Inside this issue: Mr. T. Podilsky. Class Host: Kindergarten 2

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1 A message from Mr. Podilsky... Wow it s May already! Here is a bit of an update regarding next year. Although our budgeted money to the school has shrunk by several thousand dollars this year, our enrollment numbers and some equity left over from the last many years will allow us to still have the same set up of classes as we had this year. There will be two Kindergarten classes (am and pm.) and only two combined classes. This will keep class sizes in the twenties and not in the thirties. We could definitely use more students, so if you know of children looking for a Kindergarten or other grades, please do send them our way. School fees will remain the same next year. That is $50 a student for grades 1-6 and $30 a student for Kindergarten. Congratulations to our whole school community that raised almost $6000 for the Heart and Stroke Foundation with our Jump for Heart campaign. You surpassed our goal by almost $2000. What an awesome school community! Thank you to all who have donated baby clothes and items to the Gianna Center. Several bags of donations will be picked up by them this week. If you have not yet had a chance and would like to donate baby or toddler clothes (among other possibilities), we will still be collecting this month. I know that the New Playground committee is well on their way of making plans to establish a new St. Philip playground. The committee is on the verge of starting a major fundraising campaign. We look forward to the support of our whole St. Philip community in realizing our goal - an amazing new playground! Lastly, I am looking forward to seeing you all at our Family Dance this Friday, May 4. This year we will enjoy a Star Wars theme May the Fourth Be With You Please remember to pay ahead of time - $10 per family. No tickets will be sold at the door. Enjoy the rest of our lovely Spring. God bless you and our families! Inside this issue: Class Host: Kindergarten 2 Easter Celebration; Humboldt,; Student Recognition Fire Safety 4 Jump Rope for Heart 5 Awesome Card Winners, Sacraments, Yearbook for Sale Italian Language Program 7-8 Spark Team News 9-10 Talent Show sign up! 11 Flex Sign Up! 12 Last Hot Lunch; Family Dance 13 FUNDRAISER: Little Caesar s Pizza Kit 14 Mental Health Awareness; Baby Box 15 37th Annual Traditional Pow Wow 16 Wireless Public Alert Test; Bus Driver Appreciation Transportation Info September Superintendent s Message 19 Bishop David Motiuk s Message 20 District Chaplain s Message 21 May Calendar 22 Mr. T. Podilsky

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3 On Wednesday, April 19, we celebrated the resurrection of Christ with Father Paul. Students were inspired by the good news of Christ s resurrection and listened carefully to the words of the Lord. Thank you to the students in Grades 5A and 6B who helped to make the celebration so beautiful! Thank you to Audrey in 4/5A for sharing her very own Easter song creation and Mrs. Warnes for her support. Thanks to everyone who sang together for the opening song and prayed the prayers together. Another thank you to the students who walked in the procession with Father Paul and the many students who read the readings. Father Paul's message of new beginnings was inspiring to all who heard The Humboldt Broncos bus crash was a tragedy that touched the hearts of many people world-wide. Feeling inspired to reach out during this time of misfortune, Grade 4 student Kianna began making green and yellow ribbons in an effort to raise money for the victim s families and the survivors of the bus crash. With the help of her friends, they visited classrooms and set up their cart in the front foyer of the school at dismissal to collect donations. A total of $ was collected from the students and families of St. Philip School, and with additional money collected outside of school, a total of $ was donated to the Humboldt Broncos Go Fund Me page. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this wonderful cause, and thank you to Kianna and friends for their heartfelt effort! Congratulations to Temasgen in Gr 6 who won an English Language Learning Recognition Award for all his hard work in learning English, his positive attitude and willingness to help out wherever he can. Temasgen won an ipad that he and his family can use to help them better learn English. This award was supported from the Karen de Milliano Memorial Fund.

4 On Wednesday, April 11, 2018, the Grades 1A, 1B, 2A and 2/3 classes learned about Fire Safety with Firefighter Cam. Some of the things they learned was: what to do in case of a fire, the special equipment a firefighter wears during a fire and how to prevent fires to stay safe. Students also received a Fire Safety booklet to take home. Students were excited to spend time with Firefighter Cam!

5 A BIG THANK YOU to you, St. Philip, for helping to make our Heart & Stroke Jump Rope for Heart event a success! This year, on Friday, April 20, St. Philip School participated in Heart & Stroke s Jump Rope for Heart. Together, we raised an amazing total of $ for the Heart and Stroke Foundation, thanks to your support and generosity! Supporting kids' health for more than 30 years, the Heart and Stroke Foundation encourages kids to get active while they collect pledges for heart disease and stroke research. Jump Rope for Heart delivers fun and accessible games with information that encourages healthy eating, daily physical activity and giving back to the community. In addition to raising funds to support the organizations mission, JUMP activates our kids to embrace a lifetime of healthy living and social responsibility. Plus, thanks to the generous efforts of you and your child(ren), our school will earn valuable resources through the Heart and Stroke Foundation s School Give-back Program. A heartfelt thank you to Giuliana, in Kindergarten, and her mother, for sharing Giuliana s Heart Story. Because of you, students are able to understand why we participated in this very important fundraising event! Together, we can help protect hearts and keep all kids healthy.

6 Congratulations! Term 2 Awesome Card winners were given a $5 gift card to celebrate their efforts in trying to be Awesome and doing good deeds in our school community! Keep up the good work! Kinder AM Lorenzo D. Kinder PM Sharon E. 1A Alyssa G. 1B Emily Z. 2A Kur K. 2/3A Alex E. 3A Aeron S. 4A Tanya T. 4/5A Claire T. 5A Emely M. 6A Shahil R. Congratulations! Please notify the office if your child celebrated a Sacrament this year. Please send in a photo from the special day to display on our school bulletin board. Copies can be made or original photos will be returned at the end of June. First Communion: Alyssa L. Angela L. Ariella P. Angelina C. Alyssa W. Isabella C. Pina S. Diya B. Confirmation: Alessio M. Milano V. Liza F. Ayrton G yearbooks are now available for purchase! This year, payment will only be accepted online as this is an optional item. To purchase, simply login into your PowerSchool parent portal. Click school fees, select your child s name and scroll to bottom under Additional Items. Orders need to be placed by May 18th. Yearbooks will be delivered in September 2018

7 Italian Language Program Leggere e Giocare con la 2a della Signora Gallo-Bubula e la Scuola CPLI Signora Gallo-Bubula s grade 2 Italian class visited the Scuola CPLI this month for a Read and Play In. Grade 2 students came with books they wrote in their class entitled, La mia casa and Gli animali. The visit was perfectly timed since the Scuola CPLI has just started learning about gli animali che vediamo a primavera. Once books were read, everyone was ready to play Weather Dice. Students rolled the dice and had to name the weather in Italian. High fives all around with lots of new learning and meeting new friends for a fun mattinata d italiano insieme. Italian Author visits St. Philip Italian children's book author Anna Maria Hrubizna read her book "Signora Rosa's Secret" to the students who are enrolled in the Italian Language and Culture program. The students were able to easily make connections to their life as in the book, relating to the Italian culture. The students also had an opportunity to perform some of the scenes from the book and display their drama talents. It was a wonderful experience!

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9 Hello! What a great few months we have had. The SPARK students have embarked in many new adventures! They planned activities for gym classes where they had to decide on what games to teach the students. Then they had to brainstorm rules and materials needed for the class to understand and have fun! I am happy to report that we have collected 917 batteries, 56 lbs.! WOW! Every AA battery can help save 6 lives! Way to go St. Philip! We have also helped keep these batteries out of the landfill. We will keep collecting until the end of the year. Bring in those batteries! On April 18 we went to the SAGE Center to help with the volunteer lunch appreciation. It was wonderful to witness the students take charge and help out in any way! We set tables, served seniors, cleaned plates, served water, coffee and tea. After the event we helped clean up. Stay tuned for Healthy Eating Challenge Week!

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11 St. Philip s Got Talent 2018! St. Philip School Talent Show Friday, June 1st, 9:00 AM Auditions will be during music classes on the week of: May 14th-May 17th. Students must have a prepared presentation. The purpose of the audition is to limit inappropriate or unprepared presentations. Lip syncing and air guitar will not be considered. Each student can be part of one individual performance only. Performing a second time within a larger group performance can be considered. Possible entries include: playing an instrument, singing a song, a choreographed dance, a magic trick, or a poetry reading (also open to other special talent ideas). Each act should be approximately 1-3 minutes depending on what type of act. You must provide your own music and organize any extra props or equipment that you will need for your act. The school will provide an ipod port, CD player, microphone, speakers, and a piano. There is also the option of being filmed ahead of time if the act requires extra time such as a special magic trick. Please speak to Mrs. Warnes about this. If the talent is art, please submit by Tuesday, May 22nd, All art pieces will be displayed the week of the talent show. Please fill out the sign up form that was sent home and return to Mrs. Warnes or Mrs. Verduci no later than May 7, Thank you, Mrs. Warnes Music Teacher-St. Philip

12 Online Registration for FLEX Options at St. Philip Our next FLEX session will be May 2, which means you can start your registration on Wednesday, April 25! Please note, registration will open exactly 1 week prior to the session date, and will close on the Tuesday evening, the day before the session. Please follow the directions below to log on to the website and select your options. This same procedure will be followed for all upcoming Flex sessions: We only have 2 FLEX sessions left: May 2, May 16 (these are all Wednesday afternoons, 1:45-2:45 pm). Go to and have the student log in using their school Username and Password. 1. Select FLEX SESSION from the left hand column 2. Click SEARCH to bring up option choices 3. By clicking on VIEW, you can get a description of each particular option 4. After reviewing all options, students can register for an option by clicking on REGISTER and then clicking on SUBMIT when a second window opens 5. Students can change their registration by clicking on DROP REGISTRATION and then selecting a different option Students are strongly encouraged to register at home. Students who do not have access to a computer at home to register online, or students who have difficulty registering, are to see their teacher or office staff for assistance. Thank you!

13 ORDERING HOT LUNCH Go to and register your students. On main page, click on the orange button "No Obligation Sign Up". Fill in your address and create a password. The next step will require you to fill in more information and you will have to select our school St. Philip Elementary Catholic Elementary - in a drop-down menu. Type your students name and select the classroom. Payment options are Credit Card or Debit/Visa Card (no PayPal option)

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15 On May 2, 2018, Albertans are invited to wear a hat to raise awareness of the importance of good mental health. Participating schools will relax their hat rules and encourage students and teachers to build understanding by wearing hats to school. In addition, Mental Health Awareness Week is May 7 to 11, A focus on positive mental health for students, families, schools and communities contributes to building a welcoming, caring, respectful and safe learning environment that respects diversity and fosters a sense of belonging. Students who are mentally healthy are resilient and better able to learn, achieve success and build healthy relationships. You can learn more about supporting positive mental health in schools by visiting the Alberta Education website at education.alberta.ca/mental-health. Reduce Stigma. Receive Information. Reflect on Strategies. The Children, Youth & Families Addiction and Mental Health (AHS) and Regional Collaborative Service Delivery (RCSD) are pleased to be hosting a session at our school site on May 15th from 6:00-7:30 p.m. It is titled "Breaking the Cycle of Anxiety". Click on the link to register for this session: We are SO GRATEFUL to everyone who donated new or gently used baby clothes for the Baby Box. Baby Box is from the Gianna Centre, our Catholic Social Services partner. The Gianna Center is a welcoming place that supports pregnant and young mothers. For more information, see our school lobby. Last day to donate baby clothes is May 9 th.

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17 On Wednesday, May 9 th at approximately 1:55 p.m., a test of the wireless alert will take place throughout Canada. It s estimated that the alert will be sounded on 60% of cell phones in the province. Emergency Alert Alberta is making everyone aware of this test to avoid any apprehension this could cause when you receive the alert on your phone. Information has also been sent electronically to all parents and we will post on all school websites and our District Facebook and Twitter pages closer to May 9 th.

18 IMPORTANT Transportation Information for September 2018 Transportation Services: Hours: Mon - Fri 7:15 AM 5:00 PM Thursday 7:15-4:00 PM Phone: transportationservices@ecsd.net Deadline The deadline for Transportation Applications is Friday May 25, Applications received after May 25th will not be set up for the first day of school. How will I be notified if I am not eligible for transportation? Your school shall contact you. Going into grade 1 September If your child is currently in half day kindergarten and you are eligible for transportation in grade 1 parents must complete and submit a Transportation Application by May 25th to ensure that bussing is in place for the first day of school. If your child is currently in gr.1-6, you will not need to fill out a new application form. The bus stop will remain for your child for the following year. Address or contact changes. Use the Transportation Change Form for changes (cancellation, change in address {if eligible} or contact information). This form is available at your child s school and/or the District website at Cancelling Transportation transportationservices@ecsd.net to cancel bussing if you no longer need transportation for September. When do changes/starts begin? Changes always begin on Wednesdays. The first route changes will be for Wed September 12th. How will I be notified about transportation? An automated call/ will go out in late August with information about your child s bus route. Please contact your school to obtain your login and password to your Parent Portal to obtain your child s bussing information. Curb Service Transportation If your child is currently attending or will be attending a specific program in the district, where Curb Service transportation is provided; a Curb Service Transportation form must be completed and signed by the Consultant, Principal and Parent. Please contact your school. Transportation/School Start Up/April send to schools and post on website

19 May 2018 Hail, holy Queen, mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. ~ The Hail Holy Queen In the month of May, when our thoughts turn towards paying special honor to our mothers and the women in our lives who fill that maternal role, we also turn our hearts toward our Mother, Mary. She is our model of saying yes to the call of our God, and she is also our model of grace, compassion, love, and tenderness. As we pray the rosary, we pray with hope to our holy Mother to intercede on our behalf so that we may feel God s abundant mercy. The week of May 6-11 is Catholic Education Week and May 10 is World Catholic Education Day. It is a time when we will ask our staff and our students to focus on the gifts that are to be found in an education that is grounded in our Catholic faith. Our work will be centred on empowering our community to articulate the many valuable aspects of attending Catholic schools. This, in turn, will also enable people to advocate for the need for ongoing and meaningful support of Catholic education in our province. It is important that we all speak up for Catholic education with a strong voice! Edmonton Catholic Schools has many partners who help us provide exceptional learning opportunities and supports for our students. One of our excellent partners is the City of Edmonton. They provide support for many of our programs and events. One such example is our upcoming 37 th Annual Ben Calf Robe Traditional Pow Wow. This amazing experience of Indigenous culture will take place from 1-10 pm on May 12 at the Commonwealth Community Recreation Centre. Admission is free, and it is a great family event! To learn more about Our Partnerships, visit our public website at and look under About Us. Our District Budget, will be presented at the May 29 Public Meeting of the Board. Thank you to all our stakeholders who took the time to complete our Budget Survey. Your voice was so important in helping us to set our priorities for this budget. I leave you with words of thanks from Pope Francis to all the women who fill the role of Mother in our world: Mothers are the strongest antidote to the spread of self-centred individualism It is they who testify to the beauty of life. Certainly, a society without mothers would be dehumanized, for mothers are always, even in the worst of times, witnesses to tenderness, dedication and moral strength. Mothers often communicate the deepest meaning of religious practice in the first prayers and acts of devotion that their children learn Without mothers, not only would there be no new faithful, but the faith itself would lose a good part of its simple and profound warmth Dear mothers: thank you! Thank you for what you are in your family and for what you give to the Church and the world. (Pope Francis, Amoris Laetitia, 174) Have a wonderful month of May! Sincerely, Joan Carr Superintendent

20 Edmonton Catholic School District Parent Newsletters May 2018 Mothers and Myrrh-bearing Women Soon after Jesus resurrection, the word of God continued to spread and the number of faithful greatly increased so much so that the twelve disciples had difficulty in continuing to care for the widows and the daily distribution of food. To help in these important tasks, the disciples chose seven men from among their midst, including Stephen, who would become the first-martyr for the faith (see Acts 6:1-7). Yet, men were not the only ones who followed Jesus and supported his ministry, both in his life, and at his death. So, as we celebrate Mother s Day, let us recall the myrrh-bearing women, who ran to the tomb on that first Easter morning. The myrrh-bearing women are the eyewitnesses of Jesus death and the place of his burial. They are also the witnesses of his resurrection. And they are the ones who receive the glorious news from the angel, who tells them, Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you. As we read in Father Thomas Rosica s book, Stay with Us, Encounters with the Risen Lord: These women represented countless nameless yet devoted women who were part of the crowds Jesus addressed and in the homes he frequented. They were the courageous ones who reached out fearlessly to touch the fringe of his cloak. They shouted after him; they entered his hosts houses uninvited; they poured expensive perfumed nard over his feet. They knew the promise made to them, they welcomed him, they knew from Jesus own treatment of them the strength of their own testimony to him, and they were unafraid to show him great love. tomb. In the end, they stood beneath his dying body, while the men were hiding for fear of the authorities. It was the women who grounds spices for his burial and calculated how to roll back the stone from his They attended firmly to the business of his living and dying. [And] they were rewarded for their fidelity by being the first recipients of the Good News of the Resurrection (pp ). My late mother, Olga God bless her soul, was also a myrrh-bearing woman in her own right. As I ve shared before, she taught me as a young boy about God, about love, and the importance of family and friends. She taught me about caring for neighbours. She taught me my daily prayers the Our Father, the Hail Mary, how to make the sign of the Cross, and the Ten Commandments in Ukrainian I might add, and even before I ever attended summer Catechism with the Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate at the age of 5 (mom didn't want the Sisters to think that she neglected her duty as a mother in passing down the faith to her children!). Like my mother, your mother, all mothers are myrrh-bearing women. They received the Good News of the Resurrection of Our Lord that very first Easter morning. They received the great command to go tell others of the joy of the Gospel message, of God s love and mercy in the world. This Mother s Day, let us offer a word of prayer and thanksgiving to God for all moms who have showed us love and raised us to be who we are today, truly children of God. Happy Mother s Day to all moms! And to my mom, may God grant you eternal rest! I love you! Bishop David

21 Mother s Day Honoring Our Mothers The practice of celebrating Mother s Day comes from Civil War times. Mrs. Ann Reeves Jarvis wanted to organize a special day for mothers who had sons fighting on opposing sides in the Civil War. Ann Jarvis was a peace activist who cared for wounded soldiers on both sides of the American Civil War, and created Mother's Day Work Clubs to address public health issues. Jarvis s daughter, Anna, wanted to honor her mother by continuing the work she started and, in 1907, began a movement to make Mother s Day a national event. Anna wanted to set aside a day to honor all mothers because she believed a mother is the person who has done more for you than anyone in the world. Finally, in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the second Sunday of May as Mother s Day. Mothers teach love. And they teach it by doing loving things for their children and for other people. Mothers, like Jesus, become the measurement of how we are to love. Jesus said, I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. (John 13:34) So every mother silently says the same. Watch me and you will learn how to love. Let me move you from self-centeredness to sharing and concern for others. Watch me and I will show you how to do it. This way, every mother furthers the good news of Christ. Out of French Revolution came the story of a mother who had wandered through the woods for three days with her two children, trying to survive on roots and leaves. On the third day, she heard some soldiers approaching and quickly hid herself and the children behind some bushes. The sergeant in charge prodded the bushes to see what was stirring behind them. When he saw the starving woman and children he immediately gave them a loaf of bread. The mother took it eagerly, broke it into two pieces, and gave one piece to each of the children. She has kept none for herself, the sergeant said. Because she is not hungry? a soldier asked. Because she is a mother, the sergeant replied. Love is taught by loving actions. Our first experience of love in this life comes from our mothers. We recognize that instinctively. We need to acknowledge also that the love of God is taught by lots of moms and dads even the ones that are childless or single. And so Mother s Day and Father s Day really celebrate all those people who have mothered and fathered us, and taught us how to love. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. (John 13:34) This is the perfect verse and message for Mother s Day. Why? Because love is what mothers do best. Happy Mother s Day! Fr. Julian Bilyj, District Chaplain Resources: A World of Stories for Preachers and Teachers by Fr. William J. Bausch. Twenty-Third Publications, Mystic, CT, 2004.

22 May 2018 S un Mon Tue Wed Thu F ri Sat 1 Gr. 5 Fieldtrip Winspear-AM Flex #11 2 St. Philip Day 10:30am 3 4 Father Paul Visits Kinder & Gr 5 Family 6:30pm-9pm Grade 6 PAT English Part A Flex #12, Last one for this year!!! Floor Hockey St. Dominic 1:30-6:30pm Father Paul visits Gr.2 & 2/3 Hot Lunch V i c t or ia Da y N O S C HO O L Next Year Kinder Info Mary 31 Important June Dates June 1 Talent Show 9:00am June 18-20,22 Gr. 6 PAT Exams June 26 Grade 6 Farewell 9:00am June 27 School Year End Fieldtrip AM & Fun Day PM June 28 Year End Mass 9:15am, Report Cards Go Live, Last Day of School!