August/September 2025

August/September 2025 Message

Welcome to the 2025-2026 school year! A new school year calls us to continue our Catholic educational journey, walking together in truth, goodness, and beauty.  You will see me return to these themes often in my messages. They remind us to seek truth in our learning, to live with goodness in our actions, and to recognize the beauty of God’s presence in one another and in the world around us.

TRUTH. We are in the final year of our Division Plan for Continuous Growth 2023-2026 (Year 3). At the heart of the plan is our mission to provide a Catholic education that inspires students to learn and that prepares them to live fully and to serve God in one another. Our priorities, as established by the Board of Trustees, continue to be: Living our Faith, Learning Excellence, Organizational Excellence, and Embracing Diversity. You can learn more about our goals and strategies for the year by reading the Division plan.

In order to bring the Division plan to life, every ECSD school creates an annual School Plan for Continuous Growth. You can explore your school’s plan by visiting the Assurance Dashboard on the school website and clicking on School Plan. Here you will find various measures of school success to show your school’s progress towards its plan.  

GOODNESS. The saints show us how to pursue goodness until we find God. It is therefore exciting for our students that Blessed Carlo Acutis is being canonized on September 7 and will become the first millennial saint. He was chosen as the namesake for our new Catholic high school, which is set to open in the fall of next year, because his life provides an example to young people how to live a life of goodness in this modern age.

BEAUTY. At Edmonton Catholic Schools, we infuse our students with the beauty of the Catholic faith. In doing so, we hope to strengthen the relationship between school, home, and parish. As Father Paul says in his letter, “Together, home, school, parish, and Archdiocese, we unite in prayer for a year filled with learning, joy, and the peace of Christ.”

Our “People of Hope” theme continues this year in order to align with the Church’s Jubilee Year celebration, for which our late Pope Francis approved the theme “Pilgrims of Hope.” Catholic education is similar to a pilgrimage, and as part of this journey our students and staff will continue to explore the Jubilee theme of hope through the Church’s teachings and events.

In closing, many of you are aware of the potential for labour action this fall involving all Alberta teachers. We recognize that the uncertainty surrounding potential labour action can be difficult for families and staff. As a Division, we remain hopeful that a resolution will be reached between the Teachers’ Employer Bargaining Association and the Alberta Teachers’ Association. We will continue to keep families updated through our Labour Update page and SchoolMessenger, which includes information on the bargaining process and answers to common questions, such as how families can prepare in the event of a strike.

I would like to thank you for choosing Edmonton Catholic Schools. We are honoured that you have entrusted us with providing a Catholic education for your family. It is a privilege to walk with our students on this journey, filling their minds with truth, their hearts with goodness, and their souls with beauty.

Have a wonderful school year!

 Sincerely, 

 Lynnette Anderson, Chief Superintendent    

• To see our upcoming Division events, visit ecsd.net/calendar
• Read Archdiocesan Administrator Father Paul Kavanagh's August message
• Learn more about the 2025-2026 school year