St. Edmunds Newsletter – March 2025
Lent, the sacred season of forty days leading up to Easter, invites us to deepen our relationship with God through prayer, sacrifice, and acts of charity. It is a time of spiritual renewal, calling us to reflect on our lives, seek forgiveness, and extend kindness to others.
As we journey through Lent, let us encourage our children to embrace the virtues of faith, love, and compassion. Small acts of kindness, generosity, and self-reflection can transform hearts and strengthen our commitment to Christ’s teachings. One meaningful sacrifice we can make is to be more intentional with our time—stepping away from digital distractions and instead dedicating those moments to prayer, acts of kindness, or service to those in need. As a family, we can use this time to visit someone who is lonely, help a neighbour, or go through our homes to find items we no longer use that can be donated to others.
Within our school community, may we support one another in living out these Lenten promises, helping our students recognize God’s presence in their daily lives—through their friendships, studies, and service to others.
May this holy season open our hearts to God’s grace and inspire us to live with greater love and mercy. Let us walk together in faith, seeking to bring light and goodness into the lives of those around us, and preparing our hearts for the joy of Christ’s resurrection.
Registration for 2025/2026 – due Wednesday, March 5
On behalf of Fr. Steny and the PEC, I would like to thank those of you who fulfilled your commitment and attended our AGM on February 19th. We all feel blessed to be learning together and supporting each other in our community.
Reminders:
- Take your “green forms” to the parish office in order to meet with Fr. Steny to sign the pastor’s authorization for your Category 1 status.
- Refer to the checklist when completing your registration package to ensure you have read, signed and returned all necessary documents.
- We would also like to remind families whose children are receiving the Sacraments of Reconciliation, First Holy Communion and Confirmation, that your Sacramental Registration packages are also due on Wednesday March 5th.
Acts of Kindness:
February was a month filled with excitement and meaningful celebrations, including Catholic Schools Week, the 100th Day of School, Valentine’s Day, Student-Led Conferences, skating, and Pink Shirt Day. Throughout these events, our students were encouraged to find ways to show kindness to their peers, teachers, families, and community members.
A heartfelt thank you for your generous donations to our dress-down day, which the Student Council has collected for the Holy Childhood Association. We also extend our gratitude to our PAC for preparing pink hearts, allowing each child to share positive messages throughout the school as well as the kindness messages left on our school playground!
Let’s continue to embrace the spirit of kindness, lifting one another up and making compassion a part of our daily lives!
Praying for Others:
Lenten Prayers for the Seminarians – Your children will be receiving mite boxes to help support our Seminarians. These young men, with God’s grace, will one day serve as priests in our Archdiocese. We ask that you continue to pray for them and for vocations. Lenten mite boxes can be returned after Easter.
Our Grade 2 and Grade 7 classes have begun preparing for the Sacraments of Reconciliation (April 2), Holy Communion (May 4) and Confirmation (tba). Please keep them and their teachers in your prayers during this special time in their faith formation.
Prayers are requested for the repose of the soul of Ms. Maryna’s mother, who passed away two weeks ago. May she rest in peace, through the mercy of God and may our Lord comfort all those who mourn, and strengthen us with hope and faith, trusting in the promise of everlasting life.
We also pray for the recovery of our Holy Father, Pope Francis, that God gives him strength in body, mind and spirit.
Reminders: Label your children’s clothing
It is the expectation that all students come to school dressed in full uniform every day. Please ensure that your child has their school sweater and black school shoes. St. Edmund’s spirit wear (hoodies and jogging pants) may be used in gym class but do not replace our regulation daily uniform.
We strongly encourage all families to label every piece of their child’s uniform and other clothing items. Too many unmarked items are being left in the lost and found, making it difficult to return them to their rightful owners. Clearly labeled clothing helps ensure that misplaced items are quickly returned.
Additionally, students with long hair are expected to wear their hair tied up at school. This is both a preventative measure and part of the school regulations.
Tbirds in Action
We are extremely proud of all our athletes and coaches for their hard work and dedication over the basketball season. A special shout out to our Grade 5 Boys Basketball team for winning the North Shore Zone, and a big congratulations to the Senior Boys for winning their zone and a playoff game to reach the CISVA Finals at the Richmond Oval on March 10th. Good luck, boys! Thank you to our incredible fans and parent drivers! Go T-birds!
Spelling Bee:
Students in Grades 4–7 are encouraged to join the Spelling Bee. Study guides were distributed last month. The St. Edmund’s Spelling Bee will take place on April 11th, with the winner advancing to the CISVA Spelling Bee on April 29th.
We are also excited to be starting our Badminton season! Stay tuned for more information.
March Calendar
Wed. March 5 Ash Wednesday School Mass at 11 am, led by Gr. 4
Tues. March 11 PAC meeting 7pm
Wed. March 12 PEC meeting 7 pm
March 14 Early Dismissal at 12:00
March 17-28 School closed for Spring Break
Mon. March 31 School re-opens
*Fri Apr. 4 Class Photo Day