October PrayerPsalm 100

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with

gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is

God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the

sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts

with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is

good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through

all generations.

From The Principal's Desk

Dear Parents, Guardians and Students,

Thank you to the many students and their parents who came out for the Meet the

Staff Night. We had an excellent turn out and were so pleased to meet so many of

you. September was a good month where we got to settle into routines and get down

to our business of learning!

October is a month dedicated to giving thanks and counting our blessings. We are

blessed to live in this beautiful country, to have the family and friendships that we enjoy and the

abundance that we have. Our school will be celebrating Thanksgiving on Thursday, October 10th.

Grade 9s will have their first High School visit from St. Francis Xavier on the 17th. This will begin the

planning for High School which is both exciting and a little scary! Speaking of scary, :) we will be having a

dance on Halloween morning. Please remind your children to dress up (without weapons of offensive

content) as that is half the fun of Halloween! Students should listen to the morning announcements for

more info.

The first full week in October is Read In week where students will be participating in several activities to

highlight literacy. There will be prizes and incentives taking place throughout the various English

Language Arts classes along with a host of guest readers. We have each of the principals from our feeder

high schools coming out to read to out classes as well as an whole school reading on Wednesday by local

author Alexis Marie.

Our next school council meeting is Tuesday October 29th at 6pm. Come out and hear plans for the school

year as well as PAT results! We are off to a great start! Thanks for sending us such awesome kids to work

with.

On behalf of the staff, a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Ryan Feehan

From Parent Council

Hello St. Thomas More Families,

STM Fundraising is requesting your help! In an effort to raise funds for school events supported by Parent Council we will

be hosting an ELECTION DAY BAKE SALE on Monday, October 21st.

We are requesting all students bring 12 or 24 individually wrapped baked goods to be sold on Monday, October 21st.

Items will be sold to students, staff and voters coming into the school throughout the day from 8:00AM - 8:00PM.

Volunteers are needed for the following shifts:

8:00AM - 11:00AM;

11:00AM - 2:00PM;

2:00PM - 5:00PM;

5:00PM - 8:00PM.

If you can volunteer some time please email st.thomasmoresac@gmail.com

Thank-you for supporting our school community!

St. Thomas More Junior High School Fundraising Association

Some Quick LinksPlease take a moment and review some important school information

Parents are invited to follow the school on Twitter.

St. Thomas More @stthomasmoreecs It is a fast, simple way to connect to our school. We share announcements, school

events and celebrate student accomplishments

The Office of the Superintendent

IB at STM

At St. Thomas More our Catholic faith and the International

Baccalaureate programme go hand in hand as the two

driving forces behind everything that we do. Being able to

articulate our belief in Christ is a luxury that many educators

do not have, and it permeates through the IB learner profile

into everything that we do. We have the privilege of being able

to weave Christ’s teachings into a twenty-first century

educational framework that emphasizes the importance of

thinking critically and mindfully about issues that effect both

our community and the world at large.

This year’s focus within the IB programme is the learner

profile which provides teachers and students with an

educational framework for good practice. Much like Christ’s

gospels, the learner profile is used as a starting point for both doing good work, and being good people. Our learner profile

prompts us to actively engage in the world around us and to not turn a blind eye to the inequalities and indiscretions that

exist. We are asked to inquire about issues, think about the morality of others’ realities, and to care about people whose

lives are immersed in turmoil.

Like Christ, our IB programme promotes engagement within our community. Teachers at St. Thomas More encourage

open dialogue between our teachers and all stake holders. We have open houses where we spread the word about the

benefits of student learning within both our IB programme, and the Catholic district. Moreover, ongoing communication

exists through feedback on Power Teacher, parent teacher interviews, the creation of supportive strategies for students,

and our prompt responses to parent questions and concerns. We celebrate the differences that exist among our student

population through our annual Taste of STM evenings and our bi-weekly LIFE Framework meetings.

Most importantly, our IB programme strives to make the world a better place by engaging our students in numerous

community service actions. The St. Thomas More community engages in extensive actions that aim to reduce inequality

and mirror the teachings of Christ. Students bake for the homeless, raise money for cancer, volunteer to help families that

are less fortunate, recycle bottles for the homeless, sponsor a parish family, sell cookie dough for the Sign of Hope, raffle

off electronics to support a local refugee family, and organize a yearly cereal drive for St. Francis of Assisi. We take great

pride in our faith and the lessons that it provides us on giving back to the community. St. Thomas More junior high school is

truly blessed to be able to publicly promote both the International Baccalaureate programme, and our Catholic faith.

Hockey Academy

It has been a great first month for the Academy; we are

looking to continue this for the rest of the year. All teams are

running smooth and everything seems to be falling in place.

The On-ice skills testing will has begun and will continue for

the first week of October. October brings lots of action to the

Academy; all teams will be heading off to another field trip.

This month the students will be going bowling at Ed’s Rec

Room as well as playing Volleyball at the Saville Centre.

Teams will also have a chance to work on their fitness with

Mr. Riemer. I look forward to have another great month. Thank

you,

Mr.Burt

Soccer Academy

The weather has been reasonably cooperative as we

continue training outdoors and the students have continued

to work hard in trying to improve their individual soccer skills

and fitness levels. We will transition to the Indoor Soccer

Center on November 4th so hopefully the snow will stay away

for the next month. During the past month we had our Annual

Kick-Off BBQ with all 55+ students really enjoying themselves

in an afternoon of getting to know each other. It was a great

afternoon and is always a highlight of the year. We will travel

to the river valley to participate in Predator & Prey in early

October and that field trip is always a lot of fun.

Congratulations to our September Student Athlete’s of the

month: Jayda, Gyro, Christian and Justice. Thanks to all the

students for a great start to our 14th year. We also welcome

Coach Srdjin who comes to us with a wealth of playing and

coaching experience. He is an excellent addition to the staff.

Rob Biro

Director

STM Soccer Academy

Band and ChoirOpportunities

St. Thomas More will start up after school band on

Tuesdays and choir on Wednesdays starting October 8th.

Students will have the opportunity to perform at the

Winspear and Myer Horowitz theatres and possibly go on

a music trip this year.

Students from novice to advanced skills are welcome.

Read in Week 2019

From October 7th to 11th, St. Thomas More will be hosting

members of the community to come in and read to

students to raise awareness of the importance of literacy

for all ages. We will be joined by fellow ECSD principals,

Joe Gulli (Blessed Oscar Romero), Heather Kaup (St.

Francis Xavier) and Theresa Antonakis (MAC). We will also

have some special guests join us for Read in Week. Kate

Ryan, the artistic director of Plain Jane Theatre and Raul

Tome, an award winning actor will be joining our

classrooms to spark a passion for reading. We will also

be joined by Concordia University hockey players and an

Edmonton based author named Alexis Marie Chute, who

is currently working on her young adult book series called

the “8th Island Trilogy”.

ArtVentures is coming toWIN

Emma Wales of ArtVentures will be joining the WIN

program on October 16th to provide the students an

opportunity to create a unique piece of art using a variety of

watercolour techniques and the printmaking process.

Terry Fox Run

It's Terry Fox School Run Day! Over 3 million students will come together to honours Terry's memory and raise much

needed funds for cancer research. St. Thomas More students participated Sept 17th.

Orange Shirt Day

Orange Shirt Day is an annual displayof support and remembrance for thepeople who were taken from theirfamilies and sent to residentialschools. Wearing an orange shirt onSeptember 30 is meant to recognizethe harm of residential schools, toserve as an act of reconciliation andto help fight racism and bullying.

Oct 3 Alberta Science Network Chemisty Presentation withDr. Gelmini (grade 9 students)

"Chemistry All Around You" is an exciting, engaging and at

times very loud presentation with explosively fun

demonstrations. Topics covered include the properties of

solids, liquids and gases, the composition of our

atmosphere, the concepts of freezing, melting, evaporation

and sublimation, the unique properties of polymers, the

fluorescence of selected chemicals, the reactivity of common

substances such as sea salt, flour and soda to other

everyday materials and chemical compounds. And most

importantly how these chemical reactions occur in the world

“All Around You”.

Drumming and Singing Group At STM

STM is proud to be starting our own Indigenous drumming

and singing group. The students will be meeting after school

on Thursdays and will have a opportunity to participate in a

wide variety of celebrations and ceremony. Thank you to

Aaron Zorthian from Indigenous Learning Services for

volunteering his time to come out to help lead our group.

School and Home ElectronicCommunication

As you know you will be accessing your child’s Ongoing Progress online and

receive other important letters/documents through our Communication System

by email. As of September 20th, 2019 parents and guardians will now also

register and verify their child’s enrollment information online. For this reason,

please make sure that we have an accurate email address and current phone

numbers on file. Please contact us at any time if there are any changes to your

personal phone numbers or email address. As of today, there are still

some students that have not been registered by their parents on the parent

portal. Please register soon as it is the only way to access your child’s Ongoing

Progress !

Attendance

That the attendance is taken

twice a day therefore in your

parent portal (PowerSchool), If

you see that your child has been

absent 4 times for example, it is

4 half days, meaning they have

missed 2 days.

Inclement Weather Procedures

While it is still early in the year and we anticipate having many warm days before the

snow falls, we would like to review the schools procedures for inclement weather

which may result from the following conditions or combination of conditions: heavy

rain, extreme wind and/or extreme cold. Students should always come dressed

appropriately for the weather conditions as recesses will be indoors only during

extreme weather conditions. Further, should there be an emergency evacuation,

wearing appropriate winter clothing is essential. Please be advised that the

following radio & TV stations will carry announcements with respect to transportation

cancellations due to inclement weather conditions.

From our STMSocial Worker

WELCOME to the October edition of From the STM Social

Worker.

As we enter Fall and start to notice the change in the color

of the leaves on the trees and the weather, we also want to

stop and notice our mental health. Too often we are

focused on our physical health or body image and forget

that poor mental health negatively impacts our overall

wellbeing and leads to an increase in many health

conditions. This month we celebrate Mental Illness

Awareness Week October 6 – 12. See below or click the

links for more information about the importance of this

week and other “awareness” dates and topics to consider

throughout the month. Also, see below for the Boys & Girls

West Club October calendar! Have a great October

everyone!

- Suzanne

Dates to Remember:

October 2 International Day of Non-Violence

October 5 International Teachers’ Day

October 6-12 National Mental Illness Awareness Week

October 10 World Mental Health Day 2019 (focus on

suicide prevention)

October 14 Canadian Thanksgiving *

October 18 Anti-Slavery Day *

October 31 Halloween

*See below for Did you know…?

Did you know...

Links:

Community Education Service (CES) Sessions (https://community.hmhc.ca/sessions/)

AHS Parents & Guardians Resources (https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/amh/Page2716.aspx)

Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health (https://www.camimh.ca/)

What does modern slavery look like? (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-36416751)

Boys & Girls Club (https://bgcbigs.ca/programs-for-kids/clubs/)

Did you know…? *Thanksgiving (French: Action de grâce), or Thanksgiving Day (French: Jour de l'Action de grâce), is an

annual Canadian holiday, occurring on the second Monday in October, which celebrates the harvest and other blessings of

the past year. Thanksgiving has been officially celebrated as an annual holiday in Canada since November 6, 1879. While

the date varied by year and was not fixed, it was commonly the second Monday in October. On January 31, 1957, the

Governor General of Canada Vincent Massey issued a proclamation stating: "A Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty

God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed – to be observed on the second Monday in October."

Did you know…? *When you hear Anti-Slavery Day do you think that slavery is something of the past? It should be, yet it’s

still rife in many parts of the world. Slavery has existed almost as long as human beings themselves, having been

recorded as far back as the fifth century BC. Many people were treated as dogs – locked in chains around their hands, feet

and even their necks. Beatings with whips was common practice and body parts were often cut off over trivial things or

nothing at all. They were not seen as human but as objects – a commodity that could be bought and sold for money to

better the capitalist market and the wealthy individual! So when did we ‘stop’ slavery? And, why Anti-Slavery Day? The

Abolition of the Slave Trade Act was finally passed in the United Kingdom in 1807 and all slaves were freed over the next

twenty years. So how very disappointing then, that here in the 21st century we need a day like this to raise awareness! Did

you know that millions of people in the modern world are treated as slaves? And it’s still happening all over the world. It’s

not true to say we’ve regressed completely. Slavery is illegal, the problem is that much of it, including human trafficking and

child slavery, goes on behind closed doors and in some places the laws aren’t enforced enough. For more information

Visit the Anti-Slavery Day website.

Boys & Girls West Club -

UPDATES: TUESDAY FAMILY COOKING NIGHTS: We are starting up our family cooking nights on October 8th! This

program is in partnership with the City of Edmonton and is open to all. We hope to run it 3 times per month on Tuesdays

starting at 6:30 p.m.. Each night we will cater to 3-4 families. To sign up you need to email muna.ahmed@bgcbigs.ca and

reserve your spot. Food that is cooked that night will be taken home by families and left over groceries. We are running the

program 3 times in October.

KEYSTONE: Our youth leadership program has started up on Tuesday nights. The youth are planning a lot of fun activities

to fund raise for the community haunted house they are planning, their teen dance, and also the youth retreatment camp in

November. They are also planning a Youth Halloween Dance on Nov 1st! More information will be sent out as the time

comes.

YOUTH EMPLOYEMENT PROGRAM: We are starting up our youth employment program for teens 13+. This is a 5-6 week

program that teaches our youth the process of finding a job (resume building, applying for jobs, interview prep, etc.) At the

end of the program there are interviews lined up for a select few with possible job opportunities. This program is for

intended for 5-10 youth. We have about 5 spots remaining and if you know of any youth who are interested please forward

them to muna.ahmed@bgcbigs.ca.

New GIRLS Coding Club @STM

Girls Who Code Clubs are meant for girls to join a sisterhood of supportive peers and role models, and use Computer

Science to change the world. Girls will be able to learn from fun and simple online coding tutorials, build community

through interactive activities, and learn about inspiring role models. You then work in teams to design and build a Girls

Who Code Project that solves real world problems with code! Whether you’re a beginner or a computer master, you’re

invited to join the movement! Students will:

• Learn to see themselves as computer scientists.

• Gain exposure to project management and problem solving techniques.

• Join a safe and supportive environment of peers and role models.

• Learn the foundational computer science concepts that form the basis for all programming languages.

• Learn a variety of programming languages, from block-based code (Scratch) to Python and JavaScript.

• Work with a team to build a Girls Who Code Project that addresses a real-world problem.

We are an inclusive community and will welcome any person that would like to learn in a primarily female group. There is

no cost to join this club. Students should listen to announcements for start date. If you would like more information please

contact Gerrilynn Pavone: gerrilynn.pavone@ecsd.net or 780-484-2434

New Lego Robotics TEAM@STM

FIRST LEGO League is the most accessible, guided,

global robotics competition, helping students and

teachers to build a better future together. The program is

built around theme-based Challenges to engage children

ages 9 to 16* in research, problem solving, coding, and

engineering. The foundation of the program is

the FIRST Core Values, which emphasize teamwork,

discovery, and innovation. Students emerge more

confident, excited, and equipped with the skills they need

in a changing workforce.

When students are engaged in hands-on STEM

experiences, they build confidence, grow their knowledge

and develop habits of learning. When adults coach these

students, they encourage them to try, fail, and try again,

while connecting STEM concepts to real-world examples.

We will have 10 students on the team and will compete in

a Lego League event in January. We will have team fees of

$100 per student. Students should listen to

announcements for start date. If you would like more

information please contact Gerrilynn Pavone:

gerrilynn.pavone@ecsd.net or 780-484-2434

St. Thomas More Jr. High School - 9610-165 Street Edmonton, AB T5P3S6www.stthomasmore.ecsd.net - 8228web@ecsd.net

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