École Our Lady of the Rosary School – Bridging the Gap

The school will continue to partner with Sylvan Lake’s seniors’ lodges and extended care centres to bridge the gap between generations. This project goal is to improve the well-being for all who participate by showing regardless of age; everyone can make a difference in the lives of others. This project has been given $500.


Testimonial

“Each grade level had the opportunity to visit seniors this year. The picture above is of Grade 2 students after teaching seniors how to make tissue paper butterflies using clothespins and pipe cleaners. The students also read to the seniors in French and in English and asked them questions all about their lives. Lots of stories were shared by both the kids and seniors.”

Father Henri Voisin School – Packing up for Literacy

Grade 5 students will create literacy backpacks for elementary students. These backpacks will contain pictures and a variety of activities which will incorporate reading, writing, speaking, listening and viewing to help the reader better understand the text. This allows students to foster an enjoyment of reading and help students become stronger in their literacy skills. This project has been given $600.

Testimonial:

This project enhances Catholic education through humanness, teaching younger children how to love, and understand what they read through games. Using rationality to take and expand on their knowledge of comprehension. The students used the money to buy books and materials to build their games and activities. The students had a budget to work with and they put that budget into use at the local dollar store, making sure they did not spend more than they had. They came back and made their activities and games, and then mentored Grade 3 students.

Grade 5 students learned valuable life skills throughout this project including how to budget, how to manage their time, and how to work with a group for a common goal. They have learned to work with younger students through mentoring and planning age-appropriate games.

Father Henri Voisin School – Servant Leadership

Grade 5 students can participate in a servant leadership group, which serves the school community. Students will be able to take on leadership roles as faith, literacy, and active living mentors, as well as participating in literacy, spirit, art, games and technology groups. This initiative has been allocated $1000.

Testimonial

“Grade 5 Leadership is an important part of our school culture.  Our Grade 5 Leaders learn about service and help make our school student-centred.  These leaders share their God-given talents with our school community in a variety of ways to make our school an even better place to be.  Some of the leadership roles include the following:

1). Faith – leading prayer at assemblies and the Living Rosary, leading a fundraising initiative with proceeds to go to our needy families at Christmas time

2). Leading Bucket Filling Assemblies

3). Leading activities at lunch recess for students

4). Planning and orchestrating special events such as Math Day, Spirit Days, Earth Days, etc.

5). Planning and orchestrating activities to promote the FNMI culture

6). Planning and orchestrating wellness activities

7.) Students design and have Leadership T-Shirts

8.) Develop and serve the Tasty Treat Healthy Snack

We anticipate that the leadership skills learned and practiced by these students will help them to become active members of society and our Catholic faith.  In the past, part of the success of this program can be attributed to the funds received by the RDC Education Foundation. We sincerely thank this foundation for their financial commitment and hope that they will continue to support this worthy initiative.”

Holy Family School – Living the Faith Retreats

Students in Grade 1 to 5 will attend Our Lady of Victory Camp for a full day to focus on the virtues of friendship and kindness. These retreats will have emphasis on empowering students with a missionary spirit to be transformational in society. This initiative has been allotted $4500.

Holy Trinity Catholic School – Positive Mental Health Resources

The school will use the allotted $3300 in funds towards self-regulation items and resources to help students strive for positive mental health. These tools allow students to focus on their needs, such as self-control, social skills, self-esteem, anxiety, etc.

Maryview School – Our Lady of Victory Camp Retreat

Students in Grade 3 to 5 attend Our Lady of Victory Camp for a full-day of faith-based activities that are based on the faith theme “All are welcome. All belong.” This retreat offers students to encounter Jesus, the Bible and a prayer community. This initiative has been allocated $1240.

Testimonial

Maryview School – Passionate Leaders

Teachers will select students in Grades 3 to 5 who excel in their studies and have leadership potential will be invited spend a day with community experts in an effort to discover, develop and deepen their passion for an area of study. Seminar topics include faith leaders, newspaper reporters, engineers, architects, city council/mayor, farmers, criminologists, scientists, bankers, etc. Students will also have the opportunity to choose a service group to work with, such as the Ronald McDonald House. This program has been allotted $1432.

Testimonial

St. Elizabeth Seton School – Kind Kids Club

A Kind Kids Club will be developed for Grade 3 to 5 students to create and enhance the school community. This group will organize school activities, promote positive mental health and implement initiatives to improve the well-being of students by using the medicine wheel as a guide. This project was given $600.

Testimonial 

St. Francis of Assisi Middle School – Living the Faith Retreats

Grade 7 and 8 students will attend retreats at Our Lady of the Victory Camp that focus on faith development and confirmation. This initiative has been allotted $4050.

Testimonial 

“We wish to extend our thanks and gratitude to the Education Foundation Grant for contributing to the Our Lady of Victory Camp retreats this year. The continued support of the Education Foundation Grant has been invaluable in allowing St. Francis students the opportunity to provide such engaging and meaningful Christ-centered experiences for our students.

This year the students engaged in a number of different activities that helped them learn about faith as well as engage in nature. The activities included; Saint Skits, Nature Reflection Walks, Capture the Flag and a session on our division theme “All are Welcome, All Belong”.

The students joyfully engaged in these activities and had positive feedback such as…

  • “ I liked the saint skits because you got to ask for those saints to pray for you”  (Grade 7 student)
  • “ It was a more hands-on experience in learning about God.” (Grade 8 student)
  • “ We did lots of fun activities” (Grade 8 students)
  • “ It was very fun” (Chester Peralta Grade 7)
  • “ I enjoyed the nature walk and had fun acting” (Grade 8 student)

At St. Francis we place a great deal of value in engaging our student body in activities that relate a relationship to God with fun and joyful activity. We also value experiences where students see the glory of God through nature and the world around them. With the help of the Education Foundation Grant, we were able to bring these experiences to our student body and help them see the joy in a relationship with Jesus. Thank you for your support in our endeavours to bring Christ to our students.”

St. Francis of Assisi Middle School – Health & Wellness Project

As a continuation of a positive mental and physical health program that was developed in September 2016, students will be able to participate again in this project for the upcoming school year. The goal of this project is for students to develop leadership skills and modelling positive behaviours, while improving aspects of mental and physical health. This project has been given $2500.

Testimonial

“Thank you to the Education Foundation for supporting our recognition program, designating funds to the prizes, games and activities that students and staff participate in and receive.  Our recognition program helps encourage students to live a life according to Christ, show kindness, school pride and respect in their day to day actions. This program helps us build a positive, joyful community.”