As the afternoon started and I met all of the students in my group (who were fantastic) we headed for the curling event.  All of the students enjoyed throwing the frozen water.  There was a minor mishap, however, as a large number of containers filled with coloured water that had been frozen disappeared.  I am not too sure how this happens, but it must be something in the water!

The next event was the smoosh skies.  After watching this event, I believe it should be included as a demonstration sport at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia.  It is tough unless you have some great communication and teamwork skills.

Moving on to the field, a very competitive game of Clear the Area was embarked upon.  Despite the fact that we all attend a Catholic school, there was a few incidents of all out cheating!  It was all handled with the best sportsmanship, however, and everyone had a good time, despite sore shoulders.

Just prior to some free time on the playground, we spent a while on snow shoes kicking up the white stuff.  Even though there was a lack of snow, the snowshoes were a great way to get around.  Numerous students prepped for the track and field season by doing a few sprints.

After a game of the class outside game, ‘Duck-Duck-Goose’, which I vote should have been called, ‘Snowflake-Snowflake-Blizzard’ students weaved their way through pylons in the hockey relay.  Even thought the ice was bumpy, the students all maneuvered their way with ease through the pylons.

The next pair of events were my favourite!  I was able to show off my superior goaltending skills in a game of soccer and then had the pleasure of riding on a wagon pulled by two beautiful creatures named Tim and Ben.

After some tobogganing and a tug of war…I will let you ask Mrs. Bicknell who won…we all headed in for some hot chocolate and TimBits supplied by the Vegreville Tim Horton’s.  That was the end of a fun and highly successful day that I won’t soon forget.

A big thanks to the division 1 team that organized the day, to Tim Horton’s for their support, and a huge thanks to all of the parent volunteers.

I put together a video of some of the activities that made the day such a success.

ENJOY!

“You don’t have to be invisible.”  With these words Livy Jeanne began her song Invisible from her soon to be released debut album.  Livy is a 16 year old former Elk Island Catholic Schools student who is embarking on an adventure as she begins her professional singing and song writing career.  But Livy wasn’t saying these words and singing this song to promote herself, she was sharing a message with the students of St. Martin’s School.  The message was rather simple and fits in with the teaching that we try to do everyday at St. Martin’s.  Each one of us, no matter who we are, is important.  Each one of us has talents, gifts, and skills.  These are given to us from God and we need to embrace them.

The Grade 6 Boys and Livy

Livy was bullied in her preteen and early teen years.  Often the content of the bullying was related to the singing that she was just beginning to excel at.  Livy faced some difficult decisions and chose to find a peer group that would be more accepting and would like her for who she was, a singer, and not what the bullies around her wanted her to be.  With these experiences behind her, Livy is now able to tell young people to continue to follow their dreams and passions, despite what their critics might say, for it is not the bullied who have the problems.

Livy was very upfront in saying that those who bully are in need of help and assistance and that they should not be persecuted for the bullying they have done.  This is an extremely powerful message and touches on many of the Catholic teachings of our Church and school.

From the excitement of the day and the reflections I have heard and seen shared on Livy’s Facebook page, it is clear that the students of St. Martin’s enjoyed the day, but also took in the message.

I started trying to write Mrs. Charlene Bicknell’s profile, but I had to stop.  I said to myself, “Self, this doesn’t sound right.  Something is missing.”  The something that was missing was Mrs. Bicknell’s other teaching half, Mrs. Bridget Yaremko.  As the image to the left suggests, these two teachers are truly two peas in a pod.  As corny as this may sound, they complete one another.

Mrs. Charlene Bicknell began her teaching career a little over a decade ago and has been at St. Martins for that entire time.  For the last 10 of those 11 years, Mrs. Bicknell has been teaching alongside Mrs. Bridget Yarkemko who has been teaching for 20 years, 18 of those at St. Martin’s.

Mrs. Bicknell credits her grandmother as an inspiration for joining the teaching profession.  Mrs. Bicknell was a lifeguard in her younger days and thoroughly enjoyed teaching swimming lessons.  After graduating high school, the superintendent at the time, Mr. Bernie McCraken suggested that Charlene enter into a new university transfer program at Lakeland College in Lloydminster.  After one year, Mrs. Bicknell transfered to the University of Alberta to finish her degree.

Mrs. Yaremko stated that she has always enjoyed working with children and chose to pursue a career in which she could work with young people at a time when they are becoming the little people that will lead them into adulthood.  Mrs. Yaremko believes that much of who we become as adults is a direct result of the experiences and development that we receive in our early childhood.

As an individual who observes her work on an almost daily basis, I can attest to her belief in this as she puts her full energy and talent to working with the children in her class to see that they have an opportunity to be their best as they continue to grow and develop.

Each teacher was asked to identify their favourite teaching moment and I will let their words speak for themselves.  Mrs. Bicknell stated,

“This is an impossible question to answer! I love seeing the “sparkle” in students eyes when they have figured out something. I love the rewarding feeling of a successful project when it is completed whether it be raising money for a worthy cause like building wells in third world countries, collecting hundreds of boxes for Operation Christmas Child or supporting the Food Bank. I love working in a Catholic school with wonderful colleagues and students.”

Mrs. Yaremko stated,

“Many great memories working with both staff and students.  St. Martin’s is my second home and I just enjoy being there and working as a team to accomplish so many great goals.  Whether it be building the school playground, laughing in the staffroom, or developing the “sound city” language arts wall together, working with the staff at our school is wonderful.”

When not at school, both Mrs. Bicknell and Mrs. Yaremko enjoy spending time with each others family.  Specifically, they enjoy traveling together and spending time at the lake boating and enjoying camp fires.

In looking for an appropriate way to end this post, I thought back to a movie that I saw recently and one of the songs that is sung.  It seems to fit the two individuals profiled in the post so very well.  Ok, it might be a remix, but it is still fun!

As  readers of this blog may be aware, I am a resident of Sherwood Park.  So, my question for all of the readers of the blog is, could this arrangement work in Vegreville?  Do you see an advantage to town council working with school board officials to develop community plans, together?  Are there any potential disadvantages?

I personally believe that there is a role in community planning for school board officials.  Schools are a vital part of any community and any possibility for schools and town governance to work together will help to create a more effective community is extremely positive.

I look forward to any and all discussions on this topic.

Update 2/6/2012:  I was informed today that our school board does meet on an annual basis with both the Town Council and County Council to discuss issues affecting the different organizations.

The School Facilitator/Counselor, Mrs. Deal and M.O.D.E.L Project Student Success Coach Miss Laschowski have teamed up to provide these opportunities for the children.  The message that is being sent is that there are huge benefits gained to our overall health and well being by staying active.  Also, that you do not have to be the best athlete to stay active and keep moving.  There are other ways that involve movement and fitness that benefit our bodies and minds.

When kids are active, their bodies can do the things they want and need them to do. Why? Because regular exercise provides these benefits: strong muscles and bones, weight control, better sleep, a better outlook on life, activity is good for the heart, physical competence builds self-esteem at every age and exercise helps to reduce anxiety. Healthy, physically active kids also are more likely to be academically motivated, alert, and successful.

When John the Baptist saw Jesus come towards him he said, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”  The blood of lambs was a symbol that the first born be saved from the Angel of Death.  The Lamb of God takes away the sins of the world…our sins.  His mission lies in the future.  Jesus is a person infused with love and passion.  He returns good for evil and brings out all the good we are capable of.  Thus, the main reason for Jesus coming is to bring out the best in us and to take away the sin of the world. Not long ago we celebrated the birth of Jesus and this month we focus on the reason for his birth, which ironically is his death. This is our faith. As Christians we are known as Easter People, and everything we do in life has to do with this incredible time.  We have been given the brightest of lights to lead us out of dark times.  Encouragement and hope is ours because of the Resurrection of Jesus.

Easter takes place the first Sunday after the first full moon after the equinox, which is why the dates are not fixed and float on a yearly basis. This year Ash Wednesday is February 22^nd and Easter is April 8^th (Lent can occur as early as February 4^th or as late as March 10^th). May this Lenten Season be one of meaning and significance for you and your families as we journey together to become more like Christ. Blessings!

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday is the official start of the Season of Lent.  It is a day to clean the soul before the Lent fast. Ashes, made by burning palm fronds which have been saved from the previous year’s Palm Sunday, are blessed. (Blessed ashes have been used in God’s rituals since the time of Moses). There is significance in using the palms in this manner.  Palm Sunday was the time when people rejoiced at Jesus’ triumphal entrance to Jerusalem.  They celebrated his arrival by waving palm fronds, little realizing that He was coming to die for their sins.  Using palms from Palm Sunday is a reminder that we must not only rejoice in the coming of Jesus, but also regret that our sins made it necessary for Him to die for our salvation.

The priest or assisting layperson, marks the forehead of each participant with these ashes, in the shape of a cross, which traditionally is retained until sundown (Children may wash it off sooner).  A mark on the forehead is a symbol of a person’s ownership. Having your forehead marked with the sign of a cross, symbolizes that you belong to Jesus Christ, who died on a cross.  Because the ashes are a sign, they are a reminder and an invitation.  Ashes remind us of what is left after chaos or catastrophe.  Ashes also remind us of a common origin (Genesis) and also of our end.  Ashes also invite us to repentance; to turn again to God and to receive new life.

While the ashes we receive are a sign of our humility and our penitence; they also remind us of our individual sins and the complexity of corporate sin.  However, more than anything, the ashes invite us into God’s presence, into God’s love, and into God’s gift of new life.

Please join us for our Ash Wednesday Service on February 22 at 9:00 a.m. at St. Martin’s Catholic Church.

Nut Allergies

As we have a number of students who have severe life-threatening allergies to nut products, we ask all students not to bring nuts, nut products or items that contain nut products to school at any time. We remind all families that this measure is taken to ensure the safety of our students and we thank you for your cooperation in this regard.

Edmonton Journal article

When asked what prompted her entry into the profession of teaching, Mrs. McMaster stated:

“I have always enjoyed being around children and the overall atmosphere of a school. I love that everyday is a new day and brings new challenges. “

Mrs. Master has a passion for early years education and one of her favorite experiences in education is seeing the growth that young people develop in their reading and writing skills.  Another favorite memory of Mrs. McMaster occurred when she was teaching kindergarten and the class visited the local RCMP detachment.  Mrs. McMaster recalls the cute questions and comments directed towards the police officers in attendance.

I have tried to give each teacher an opportunity to share any other thoughts that they may have.  Mrs. McMaster took full advantage of this opportunity when she stated:

“I have truly enjoyed the many students and parents that I have worked with since I began my career here at St. Martin’s. They all hold a special place in my heart, but my job could not be as meaningful and enjoyable without the amazing staff that I have worked with over the past 10 years!”

I can only speak for myself when I say that I hope there are many more years to come of teaching for you at St. Martins.  Your enthusiasm and commitment to the children and the learning in your classroom is very evident.

Livy Jeanne is a rising star on the country scene.

A few years ago, while teaching in Ardrossan, AB at Holy Redeemer Catholic School I had the pleasure of teaching a young woman who was passionate about music.  She worked hard at her school work, but her heart was with her music.  She often shared her gift at morning assemblies singing O Canada and at talent shows and other events.  Her name is Livy Jeanne and she is sharing her music and a message with the St. Martin’s community on the afternoon of February 8.  As a teacher, I saw Livy as a dedicated person, who seemed very happy in all that she did.  She left the school prior to her grade 9 year.  I assumed it was so that she could complete her school in an alternative way that would make following her music dream easier to work around school.

I have followed Livy the last few years through her website and her Facebook page and recently received an e-mail from her asking to visit St. Martin’s to share a message.  The message that Livy wants to share surprised me though.  It is a message about bullying.  Livy included two Youtube clips that I will post below about how it wasn’t always so great at school and those friends I thought she had were actually some of her biggest detractors.  They would tell her that she ‘wasn’t good enough’ or that she ‘wasn’t going to make it’.

As tough as it is for me to hear her share these words, it scares me to know that this was happening in my classroom and on the playground my colleagues and I were asked to supervise.  Livy will share a message through her words and her music about what young people should do to stand up for themselves by asking for help and getting assistance from those around them.