Chief Superintendent Lynnette Anderson's December 2025 Message
The season of Advent is upon us, when our amazing ECSD community celebrates that “The Word became flesh and lived among us” (John 1:14). There are far too many events between now and Christmas for me to share them all in this brief December Message, so I will only highlight a few reflections according to my usual themes of truth, beauty, and goodness.
TRUTH. In response to the instructional time lost to the labour dispute, there has been much discussion about potential changes to the school calendar. The cancellation of the January Diploma Exams and the ensuing cancellation of exam week have allowed high schools to add seven instructional days to the end of the first semester. This modification in high schools will be the only change to the 2025-2026 school calendar. At the elementary and junior high levels, our Learning Services consultants and staff have implemented new cross-curricular plans and realigned the pacing guides for the remainder of the school year. These modifications will ensure learning outcomes are met without the need to change the school calendar for elementary and junior high schools.
GOODNESS. One of the best things about being a superintendent is observing the goodness within Edmonton Catholic Schools. Each superintendent is assigned a group of schools, called their Stewardship Group, for which they support the school-based administrative teams and gather feedback. Stewardship Groups meet monthly to celebrate successes and collaborate on strategies for continuous improvement. In addition to these meetings, over the coming weeks, superintendents will visit each school in their Stewardship Group to review progress on School Plans for Continuous Growth, and to learn more about each community’s unique successes and challenges. This process has been in place for years, and we are grateful to the school communities for hosting these visits.
Communication and collaboration within the ECSD community are vital for continuous improvement. On November 18, 2025 the Board of Trustees, School Council executives, principals, and Division leaders gathered to discuss priorities for the upcoming Division Plan for Continuous Growth 2026-2029. Thank you to all who contributed to this important work.
BEAUTY. Advent is a beautiful time of year, filled with music, prayer, and the lighting of the Advent wreath. Students and staff at Edmonton Catholic Schools prepare their hearts to welcome the baby Jesus, as a sign of God’s love for us. As we journey together through this Advent season, let us reflect on how the Incarnation set into motion God’s plan for our salvation, which was fulfilled by the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Christmas is a joyous time of faith, family, and food. For this year’s celebrations, I recommend that you and your family prepare something together from Father Glenn’s Take and Eat: Family Activities video series. Father Glenn’s latest episode features a dessert he calls St. Scholastica Apple Crisp, a name he chose because its inviting aroma brings people together, just as St. Scholastica and her brother, St. Benedict, were brought together by a miraculous storm to share faith and conversation. Indeed, there is nothing quite like baked apples and cinnamon to bring us together and warm our hearts during a December snowstorm.
I wish you all a blessed Advent and a joyous Christmas season!
Sincerely,
Lynnette Anderson
Chief Superintendent
- Read Bishop David Motiuk's message, Mary, a Sign of Hope.
- To see our upcoming Division events, visit ecsd.net/calendar