ECCS June Newsletter

This past school year was both rewarding and challenging as we faced uncertainties and were often interrupted by Covid-19. The stakeholders within each school community demonstrated perseverance and grit throughout the school year. Through it, all our staff and students continued to teach and learn from one another, and there were many blessings experienced. We extend a very special thank you to the ECACS team of teachers, students, and parents, and please also know that we deeply appreciate your dedication, sacrifice, and strong work ethic that it took to get through. As we return to some sense of normality in Alberta, let us not forget to be thankful for all we have and for all we have experienced even in the most difficult times. Winston Churchill eloquently sums this up by stating, "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts."

We are thankful for the upcoming summer vacation as this time together with family and friends will provide us with much joy and excitement. We are also grateful for the many staff members who may be moving from ECACS and beginning the next chapter of their lives, and we warmly welcome those who may be new to ECACS staff for the upcoming school year. A very special message of thanks and congratulations goes out to all ECACS graduates! We are very proud of your many accomplishments in your 13-year-long educational journey, and may God grant each of you much good health, success, and joy! Each graduate has so much to give, and we remind our graduates to share the many gifts and talents that God has bestowed upon you. Go forth and make a positive difference in our world! Dear graduates, try to remember that your life is your story, and the adventure ahead of you is the journey to fulfill God's great purpose and design for your life.

Last but not least, we are very thankful to have journeyed this school year with you! Thank you very much for choosing to be a part of the ECACS family, and we sincerely look forward to traveling the journey ahead in 2022-2023!

East Central Alberta Catholic Schools is proud to nominate grade 2 teacher from School of Hope, Emily Schwenk, for the 2022 Edwin Parr Award. The Edwin Parr is an annual award sponsored by the Alberta School Boards’ Association (ASBA), which recognizes teachers who excel in their first year of teaching. Please use this link to learn more about this award. Congratulations Emily!

The Terry Fox Foundation announced that ECACS schools raised $9,972.45 for cancer research this past year. Great strides are being made in cancer research every day and each donation helps continue Terry's dream of a world free of cancer. The division received a letter, pin and t-shirt from the Terry Fox Foundation.

The Fox family came together with the Métis Nation BC to create their 2021 design, which celebrates Terry's heritage (lineage traced to his maternal grandmother, Mary Ann Gladue). Traditional Métis floral beading represent the flowers from the land on which Terry's ancestors lived: the prairie crocus of Manitoba and the wild prairie rose of North Dakota. Our mission - to fund cancer research - is shared in English, French and the Métis traditional language of Michif. Our message "Try like Terry" is surrounded by a mouse track beadwork border connected by the Métis infinity symbol.

The Assurance Framework provides an opportunity for East Central Catholic to collect parent feedback through the Divisional local Assurance Surveys. Your feedback is valued and very important in the development of local strategies and performance measures that help guide the creation of school education plans.

East Central Catholic Community Schools

1. St. Jerome's, Blessed Sacrament School, Blessed Sacrament Outreach School, St. Thomas Aquinas, Theresetta Catholic School, Christ-King Catholic School

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/21-22_parents

School Of Hope Parent Survey Links

1. Hope Home Schooling Parent Survey Link

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/21-22_HopeHS_parents

2. School Of Hope Parent Survey Link

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/21-22_SOH_parents

Registration for 2022-2023 is now open. For those students that are returning to our division, schools will send out an email with instructions on how to access the Returning Student registration forms which can be found on the PowerSchool Parent Portal

https://soh.ecacs.ca/programs/Dual_Credit

East Central Catholic School Division and Lakeland College are excited to announce in light of the recent Alberta Education Funding Manual update dual-credit programming for students who enroll through the School of Hope distance education program. This free dual-credit distance education programming offering is possible through an ongoing partnership between Lakeland College and ECACS.

Please review the attached Dual Credit brochure, program overview video, dual-credit registration page (2021-2022) and associated frequently asked questions. For further information please feel free to reach out to our Dual Credit team members to address any additional questions or concerns.

Registration for the 2022-2023 school year for Dual Credit will open on April 4, 2022.

The last day to accept registrations for Dual Credit is October 14, 2022.

Vice Principal - Dwayne Coffey

School Of Hope - East Central Alberta Catholic Schools

https://soh.ecacs.ca

Phone: 780-753-0671

Email: dwayne.coffey@ecacs16.ab.ca

Dean Of Health, Wellness & Human Services - Janice Aughey

Lakeland College

https://www.lakelandcollege.ca/

Phone: 780-853-8460

Email: dualcredit@lakelandcollege.ca

Access SchoolCashOnline to pay for school fees and field trips for your child(ren).

Access PowerSchool Parent portal to view your child(s) report card and to view and submit the returning student registration form as well as the Field Trip/FOIP/Student User Agreement.

East Central Catholic would like to thank Roger Fetaz for his years of service and commitment to Catholic Education as a school administrator. Roger has decided to step down from the school principal position and transition back into the classroom. We wish Roger all the best in the future and we look forward to his contributions as a classroom teacher.

East Central Catholic would like to thank all the volunteers who spent countless hours organizing and submitting the provincial request for creating additional separate school formations in the region of Wainwright and Vermilion.

ECCS takes great pride in providing an authentic Catholic education that recognizes the unique gifts and talents of each of our students. Excellence in academics, providing a strong spiritual foundation, and the development of the whole student are all very important. We honor and celebrate the great accomplishments and growth of these young men and women! Always remember that God has very special plans for you to bring joy to this world. Whatever may lie ahead for you, face it all, in the strength and love that God gives to you and in return, enjoy the many blessings that will be given back. May God bless you all in good health, true happiness, and much success in all that you will accomplish in this next chapter of your life. We are all so very, very proud of you. Congratulations!

Click here to watch the St. J graduation ceremonies.

In June, Canadians commemorate National Indigenous History Month by taking the time to recognize the rich history, heritage, resilience and diversity of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Peoples across Canada. Leading up to the National Indigenous Peoples Day, June 21, system educators are encouraged to build stronger relationships and greater understanding between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples by helping to promoting several learning repositories within their educational settings. Click here for more information.

Access the school websites to view school supply lists, school calendars, etc.