August 30, 2024
Superintendent’s Update: Students, Parents/Legal Guardians, and Staff
As we embark on a new school year, I want to extend a warm and heartfelt welcome to each of you. This year, we continue our journey together, rooted in faith, learning, and community. Our Catholic values guide us in nurturing not only academic excellence but also the spiritual and moral growth of our students.
To our students, I encourage you to embrace every opportunity to learn and grow. To our dedicated staff, your commitment to fostering a supportive and inspiring environment is the cornerstone of our division. And to our families, your partnership is invaluable in helping us create a community where every child can thrive. May this school year be filled with hope, joy, and a renewed spirit of collaboration and shared purpose.
Greater St. Albert Board of Trustees
The Greater St. Albert Catholic Schools Board of Trustees is a dedicated group of elected officials who serve as the governing body of our school division. They play a crucial role in shaping the educational experience for our students by setting policies, ensuring accountability, and advocating for quality Catholic education in our community. Each trustee brings unique perspectives and experiences, working collaboratively to support the division's mission and vision. Please visit our Board of Trustees webpage to learn more about the individual trustees and their contributions to our schools.
We are pleased to announce that Lydia Yeomans will again serve as the Chair for the Board of Trustees, continuing her strong leadership and commitment to our school community. We also welcome René Tremblay as the incoming Vice-Chair. Together, they will lead our board in fostering a supportive and enriching educational environment for all students.
Please click here to read the welcome back to school memo from the Board of Trustees.
Three-Year Faith Theme - Growing in the Trinity: Love, Mercy and Grace
Each year, our Division establishes a Faith Goal that aligns with our strategic intent to achieve the outcomes outlined in the Three-Year Education Assurance Plan. Our Division faith theme plays a crucial role in guiding how we bring our faith to life within our school communities. This theme celebrates the unique mission and identity of our Catholic school division. It provides countless opportunities to inspire and engage students, families, and staff, filling our faith journey with excitement, hope, and joy. It serves as a focal point for faith learning, spiritual development, community building, and acts of service.
This year, we are excited to continue with our Three-Year Faith theme, "Growing in the Trinity: Love, Mercy & Grace," with a special focus for 2024-2025 on "Growing in Mercy, with the Son." Our theme is structured to explore different aspects of our faith over three years:
2023-24: Growing in Love, with the Father
2024-25: Growing in Mercy, with the Son
2025-26: Growing in Grace, with the Spirit
We also have a song for our theme entitled “Growing in the Trinity” - I hope you enjoy it! Feel free to download and add it to your preferred music platform, and be sure to check out the lyrics!
Student use of Cellphones and Social Media in Schools
As we begin the new school year, we want to inform you about some important changes regarding using personal mobile devices and access to social media in our schools. These changes are in response to new provincial regulations that were announced in the spring and take effect this school year.
New Provincial Restrictions
The provincial government has introduced new limitations on using personal mobile devices and access to social media on school networks. These personal mobile devices include:
- Smartphones
- Cellphones
- Smartwatches
- Tablets
- Laptops
School-Specific Approaches
Each school within our division has the flexibility to implement these new standards in a way that best fits the needs of their students and families. Some schools may already have similar policies in place and may experience little to no change this year.
Additionally, schools have the discretion to make exceptions for students who require the use of personal devices for health or medical reasons (e.g., monitoring diabetes) or to support specialized learning needs. Such exceptions would be aligned with a student’s Medical Management Plan (MMP) or Individual Program Plan (IPP).
Your child’s school will provide more detailed information about their specific approach and what you and your child can expect in the coming weeks.
Division App Update
We are pleased to offer a free district app for Android and Apple phones. The App will provide easy access to the District Calendar, Bus Portal, PowerSchool, Safe Arrival, Healthy Hunger, and School News.
To find the App on the iTunes or Google Play store, search "Greater St. Albert Schools."
If you already have the App, make sure to update it to view the current year’s information. You may need to refresh, delete, and re-add the App to view the current information.
Communication with Families
You can expect to receive a Superintendent’s Update on the last Friday of every month throughout the school year. We will endeavour to provide this consistently unless we need to share urgent or time-sensitive information. We encourage you to follow us on social media and read your schools’ newsletters for weekly updates.
Prayer for the New School Year
I would like to offer you the following prayer, adapted from Catholic Exchange:
God of wisdom and might,
we praise you for the wonder of our being, for mind, body, and spirit.
Be with our students as they begin a new school year.
Give them the strength and grace as their bodies grow;
wisdom and knowledge to their minds as they search for understanding;
and peace and zeal to their hearts.
Bless them as well as our teachers, staff, and families.
so that we may all grow in our love for you and each other.
We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
May God bless and keep each of you - students, staff, and families - as we begin this new school year and always.
In Christ,
Dr. Clint Moroziuk
Superintendent