How we chose the school colours:
Firstly, they make a connection to our patron. Carlo Acutis loved the color navy, so we used it (deep sea blue) as a guiding colour for our school.
Secondly, these colours are in the “blue family.” Traditionally, blue has been a colour associated with The Blessed Virgin Mary, so we are making a connection to the patroness of the school that we were birthed out of: Our Lady of Mount Pleasant.
These blue colours consider our new patron and the patroness of our past.
The symbolism behind the academic logo:
The logo represents a balance of the traditional and modern, to provide a timeless insignia for our school.
The shield shape: Symbolizes protection, strength, and security.
Stained glass appearance: Providing a traditional feel of the Catholic Church.
Crop field and rolling hills with the sunset: This pays homage to the farming community of Camrose. It is a tribute to the farmers, pioneers, and indigenous communities that settled in the region. The clean lines of the rolling hills give a modern touch to the traditional shield shape. The clean lines of the sun and sky also give a modern feel that balances the traditional symbols of the book and cross.
Book: The book is a symbol and core mission of knowledge and academics.
Book scripture and feather pen: Shows binary code that is symbolic to Carlo Acutis and his passion for software development. The symbolism of the binary code is a reflection to modern education that has evolved from a traditional ink pen and scripture - this shows how time and technology has evolved in relation to how students learn.
Cross: The symbol of Jesus and our Catholic faith.
The symbolism behind the athletic logo:
Bear features: Given that this is representing athletics, a more aggressive bear expression was created to embody sports and competition. GO BLUES GO!
Bear logo: It contains a symbol of our faith: a crown. The symbolic representation of the crown embodies honor, leadership, victory, and achievement. It also signifies in a Christian sense the Divine Authority or protection of a higher power. Also, like the colour "blue", the crown ties us to the school team we were birthed out of: the OLMP Royals.
Background on why we chose the glacier bear for our athletic logo:
From Wikipedia: The glacier bear (Ursus americanus emmonsii), sometimes referred to as the "blue bear", is a subspecies of American black bear with silver-blue or gray hair endemic from Southeast Alaska, to the extreme northwestern tip of British Columbia, and to the extreme southwest of the Yukon. The Tlingit name for the glacier bear is a reference to their size, elusiveness, and ability to visually blend into snowfields: "sik noon", which means "a bear that disappears". The chief feature distinguishing the glacier bear from other black bears is its pelage (hair coloration), which ranges from silvery blue to gray.
Indigenous connection:
In the realm of spirit animals, the bear represents courage (7 sacred teachings), strength, family, confidence, and leadership. Living of the heart and living of the spirit is difficult, but the Bear's example shows us how to face any danger to achieve these goals.
(Reference:https://www.nwpolytech.ca/services/indigenous/sacred_teachings.html#Bravery)
Faith connection:
The bear may be most noted for its ferociousness, unpredictability, and strength. The bear also has protective instincts, especially a mother bear guarding her cubs which shows God’s commitment to His covenant. “The bear, like all creation, invites us to contemplate the multifaceted nature of our Creator - powerful yet tender, just yet merciful, awe-inspiring yet ultimately close to us.”
The bear’s hibernation cycle has been interpreted as a powerful symbol of spiritual transformation and resurrection. Just as the bear retreats into its den during the harsh winter months, emerging renewed in the spring, so, too, are we called to periods of spiritual retreat and reflection, from which we can emerge renewed in our faith and commitment to Christ. This symbolism resonates deeply with our Lenten practices and the paschal mystery at the heart of our faith.
We also see the tender aspect of bear imagery in Scripture. Isaiah’s vision of the peaceable kingdom includes the bear: “The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together” (Isaiah 11:7).
This beautiful image reminds us of God’s ultimate plan for harmony and reconciliation in all creation.
(Reference:https://christianpure.com/learn/bear-symbolism-bible/#what-does-the-bear-symbolize-in-the-bible)
