September 17th, The Chronicle

PARENT INFORMATION

2025–2026 Student Enrollment Verification

We are pleased to share that the online 2025–2026 Student Enrollment Verification Form for Black Gold School Division will be available starting September 2, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. through the PowerSchool Parent Portal.

We kindly ask that families complete this form by the end of next week to ensure we have the most accurate and up-to-date information for your child, especially for emergency communication. The official deadline for completion is November 28, 2025, but completing it early helps our school run smoothly.

Thank you for making this a priority!

Parent & Student Handbook

As we begin a new school year, please take a moment to review our Parent & Student Handbook, which has been designed to serve as a guide for our shared life together as a school community.

Join Our School Council!

As we begin the 2025–2026 school year, we’re grateful for the gift of community at Covenant Christian School. One way parents and guardians can connect, serve, and support our students is through School Council.

Our Annual General Meeting (AGM) will take place on Thursday, September 25, immediately following Celebration. At this meeting, we’ll appoint new officers - Chair, Vice Chair, and Secretary. If you feel called to step into one of these roles, we’d love to have you! Not looking for a leadership position? You’re still warmly invited to come, listen, and be part of the conversation. Here is the agenda for the meeting.

Beginning Tuesday, October 28 at 7:00 p.m., School Council will meet on the last Tuesday of each month in the CCS Staff Room. These evenings are open to everyone, with no commitment required.

Let’s walk together in building up our students and our school community. We hope to see you there!

For more information, please contact Candace Dreger at 780-886-8524.

Fridge Magnets

Today, fridge magnets with our year calendar are being sent home with the oldest child in each family. If your family does not receive one, please contact the office.

Celebration

At CCS, we gather each week for Celebration, our school-wide assembly. To ensure our Kindergarten students can join us regularly, we alternate the day each month between Wednesday and Thursday mornings. Celebration begins at 8:35 a.m.

For the month of September, Celebration will take place on Thursdays. Parents are warmly invited to join us as we worship, learn, and celebrate together as a school community.

Counselor's Corner

The CCS Junior High Retreat: A Meaningful Experience for Your Child

I can’t say enough about how much I love the CCS Junior High Retreat. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of experiencing it in many roles - first as an EA for almost seven years, then as a parent watching both of my own kids attend, and now as a “helper” who gets to come alongside students and support them. Each time, I’ve seen firsthand how powerful this retreat can be in shaping young lives.

No matter what kind of child you have - the one who can’t wait to go, the one who feels hesitant, or even the one who is nervous about the whole idea - the retreat creates space for every student to grow in meaningful ways:

• Self-Discovery: Students practice independence in a safe and caring environment, gaining confidence as they make decisions and take responsibility for themselves - without constant parent input.
• Social Connections: The retreat provides a unique setting for building friendships and strengthening bonds. Students laugh, share, problem-solve, and learn how to navigate relationships in a supportive community.
• Spiritual Development: Surrounded by God’s creation and a loving community, students have the chance to worship, pray, and hear messages designed just for them- encouraging them to grow deeper in their faith and connection to God’s Word.

The retreat isn’t just a trip away from home; it’s a milestone in your child’s journey of growth. It’s a place where they will be stretched, supported, and celebrated as they step into new experiences and discover more about who God has made them to be.

Safe Arrival

To enhance our existing absence-checking procedure, we are introducing a new, more efficient student absence reporting system called SafeArrival.  This new system will reduce the time it takes to verify student attendance, make it easy for you to report your child’s absence and easy for staff to respond to unexplained student absences. Here is the link for more information.

Learning Commons

Love books? We’d love your help in the Learning Commons! Contact [email protected]

Athletics

Our school will be participating in a school-wide Terry Fox Run on Friday, September 26th. More details will be shared soon.

• Golf Tournament, Thursday September 18th
• Junior High Volleyball
• • Senior Volleyball Jamboree, September 20th
  • Junior Volleyball Game, September 22nd
  • Senior Volleyball Game, September 25th
• Grade 6 Catchball Team
• • Practices continue!
• Cross-Country
• • BGSD Cross Country Meets:
  • • September 25th
    • October 1st

Our CCS Athletic Handbook is available for families to review. This resource outlines expectations, commitments, and opportunities for our student athletes as they participate in Covenant Christian School sports.

LSCE News

Families will receive their invoices within the next 7–10 days. If you have any questions, please contact Lisa Gatzke at [email protected] or 780-612-1557.

Apple Fundraiser Success!
A big thank-you to everyone who supported our apple fundraiser! We raised a profit of $1,450.00, and these proceeds will go directly toward the development of our school parking lot.

Hot Lunch

Hot Lunch Volunteers Needed! 

Hot lunch runs Wednesdays, 10:45 am-12:45 pm- and we need your help! 

We make it easy! Our sign up sheet for our volunteers is online and you just sign up for the dates that work for you! 

It’s fun, flexible, and a great school fundraiser. 

Kids and parents love it- join our team!

Upcoming Hot Lunches:

• Boston Pizza, 09/24
• Hot Dog & Booster Juice, 10/01

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.

Calendar

September:

• 17 & 18 – Junior High Retreat
• 19 – PD Day – No School
• 25 - School Council AGM, following Celebration
• 26 – Terry Fox Run, Grades 1-9
• 29 - Orange Shirt Day
• 30 – National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Schools Closed

Community

Gaetz Road Construction Update

We want to keep our families informed about the ongoing reconstruction work on Gaetz Road. Despite the wet weather earlier this summer, progress has continued steadily. Curbs are well underway, and the first layers of asphalt are expected to be laid next week.

In addition to rebuilding the road itself, crews are also completing important infrastructure work, including installing underground powerlines, removing overhead lines, adding shared-use paths and sidewalks, landscaping, and preparing roadway signage and line painting.

At this time, the project remains on schedule, with Gaetz Road expected to reopen to traffic by October 31. Thank you for your continued patience and understanding as this work is completed to make our community safer and more accessible.

Click HERE to register for GEMS

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.