 to 5 can purchase milk cartons at lunch

time. Milk Cards are available for purchase on PowerSchool - 17$ for 20

cartons.

Canteen

The canteen is available for grades 6-9 students at lunch time, beginning on

September 10th. The canteen offerings are not meant to replace your

child’s lunch. A variety of snack options will be available and prices will be

posted at the canteen.

Transportation

ETS and Yellow Bus passes must be purchased online before the 10th of each

month (with the exception being the month of September where this is

extended to the 14th). Passes will be issued through the school office once

payment is received. Payment can be made on PowerSchool. Annual bus

passes can also be purchased. Please email Rhonda.Specht@ecsd.net if you

would like to apply for the Family Plan rates for busing (3 or more children).

Please also see the information on the district website regarding busing fees.

Please remember that district policy does not allow students to ride the bus

to a friend’s house after school. Students may only ride their bus route and

get off only at their designated stop.

Supervision before and after school

For safety reasons, the main doors of the school are open from

8:10am-8:30am only. Supervision also begins at this time. All other doors

are locked at all times. Supervision after dismissal ends when the yellow

buses depart.

Student entrances

All students are asked to use their assigned doors in the morning, at breaks,

and after school. We ask that parents wait for their child/ren at the assigned

door of the school or a designated meeting spot outside the school and not

the door of the classroom. Thank you for helping us promote independence

and self-sufficiency in our students.

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Emergency procedures practices

We will be having at least three fire drills in the next few weeks. If you are in

the school when the fire bell rings, please evacuate the school. Re-entry into

the school is allowed after you hear the three bells sound outside.

We will also have a practice lockdown during the month of September. If you

are in the school, please go to the nearest classroom and remain there until

the all-clear is given.

Specific dates for emergency procedures practices will be included in the

Weekly Update emailed to parents.

Allergies

Please alert your child’s teacher as well as the office staff if your child suffers

from severe allergies. Parents of children with severe allergies must have a

completed medical form on file. Forms are available at the office and must

be redone every year. We also require that you send a current photo so your

child can be easily identified by staff members. Please be sure that the

completed form and photo have been submitted as soon as possible.

We ask that all students refrain from sharing lunch or snacks with others due

to concerns with allergies. We have a few students with severe allergies.

Please avoid sending nuts or nut products with your child(ren). Your help in

this matter is greatly appreciated.

A reminder as well that all students who require an epi-pen or a puffer must

wear it on their person at all times. Please take the time to discuss this with

your child. It is important to us that all our students be safe.

Renovations

The work on the roof of the school has been completed.

During the summer months, the school was outfitted with

new lighting and new ceilings in all the hallways, as well as

new security cameras. You’ll be sure to notice the

improvements next time you’re in the school!

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Curriculum Information evening (Meet the Staff)

Curriculum Information Evening will be held on Thursday, September 12th at

18:30. All parents are encouraged to attend. The evening will begin in the

gym with a few words from the principal, the SAC chair, and Father Dean.

Staff introductions will follow.

Parents are then invited to visit their child’s classroom where the teacher will

have a short presentation. Please join us for this important evening!

Quebec Educational Tour

This year, our week-long Grade 9 Educational Tour

begins on September 29th. The final meeting for the

Grade 9 parents is at 18:00 on Wednesday, September

11th in the reseau.

Grade 8 parents who are interested in learning more about the Grade 9

Quebec Educational Tour 2020 are invited to attend an information meeting

on Wednesday, September 11th at 19:00 in the reseau.

Grade 7 Birch Bay Camping Trip

Our Grade 7 students will be taking part in an overnight camping trip on

Wednesday and Thursday, September 4th and 5th, at Birch Bay Ranch. This

is a great opportunity for our new and returning Grade 7 students to get to

know each other and start new friendships. Thank you to our amazing

parent volunteers who have put their names forward for this trip with the

students.

The Terry Fox School Run is Thursday, September 26th. Holy

Cross staff and students will be

participating in this important

fundraiser to support cancer

research. Please look for more

information coming home with your

child in September.

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Orange Shirt Day

On Monday, September 30th, staff and students

look forward to participating in Orange Shirt Day.

This day commemorates and honours the

experiences and loss of the thousands of children

who were placed in residential schools. It is

recognized annually as a way to come together in

the spirit of reconciliation and to affirm that every

child matters.

Soccer Teams

Our boys’ and girls’ soccer teams will be

starting their practices soon! If you are

able to help us out by coaching either

team, please contact

Megan.Thomlinson@ecsd.net

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New CTF Options for MYP Students

Career and Technology Foundations (CTF) provides students in Grades 6 to 9

the opportunity to explore their interests and solve real-world problems

within various occupational areas and technologies. This year, we have a

variety of offerings for students to experience. Some CTF options are new

and some are returning favorites!

Advanced Science is an

extension of the science

curriculum that will allow brader

and deeper exploration of

various science strands through research,

hands-on projects and labs.

Artistic Expression: Art Plus provides

an extended art experience for students

using a variety of artistic media.

Athletic Development is a course based

on the development of athletic skills in a

wide variety of sports.

Cooking from Scratch:

Foods allows students

to explore basic cooking

methods focusing on

whole foods.

Exploring with Electro-Technologies:

Coding and Robotics gives students the

opportunity to build robots and

experiment with coding in order to solve

problems.

Exploring with Electro-Technologies:

Digital Fabrication allows students to

gain experience in 2D and 3D drawing

while creating objects using CAD software.

Expressing our World:

Still Photography allows

students to learn about

the technical aspects of

photography.

Film Studies allows students to watch

and analyze different films and the

techniques that make movies so unique.

Finding a Balance: Environmental and

Outdoor Education gives students

first-hand experience in nature and the

opportunity to develop skills in common

outdoor pursuits.

Fitness and Wellness

exposes students to a variety

of sports activities that

contribute to healthy living,

such as cycling, zumba, yoga, or curling.

Musical Theatre is a course where

students will learn vocal repertoire and

choreography for our upcoming school

musical production of Into the Woods.

Solve This! presents

students with challenges

and problems to solve,

such as cryptograms,

puzzles, and escape rooms.

Sports Leadership focuses on sports

management and training.

Strategic Board Games allows students

to explore the strategies and design

behind board games and card games, and

to develop their own game.

Touring our World Through Language:

Basic Spanish will allow students to

explore language, tradition and customs

of Spanish-speaking countries.

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2019-2020 SCHOOL FEES

ECSD School Fees have now been approved by the Minister of Education.

Detailed information on school fees can be accessed on our website.

This year, schools cannot charge for:

● textbooks, workbooks, photocopying, and printing

Schools can charge for

● technology fees including student-used software and apps

● headphones

● whole-school activities such as cultural presentations

● communication envelopes and pouches, and agendas

● Phys Ed apparel

These fees have been bundled as a Supplemental Education fee.

Kindergarten: $30

Grades 1-6: $50

Grades 7-9 $60

Schools can also charge additional fees for:

● Academies

● Senior High $90 refundable textbook deposit

● Options/complementary courses

● Activities like field trips, farewell/ graduation activities

● IB and AP exams

● Personal music equipment like recorders, mouthpieces/reeds, and

handbell gloves

● Optional items and activities: social activities; hot lunches; yearbooks;

extracurricular teams; clubs; optional tness program/tness room

access; apparel; refundable cap and gown rental

● Replacement of lost resources or those that have been damaged

beyond use

MYP (Grade 6-9) students are also charged additional fees for

Complementary courses, and CTF option courses. These fees vary by

course. Specific costs for each course can be found on our website.

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Holy Cross Staff 2019-20

100 Voices Mme Sandra Perrin

Kindergarten Mme Émilie Bélanger

Grade 1A Mme Nicole Mongrain

Grade 1B Mme Kristen Lien

Grade 2A Mme Monica Chmielewski

Grade 3A Mme Catherine Cloran

Grade 3B Mme Sarah Novosel

Grade 4A Mme Cateline Fafard

Grade 4B Mme Charmante Masinda

Grade 5A Mme Marilena Shipka

Grade 5B Mme Alexa Brady

Grade 6A Mme Pascale Eng

Grade 6B M. Dalton Sarango-Loayza

Grade 7A M. André Hughes

Grade 7B / MYP Music Mme Kayla Fuller

Grade 8A Mme Megan Thomlinson

Grade 8B M. Joel Kristiansen

Grade 9A M. Ed Jean

Grade 9B Mme Angelica Tan

Grade 6 / MYP IB Coordinator Mme Jana Psyrris

Grade 6 / PYP Music / PYP IB Coordinator Mme Katia Hnidan

Principal Mme Lorraine Sylvestre

Assistant Principal M. Ed Jean

Administrative Assistants Mme Rhonda Specht, Mme Marie Valcin

Educational Assistants Mme Andrée Favreau, Mme Tammy Thornton

Early Learning Facilitator Mme Ashley Santos

Custodial Staff M. Tesfaye Hunde, M. Allan Pallera,

M. Sancho Fabregas

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 Please click here to see your child's school supply list

Welcome to new staff We are very excited and blessed to be welcoming several

new teachers to our Holy Cross community for the

2019-2020 school year.

Mme Alexa Brady is originally from Edmonton, Alberta and attended

the University of Alberta. After finding her passion for the French

language and culture through a high school exchange program, Alexa

has found countless opportunities to travel through Québec, France

and Switzerland with the hope of achieving a greater appreciation for

various French cultures and dialects around the world. Born into an

Italian family, Alexa enjoys learning how to cook new traditional foods

and spending time with family. In her spare time, Alexa practices yoga,

is always in search of her next read, and enjoys running. Alexa is

excited to be joining the Holy Cross community and looks forward to the year ahead.

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Mme Cateline Fafard is very excited to be joining Holy Cross this fall! She has

spent most of her life in Manitoba, and is now very excited to get to do what she

loves in a new city as well as a new community. Along with her faith and

teaching, coaching youth sports is another strong passion of hers. She is eager to

bring her enthusiasm and skills to her new position and looks forward to getting

to know the entire Holy Cross team.

M. André Hughes was Ottawa born and raised in a bilingual family and

completed all his schooling, including his Math/Science degree, in French. He

enjoys playing a variety of sports and outdoor activities. André has a passion for

travelling, and has done a variety of trips (solo, family or with friends) on five

continents; so far, India was his favourite! André is looking forward to joining the

team at Holy Cross.

Mme Monica Chmielewski has been teaching for 6 years with ECSD. Monica

adores teaching in French Immersion and is passionate about learning the most

effective and innovative ways of teaching. Monica also has a background in

Management, as well as Marketing, and hopes to infuse some of her past

knowledge into the classroom in order to create future leaders. She has also

dabbled with a bit of coding and would like her students to have more experience

with what she believes will be an invaluable skill for their future. Mme

Chmielewski is very excited to meet all of the students and staff at Holy Cross and

can't wait to start!

Mme Sarah Novosel so excited to be joining the École Holy Cross family! Her

experiences in education vary; she has worked as a classroom teacher and as

a curriculum consultant for the Government of Alberta. She is passionate

about language development, and loves to guide students in their French

journey. Mme Sarah is looking forward to meeting all the families in the

coming months.

Mme Sandra Perrin is from Edmonton and has 3 daughters all of whom have either

graduated from or are still attending Holy Cross Académie. She loves the students and

staff at Holy Cross and is excited about joining the staff. Her teaching philosophy is all

about helping her students develop a love for learning and take an interest in the

world around them. When she’s not teaching, you might find her playing the piano,

reading to her girls, working in the garden with her husband or hiking with her dog.

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Dear Friends,

With summer now starting to fade, a new academic year begins. Students

and teachers who are looking ahead must inevitably feel some combination

of hope and fear.

When we consider these coming months, we can learn something about the

Christian life.

This next year, there will be flourishing, strengthening, learning and

maturing, happening all around us and also within us. Hard times are going

to come and go, and then come back around again. Alberta will experience a

dark season stretching on for months, with bitter cold and harsh weather.

There are many tests ahead of you, and assignments and reports and group

projects as well.

And then all at once, when hope seems nearly gone, the sunlight will break

through again. The warmth you now feel will come back to us, the trees will

burst into green, and on some happy day you and your teachers will step out

the doors of your school into a summertime of rest.

The Christian life can follow a similar pattern.

A person’s entire time on earth, however long it may be, is a chance to learn

in the school of virtue and sanctity. It is our time for growing close to Christ

Jesus. You are now preparing for an eternity of freedom and friendship with

God.

There will be hard times and tests in our lives. But if we are willing to learn

and grow in love, then in the end, through the grace of God, we can be

restored to the light and peace that God made us for. As Christ says in

Matthew's Gospel, "the one who endures to the end will be saved" (10:22).

Let us set out into this year, then, and into the rest of our lives, with our

eyes fixed on the everlasting joy of the gospel.

XRichard W. Smith

Archbishop of Edmonton

August 2019

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