Principal’s Message:
Welcome back to the 2023/24 school year. Now that we have hopefully found the routine of school, I wanted to share with you our school theme for the year; “Agenda”. At CCS, we firmly believe that we do indeed have an agenda—a sacred and unwavering mission that defines our existence as a Christian educational institution. Our “Agenda” is not a hidden plan, but a transparent commitment to nurture and develop our students into flourishing learners who delight in God and are inspired to serve Him.
What does this “Agenda” entail, and why is it so essential for our students’ growth and development? Allow me to explain:
Cultivating “Flourishing Learners”: Our primary goal is to create an environment where your children can flourish academically, spiritually, and emotionally. We are dedicated to providing a high-quality education that equips them with the knowledge, skills, and values they need to excel in life.
Delighting in God: We want our students to not only know about God but to truly delight in Him. Through our Teaching for Transformation curriculum, focus on formational learning experiences and ongoing spiritual guidance, we aim to instill a deep and abiding love for God in their hearts. We want them to experience the joy of knowing and walking with their Creator.
Inspired to Serve God: We believe that a life well-lived is one that is dedicated to serving others, especially in service to God. Our “Agenda” is to inspire our students to discover their unique gifts and talents and to use them for the betterment of society and the glory of God.
As parents, you play an indispensable role in helping us fulfill this “Agenda.” We encourage you to actively engage with your children in conversations about faith, values, and their education. Your support and partnership are invaluable in ensuring that our students become the best versions of themselves.
Throughout this academic year, we will integrate the “Agenda” theme into our school activities, lessons, and events. We will explore how it applies to various aspects of our student’s lives, fostering a sense of purpose and direction.
We are excited about the journey ahead and are grateful for your trust in us as we strive to fulfill our “Agenda” together. As always, your prayers, encouragement, and involvement in your child’s education are greatly appreciated.
Announcements
Matching Donation Challenge
As mentioned in the last Chronicle, we have been blessed with an opportunity to match $250,000 towards our school. If successful, we will be using these donations for things to ensure our students are able to have increased opportunities for their learning. These include but are not limited to:
- Air conditioning in the portables
- musical instruments
- 3D Printers
- Robotics
- Sporting Equipment
- 1:1 Chromebooks
If after praying and thinking about it, you want to donate money to the school and take advantage of this matching offer, the easiest way to do this is by EFT or cheque to the LSCE. The LSCE email for EFT transfer is: [email protected]. Coming down to the school and writing a cheque is also always a possibility. These donations come with a charitable donation receipt.
I want to thank all of you for your prayerful consideration of this opportunity.
Lunch Needed Notifications
Nourishment is part of a healthy learning environment! We know that packing food/making lunches can be a struggle sometimes and then lunches can get forgotten at home from time to time etc. In an effort to keep communication open with parents, we will send home a short email to let you know that your student came to the office for extra lunch or a snack on a day they didn’t have enough. Parents may not be aware that their students need a little extra or that they forgot their lunch as kids don’t always remember to let parents know by the time they come home at the end of the day. We also know that the cost of everything continues to increase creating financial strain on families. Please reply to the email notification or send an email to [email protected] to let us know that your child could use a little extra and we will gladly help out with supplementing lunches on a regular basis if needed. We are happy to help!
Hot Lunch
We are excited to once again offer a weekly Hot Lunch Day! This year, Hot Lunches will be on Wednesdays.
If you are looking for a flexible way to get a bit more involved and volunteer in the school then joining our hot lunch volunteer crew might be just what you are looking for! You can sign up for 1 week or as many weeks as you would like, we appreciate whatever help you are willing and able to offer! Our volunteers arrive around 10:30 am on the Wednesday(s) they sign up for and we are usually all done by 12:30/1:00 pm. If you are interested in volunteering or you have any questions please contact Mrs. Hofstra in the office.
You can find the forms for Hot Lunch in your student’s PowerSchool account. Orders will close on the Tuesday prior to the following week’s hot lunch at 11:59 pm. All orders must be placed online, and payment must be made with form submission to be processed. (No cash or cheques are accepted). Please check your email for a confirmation receipt to ensure that your order went through.
The forms for all of September and October, as well as some of November lunches, are now on PowerSchool.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding Hot Lunch, you can reach our Hot Lunch Coordinator, Mrs. Hofstra, via email at: [email protected]
Terry Fox Run – Friday, September 22, 2023
On Friday, September 22nd, all families are invited to come and cheer on CCS Students as they take part in the Terry Fox Run. This event is for all students and staff and will support cancer research while also building incredible school spirit for our students. We will begin with an Assembly at 9:00 am, which parents are welcome to attend. After our short assembly, we will take our traditional all-school photo by the front doors of the school. We will begin the walk/run at 9:45 followed by recess and regular scheduled classes.
Let’s all show the great strength and resiliency of our school community by supporting one of our greatest Canadian heroes, Terry Fox.
The Terry Fox Foundation has created an online fundraising page for our school. You can donate to the cause here.
International Columbian Students
From September 25th to October 20th, we are thrilled to welcome four students to our school from Columbia. As part of BGSD’s international student program, these students will join us for a month to experience Canadian culture, gain a global perspective, and help with a wide variety of personal skills. These Jr. High students will join in all of our classes, and will also participate in some larger events with the rest of their international student cohort. Covenant Christian is extremely excited to play host for these kids, as we all will learn how to be Flourishing Learners, who Delight in God, and who are Inspired to Serve.
School Council AGM – September 28, 2023
Are you looking to get involved at CCS? Looking for a fun way to connect with other parents? Have a chance to get to know our principal? Then come join the School Council! Our AGM is Thursday, September 28th right after Celebration.
Please email our Chair, Shauna Balehowsky with any questions you might have [email protected].
Celebration
We hold weekly assemblies, which we call Celebration. We alternate between Wednesday and Thursday mornings each month so our kindergarten students are each able to join us every other month.
Celebration will be held on THURSDAYS for the month of September.
Lost & Found
We will post weekly pictures of our lost and found. If you see something that is your child’s, please have them stop by the table and pick it up or let the office know. All unclaimed items will be donated to a second-hand store at the end of each month.
Athletics:
Golf
We are once again offering golf for our junior high students to be a part of! The golf team will continue practicing next week and will participate in one tournament on September 21.
Catch ball
We will be offering Catch ball to our grade 6 students this year again! Those who have indicated they are interested will be having practices begin towards the end of September and will have two tournaments to participate in in October. Permission form and fees will be on PowerSchool shortly.
Volleyball
The volleyball season is drawing near. We would like to invite any junior high students, who are interested in playing volleyball, to a drop-in session taking place TOMORROW, September 7, after school until 5:00 pm. Tryouts will begin shortly. We’re looking forward to another great season of volleyball!
Cross Country Running
Stay tuned for further information on this event as well!
LSCE News:
Invoices for Tuition
Invoices will be sent out in the next one to two weeks either via email or Canada Post depending on what you selected on your Returning Student or CCS Enrolment form.
If you have any questions regarding payment of tuition, please contact Lisa Gatzke at 780-614-1557 or email her at [email protected].
Fundraising Opportunities
Social Media
To keep up to date on all fundraising opportunities, please follow us on social media.
https://www.facebook.com/covenantchristianschoolfundraisingpagehttps://www.instagram.com/fundraising.lsce/
Calendar:
September:
- 13 & 14 – Junior High Retreat
- 15 – PD Day – No School
- 26 – Swimming Lessons Begin for Grades 3 & 4
- 28 – School Council AGM (immediately following Celebration)
- 29 – Day in Lieu of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation – No School
October:
- 9 – Thanksgiving Day – No School
- 10 – PD Day – No School
- 11 – Individual AND Class Photos (grade configuration will be determined closer to this date)
- 12 – Individual AND Class Photos (grade configuration will be determined closer to this date)
- 19-20 – Christian School Teachers’ Convention – No School
Community Events:
Sound of Freedom Viewing Opportunity – September 28 @ 7:00 pm
As many of you might remember, Philip Drader was involved in a fundraiser, over the summer, for organizations that help fight sex trafficking. It involved him hiking the equivalent elevation of Mount Everest Base Camp. One of the things that really inspired and motivated him was seeing the movie, “Sound of Freedom.” As he was asking people if they had seen the movie, once we were back at school, he realized that many people had not. He was made aware of an opportunity to show the movie through Faith Content Network and thought he better take the opportunity so that more people could be made aware of this horrible thing that is going on in our world.
Come out to CCS on September 28 (no school the next day) at 7:00 pm (doors open at 6:30) to watch Sound of Freedom. The movie is based on the incredible true story of Tim Ballard rescuing a young boy and his sister from ruthless child traffickers. Ticket prices are shown in USD, but work out to ~$17.60 CAD, and can be purchased here.
Leduc Track Club
Please see the flyer below and visit us at Leduc Track Club for more information.
Odds & Ends:
Sign In/Out Form:
Scan Me
Please use the above QR code, orthis link, to sign your child in or out from the building. You can also come into the school and use the Chromebook provided in the office. Please make sure to let the office know you have collected your child before leaving the parking lot (phone call/eye contact) and ask your child to check in at the office when they enter or leave. This ensures everyone is accounted for appropriately in the case of an emergency.
Facebook Page:
