SAINT FRANCIS MARCH EDITION 2016
TABLE OF CONTENTS Saint Francis Paw Print Student Council International Languages Student Services SchoolConnect News from the Career Practitioner Graduation March Newsletter School Council The Chaplain’s Message The Learning Commons Athletics
Fine Arts
SCHOOL CALENDAR Professional Development March 18 ICON Grad Photos March 18-March 23 8:30 am - 3:30 pm Easter Break Noon dismissal March 24 Easter/Spring Break March 25 - April 1 School Re-opens April 4
Diploma Exams April 6 - April 14
CTS Parish News
School Council April 12 7:00 pm
Healthy Choices Fundraising
CCJHSAA Danceworks April 13 Report Cards April 18 Music Society April 18 7:00 pm Spring Sports Rally April 19 Montreal Music Trip April 20-24, 2016
Professional Development April 25 No Classes Drama Spring Show April 28, 29 7:00 pm AP Exams May 2 -11 Spring Concert Rosza Centre May 15 7:00 pm Talent Show May 18, 19
Professional Development May 20 No Classes Athletic Banquet May 25 Spring Dance Show May 25 - 26 7:00 pm Graduation Events May 26, 27, 29 (please see calendar of events in this Newsletter) Honour Society Dinner Tuesday, May 31 5:00 pm
Jinny Moon 877 Northmount Drive NW Calgary, Alberta T2L 0A3 Phone: 403-500-2026 Fax: 403-500-2666 www.cssd.ab.ca/stfrancis
Parent Teacher Interviews April 21 4:30 pm - 7:00 pm April 22 9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Saint Francis Awards Tuesday, May 31 7:00 pm
SAINT FRANCIS
PAW PRINT It is hard to believe we are anticipating the arrival of spring and students and their families will soon be sharing their precious time together during the Easter Break. Lent at Saint Francis began with our Ash Wednesday liturgies at Canadian Martyrs Catholic Church. Our school chaplain, Nicole Seneviratne, did a beautiful job addressing the students and speaking to this year’s district theme of humility and mercy. As a community we have been asked to understand and accept our imperfections and to focus on creating meaningful, purposeful and lasting change to become more Christ-like in how we interrelate with each other. During Lent, each TA group placed a Tau Cross on their classroom doors and students provided words and significant phrases that commemorated this year’s jubilee of mercy. Our Easter celebrations will bring staff and students together to prepare for Christ's resurrection. Father Vincent TuanHa, of Canadian Martyrs Parish, will preside over our Holy week liturgies on Wednesday March 23, 2016 and all parents are welcome to attend. As part of our Lenten action, the staff and students have planned to raise funds to support the Saint Vincent de Paul Society. The coming months will be filled with anticipation for our upcoming graduation events. The initial graduation information letters have been mailed to our graduating students regarding payments, time and dates of all ceremonies. Graduates and parents can expect a second communication following our Easter break with further details and explanations. You may also check our school website for up-to-date information. Students will be receiving report cards on Monday, April 18 during their first morning TA block. We have adjusted the hours of our Parent/ Teacher Conferences to best suit your accessibility to teachers. Parents can begin accessing our online Conference Manager at 6:00 a.m. on Monday, April 11 to book their appointments with teachers. Dates and times of the conferences are listed under the Upcoming
Events section of our newsletter. As a school community we have much to be thankful for. We have received our January diploma results and are pleased with the collaborative achievement of our students and teachers. These results, along with our April and June exams will be shared with the public once the Minister releases them in the fall. The winter sports season has come to a close and we are very pleased with the success of our teams. Our City Championship Senior Girls Div. 1 basketball team made it all the way to provincials where they clinched the 4A Provincial Title and banner that we will proudly display in our gym. We also had notable finishes by our other basketball teams. After an amazing upset over Sir Winston Churchill, the Senior Boys team made it to the city semifinals where they played a great game against Bishop McNally, earning them a chance to compete in provincials. Our Junior Boys also had a great season winning the Div. II banner this past Friday over Earnest Manning by one point and our Junior Girls played Bishop Carroll in the semifinals after defeating Bishop Grandin. The school community wishes to congratulate Music and Choir students for their recent high levels of success at the prestigious Alberta International Band Festival where our Concert and Jazz bands where both adjudicated with excellence. The school band will be traveling to Montreal, Quebec this April 20 -24. Our Concert Choir also experienced success achieving Gold at the Alberta Choral Fest. We wish our students and staff safe travels and success with all their performances. Finally, congratulations to our improv team, the “Holy Mackerels” that placed second out of ten teams. The final event was hosted at the Loose Moose Theatre on March 11. In closing, we look forward to our spring sports and Fine Arts performance in Music, Dance and Drama. Please go to this newsletter, our website and reader board for event dates and times. Enjoy the newsletter and we wish everyone an enjoyable and restful Easter break.
Second semester has been very busy for Student Council. Here are some of the events and activities we have worked on:
Open House Student Council showed their school spirit by welcoming future Saint Francis students and their families at Open House. As ambassadors, we guided our visitors around the school and served chocolate, vanilla and neapolitan ice cream cones.
Candy Grams 355 Candy Grams brought greetings of friendship and love on Valentine’s Day. These delicious heart shaped boxes were thoughtfully cut out, formed, filled, and packaged. Each individual box was sold, addressed and delivered to someone special.
Student Council Election Once again we have completed the Student Council Election process. Thank goodness it was not as contentious as the US primary. Students were encouraged to run for the executive offices of President, VicePresident, Treasurer and Secretary. The Campaign trail began on March 8 and our Candidates gave rousing speeches on the 16. Voting took place on March 17 and all students and staff were encouraged to vote.
Congratulations to Next Year’s Executive Council
Lenten Message & Pink Shirt Day As part of our Lenten Celebration, Student Council encouraged our Saint Francis Community to support Antibullying Pink Shirt Day. Our Lenten theme incorporates four important messages. It promotes Pope Francis’ 2016-2017 Student Council Executive are: Year of Mercy, Mother Teresa’s message of kindness, St. Francis’ Peace Prayer and this President: Mia Dragicevic years’ welcoming theme of Enrich Your Spirit. Vice President: Jeziah Altares Together these messages inspire students to live Vice President: Madison Fairholm in a way that fosters community and enhances Treasurer: Andrew Prosser the world around us. Secretary: Arianna Ambrogiano
Saint Francis celebrated International Languages Week from March 7 to 11. During this time, students had the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities celebrating the French, Italian, and Spanish programs offered at the school. We kicked off the week with a Cappuccino Bar offering students and staff gourmet coffees, hot chocolate and even pain au chocolat (chocolate croissant). This was followed by an International Karaoke competition in the Team Teaching Theatre showcasing the talent of many of our students. On
Wednesday, the gym was filled with spectators cheering on 35 students and staff members, including Mr. Berger, participating in the Spaghetti Eating Contest. Both the contestants and spectators demonstrated tremendous school spirit. The week came to a close with the Salsa Recipe Contest. Teams brought in their delicious salsa creations that were put to the test as staff and students sampled and voted for their favorite salsa. It was a great week!
GRADUATION To be named to the Saint Francis Grad list and participate in the Graduation Ceremonies (Friday, May 27, 2016), students are required to be passing all courses set by Alberta Education and Saint Francis High School. Counsellors are available to meet with student and/or parents for any student in question of be named to the 2016 Grad List. Appointments can be booked through Peggy Pilon in Student Services at 403.500.2026 EXT 7346
POST-SECONDARY AND SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION Students can receive up-to-date post-secondary and scholarship information by signing up for REMIND. REMIND instructions are as follows: 1. On your cell phone, text this number: 431.800.0409 a. Grade 12 students, text this message: @sfgrade12 b. Grade 11 students, text this message: @sf11
POST SECONDARY UPDATES Please select this link to see post secondary updates for 2016. SUMMER SCHOOL
Summer School Dates Monday, July 4 - Friday, July 29, 2016 (5-credit courses)
REGISTRATION/COURSE SELECTION FOR 2016-2017 Although grade 10 and 11 students have submitted their course selections for the next school year, it is not uncommon to have a change of mind. Students can meet with their assigned counsellor to discuss and potentially change their course selections.
A variety of high school courses are being offered through the District’s Summer School again this year. Students are able to take direct instruction classes at seven different locations throughout the city and/or select online classes. Information and registration can be found at: http://www.cssd.ab.ca/ students/academic-services/summer-school/ USEFUL RESOURCES Addictions and Mental Health Services
The following brochure is a comprehensive guide that can help families seek out information for anyone requiring support with mental health and/or addictions.
http://www.albertahealthservices.ca/assets/info/hp/ amh/if-hp-amh-calz-know-your-optionsbrochure.pdf 11 Ways to Build a Growth Mindset Offering our children the right kind of praise is the important message in Carol Dweck’s work Mindset. Check out this article to learn about how praise plays into a fixed vs. growth mindset. http://schools.cssd.ab.ca/stfrancis/ files/2015/12/Mindset-11Ways-to-Build-aGrowth-Mindset.pdf
Student Services Office Room A110 Office Hours: 8:30 - 3:45 Mon - Thurs 8:30 - 2:00 Friday Counsellors: Pia Foss Coordinating Teacher Ext. 348 pia.foss@cssd.ab.ca Coralie Bedier Ext. 345 coralie.bedier@cssd.ab.ca Marc Osenton Ext.345 marc.osenton@cssd.ab.ca Rob Schrauth Ext. 344 rob.schrauth@cssd.ab.ca
CAREER PRACTITIONER: Carolyn Campbell Ext. 349 (Wed - Fri only) carolyn.campbell@cssd.ab.ca Office Assistant Peggy Pilon Ext. 346 peggy.pilon@cssd.ab.ca
Coming Soon! Parent Presentation Evening Services #5 Topic and date will soon be announced. Keep your eye on the school website for further details.
SchoolConnects Saint Francis is pleased to announce an enhancement to our SchoolConnects Automated Notification Service, provided through SynreVoice Technologies Inc. As you know, we have used SchoolConnects to quickly deliver a wide variety of messages by phone, email and SMS text to parents and our staff. It has enhanced our ability to communicate to our school community and improve our emergency preparedness. We are adding automatic email messages in addition to automatic voicemails for unknown student absences. This reflects the reality that many parents carry smartphones which have email capability. Often it is quicker and easier to read an email from school regarding your child’s unknown absences. We believe that good attendance is important to the academic success of students. We will be using SchoolConnects to notify you by phone and email whenever your child is absent from class without an explanation. Phone calls and emails will be sent to contact numbers and emails of parents. These messages are sent once in the morning and once in the early afternoon or evening. Please make sure your contact phone numbers and email addresses are up to date. The sender of the email will be identified as coming from the school.
If you do not want SchoolConnects to call or send email messages to you regarding your child’s illness, appointments or other absences, please notify your child’s school before 9 am. Your child’s safety is important to us and we are enhancing our ability to communicate using email in addition to voicemail regarding unknown absences. We are excited about using SchoolConnects to enhance communication and improve the quality of education for your child. We would like to hear your feedback on this new initiative.
Spring is in the air and thoughts are on “What to do after high school?” If you are in Grade 12 and still struggling with your plan for the year after high school, please book an appointment in Student Services with Mrs. Campbell, your Career Practitioner. Assistance is available with career planning and job search.
UPCOMING EVENTS CAREER FAIR: RAP and Skilled Trades
Careers, the Next Generation is hosting four career fairs featuring Registered Apprenticeship opportunities and careers in the skilled trades. Students and parents are invited to attend any of the following sessions: Bert Church High School, Airdrie Thursday, April 7 6:30-8:30 pm
DUAL CREDIT PROGRAMS These programs allow students to complete a post secondary certificate while completing their high school diploma. Grade 10 students can apply to the following programs: Dual Credit Pharmacy Assistant (SAIT)
Dual Credit Health Care Aide (Bow Valley College) Dual Credit Veterinary Technical Assistant (Olds College Classes at BVC) Dual Credit Carpentry (SAIT) Students interested in these programs are required to have a Block 4 spare in Grades 11 and 12. They must be able to attend training at the post secondary location indicated two or three days per week. Details regarding the programs and required parent meetings are available on D2L as are the applications. Deadline to apply is April 15. Applications are due to Mrs. Campbell in Student Services.
Meeting is May 3, 2016 at 7:00 PM at Bishop Carroll High School. Applications are due to Mrs. Campbell by Friday, April 15.
CONSTRUCTION CAREER EXPO WEDNESDAY APRIL 20, 2016 Wednesday, April 20 9:15 am – 3:00 pm Sign up in Student Services to come on this free field trip. Lunch is provided
CAREER DISCOVERY Career Discovery is a two week job shadow opportunity for Grade 10 and 11 students who would like to explore a career in Architecture, Engineering, Law, Information Technology or Veterinary Medicine. Students are required to have two consecutive weeks free in the summer to do this program. Students earn three credits and explore a career they are considering. Placements are not guaranteed. Applications are available on D2L. Applicants are required to complete an application, resume and cover letter. The Parent Information
Taylor Shaw
SUMMER PROGRAMS REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM (RAP) Is a career in the Trades something you might want to explore? RAP may enable you to gain experience in a trade to see if it is a career possibility for you. These are paid, full time summer positions and enable a student to earn credits based on the hours worked. Applications are available on D2L. As part of the application students will need to include a cover letter, resume and a teacher recommendation.
OFF– CAMPUS EDUCATION SUMMER WORK EXPERIENCE PROGRAM Off-Campus Education Summer Work Experience Program Are you planning to work, either part time or full time, this summer? Did you know that the hours you work or volunteer can help you earn credits towards your High School Diploma? As part of the Off-Campus program, worksites are approved, students are evaluated and a teacher supervises the students’ experience. Students involved in the program have the opportunity to:
Career Internship 10 (3 – 5 credits) Of these credits, a total of 21 (1 CTS and 20 Work Experience) credits can be used toward the 100 credits required for a High School diploma. Please note that in order to enroll in any Summer Off-Campus program, students must have first completed the CTS course, HCS 3000: Workplace Safety Systems by May 31, 2016. For more information on these and other OffCampus programs, please visit: http://www.cssd.ab.ca/programs/off-campuseducation/ Or contact your Off-Campus Teacher: Mr. Don Buckie Cell: 403 - 880 -1711
*** Please note that in order to enroll in any OffCampus program, students must have first completed the CTS course, HCS 3000: Workplace Safety Systems. ***
Earn high school credits (1 credit for every 25 hours worked, with a minimum 75 hours worked) Acquire the skills and work habits needed to succeed after high school Credits can be earned in the following courses: HCS 3000: Workplace Safety Systems (1 CTS credit) Work Experience 15, 25 or 35 (3 – 10 credits per course)
Alex Pasin
Graduation 2016
FEES
GRADUATION FEE: $80.00 Start Date: March 1, 2016 Due Date: March 31, 2016
Payment of fees can be made on-line using the ACORN system. (see school website for additional information) Please Note: All outstanding school fees must be paid and all outstanding textbooks must be returned prior to the school processing graduation and banquet fees. Payments will first be applied to outstanding balances prior to completing the transaction.
Check with Student Services for diploma requirements. Be passing all courses necessary for graduation to have your name on the Graduation List. Pay all School Fees and return all outstanding textbooks to have your name on the list. Remember to check the Graduation List posted outside the counselling office. Your name must be on the list by the end of classes on Monday, May 9, 2016 to be part of the 2016 Graduating Class of Saint Francis High School. Report any errors or omissions to Student Services.
STUDENTS WHO ARE NOT ON THE MAY 9 GRADUATION LIST WILL NOT BE PERMITTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CEREMONIES. Nomination forms for Class Valedictorian will be available on Monday, March 14. Forms must be submitted to Mr. Sauer, Room A213 by Monday, April 11 at 3:45 p.m. Candidates will meet Tuesday, April 12 at 12:00 p.m. Competition is scheduled for Thursday, April 28 at 3:45 p.m. The successful candidate will be announced on Friday, April 29, 2016.
GOWN RENTALS
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
In order to qualify for graduation, all students must:
VALEDICTORIAN
Includes the following: Graduation Retreat (lunch provided) Graduation Mass at St. Michael’s Catholic Community Rental of the Stampede Corral Centre at the Stampede Park Diploma folder and tassel Graduation pin Rental of gown and stole Lighting, sound and instrument equipment rental Large “Year In Review” collage for the Alumni Lounge Digital photos will be made available on www.iconexp.com Class composite photograph
Student graduation gowns were ordered March 1 - March 4 during TA. If you missed ordering your gown, contact the Main Office. Students will pick up their gowns and graduation packages from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 25. Gowns are worn at the Graduation Mass and at the Graduation Ceremony, on Friday, May 27.
Gowns and stoles must be returned immediately after the ceremonies at the Stampede Corral Centre. Family photographs can be taken prior to this.
SAINT FRANCIS HIGH SCHOOL
SPONSORS ONLY THE ACTIVITIES LISTED HERE FOR GRADUATION 2016 NO OTHER ACTIVITIES HAVE THE ENDORSEMENT OR APPROVAL OF THE STAFF AND
All Grade 12 students are required to attend the Retreat on Thursday, May 26. Transportation is not provided. Students can take the local bus to Dalhousie Station and take bus #37 to St. Luke’s (corner of Northland Drive and Northmount Drive). Parking is available at St. Luke’s Church. Lunch will be provided at this event.
Graduates will receive two guest tickets in their graduation packages when picking up their gowns. All graduates and guests must be in St. Michael’s by 9:30 a.m. as Mass will commence at 10:00 a.m. sharp. All graduates are expected to attend the Mass and are required to wear their gowns during Mass.
Friday, May 27, 2016 2:00 p.m.
CEREMONY
**NEW LOCATION** Stampede Corral Centre Stampede Park
As this is a large facility, everyone is invited. Semi-formal dress is required for this event - long pants or dresses, appropriate footwear and no hats. Students who are not appropriately dressed will not be permitted to participate. All graduates must be at the facility no later than 1:30 p.m. Please be aware that purses, phones, electronics, hats, sunglasses, water bottles, etc. are not permitted to be in the graduates’ possession during the ceremony. The Graduation Ceremonies will start at 2:00 p.m. sharp. There is a cost for parking at the Stampede Park. This is not included in the graduation fees.
While we welcome our guests to take pictures, guests are not permitted near the stage during the ceremony. ICON Photography will capture each graduate receiving their diploma. Gowns and stoles must be returned immediately after the ceremonies at the Stampede Corral Centre.
Ticket Sales Start Date: May 2, 2016 Final Date: May 12, 2016 Tickets for the Banquet and Dance will be sold ON-LINE using the ACORN System. At the time of purchase, students will select their seat and/or tables ON-LINE. Please note: the graduation fee does not cover the cost of the Dinner and Dance at the BMO Centre. Also, there is a cost for parking at the Stampede Grounds; this is not included in the cost of the Banquet and Dance ticket. Complete details and prices for the Banquet and Dance will be forthcoming in the next Graduation Newsletter in early April.
GRADUATION PICTURES
COMMEMMORATIVES
MASS
Friday, May 27, 2016 10:00 a.m. St. Michael’s Catholic Community 800 85 Street SW
BANQUET AND DANCE
Guest Speaker - Masson Normand
Sunday, May 29, 2016 5:30 to 10:00 p.m. BMO Centre, Calgary Stampede Grounds
SADD
RETREAT
Thursday, May 26, 2016 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. St. Luke’s Church 1566 Northmount Drive NW
Each graduate will have a picture in the yearbook and in the wall composite. For those who wish to purchase individual graduation photographs, there is a sitting fee of $40.00. Students who have not booked a sitting should contact Icon Photography at www.iconexp.com Due to difficulties in the past, we can no longer accept graduation photos from other studios or sources for inclusion in the yearbook.
GRADUATION RINGS Create your own piece of history with a class ring that captures your high school spirit and preserves your cherished memories. Jostens will accept orders for school rings at anytime at www.jostens.com.
Saint Francis High School promotes safe and sober graduation activities for our students. The Students Against Drunk Driving group will host activities to promote awareness and education about alcohol. All students are encouraged to participate in these activities.
MARCH Sun
Grad Fees $80 on-line payment Saint Francis website March 1– March 31, 2016
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Banquet Ticket Sales May 2 - May 12 on-line sale www.cssd.ab.ca/stfrancis
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Graduation Gown & Package Pick-up 9:00 to 3:30 p.m.
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Grade 12 Retreat St. Luke’s 10:00 a.m. 2:00 p.m.
St. Michael’s Catholic Graduation Ceremony Stampede CorralStampede Park 2:00 p.m.
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School Council have started discussing action themes this year, and is asking for parent/school community feedback and assistance. Please feel free to bring your ideas and support. As a group, we can achieve more progress for the benefit of our students. We are working to: 1) Ensure no child is left behind.
and guiding busy parents through different ways to get involved at their children's schools. 路 Assist with a special interest club or drama group. 路 Speak to classes about your career or special expertise. One of the most important gifts you can give a child is the gift of inspiration.
2) Encourage positive identity. Enhancing specialness and importance.
路 Volunteer as an assistant. Helping kids discover books they love or research topics they're excited 3) Responsibly assist and advocate for students to about can be a really rewarding experience for maximize progress. parents. 4) Acknowledge the Importance of Kindness in our 路 Volunteer to help with sports programs. Keeping Community of Caring. kids active is critical to their physical and emotional health. 5) Improving knowledge, faith, relationships and Source - oprah.com action.
6) Foster Communication with positive messaging showcasing the specialness of Saint Francis High School. 7) Collaborate as "ambassadors of success" for parents and students. 8) Assist in improving physical, mental and spiritual health for the present and post high school.
The Power of Three Hours Volunteering in the school for just three hours over the course of the entire school year is enough time to make an impact. In fact, this idea is the foundation of The National Parent-Teacher Association's Three for Me program, encouraging
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This year our Lenten theme is Mercy. Pope Francis has declared this Church year as an extraordinary Year of Mercy. The Year of Mercy called for by Pope Francis is only the third extraordinary jubilee since the tradition began 700 years ago. This means that this holy year is extra special. As Pope Francis said: “I am convinced that the whole Church — which has much need to receive mercy, because we are sinners — will find in this jubilee the joy to rediscover and render fruitful the mercy of God, with which we are all called to give consolation to every man and woman of our time”. In Catholic tradition Lent is a time of prayerful and penitential preparation for Easter. It is often marked by fasting and atonement, however, rather than just focusing on giving something up, it can also be a time to think of ways to be of service to others. One of the ways
to do this is to look at the corporal and spiritual works of mercy and find ways to incorporate them into daily life. The Youth for Justice Group has decided to support the Society of St. Vincent de Paul for our Lent fundraising. They are a lay catholic organization whose specific mission is to live the Gospel message by serving Christ in the poor with love, respect, justice and joy. They are completely run by volunteers and they live out the works of mercy each and every day by doing things such as delivering food hampers, visiting the sick and helping those in need in any way they can. They rely completely on donations and we are happy to give our support to them. Most parishes in our Diocese have a chapter and they are always looking for support, particularly volunteers to help with food hampers and other needs. If you have a few hours to spare every month consider volunteering for a chapter in a parish near you.
MakerSpace in the Learning Commons The ES ll Class and Mrs. Hobor have started taking part in MakerSpace in the Learning Commons. The ES ll Class really enjoys going to the Learning Commons and have already taken part in a variety of activities. We made a pop up groundhog for Groundhog Day on February 2. We made Valentine Heart Panda faces for Valentine’s Day. Outstanding Owls were our featured activity on February 23. Mrs. Hobor has really planned some great activities for us. She even had Valentine treats waiting for us on Valentine’s Day, she is really SWEET!!! We always have a lot of fun as you can see by our pictures. Here are what some of the ES ll students had to say about Makerspace in the Learning Commons; “We made a craft, got some treats and I am going to share them with my brother.” John Paul “Hearts and Banana Panda.” Joselle “I like doing that, making the Panda.” Lindsey “Thank you for the Valentine candy...I love candy!” Austin “I like to show off the Art I make in Makerspace.” James “I like creating crafts with the ES ll group, it is a lot of fun for me.” Mrs. Hobor
This is our class doing Makerspace
Welcome back to all “tracksters” from last year’s team and a very warm welcome to the new athletes that are joining us this year. On behalf of all of the coaches, we are excited to start our Track and Field season on March 14 with enthusiasm and excitement! Last year, Browns Track and Field had an incredibly successful season with many athletes qualifying for the City Championship and further qualifying for Provincials. This year we are going to continue building on that success. A few notables to make mention of that will be returning this year are Cole Belway (3rd in Cities for Discus), Kylie Morrison (3rd in Cities for Hurdles), Reyna Crawford (3rd in Cities for High Jump) and Johnny Hader (3rd in Cities for 800m). Again this year we have the Dino Meets on May 5, 11 and 13 where all of our athletes will be able to showcase their talents in the hopes of representing Saint Francis at the Divisional Meet on May 19. The City Championship Meet will be on May 28 and the Provincial Meet will be the weekend of June 3 and 4 in Edmonton. Good luck to all of our athletes this year and we look forward to seeing you on the track! Coach Huggins The Senior Girls Ruby team has been practicing hard for our upcoming season. We have been working on the fundamental skills of passing, running and tackling in preparation for our upcoming Icebreaker tournament on April 23 at the Calgary Irish Club fields. We will also be competing in the Star Trek Classic in Vulcan on May 6 -7 . Senior Boys Rugby is still in the tryout phase. The team is looking forward to repeating a City Championship Title. Check out the CSHSAA website and come cheer us on.
Cristiano, Matt, and Mark, three 2015 alumni (pictured) began successful CIS careers playing for CanadaWest Universities. Over the past years, Saint Francis has fielded very competitive teams, often finishing league play in Division 1 in the TOP 3.
Coaches Huggins and Meadows know that others on the returning squad also have the potential to play soccer after high school.
This year we are looking forward to get over the semi-final hump and make it right to the league championship game. Veterans will be expected to lead, train All students interested may tryout mid-March. League hard, and represent the tenacity play is a six-week season. The team is made up of and sportsmanship of Browns grade 10-12 lads, usually with a roster of up to 22 athletics. players involved in practices, league, friendlies and tournament play. Last year, our veterans and new players blended to play under tremendous pressure, scoring plenty of goals.
The junior boys’ basketball team had a very successful season. They finished the regular season with a 7 and 3 record. They lost a seeding round game but recovered and captured the division 2 championship beating
The Senior Boys Basketball team had a year to remember! It started a little rocky, gained momentum throughout and ended with a result that we have not seen at Saint Francis for a decade; a Provincial Berth and a top 4 finish in the city. Amazing! The season opened with a few hard losses with an undermanned squad (4 players off winning a provincial championship in football). In our 46th annual SFI tournament our boys reached the final and had a chance to do what only one team has done in the history of the event but fell short to the eventual city silver medalists, the Lester B Pearson Patriots. The second half of the season showed promise, momentum was gained and after winning the St. Joseph Saints tournament in Edmonton the Browns finally started to reach their potential. The Senior Boys had gained the confidence to compete and the belief they could beat anyone in the province. Playoffs began the first week in March and they upset the #3 seed in the south in their first round matchup and moved on to face their rivals from Sir Winston Churchill, the #2 seed in the city and # 5 ranked team in the province. The team “came to play� and Isaac
Notre Dame in the quarter finals. Our boys won the semifinals against LB Pearson and won against Ernest Manning 74-73 in the finals. Great job Browns!
Gray took the ball the length of the floor and hit a last second shot to upset the Bulldogs by one point, moving in to city semi-finals and more importantly earned themselves a berth to the 4A provincial championships in Red Deer, Alberta. The Browns capped off their successful season with an 11th place finish provincially and made their school, coaches, parents and most importantly themselves proud. Congratulations to the Senior Boys team on an unbelievable season!
Congratulations to the Junior Girls Basketball team who had another successful season. Led by some key returning Grade 11 veterans, the Browns finished as the third best team in the city. They started the season by winning their own invitational tournament, followed by strong showings in Edmonton, Bishop Grandin & Bishop
O'Byrne tournaments. The girls eventually bowed out in the Division 1 city semifinals. Coaches Osenton, Bourget & Randawa would like to thank to the supportive parents and the positive athletes for such a fun season. Browns basketball has a bright future.
“We Got This!” By Brianna Fehr
secondary and other future endeavors. I've never been a part of a team where I've experienced such an overwhelming sense of every single player's I can easily say that this team has gone above and beyond any expectation that has been put on passion, determination, and love for the game. I've never been so proud of such talented teammates. us. From the beginning of the season we have The success of this team has never been a worked extremely hard every practice to better question, and we are looking forward to competing ourselves and each other, which shows on the court and is a reflection of how we play. From an for our final ultimate goal- a Provincial Championship. I'm so honored to have been a part almost flawless league record, to going of such an extraordinary program, and I've never undefeated in five tournaments, to 2016 City been more proud to step on a court with the words Champion title, we have proved that we are a force to be reckoned with. The skills and attributes "Saint Francis" written across my jersey. I have no we have learned this season will be a powerhouse doubt that the legacy the seniors leave this year will impact the future of Saint Francis girls’ for future success, not only with the girls coming basketball for a lifetime. back to represent Saint Francis next year, but to those who are moving forward with post-
2016 CITY/PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONS
The Choral and Instrumental Music students have been incredibly busy. If you missed the December 16 Concert you don’t want to miss their Spring Concert at 7:00 pm on Sunday, May 15th at the Rosza Centre, University of Calgary. Many hours of hard work and many performances will culminate in this grand finale.
Tickets available at 403-220-7202 The Jazz Band and Vocal Jazz groups showed off their talents at our school’s Open House, the Competitions included:
February 22 -Alberta International Band Festival Concert Band - Excellent Rating
March 3: Jazz Band – Excellence Rating
March 3 - Choral Fest Alberta- Concert Choir - three Adjudicators gave GOLD awards
Special thanks to our own Mr. C. Willott for his wonderful conducting at Choral fest and Ambrose University!! Your assistance was very much appreciated!
Our students do a number of performances to showcase themselves to our feeder schools and future Browns Musicians. On February 25th our choirs were featured at the High School Choir Collaboration held at St. Ambrose University, with eight participating choirs offering a masschoir finale. Laura Wakeman played cello with the Ambrose University Orchestra and did a great job. Our group was the largest amongst the other performers. On March 16 they had a great performance at St. Ambrose. On April 12 our Concert Band has been invited to open for the University of Calgary Symphonic and Wind Ensemble Concert. What an exciting opportunity for our band!
Mrs. Battistessa is busy preparing all groups for The Montréal Music Tour. 65 Choral and Instrumental students will be travelling to Montréal (April 20-24) to perform at the Heritage Music Festival at the Oscar Peterson Theater and attend workshops with professors at McGill University. Also planned are tours of McGill University and Old Montréal, tour and performances at Notre Dame Cathedral, a traditional Québec Sugar Shack tour and meal, Cirque du Soleil – Luzia, dinner show at Le Festin du Gouvernour at le Vauquelin Restaurant, and visits to the Montréal Biodome and Olympic Park. Congratulations to all of our music students!!
Saint Francis Music Program Bottle Drive Saturday May 7, 2016 9am – 1pm Saint Francis High School Parking lot
Anyone interested in supporting the Vocal and Instrumental Music Program at St. Francis is invited to contribute to our bottle drive. We will be accepting bottles/cans etc. at the school on May 7. Donations can be made between 9:00 am and 1:00 pm. Music students/parents will also be canvassing the neighbourhoods around the school collecting bottles. To help that day, please email us at: contact@saintfrancismusic.com or find our Music Society link on the SFHS webpage for our contact links. OR if you wish to donate your bottles before or after May 7, please visit VECOVA Bottle Depot: 3304 33rd Street NW, anytime during their regular hours.
Label your bags of recyclables with “ Saint Francis Music Society” and take them directly to the cashier who will give you a receipt for them - no need to stand in line and wait for them to be sorted! VECOVA does that for us and our Music Program receives the money! Please mark it on your calendar! Thank you for your support of the Music Program at Saint Francis!
Saint Francis Music Society
By Ellie Enderl and Jenna Eberley Second Semester is a busy one for the drama department! It is jam packed with Drama Festival, Musical Theatre, and multiple Studio Pieces. As Dramafest quickly approaches, rehearsals for “That Scottish Play” are in full swing as the cast under the direction of Ms. Bedier are all working to make this show a hit! “That Scottish Play” will be playing at the school on April 28 and 29, and performed on the Main Stage at Drama Festival at University of Calgary, May 5. Alongside this show are three studio pieces directed by three amazing grade twelves: Lauren Park, Kyle Kubicek, and Sarah Bosse. One of these studio pieces will also be going to Dramafest, however, the decision as to which one has not yet been decided.
This year’s Musical Theatre Show will include the musicals South Pacific, Jekyll and Hyde, The Wedding Singer, and Hairspray. All the students in Musical Theatre are working very hard to perfect their pieces and not to toot my own horn or anything (since I’m in it), this year’s production is full of great talent and will be a fantastic show! We look forward to seeing you in the audience. The Saint Francis Improv Team – the “Holy Mackerels” competed in the 25th Annual Loose Moose’s High School Improv Tournament. After the first round of competition, they placed THIRD and earned a position in the FINALS! The “Holy Mackerels” were very successful in the finals, placing second out of ten schools! A special thank you to Ms. Duma-Lorincz - our teacher, Anyssa McKee, our coach and Alex Ranieri and Sydney Zuk, our team captains. We are very proud of our BROWNS!
IMPROVE
By Loriana Lupi It is a busy time for our dance department! There are many upcoming events at our school that will showcase the amazing talents, skills and hard work of the students. On April 13, Saint Francis will be hosting “Danceworks”, an event where students, families and friends are encouraged to come watch routines performed by the dance students of Saint Francis and various other schools. It is sure to be an amazing evening, filled with incredible talent! The night will begin @4:30pm-6:00, so make sure you come out and support the students! The Spring Pep Rally is on April 19. Let’s get out and support our spring sports athletes in our last Pep Rally of the year!! Our amazing pep rally dancers have been working hard on new routines and will no doubt put on a great performance! So let us dance, sing and cheer loud for all our fantastic athletes and dancers! GO BROWNS!! Are you ready to go back in time? On May 25 and 26, the Saint Francis Dance Department will be presenting “Back to the Future” for the second semester dance show. It will include many different dance styles and routines, performed by the Grade 12 and 10 classes, accompanied by incredible music, costumes and acting! The dancers and actors have been working hard and practicing throughout the semester, make sure you buy your tickets and support the dancers, actors and the teachers! It will be a night that transports you back in time and also sends you to the future!!
Saint Francis Cooks Up a Silver Medal! By Casey Salango The Calgary Catholic Culinary Challenge began in 2011. It is primarily led by the Calgary Academy of Chefs and Cooks with the objective of helping high school students improve their culinary skills and prepare themselves for a possible career in the culinary arts. Each year a basic menu is provided, and then the students have an opportunity to create a recipe that will showcase their individual skills and creativity. As students develop their recipes, they must adhere to certain requirements with reference to specific ingredients provided and some specific culinary preparation techniques. Each team is comprised of 3 students. It was so exciting to meet after school with our team members and Left to right: teachers to practise and perfect our own recipes. Kathy Niu, Stephanie Hall, Claudia Panieri There was lots of trial and error, positive feedback and criticism from each other, helping us to improve. On one occasion, we were very At the end of the day, Saint Francis earned a fortunate to have a professional chef come in to silver place finish from the excellent culinary skills give us some advice and helpful tips to improve of Stephanie Hall, Kathy Niu and Claudia Ranieri! our recipes. Thanks Chef Landin. Congratulations ladies. Also representing Saint Friday February 26, 2016, was competition day. Francis were Ben Fortini, Michael Paramchuk Six teams from Calgary Catholic High Schools and Casey Salango. It really was a lot of fun and assembled at Notre Dame to begin this a great experience and as we congratulated each competition that would be judged by a panel of other, it was as if we were friends and not Professional Chefs. We had 2 teams competitors. I believe I speak for all competitors representing Saint Francis. It was amazing to see when I say I went home feeling a great sense of all the different interpretations of the same accomplishment and was so grateful to have recipes from the different teams. They all participated in this event. displayed individual style, flavour and creative presentation on the plate indicating this was going to be a tough competition.
UPCOMING EVENTS Thursday April 7th Three of our Cosmetology students are going to the Regional Skills Alberta Hairstyling Competitions: Braiding Competition Yuliya Senechyn (grade 10) McKenna Layne (grade 11) Bridal Competition Monica Nguyen (grade 12) Please wish them luck!
Tuesday - Thursday 9:00 am—12:00 p.m. Friday 9;00 a.m.—11:00 a.m.
Parish
Youth Newsletter
Have you got what it takes? We are actively seeking a few enthusiastic new Youth Ministry volunteers who can dedicate 3 hours of their Tuesday evenings (6:30 - 9:30), as well as occasional special projects, to spending time with St. Peter’s Youth until the end of June. Attendance at our monthly planning meeting is also required, and we will do our best to accommodate schedules for that. Contact Judith McRae for more information about how you can be involved. For the safety of every participant in our Youth Ministry, including the volunteers themselves, a police screening is required of every adult volunteer. It is also required that you read, understand, and sign the Code of Conduct, and participate in regular training activities as scheduled. To get started, please contact Kathy Ervin at ministry@st-peters.ca.
St. Peter’s Youth Group is for interested Catholic youth ages 11 and up who live or attend school in Silver Springs, Ranchlands, Hawkwood, Rocky Ridge, Citadel, Tuscany, Royal Oak, Hamptons, Bearspaw, Arbour Lake, Sherwood Park, Sage Hill, and Evanstone. Come! Invite your friends! http://you036.wix.com/stpetersyouth
Judith McRae Youth Coordinator FFC@st-peters.ca 403-286-5110
“Nutrition is important for growth, development, learning and activity. Children spend a large part of their day at school, where they are exposed to many influences when it comes to food choices. Healthy eating messages are reinforced when food served or sold in the school setting is consistent with classroom teachings. Our aim is to operate with school environments that support healthy choices for students. “ please follow this link for continuing information from CSSD: http://www.cssd.ab.ca/parents/resources/ healthy-choices/
Cobs Bread Dough Raiser At Stadium or Crowfoot locations, tell them you are from Saint Francis High School. They will donate 5% from your purchase back to our school in June. It's very simple and you will not be disappointed with the quality of the bread. Crowfoot Corner Shopping Centre Unit 107-150 Crowfoot Crescent NW. Calgary, AB. T3G 3T2. Phone: (403) 239-2666 Mon to Sat 7am - 7pm Sun 8am - 6pm
Epicure Fundraiser Epicure is a Canadian based and family owned Company located on Vancouver Island. It provides quality and affordable food products promoting healthy eating, as well as userfriendly products promoting fast and delicious meal preparation for the busy family!. All products are gluten and nut free, and do not have added MSG, additives or preservatives, and most products are low in salt and sugar. Epicure also offers restaurant quality and easy to use cookware to compliment any kitchen.
Stadium Shopping Centre Unit 5, 1941 Uxbridge Drive NW. Calgary, AB. T2N 2V2. Phone: (403) 282-1779 Mon to Sat 8am - 7pm Sun 8am - 6pm
Community Foods & Spolumbos Saint Francis High School 2016 Senior Football Meat Fundraiser Please contact Mr. Park for an order form or see our school website for more information and order form. Orders due April 22 Delivery date May 12
100% of the profits from any orders placed will go directly to Saint Francis High School. To order online, please visit http://www.epicure.com/ en/cc/attach/252777. You will be prompted to select a “hostess” when your order is complete, where you can select “Saint Francis” to ensure your order benefits our fundraiser. Orders are directshipped to any address in Canada, so feel free to send Christmas parcels to friends and relatives.
Panda Flowers Crowfoot Go into Panda Flowers or call and order flowers by phone, and let them know you are with Saint Francis. They will keep track and donate back to the school in the form of flowers for our events. #205, 150 Crowfoot Crescent N.W. 403 239-7673
If you have any questions in regards to allergens or nutritional information, an allergen chart and/or nutritional information can be emailed to you upon request. Please contact myself, Debb Roeke, at debbsepicure@gmail.com for this information. Thank you for your continuing support of our fundraising efforts!