Catholic Schools Week

February 12th to 16th

Catholic Schools Week is a annual event during which the entire community comes together to celebrate Catholic education and our school in particular. Beginning with a prayerful opening assembly, the activities included celebrating getting up early for the Shrove Tuesday pancake breakfast, Ash Wednesday Mass at Camp Assiniboia, 100 Day celebrations, bowling, Adrenaline Adventures, and Harbourview winter fun. Teachers, along with their approximately 500 colleagues from all across Winnipeg, spent their Friday at the annual Catholic Schools Day Conference. We were proud that our Principal, Dr. Penny, was one of the session facilitators.

Developing a Personal Relationship with Jesus

SCCS students make time to get to “Know Him”

Grade 8 Retreat St. Malo: “Our Personal Relationship With Jesus”

On Friday, October 24th, the Gr. 8 Religion class bussed to the little town of St. Malo for their annual retreat held at the Catholic School of Evangelization.

The theme chosen for the retreat this year was “Our Personal Relationship With Jesus”.  This theme was selected because of its ability to provide a foundation for ongoing reflection by the Grade 8 students throughout the school year and will serve as the central theme for the Grade 8 Farewell Mass.

Upon arriving at St. Malo, the students from SCCS were warmly welcomed by young adult missionaries and high school volunteers, all members of the Catholic Outreach Team.

The following excerpts describe the overall experience in the students’ own words:

“They welcomed us, and after putting away all of our belongings, we split into small groups and were assigned a group leader. Lots of sharing went on in these groups, then we met back in the chapel area. In the chapel, we shared information, sang songs, and this set the tone for our day. After some more small group sharing, we headed over to the church, which was absolutely beautiful! There we sang more songs, listened to different speakers, had a meditation period, and then it was time for lunch!”

“After lunch, we headed outside to enjoy the beautiful weather and some team-building activities. Back in the chapel, we discussed our relationship with Jesus on a more serious level. Our final activity was a lot of fun because we got to go back outside and do some role-playing skits. We didn’t realize how many actors and actresses we have in our class!”

“Overall, it was a great day, with some good learning/sharing of experiences.”

Any family wishing for more information about student retreats coordinated by the Catholic School of Evangelization are encouraged to contact the coordinator Amber at cse@catholicway.ca or to check the website at http://www.catholicway.info.

2014 marks only the second year that the senior SCCS students travelled to St. Malo. In the past, student retreats have been held at the St. Charles Retreat Center, at St. Charles Church and at the school.

Growing in Faith, Together with the “Good Shepherd”

Staff Faith Development Program

On October 23^rd, the staff of SCCS visited the Atrium at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church where the catechesis of the Good Shepherd is offered. Maureen, the parish catechetical coordinator, gently led the 25 adult educators through the parable of the Good Shepherd, using  little figurines, and biblical readings in the style used with children between the ages of 3-6. Then the group was invited to explore the centers available throughout the atrium, including a diorama of the Sea of Galilee, a little prayer corner, and a child-sized altar, complete with vessels and vestments.

This catechesis style was developed by Sofia Cavalletti and her Montessori collaborator, Gianna Gobbi, in Rome in the 1950’s. It has been offered in various parishes in both the Winnipeg and St. Boniface Archdiocese.

Every year, the staff at SCCS take the time to develop their own faith. This year the focus by staff is the development of personal prayer lives. At the induction ceremony at the first school Mass, each staff member received a copy of “With Open Hands” by Henri Nouwen. This little pocket primer begins with the story of a woman learning to shift from living with clenched fists to living with open hands – a concept on which the staff will be reflecting throughout 2014-2015.

Throughout the year, the staff will be visiting various locations within the Archdiocese and experiencing the different prayers styles offered within the charisms of the religious institutions.

Grade 2 Friendship Celebration

Learning to be Friends “in” Jesus

The annual Grade 2 Friendship Celebration was held on October 22^nd with students and families of the Grades 2 and 1-2 classes present. Mrs. Baker and Mrs. Langlois coordinated the event which included songs, actions, and individual student prayers. The morning celebration concluded with crafts and refreshments in the cafeteria.

Grade 4 Bible Retreat

Learning to “know God”  †   Learning to “love Him”  †   Learning to “serve Him”

The annual SCCS Grade 4 Bible Retreat was held on October 8th and the formal Bible Celebration was held on October 9th.

Students of Mrs. Booth-Smith and Mrs. Prettie joined together to prepare for the awesome gift of the Word of God through prayer, community, and reflection.