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Champion Projects Grant Recipients

​Spring 2017 

​12 Grants


$22,250 Awarded


​4400 Students/Community Impacted


As one of the six Project Funds supported by the Foundation, it is our hope that our Champion Projects help the children and youth at ECS to: nurture their moral and spiritual development; develop their leadership and team-building skills; and to practice their Catholic social justice responsibilities.

New Endowment Fund

​Antonio (Tony) Henry Brophy (1933-2012) was a beloved teacher, mentor, shepherd and friend of the Edmonton Catholic School District for over three decades.  Born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, he grew up excelling at all sports, achieving outstanding male athlete at St Peter’s College in Muenster Saskatchewan.  After obtaining tradesmen papers as a printer, Mr. Brophy moved his wife and family to Edmonton where he worked as a graphic artist for 18 years.  In 1970 and with seven children at home, Mr. Brophy decided to go back to school and complete his Grade Twelve diploma.  While working two jobs to support his family, he enrolled at the University of Alberta and completed his Bachelor of Education in 1976.
​Mr. Brophy’s formal teaching career began and ended at St Joseph’s High School.  While teaching graphic arts, he again returned to school, this time to Newman Theological College where he was granted a Bachelor of Religious Education.  Always a faith-filled man, this was the degree that allowed Mr. Brophy to live out his faith fully, with his family, his staff, and most especially, his beloved students.  The focus of his teaching changed at this time from graphic arts to religious education and he quickly became known as the teacher who was always available to listen and to guide any student through any challenge be it academic, social or spiritual.  Throughout his tenure at St Joe’s and his volunteer work with students at St Alphonsus, Mr. Brophy considered his students as part of his family, and many of these students remain in close contact with his family today. 

The Whatsoever You Do Fund was established by Mr. Brophy’s family in recognition of his passion for life, his deep-rooted faith, and his love for everyone who crossed his path. The generated funds will be distributed  via our Helping Hands Fund which provides resources to assist schools in addressing particular student or student family emergency needs including-but  not limited to-clothing, food, shelter, health, and transportation.  

Champion Project Recipients

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Our Champion Projects are meant to offer financial grants for student-generated short term projects, which are supervised by school administration. Through this Fund, students demonstrate their social justice values, while also developing their leadership, communication, and team-building skills. Thus far this grant has impacted over 15,000 students and community members. 

The latest granting period awarded nearly $23,000 to 15 different projects, while impacting over 4500 students and community members. The next granting deadline is April 1, 2017. ​

Welcoming Two New Board Members

​
The Edmonton Catholic Schools Foundation is pleased to welcome two new members to its Board of Directors. 

Joining the Board are Mary Molloy and Dr. Christopher Leung. “We are very honoured to have Mary and Chris on our team. Their lives have embodied integrity, compassion, generosity, and selfless service in the community – especially to those in need. Their business acumen, non-profit experience, and outstanding leadership skills will greatly enhance the Foundation’s strategic fundraising efforts,” stated Mona-Lee Feehan, Chair of the Edmonton Catholic Schools Foundation Board.  

Mary Molloy’s career, both in the public and private sector, spanned 30 years working in government affairs, community relations and stakeholder engagement.  Mary also has been involved in the community serving on the Board of Governors of St. Joseph’s College, chaired the 2001 Sign of Hope Campaign, was co-chair of the Archdiocesan Cornerstone of Faith Campaign and is a past Provincial of Friars Gala.  Currently Mary is a member of the Edmonton City Centre Church Corporation’s (E4C) Board of Directors, and Vice Chair of the Edmonton Archdiocesan Council of the CWL. She has a BCom from the University of Saskatchewan and Diploma of Corporate Communications from Boston College.  In 2013, Mary received the Kevin Carr Christian Leadership Award from Newman Theological College.  Mary and her husband David McKinlay are members of St Joseph Basilica Parish.

Recruited from Hong Kong, Christopher Leung joined Catholic Social Services/Catholic Charities in 1981 as Director of Administration. He retired in 2012 after completing a 10-year commitment as Chief Executive Officer. Other than serving on the Foundation’s Board, he is on the Board of Trustees of the Council on Accreditation, a social services accreditation body based in New York. He has training in [B.Soc .Sc. (Hons.), MA, MS and PhD] Social Work, Social Policy, Public Administration and Management Studies.

​Serving on the Board requires dedication, time and passion to serve the best interests of the children and youth attending Edmonton Catholic Schools. The staff and current Board are extremely grateful that Mary and Chris, are offering their time and talents to strengthening our Foundation. 

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​Champion Project Recipients Announced


​ 
Thank you all for your hard work and dedication.

​In total, 15 grants were awarded with an impact of over 6000 children

and staff!

St. Jerome 'School Chapel' - Currently at St.Jerome there is no space for students to purposefully or meaningfully reflect on their spiritual growth. Students attend Edmonton Catholic Schools with the expectation that they will be developing their faith and this will be provide an opportunity for students’ spiritual growth.
St. Mark 'Pop-Up Prayer Space' -  Creating a permanent outdoor prayer space, which through innovative design ideas would be welcoming and accessible throughout the winter months as well, in conjunction with the idea of indoor “pop-up” prayer space-which would function as a movable “kit” and changing /evolving prayer activities.

St. Mark 'We are Dreamers' - A St. Mark student who is currently receiving cancer treatment at the Stollery has a dream to help raise money to build a children’s hospital in Edmonton. The school's leadership team’s dream is to support him in making a positive and lasting contribution to our Edmonton community. With the support of the Child Life Team at the Stollery, they will work together to tell and document the stories, and how a local children’s hospital will have a positive impact for themselves and their families), through words and pictures, of youth currently receiving treatment for a life threatening illness at the Stollery. 
Austin O'Brien 'The Game Squad' - The project will encompass students who are at risk of not completing high school because they do not feel a sense of connection with peers. We are determined to create an environment for students who feel isolated and alone by encouraging them to attend our weekly game sessions.
St. James, Annunciation, Archbishop O'Leary 'Father Mike-Best Conference' - The conference provides an opportunity to engage learners beyond the walls of the school, connecting students with professionals and like-minded enthusiasts from the fields of science. St. James will be host again this year for the 5th (Father Mireau) BEST Conference on April 16, 2016 for approximately 200 ECSD grade 4-6 students.
H.E. Beriault 'Breakfast for Bears' - The goal is to teach students, staff and parents about what it means to be healthy in body, mind and spirit.We provide healthy "food facts" on our morning announcements about how to know what constitutes a healthy breakfast and snack. These facts are published in our school newsletter and on our website. On Thursdays, we prepare the food and distribute it to the whole school throughout the week. 
Our Lady of Peace 'Faith Formation' - The aim of this project is to infuse Our Lady of Peace with more faith based school wide activities throughout the year.
 
Our Lady of Peace 'Church Music Resources' - Currently the school does not have any Church music resources other than old photocopies and of course anything offered for free on the internet. We believe that our students and our school deserve to have access to music resources that would be found in any of our Edmonton area Churches. 
Anne Fitzgerald 'Angels' - Our plan is to create joint activities for our seniors and the students of Anne Fitzgerald School. They would have the opportunity to interact and strengthen their faith, relationships and acceptance of seniors in the community. The classes would buddy up for each of the visits so the whole school would have the opportunity to participate.
Ben Calfe Robe 'Birch Box Blessings' - Students and their families will be able to request support for food, clothing and transportation. Gift cards will be on hand and distributed through consultation with the school social worker and principal or assistant principals. Each time a request if fulfilled, the family will be presented with a small hand made birch box filled with traditional medicines such as sage and sweet grass along with student written blessings.
St. Augustine 'Helping Hands' - this is a project to get the students into our community to serve others. This helps to take social justice activities beyond collecting money to help charities help others. Each class in the school will research a local charity that they can help to serve or a social justice action that they can provide in the community. This project will allow our students to put research into action into the community by providing funds to go to these charities to help serve there or to put their social justice idea into action in direct service to our local community.
Annunciation 'Garden of Grace' - The school does not have a designated chapel within the building where the entire school community can worship together on a regular basis. However, we have large space outside the school that is currently grass. It is our wish to create a Garden of Grace in the space which would become an outdoor sacred space available at all times to the whole community. Each grade would contribute to the creation of the garden touching on specific grade outcomes.
St. Pius X 'Relational Learning Commons' - With 'relationships' at the heart of the project, our project will create spaces in the library where students and staff can create authentic, meaning relationships with their peers, teachers, media, books and technology and with Jesus as we will have a space for reflection and prayer.
St. Francis Xavier 'Cultivating a Culture of Care' The school currently has concrete picnic tables, unfortunately they cannot utilize them as they need a concrete pad for them to be placed on (otherwise they sink into the ground). The goal is to create a space that can be utilized in a number of ways:
as a study space, an outdoor classroom, a place to have lunch, and to pray. Not only do we want a place for the tables but we also want to create a space where students feel a connection to nature.
St. Francis of Assisi 'The Moo Crew' - The school will utilize funds gained from this initiative to pay for milk that the school purchases each week. St. Francis of Assisi uses over $200.00 in milk that is delivered each week to make sure all our students receive a healthy breakfast. They receive donations of cereal from a variety of resources, but don't have the funds to support a milk program to go along with the donations.
We Belong

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We had an opportunity to attend a wonderful "We Belong" Celebration at Monsignor Fee Otterson School. The school received a Champion Project grant to help students focus on the power of positive language and become champions of a safe and caring school.

Catholic Education Sunday 


Each year, Catholics all over the world set aside a special day of worship to give thanks and to celebrate the gift of Catholic education.  November 1, 2015 has been designated by the Catholic Bishops of Alberta and the Northwest Territories as Catholic Education Sunday.  Our theme for this year, Our Schools as Islands of Mercy, is a reference to Pope Francis’ 2015 Lenten message where he expressed: “How greatly I desire that all those places where the Church is present, especially our parishes and our communities, may become islands of mercy in the mist of the sea of indifference!”  Our schools are truly a place of encounter with Christ; they are truly a place where the Church is present.  Thank you to each and every one of you for bringing this vision to life.  Let us all take the time on this special day to give thanks for the abundance that Catholic education brings to our students as they learn, to our staff as they live out their vocation, and to our society as we help to build the Kingdom of God!

​Join us in making every day a celebration of Catholic education!

Source: Edmonton Catholic Schools District

Dream Big and Read!

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During the week of October 5-9, the Staff and Board Members of the Foundation went out to local schools and took over 600 children on a unique journey through reading. 

The purpose of READ IN week is to create greater awareness of the importance of reading. Reading inspires dreams. Without books how would your dreams know where to begin? 

We are very thankful to have been invited to over 10 schools in our district. The children were inspirational, imaginative and even asked tough questions such as: Are you a magician? Do you have a son? or simply-why are you so tall?  

The experience enabled us to share our love of reading, feed the children's imagination and hopefully inspired them to dream big. 

Thank you and keep reading!

Dreams for Kids

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​During the summer, the Edmonton Catholic Schools Foundation has worked on developing a brand that better communicates our commitment to helping the children and youth of our District, especially those in need, while also fulfilling our broader mission of enhancing awareness and funding for Catholic education in Edmonton. Why change our look? Since we’re in “start-up” mode, we want to create a strong visual representation of our purpose. As part of this new branding, you will see us using the slogan: Dreams for Kids. The values of our Catholic School District, as well as the children we serve each day, along with their dreams, are what inspire us. Pope Francis echoed this message while recently visiting a school in Harlem, New York. “You have a right to dream,” he told the children… and “wherever there are dreams, there is joy. Jesus is always present because Jesus is joy.” Our new logo, drafted through the creative efforts of Annette Ferguson and the generous support of Edmonton Catholic Schools, symbolize that reality: INSPIRED by Faith, EMBRACED by Love and EMPOWERED by Hope, Dreams for Kids raises funds in support of the Edmonton Catholic Schools Foundation. Children in our schools often face barriers that limit them from reaching their full potential. In consultation with the District, we have identified five areas of support that will help break down some of those barriers: nutrition programs, emergency funding, recreation activities, mental health support and early intervention through the 100 Voices programs. In addition, we will continue to fund our Champion Project grants for school initiatives. Dreams for Kids is committed to breaking down barriers

Award of Recognition From the Consulate General

​of the Republic of Poland: Szymon Bamburak

by Marc Barylo, Foundation Director
I am pleased to inform you that the Foundation’s Director of Operations, Szymon Bamburak, was the recipient last week of a prestigious Award of Recognition from the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland. It was presented by Marcin Bosacki, Polish Ambassador to Canada, and Krzysztof Olendzki, Consul General in Vancouver. This award acknowledges Szymon’s leadership, determination and enthusiasm in promoting Polish culture and heritage in Edmonton through his community involvement. Szymon founded the Polish Student’s Association at the University of Alberta and served as its President from 2006-2009. He also serves as Vice President of the Poland in the Rockies Conference, serves as volunteer Museum Director at the Canadian Polish Historical Society and is current President of the Polonia Social Club, which promotes social events for new Polish immigrants and young families. As you know, Szymon is also deeply involved in preparing for the 2016 World Youth Day in Poland.

Congratulations, Szymon! We are all proud of you and grateful that you are sharing your many gifts with all of us at the Foundation!​

Champion Grants at Work-


St. Justin Elementary School’s project Spiritual Space; Prayer Place received a $2500 grant to help students create an outdoor learning space that will showcase the school’s Catholic Identity.  The rosary garden is being built right now with the Champions grant. It is already a beautiful sacred space to gather at.

Edmonton Catholic Schools' 


Got Talent

On April 25th the Foundation organized Edmonton Catholic Schools' Got Talent at Mother Margaret Mary High School. Over 86 acts auditioned from nearly 30 schools in Edmonton for this inaugural event. The judges put 10 acts through to the finals, while one act was chosen by an online vote. Two teacher acts also performed in the finals. In total, over 30 volunteers helped bring more than 250 parents, teachers, students and community members for an evening celebrating ECSD's amazing talent while supporting the Catholic message. 

The foundation gave away just over $5000 in prizes to students and their schools. 

Former Edmonton Archbishop Keeping 

an Eye on Kindness-June 21, 2014

If you’ve ever looked Archbishop Joseph MacNeil in the eyes, chances are you’ll never forget them.

Big and blue. Warm and compassionate. They seem to be always wide open and full of wisdom.

And over nine decades, they have witnessed countless things: births, weddings, funerals, great successes and disappointments.

Born April 15, 1924, in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Archbishop MacNeil was ordained as in priest in 1948. He was appointed bishop of the Archdiocese of Edmonton in 1973 until 1999.