ABJ Scots Week at a Glance (SWAG)
April 15 - 19, 2024
So many times in our lives, we get caught up in our own sorrows and we don’t recognize Jesus standing there with us. “We were hoping” … that our lives would not be so messy. Instead, someone close to us is struggling. Relationships are challenging. Disappointing events have come up.
This weekend’s gospel is a reminder that we never walk alone. Jesus is always with us. On the road to Emmaus, while coping with great sadness over the death of our Lord, his closest disciples did not even recognize his spirit was with them. All they knew was they felt drawn to this person they met along their travels and wanted to stay in his presence. Things are more hopeful as he speaks. They feel his deep care for each of them. It is somehow a very personal connection with this stranger they do not recognize.
So he stays with them. As they gather around the table for dinner, there is warmth and prayer and then Jesus takes the customary bread, blesses it and breaks it. It hits them both at once. Jesus! Suddenly, everything makes sense and Jesus is here!
Then he vanishes. Astonished, the two friends stare across the table at each other. “Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way?” They had felt it, but they had not recognized him. Now, the scriptures and this breaking of bread come together in their hearts.
Our lives are busy, complicated and messy. We often ignore Jesus’ presence in our lives, even though he is always with us, loving each one of us in a deeply personal way. Is there a way we can be there for each other? Who in your community needs a little support right now?
While Jesus vanished from the table in Emmaus, he remained with the disciples in their burning hearts. From that point on they were more prepared to minister to others and spread the good news of his love and mercy.
Source: Creighton University
Important Dates
April 15
- Elks Cheer Team presentations and demonstrations to PE 20 & 30 classes
April 16
- ABJ Truth and Reconciliation Committee meeting at lunch time in room 226
- Senior Girls Handball vs. McNally at ABJ. Game starts at 4:45 pm.
- Senior Girls Handball vs. J. Percy Page at ABJ. Game starts at 6:45 pm.
April 17
- PEP Day. Choose your session at pepapr17.sched.com
- Three Way Conferences from 3:30-6:30 pm
- HS Badminton vs. SCA at ABJ. Game starts at 4:15 pm.
- HS Badminton vs. St. Joe's at ABJ. Game starts at 6:30 pm.
- Senior Boys Handball vs. Ardrossan and Dr. Anne Anderson at Ardrossan. Games at 4:45 and 5:45 pm respectively.
- Improv Team at NAIL (Northern Alberta Improv League) beginning at 7:00 pm. Buy tix HERE.
April 18
- Three Way Conferences from 3:30-6:30 pm
- Grade 11 Registration One-on-Ones
- Senior Girls Handball vs. Dr. Anne Anderson and Queen Elizabeth at J. Percy Page. Games at 5:45 and 6:45 pm respectively.
- Boys Rugby at Clansmen Rugby Tournament
April 19
- ABJ Spirit Day: Jersey Day
- Kings University Info Booth at lunch time in the lower common area
- Senior Girls Handball vs. SAL at Millennium Place. Game starts at 4:40 pm.
- Boys Rugby at Clansmen Rugby Tournament
Upcoming...
April 20
- Grade 9 Badminton Tournament at Rudolph Hennig
- Grade 11 Registration One-on-Ones
April 22
- Bus evacuations practice
April 25
- Band/Choir Student Trip to Anaheim
Organization of the SWAG
The newsletter is organized based on our four school assurance priorities for this year.
- Faith Integration
- Learners and Learning
- Systemic Wellness
- Community Engagement
FAITH INTEGRATION
Prayers for the Peterson Family
We ask for community prayers for the family, colleagues, students (including former students) of Mrs. Carrie Peterson, who this passed on Thursday, April 11 peacefully surrounded by her family after a long battle with cancer. Mrs. Peterson had been a teacher with our Elk Island Catholic family for over twenty years, including some time at St. Theresa, and recently teaching grade two at Holy Spirit. We recognize that some of our Archbishop Jordan students may have been former students of Mrs. Peterson's and may be impacted by this community news. Our staff have and will continue to support students, as needed. Please feel free to reach out to Counsellors, Family Wellness Workers, or Administration if there is any further support you feel your child may need. As a faith community, we will continue to hold the Peterson family in our prayers.
Byzantine Divine Liturgies for Easter
Last Thursday, students and staff of Archbishop Jordan had the privilege of celebrating Easter with Bishop David Motiuk in the Byzantine Rite. This was a new and meaningful experience for many in our school community. We are grateful for the opportunity to celebrate Easter and learn about Ukrainian religious tradition. This enriches the educational and spiritual journey of students and staff while promoting cultural awareness and community cohesion within the school.
Many thanks to Bishop Motiuk, Father Slavko, Father Rendy, Father Harahu, and Father Jim for leading the liturgies. Thank you also to Andrea Leader, from the Pastoral Centre, who led the responses, some sung, some recited, for both Divine Liturgies and to the many Eucharistic Ministers from the Ukrainian Catholic Church to distribute Holy Communion according to the Byzantine Rite (under both Species - Body and Blood).
Final thanks to our Chaplains - Lindsay Fichter and Anita Lakusta - for facilitating the Easter masses for our school community.
OLPH Weekly Bulletin and UpLIFT Prayer Requests
April Chaplains' Corner
Adoration at ABJ
REAL Foundation Annual Golf Tournament
GrACE - Grateful Advocates for Catholic Education
GrACE Contest
A Celebration of Catholic Education
2023-2024 Theme: Go Light Our World, “Let your light shine before others that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16
GrACE exists to inspire, invigorate and embolden the spirit of Catholic education in order
to unite, engage, educate and communicate with one voice on its behalf. GrACE, in partnership with the REAL Foundation, is happy to present this contest to EICS students. This is our sixth annual GrACE Contest: A Celebration of Catholic Education.
We invite EICS students of all grade levels to submit work reflecting the importance of, and their experience with or contribution to Catholic education. This year our theme is Go Light Our World. Entries need to reflect this theme. It is often helpful if students include a few sentences to go with their entry on how it is connected to this year’s theme.
Student Submissions could include such things as (but not limited to):
*Please note, all digital submissions need to be in “view all” format before submitting.
A work of art
A poster
A formal or informal essay
Original music
Poetry
A presentation (video or otherwise) of social justice work
etc
Contest Rules
All Submissions due to CLS by April 23 in digital format through the school chaplain.
Prizes will be presented May 5 in each community’s parish (This is the kick-off to Catholic Education Week). There will be 14 prizes!
K-8 students = 50 dollar prize in the form of a gift card
9-12 students = 100 dollar prize in the form of a gift card
LEARNERS AND LEARNING
Creative Writing Class Fundraiser
PEP: Supporting Students' Academic, Spiritual, Physical, and Emotional Wellbeing
Registrations for 2024-2025
Thank you to all the students and parents who have booked and participated in registration one-on-ones. If you have not yet done so, please sign up for a virtual meeting with a counsellor, administrator, or a member of our learning support team to review course selections and ensure that students are being set up for success. This is the primary way that 2024-2025 course registrations for students currently in grades 9 and 10 will be taking place so it is important for appointments to be booked.
We will be completing registration on Monday, April 22nd and Tuesday, April 23rd in the Learning Commons. Students will be called down alphabetically to complete their course selections. Students on spares are welcome to come and complete their registration during their spare. Please ensure that if you have not handed in your form, that you BRING YOUR FORM WITH YOU when you are called down.
If you have any questions about pathways, post-secondary, or course selections prior to that date, please feel free to reach out to Mrs. St. Amand or Mrs. Glass in Student Services.
Please refer to the registration presentation linked below and the ABJ School Handbook for course and fee information. We are offering a variety of new options for the 2024-2025 school year! Check out the link below for details on these exciting new offerings at ABJ.
Semester 2 Three-Way Conferences
Bookings for student-parent-teacher three-way conferences will be opened on April 10 and will remain open until Wednesday, April 17 at noon.
Grades and comments in PowerSchool are up to date and viewable through the 'grades and comments' tab. Please take the time to review the detailed teacher comments specific to each student that have been created. These comments serve to guide further understanding of students’ strengths and areas for growth, as well as recommended paths for subsequent levels of the course.
Learning Spotlights
Drama 20/30 Fight Choreography
The Drama 20/30 class had the chance to work with professional fight choreographer and intimacy coordinator Janine Wadell last week. Janine has worked with the likes of Andrew Garfield (in Under the Banner of Heaven) and Tom Blyth (in Billy the Kid). Janine helped the students to create some exciting, fun and memorable fight sequences for the Drama 20/30 murder mystery show, Silent But Deadly. The students did an amazing job picking up the choreo and Janine was super impressed with their skills. Tickets to the Drama 20/30 production will be available in early May if you want to come and see the hard work of these talented performers in person.
Tech Theatre Behind the Scenes Work on our Upcoming Musical Theatre and Drama Productions
Ms. Strickand and students enrolled in the technical theater program came into the school on Saturday to work on the technical needs for the upcoming Drama Show, Silent but Deadly, and the musical theater show, Mamma Mia! Students worked on creating the set, creating costumes, creating and sorting props, and developing lighting cues for the shows. Way to go tech theater students!
Solar Eclipse Experience
Thank you to everyone who brought their classes out to have a look at the eclipse. It is always so wonderful to see kids excited about science and your excitement contributes to that.
Special thanks to Mrs. Lueke and Mr. Bilyk who set up a telescope with a solar viewing filter that could be used to safely look at the eclipse.
BGC at PEP
Thank you to Dani Sinasac from Boys and Girls club for coming to share information about the CanTeen drop in youth program!
EICS Summer School
Grade 12 Post-Secondary and Diploma Supports
Post-Secondary Reminder
Scholarships
Scholarships Canada Webinar
Wondering how you can get your hands on funding to help you pay for school?
Scholarships Canada is hosting an Interactive Webinar to help walk you learn all about scholarships, bursaries, awards, and more. They will cover scholarship myths, share some interesting listings, and talk about how you can leverage your unique personal story to help you find scholarship opportunities and apply with confidence.
Bring your questions!
Takes place April 9th and is FREE! Click HERE to register!
As a reminder, the below scholarship opportunities are still active and available to students.
Scotiabank Scholarships
- 16 x $3,750 in awards
- 4 themes: Financial Wellness, Future Women Leader, Diversity, and STEM
- Deadline: May 3, 2024
- Learn More
H&R Block Canada Scholarships
- 10 x $3,000 in awards
- Valuable student-friendly info on taxes (click Learn More)
- Deadline: April 26, 2024
- Learn More
myBlueprint Awards
- 5x $1,000 in awards
- Only accessible via the myBlueprint Student account (instructions below)
- Deadline: May 17, 2024
How students enter:
Log in to your myBlueprint Account (It is your ABJ Id/email. The password is the same as it is for you to access the network)
Click the Tasks > Scholarship Tab
Read through the Terms and Conditions
Click Enter Draw > Confirm Entry
Norquest College Program Previews
Concordia University of Edmonton
New students can also get registration assistance the following ways:
Evening Online Registration Session
Date: Wednesday, April 17
Time : 6:30pm
Via: Zoom
RSVP link
Student Virtual Registration Appointments
Many dates available
Appointment link
Can’t make any of the dates work? Students can contact a registration advisor directly for assistance and information about upcoming appointments at registrar@concordia.ab.ca.
SYSTEMIC WELLNESS
ABJHL Playoffs
After a long regular season the playoffs are among us. See below for the schedule which includes the playoffs. Our Teachers Team is set to play the Kings on Thursday this week. Please come out all next week during lunch to enjoy some playoff atmosphere and be a part of the action.
ABJ Improv at NAIL
Semi-Formal School Dance - Friday, April 12
This past Friday, ABJ Student Council hosted a Spring Semi-Formal Dance. The event was well-organized and well-attended by many of our students grades 9 through 12.
Enormous thanks goes out to ABJ Student Council, Student Council Advisors Mrs. Boake and miss Baska, DJ St. Jean, and the many staff ( Mr. and Mrs. Hurtubise, Miss Sapiuk, Miss Lakusta, Miss Mills, Miss Fortin, Mrs. Wimmer, Mr. Maloney, Mr. St-Jean, and Mrs. Tymko) who generously volunteered their time to make the Spring Dance a huge success! It was a lot of fun and a great way to fundraise for the Lurana Shelter.
Upcoming Student Council Events
Upcoming spirit days:
- April 19 - Jersey Day
- May 2 - Star Wars Day (They wanted "May the 4th be with You" but there is no school that day...
- June 12 Dress Like a Teacher or Dress Like a Student
Ultimate Scavenger Hunt (a.k.a. USH)
- April 26-May 3
- Registration April 15-24
- A long-standing tradition at our school. In teams of 10 + 1 teacher rep, teams will take part in a scavenger hunt on the goose chase app. This is a great team-building event. We have a $10 entry fee per team as a fundraiser for the Lurana Shelter. Team registration is first come first serve. Grab forms from Mrs. Boake’s room 189 and return them too. . This is a fun activity to participate in and a great way to connect with our school community as well as potentially win awesome prizes.
Student Supports
Strathcona CANTEEN Youth Hub April Calendar
Community Supports and Events
Volunteer Opportunities
Student Opportunity : Minister’s Youth Council Recruitment
The Alberta Government is seeking approximately 40 junior and senior high school students from across Alberta, between the ages of 14 and 19, representing diverse interests, identities, backgrounds, and perspectives, to join next year’s council.
Council members will learn about topics related to government and the inner workings of Alberta’s education system. They will have an opportunity to speak directly with the Minister of Education Demetrios Nicolaides and senior leaders in the ministry and provide their thoughts and ideas on how to strengthen education for all Alberta students.
Of the 40 council members, there will be up to eight returning members and at least 32 new members. Participation on the council will provide students the opportunity to make a tangible impact on Alberta’s education system, strengthen their leadership skills, and leave a legacy for future generations.
The deadline for submitting student applications is April 30, 2024. For more information, please visit alberta.ca/student-engagement.aspx.
Athletics
Check out the new website for all things Athletics.
Badminton Update
HS Badminton
This past Thursday, two of our senior badminton players competed at the Provincial Qualifiers at the Saville Centre in Edmonton. Luke Hujber and Dylan Weinert were successful in qualifying for playoffs, finishing second place in their bracket and putting themselves among the top badminton players in the province. Although they came up short from qualifying for Provincials, they showed great skill and teamwork which allowed them to win the majority of their games. Dylan and Luke hope to lead our ABJ High School Badminton team to victory in the final games of the season, happening this Wednesday, April 17th at 3:30 in the small gym. Come support our Scots as we play to secure our spot in the Metro Athletics Playoffs.
Grade 9 Badminton
Our Grade 9 Badminton team competed in their first tournament of the season at Ardrossan this weekend. They competed against teams from all around Sherwood Park, showcasing their talents and gaining valuable experience in playing an afternoon of competitive matches. All teams qualified for playoffs, with notable standout Jacob Fitzgerald making it all the way to the Gold Medal qualifier match in Boys Singles, finishing 4th out of a total 24 competitors. The team looks to continue to improve as they prepare for their next tournament on Saturday, April 20th at Rudolph Henning.
Athletes of the Month for March
Grad Update
Please contact Mr. St. Jean with any questions relating to French Immersion Grad 2024.
Grad Parent Communication Letter
Please see HERE for the Grad 2024 Letter sent to grads and parents/guardians prior to spring break.
If you have any further questions, please do contact advisors at abjgrad@eics.ab.ca. The grad advisors meet weekly on Wednesdays and they will respond to your queries after spring break as they are able during our weekly meetings.
Cafeteria Menu
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Parent Reminders and Information
Attendance Reminder
Did you know that our school has team meetings every week that review the academic and attendance issues of each grade level? As we are several weeks into the new semester it is very important that families take the time to keep us informed. Please ensure you are informing the school each time your child is absent, ill or late. We do not wish to have the auto callouts emailing and phoning your home, but if there are unverified absences this will continue to occur. Staff will email when absences start to exceed certain thresholds. If you are having trouble with your Parent PowerSchool account please call our front office at 780-467-2121 or email: abj@eics.ab.ca
Approved 2024-2025 Calendar
Please see below for the Board of Trustees approved 2024-2025 school year calendar.
EICS Board of Trustees Monthly Highlights
Communications
Newsletter Translation Feature Reminder
SWAG
The Scots Week at a Glance (SWAG) newsletter will be shared weekly on Sunday evenings or Monday evenings on long weekends. This will also be posted on our website and shared via social media. Stay informed on all things ABJ through the website, blog, and on social media.