St. Rose Catholic School Newsletter January

Administrator's Message

Our staff would like to extend a Happy New Year to all of our families!

January is a time for setting goals, re-establishing routines, and refocusing on learning. Classrooms will begin to buzz again as students settle back into their learning, reconnect with peers, and take on new challenges. We appreciate your continued support in ensuring students arrive prepared, on time, and ready to learn each day. We are deeply grateful to our school community for the incredible generosity shown during this year’s hamper collection. Together, we provided 15 hampers filled with food and gifts to support families at another junior high school within Edmonton Catholic Schools. Your kindness truly made a difference. A heartfelt thank you also goes out to the countless parents and grandparents who volunteered their time at our annual Christmas Pancake Breakfast. Your willingness to serve and share your time brought joy and warmth to our celebration. We could not have done it without you! We would also like to thank Mrs. Sporns and Mrs. Delancey for the extra time and effort that they put into organizing the event. As we begin this new year, we pray for God’s blessings of peace, joy, and hope upon you and your families. May 2026 be a year filled with grace and goodness. Erin Winch, Principal

Kyle Pisani, Assistant Principal

Christmas Concert

The Fine Arts Department of St. Rose welcomes you and your families to our Winter Concert on January 29. The event will begin at 6:30 pm and will feature our Grade 8 and Grade 9 Bands as well as some other unique and special solo performances. Student performers are asked to arrive at school at 6:00 PM. Grade 8 students are asked to meet in the music room. Grade 9 students are asked to meet in Mrs. Rakowski's room. 

End of Semester 1

January 27 is the end of semester one. We encourage parents to review their child's progress on PowerSchool and contact their child's teacher with any questions or concerns. Please note that the last day for students to hand in missing work for semester one is January 27. Please remember to pay school fees on PowerSchool if you have not already done so.

PAT Information

The government recently released the Provincial Achievement Schedule for May and June. We have included the dates below to assist you with your planning. Please note that the last exam will be June 23 which is also the last day of school for the 2025-26 school year.

Each year, all Grade 9 students throughout the province write provincial achievement tests in language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. Results from these tests provide Alberta Education, school administrators, teachers, parents, students, and the public with information about what students know and can do in relation to provincial standards at the end of Grade 9. Achievement tests are based on what students have learned throughout the school year and are marked by subject teachers before they are returned to Alberta Education. This allows teachers to get an initial look at the performance of the students in their classes and will enable them to use each child’s achievement test score as their final grade in each subject tested. In fall, an Individual Student Profile showing student achievement test results become available at the school. Alberta Education prepares this profile after the marking and scoring of tests has been completed and final scores are calculated; it presents a child’s performance on each test in relation to provincial standards. This information may be useful in planning your child’s instructional program for the coming year. You are invited to review your child’s results with his or her teacher and to discuss how results will be reflected in the instructional program that is planned for the coming year. Reports that show how well our students performed, as a group in relation to provincial standards will also be available at our school in the fall. All parents and other members of our community will be invited to our school to discuss the results at that time.

Grade 9 Farewell Date Change

Due to the announcement of the dates for the government-scheduled exams, we have changed the Grade 9 Farewell date to Friday, June 5. The Honours Awards Ceremony will take place on Tuesday, June 23 after the science exam

Solidarity Update: Celebrating Every Voice

In January, the Solidarity group is focusing on Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Freedom of Thought, Opinion, and Expression. Through this focus, we are celebrating the Humans of St. Rose and the many voices that make our school community unique. Students are contributing to our “Humans of Our School” bulletin board, highlighting stories, identities, and experiences that deserve to be seen and heard. In addition, Solidarity is hosting a Lunchtime Open Mic in Ms. Rakowski’s room, where students are invited to share poetry, music, or personal stories in a supportive and respectful space. At St. Rose, we believe that every voice matters, and we are proud to continue creating spaces where students can express themselves freely and authentically.

Attendance Matters

Regular attendance is one of the most important factors in student success. When students are in class consistently, they build strong relationships with teachers and classmates, stay on top of their learning, and develop good habits that will benefit them throughout life. Missing even a few days can make it harder to keep up with lessons, group work, and important announcements. At our school, we believe every day counts—because every day is a chance to grow, connect, and achieve. Let’s work together to make attendance a priority! At the beginning of the school year, parents/guardians were provided with the school calendar which outlines non-instruction days and planned school vacation periods. Please try to avoid planning family vacations during instructional days. We deeply value the partnership between home and school. When we work together, we ensure that every child can reach their full potential. If there are challenges affecting your child’s ability to attend school regularly – please do not hesitate to reach out. We are here to listen and help.

Yearbooks are available for pre-order

Yearbooks are available to be purchased on Parent PowerSchool. The cost is $35.00. Last year’s yearbook is beautiful and we look forward to all the memories this year’s book will hold.

Athletics Update

Congratulations to our volleyball teams who all had a successful season! Both of our senior teams lost close battles in the semi-finals. We are so proud of their sportsmanship and were impressed by the talent that they displayed on the court. Our junior teams were also very strong and showed excellence growth this season. Thank you to our coaches for volunteering their time: Mr. Whitehead, Ms. Shapka, Mrs. Zvonkovic-Muniz, Ms. Gonzales, Mrs. Myskiw, and Mrs. Wowczak. Basketball season is officially underway! Tryouts for the Senior Team are taking place this week, with Junior Team tryouts to follow shortly. Students interested in participating should keep an eye on Broadcast announcements and their Google Classrooms for important updates and details. We wish all our student-athletes the very best as they begin an exciting and rewarding season, good luck to everyone trying out!

January 30 Activity Day

On January 30, 2026, St. Rose students and staff will be participating in an activity day. Students will have the choice of Snow Valley or Millenium Place. Fees for your child’s choice can be paid on PowerSchool. There are limited spots on the ski trip so please ensure that payment is made promptly to secure your child's spot at the activity of their choice. Field trip forms were emailed to our families in December. There are also paper copies available in the office. Please return the form to your child's homeroom teacher.