Superintendent's Message - October 2009

Year 2 of Nothing More Beautiful

“You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us; for the rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God.”
(2 Corinthians 9: 11-12)

This quote from the New Testament ties together several themes that I wish to touch upon this month. The school year began with staff attending this year’s School Opening Mass held at the Winspear Center and presided over by Archbishop Richard Smith and Bishop David Motiuk. In his homily, Archbishop Smith stated that the role of Catholic education is to announce with clarity the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and in doing so, our school district participates in the mission of the church.

Archbishop Smith went on to say that to “assure consistency of meaning both from the heart of the speaker and in the mind of the listener,” our vocabulary has to be used with clarity and consistency of meaning.  Not an easy message to hear in these challenging times - challenges that are presented to us by government, society and within the struggles that many of our families find themselves.

I would like to whole-heartedly thank the many individuals and organizations that responded so quickly to the needs of our school community at Annunciation School by helping our staff and students and their families cope with the loss of their school due to the fire. Having so many people willing to assist with the clean-up and rebuilding of the damaged areas of the school surely demonstrates a whole community working together in a time of need.

Some great news to share is that Edmonton Catholic Schools’ district-wide enrolment (33,491 students as of Sept. 11) is higher than both the projected numbers from earlier this year, and the number of students in our district at this time last year. The growth in enrolment is quite evenly distributed across the city; however, there is a significant increase in our senior high school numbers.

Budget reductions to education funding just announced by the Alberta Government will pose challenges for school districts. The budget that has already been prepared by Edmonton Catholic Schools will have to be reduced by $ 341,000. How to best meet the ongoing needs of our students while maintaining the integrity of programming within all of our schools will be discussed by administrators and trustees alike. Seeking parental input and support is a necessity. Please consider getting involved with your school councils in order to advocate for continued high quality Catholic education.

I wish each of you a blessed Thanksgiving – one in which we examine the gifts that God has showered so generously upon us in order to more fully understand our mission here on earth as we continue to serve God and each other in a loving ministry.

Sincerely,

Joan Carr
Superintendent