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Category: Uncategorised

Created: 12 September 2018

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Written by Levi Breederland

Category: Uncategorised

Created: 21 June 2017

The ACSTA's annual S.P.I.C.E. (Sharing Purpose in Catholic Education) Retreat brings together members of the Catholic school communities to collaborate and explore current issues in Catholic education.  

Featured for Catholic School Teachers, Catholic School Staff, Curriculum Leaders, Catholic Trustees, Parents, Parish Priests, and Religious Leaders.

2025 SPICE Retreat

Thursday, May 1st - Sunday, May 4th

Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge                                                                                                

1 Centennial Drive, Kananaskis Village, Alberta T0L 2H0  Canada   Phone:  403/591-7711 / Map and Directions

Join us for a transformative retreat journey in 2025, as we embrace the Jubilee theme through scripture, reflection, and community!

The ACSTA's annual S.P.I.C.E. (Sharing Purpose in Catholic Education) Retreat brings together members of the Catholic school communities to collaborate and explore current issues in Catholic education.  

S.P.I.C.E is featured for Catholic School Teachers, Catholic School Staff, Curriculum Leaders, Catholic Trustees, Parents, Parish Priests, and Religious Leaders.

Led by David Wells, this year’s retreat centers on the profound messages of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes, guiding us to deepen our faith, trust in God’s providence, and live as hopeful missionaries.

S.P.I.C.E will conclude with a collaborative and Spirit-led discernment session, culminating in reflections on hope as our foundation, inheritance, and legacy.

Let us gather to rest, renew, and journey together in hope, inspired by God’s Word and guided by the insights of Spes non Confundit.

2025 SPICE Program       Poster       Attend SPICE for Credit!

REGISTER HERE

Registration Fee:  $930.00 (GST exempt)

The fee includes registration, materials and meals (Accommodation is not included)

ACSTA must receive all registrations no later than Wednesday, April 2, 2025.

Invoice/Payments:  The registration fee can be paid via e-transfer (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), or a check can be mailed to ACSTA, Suite #205, 9940 - 106 Street, Edmonton AB T5K 2N2. If you have any further questions about the payments, please call 780-484-6209 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  All payments must be received prior to the Retreat. Thank you.

Music:  If you play a musical instrument, please bring it to the Retreat and join in the daily celebrations and social get-togethers.

Please note:  This is a working Retreat; all components of the program (daytime and evening) are an integral part of the Retreat and are designed to build community among the Retreat participants. Therefore, bringing spouses and other family members who are not registered is not encouraged.

Due to health regulations, Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge does not allow pets in any gathering and eating areas (this includes the Gold/Silver Room, Bronze Room, Convention Lobby, Walker Room, Champion Room, Rockies Room, Sinclair Room, Conference Boardroom, and Pocaterra Room). Please respect other participants' comfort and those who have allergies.   https://lodgeatkananaskis.com/stay/pet-policy/

If your registration confirmation email does not arrive in your inbox, please check your spam or junk email folder.

Cancellations:  The Registration fee is non-refundable; however, replacement names will be accepted.

Terms and Conditions:  If you have any concerns about the information that is submitted through this form, please read the ACSTA Privacy Statement https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eDsQQr-RqK50qccqEcCEeqPbUKI0tE3X/view?usp=sharing . The registrant consents to the use of his/her image or likeness incidental to any transmission or reproduction of the event.

Accommodation

​Please get in touch with the ACSTA Office (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) if you are having trouble reserving a room under the ACSTA Room Block.

 

We kindly request that you book your hotel accommodations only after completing your registration. This process will allow ACSTA to manage the room block effectively and ensure availability for all registered participants.

A room block is reserved by the ACSTA for SPICE from Thursday, May 1 - Sunday, 4, 2025. The registration fee for the Retreat does not include accommodation. You are responsible for booking and paying for your own accommodation directly with the Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge.

To ensure a smooth and organized process, we will be monitoring the room block and verifying that bookings are made in accordance with your registration. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in helping us facilitate these arrangements.

Occupancy for Single, Double, Lofts and upgrades are available. If you are sharing a room with another registrant(s), you are personally responsible for any arrangements for the room and charges.

You can enhance your stay with Marriott Bonvoy Points. For more information, please visit https://www.marriott.com/loyalty.mi

To book your room, the following are available:

• • • In-house reservations team at 1-833-440-1964 or 587-328-6223
    • Marriott reservations at 1-888-236-2427
    • Book your group rate online for Spice 2025

All reservations must be accompanied by a first-night room deposit or guaranteed with a major credit card. The hotel will not hold any reservations unless secured by one of the above methods.

(Start Date: Thursday, May 01, 2025 - End Date: Sunday, May 04, 2025)

Your special group rate (Start Date: Thursday, May 01, 2025 - End Date: Sunday, May 04, 2025):  Kananaskis Mountain Lodge, Autograph Collection for $237.00 CAD - $337.00 CAD per night.

Cut-Off Date:  Reservations by attendees must be received on or before Wednesday, April 2, 2025, for SPICE.

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Written by Levi Breederland

Category: Uncategorised

Created: 21 June 2017

2025 ACSTA AGM & Convention

Friday, November 14th - Sunday, November 16th

The Westin Edmonton - 10135 100 St NW, Edmonton, AB T5J 0N7 - Meeting Space Layout 

The theme for this year’s AGM and Convention is “Pilgrims of Hope", and will feature a lineup of keynote speakers who will address critical aspects of Catholic education and governance.

Fr. Kris Schmidt will be speaking on the mission and purpose of Catholic education.  He is a priest for the Archdiocese of Edmonton, the Vocations Lead for the Archdiocese of Edmonton, and the pastor of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Camrose. He grew up in St. Albert, attending Holy Family Catholic Church, and he attended École Sacré Coeur and Sainte Marguerite d’Youville High School in St. Albert, Alberta.

Fr. Cristino Bouvette will be speaking on Truth and Reconciliation within the context of Catholic education. Fr. Cristino is an indigenous Albertan of Cree-Metis descent and served as the National Liturgical Coordinator for Pope Francis’s 2022 Truth and Reconciliation pilgrimage to Canada. He is the Director of the Office of Vocations for the Diocese of Calgary and the pastor of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Strathmore, Alberta.

Justice Anna Loparco will be speaking on the constitutional rights of Catholic schools. Justice Loparco is a Justice of the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta. She was a partner at Dentons LLP, where she worked for 15 years, and was a former legal counsel for ACSTA.

Dr. Dwayne Zarichny will be speaking on Catholic school board governance.  He currently serves as Superintendent/CEO of the Medicine Hat Catholic Board of Education in Medicine Hat, Alberta and has 23 years experience as an administrator. He holds a BEd (University of Manitoba), Masters in Educational Leadership (Gonzaga University) and Doctorate (University of Western Ontario).  His dissertation focused on building superintendent and trustee efficacy in moving towards more effective governance practices. 

Program

Please Click Here to Register

The 2025 ACSTA AGM & Convention Program Book will be available in an electronic version only.  It will be emailed to you a week before the convention.

Delegate Registration:  $600.00

Companion (spouse) Registration:  $310.00

Saturday Awards Banquet:  $105.00

Delegate and Companion registration fee includes meals (excluding Saturday Awards Banquet), convention materials and refreshment breaks.  Individual Saturday Awards banquet ticket is $105.00.  All prices are GST exempt.

Cancellations:  Refund requests (minus a $100 processing fee per registration) must be in writing and received by ACSTA (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) no later than Friday, November 7, 2025.

Note:  If you do not receive a confirmation email in your inbox, please check your spam or junk folder.

Terms and Conditions:  If you have any concerns about the information that is submitted through this form, please read the ACSTA Privacy Statement https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eDsQQr-RqK50qccqEcCEeqPbUKI0tE3X/view?usp=sharing.  The registrant consents to the use of his/her image or likeness incidental to any transmission or reproduction of the event.

• ACSTA Awards (The deadline for submission is August 15th)
• In Memoriam (The deadline for submission is November 1st)
• Nomination Form - ACSTA President and Vice-President

 ACSTA Silent Auction to Support the CCSTA Toonies for Tuition Fundraising Campaign

The 2025 ACSTA AGM & Planning Committee is holding a silent auction at the ACSTA AGM & Convention Awards Banquet on Saturday, November 15, at the Westin Edmonton in support of the Canadian Catholic School Trustees’ Association (CCSTA) Toonies for Tuition fundraising campaign.

1. We would like to invite your school division to participate in this initiative.  Here’s how you can help:
2. We are hoping that each member board of the ACSTA contributes one item to the silent auction (feel free to donate more!)  Please see the linked donation form. 

Approach vendors, school councils, parents, local businesses, and/or parishioners.  A sample silent auction request letter is linked here.

The following are examples of some items that tend to sell well at silent auctions: a bottle of liquor or wine, food baskets, coffee, electronics, sports memorabilia, tickets to a professional hockey game, home decor items, or gift cards.  Please consider that this is a provincial meeting and as such we get people from all over and so sometimes items that are local to you – i.e., services at a hometown spa, or your favourite restaurant - may not work well at a province-wide event unless it is from a chain with multiple locations.

The guest room block is now open

To obtain the special discounted rate, rooms must be reserved prior to Thursday, October 24, 2025. Reservation requests received after this date will be accepted on a space availability basis only and may be at a higher rate per night.

Please note that a limited number of rooms have been blocked for Thursday, November 13th, for the Board of Directors, who will be attending the Board Orientation, which is taking place on Thursday, November 13th, at 1:00 p.m.

Click here to book your group rate for the Alberta Catholic School Trustees AGM.

​Please contact our office if you have any questions​ at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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Category: Uncategorised

Created: 22 June 2018

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Category: Uncategorised

Created: 19 June 2018

ACSTA Awards

Celebrating Excellence in Catholic Education

 The deadline for submission is August 15th

Award Categories

Life Membership

The Life Membership Award recognizes: 

• faithful commitment to Association business (allowing priority of time commitment to attend meetings and functions of the Association);

• constant accomplishment of all special duties assigned to Directors (both in local communication in a public relations capacity for the Association, and in overall dedication to special assignments);

• supportive and continuous service for Catholic education, as expressed through the Association; and

• personal leadership on the Board of Directors, enabling the Association to progress and grow.

 Eligibility: Must be a Past President of ACSTA

Honorary Life Membership 

The Honorary Life Membership Award recognizes:

• An individual, other than a trustee, for their outstanding support for Catholic education in Alberta, Northwest Territories and/or Yukon.

Eligibility: The nominee may be any individual other than a Catholic School Trustee (e.g. Alberta Learning officials, school district superintendents, school-based personnel, and others) who has contributed to or provided support to Catholic Education in AB, NWT and/or Yukon in a significant way.

Learn More and Nominate

Long Service

This award honors trustees of member boards who have served for extended periods, acknowledging their dedication and longevity in Catholic education. It recognizes: 

• Service Milestones: 10, 15, 20 and 25 years service

Eligibility: Awards will be granted for 10, 15, 20 and 25 years of service deemed recognizable by the local board and the ACSTA Officers (President, Vice-President and Executive Director). The trustee must be nominated by a member board.  

Submit a Nomination

Meritorious Service

The Meritorious Service Award recognizes

• A Catholic school trustee for their outstanding service and dedication to Catholic education.

Eligibility: The nominee must be a Catholic school trustee serving on a member board of the Association. The nominee must be nominated by an ACSTA member board and/or an ACSTA Board of Director. 

Learn more and Nominate

 Appreciation 

The Appreciation Award recognizes

• An individual, group or organization in appreciation of commitment and contribution to Catholic education in Alberta, Northwest Territories and/or Yukon.

Eligibility: The nominee may be an individual (other than a sitting trustee), group or organization.  The individual can be nominated by an ACSTA member board and/or a ACSTA Board of Director.

Learn More and Nominate

Details

Category: Uncategorised

Created: 18 June 2018

Current Legal Challenges to Alberta’s Catholic Separate Schools

Friday, September 28, 2018

Location: Wingate by Wyndham Calgary South Hotel

Details

Written by Levi Breederland

Category: Uncategorised

Created: 21 September 2017

Alberta Education and Governmental Stakeholders

Alberta Education

Alberta Government

Alberta MLA Contact Information

Alberta School Boards Association

Alberta School Councils' Association

Alberta Teacher's Association

Alberta Urban Municipalities Association

College of Alberta School Superintendents

Rural Municipalities of Alberta

Alberta Catholic Educational Stakeholders

Calgary Separate Local #55

Council of Catholic School Superintendents of Alberta

Edmonton Catholic Teachers Local #54

Alberta Catholic Colleges/University

Newman Theological College

St. Joseph's College - University of Alberta

St. Mary's University

Canadian Catholic Educational Stakeholders

Canadian Catholic School Trustees' Association

Catholic Universities and Colleges in Canada

Ontario Catholic School Trustees' Association

Saskatchewan Catholic School Boards Association

International Catholic Education Stakeholders

National Catholic Education Association

BIshops & Diocesan Offices

Archdiocese of Grouard - McLennan

Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton

Diocese of St. Paul

Roman Catholic Diocese of Calgary

Roman Catholic Diocese of Mackenzie - Fort Smith

Ukrainian Eparchy of Edmonton

Alberta Catholic Organizations

Covenant Health

Catholic Social Services

Catholic Women's League: Alberta - Mackenzie Provincial Council

Development and Peace

Knights of Columbus: Alberta - Northwest Territories State Council

Catholic Media

Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN)

Grandin Media

Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation

The Prairie Messenger

Western Catholic Reporter

Faith Development Links

Catholic Information Centre - "Catholics on the Net"

Catholic Social Justice

Los Angeles Religious Education Congress

Vatican: Holy See

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Written by Levi Breederland

Category: Uncategorised

Created: 15 September 2017

ACSTA Staff

Brendan Cavanagh, Executive Director

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

ACSTA Office:  780-484-6209

Charlotte Taillon, Director of Communications & Government Relations

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

ACSTA Office:  780-484-6209

Lorraine Simi Chellakudam, Executive Assistant 

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

ACSTA Office:  780-484-6209

Alberta Catholic School Trustees' Association

#205, 9940 - 106 Street NW 
Edmonton, Alberta  
T5K 2N2

Tel: (780) 484-6209     Email:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.     

Web:  http://acsta.ab.ca    

X: @ACSTANews
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ACSTANews/
Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/user50824673

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Written by Levi Breederland

Category: Uncategorised

Created: 15 September 2017

Education property tax provides an integral connection between Catholic school boards and their electors.

Alberta Catholic Separate School - Constitutional Right To A Taxation Assessment Base:
A paper on education property tax by ACSTA legal counsel, Kevin Feehan.

School Support Declaration for the City of Edmonton

http://www.municipalaffairs.alberta.ca/education-property-tax-facts-and-information

Protecting our schools

Catholic schools fulfill an essential element in the mission of the Church, by offering formation of the whole person - academically, physically, socially and spiritually. In providing this formation, Catholic school boards have a commitment to ensuring a strong connection with Catholic electors in their communities.Catholic education is funded through education property taxes, grants and general provincial revenue. However, in the fall of 2005, a bill introduced in the Alberta Legislature to eliminate the education property tax raised concerns for Catholic school boards. The bill did not make it further than First Reading, but gained highly-publicized support from prominent individuals, as well as the provincial associations representing many of your locally elected town, county, municipal and city councils. With such support it is likely that the issue will rise again.As a Catholic elector, you need to be aware of your right to support your Catholic schools through your property taxes. The Alberta Catholic School Trustees' Association (ACSTA) firmly believes that the education property tax provides a vital connection between Catholic separate school boards and you, their electors. Catholic boards requisition municipalities for education property taxes and do so for sound sociological, denominational and political reasons. When this discussion reaches your local community, speak out for your faith-based schools and your right to support them with your local taxes.

3 Critical reasons why Catholic separate boards requisition municipalities for education taxes:

1. It recognizes and affirms the constitutional right of Catholic separate school boards to requisition municipalities for education taxes.
    
2. Taxation is a vital connection between school boards and their electors. It serves as a means of accountability for school trustees to provide quality education to those in their local communities, including those without school-aged children.
    
3. It provides a stable source of funding for public education and allows for a public declaration of support by electors for Catholic education.

Declare your support

Taxes declared in support of the Catholic separate school district in your municipality benefit your children. The Constitution Act of Canada and the Alberta School Act stipulate that individuals who are Catholic must direct their education taxes to Catholic separate school boards where they exist. If a property is jointly owned by two or more individuals of different denominations or faiths, the individuals must direct their taxes to the school boards in proportion to their ownership.To ensure your property taxes are supporting your Catholic separate school, you must declare your school support as "separate" on your annual property assessment notice and tax bill. If a declaration of school support is not filed by a property owner, the property assessment and tax bills show the school support going to the public school district. *If your support designation is incorrect, it should be corrected by completing and submitting a School Support Declaration form, obtained from your local city, town or municipal office. A change in school support does not take effect until the following calendar year. You may also contact ACSTA at (780) 484-6209 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we will assist you in contacting your local Catholic school district for more information.*St. Paul ERD, Catholic support is designated "public."

ACSTA

The Alberta Catholic School Trustees' Association (ACSTA) values the right of Catholic separate boards to requisition against the education property tax assessment base. This is an essential operation of Catholic separate boards and a vital link to their electors.ACSTA represents all Catholic separate, Catholic public and Catholic francophone school boards and corporations in Alberta and the Northwest Territories. Our Catholic districts educate more than 180,000 students, about a third of the student population in Alberta, Northwest Territories and Yukon. We support the collaboration of family, school and parish in working to preserve and enhance the rights of Catholics to education based on the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Download the Taxation Brochure

Details

Written by Levi Breederland

Category: Uncategorised

Created: 21 June 2017

Catholic schools are part of the dual system of public education in Alberta. They are publicly funded, and operate under the same provincial legislation (the Education Act) as non-denominational schools. They have been operating in Alberta since the 1840's, before Alberta became a province of Canada.

But what is unique about Catholic schools? The Declaration on Christian Education, published in 1965 following the Second Vatican Council, describes the purpose of a Catholic school as trying "to relate all of human culture to the good news of salvation, so that the light of faith will illumine everything that the students will gradually come to know about the world, about life, and about the human person." Parents, teachers, administrators, trustees, and the entire Catholic community are entrusted in this vital mission.

Parents are recognized as the primary educators of their children, and they choose how their children will be formally educated. Teachers play a crucial role in leading students to an understanding of the world which is illuminated by "the light of faith", and administrators create the environment in which this understanding takes place. The Catholic community is involved through local parishes, which work closely with schools in areas such as sacramental preparation; individually, through the allocation of property taxes; and through the Church, represented by the local Bishop, who is responsible for approving the religious education program taught in the school.

Catholic trustees have a significant role within this partnership. They oversee the operation of their local school district on behalf of the provincial government, and on behalf of the Catholic community who elect them. As such, they are both political and faith leaders in their communities. To support trustees in this unique role, and provide an opportunity to discuss and report on issues significant to Catholic education across the province, the ACSTA was formed in 1966.

As an incorporated society, the ACSTA operates under a set of objectives, and is guided by a mission statement which is developed and approved by the membership.

Today, the Alberta Catholic School Trustees' Association (ACSTA) represents all 24 Catholic anglophone and francophone school boards, and 153 trustees, who in turn serve more than 183,500 students in 450 Catholic schools. Our membership includes the Catholic districts of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories, Yukon Territory and Lloydminster, which is designated as both an Alberta and Saskatchewan jurisdiction. The non-denominational St. Paul Education Regional Division is also a member of ACSTA.