We are Many, We are One / À plusieurs, nous sommes un
“We, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members, one of another.” (Romans 12:5)
Catholic Education Week 2023 Prayer
We are many, we are one; we all form one body in Christ.
Lord,
when we see the one before us, let us reverence your presence within;
when we listen to one another, let us hear with our hearts;
when we reflect on each encounter, may we discern to understand;
when we learn from those around us, let us respect our differences with joy;
and when we act, may we be kind and generous to all,
for each person is a member of your body, with all that they are.
We are many, we are one.
Amen.
World Catholic Education Day
Every year, 40 days after Easter on Ascension Thursday, Catholics across the globe give thanks for the gift that is Catholic education through the celebration of World Catholic Education Day.
Catholic education has served nations for centuries through teaching students in their faith. Throughout Canada, provinces, territories, and dioceses dedicate special days or weeks to celebrate Catholic education. In keeping with these celebrations, World Catholic Education Day is a time for Catholics around the world to take a moment to pause, reflect and pray on the gift that is Catholic education.
This year World Catholic Education Day will be on Thursday, May 18.
We are wearing blue!
Class wearing blue
Everyone is encouraged to wear blue in support of Catholic education on World Catholic Education Day on Thursday, May 18 and post a photo on social media using #blueforcatholiced and #ibelieveincatholiced.
Blue signifies constancy, fidelity, genuineness and aspiration and is especially associated with the Blessed Virgin. This is very appropriate as we celebrate Mary during the month of May.
À plusieurs, nous sommes un; dans le Christ, nous ne formons qu’un seul Corps.
«Nous qui sommes plusieurs, nous sommes un seul corps dans le Christ, et membres les uns des autres.» (Romains 12, 5)
Seigneur,
lorsque nous voyons l’autre devant nous,
puissions-nous reconnaître ta présence qui l’habite;
lorsque nous nous écoutons les uns les autres,
que nous entendions avec le coeur;
lorsque nous réfléchissons à chaque rencontre,
puissions-nous discerner pour comprendre;
lorsque nous apprenons des personnes qui nous entourent,
puissions-nous respecter nos différences avec joie;
et lorsque nous agissons,
que nous soyons bienveillants et généreux envers tous,
car chaque personne est membre de ton Corps avec tout ce qu’elle est.
À plusieurs, nous sommes un.
Amen.
5 Marks of a Catholic School
Mark 1: Created in the Image of God
Mark 2: Catholic Worldview
Mark 3: Faith Permeation
Mark 4: Witness
Mark 5: Community
We are Edmonton Catholic Schools ECSD
Edmonton Catholic Schools ECSD 125 Years and Beyond
GrACE (Grateful Advocates for Catholic Education) Top Toolkit Tips
1. Meet with your GrACE group. Choose 1 action to do before Christmas.
2. Ensure that your parish priest has the monthly prayer intentions for Catholic education. Ask for intentions to be prayed at weekly Mass.
3. Pass this newsletter on to 2 people. Invite them to join the GrACE contact list.
Evergreen Catholic suggests…
Pass out individually packaged cookies with a cross or symbol. Distribute to parishioners as they leave Mass.
Interview a student/parent/teacher to share why they value Catholic Education
Take pictures/videos of Faith alive in our school and post
Have students create/color posters/collages with this year’s themes
Have students write with the prompt: I love my Catholic school because… Post quotes from their writing around the school and parish as well as websites and social media
Complete a service project in the community and write a reflection linking the project to this year’s theme for Catholic Ed Sunday
In Edmonton Catholic Schools, we believe that each person is created in the image and likeness of God and in the goodness, dignity and worth of each person. We honour the dignity of each person by treating one another with empathy, compassion, and respect. Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism (EDIAR) are guiding values consistent with Catholic Social Teaching, reaffirming dignity at every level.
In preparation for the return to school, a Novena prayer has been prepared by Grateful Advocates for Catholic Education (GrACE), to be prayed daily from August 28 to September 5. "Let us unite in prayer that our Blessed Mother Mary may intercede for our students, families, educators, staff and Catholic Education throughout Alberta."
The Archbishop encourages everyone to join our school communities in praying for a safe and blessed return to classes.
Novena for a safe and blessed return to school: 2020-21
We are grateful for our Catholic Schools. Let us unite in prayer that our Blessed Mother Mary may intercede for our students, families, educators, staff and Catholic Education throughout Alberta.
We pray this novena daily from August 28 until September 5, 2020
In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
God, we thank You for the new school year. Bless and keep safe all those who are returning to school, whether it be to our buildings or through online learning.
We pray that You will guide our staff always in the daily work they do, and that your will be done.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Our Lady, Queen of Peace, pray for us.
Our Lady, Comforter of the Afflicted, pray for us.
Our Lady, Help of Christians, pray for us.
Our Lady, Health of the Sick, pray for us.
Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom, pray for us. Our Lady, Queen of Heaven and Earth, pray for us.
Celebrating Catholic Education Sunday (November) in a time of COVID
† Design a Catholic Education insert for your parish bulletin and school newsletters. Use pictures, statistics and quotes to paint a picture of your district
† Contact your local media to do a story on Catholic Education
† Distribute the Alberta Bishops’ letter on Catholic Education Sunday
† Personally ask a “keen” student, parent, teacher, trustee and priest to record their perspective on “Why I choose Catholic Education”. Post testimonies on websites and social media
† Share: Did you know? statistics about the history of Catholic Education and current numbers. Data is in the GrACE presentation and ACSTA website.
† Take and post pictures highlighting faith in your school or district.
† Interview stakeholders asking the question: When do you experience HOPE in our Catholic schools?
† Gather stories of Catholic education
† Tell the history of your Catholic school district
† Pray the intentions for Catholic Education
This year's Catholic Education Week is May 6 - 10, 2024. World Catholic Education Day is May 9, 2024. Catholic Education Sunday is November 3, 2024.
World Catholic Education Day
Every year, 40 days after Easter on Ascension Thursday, Catholics across the globe give thanks for the gift that is Catholic education through the celebration of World Catholic Education Day.
Catholic education has served nations for centuries teaching students in their faith. Throughout Canada, provinces, territories, and dioceses dedicate special days or weeks to celebrate Catholic education. In keeping with these celebrations, World Catholic Education Day is a time for Catholics around the world to take a moment to pause, reflect and pray on the gift that is Catholic education.
Catholic Education Week
Catholic Education week is an opportunity to publicly celebrate our mission, our successes, our students, and our future together in service of the Gospels.
Edmonton Catholic Schools is celebrating 135 years of dedication to providing an outstanding & excellent Catholic education to families.
This year, Mental Health Week and Catholic Education Week fall on the same dates. We are taking this opportunity to showcase faith permeation in our schools. Permeation of faith is how we live our faith in all subjects and activities. This is the essence of what sets faith-based education apart from public education. (Medicine Hat Catholic Board of Education)
Prayer Intentions
Link to Monday prayer We pray for everyone to know that they are made in the image of God.
Daily Theme Mark 1: Created in the Image of God
To recognize the image of God in self and others
Link to Tuesday prayer We pray that our Catholic schools may show the love of God in the world.
Daily Theme Mark 2: Catholic Worldview
To express and develop a living Catholic view of the world by putting faith into action.
Link to Wednesday prayer We pray that we see God in all of our classes and in each other.
Daily Theme Mark 3: Faith Permeation
To ask questions and seek knowledge of our faith in school subjects and activities.
Link to Thursday prayer We pray for the courage to be witnesses of God's love in our society. Wear Blue for Catholic Ed
Daily Theme Mark 4: Gospel Witness
To live a life of faith and be a witness in your relationship with God.
Link to Friday prayer We pray for all families, that they may grow in faith and unite in their prayers.
Daily Theme Mark 5: Spirit of Community
To contribute to our faith community and create an inclusive and welcoming environment.
5 Marks of a Catholic Teacher | The Excellent Catholic Teacher
Catholic Education Sunday
Every year on the first Sunday of November, we observe Catholic Education Sunday. We take time to give thanks to God for the blessing of Catholic education, and we pray in a special way for all students, teachers, staff, administrators and trustees of our Catholic schools. The universal call to holiness has particular importance in the life of a Catholic School. In their annual message for Catholic Education Sunday, the Bishops of Alberta and the Northwest Territories speak of the importance of encouraging students to grow in their faith, to live its principles, and to act in ways that make a positive difference in their local community and the world. And they express gratitude for parents who entrust their children to our Catholic School system and for parishes that minister to them.
As a community we are called in gratitude, faith and action to ensure that our children and future generations continue to learn and grow in our Catholic schools. GrACE invites all those committed to Catholic education, through the unity of the Holy Spirit, to be advocates and witnesses for our schools’ successes and their future.
12 Reasons WHY Catholic schools
1. Inspired by love of the Father, faith in Jesus Christ, hope from the Holy Spirit.
2. Driven by a vision that acknowledges all people have an inherent dignity as children of God.
3. Visible and tangible Catholic vision evident in its physical space, liturgical celebrations, and prayer life.
4. Animated by a Catholic faith infused curriculum that integrates a vision of faith within the learner outcomes and teaching strategies.
5. Cultivates a school community that gives living witness to the Gospel and teachings of Christ as exemplars of discipleship.
6. Nurtures a life long relationship with Christ as role model and inspiration.
7. Respects the rights of parents as the primary educators of their children and strives to work collaboratively and respectfully with all stakeholders.
8. Founded on Core values of dignity and respect, honesty, loyalty, fairness, and personal and communal growth.
9. Fosters an inclusive community of learners founded on principles of hospitality, tradition, justice, sacramentality, and spirituality.
10. Provides a welcoming, caring, respectful, safe and Catholic environment that is inspired by the Holy Spirit as a community of compassionate hope.
11. Serves the diverse needs of every child, regardless of circumstance and believes in their potential to develop their gifts and talents.
12. Animated by the vision that all students will learn together, work together and pray together in answering the call to a faith-filled life of service.
1. An Incarnational View of the World
Catholic School students learn that God is present and active in their lives and in the world. They learn to recognize the "footprints of God" in their daily experiences, especially in the midst of life's challenges. They develop a sense of "sacramental awareness". They see the signs of God's love around them, and become instruments of God's grace in their own neighborhoods, communities and the world. In an incarnational view of the world, there is no such thing as a secular subject as all learning helps to develop and bring to full bloom that image of God that is in each person.
2. Immersion in the Paschal Mystery
Our lives are a series of small and not so small dyings and risings. In union with the Paschal Mystery, we realize that there is redemptive power in suffering, and in the power of the cross. In it lies the answer to the mystery of all of life's successes and failures. In the experience of the Paschal Mystery, we also realize the need for community. Like Jesus, we encounter our own Simon of Cyrenes to help us along the way. Wins and losses on the athletic field, As and Fs in class, and laughter and tears in our lives are the way we participate in Jesus' dying and rising.
3. The Value of Relationships as a Reflection of the Divine
Catholic school students learn to experience God's grace and presence in their lives through their relationships with family, friends and teachers. The loving and supportive relationships they experience are reflections of the love and life-giving dynamic of the Trinity. As a community we celebrate our successes and achievements. We share grief and downfalls. We unite together in solidarity, and even challenge each other to become better reflections of the divine. We are made for community.
4. A Nuanced View of Scripture
Catholic school students are given the opportunity to explore the beauty and richness of Sacred Scripture seen through the lens of faith and lived out in daily practice. They experience the ongoing revelation of God in Scripture as the One who leads the Israelites through the promised land, and who redeems them through His cross and resurrection. They also come to view the human person as created in God's image and likeness, and destined for eternal life. They learn to apply Scripture to their own lives as a tool for prayer and the true guide for virtuous living.
5. Civic Engagement
In recent research, it has been reported that private school graduates are significantly more likely to actively participate in civic activities than their public school counterparts. Catholic Schools were ranked #1 in the percentage of graduates who actively participate in civic and community activities such as voting, volunteering, letter-writing to legislators, Catholic Concerns Day, and donations to charity, not just for a tax write-off, but out of a sense of the requirements of justice.
6. Service for the Common Good
Catholic schools promote service as an essential component of their curriculum. Many Catholic schools have service programs from kindergarten through twelfth grade. Higher education programs such as the Jesuit or Dominican Volunteer Corps promote service at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Diocesan organizations such as Catholic Family Services provide resources and help to people from all walks of life. Catholic school students learn that since community is at the heart of who we are, there are no strangers, only brothers and sisters in the Lord. We have a responsibility to respond to the needs of others because we are all part of God's family.
7. Discipline as a Faith Expectation
Catholic schools promote self-discipline through clarity of moral vision that is based on the Gospel. Students are challenged to be Christ-like in word and action. They are asked to examine their choices and action in light of the Ten Commandments and the Gospel law of love. They are given a theological foundation for ethical behavior. Students are not good because they act in accord with rules and expectations. Rather, because students are good, i.e. sons and daughters of God, they are expected to act and make choices that are in keeping with this dignity.
8. The Centrality of Arts, Ritual, Drama, Music to the Life of Faith
Through Catholic education, students are exposed to the richness of the religious tradition. Music, Art, Literature, Drama and Ritual are rooted in the rich history of the Church, and find their truest glory as an expression of divine praise.
9. The Fullness of the Catholic Identity at the Heart of the Church
Catholic education has always been at the heart of the Catholic mission. Catholic education, and the students who are the product of it, have been called the "greatest work of the Church". They have been entrusted with the fullness of faith and have been charged with the mission of evangelization. They are to go out into the world and share the gifts they have received, as doctors, lawyers, policemen, firemen, businessmen and women, teachers, priests and religious, all as Catholic school graduates. Catholic school graduates are a leaven in society, helping the broader community to be the best that it can be.
10. Personal Excellence as a Spiritual Goal
Catholic school students learn that excellence is a response to God's blessings. Academic excellence is not a gospel value in and of itself. The Sermon on the Mount doesn't say "Blessed are you who get all A's." Education must have an altruistic orientation. Students learn so as to help others, and make a difference in the world around them.
Every year in May, we take time to pause, reflect and celebrate the beauty that is Catholic education. Catholics across the globe, through the celebration of Catholic Education Week, give thanks for the gift of Catholic education which has served nations for centuries through teaching students in their faith. This year, the theme of Catholic Education Week in Alberta is United in Prayer and Grateful for Catholic Schools.
The existence of Catholic schools in Canada can be traced to the year 1620, when the first school was founded Catholic Recollet Order in Quebec. The first school in Alberta was also a Catholic one, at Lac Ste.-Anne in 1842.
Edmonton Catholic Schools - Our Foundation - Mission and Vision
Five Marks of a Catholic School
The 5 Marks of a Catholic School are:
Mark 1 Created in the Image of God
Mark 2 Catholic Worldview
Mark 3 Faith Permeation
Mark 4 Witness
Mark 5 Community
Five Essential Marks of Catholic Schools
The Excellent Catholic Teacher
Why Your Children Will Benefit From a Catholic Education
The gift of Catholic education - The Catholic Register
St. Thomas Aquinas, patron saint of Catholic schools, pray for us.
The Council of Catholic School Superintendents of Alberta (CCSSA)
The Holy See’s Teaching on Catholic Schools
Certificate in Catholic Education - St. Joseph's College
Congregation for Catholic Education (for Educational Institutions). The Congregation for Catholic Education gives practical expression to the concern of the Apostolic See for the promotion and organization of Catholic education. vatican.va
Higher Education and the Catholic Church - educatio.va
10 Key Takeaways From the Vatican’s New Instruction on Catholic Education - National Catholic Register
Schools must be truly Catholic - The Catholic Register
EIGHT CHARACTERS OF CATHOLIC EDUCATION . . . Community • Hospitality • Justice • Tradition • Sacramentality • Humanness • Rationality • Spirituality
Finding GrACE
Catholic school districts across the province are forming teams to advocate for publicly funded Catholic education in Alberta. These Grateful Advocates for Catholic Education (GrACE) teams are committed to raising awareness of the gift of Catholic education and garnering support from the broader Catholic community. You can keep up to date on the work of GrACE -- and share your own stories or thoughts on Catholic education -- by following Grace: Grateful Advocates for Catholic Education on Facebook and @GrACE4cathed on Twitter.
Edmonton Catholic Schools has one such team, with a membership that includes trustees, the superintendent, clergy, parish staff, parents, and members of the Catholic Women’s League and Knights of Columbus. Click on the button below to read their letter to families, which includes some information and advocacy documents that are being shared with local CWL and KofC members
View the GrACE letter to families
Why?
The gift of publicly funded Catholic education in Alberta is a true blessing. As a community, we are called in gratitude, faith and action to ensure that our children and future generations continue to learn and grow in our Catholic schools.
What?
The mission of GrACE is to inspire, invigorate and embolden the spirit of Catholic education in order to unite, engage, educate and communicate with one voice on its behalf.
GrACE is a partnership of stakeholders resolutely committed to Catholic education within the province of Alberta.
Who? YOU!
GrACE invites all those committed to Catholic education, through the unity of the Holy Spirit, to be advocates and witnesses for our schools’ successes and their future.
Where?
In your homes, your neighbourhoods, your schools and your parishes. Watch for and get involved with your local GrACE team. Tell your stories of Catholic education. Let your voice be heard.
When? Now!
Every day is a celebration of Catholic education. Let us be grateful for our blessings and commit our support.
GrACE is led by a board of 6 members representing the three partnering organizations:
Lumen Christi Catholic Education Centre
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. John 3:16
Edmonton Catholic Schools website: www.ecsd.net
Twitter page: twitter.com/EdmCathSchools
Parent Information During the Pandemic
“When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.” Isaiah 43:2
“You call me Teacher…
And rightly so, for that is what I am.”
John 13:13
“The image of Christ the teacher was stamped
on the spirit of the Twelve and of
the first disciples, and the command
‘Go…and make disciples of all nations’,
(Mt. 28.19) set the course for the whole of their lives.”
Catechesi Tradendae
Pope John Paul II; Rome 1979
Catholic Education…
Comments, Thoughts, and Feelings from the students in our Catholic schools …
“Catholic Schools provide outstanding education. They provide an understanding of God’s ways…and help you see the good in everyone.”
“Catholic Education to me means being with those with similar beliefs and having more time to be with God openly. It is a great privilege and we are lucky to have it available to us. We learn and are closer to God than some get to be.”
“To me Catholic Education is a privilege. It helps us understand about more things in the world. It helps us to be a better person. It gives us a chance to learn and believe, because if we understand more we’ll have more faith.”
“My favourite thing about attending a Catholic School is you don’t have to be afraid to ask about God.”
“The liturgical services are very special. When we gather as a community to celebrate our faith, it seems that a greater presence is among us.”
“The friendly atmosphere is priceless… it allows people to be open and become involved in the school. As a school we seem to live out God’s Word in our everyday lives.”
“In Catholic schools Jesus sets the example.”
” We learn to give, to care, and to teach one another. We learn to share, help, and to respect each other. And most of all we learn about God, and His LOVE for us!”
” I like being Catholic and going to a Catholic school because we can be free to believe and every day we learn about God and how to pray to Him.”
“Students are taught that God loves us all, we are special, and we can turn to God in any situation. It is a great feeling to know that God will be with us when we are stressed or scared and we can always ask for his help through prayer. When faced with a difficult decision, or stressed over an exam, we know God can help us because that is what we have learned in school. Even in after school activities, students are reminded to turn to God for help and to thank God for the talents we are blessed with. Before a big game, an S.R.C. meeting, or even a drama play, we gather to pray and ask God to guide us and take away our fears.”
Why Catholic Schools?
Catholic schools have a lengthy and rich heritage. Universal education was one of the great gifts of the many men and women from religious orders. Centuries ago education was seen by these religious orders to be part of the great Christian mission to develop the whole person. Their gift has enriched Canadian society and culture. While fewer religious orders exist today, their legacy and mission has been taken up by a great number of other men and women. Here are some of the reasons why this work is still so important.
The existance of Catholic schools is an expression of the desire, first put in place by the religious orders, of educating the whole person. The Catholic tradition has always been wary of dualism, of splitting the spiritual from the material. We hold that the material is sacramental to the spiritual. All education addresses the whole person. Not to attend to the religious dimension of the person is not to educate fully.
Catholic schools do not exist to isolate or protect Catholics from others. They exist to make a contribution to the world. They are to embrace the world, just as God embraced the world and desired that it be. Catholic schools are defined not by what they are against but by what they are for.
The teachings of Jesus are for all peoples and nations. God has no favourites. “Anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.” (Acts 10:35) Catholic schools are ecumenical, discovering and welcoming the good that is in all. It means schools must work together with and be open to other Christians and all who seek God.
As publicly funded Catholic schools partake in the dialogue with culture and contribute to the well-being of civil society, Christians may be justly proud of the contributions they have made in shaping human self-understanding, setting standards for learning, and enhancing the human spirit. (The Catholic School #10)
Vatican Council II in the document The Church in the Modern World #31 said, “The future of humanity lies in the hands of those who are strong enough to provide coming generations with reasons for living and hoping.” For Christians the centre of living and hoping comes from Jesus Christ. Catholic schools set a high value on the teaching of religion centred on Jesus Christ. Religion is not a private affair; it is public, permeating all life. In Catholic schools all curriculum is shaped by His revelation of God and life. (Canadian Catholic School Trustees Association)
Distinctiveness of Catholic Schools – A Parents’ Perspective
The following are some of the distinctive characteristics of Catholic schools as shared by parents:
Their Catholicity, defined as the visible signs of the faith within the school, the reality of a caring Christian school community, the shared faith of all members, the freedom to express the faith, and the important, cooperative relationship between the home, the school and the parish.
Their relatively strict discipline policies that are based on the principles of forgiveness and reconciliation.
Their vision of the need for education of the whole child – body, mind, and spirit.
Their emphasis on social justice teachings.
Their Gospel and family values that reinforce those taught at home.
What Parents Value About Our Schools…
Our traditions and history: They want students to share the positive experience they associate with their own Catholic education. They want the history of Catholic schools and the rich traditions of the church preserved.
The freedom our schools afford for expressing and sharing our faith in prayer, teaching, and celebration.
Our holistic education in which the Gospel values taught mirror those in the home.
The sense of community evident in our schools.
The opportunity Catholic schools provide for evangelization of students and parents.
We Have Catholic Schools …
to make Christ known to each child
to arouse the child’s inner spiritual dynamism
to discover the value of each human person: loved by God, with a mission on earth and a destiny that is immortal.
to awaken the light of faith so each child may discover God’s presence in their lives, and God’s work on earth through the actions of others.
to bring faith, culture, and life into harmony.
to incorporate the message of Christ in the educative process.
to form, good, responsible citizens.
to be an instrument of the Church.
for parents to have their children nurtured in the Catholic Christian faith.
for staff to provide a strong witness our faith to our children.
for community to share in the evangelizing mission of the Church.
to adopt school activities, policies, and rules which are based on the gospel message of Jesus Christ, a message of freedom and love.
to provide places of hope arising from our belief that Jesus lived, died, and rose from the dead.
to discover the mystery of salvation.
All persons involved in the work of Catholic Christian Schools have the noble task of transmitting the Christian message. They are called, in imitation of Christ, to be a living witness and an ambassador of their faith.
These distinctive attributes of the Catholic school
ensure that it is not “self serving.”
Rather, Catholic education serves the whole society,
enriching the lives of people everywhere.
Through its unique nature,
the Catholic school benefits us all.
Why Choose Catholic Schools
Check out what people have to say from around the world!
Did you know?
ACSTA represents 24 member boards, educating over 175,000 students in 457 Catholic schools
Catholic schools have been operating since the 1840’s - well before Alberta became a province
Catholic schools are all-inclusive, welcoming school communities where all students are cherished as gifts from God.
Catholic education in Alberta continues to thrive with increases in enrollment, schools, and teachers. Catholic education rooted in the unwavering understanding that all children are God's children.
Catholic Schools are different than Public Schools
Alberta Catholic schools are distinct from public schools. Catholic schools are faith-based schools whose educational purpose is not only the transmission of knowledge; but also, the formation of the whole person in terms of body, mind and spirit. Alberta Catholic ratepayers represent approximately one quarter of Alberta’s tax revenue base and fund Catholic schools through their property, income and other taxes.
Catholic and Public School Boards work together to create efficiencies
Catholic and Public school boards save taxpayers millions of dollars each year through a variety of partnerships such as co-operative school financing, purchasing, transportation, energy management and other shared services.
Catholic school students come from all faiths and backgrounds - Parents choose Catholic schools for their children
Although it is the constitutional mandate of Catholic schools to provide Catholic education to Catholic students, non-Catholic students can, and are welcome to attend Catholic schools. Catholic schools welcome all faiths and backgrounds. Our schools provide a choice to parents who want a spiritual, faith based learning enviornment, where the teachings of Christ are central to the mission and vision of the educational experience.
Catholic schools are all inclusive, welcoming school communities
Students of all races, cultures and backgrounds attend and learn together in Catholic schools, just as they do in public schools; all are welcome.
Our students are taught to respect and affirm the diversity and interdependence of the world’s people, religions and cultures.
Respecting principles of diversity and inclusion are central in the teachings of the Catholic Church and thus learning about other religious beliefs is integral to the Catholic school curriculum.
Our Catholic schools are all-inclusive and we instil in students the values of tolerance, respect, love of neighbour and community service. Catholic schools share a foundaitonal belief that all children are loved by God, are individually unique and that the school has a mission to help each student to fulfill their God-given potential in all aspects of their person: physically, academically, socially, morally and spiritually. Therefore, all students, regardless of background, heritage, race, economic and societal status, are accepted and supported in a safe and caring learning environment - as evidenced by our support of:
Safe and Caring Learning Environment Policy
Our beliefs:
Catholic education is a unique partnership between the school, home, and parish. Together, this partnership seeks to develop a student’s whole person by integrating academic excellence, social development and faith formation. The central focus of Catholic education is learning about Jesus Christ and living in relationship to his teachings.
Catholic Schools are distinctive faith communities that nurture the spiritual, academic and physical needs of students through the integration of the Alberta Education curriculum with gospel values and sacramental life. Christ is the centre of the Catholic school and his presence and teachings permeate the school building.
Catholic schools offer an integrated curriculum of faith formation and academic development in an effort to form the student’s whole person. This puts Catholic schools in a unique position within the publicly-funded education system, one that is celebrated by the community and guided by the work of the Catholic school trustee.
How is Catholic education distinct? Check out these twelve reasons...
On average @EdmCathSchools enrolment increases by ~1000 students/yr.; that's about 33 classrooms/yr.! Since 2001, ECSD enrolment has increased by 38%. All students need access to high quality learning environments.
Check out the materials provided by the Alberta Catholic School Trustees Association at acsta.ab.ca/resources.
Twitter: @ACSTANews
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ACSTANews/
Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/user50824673
acsta.ab.ca/resources/catholic-education-week
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13
Hence the Church earnestly begs of its children that, “first of all, supplications, prayers, petitions, acts of thanksgiving be made for all men.... For this is good and agreeable in the sight of God our Saviour, who wills that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.”
Dignitatis Humanae, § 14, quoting 1 Timothy 2:1-4
Catholic Things To DoPrayer to Our Lady of Schools, Mother of Knowledge
October 16 is the feast day of Our Lady of Schools. Many of our communities will celebrate this special feast of Mary. Our grade 5 students will receive a special bookmark with a prayer to Our Lady of Schools, Mother of Knowledge, a practice which we began a few years ago.
O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever. ~ Psalm 107:1 ~
Mother of God,
Our Lady of Schools,
Teach us how to walk in the footsteps of Jesus,
Your Son and our brother,
So that He may always be the Light of our minds
And the Love of our hearts.
Amen
Our Lady of Schools, Mother of Knowledge and Love, pray for us.
Little Liturgies is an online prayer to assist young children of ECSD during their time of at home schooling.
Why students love their Catholic School - Check it out here!
Catholic Schools Have It All! Millions of young Catholics (and numerous non-Catholics) have been educated in Catholic schools since the very foundation of the United States. Check out this video!
Catholic Online School - www.catholiconline.school Finally a Catholic School with NO Tuition. Our Mission is to Provide a Free World Class Catholic Education for Anyone, Anywhere.
We are children of light.
When we walk in love as Christ loved us, Christ becomes our pattern.
When we pattern our lives after Christ, we imitate God.
As we begin the new school year, let us consider how we can live as children of light, wherever we find ourselves.
#205, 9940 - 106 Street Edmonton AB T5K 2N2
Tel: (780)484-6209 email: admin@acsta.ab.ca
Visit us on the web at www.acsta.ab.ca
Or Find us on Facebook and Twitter at: @ACSTANews
Taxes declared in support of the Catholic separate school district in your municipality benefit your children. The Constitution Acts of Canada and the Alberta School Act stipulate that individuals who are Catholic must direct their education taxes to Catholic separate school boards where they exist. If a property is jointly owned by two or more individuals of different denominations or faiths, the individuals must direct their taxes to the school boards in proportion to their ownership.
To ensure your property taxes are supporting your Catholic separate school, you must declare your school support as “separate” on your annual property assessment notice and tax bill. If a declaration of school support is not filed by a property owner, the property assessment and tax bills show the school support going to the public school district.
If your support designation is incorrect, it should be corrected by completing and submitting a School Support Declaration form, obtained online or from your local city, town or municipal office. A change in school support does not take effect until the following calendar year. You may also contact ACSTA at (780)484-6209 or admin@acsta.ab.ca and we will assist you in contacting your local Catholic school district for more information.
The Alberta Catholic School Trustees’ Association (ACSTA) values the right of Catholic separate boards to requisition against the education property tax assessment base. This is an essential operation of Catholic separate boards and a vital link to their electors.
ACSTA represents all Catholic separate, Catholic public and Catholic francophone school boards and corporations in Alberta, Northwest Territories and Yukon. Our Catholic districts educate more than 175,000 students, about a third of the student population in Alberta, Northwest Territories and Yukon. We support the collaboration of family, school and parish in working to preserve and enhance the rights of Catholics to education based on the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
For more information about taxation please visit our web site at www.acsta.ab.ca, or contact your local Catholic school board at: http://www.acsta.ab.ca/about-us/member-boards
ACSTA is committed to celebrating, preserving, promoting, and enhancing Catholic education. By providing spiritual and political leadership, we strive to advocate for publicly funded Catholic education with a unified voice.
EDUCATION PROPERTY TAX – DECLARING YOUR SUPPORT FOR CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
Taxes declared in support of the Catholic separate school Division in your municipality benefits your children.
To ensure your property taxes are supporting your Catholic separate school, we ask that you declare your school support as "separate" on your annual property assessment notice and tax bill. If a declaration of school support is not filed by a property owner, the property assessment and tax bills show that the school support is going to the public school district.
If your support designation is incorrect, it can easily be corrected by completing and submitting a School Support Declaration form, obtained from your local city, town or municipal office. Below are appropriate links for your convenience. A change in school support does not take effect until the following calendar year.
More on Edmonton Catholic Schools ECSD 125 Years and Beyond
City of Edmonton School Support Declaration - Individual
Support Catholic Education through Property Taxes!
Catholic Education support through Property Tax Assessment Edmonton
Property Tax Assessment Fact sheet.pdf
City of Edmonton School Support Declaration.pdf
Catholic Bishops- Catholic Education -Grace.pdf
Catholic Things To Do2019-2020 School Year - We're almost done. Almost...
Bring awareness by sharing information on website, newsletters, posters, emails, and social media.
Tell your story to others. Why did you attend a Catholic school, why did you choose a Catholic school for your child? Join the conversation.
Participate in activities happening at your child’s school.
Join GrACE (Grateful Advocates for Catholic Education). Check out their April Newsletter. @GrACE4cathed | @STARCatholic
Share, like, and retweet on social media the positive messages around publicly funded Catholic education. Follow groups such as Catholic school districts, Catholic schools, the Archdiocese, Grandin Media, ACSTA, GrACE to get started. Use the hashtag #IBelieveinCatholicEd.
Pray for publicly funded Catholic education.
We invite you to view, share, discuss, materials on websites such as:
https://www.ocsta.on.ca/resources/catholic-education-week-resources https://www.scsba.ca/catholic-education-week
Catholic Things To DoCatholic Education Prayers of the Faithful for October
For Catholic Education: For protection and graces during this time of Pandemic, we pray to the Lord.
For educators and school staff called to live a life of love and sacrifice during Covid 19, we pray to the Lord.
For Catholic Education: That our Catholic schools may show the love of God in the world, we pray to the Lord.
For Catholic Education: That our Catholic schools may be blessed with courage and energy to continue to live out their invaluable role in our society, we pray to the Lord.
Catholic Education Prayers of the Faithful for November
For Catholic Education: For protection and graces during this time of Pandemic, we pray to the Lord.
For educators and school staff called to live a life of love and sacrifice during Covid 19, we pray to the Lord.
For Catholic Education: That our Catholic schools may be inspired by the example of the many great saints who have gone before them and who intercede for them, we pray to the Lord.
For Catholic Education: That our Catholic schools may nurture the growth of wisdom and virtue in the young, we pray to the Lord.
Catholic Education Prayers of the Faithful for December
For Catholic Education: For protection and graces during this time of Pandemic, we pray to the Lord.
For our educators and school staff called to live a life of love and sacrifice during Covid 19, we pray to the Lord.
For Catholic Education: That our Catholic schools may reveal the glory of God in all that they do, we pray to the Lord.
For Catholic Education: That the teachers in our Catholic schools may be strengthened for their important task in our world, we pray to the Lord.
Catholic Education Prayers of the Faithful for January
For Catholic Education: For protection and graces during this time of Pandemic, we pray to the Lord.
For our educators and school staff called to live a life of love and sacrifice during Covid 19, we pray to the Lord.
For Catholic Education: That our Catholic schools may celebrate the richness of the Catholic faith that we have inherited, we pray to the Lord.
For Catholic Education: That our Catholic schools may inspire students to a life of love and service, we pray to the Lord.
Catholic Education Prayers of the Faithful for February
For Catholic Education: That our Catholic schools may be inspired by the example of the many great saints who have gone before them and who intercede for them, we pray to the Lord.
For Catholic Education: That our Catholic schools may inspire students to a life of love and service, we pray to the Lord.
For Catholic Education: That our Catholic schools may fill students with a love for learning and a desire to change the world for the better, we pray to the Lord.
For Catholic Education: That the teachers in our Catholic schools may be strengthened for their important task in our world, we pray to the Lord.
Catholic Education Prayers of the Faithful for March
For Catholic Education: That our Catholic schools may make known God's plan for all creation, we pray to the Lord.
For Catholic Education: That the leaders of our Catholic schools may be encouraged and comforted in the love of God, we pray to the Lord.
For Catholic Education: That our Catholic schools may always receive their identity from the teachings of Christ Jesus, we pray to the Lord.
For Catholic Education: That our Catholic schools may be a place of healing and safety in a hurting world, we pray to the Lord.
Catholic Education Prayers of the Faithful for April
For Catholic Education: That our Catholic schools may be a source of hope for the young, we pray to the Lord.
For Catholic Education: That our Catholic schools may fill students with a love for learning and a desire to change the world for the better, we pray to the Lord.
For Catholic Education: That our Catholic schools may be always able to draw excellent and faith-filled teachers to serve in the classroom, we pray to the Lord.
For Catholic Education: That our Catholic schools may be a blessing to families through their work with the young, we pray to the Lord.
Catholic Education Prayers of the Faithful for May
For Catholic Education: That our Catholic schools may show the love of God in the world, we pray to the Lord.
For Catholic Education: That our Catholic schools may be blessed with courage and energy to continue to live out their invaluable role in our society, we pray to the Lord.
For Catholic Education: That our Catholic schools may be inspired by the example of the many great saints who have gone before them and who intercede for them, we pray to the Lord.
For Catholic Education: That our Catholic schools may nurture the growth of wisdom and virtue in the young, we pray to the Lord.
Four religious education courses that prepare prospective or practicing educators to work in Alberta's Catholic School Districts. It is recognized by ECSD as a hiring asset.
U of A Programs
St. Joseph's College offers a variety of courses in Applied Ethics, Philosophy, Religious Education and Theology at the undergraduate level. There are specific courses in Religious Education for Faculty of Education students who intend to teach in Alberta Catholic Schools.
B.A. MINOR IN CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY
An interdisciplinary program oered by the Faculty of Arts with
courses taken at St. Joseph's College or St. Stephen's College.
SJC courses are offered in-person, online, in blended learning formats and with opportunity for international and community service learning.
Check out our Courses!
After you look through this list of SJC courses, head on over to Beartracks to register for one (or more). You can also find a list on our website of which courses are offered in which terms.
SJC offers 3-credit U of A Arts Courses open to all U of A students.
The SJC Certificate in Catholic Education consists of 4 courses and is considered a hiring asset in the Edmonton Catholic School District.
Our Minor in Christian Theology covers topics such as science, popular culture, ethics & morals, spirituality, perspectives on life, service learning, religious education, scripture & theology, and philosophy.
Read the Statement on Racial Injustice by
The Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities in Canada
https://www.ualberta.ca/st-josephs/index.html
Events held at SJC are open to everyone. We offer a range of events to suit a variety of interests and needs, including lectures on a wide range of topics, workshops, retreats, faith discussions, and student groups.
St. Joseph’s College
University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada T6G 2J5
Phone: 780-492-7681
Email: sjcadmin@ualberta.ca
Prayers of the Faithful for Catholic Education
For Catholic Education in Alberta, for all the teachers and school administrators and staff of our Catholic Schools, that they all be loving witnesses to our Catholic faith. We pray to the Lord. R.
For Catholic Education: That our Catholic schools may serve others in word and deed. We pray to the Lord. R.
For Catholic Education: That the good works of our Catholic schools may reveal Christ's love to others. We pray to the Lord. R.
For Catholic Education: That our Catholic schools may be strengthened by God’s grace, inspired by the Holy Spirit, and encouraged by the example of Christ Jesus. We pray to the Lord. R.
Dear Jesus,
Let your light shine in our Catholic schools.
Let your grace rain down
bringing hope to each person we encounter.
bringing wisdom to our teachers and leaders,
bringing strength in times of trial
Protect us from harm.
Let the children come to You, for the kingdom of God is theirs.
St Thomas Aquinas, patron saint of Catholic schools,
Pray for us.
Amen.
Separate school systems across Canada aren’t relics from a long-ago time of French-English tensions. They’re the result of moral genius in Constitution making, argues Convivium contributor Brett Fawcett.
As Canadians, we don’t appreciate the moral genius of our Constitution enough.
This is obvious every time there is an attack on Catholic separate schools and school boards in Canada. The arguments have the grating predictability of rusty clockwork: funding a certain religious system violates the separation of church and State; it is unfair to fund a single religious system; it’s a waste of money etc.
Why does Section 93 of the Constitution Act protect “any Right or Privilege with respect to Denominational Schools”? Opponents usually claim it was little more than a calculated bit of political pragmatism. According to this account, the French in predominantly English areas were anxious about their status about minorities and feared that Anglos would try to squash their culture. In order to reassure them into agreeing to join the new nation, the Fathers of Confederation promised to ensure their schools would get government funding and their culture and language would have protection against hostile English-speaking majorities.
It follows, therefore, that as French Canadians are in large part no longer Catholic today (Quebec has abolished its own Catholic school system), the presence of this protection in our Constitution is a clumsy anachronism, a cynical political concession that has long outlived whatever strategic usefulness it may have once had.
It is no surprise that a country this ignorant of its history, and this dismissive and lacking in pride in its Constitution, is constantly in the grips of an identity crisis. But this kind of bad historicizing about Canada’s culture, history, and Constitution has real-world consequences for our schools and our students, as the current controversy over the Theodore case in Saskatchewan demonstrates. There, on the basis of the idea that separate schools were only ever meant to educate Catholic students (an odd reading of Section 17 of the Saskatchewan Act), Justice Donald Layh of the Queen’s Bench has declared that non-Catholic students are ineligible to receive public funding to attend Catholic schools.
This will be a huge blow to Catholic schools in Saskatchewan, and will have implications for Alberta and Ontario. It would send a Constitutional and financial shockwave across the country’s education.
The record about this needs to be set straight, and now. The fact is that the authors of these Constitutional provisions would have seen all such modern proposals as an open attack on religious liberty, and would have mourned that more of their descendants wouldn’t have immediately recognized it.
Section 93, protecting publicly funded “Separate or Dissentient” schools, reflected the unique Canadian genius, which includes a rejection of American individualism and a more communitarian vision of religious liberty. In this regard, the personal history of its chief author, Thomas D’Arcy McGee, is of key importance if we want to understand why it was written.
McGee, a Catholic from Ireland, had originally come to Boston, expecting to find a more peaceful society than the one he had left behind, torn apart as it was by religious violence. America had a First Amendment protection for religious liberty: here, he was sure, there would be no more room for religious bigotry and hatred.
What he found left him surprised and disappointed. Despite its “melting pot,” which purported to burn off all the cultural distinctives and make all its citizens co-equal American citizens regardless of creed, McGee encountered plenty of bloodstained No-Popery and Know-Nothing-ism.
To his further surprise, when he went to Canada, he discovered that, even though it was a country governed by openly Protestant Orangemen, there was more genuine social harmony and cohesion between them and the Catholic elements of society than he had seen in the States. The reason for that was a precursor to the multiculturalism of today: The Protestants and Catholics acknowledged the blunt fact of their religious differences and found ways to co-exist. Thus, as a result of the 1774 Quebec Act, the Catholic Church in Lower Canada had certain privileges, and consequently, French Catholics were willing to pledge loyalty to a monarch who was also Supreme Governor of the Church of England.
All of this openly breached the sacrosanct American principle of “separation of church and State.” Yet it led to genuine religious liberty and religious co-existence. (Indeed, much as the Catholics and Protestants may have distrusted each other, they were willing to unite and form a nation over their shared fear of disappearing into that American melting pot to the South.)
McGee became a convert to the communitarian Canadian vision of political order, and, as a Member of Parliament, campaigned for the passage of Upper Canada’s Scott Act of 1863. This, along with the earlier Taché Act of 1855 (based on a draft bill written by the Catholic bishops), guaranteed that Catholic citizens had a right to fully publicly-funded schools which they could run.
The Scott and Taché Acts were passed in response to the project of Superintendent of Schools and former Methodist minister Egerton Ryerson, who first imposed the “common” or “mixed” schools on Upper Canada. His vision for these schools was for them to be doctrinally neutrally and non-sectarian but to teach a generic Christian morality. This would assimilate all students into the same shared cultural values. (He had the same goal in mind when he wrote a report proposing the idea of residential schools.)
To Ryerson’s chagrin, the Catholic community announced it could not send its children to these schools. Their faith and their conscience held that all subjects must be taught with reference to God: the tenets of Catholicism needed to permeate all parts of the schools. (This remains a binding part of Catholic teaching.)
Bishop Charbonnel of Toronto informed Ryerson that Catholic parents “ask not to be compelled to send their children to houses of education against which they have conscientious objections.” Moreover, Charbonnel demanded that the State recognize the Church’s “right, so sacred and inalienable,” granted by Jesus to the Apostles right before His Ascension, to evangelize the world through teaching (“the mission of instruction"). This wasn’t just about parents’ right to Catholic education for their children.It was also about the Church’s right to evangelize the world.
Ryerson grudgingly allowed for Catholic schools, but they were only partly funded by the government. Teacher salaries, the cost of textbooks, etc. had to be paid for out of the pockets of Catholic parents who wanted these schools—parents who additionally had to pay taxes to maintain public schools. Ryerson did not hesitate to announce that he was hoping this would force these schools to wither out and die. “I believe the fewer of these Separate Schools the better,” he announced.
There were at least two offenses here. One was in forcing Catholics to financially support a school system their consciences opposed. The other was the prohibitive cost of having to pay for the maintenance Catholic schools when their resources were already being sapped by unjust taxation. It is not much good to say that Catholics are “free” to have their own schools when unjust laws make this a financial impossibility for them.
McGee took to the House with a petition full of thousands of Irish names demanding more just school laws. Education, he insisted, was a religious liberty issue, for it “is a religious question. It concerns the mind, the spirit, the immortal soul, as well as the perishable body...The Catholics— the petitioners — assert in the most solemn manner that they cannot in conscience divorce religious from secular instruction in schools which they support. Are you to be judges for them as to what their consciences ought to determine in this matter?”
No, this would not be a “religious liberty” issue in an American context. Ryerson, as well as later opponents of separate schools, would openly and proudly espouse American culture as their model, something we might be more cautious of today. But McGee recognized that a just society that was authentically dedicated to religious liberty would ensure that Catholics had these educational rights.
In words with a prophetic ring, McGee went on to warn that imposing a single secular education system was the policy of totalitarianisms like the “scrap-iron” empire of Prussia, and that removing choice in education would overthrow “the moral magistracy of parents”.
The Scott Act was passed, and the Irish-born Catholic McGee, along with the Scottish-born Protestant Alexander Tilloch Galt, went on to draft Section 93 to protect the rights of that legislation. The article’s provenance should definitively refute any claim that this was a compromise between “English and French” rather than between “Catholic and Protestant.”
But using questionable methods of legal interpretation, the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council still allowed Catholic separate schools to be closed in Manitoba and New Brunswick, using the argument that they were not protected by explicit legislation at the time those provinces entered Confederation. Parents who wanted their children to attend Catholic schools would have to pay for it themselves alongside public school taxation. In New Brunswick, many Catholics refused to pay this tax, leading to riots.
To avoid this happening in the new Prairie provinces, Section 17 of the 1905 Alberta and Saskatchewan Acts unambiguously protected “any right or privilege with respect to separate schools”. But if these schools cannot be shuttered, other means have been found to weaken them, and thus to weaken religious liberty. The Theodore decision from the Queen’s Bench is a partial throwback to the Ryerson model: non-Catholic parents who want their children to receive Catholic “dissentient” schooling must pay for it out of pocket, while still being taxed for the “mixed” or “common” schools.
This has gone to the Court of Appeals, which, at the moment, has reserved a ruling. Catholic teachers and students everywhere in Canada wait with bated breath to know what their future will be.
In the meantime, citizens need to learn why our Constitution is written the way it is, and why it matters. And we need to be ready to let our politicians and government know that we know, and that they should, too.
When the preamble to the Charter says that Canada was founded upon principles that recognize “the supremacy of God,” it is probably alluding to principles like this. When Section 29 of the Charter affirmed that separate school rights remained intact, it is not contradicting Section 2’s endorsement of religious liberty. It is strengthening it.
For more information visit the PACE website at paceredeemer.ca and the PACE Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/parentsforcathed/
Or email to pace@redeemer.ab.ca
Stand up for Catholic Education. Click on the following link PACE Petition Supporting Catholic Education to sign the petition: http://chn.ge/2BgSirP
Dear Parents,
Catholic schools in Alberta are strong and growing and we are seeking your help to keep it that way. We represent approximately 25% of publicly funded schools in Alberta educating over 180,000 children across the province. We are a community of faith that work together to foster a love for Christ and to ensure our children get to know and understand God’s love for them. Alberta is currently seeing the emergence of a vocal public-school lobby advocating for one publicly funded school system. That would eliminate the choice that parents have to send their children to Catholic schools. How can your show your support? Sign our electronic petition today!
Please help to protect our right and choice for a publicly funded Catholic school system. We currently have over 3200 signatures on our petition and our goal is to reach 10,000 before the anticipated provincial election. We invite you to share this link with your friends and family to help us spread the word. PACE (Parents Advocating for Catholic Education) will present the petition to our MLA at the end of February. It takes less than 5 minutes to have a voice and show your support. Let’s stand together and show our solidarity for the excellent faith-based programming that we currently offer and value. On behalf of PACE, thank you for your support.
Mariette Moss, Associate Superintendent
Direct: 403-995-4841
Christ The Redeemer CATHOLIC SCHOOLS | 1 McRae Street, Box 1318, Okotoks, AB T1S 1B3
Welcome back to the exciting 2019-2020 school year with Edmonton Catholic Schools! Our theme for this year, Walking Together in the Light of Christ, provides us with a beautiful image of the learning and relationships that your children experience daily as part of their Catholic educational journey. The verse of scripture shared above, which will guide us throughout the year, comes from a passage in the gospel of Matthew where Jesus is telling his disciples what the role of his followers is to be. He tells them, “You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:13-14). In Jesus’ time, salt was vital not only to improve the taste of food, but also to preserve it. He is telling his disciples that they are, through their actions, to enhance and preserve the lives of others. Those actions should serve as an example for others, as a light to guide their way in this world. In turn, when we let our light shine before others so that they can see and emulate our good works, we give glory to God. Our wonderful journey this year will help lead our students to become salt and light for the world.
As we live out our mission to provide a Catholic education that inspires students to learn and that prepares them to live fully and to serve God in one another, we have established our District Plan for Continuous Growth 2019-2022 to guide the work of our schools. We begin with our faith foundation as a Catholic school district, followed by five goals that focus on teaching, learning, and student experiences. I invite you to visit our website to learn more about our goals and the key strategies that we will be implementing to achieve them by clicking here.
Edmonton Catholic School District Goal: Live and enhance the distinctiveness of Catholic education.
Goal One: ECSD students are successful.
Goal Two: ECSD supports First Nations, Métis, and Inuit students’ success.
Goal Three: ECSD respects diversity and promotes inclusion.
Goal Four: ECSD has excellent teachers, and school and school district leaders.
Goal Five: ECSD is well governed and managed.
New to our work this year is the establishment of our Catholic Identity Plan, which is an appendix to the District Plan for Continuous Growth. This plan provides us the framework to better understand, articulate, and live our Catholic identity as members of the Body of Christ.
I wish each one of your families an exciting and rewarding year where you experience the abundant joy that comes from walking together in the light of Christ with your school community!
Sincerely,
Joan Carr
Superintendent
Catholic Things To DoVoting as Catholics: 2019 Federal Election Guide
Like all citizens, Canadian Catholics have the responsibility to participate in the federal election, which has been called for October 21.
The 2019 Federal Election Guide, prepared by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), offers a reflection on key ethical and moral issues that voters, especially Catholics, may want to consider, such as:
respect for life
concern for the weakest among us
religious freedom and freedom of conscience.
solidarity with Indigenous Peoples
support for families
funding for education, healthcare, housing
action on human trafficking
care for the environment
The Guide has been formatted for online sharing and includes hyperlinks directing the reader to further resources on various issues important to Catholics.
Catholic education battles secular push in today's society
December 17, 2012
JOHN ACHESON
SPECIAL TO THE WCR
The passage of a new Education Act by the Alberta Legislature affords the opportunity for the Catholic community to give pause and to reflect on the great gift of Catholic education that we have here in Alberta. This is a gift that gives the Catholic communities of Alberta the right to organize and run their own Catholic schools – and this with full funding from the province.
Catholic schools are not a gift that we should take for granted, for there is always the danger that we could lose them. This is not a concern without substance because we have seen this occur in both Newfoundland and Quebec.
While we have stronger constitutional protection for our schools in Alberta than in those other provinces, this is not an absolute guarantee that they will continue. Their demise, if this were to occur, would result not so much from legislative changes but because we, as a Catholic community, would let them go or because they would lose their distinctive identity.
Much could be said about both the external threats and the more serious internal threats but let it be said for now that we must remain vigilant regarding our Catholic schools.
But why, why do we need these schools?
We need Catholic schools because we live in a society in which a tacit atheism prevails. This society is marked, in many quarters, by self-absorption, secularism and consumerism. In and of themselves, none of these sociological phenomena are harmful or intrinsically evil. They become problems when they are manifested in their extremes.
When they do become extreme they are socially, physically and spiritually damaging – for us as adults but more so for our children. We can be assured that this conclusion is supported by empirical research and is not only a reflection of Church teaching.
PUSHING GOD ASIDE
Because these phenomena are so pervasive in our society, it is argued that the Church needs Catholic schools more today than when we were an immigrant church. Anne Graham (evangelist Billy Graham's daughter) gives support to this argument by offering a response to the question, Why does God let happen all the terrible things that are occurring in our society?
The answer is that we shouldn't be surprised because for years we have been telling God to get out of our schools, get out of our government, get out of our families and get out of our lives.
We have seen this manifested in our society in a variety of ways:
Some individuals said we shouldn't have prayer in our schools. Society said, OK.
Someone said don't read the Bible in school – the Bible which says don't kill, don't steal, love your neighbour. Society said, OK.
Some childhood specialists said we shouldn't discipline our children because it will damage their self-esteem and if teachers do it they should be sued. Society said, OK.
Someone said let our daughters have abortions and give our sons condoms and we don't have to tell their parents. Society said, OK.
Some elected official said it doesn't matter what we do in private as long as the economy is good. Society said, OK.
The entertainment industry said let's make shows and music that promote profanity, violence and illicit sex. Society said, OK.
Some said that the unborn are not really human beings so it is OK to kill them. Society said,OK.
Advertisers say that it is good to accumulate all kinds of stuff that we don't need while others are starving and while we are desecrating are environment. Society said, OK.
When we see all this and similar capitulations it is obvious that we need institutions that will be countercultural and who will say, "No, these things are not OK."
Catholic schools are well-positioned to be countercultural on such matters.
COUNTERCULTURAL MANDATE
They have a mandate to be countercultural, they have historically been countercultural, and they must have the courage to remain countercultural in the future.
These are among the reasons our children and our society need Catholic schools. This great gift therefore indeed requires the continuing attention of all in the Catholic community. If we are not careful and are not prepared to stand up for them we could lose our schools and our Church would lose a great resource.
(John Acheson, PhD, is a trustee of Edmonton Catholic Schools.)
http://www.wcr.ab.ca/Columns/Columns/entryid/3420
The Mission Statement of Our Division
Inspired by
Love of the Father
Faith in Jesus Christ
Hope from the Holy Spirit
We believe in God and we believe
that each person is created in the image and likeness of God
that each child is a precious gift and sacred responsibility
in the goodness, dignity and worth of each person
that Christ is our model and our teacher
in celebrating and witnessing our faith
in transforming the world through Catholic education
that Catholic education includes spiritual growth and fulfillment
that learning is a lifelong journey
that all can learn and develop their gifts
in building inclusive Christ-centred communities for service to one another
that all have rights, roles and responsibilities for which they are accountable
that Catholic education is a shared responsibility in which parents have a primary role
The mission of Edmonton Catholic Schools is to provide a Catholic education that inspires students to learn and that prepares them to live fully and to serve God in one another.
Vision
Our students will learn together, work together and pray together in answering the call to a faith-filled life of service.
Community
Tradition
Humanness
Sacramentality
Rationality
Spirituality
Justice
Hospitality
Dignity and Respect
Honesty
Loyalty
Fairness
Personal and Communal Growth
Christ-Centred, Competency-Based Learning in Edmonton Catholic Schools
Preparing our students for this world and the next
Inspired by our Division's mission and vision statements, Edmonton Catholic Schools is committed to offering a Christ-centred, competency-based learning experience for all learners. Every facet of our learning system is aligned to offer an excellent Catholic education that inspires students to develop the conceptual and procedural understanding needed for successful learning, living, and working in Alberta and beyond.
Guided by our moral compass, students and staff will engage individually and collaboratively in serving the common good today while being good stewards for tomorrow.
A Defining Statement of Inclusive Education in Our Division – Katholos:
Education for Life for All
In accordance with our Division's Foundation Statement, all *resident students and their parents/caregivers are welcomed into our schools. The Learning Team is committed to collaborating, identifying, applying and monitoring practices enabling all students to reach their potential, spiritually, socially, emotionally, physically and academically within the Programs of Study alongside their peers.
*resident student as defined by the Education Act
Together At One Altar is a resource for school age children (age range groupings:- F-3, 4-6, 7-10 and 11-12) to develop their formation in the Eucharist and assist their full, active and conscious participation in its celebration.
What is the background to the Eucharist?
Discover scriptural, historical and theological foundations of the Eucharist
The Presences of Christ
Paschal Mystery - The Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus
How do we prepare to celebrate the Eucharist?
Discover the signs, symbols and settings of the Eucharist
Liturgical Colours and Seasons
Liturgical Ministries
What takes place during the Eucharist?
Introducing the Scriptures
Introducing the Gospels
Introductory Rites
How should I live out the meaning of the Eucharist?
Social Justice
Living the Gospel
Charity
Explore
Craft
Receive
Live
The Council of Catholic School Superintendents of Alberta
Grande Prairie & District Catholic Schools