Our Old Fashioned Christmas Fair

The day finally arrived that we’d all been waiting for … the ICS Christmas Fair! On Saturday, December 3, our ICS community got to celebrate the Christmas season with our annual fair (our first one in three whole years!). It was a time to gather with our school mates, join in the festivities with our loved ones, and revel in the warmth of the season.

This year was jam-packed with activity after activity! The games room, children’s craft room, used books, toonie table, wine raffle, photos with Santa, baking table, and quilted masterpieces were all a hit. And our raffle tickets were a huge success! It was such a treat to share breakfast with our closest friends and family (and Santa!). The ICS kitchen elves did a delicious job serving up tasty pancakes and sausages for everyone. The our old fashioned Christmas fair. Although we were missing our beloved wreaths, plant sale, and silent auction as seen in years prior, we look forward to bringing them back in the years ahead.This year's Fair raised money to fund enrichment programs in science, math, and technology, and to meet other school needs. Through community participation, we raised over $25,000.00!

 A big thank you goes out to everyone who made this year’s Christmas Fair a success! Thank you to all who participated by volunteering their time to help set up and take down, providing baked goods, sending in items during donation week, and attending the fair. The volunteer response this year was even greater than we could’ve imagined and has made us all the more grateful for our lovely ICS community. Cheers to the holiday season!

ICS Remembrance Day 2022

On Thursday, November 10, we held our Remembrance Service at the Immaculate Conception Parish Church. Our grade six class lovingly led the service with reverence and respect for our armed forces members who’ve passed away in the line of duty. It was a solemn yet beautiful reminder of the recognition that our armed forces members deserve.

The service started with one of our grade seven students playing “Reveille” on trumpet. When played on Remembrance Day, this song symbolizes a soldier rising above his mortal duties.

 Each class had one representative light a candle encircling our poppy wreath while the whole school sang “Light a Candle for Peace.” One of our grade six students read from the book of Micah (Micah 4:3-5) and afterwards, our whole grade six class sang “In Flanders Fields” accompanied by a student on violin. Another grade six student recited “Why Wear a Poppy” by Don Crawford. Lastly, a grade seven student played “The Last Post” before our minute of silence. Remembrance Day is a day of great importance for our ICS Community because we acknowledge and expand on our responsibility to work towards the peace that our armed forces members worked so hard to achieve.

"They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old'

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them.”

- Excerpted from “For the Fallen” by Laurence Binyon -

The Season of Advent is Here!

We are so excited to celebrate the season of Advent at ICS. With much anticipation, we are awaiting Christmas and getting in the spirit of the season at school and at home! Advent is the time of year that we prepare for Jesus’ birth. The four weeks prior to Christmas Day are a reason for us to patiently reflect as we long for the celebration of Christmas.

The word advent comes from the Latin word for “coming” or “arrival.” It is the perfect word to describe that Jesus is coming at Christmas. This year, Advent begins on Sunday, November 27 and ends on Saturday, December 24. You may notice our beautiful Advent wreath at Church! There are four candles on it, three purple and one pink, and each symbolizes one week of Advent. Every week, one candle is lit with each candle holding a special significance:

First Advent Candle (purple) - Hope

Second Advent Candle (purple) - Love

Third Advent Candle (pink) - Joy

Fourth Advent Candle (purple) - Peace

Try to pay special attention to the lighting of the Advent candles at Church every Sunday this year. It is such a special part of the Mass.

Perhaps you have your own Advent calendar at home too! Bringing this special symbol into your home is such a great tradition. Be sure to light your Advent calendars with your loved ones every Sunday!

There are many other ways that we can celebrate the season of Advent as well. Here are some fun things to do together as a family:

• Read an Advent story book together

• Attend Mass as a family

• Decorate your house for Christmas with a nativity set

• Practice your Christmas carols

May this season of Advent fill your home with anticipation and joy in the knowledge that we are preparing for Jesus’ birth.