June 2026 Newsletter

Administrator's Message June 2026

Dear St. Rose Families,

The entire staff of St. Rose wishes to express our gratitude to all of our parents for supporting the learning opportunities of our students. Thank you for assisting your children with their studies, extra-curricular endeavors, social justice efforts, and other events. Your ongoing involvement and encouragement are a critical reason for the level of excellence at St. Rose.

June is always a sad time as we say goodbye to some of our amazing staff members. Mr. Cimino is retiring after over 30 years as a teacher. In addition to being a math teacher, Mr. Cimino organized the pancake breakfasts and year-end barbecue. Every year, it is obvious how much Cimino is loved by the turnout of his former students at the Alumni basketball game. He has been an important part of St. Rose for many years and will be greatly missed. Mrs. Rakowski has accepted a position as a Creating Communities of Belonging consultant in our school division. Mrs. Rakowski began the Solidarity Team at St. Rose and has acted as our Truth and Reconciliation lead teacher. During her time at St. Rose, Mrs. Rakowski has transformed our school culture through her unwavering commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti‑racism. Her infectious spirit and genuine passion for this work have allowed her vision to spread well beyond her own classroom. Also, Mr. Baier will be leaving us to move to Louis St. Laurent. His calm demeanour and sense of humour made him a wonderful presence in our school. He was an exceptional coach for our Boys Soccer Team, Junior Girls Basketball Team, and City Championship Badminton Team. Mr. Lonsberry joined our staff in November and was loved by his students in social studies and language arts. He coached the Junior Boys Basketball Team, too. We wish him all the best in his career. Ms. Gonzales will be stepping away from St. Rose next year as she is expecting her first baby. We will miss her, but are very excited for her!

We are pleased to welcome back Mrs. Holli Iverson and Mrs. Kristen Block from their maternity leaves. We also have new teachers joining us: Ms. Olivia Babiak from Sir John Thompson, Ms. Megan Vuong from St. Edmund, and Ms. Dasha Rozhdestvensky from St. Brendan. We are thrilled to have these excellent educators join our team.

Erin Winch, Principal

Kyle Pisani, Assistant Principal

Standard of Student Dress Reminders

As the weather has warmed up, so has the temperature in our school building. We encourage students to dress for the temperature while keeping in mind that a school is a professional setting. We would like to remind families that we do have a Standard of Student Dress in our school, which "expects that students dress in a manner which is appropriate for the school day ... and in a manner which is comfortable that allows them to be authentically who they are." More specifically, underwear must not be visible or exposed, and buttocks and nipples must be covered with opaque fabric. A shirt or the equivalent (tops) must have fabric in the front, back, and sides under the arms. Also, in the St. Rose Standard of Student Dress, shirts consist of t-shirts, sweatshirts, sweaters, and tank tops. Therefore, shirts must have straps; tube tops and corsettes are not permitted unless worn under a cardigan.

School Council - Thank you

Special thanks to Kim Street (Chairperson), Christine DeRose (Treasurer), Michelle Casavant (Secretary), Miranda Jones (Casino), Michelle Bessette and Andrea Simon (Staff Appreciation) for the time and effort they have put into helping our school this year. We also had many other parents join us at our meetings, and we are so grateful.

🌟 Volunteers Needed for Our Casino Fundraiser 🌟

The St. Rose School Advisory Association has been granted a casino date on October 28 & 29, 2026 at the Starlight Casino located in West Edmonton Mall.  We are looking for volunteers to help make this important event a success. The casino fundraiser is our largest source of funding for our students, with funds raised going directly back to our school for resources, field trips, technology upgrades and many other enhancements.  We are seeking 42 volunteers for a variety of shifts and positions — no experience is necessary!   Use the attached link to sign up today.  Your support makes a huge difference for our school community. Thank you for helping support St. Rose students ❤️

Grade 9 Farewell June 5

Grade 9 Farewell is just around the corner! Thank you to the grade 9 teachers and the parent volunteers working diligently to plan this event. The evening will begin at 5:00 p.m. at St. John the Evangelist. All are welcome to attend this portion of the event. Grade 9 students can sit with their families at the church. We would request that due to the seating capacity of the church, each student may only bring a maximum of 4 guests. At 7:00 p.m., there will be pizza and a dance for students only. For safety reasons, students will not be permitted to leave the dance unless accompanied by an adult. If students wish to leave before 9:00 p.m., they must be picked up by their own parent. The dance will end promptly at 9:00 p.m. The cost of the dance is $15 per student, which can be paid on PowerSchool. Thank you to all of the parents who have volunteered to set up, and clean-up for the dance. The evening would not be possible without you.

Canteen Closing June 12

The last day of operation for our Canteen will be June 12. After this date, students will need to bring their own lunches to the school as there will be nothing available for purchase. Thank you to Mr. McGrath, Mrs. Myskiw, and Mr. Whitehead as well as many student volunteers for the time and effort that you put into Canteen this year!

Honours Ceremony June 23

A reminder:

An Honours/Honours with Distinction standing is achieved by obtaining an 80%/90% average, respectively, in the four subjects of Language Arts, Science, Math, Social Studies. There can be no final mark lower than 70% or with the overall level of achievement below “Proficient” in these subjects or any other subjects (core and complementary). Academic honesty must be maintained to be eligible for Honours/Honours with Distinction.

Students achieving Honours/Honours with Distinction for the final reporting period (end of June) will be invited to attend an Honours Ceremony to receive their Honours Certificate. Awards will be determined based on the year’s cumulative summative assessments, which will not include the final exams.

Invitations for the Awards Ceremony will be emailed on June 15. The schedule for the afternoon is:

Grade 7: 12:30 pm - 1:15 pm

Grade 8: 1:15 pm - 2:00 pm

Grade 9: 2:00 pm - 2:45 pm

June Exam Schedule

Final exams will be written from June 9 - June 23. A detailed schedule as well as a consent form for students to leave after the exams, if parents' consent, has been emailed home. Paper copies are also available for your child to pick up in the office. Parents will have the option to choose for their child to stay at school to study as well. Teachers will be available for tutorial sessions as needed. Please return the signed form to your child's homeroom teacher as soon as possible. Students will not be permitted to write exams early, as the exams are secure and may not be released until the scheduled time. Please note that students require a calculator for Math Part B and Science exams. Calculators will not be provided by the school.

June 15 - Year End BBQ

June 15 is our annual Year-End BBQ, organized by Mr. Cimino. A lunch consisting of a burger, salad, chips, and a drink will be served. This is a beautiful way for us to end the school year. The barbecue was a part of student fees collected at the start of the year, so students will not need to pay for this event, but ensure that you have paid your school fees.

Mr. Cimino is in need of parent volunteers to serve at the year-end BBQ. It is on June 15, please be at school at 11:30 a.m. We will be serving burgers and salad at noon. If you can help out please email Mr. Cimino at franco.cimino@ecsd.net. Thank you so much.

Badminton City Champs Congratulations to our badminton team who won their second straight City Championship! Many of our students also won medals in singles and doubles events: Audrey M. Girls Singles Gold Ella C. and Faye C. Girls Doubles Gold Aiden L. Boys Singles Silver Gabe M. and Miya X. Mixed Doubles Bronze Thank you to Ms. Shapka, Mr. Baier, and Mrs. Rakowski for volunteering to coach. What an incredible season!

Track and Field Cities

Congratulations to our athletes and coaches who survived the heat last week at the zone track and field meet. Good luck to the many students who qualified for the city meet on June 10. Thank you to our PE teachers, led by Mr. Whitehead, for coordinating this event.

Homeroom Configurations for 2026 -2027

We thank our staff for the great effort that they put into creating classes which will allow all students to find success at St. Rose. Students will be notified of their new classes and teachers on the first day of school. Please note that the class lists for the new school year will be created by your child’s present teachers. A great deal of time and effort goes into creating balanced learning groups for each class. Teachers take into consideration a number of criteria:

Ability Distribution – We strive to create a class grouping with a balanced range of abilities.

Support System – Each year, children make new friends, but it is important for them to have peer support as they move into a new grouping.

Work Ethic – Some students are highly independent and others require more support. It is important to have a mixture of different types of learners to create a supportive learning environment.

Behaviour – a mixture of students who require support and those who can act as strong role models creates a more positive learning environment.

Children with Exceptional Needs – It is important to have a balance of students who require academic challenge and support among the class groupings.

Children will encounter a variety of teacher personalities and styles as they move throughout their school experience. Often changes occur during the course of the school year. It is important for us to create strong, balanced learning groups that will support and encourage students to be the best that they can be under any circumstance.

We will always try our best to create a stable and strong learning environment where every attempt is made for your children to be successful. We ask that you trust that the teachers will work hard to create positive learning groups for all of our children.

Class lists will not be made public until the first day of school due to the possibility of last-minute changes.

Recognition of Pride Week June 1 - 5

Pride week is a recognition of the historical and ongoing struggles of 2SLGBTQ+ people for equal rights, safety, and acceptance. Our Catholic faith is one of welcome, as we are all children of God. All students, staff, and their families are welcome and safe in our schools.

National Indigenous Peoples' Month

June marks National Indigenous Peoples Month, a time to honour and celebrate the rich cultures, contributions, and accomplishments of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples across Canada. At St. Rose School, we recognize the deep significance of this month and the importance of continuing our journey toward truth and reconciliation.

As Canadians, learning about Indigenous histories and perspectives is an important part of understanding our shared heritage. By listening to Indigenous voices, learning the truth about our country's past, and building meaningful relationships based on respect and reconciliation, we can help create a more just and inclusive future for everyone.

On June 21, we also celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day, a day chosen because of its significance to many Indigenous communities who have long marked the summer solstice as a time of gathering, celebration, and connection. It is an opportunity to recognize the diverse cultures, languages, traditions and achievements of First Nations, Metis, and Inuit Peoples and to celebrate the vibrant contributions they continue to make to our communities and our country.

As a Catholic school community, we are called to walk together in solidarity, recognizing the dignity of every person and working together toward healing, understanding, and reconciliation. This month, we encourage all members of our community to learn, reflect, and celebrate the rich Indigenous heritage that is an essential part of Canada's story.

Families looking to continue their learning and celebration beyond the classroom are encouraged to visit the city of Edmonton's National Indigenous History Month and National Indigenous Peoples Day webpages, which feature a variety of cultural events, celebrations, learning opportunities, and community gatherings taking place throughout Edmonton during June.

Looking Ahead to the 2026 -2027 School Year

Monday, August 24  Office opens for inquiries and new registrations.

Tuesday, September 1 Meet the Staff Event 3:00 - 6:00 p.m. - bring your school supplies if you would like to set up your locker that evening.

Wednesday, September 2  Grade 7 student orientation. No school for grade 8 and 9 students.

Thursday, September 3  Grade 8 and 9 orientation a.m. No school for grade 7 students.

Friday, September 4  First day of classes for everyone.