May 28, The Chronicle
PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
This week's message is from October 5, 2022
Today's message is one that has been incredibly difficult to formulate my thoughts on. As I mentioned earlier, last week I was in Winnipeg for the Christian Schools Canada conference. Rather than a keynote speaker, our keynote was the National Museum for Human Rights. The experience walking through was formative and memorable, yet the most impressionable take away from the conference was what occurred after our day-long tour of the museum.
For those who do not know, the museum is not a typical museum. Rather than be loaded with artifacts, it is loaded with stories and experiences from a variety of human rights issues from Canada and the world. The building itself is designed specifically to journey the participant from darkness to light as you walk up through the building; beginning with the darkness of genocides, and ethnic cleansings in Canada and worldwide. From there (four floors worth), it slowly moves through the evolution, celebration, and future of human rights. It ends in the tower of hope, where I spent about 20 minutes simply praying while looking down on the city of Winnipeg. As you can imagine, this was deeply difficult and reflective for many of us as Christian leaders.
Once we finished our tour, we were invited outside, where our hosts asked us to get into two large (about 80 people) circles. In these circles, we were asked to give either a "Praise, Lament, or Hope" about our day in the museum. Little did we know that in the circles, we would all end up sharing a big lament.
You see, soon after we broke into circles and were given our task, a young indigenous man noticed our very large group break into the circles. For some reason, this irked him, and he came over. He broke into the first circle that I was a part of and did a lap, sizing up the people within the circle. He asked some expletive coated questions of us, basically amounting to why we were there, and what we were doing. As educational leaders, who have dealt with students who have become agitated, we simply paused and waited. This strategy seemed to work for us, as after one lap of the circle, he left, moving to the other. In this circle, the educators tried the same tactic, some even welcomed him in, asking his name and if he would join us. This did not go to plan. He became more agitated, and the anger, resentment, and rage began to come out even more so. He increased his speed, and rounded over and over, getting into people's faces and challenging them in different ways. His mouth began to froth as his vitriol grew greater. For minutes that seemed much longer, he screamed, challenged, and accosted those gathered. His words were filled with loathing and hate, and it would have been easy to be angry at him, and normally I would have been, yet for some reason (not in my control), I was saddened by the event.
Once we realized that the situation wasn't going to solve itself, we decided that we should dissipate rather quickly, and many began moving to our next scheduled location. The man, feeling victorious, took this opportunity to bang his chest and verbally accost those leaving. I stuck around, giving a wide enough berth of this person, and ended up walking back with the last few left, who either arrived late and were not aware, or were too tired and taken aback of the events to move quickly
A quick aside, it is interesting to see how people react to such a situation. As I mentioned, some welcomed and asked him questions, others became quite afraid. Still some others were in fight mode, ensuring that he knew what he was doing was not okay. I always seem to go into some sort of protector mode, and was looking around for those in vulnerable positions. I have said quite often that I for some reason seem to think I am 6'4 and 250lbs, because I think I can control those situations and stand up if needed. I'm not, but have dealt with my illusions.
Now, I tell you this story not to gossip, or for it to become some sort of cautionary tale, but specifically for the learning that happened after the fact. You see, I, like many others, did not feel great about how this finished, and spent many hours in thought and prayer that evening trying to figure out if we could have done anything differently. What we came up with over evening discussions, was we couldn't and what we witnessed was brokenness caused by what we earlier had seen in the museum. We got to experience first hand how things that happened decades ago affect God's people today. As we discussed it again that morning as a larger group, the theme that came from this experience was one of lament.
Just as we at CCS explore "The Stable Table" this year as a school community, this one experience, this one lament, rang through from my conference. The thought that when we welcome people to our table, we also welcome the hurt, anger, brokenness, and experiences of lifetimes of our collective histories. We cannot fix something quickly (although we like to try), but as we gather together, as we fellowship together, and as we work together to build God's Kingdom, it can be messy. Things can go not as planned. The table is not just a place for fun and happiness. It is a place of brokenness. The young gentleman's name was Billy, and God brought him to us, not to scare us, but to teach us about every person in His Kingdom.
I felt honoured that I could learn this in a way that books, papers, or museum tours could not.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Can You Crack the Code? The Mystery Theatre Teasers Begin!
Hey students! Think you’ve got what it takes to guess next year’s play? Starting this week, we’re dropping one mysterious image every week in the Chronicle. Each picture is a sneaky clue about our upcoming production!
Think you've solved it? Head over to the STUDENT-ONLY guessing form (grade 4-9) and submit your best guess:
https://forms.gle/QNr8AMjadLvVgzvm9
Rules of the game:
- ONE guess per week. (or face disqualification that week)
- Guess correctly before the big reveal next month and you might just score a prize from Mr. J’s exclusive sticker stash!
- Parents may not enter but can email Mr. J to volunteer their support for next year! (You can have a sticker too!)
This week’s clue is below. Let the guessing begin!
MINI MALL
Thank you for making our Grade 9 Mini-Mall such a fun and successful event! It was wonderful to see students actively engaged in learning about economics, stewardship, and consumer decision-making in such a hands-on way.
A big shoutout to Mr. Ward and the Grade 9 students for their creativity, hard work, and entrepreneurial spirit. They did an incredible job designing and running their mini-businesses!
We’re grateful for the support of our staff, families, and students who helped bring this event to life. It’s a joy to be part of a community that values meaningful, real-world learning experiences.
JUMP ROPE FOR HEART
We’ve officially passed our Jump-A-Thon fundraising goal and are currently at $1,491! That’s amazing! Let’s keep it going—we can continue collecting donations until Friday.
Please click the registration link HERE.
Upcoming Library Guidelines – A Note for Covenant Parents
Dear Covenant Christian School Families,
You may have seen in the news that Alberta’s Ministry of Education is planning to introduce new province-wide guidelines for school libraries. These are focused on making sure that books with sensitive or sexual content are age-appropriate for K–12 students.
We want to reassure you that the concerns being raised are about materials found in other school divisions—not in Black Gold or here at Covenant.
Our school library is carefully built around our Christian values, and we do not carry the types of books mentioned in recent discussions. Our focus is always on providing students with books that are encouraging, educational, and appropriate for their age and stage.
At Covenant, we follow the detailed collection guidelines and handbooks developed by the Black Gold School Division, which help ensure our library materials are carefully chosen to reflect our values, support learning, and remain age-appropriate. These resources guide our decisions and provide a clear process for selecting and reviewing materials.
We take our responsibility to support your children’s learning and faith development seriously. If you have any questions about our library or book selection process, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
CCS Parents, Join Us in Supporting Our School Community!
Transportation Registration
Parents, BGSD school transportation registration for 2025-26 school year is open!
Register your child by June 30 to:
- Save money with our Early Bird Fees
- Guarantee your child’s spot on the bus for Day 1 of school
- Don’t wait, register now! www.blackgold.ca/apply-for-transportation-Black-Gold-Students
Important Notice for Parents Driving Behind the School Buses
Please be aware that when our school buses turn off Highway 2A onto Township Road 492, they are required to make a full stop at the railway tracks. This includes opening the bus door and checking for oncoming trains, which takes longer than a typical stop.
If you're driving behind a bus at this location, we kindly ask that you wait on Highway 2A until the bus has fully cleared the railway tracks. This helps ensure everyone's safety and prevents unnecessary congestion near the tracks.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation!
TEACHING FOR TRANSFORMATION
Each week for the next ten weeks we will share a resource that highlights one of the Throughlines. These are great for guiding conversations at home and developing a deeper understanding of the Biblical connections. This week will focus on Community Building.
THE COUGAR CANTEEN
The Cougar Canteen isn’t just about snacks; it’s an empowering project designed to equip our students with essential life skills.
Operating Details:
🗓️ The Cougar Canteen will be available 1x/month for each division (announced in each week’s Chronicle).
🕰️ The Cougar Canteen will be open during afternoon recess (2:00-2:15) on Thursdays.
💰 If students wish to purchase a snack, $1-$5 is plenty!
Snack Menu:
🥔 Chips: $1.00
🥤 Cans of Pop: $2.00
🍭 Candy Bags: $1.00
Schedule:
May 29 - Div. 1
June 5 - Div. 3
June 12 - Div. 2
HOT LUNCH
Hot Lunches will be on Wednesdays.
May 28 - Panda Hut
June 4 - Hot Dog & Booster Juice
June 11 - Subway
June 18 - KFC
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. If you have any questions or concerns regarding Hot Lunch, you can reach our Hot Lunch Coordinator, Mrs. Toogood, via email at: [email protected] 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.
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 in June.
ATHLETICS
- We are incredibly proud of Kaitlyn Van Herk, Eila Veldhuisen, Hannah Gaugler, Jillian Clark, and their coach, Mrs. Michelle Clark, who recently represented their club team at the 15U Volleyball Nationals! The girls played with heart, determination, and amazing teamwork—bringing home silver medals for their efforts. Way to go, girls! Your school community is so proud of you!
- June 3rd, Junior High Soccer Semifinals
- June 5th, Junior High Soccer Finals
- June 6th, BGSD Track Meet
LSCE NEWS
CUSTODIAN JOB OPPORTUNITY
We are looking for a part-time custodian for 3 hours/day to start in late August 2025. Please forward a letter of application and resume to Lisa Gatzke at [email protected]. Applications will be accepted until June 13th at 4:00 pm.
AGM May 28/25:
The Executive would like to welcome you to the AGM to be held on May 28, 2025, at 7:00 pm in the Auditorium.
All supporting documents can be found on the LSCE Constitution and Bylaws section of this website, and are also linked below. This meeting is a chance to hear about the past year from both the Society Executive and Principal’s perspective, as well as to hear our plans for the future and hopefully meet our new Principal! We will also review and approve financial information, including last year’s financial statements and the condensed budget for the upcoming year. In accordance with our bylaws, all those who have been Society members in good standing since April 28, 2025, are entitled to vote at the AGM. Non-society members (e.g., spouses) are also welcome to attend. Society members who cannot attend may instead submit absentee ballots (also found below and on our website).
AGM Documents:
Final Proposed 2025 2026 Condensed Budget Sheet1
LSCE AGM Meeting Minutes May 15 2024.docx
LSCE Absentee Ballot for May 28 2025 (1)
5th Annual CCS Golf Tournament
CLICK HERE for more information and to register your team.
We are also seeking some volunteers to help the event run smoothly. Each volunteer will be provided a t-shirt, snacks and dinner. To sign up please click here.
LOST AND FOUND
COMMUNITY INFORMATION
Baking to the Maxx
I want to start this business because I love to bake and it's a very big passion and hobby of mine. I want to save up for a standard mixer, set of chef knives, cake pans and a full set of chef's pots and pans.
Please support me in my baking business and passion!!!
I have the following items that I am baking:
- SOURDOUGH BREAD………………………………………………………………$12.99
- CARAMEL BANANA BREAD LOAF………………………………………….$6.99
- GARLIC AND HERBED FOCACCIA………………………………………….$8.99
- LEMON BLUEBERRY MINI PIE………………………………………………..$4.50
- STRAWBERRY RHUBARB MINI PIE………………………………………..$4.50
- CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES 1 DOZEN………….…………………………$8.99
Please contact Maxx at [email protected], or 780-819-4341 for all your baking needs and orders.
Thank you for your support in my baking passion!!!
CCS OFFICE FORMS (Volunteer, Sign In, Sign Out)
Volunteering? Visiting? Signing your child in or out? Please stop at the office to use our Office Chromebook or fill out the forms HERE.