ECACS April Newsletter
"Growing in Christ, Making a Difference."
Assistant Superintendent's Message:
"...Why seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen." (Luke 24: 5,6)
On Monday, April 5th Christians around the world will rejoice, celebrate, and be glad in the risen Lord! Easter is a time of tremendous joy and excitement for new life. Both adults and children alike, remember the spring traditions of scavenger hunting for treats and spending time with the family gathered around the table busily painting decorative Easter eggs. Large and small families around the world gather to attend Easter mass as well as to host feasts and look with anticipation to the coming months ahead which bring hope, warmth, budding trees, flowers, and the planting of crops. All of our family traditions around this time of great spiritual and faith-filled joy are due to the passion and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ!
Just like the spring rains, our souls are washed clean by the conquering of death and forgiveness of sins through Christ's resurrection. The bible passage, "The blood of His son, Jesus cleanses us from all sin." (1John 1.7) truly sums up our exuberance and joy during this time of Easter. We are forgiven of all sin if we have faith in the risen Lord. During this time of Easter, I encourage you to be reflective and practice that which Jesus wants us to do. Be faithful to God through your actions, words, prayer, and deeds for those people most in need. The greatest accomplishment in our lives is not to gain the most material, fame, or fortune but rather to be a servant disciple of God. Just as springtime represents new growth and change, allow the wonder, joy, and awe of God's greatest act of love to take hold of us and liberate us from sin. The world's most powerful witness of love is now at hand and let's do our part to share that joy and hope. On behalf of the entire school division of East Central Alberta Catholic Schools, we extend to all a very joyous, peaceful, and blessed HAPPY EASTER!
We Want to Hear Your Voice!
February, March, and April are common months in which the Government and local school authorities send out surveys as a way to collect the valuable voices of our students, staff, and parents. The responses of the surveys highlight areas of success, as well as, direct action plans to address stakeholder areas of concern. Every year Alberta Education extends surveys to the stakeholders of our public school jurisdictions by selecting specific grade levels and their parents to complete them. In the past, these surveys were called Accountability Pillar Surveys and now you will see similar but revamped surveys arriving that are called
Alberta Education Assurance Surveys (AEA). This survey measures satisfaction rates on many different educational domains such as
Student Growth and Achievement, Teaching and Learning, Learning Supports, Governance, Local Societal Context, and for Catholic Education school divisions an important domain called
Quality Catholic Education.
East Central Alberta Catholic School Division is requesting your kind support in taking a few minutes of your hectic day to complete our local-based survey. Your voice really does matter to us and we see your feedback as a way to help monitor what is working well and what is needing improvement or change. The divisional school-based surveys follow the domain areas that the AEA follows. Please find the school that your child attends as listed below and click on the survey link to share your voice. On behalf of our entire school division, thank you very much for being a participatory and valued stakeholder of our school communities!!
STA, STJ, TH, CK, BSO, BSS Parent Assurance Surveys (Brick and Mortar Schools):
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ecacs_parent
School Of Hope Parent Assurance Survey Link (Online, Shared Programming):
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SOH_Parents
Homeschooling Parent Assurance Survey Questions:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Homeschooling1
How it all began . . . . . Theresetta Roman Catholic School
On Oct 1 1913, Bethlehem Private School was opened in the vacated Lutheran Church which was moved to a site north of the Hospital. St. Marguerite taught the basics of English, French, the basics of the Catholic faith and gave music lessons. In February 1916, Sr. Marie-Aimee arrived with an Alberta teaching certificate. Fr. Leconte, Tony Wiart and John Barnes lost no time in applying for a separate school district. On December 10 1917, Theresetta Roman Catholic Separate School District #23 was formed.
In January 1918 the new Theresetta School was operating out of the former Bethlehem School and had an enrollment of 64 students in Grades 1 to 6. High school courses were added as students were available during the 1920 to 1928 time period.
Construction of a new school began in 1949 by Jack Campbell. The new school was blessed by Archbishop MacDonald on May 31, 1950. Student population growth continued strong with the entry of the “Baby boom”. The north wing, with 4 classrooms and a gym were completed in the fall of 1957. The south wing with 3 classrooms and an auditorium was added in 1963.
Due to a decrease in enrollments numbers a decision was made to stop offering a High School program in 1986. Theresetta became a K to Gr. 9 school.
In 1994 Theresetta Roman Catholic Separate School District #23 was amalgamated into the East Central Alberta Catholic Separate Schools Regional Division No. 16.
Blessed Sacrament School Classroom Addition
The trustees of East Central Alberta Catholic School Division are pleased to announce that construction is ready to begin on a four-classroom addition to Blessed Sacrament School, Wainwright. The addition is required to accommodate a continued increase in student enrolment at the school. The two story addition will be built on the north side of the school facing 4th Avenue.
Construction will start in early April, 2021 with a completion target date of August 24, 2021. Architectural and project management services will be provided by START ARCHITECTURE INC.; Construction will be completed by PROLOGIC CONSTRUCTION LTD.
For further information on this project please contact Superintendent Glenn Nowosad at 780 842-3992 or by email glenn.nowosad@ecacs16.ab.ca .
ECACS Divisional Media Links
Important Dates for April and May
North Schools:(St. Jerome's, School of Hope, Blessed Sacrament, Blessed Sacrament Outreach and St. Thomas Aquinas Schools)
April:
April 2-9 - Easter Break - Schools Closed
May:
May 21 - Day in Liew of Parent/Teacher Interviews - Schools Closed
May 24 - Victoria Day - Schools Closed
South Schools:
(Christ-King School and Theresetta School)
April:
April 1 - Spring Break - Schools Closed
April 2 - Good Friday - Schools Closed
April 5 - Easter Monday - Schools Closed
April 16 - PD Day - No School for students
May:
May 21 - PD Day - No school for students
May 24 - Victoria Day - Schools Closed
Easter History/Trivia:
- Unlike most other holidays, Easter is a "moveable feast" as it is held on a different date every year between March 22 and April 25, following the Paschal full moon on or after March 21.
- The name, Easter, is believed by some sources to come from Eostra, the pagan goddess of spring and fertility, with Easter itself being a meld of Christian and pagan influences.
- Easter baskets have special symbolism. The woven containers represent nests and new life, especially when filled to the brim with eggs.
- Easter lilies are a relatively new tradition. These beautiful blooms first originated in Japan and later arrived in England in the late 18th century. The U.S. only caught onto the trend after World War I. The transition from dormant bulbs to delicate flowers brings to mind hope and rebirth, two important themes of the day.
- Giving eggs is a symbol of "rebirth" in many cultures. The egg symbolizes new life, fertility, and rebirth in many places around the world. Thanks to the rounded shape, it's also been used as a symbol of the earth and our connection with nature.
- Why do we dye eggs on Easter? There are a few theories on why we dye eggs in celebration of Easter. The first and most obvious is that colouring the eggs brilliant colours helps usher in spring. The other is that in the 13th century, King Edward I ordered 450 eggs to be decorated and handed out as gifts, which could have started the tradition in Europe. A more religious theory suggests that people used to dye eggs red to represent the colour of the blood of Jesus Christ. The art of dying eggs originated in Ukraine and is called pysanka. Psyanka involves pouring melted wax onto the eggs.
- In the old days, pretzels were associated with Easter. Because the twists of this salty treat resemble arms crossing in prayer.
- The largest Easter egg in Canada, and until 2008, in the world, is a pysanka, a Ukrainian-style Easter egg sculpture in Vegreville, Alberta, Canada. Created in 1975 to pay homage to the Ukrainian immigrants in that region, it is 31 feet long and weighs 5512 pounds.
Blessings and Gratitude for Substitute Teachers
Last month during the week of March 8th - 12th, substitute teachers across the entire province were recognized for their dedication and service. ECCS also extends a very sincere thank you for the high level of commitment and service that our substitute teachers provide. Throughout the pandemic, our substitute teachers have truly displayed resilience, acceptance, and perseverance to maintain continuous learning both in the classrooms as well as online. As partners in education, we value their time, energy, dedication, and commitment to the success of our school communities.
Dynamic Catholic Online Resource
Matthew Kelly's website "
The Dynamic Catholic" is a wonderful faith-filled on-line experience that motivates praise, and builds upon worship renewal, and recognizes the many miraculous blessings that we have been given as Catholics. Check out this site and enjoy the many resources and possibilities for Catholics and Christians alike.
