St. Edmunds Newsletter – June 2025
As the school year draws to a close, we pause to reflect with gratitude on the many blessings we’ve experienced at St. Edmund’s School. It has been an incredible year of growth, learning, and community. We are deeply proud of the commitment shown by our students and staff, and we are thankful for the support of our families in the education and formation of our children.
This final month brings with it many joyful events—CISVA Track and Field Finals, Sports Day, the Year-End BBQ, and the Grade 7 Farewell. As always, we encourage families to stay connected through email and the school website calendar for the latest updates.
To our Grade Seven students and all others who are leaving St. Edmund’s, we wish you much happiness and success. May the Christian values you have developed and the skills you have learned guide and enrich your future endeavors. Thank you for sharing the joy of Jesus, being a friend to others, and for believing in our mission.
We also extend a heartfelt welcome to the newest members of our school community—our incoming Kindergarten students and their families. We are thrilled to have you join us and look forward to all that lies ahead.
A special thank you to our dedicated teachers and support staff for their tireless work, enthusiasm, and leadership throughout the year, both in the classroom and through extra-curricular activities.
Lastly, on behalf of Fr. Steny, Fr. Jeevan, and our entire staff, we wish all fathers a joyful and blessed Father’s Day on June 15th and wishing you all a safe, restful, and happy summer!
Staffing Updates:
St. Edmund’s has been truly blessed with a dedicated and compassionate staff who continually demonstrate care for our students, support for our families, and a deep commitment to one another. As educators, we strive to grow and develop professionally so we can bring out the very best in each child.
We are especially grateful for the contributions of Ms. Elena K., Mr. Cristian Herki, and Ms. Clarisa Bautista valued members of our Learning Resource team. We also extend heartfelt thanks and best wishes to Mr. Adam Grossi, who has faithfully served our community over the past 9 years as a Grade 5 and Grade 7 teacher. While we will miss him, we are glad to know he won’t be far, as he continues to teach our students at STA.
May God bless each of them in their future endeavors, and may they carry with them fond memories of the St. Edmund’s community.
We are also pleased to welcome Mr. Dominic Keong—former Educational Assistant, and proud graduate of both St. Edmund’s and STA—who will be returning to St. Ed’s as our Grade 5 teacher. Additionally, we warmly welcome Mr. Embuido as our Grade 7 teacher. We look forward to the gifts they will continue to bring to our school family in the year ahead.
Congratulations and Thanks:
Sacramental Program – Our school and PREP Communicants and Confirmands on receiving their sacraments this past month. It was definitely two very special days for our St. Edmund’s community.
Many thanks to our staff and parent volunteers for their continuous support- for preparing the children, organizing and hosting receptions, decorating the Church and hall and taking photos. We would also like to thank SaveOn Foods and Loblaws for donating the delicious cakes for our celebrations.
Arts Program – Staff and Intermediate students for the performance of “Life School Musical”. We all hope you enjoyed this amazing performance! We are also extremely proud of our School Choir for all their hard work over the year which culminated at the North Shore Schools Choir Festival.
Athletics Program – Rory Beaton who represented St. Edmund’s and achieved a Bronze medal for St Edmunds in BC Elementary Championships 1000m & 600m events.
Track & Field – The T-birds continue to show their team spirit and effort in doing their personal best during this year’s Track & Field season. All of our athletes have been putting in a great deal of time and effort in attending morning and lunch hour practices throughout the season. We are very proud of the team’s efforts at last month’s Holy Cross Track Meet. Pray for our athletes as they participate in the CISVA Finals on May 28 & June 4 at Swangard Stadium.
School Safety & Gratitude
We thank all the parents who have answered our call and have continued to provide safety at our crosswalks!
Your time and effort is much appreciated at morning drop-off and afterschool pick-up.
We would also like to acknowledge all our parent volunteers for their time in our community with keeping the school clean and safe. A special thank you to Mrs. Annie Perez for her countless hours and leadership with the garden team!
Parent Groups:
Parish Education Committee (PEC) Elections Update – For the 2025/26 school year, we needed to elect two members and appoint one member to the St. Edmund`s School Education Committee. The deadline for nominations was May 14th. Re-elected by acclamation are: Mr. Enrique Fernandez and Ms. Ana Oliveira. We are so very grateful to our PEC for their leadership and support of our school community! We would like to thank outgoing member Ms. Georgiana Soare for her 4 years of service to the PEC.
Parent Support Group (PSG) Update – As reported last month, we thank Ms. Karen Lo for her leadership on the PSG and welcome Ms. Angela Santoro, voted in by acclamation, as our new member. The PSG is a necessary Parent Support Liaison Group between the school and the B.C. Gaming Commission who are responsible for applying for and the expenditure of funds benefiting students. Funds this year were used to help cover the rental of school buses for our student field trips.
Upcoming Events & Reminders:
“Bike” to School Month – We are encouraging students and families to use active transportation for their trips to school all month! Walking, biking, or scootering helps reduce congestion in our neighbourhood and helps students arrive at school energized and ready to learn. Please remember to wear your helmets!
City of North Vancouver Parking Guidelines & St. Edmund’s Safe & Active Routes to School. We ask everyone to follow all the posted “no parking” and “no stopping” signage around the school.
School & Class Library Books – Please return all library & class books by Thursday June 5th so that we are able to complete our inventory. Any misplaced or lost books will need to be paid for by the students/parents. Thank you for your co-operation.
Professional Day June 9th No School – There will be a Professional Development Day for our staff.
There will be no school for students on this day.
Sports Day Friday June 13th: The annual Sports Day organized by our grade 7 class will take place on Friday June 13th. Dismissal will be at 12:00 pm and all students will receive a “freezie” from our wonderful PAC! Students are expected to wear their team colours and be ready for the weather conditions. (Bring a track suit or sweatpants in case of colder weather; a hat and sunscreen for warmer weather.)
Year End BBQ Friday June 13
Our PAC and the Grade 7 & 4 classes invite you to our End of Year BBQ on Friday, June 13 (5:00pm-7:00pm). Order forms for dinner (must be pre-paid) were sent home and are due with exact cash or cheque by June 7th.
We look forward to celebrating the great year we’ve had at St. Eds!
CISVA Track Meet – May 28 & June 4 at Swangard Stadium, Burnaby
Please refer to the Track and Field notice for details. Please make sure students are dressed for the weather and have healthy snacks, lunch, water and sunscreen packed for the full day events.
School Uniform: Order by June 15th – We recognize that uniforms may be furthest from mind. However, our provider, Cambridge Uniforms ask that your back-to-school order be placed by June 15th to ensure delivery during the month of August.
Please visit their website www.cambridgeuniforms.com, create an account if you don’t already have one, and use the school code TED357 to place your order or book a fitting. A reminder that all uniform pieces are to be purchased from our supplier. Please note that the girls red school sweaters will now be sold from our school office for a $15 savings.
Grade 7 Farewell Evening – We will be recognizing our grade 7s for all their many accomplishments on Tuesday, June 17th at 7 pm. Stay tuned for further details. We are so proud of our St. Edmund’s Class of 2025 and ask that you continue to keep them in your prayers as they move forward in their educational journey.
Last Day of School – The last day of school for students is Thursday, June 26th. We will have a whole school Mass at 9:00 am at which our Grade 7s will pass on the light of school leadership to our Grade 6 class. Following classroom activities, report cards will be distributed and dismissal will be at 12:00 pm.
Praying for all Fathers:
Fathers in Our Lives
We give our thanks, Creator God, for the fathers in our lives.
Fatherhood does not come with a manual, and reality teaches us that some fathers excel while others fail.
We ask for Your blessings for them all and forgiveness where it is needed.
This Father’s Day we remember the many sacrifices fathers make for their children and families, and the ways–both big and small–they lift children to achieve dreams thought beyond reach.
So too, we remember all those who have helped fill the void when fathers pass early or are absent; grandfathers and uncles, brothers and cousins, teachers, pastors and coaches and the women of our families.
For those who are fathers, we ask for wisdom and humility in the face of the task of parenting. Give them the strength to do well by their children and by You.
In Your Holy name, O God, we pray.
Amen.
– Rev. Chuck Currie (https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/fathers-day-prayers)
Happy Birthday to our Fr. Steny on June 4th!
June Calendar Highlights:
Wed. June 4 Mass at 9:00 am
CISVA Track Finals
Thurs. June 5 Gr. 6 Kayaking Fieldtrip
Fri. June 6 Kindergarten Prayer Service at 11:00
Mon. June 9 No School – Professional Day
Tues. June 10 Gr. 2 7 3 Grouse Mountain Fieldtrip
PAC Meeting at 7:00 pm
Wed. June 11 Class Mass at 9:00 am
PEC Meeting at 7:00 pm
Fri. June 13 Sports Day (am) & Early Dismissal 12:00 pm
Year End Summer BBQ
Sun. June 15 Happy Father’s Day!
Mon. June 16 Gr. 5 and Kinder Walkathon Pizza Lunch Winners
Tues. June 17 Gr. 7 Farewell Evening at 7:00 pm
Wed. June 18 Gr. K/1 Class Mass at 9:00 am
Thurs. June 26 Last Day of School for Students
9:00 am Whole School Mass
Reports Go Home and 12:00 pm Dismissal
Tues. July 1 Canada Day Holiday
Sat. July 5 School Office Closes
Important Dates for the 2025/26 School Year:
Please remember to check the online calendar and emails for the latest info/changes.
Sept. 2 – First Day of School
Sept. 30 – Truth & Reconciliation Day (No School)
Oct. 13 – Thanksgiving (No School)
Oct. 24 – BC Pro Day (No School)
Nov. 10 – Pro Day (No School)
Nov. 11 – Remembrance Day (No School)
Nov. 21 – CISVA Pro Day (No School)
Dec. 19 – Last day before Christmas vacation
Jan. 5 – School reopens after Christmas vacation
Feb 12 & 13 – Catholic Educator’s Conference (No School)
Feb. 16 – Family Day (No School)
Mar. 13 – Last day before Spring Break
Mar. 30 – School reopens after Spring Break
Apr. 3 – Good Friday (No School)
Apr. 6 – Easter Monday (No School)
May 15 – Pro Day (No School)
May 18 – Victoria Day (No School)
June 25 – Last Day of School