Sir John Thompson Weekly Updates – December Friday, December 18th, 2020 Hello everyone. This is the last Friday update of the 2020 year. As we move closer to Christmas, I am always reminded that now and always to keep family first. Although this Christmas season will not be a normal one, it can be one where we have more time with our immediate families than ever before. I hope to take the time to reconnect and spend time with my two sons and wife while spending a lot of time connecting with our families outside of our house. I wish the same for you and your loved ones. I want to wish all my extended family in the SJT community a blessed break and a safe peaceful time to reenergize. I look forward to connecting with everyone once more when we return in January. Lord Jesus we turn to you in wonder and praise as we celebrate Christmas. Focus our attention as we remain attuned to the sights, sounds, and sensations of the season. May the presence of Christ be at the forefront of our thoughts and actions as we spend time with our loved ones and celebrate the birth of the Christ child. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen P.S. I have included the weekly Advent candle lighting video from Father Mark and Monica Murphy for you to use with your family. https://youtu.be/knuGOUgGRCQ The Magic of Christmas Enjoy the video created by the SJT staff to all of you that we call the magic of Christmas. Click Here to see the magic!! Happy retirement!! As of December 31st, Sir John Thompson bids farewell to our long-time head custodian Vladimir Poritskiy. On Thursday we held a virtual retirement for Vlad with all our staff. We thank Vlad for his years of service and dedication to the building and all the people who have been a part of Triton nation over the years. Many of the people who worked with him sent in video messages including former staff and Robert Martin our Chief Superintendent. Special thank you to our PAC for arranging a Simply Supper gift card package for Vlad on behalf of all our parent community. Sandra Symbaluk delivered it to him last night at his house and he was very emotional and appreciative. Thank you to PAC. Your thoughtfulness and generosity are very much appreciated.

Beginning January 4th, we are pleased to welcome Keever David as our new head custodian. Keever comes to us from St. Paul elementary whereby all accounts he will be sorely missed. I have been in touch with Keever and he is excited to meet everyone and become part of the SJT family. School resumes We look forward to continuing online with our students beginning Monday, January 4th. In-person learning at Sir John Thompson is planned to resume on Monday, January 11th. Those students who are part of our online cohort will continue to do so after the Christmas break. Division letter On Monday December 14th you would have received a letter from our Division titled, ‘Parent Letter COVID process during the break’. It contains information as to the Division’s process they will be following for notifications of positive COVID cases during the Christmas break. It outlines some information regarding notification of new cases in school communities throughout Edmonton. AHS will continue their process of contact tracing for individual cases that they find. They are asking that if any of our Sir John Thompson students who are an in-school learner tests positive to let us know at the school by emailing us at 8207web@ecsd.net This sort of information will be forwarded to our division operations personnel who are tasked with collecting and reporting this information to the government. I have reattached the letter for your convenience. Pictures from around the school

Friday, December 11th, 2020 Happy festive Friday everyone! It certainly is a different experience for me as a principal to walk the halls and see signs on the staff doors saying, ‘online in progress’. However, my heart is warmed when I hear what sounds like a lively discussion going on in a class only to open the door and see our teachers hard at work and hearing the constant discussion coming in from the overhead speakers. I thank all our families for their continued support of their children as they continue learning at home. My heartfelt wishes to each of you for your family’s safety in the weeks ahead. Below is an Advent prayer from my Great Grandmother who wrote this and has been passed along to all members of our family. We believe it was written in the early 1900’s during the Spanish Flu at the end of WW1. In addition, I have included the weekly Advent candle lighting video from Father Mark and Monica Murphy for you to use with your family. https://youtu.be/J5j0QYAY3eM May God bless you all. Kelly Kaup – principal Sir John Thompson Second week of Advent prayer. Dear God, we often walk-in darkness. We become caught up in our work, and our families, and our concern for making it through each day. We forget about the promise, the light, and the hope you have given us. We need the light of peace and love to shine in our lives. Help us to remember your promise as we prepare our lives and our homes to receive the One who said, ‘I am the light of the world’. Amen Transportation Budget Survey - Parent/Guardian Consultation 2020/2021

The Edmonton Catholic School Division is committed to providing safe and efficient transportation for our students. However, for the 2020-2021 school year, there is a significant deficit in the Transportation budget that is currently being covered by funds that are targeted for other areas such as for the operation and maintenance of schools. As this is not sustainable, we are looking for solutions that balance providing high levels of service while reducing operating costs and ensuring that transportation costs are supported using only Provincial funding and user fees. Edmonton Catholic Schools believes it is important to engage parents/guardians in the decision-making process and greatly values your opinions. Your participation in this survey is appreciated.

Parents/guardians can respond on behalf of each child registered in the Division by logging into PowerSchool (https://powerschool.ecsd.net) and then clicking on the School Engage icon on the left hand side. The survey closes on December 17th, 2020.

Sincerely, John Fiacco - Superintendent of Educational Planning

Renovations continue at SJT

We are continuing to upgrade and enhance our entire learning environment here at SJT. Thank you to our Division who has agreed to pay for the bolded ones below as part of their Infrastructure and Maintenance program. The following projects are moving forward this year:

Apple TV’s in all rooms – completed FM systems upgraded – completed LRC and Computer lab, power and wiring redone - completed Fire alarm upgrade / exterior security strobe lights – begins in the next few

weeks. Server room upgrade – expansion and A/C installed Large storage room project – Room 103 – Music / Science storage

High School Registration Season begins January and February marks the beginning of registration season throughout Edmonton. This typically begins with our High School feeder schools providing presentations for our grade 9 students. Our feeder high schools will be sending out information to our grade 9’s with similar information that they have provided in the past to assist our students with their registration process. A presentation link will be made available to our grade 9’s and facilitated by us to provide our students with information about going to high school. Both our, at home and in school students will be included. This year our feeder High Schools will soon begin the process of providing virtual presentations to our Grade 9 students about their programming. We will be sending out updates to our grade 9 families with specific details and information about their registration processes when we receive it. Each High School also has a lot of information on their websites as well for you to check out.

High School virtual visitations

Archbishop MacDonald - virtual presentation for our grade 9 students on Friday, January 15th, at 12:50pm; block 5. This is a day 4.

Archbishop O’Leary and St. Joseph’s – Similar format with a virtual presentation. Information will follow soon.

Sir John Thompson registration season begins January also marks the beginning of registration season at Sir John. Typically, our classes are made up from 15 different elementary schools from throughout Edmonton. Our feeder schools make up 2/3 of each class. Thank you to St. Lucy, St. Timothy, St. Angela, and Katherine Therrien for being such great partners to work with. We normally see about 1/3 of each class registering at SJT from outside our feeder schools. Families come to our school for our EAP program and the excellent reputation we have all built together as a safe, academic school that

helps young children grow into fine young men and women in a faith filled environment. Families are appreciative that they can drop off their students at school at 7:30am on their way to work if they do not qualify for yellow bussing. I sincerely thank each of you for assisting us in creating such a great learning environment and spreading the good word. I have included some information as to upcoming dates to be aware of. Registration opens – (Online) January 11th, 2021 via our website for families who are outside of our feeder schools. NOTE: our feeder schools will have their own ‘passport’ process for registration at SJT. We hold a spot at SJT for each of our feeder school children then open the remaining spaces to families who reside outside our boundaries. We have fielded a number of inquiries from these families and have begun our annual waiting list. Elementary School presentations (virtual) – These occur at our feeder schools in the middle of January to the middle of February. These dates are being finalized. Grade 6 orientation morning (virtual) – Thursday, February 11th, 2021 AM hosted by SJT. Details will follow after consultation with our elementary schools. Enhanced Academic Program (EAP) Open House (NEW) (virtual)– Thursday, February 11th, 2021, evening. We decided last year to offer a separate EAP information evening after the overwhelming response at our General Open House and the many questions we field every day about our EAP program. We are currently working on a virtual event and a way to connect with families and answer each of their questions. General Open House (virtual) – Thursday, February 18th, 2021, evening - Created and presented by SJT departments and staff. * More information will follow on all of these events as we begin January. Online Learning continues Our options continue and we are seeing more students connect here as a break from their regular academic pressures of their core classes. I have included examples below: We sincerely hope that these classes are providing a break from the academic rigor of your child’s core classes as well as giving them a sense that learning extends in all areas of life! Foods – Christmas cookbook – students come with ingredients list. 2 recipes provided a week videos of the teacher are created, and students are encouraged to cook but require parental supervision. Christmas food project from around the world. Music – virtual concert – virtual rehearsals Students submit videos of themselves playing Christmas songs and ensemble playing.

CTF - Gr7-9 – 3D modelling designs emailed in to the teacher to be printed on our 3D printer. 3D board games creating using 3d modeling for the pieces - Tinker CAD. Creating a company website planning sheet – students create their own website using WICS – Word Press – Google sites. ART – 7-9 activities and tutorials. 7’s doodling artwork assignment, 9’s photography challenge photos changing perspectives using different settings and different lighting. 8’s tomorrow – drawing in 3D. PE - 12 days of FitMas – building a snowman challenge tomorrow. Videos shot and posted by PE staff. Tik Tok Christmas sweater challenge. French – 7 – people around us – building a family tree. 8’s winter clothing French vocabulary – draw a mannequin of different eras of clothing 60 70 80 90. 9’s learning about cities, designed their own cities French terminology. Film Studies – finish watching Elf, holiday activities surrounding the design of the movie. PE leadership – Student teacher bracing and taping video unit. Parent Council meeting - December 8th at 7:00pm A special thank you to our Parent Council for their support of our school through the money raised from our Casino. Each year we work with each department to determine how best the money can support their curricular areas. In September, each area submits a list to Admin outlining their requests and how each can move their curricular area forward. These asks are then reviewed and approved at the October PAC meeting. Teachers then make the purchases to support this year’s students. Sandra Symbaluk our Casino chair has let us know that this years Casino for SJT will be postponed due to the COVID closures to a later quarter in this school year. Thank you, Sandra for looking after this important part of our school. Below is a detailed list of this year’s expenditures. *NOTE: some curricular areas are not represented due to the nature of their requests needing to be funded by school dollars.

PAC funding requests - SJT staff Subject Description Cost CTF Upgrade dust Collection System $600.00 Belt and Disc Sander (2) $1,006

Angle grinder $105.00 Tabletop grinder $140.00 Foods Electric Frying Pans $400.00 LA Book purchases $2,000.00 ongoing throughout the year Science Lab Digital scales $47.25 each x7 $347.29

Lab Goggle sanitizing cabinet (shared with CTF) (708.54)

Paid by Division

Lab Safety Goggles $7 each $73.50 Lab Heat Gloves- $54.40/pair (1) $57.12 Lab Graduated cylinders - $6.07 each x 10 $63.50 Lab Beakers $87.41 Lab DNA Models $105.00 Lab Digital PH meter $115.00 Gr 8/9 Spectroscope kit $64.68 Gr 9 St. Louis Motor $93.35 PE Class set of snowshoes - $76/pr x 30 pr $2,280.00

Outdoor Vball net $215.00

Cross net indoor set up $150.00

Outdoor Badminton Net $200.00

Secondary Tchoukball frames $395.00

Floor Hockey sticks (20) $380.00

Frisbees - 10 $150.00

Pinnies - 60 @ 6.25 $375.00 Music Percussion practice equipment (15) $929.57

practice pads Silent Brass mutes Trumpet x2 $179.99 + tax = $377.98 $377.98

Trombone x2 $199.99 + tax = $419.98 $419.98

French Horn $209.99 + tax = $220.49 $220.49

Euphonium $249.99 + tax = $262.49 $262.49

Tuba $499.99 + tax = $524.99 $524.99

General School Tech Chromebooks for classes 34X $373 $11,936.00 Apple TV to remaining rooms 12 x $250 $3,400.00

FM systems to replace remaining rooms 21,000 School to Pay.

TOTAL $27,474

2020 - 2021 Approved Allocation10/20/20 $30,000 Pictures from around the school

Friday, December 4th, 2020 Hey everyone! A Happy Festive Friday to you all.

This Sunday December 6th is the second Sunday of Advent where we recall the preaching of John the Baptist, who came to ‘prepare the way of the Lord’. I would like to thank our Chaplain Lauren Stetson who has put together this wonderful Second Sunday of Advent presentation that our teachers will be using in their Religion classes. In it is a video from Father Catfish whom we remember fondly and miss dearly. Enjoy! https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1tMbrrZjLz1WdHMMeXsJ15k3dU9tTTvUia_a-i5zLRyQ/edit#slide=id.p5

I have also included the link from Father Mark and Monica Murphy from St. Edmunds parish Advent wreath lighting ritual for the second Sunday of Advent for you and your family.

https://youtu.be/t5D1KSVVGDE

May the advent season be a time of prayerful reflection in preparation for Christmas. If you haven’t seen it, ECSD has posted a virtual advent calendar. I’ve enjoyed checking it out each day this week. Here’s the link: https://ecsdartofadvent.net

Advent 2020

May Mary Most Holy, the woman of expectation, accompany our steps at the beginning of this new liturgical year,

and help us to fulfil the task of Jesus’ disciples, indicated by the Apostle Peter. And what is this task? To account for the hope that is in us.

Pope Francis, Angelus, 11/29/20

Blessings to all your family and friends. Stay safe everyone. Kelly L. Kaup Principal – Sir John Thompson COVID at SJT – update On Monday we saw the return of 6 of our teachers from isolation. We are happy to report that they are all healthy and very excited to be released to the world! This coming Monday December 7th we welcome back to school the remaining 6 of our staff who have been isolating. It certainly will be great to see them all in person if only for very short timeframes throughout the day. Online Learning continues Thank you to everyone for the tremendous support we have received in assisting us with transitioning to online. I have attached a parent and student Guide to Google Classroom to assist anyone who would like further information. Our staff have widely commented that the time they spent early in the year, in anticipation of this transition has been well worth it. Our students have gained a tremendous amount of technical proficiency with the Google classroom platform as well as the Microsoft Teams video application. Our parents have also let me know that they have added many new skills and understanding of these platforms in support of their child’s learning. Please ensure that you continue to take some time to have your child walk you through each of their Google classrooms and show you the work that they are progressing in. All of us appreciate your support in your child’s education path. Check out the pictures from around the school to see our staff online! PE 12 days of Fitness Our PE department are working on a Merry Fitmas program that they will posting this week and hope that as many kids as possible will have had the opportunity to log on and check it out.

Our PE people also wanted to encourage your child to get out in the neighborhood and continue spreading good will by shoveling some sidewalks. The Google Classroom code is: agv22ff so please encourage your children to check it out and keep fit! Sign of Hope A very special thank you to everyone for participating in our annual Sign of Hope Campaign here at SJT. Thank you to Volvo of Edmonton for their $500 donation as well as the many cash donations received here at the office. The Krispy Kreme fundraiser once again was a tremendous success. Our total donated to the Sign of Hope from SJT will be $2541.65. We look forward to the return of the many school wide activities next year that make up a large part of the SJT experience for all our community. Thank you for the Donations Thank you to Michelle Innes for her large donation of dental supplies for the students. We are so thankful and blessed to be able to pass along these items to our students when they return.

Student Teachers

We also want to wish our two student teachers Mr. Fetter (Chasse) and Miss Ha (Fraser) well on their teaching journey. Their student teaching term finishes up with us on Monday. Thank you for sharing your youthful enthusiasm and hard work with our students.

Parent Council meeting - December 8th at 7:00pm Next week is our Parent Council meeting. We will be having the meeting on Teams. Any parent is welcome to attend our meetings and does not have to hold a position. If you are interested, please give Mr. Kaup a call at the school for more information and I will send you the link to the meeting. Please mark your calendar or check our website for all Parent Council information. Future meetings. Tuesday – January 12th – 7:00pm Tuesday – March 16th – 7:00pm Tuesday – May 11th – 7:00pm Pictures from around the school