Le Messager
August 2022 Welcome to School Information
Welcome Message from the Principal
Bonjour École Frère Antoine parent community,
Welcome to an exciting 2022-2023 school year at École Frère Antoine! The staff is thrilled that you have entrusted your child's education to us and we look forward to welcoming our students.
Alyssa Quintin, acting Assistant Principal, and I are so happy to see your children next week. I am Paula Borges-Couture and I am looking forward to starting this year as Principal at École Frère Antoine. I look forward to our very first day of school this year on Wednesday, August 31st. I am honored to lead a school with such kind students, an extremely dedicated staff, and a supportive school community. I feel very fortunate to be part of this Catholic school and to support the students and families. Twenty-eight years ago, I started my teaching career right here at Frère Antoine where I taught for the first five years. I am thrilled to be able to return to such a wonderful community these many years later.
I have been dedicated to the field of Catholic education for twenty-eight years. Prior to becoming the principal here, I worked with students from Kindergarten through 9th grade in a variety of roles. I have been in both the French Immersion schools and in the English schools of our Edmonton Catholic School Division. I have also been a Consultant for the Division for eight years supporting programming to schools in grades K-6 in English as a Second Language. I have additionally been an Assistant Principal in two schools K-6 and K-9 before starting at Frère Antoine for the 2022-2023 academic year. I am pleased to utilize my skills as an educational leader at École Frère Antoine and work with you as a partner in education to ensure your child's success.
On a personal note, as a young student many many years ago, I, too learned French as a French Immersion student and French has become my third language. My husband and I have two wonderful children who are in post-secondary studies. My passion is in language learning and literacy. You will often find me reading and I love to share my love of reading with my students. I love to be in my garden and being active by going on walks with my golden retriever and on bike rides. I look so very forward to getting to know this lovely community and cannot wait to meet you and all the students.
I view Catholic education as a life-long process and continue to learn every year from our students, teachers, and parents at École Frère Antoine. Most importantly, I believe that students are at the center of all school-related decisions. Because the relationships between families and the school are vital to the success of our students, I encourage you to become involved in various ways possible.
I look forward to meeting you soon! Please feel welcome to come and introduce yourselves.
I am looking forward to getting to know you. Please remember that my door is always open.
Mme Paula Borges-Couture
Office Hours & Important School Start Information
- August 25 - office opened from 9:00 am -12:00pm and 1:00pm to 2:00 pm
- August 26, 29, & 30 - office closed for Opening mass & staff meetings
- August 31 - First Day of School (supervision available in park @ 7:52 am until bell rings at 8:07 am)
- School starts at 8:07am and dismisses at 2:50pm (Thursday dismissal at 12:00 pm)
- Students are to enter and exit through their designated doors which is clearly indicated by a number/grade level (please see the map below)
- Students waiting for parental pick-up wait at the blue cross as supervision is available until 3:05pm and until 12:15 on Thursdays
- School fees and bus fees are on our website frereantoine.ecsd.net. You will be able to pay these fees online starting September 2. If you do not have a Power School Parent account, please call the school office at 780-463-2957
- Bus schedules will be on your parent portal at the end of August
- Please anticipate bussing delays for the first few days as students, parents & drivers adjust to new schedules. Please download the bus delay app to be notified of any delays. (please see below)
- School supply lists are available on our website under School Info/School Supplies 22-23. www.frereantoine.ecsd.net
Class Lists and Communication from your Child's Teacher
If you have not received an email for your child by 4:00, please call the school and we will answer placement questions until 5 pm.
Wednesday, August 31st is our first day of school
Please plan to have you child at school prior to the 8:07 bell. Kindergarten students enter at 8:05.
Kindergarten Staggered entry is Wednesday, August 31st and Friday, August 2nd. Kindergarten parents will receive a reminder email by their Kindergarten teacher on Tuesday, August 30th.
School Fees
School Fees can be paid online via your parent portal starting September 15th and are due October 21st. For fee breakdown visit:
Kindergarten Bussing and Regular Programming
Transportation Information
· Bussing schedule can be found in your parent portal under the Transportation tab
· Bus fees can be paid online via your parent portal, September bus pass fee can be paid September 1, all other fees will be “live” September 15th
· Transportation application and changes forms can be found here:
https://www.ecsd.net/page/1263/transportation
· Bus delays longer than 10 minutes, check the *BusPlanner Delay App (please allow for bus delays during the first couple weeks as students and drivers get accustomed to their route), Bus delay board:
Transportation Services – Bus Delay Notifications
· Instructions on how to download the bus delay app can be found here:
https://www.ecsd.net/page/34228/transportation-services-bus-delay-notifications
Our Staff looks forward to welcoming back our students.
Welcome to our Newest Staff
Welcome Mme Nicole McFayden
Mme Nicole McFayden who joins us as one of our Administrative Assistant in the office with Mme Julie Nadeau. Mme Nicole McFayden has lived in the Millwoods community for about 20 years with her husband and her two sons (12 and 15). Mme McFayden and her husband are volunteers in their children’s scouting group where they have been leading weekly meetings and casual weekend adventures year-round since they established the group in 2016. It fills their buckets to help facilitate enriching adventures and learning opportunities for hundreds of youth. Mme McFayden enjoys hiking with her dog, camping (year-round), skiing, gardening, and kayaking. Her favorite place to be is in the mountains – when she is there, she instantly feels rejuvenated in the presence of nature and the majestic mountains.
For the past year, she has been working in the business office at a high school but she has really missed being in an elementary school. Mme McFayden is very much looking forward to working back in this environment and closer to home.
Welcome Mme Josine Umulisa
Mme Josine Umulisa who joins the Frère Antoine staff as one of our Educational Assistants. Mme Umulisa has been an Educational Assistant for five years. She has worked with many students in the primary grades at her previous school. Mme Umulisa is a firm believer that every child has the potential to be successful and experience success in school. She is thrilled to be at École Frère Antoine where she can work collaboratively with the teachers to support students reach their fullest potential in learning. Mme Umulisa is a mother to two wonderful sons. She loves to read and to travel. Mme Umulisa is delighted to work at École Frère Antoine and looks forward to getting to know the students and community.
Welcome Mme Brianne Bureaud
Mme Brianne Bureaud will be teaching grade 3. Mme Bureaud was born and raised in Edmonton and grew up learning French from her dad and in the French Immersion Program. In the previous school year, Mme Bureaud taught grade 2 at École Holy Cross. She is looking forward to moving to grade 3 along with her new students. In her free time, Mme Bureaud can be found outside in the garden, crafting, reading a good book or cheering on the Oilers with her new husband. Mme Bureaud is excited to share her love of teaching and the French language with her students and the École Frère Antoine family!
Welcome Mme Nathalie Amyotte
Welcome Mme Rachelle Leroux-Swaby
Mme Leroux-Swaby will be teaching grade 4 and she has been teaching for over 20 years. Mme Leroux-Swaby was a French Immersion high school teacher for 4 years and then had her two children. When her children were small, she taught at Les Bouts d’Choux preschool and worked there for almost 11 years. Mme Leroux-Swaby is proud to say that she has taught many of the students who have attended Frère Antoine. In 2018, she started as a replacement teacher with Edmonton Catholic Schools and went on to teach grade 1 French Immersion and worked as math intervention teacher this school year. She has been part of the Frère Antoine community since 2006 as a mom and as a teacher. Mme Leroux-Swaby is very excited to be back and she is looking forward to seeing her former students and their families in September.
Where should students go when they arrive on the first day?
When the bell rings, grade 3 to 6 students will leave the north tarmac area and enter through their grade level door, grade 1 and 2 students will line up at their class pylon outside their grade level door and teachers will invite one homeroom in at a time.
Regular Morning Arrival Procedures
Kinder, Grade 1 and 2 students wait near their designate door in the morning.
Grades 3 to 6 students are supervised at the North end of the tarmac school in the morning until the first bell for the morning only.
We ask that students not play in the park before the bell rings in the mornings so that everyone can arrive to their doors on time when the bells ring.
During extreme weather, such as severe cold or rain, students will be able to enter inside at their designated door as they arrive once supervision starts at 7:52.
End of Day Dismissal Procedures
- Kindergarten students must be picked up at the Kinder door.
- Grade 1 & 2 students who are meeting a parent are asked to wait at the blue cross to be picked up and all other students and their parents are asked to meet of along the inside of the fence. Please leave the gate are free for bussed students to pass.
- Gr 1 students will be accompanied by teachers for the first few weeks.
- Grades 3 to 6 students must walk around to their doors via the playground areas at the end of day for bussing and pick up.
- For student safety, teacher supervision will be provided in this area for 15 minutes after the bell.
- After the 3 pm departure of the busses, students will be escorted from the blue cross and fenced area to the foyer of the school.
- We ask that students not play in the park at the end of the day so that students do not get left behind and miss their bus.
- Parents will be asked to sign students out in the office if they are picked up.
School Parking Lot and Drop-Off Only Zone Procedures
The Drop Off Only Zone (in the school parking lot) is for drop off only in the morning, not for after school.
1. Please park across the street & meet your child at the blue cross in the playground.
2. Proceed to the very end of the drop-off lane to allow others to enter as well. By dropping off at the end of the lane, you give others a chance to enter and your child the opportunity to develop their physical literacy skills by walking to their door.
3. The two parking stalls closest to Mill Woods Road in the first lot are designated for staff parking only. The other stalls facing the school drop off area are for visitor parking.
4. All parking stalls in the second lot have been assigned and are reserved for staff at all times. Edmonton Parking Enforcement Services may ticket or tow unauthorized vehicles.
Please remember that their lenience with respect to parking tickets is restricted to:
- Monday—Friday: 7:50 to 8:15 am & 2:40 to 3:00 pm Thursday— 11:50 am to 12:10 pm [early dismissal]
Thank you for helping us to keep the school drop-off safe for everyone!
PLEASE NOTE THAT THESE PROCEDURES MAY BE REVISED FOR STUDENT SAFETY.
École Frère Antoine is a Closed Campus
We encourage parents to have children develop organizational habits and check that they have all they require for school in their school backpack, i.e. lunch, school materials, water bottle and proper clothes for the weather.
All visitors will also be required to sign into the Visitor Log.
Non-essential persons are not allowed into the school and food deliveries will not be accepted (ie: Skip the Dishes).
Reminder to parents that birthdays are celebrated in class without treats from home. Please email teachers with all questions or concerns about your child; allow 24hrs for a response as teachers have several supervisions and other duties during the day.
Personal Devices and Items
Personal devices will not be permitted during lunch or recess: these are times for person to person socializing. Toys are strictly prohibited, please occasionally check your child’s backpack to ensure that they are not bringing toys to school. EFA provides outdoor recess equipment to all classes.