End of the School Year Message & Prayer

The end to a school year fills us all with a myriad of emotions . . . happiness with the many accomplishments experienced and hard work coming to an end but sadness as we bid farewell to some staff & students.

The scripture readings from the Year End Mass on June 28 organized by the 4V & 4B classes remind us of our beauty when they announce such things as: You are God’s own people … His chosen people. You are the light of the world… especially to those around us and those among us who are in need.

We celebrate today and sing of God’s greatness for we are good people.  God has filled us with His light and His love.  God has chosen us as his own.  We are always His . . . always loved.  This is the good news that Jesus came to bring us. This is the good news that we are called to share with others through our words and deeds. 

One of the principles that I strongly believe is that we must put feet to our faith.  Our actions must reflect our words. At St. Clare we have done just that this year… with Mercy on our minds and hearts.  We have practiced shining the light of God’s love and of the good news through our Community of Caring activities and social justice initiatives during the past school year. Our light has been evident when we treated others with respect and caring and when we helped the poor and less fortunate.  (ex. Terry Fox Run; leadership Theme Days, SVdP Food & Toiletry Drive; ) 

Since we are God’s chosen people, God continues to call us to shine even as our school year and faith focus of Mercy draws to a close.  We are to continue to live the Golden rule and make God’s love and light present everyday – whether we are at a park, on the beach, in the backyard or at a friend’s home.  Let us always remember who we are in God’s eyes and ask God to help us keep our lamps burning brightly.

 

As we go our separate directions for the summer and spending time relaxing with family, I would like to wish all of our families at St. Clare a very happy & safe summer.  See you in September! 

I would like to conclude with a short prayer which reflects the spirit of this time of year . . .

St. Clare Play Day : Canada 150

On the last day of school,  the students of 4V along with the rest of St. Clare enjoyed fun in the sun with our annual Play Day.  The theme of the Play Day was Canada 150.  All the games and activities were based on various aspects of Canada.

The students want to thank the many parents who served as volunteers helping to make this event fun and enjoyable. Below are some pictures from the morning. 

The Play Day was followed by our second annual Talent Show.  It concluded with the distribution of Progress Reports, some hugs & high-fives, a few tears and many good-byes to friends. 

As we go our separate directions for the summer and spending time relaxing with family, I would like to wish you and your family a very happy & safe summer.  See you in September!

Gr. 4 Calgary Zoo Field Trip

On June 2, 2017, the Gr. 4 classes went on a field trip to the Calgary Zoo. The excursion proved to be an enjoyable day but full learning with many ties to the Social Studies and Science curriculum. 

The students and teachers want to thank the parents who served as volunteers accompanying on this memorable event. Below are some pictures from the field trip.

Science 4V: "Plants Are Important" Project

Plants Are Important

Plants are the backbone of all life on Earth and an essential resource for human well-being. Recently, the students explored about how their everyday life depends on plants.  Specifically, they have explored the following areas regarding the importance of plants in the environment: 


- Source of food
- Shelter
- Oxygen supply
- Prevention of soil erosion

Individually or in groups of two, the students' task was to create a poster, Google slide, Prezi or Power Point presentation which illustrates how plants are important to humans and the environment.  In their respective projects, the students were to should explain at least six different ways that plants are essential to our well-being. Additionally, the projects, through a combination of images and written text, were to demonstrate their knowledge of the content in a visually appealing way. 

The following are examples of content examined as well as some of the student work that was created:



Religion 4V - “The Church: The Community of Jesus’ Disciples” Project

 

 

Jesus used many images to describe the relationship between Him and God’s people.  The following are some references used in scripture which speak of this relationship.

• The vine and the branches
• The shepherd and the sheep
• The foundation and the house

Individually or in groups of two, the students task was to create a poster visual which illustrates how the Church is the community of Jesus’ disciples.  The images mentioned in the scripture references above must be incorporated into the poster. 

The following are examples of some of the student work that was created.

 

Sacramental Recognition Celebration - May 29th, 2017

One of the things for which we as Catholics are grateful is the sacraments of our faith.  Sacraments are signs of God’s grace.  They are ways in which God touches our lives and makes us more like Christ.  We were honoured to have worked in conjunction with personnel from Ascension Parish as well as other parishes in the Diocese of Calgary where our students have been attending with their families.   

On the afternoon of May 29th, we gathered as a school community to recognize and honour the students at St. Clare who received Sacraments in Baptism, Holy Communion, Reconciliation, and Confirmation at different points throughout the school year. The numbers of students from St. Clare receiving Sacraments this year was quite impressive as noted below. 

                                                                 

         
Baptism – 11 Students

                                                   Holy Communion – 43 Students

 

       

Reconciliation – 46 Students

 

                                                     

                                                           Confirmation - 32 Students

In celebration of these honours, students received commemorative Sacramental tokens, certificates and a special treat. We would like to congratulate all students involved in receiving their respective Sacraments at Ascension Parish and other parishes in the Diocese of Calgary.



 

Applause Elementary Speech & Drama Festival - May 11th, 2017

On May 11th, 2017, the 4V class participated in the annual Applause Elementary Speech & Drama Festival held in the Engineered Theatre in the Arts Commons Theatre in downtown Calgary. This two-day festival has expanded to include performances from 17 different classes from the CSSD.

Recent weeks have seen the students of 4V preparing their performance of the “Parable of the Pencil".

This poem was selected because we can all relate it to our own lives.

• This parable may encourage you to know that you are a special person, with unique God-given talents and abilities.
• Only you can fulfill the purpose, which you were born to accomplish.  
• While we all need to be constantly sharpened, it reminds us to never allow yourself to get discouraged and think that your life is insignificant and cannot be changed. 
• Like the pencil, always remember that the most important part of who you are, is what’s inside of you. 

Below is a segment of the poem that they will be performing. . .

The students enjoyed the experience of performing in this venue and want to thank the parents who served as volunteers accompanying on this memorable event. Below are some pictures of the performance.

 



Religion 4V: "New Life" Project

 

Recently, the 4V class concluded our study of the Lenten and Easter season. The word Lent comes from the Anglo-Saxon word for springtime ”lencten” which describes the gradual lengthening of daylight after the winter solstice.  Thus, closely associated with the transition from winter to spring is the Lenten Season – the period of preparation for in the death and resurrection of Christ at Easter.  Consequently, as part of our Catholic faith and traditions, we believe that from the sacred and blessed event of Easter stems or springs NEW LIFE.

The students' task was to incorporate the knowledge obtained in religion about the Lenten and Easter Season as you create a visual considering the following two options based on the theme of new life. The students had the choice of creating an illustrative collage, print media collage, Google Slide, Power-Point Presentation or Pic Collage that highlights the required information explored with this topic.

The following are examples of some of the student work that was created.

Science 4V: Simple Machines Collage Project

Simple machines make work easier for us by allowing us to push or pull over increased distances. The six main types of simple machines include:

Individually, or in pairs, the students were to incorporate the knowledge obtained in this unit on Simple Machines to create a print media collage that highlighted key examples of the different types found in the home, school and in community.  Pictures and letters are to be taken from magazines, newspapers and images from the internet.  The following are examples of some of the student work that was created.