Rooted in Christ: EICS Staff Opening Day Sets Tone for New School Year
All of our school communities gathered on Wednesday, Aug. 28 for our Staff Opening Day, marking an inspiring start to the new school year.
Held at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Sherwood Park, the celebration opened with a morning Mass led by Fr. Carlos with other members of the clergy from each parish where we have a school serving as concelebrants. We were also blessed to have Bishop David Motiuk from the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Edmonton as a concelebrant.
Following the Mass, keynote speaker David Wells artfully connected our division theme for this year, "Rooted in Christ," with our roles as educators and administrators. The theme is based on the Bible passage “I am the vine; you are the branches… bear much fruit and become my disciples” (John 15:5, 8).
Wells highlighted how we serve as the foundation for our students' academic and spiritual growth. His engaging presentation balanced humor with thoughtful introspection, encouraging us to consider how well Christ is rooted in our own lives.
The day continued with David leading an afternoon session for school chaplains, the EICS Board of Trustees, and the EICS Senior Leadership and Central Leadership teams. This more intimate gathering allowed for a deeper exploration of what it means to be rooted in Christ and how to demonstrate this principle to others.
