As the weather starts to get warmer and the days longer, I especially give thanks for the many blessings all around the schola. From the beautiful performance at the recent Senior Outreach to the preparations for Tenebrae and the joint concert with St Michael's Choir School, the schola is vibrante with energy!

Congratulations to the cast and crew of The Music Man Jr on an outstanding performance! Your dedication, hard work, and passion truly shined on stage, bringing this story to life in a way that captivated, inspired and blessed everyone in the audience.

The long hours of rehearsals, teamwork, and commitment to excellence were evident in every scene, song, and line delivered. You have not only entertained but also uplifted our community with your talent and perseverance.

As we welcome the season of spring, we are reminded of God’s infinite goodness and the renewal of life all around us. The blossoming flowers and fresh breezes speak of hope and new beginnings—an echo of the Resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
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This season also marks a time of growth, both academically and spiritually. Our students have shown great dedication in their studies, and we are proud of the progress they have made. As we continue through Lent and prepare for Easter, let us embrace this time as an opportunity to deepen our faith, practice acts of kindness, and reflect on God’s love for us.

I encourage each of you to seek Christ in all that you do—whether in the classroom or within your homes. May our community continue to shine as a beacon of faith, knowledge, and service.

Wishing you all a blessed and joyful spring!

In Christ’s Love,
Mrs Meckelborg

Dear Students, Parents, and Faculty,

Happy New Year to our wonderful schola community! As we begin the second half of the academic year, I am filled with gratitude for the continued support and dedication of our students, families, and staff. 

This month we enjoyed the culmination of our volleyball season with two tremendous kids vs parents games. That was SO MUCH FUN! Thanks to all the parents who came out to play - I know the kids greatly appreciated it. (Sorry about the sore muscles the next day :)

This month, the Grade 9-12 students enjoyed the first of three sessions on well-mannered communication. So useful! There were lots of very positive comments from students!

The SJCS Prayer Guild continues to bless our schola. Thank you to Father Remus for coming to speak with them and encourage their work.

SJCS hosted the last of the La Salle Lecture Series session for parents. As we plan for the coming academic year, I would love to get feedback from attendees - are you enjoying these talks?

Please continue supporting one another as we work together to create an environment that fosters academic excellence, spiritual growth, and social responsibility.

May God bless you all as we continue this journey together. Please stay connected with us through upcoming events and keep our schola community in your prayers.

With blessings,
Mrs Meckelborg

Dear Parents, Students, and Staff,

As we enter the sacred season of Advent, we are reminded of the beauty of waiting with hope, preparing our hearts for the coming of Jesus Christ, the Light of the World. This season is a time of reflection, prayer, and joyful anticipation as we focus on the true meaning of Christmas.

At the schola, we take this time to pause and reflect on the many blessings we have received, to reach out to those in need, and to prepare our hearts and minds to welcome Christ with joy. Our students light an Advent candle each morning at assembly and our daily readings reflect this precious time of anticipation.

This year, our Grade 7-10 students will have the opportunity to hear from someone experienced on the frontlines of homelessness and share in the privilege of helping care for those most in need with an Advent Service Project in early December.

Despite the pressing  academic demands on both students and staff, I am struck by the sheer joy that radiates at the schola each day.  I spy kindness and delight, peace and harmony. What a blessing it is to witness this every day!

We look forward to our community coming together to celebrate on Gaudete Sunday with our annual Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols, immersing ourselves in the glorious story of salvation at this candle-lit service. This is truly the cornerstone of our choral year!

May this Advent season fill your homes and hearts with peace, love, and hope. Together, let us prepare the way for the Lord and celebrate the gift of Emmanuel, God with us.

Wishing you a blessed and joyful Advent,

Mrs Meckelborg

Dear Students, Parents, and Staff,

As we moved though October and now enter November, we find ourselves in a beautiful season of reflection and gratitude.

October was a time to focus on gratitude, particularly as we celebrated Thanksgiving with our families. We also continued our tradition of Friday morning Rosary, especially in light of the Month of the Holy Rosary, praying for health and perseverance for our community. This was a beautiful time to deepen our faith by reflecting on the life of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and her example of humility, strength, and unwavering faith.

This coming month begins with All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, times to honor and pray for those who have gone before us. These days remind us to keep our loved ones in our prayers and to reflect on the lives of the saints who serve as models of faith and courage.

There are busy days ahead as we prepare for the Poetry Slam finals, First Trimester exams, Advent preparations and finally, the capstone of our year, our Nine Lessons & Carols service to be celebrated at St Mary's Cathedral on December 15th.

On Friday November 8th, during assembly, we will observe Remembrance Day, taking a moment to think about the values that brave individuals defended—peace, freedom, and justice. These are values we hold dear within our schola community and that we strive to live out every day.

Together, let us make this month one of remembrance. May we be inspired to live out our faith, following in the footsteps of the saints, and may we carry their spirit of love and service into our daily lives.

​God bless,

Connie Meckelborg

It is with great joy that I welcome you to another exciting year at SJCS. Whether you are a returning family or joining us for the first time, we are grateful for the opportunity to partner with you.

As we begin this new academic year, I invite you to engage fully in the life of our community. Your involvement, whether through attending events or volunteering, plays a vital role in the success of our shared mission. We are blessed to have such a strong, faith-filled community, and together, we can create an atmosphere where every child can thrive.

Let us entrust this year to the care of our Blessed Mother, asking for her guidance and protection for all our students, tutors, and families.

Thank you for your continued trust and support of our schola. May God bless you and your family abundantly, and may this academic year be filled with His grace, peace, and joy.

Mrs Meckelborg

Dear Students, Parents and Staff,

As we approach the end of another fruitful academic year, I want to take a moment to reflect on the journey we have undertaken together. In the halls of our beloved schola, we have witnessed moments of growth, achievement, and profound grace that are a testament to the dedication and resilience of our entire community.

To our graduating seniors, as you prepare to embark on the next chapter of your lives, know that you carry with you the values instilled in you during your time here. May you continue to strive for excellence, guided by faith and integrity, as you pursue your dreams and make your mark on the world.

To our returning students, as you bid farewell to another year filled with learning and discovery, I encourage you to cherish the memories made and the knowledge gained. Let them serve as a foundation for your continued academic and spiritual journey.

I extend my heartfelt gratitude to our devoted staff, who have tirelessly nurtured the minds and souls of our students with love, compassion, and unwavering dedication. Your commitment to excellence and your passion for education inspire us all.

Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to our parents and guardians for entrusting us with supporting the education and spiritual formation of your children. Your partnership and support are invaluable, and together, we are shaping the leaders of tomorrow.

As we part ways for the summer, let us carry forward the spirit of community, compassion, and service that defines us. May God’s grace continue to guide and bless each and every one of us in the days ahead.

Wishing you all a safe and restful summer break filled with joy, laughter, and cherished moments with loved ones.

Yours in Christ,

​Connie Meckelborg

And with great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.          ~Act 4: 33

HE IS RISEN! ALLELUIA!

Happy Easter to all our beautiful families. Hopefully you all had a chance to catch your breath following the Triduum and managed to celebrate the Resurrection.

Once again, Tenebrae was breathtaking. What an incredible way to start Holy Week! At once beautiful but solemn, reverent and prayer-filled. I am so grateful for all those who contributed, including the clergy who continue to support the schola in such a profound way.

How wonderful to finally be enjoying longer days and warmer temps. The academic year is racing along, with grad festivities just around the corner and plans well underway for the year-end concert. Students are working diligently to complete course work and seniors are studying for diploma exams.

We're all a bit wiped but it's still a vibrant time of year.  Many of our grade 10-12 students just completed a 4-session Ignatian Discernment series, helping them prayerfully make decisions. Many thanks go out to the spiritual directors who generously gave of their time to help our students. 

The month of May will see us making our annual pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rockies in Canmore. Our students will share their choral gifts at our last First Friday of the year. Please join us if you are able - it promises to be a joy-filled day!

As we begin to wind down this 11th year of programming, we are grateful to all the volunteers who assist us in our mission. This especially includes our gifted board of directors who dedicate countless hours in service of the schola. Our special thanks go to Eric Milner who has stepped down as president. May God bless him and his family richly!

As we begin week 10, we are called to both GRATITUDE and REMEMBRANCE.

On the heels of Thanksgiving, we are thankful for our many blessings, including the amazing start to our academic year and the incredible weather we experienced (until Oct 23rd that is!). We rejoice in the accomplishments of our students and the joy that resonates in classrooms throughout the schola. Anyone who has heard our adhoc Barbershop Ninetet (as they call themselves) singing in the hallways cannot help but smile!!

One of the immense blessings for me this past month was the celebration of Mass at Evanston Summit Retirement Community.  As part of the Dying To Meet You project in our diocese, this community was selected to represent the vulnerable in our midst who often do not have access to a full Sunday Mass experience. Our senior choir was chosen to participate because of our focus on beauty. The goal was to elevate the Mass to the best it can be. Mr Edwards led a small contingent of the senior choir (due to space limitations) and the result was incredibly beautiful. What a gift our young people are!

My early morning drives to the schola are usually filled with thoughts of the day ahead - meetings to prepare for, calls to make, people to talk to - an array of the important and the less important. The start of the academic year, while exciting and filled with promise, also brings added responsibility with myriad details to attend to.

A few weeks ago, I was startled from my driving reverie by an incredible sight in my rearview mirror: a gorgeous September sunrise. Calgary skies often treat us to beautiful colour palettes both morning and evening, but this was particularly spectacular and it took my breath away. I was instantly pulled from the mundane toward the divine.

That sense of awe and wonder, and inevitable gratitude, forms part of what keeps me here at SJCS. Our mission is to cultivate Wisdom and Virtue through the understanding of all that is true, good and beautiful. We strive to present Truth and Goodness to our students in a beautiful way, pulling each of us toward the divine. Beauty is found not only in God's works of nature but also the works of man that reflect His infinite beauty. We endeavour to share some of these most beautiful works, in the form of classic literature, art and music.

Pope Benedict once wrote, the via pulchritudinis, the way of beauty, is a privileged and fascinating path on which to approach the Mystery of God. What is the beauty that writers, poets, musicians, and artists contemplate and express in their language other than the reflection of the splendour of the eternal Word made flesh?

Our staff, new and returning, are so pleased to welcome our students to what promises to be a great year ahead. Tutors, entrusted with the task of cultivating wisdom in our students and helping them grow in virtue, are excited to share their knowledge and passion for excellence.