Superintendent's Message - May 2010

Religion in a wired world

The month of May with its freshness, greenness and signs of new growth in our northern climate is a great time to reflect upon some recurring themes: honoring Mary, the Mother of God and the model of perfect servantship, honoring our mothers and all those who support us as mother figures, and activities such as the first long-weekend family camping or lake outing.

As well, May signifies some yearly events for Edmonton Catholic Schools. Our 21st Annual Celebration of the Arts will be held at the Jubilee Auditorium on Wednesday, May 5, 2010 starting at 7:00 PM. The theme for this year’s event is ‘Reach High…Stars Lie in Your Soul’ and is sure to once again be a wonderful celebration of the diverse fine arts’ programming that is occurring in our District’s schools. One of the most difficult decisions for organizers is to have to choose only a certain amount of performances due to time constraints, knowing that all schools have groups that could be showcased!

By the end of May, the District will receive the keys to its three new schools: Monsignor William Irwin, Monsignor Fee Otterson, and Sister Annata Brockman. These Catholic schools, situated in Edmonton’s south and southwest areas, are sure to become exciting centers for student learning and focal points for many community activities. The District is also celebrating the addition of the following new programs for the 2010-2011 school year:

• Filipino Language and Culture, grade 10,  at Holy Trinity High School
• French Immersion, Kindergarten to grade 2,  at Monsignor William Irwin School
• Fine Arts Focus program, grades 7-12,  at Ecole J.H. Picard School
• Year Round Schooling,  at St. Catherine School
• Hockey Academy, grades 4-6,  at St. Benedict School
• 100 Voices, 3 ½  to 4 ½ year olds,  at Katherine Therrien, Monsignor Fee Otterson, and St. Elizabeth Schools
• Partners in Technology and Innovative Learning,  at Monsignor Fee Otterson School

Decisions regarding budget continue to be at the forefront of many dialogues. These economic times offer many challenges to overcome in order for our District to continue to offer the high quality Catholic education that has become the expectation for students attending Edmonton Catholic Schools.

May blessings be showered on all mothers as we celebrate their special day on May 9th!

Sincerely,

Joan Carr
Superintendent