Principal’s Message:
In light of National Truth and Reconciliation Day coming up on Saturday, I have been reflecting on how we as CCS, honor and think about this day in relation to our “Agenda”. In fact, yesterday morning, I woke up from a dead sleep with this on my mind. The first thing that came into my brain was John 13:34, “A new commandment I give to you, love one another as I have loved you, so you must love one another”, and immediately after was a much-used quote from Madeline L’Engle: “We draw people to Christ not by loudly discrediting what they believe, by telling them how wrong they are and how right we are, but by showing them a light that is so lovely that they want with all their hearts to know the source of it.”
The essence of John 13:34 is to love one another as Christ loved us. This love extends to all people, regardless of any background, race, or culture. The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation reminds us of our Christian duty to love and seek justice for all, especially Indigenous peoples who have suffered historical injustices.
Meanwhile, L’Engle’s quote reminds us that as Christians, our approach to reconciliation and healing should be marked by a loving and welcoming spirit. Instead of focusing on past wrongs or differences, we should strive to be a light that is so lovely that it attracts others to Christ’s message of love, forgiveness, and reconciliation.
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada is a day dedicated to acknowledging the historical mistreatment of Indigenous peoples, particularly in the context of residential schools. As a Christian school, it is crucial to recognize the pain and suffering that many Indigenous families have endured. By participating in this day, we are showing our commitment to the principles of love, truth, and reconciliation as taught by Jesus Christ.
Incorporating the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation into our school’s Agenda of Flourishing Learners, who Delight in God and who are Inspired to Serve aligns with our Christian values of love and compassion. It provides an opportunity to educate our students about the importance of acknowledging past wrongs, seeking truth, and working toward reconciliation. Through events, discussions, and learning activities, we can encourage our students to be ambassadors of Christ’s love and agents of healing in a world that desperately needs it.
In summary, as Christians, we are called to love one another, be a light that attracts others to Christ’s message, and actively seek reconciliation and justice. The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is an opportunity for us to live out these principles and demonstrate our commitment to love, truth, and healing in our school community and beyond. I hope that on Saturday, you find some time to talk about this with your family.
Announcements
Terry Fox Run – Thank you!
Thank you staff and students for your participation and fundraising efforts for this event! As a school community, we were able to fundraise $500 for the Terry Fox Foundation. Nicely done!
If you have any additional funds, please submit them online as soon as possible as the fundraising will conclude at the end of the week.
Orange Shirt Day – Thursday, September 28
Tomorrow, Thursday, September 28 we are asking all of our students and staff to wear orange to show support for “Orange Shirt Day”, which is a visual acknowledgment of National Truth and Reconciliation day.
Students will be learning about Orange Shirt Day in age-appropriate ways during some of their classes as well. This might be in LA, Social, or even Art class. As we are called to act with love, compassion, and justice, we can say, “Every Child Matters” with truth. While we cannot change the past, we can learn about, acknowledge, and support ways to be light in the darkness.
Matching Donation
As mentioned in previous Chronicles, we have been blessed with an opportunity to match $250,000 towards our school. Please share this information with your family and friends who may consider giving so we can make the most of this generous opportunity. If successful, we will be using these donations for things to ensure our students are able to have greater advantages in 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. Donations of $20 or more come with a charitable donation receipt.
I want to thank all of you for your prayerful consideration of this opportunity.
Canadian Foodgrains Bank
This year the grade 8 students have the opportunity to visit the local harvest of a wheat field in support of Canadian Foodgrains Bank.
We will view the farm machinery in the process of harvesting the wheat as it relates to our unit from last year in Science 7 (plants for food and fibre). We had a guest speaker (Ary Vreeken) speak with us last year about God’s call to us to feed the hungry and poor. If you would like to donate to this amazing cause, please use the link below.
LifeTouch School Photos
We will once again have LifeTouch coming to our school to take photos for us. This year, we will be combining individual photos AND class photos on the same day, instead of individual photos now and class photos in the Spring. They will be at our school on Wednesday, October 11th, and Thursday, October 12th. The schedule for photos will be as follows:
Wednesday, October 11:
- Kindergarten Vande Kraats, 1B, 1G, 2GM, 2W, 3H, 3J, 4CV, 4LV, 5J, 5M, 6B
Thursday, October 12:
- Kindergarten Luchak, 7C, 7/8H, 8W, 9S
We are in need of a parent helper for each day to help our photographer organize students and make the day go smoothly. If you are interested in helping us with either/both photo day(s) please email the office at [email protected].
Lunch/Snack 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 would like to see which hot lunches are coming up, you can find out on our school events calendar found here.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding Hot Lunch, you can reach our Hot Lunch Coordinator, Mrs. Hofstra, via email at: [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 the day on MONDAY.
Athletics:
Golf
The golf team had a great day at the tournament on Thursday last week. All players had fun and Jill C. received 4th overall in the women’s category.
Catch ball
Practices for our Grade 6 Catch ball team have begun! Please see the list below for further practices:
- Thursday, October 5 @ 7:45 am
- Thursday, October 12 @ 7:45 am
The permission form and fees are up on PowerSchool to be signed and paid as soon as possible. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. McDonald at [email protected] or Mrs. Andres at [email protected].
Volleyball
Senior boys volleyball practice is TODAY after school until 5:00 pm. They will play their first league game at home here at CCS at 4:00pm tomorrow!
Junior girls volleyball played at Father Leduc last night and won one set of the five and gained valuable experience from their first game as a team!
Senior girls volleyball practice after school TODAY until 5:00 pm, and will play TOMORROW after school at Leduc Junior High at 4:00 pm.
Cross Country Running
All those involved with cross country running will be heading to Wetaskiwin on Tuesday to compete in the division wide cross country meet!
LSCE News:
Invoices for Tuition
Invoices have been sent out. If you have not received one, 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:
- 28 – School Council AGM (immediately following Celebration)
- 28 – Orange Shirt Day
- 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 for Kindergarten Vande Kraats, 1B, 1G, 2GM, 2W, 3H, 3J, 4CV, 4LV, 5J, 5M, 6B
- 12 – Individual AND Class Photos for Kindergarten Luchak, 7C, 7/8H, 8W, 9S
- 19-20 – Christian School Teachers’ Convention – No School
Community Events:
Suicide Awareness – September 27, 2023
Sound of Freedom Viewing Opportunity – September 28 @ 7:00 pm
Sound of Freedom is playing TOMORROW at 7:00 (doors open at 6:30)! Don’t worry, you can get tickets at the door, if you haven’t gotten yours already. Bring a comfy chair, if you want, and your favourite snack. We will also have some snacks and beverages for purchase. Money from any items sold will go to Freedom 8848. Get your tickets here or just show up tomorrow and purchase them at the door!
Leduc Track Club
Please see the flyer below and visit us at Leduc Track Club for more information.
Ebenezer Church Women’s Study Groups
We have many different ways for you to get involved this year!
Morning Coffee Break – Come join us as we study the book “Identity Theft: Reclaiming the Truth of our Identity in Christ” by Melissa Kruger. Childcare provided for ages 0-5. Start Date: October 4, Time: Wednesday mornings, 9:30-11 a.m. Contact: Alex at 587-989-9798.
Coffee Break at Salem Manor/The MEWS – Do you know someone at the MEWS who might benefit from Christian fellowship and Bible study? Get more details from Alyse, at 780-387-4024.
Evening Ladies Bible Study – This year’s book will be Humble Roots by Hannah Anderson. Start Date: Oct 11, Time: We will meet at Ebenezer, alternating Wed evenings at 7:30 pm. Contact: Alesha at 587-597-2596.
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.
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