St. Edmunds Newsletter – November 2025
As November unfolds, we begin with two significant feast days: All Saints’ Day on November 1st and All Souls’ Day on November 2nd. All Saints’ Day is an opportunity to celebrate the lives of saints and martyrs who courageously lived their Christian faith, including our patron, St. Edmund, whose feast we honor on November 16th. On All Souls’ Day, we remember and pray for all the faithful departed, trusting in God’s eternal love. We invite you to join us for our whole-school Mass on Wednesday, November 6th, led by our Grade 5 class, as we come together to proclaim our faith in word and song.
November also calls us to remember those who have served our country and helped others abroad in pursuit of peace. On November 11th, Canadians pause for a moment of silence to honor the brave men and women who defended our nation and aided others in times of conflict. In anticipation of Remembrance Day, our Grade 6 class will lead a prayer service on Thursday, November 7th, helping us reflect with gratitude on their courage, sacrifice, and commitment to peace.
As a faith community, we are called to extend our prayers to all who suffer in conflict and to seek ways to bring peace into the world. Inspired by St. Francis of Assisi, who exemplified humility, compassion, and reconciliation, may we also become “instruments of peace” in our daily lives—showing forgiveness, patience, and kindness to all we encounter.
Let us continue to lift our hearts and prayers to God, strengthened by the example of the saints and committed to boldly proclaiming our faith in all that we do.
This Sunday, we get an extra hour of sleep! Don’t forget to set your clocks back one hour before bed on Saturday night. Enjoy the extra rest, and we’ll see you bright-eyed and ready for the new week! ⏰
Little Saints Mass: Sunday, Nov. 2nd at 11 am
We invite all the children to dress up like “Little Saints” and come for the 11am Mass on November 2nd. A small treat will be distributed to the children. There are so many choices, below are some ideas:
- George– Dragon slaying saint. If you want to wear armor, but not wings or a crown, this is a good choice.
- Michael– Archangel. Wear armour, carry a sword, some wings and sandals would be needed.
- Gabriel– Archangel. Carry a horn.
- Raphael– Archangel. Carry a fish.
- Saint Teresa of Avila– Carmelite order, brown robes. Doctor of the church, so carry a book and a feather.
- Saint Scholastica– Carry a crucifix.
- Saint Faustina– Carry a picture of the Divine Mercy image
- Saint Katherine Drexel– Wear a big crucifix necklace.
- Saint Margaret Mary– Carry a picture of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Looking forward to seeing all our little saints dressed up!
Remembrance Day Assembly – Friday, Nov. 7th at 11am in the Gym
The Royal Canadian Legion, North Vancouver Branch 118 has again asked us to support our veterans this year. We will be accepting donations for poppies/stickers beginning next week and teachers will hand these out to students on Friday, November 7th when we will have a prayer service prepared by the Grade 6 class.
Holidays & Professional Days – No School on Mon. Nov. 10, Tues. Nov. 11 and Fri. Nov. 21
Please note that there is no school for students on these days.
Photo Retake Day – Thursday, Nov. 13th
A reminder that your child is required to bring their Artona card back to school for a retake. If your child was not at school on the original photo day (Oct.14), they will have their school photo taken in the afternoon.
Christmas Brunch – Saturday, Nov. 29
“Join us for a festive start to the holiday season with our Christmas Pancake Brunch hosted by the St. Edmunds PAC! This ticketed event will be held on Saturday, November 29th, bringing our community together for delicious pancakes, holiday cheer, and fun for the whole family. It’s the perfect way to kick off the festive season, and all proceeds will go towards supporting our school programs. Don’t miss out on this joyful tradition!” Please check your email for more information.
Fundraising:
St Edmunds School is fundraising with Purdy’s Chocolatier again, just in time for Christmas!
What’s the sweetest way to support St. Edmund’s Elementary? With Purdys chocolates, of course! This year, our goal is to raise $2,000 to support programs and activities for our students — and we need your help to get there. From now until November 29, you can order your favourite Purdys treats through our Christmas Chocolate Fundraiser. It’s the perfect way to stock up on gifts for family, friends, neighbours (and yourself!) while supporting our school. Orders will be ready for pickup at the school on December 8, just in time for the holidays!
How to order:
1. Go to our fundraising page: https://fundraising.purdys.com/join.aspx/1970486-129826
2. Enter Campaign #22052
3. Click “Join Campaign”
4. Shop your heart out!
Thank you for helping make this fundraiser a success — and please share the link with anyone who loves chocolate and wants to support St. Edmund’s!
Extra-Curricular Programs:
Choir practice takes place for students in Grades 3 to 7 on Wednesdays at lunch hour under the direction of Ms. Maryna. They are busy preparing 11 songs for the caroling event at ICBC on Dec. 10th. Preparations are also underway for the Christmas Concert, learning lyrics and lines under the direction of Ms. Maryna and Mr. Dotto.
The St. Edmund’s Student Council is a group of student leaders who collaborate to make a difference in the school community and the community around us. We help with Advent prayers and have clubs to shape the school culture. We also have food drives and fun fundraisers to raise money to support local charities, the less fortunate, and have in the past donated to natural disaster relief such as the floods in our local communities.
Join us for Prayers for Peace every Thursday afternoon from 3:00 to 3:15 p.m. in our church, led by Ms. Salituro. All students are welcome to come together to deepen their prayer life, lift up the needs of others, and strengthen their relationship with Jesus.
Fall Athletics:
October was a busy month for our T-Bird athletes, most notably in volleyball, where four teams are competing in the CISVA volleyball league. Both the grade six and seven girls teams had successful seasons, finishing in the middle of their divisions. The grade six team narrowly missed out on the playoffs despite tying for 2nd place in the zone. Our grade five girls team has emerged from a very difficult zone in first place, earning them the North Shore championship and a 1st seed in the lower mainland CISVA playoffs. The boys continue to play exhibition games in preparation for their zone tournament in November.
Lunch League carries on, with our teams in the dodgeball playoffs. The winner will play the staff in the ultimate bragging rights game!
Stay tuned for basketball as our next major T-Bird sport, beginning for senior teams later this month, with junior teams to follow.
Go T-Birds!!!
Prayer to St. Edmund – Feast Day is Nov. 16th
God, who raised up St. Edmund to be father of the poor and patron of afflicted children, please grant that I may learn from St. Edmund’s example how to love all God’s Children, however poor or afflicted; that I may become, like him, eyes for the blind, feet for the lame and a friend to strangers in trouble; and that by his intercession I may be protected from all evil and distress.
I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.
https://www.stedmundsrcprimaryschool.co.uk/
St. Edmund of Abingdon: A Model of Faith and Learning
St. Edmund of Abingdon (1175-1240) also known as St. Edmund of Canterbury and St. Edmund Rich, was an English saint known for his deep faith, wisdom, and dedication to education. Born in Abingdon, England, Edmund grew up in a loving Catholic family and developed a strong devotion to prayer and study. He later became a professor at Oxford University, where he inspired many with his teaching.
Edmund’s kindness, love for God, and commitment to living a holy life led him to become the Archbishop of Canterbury, one of the most important roles in the Church. Despite his high position, he remained humble and always cared for the poor and those in need.
St. Edmund is the patron saint of students and schools, making him a perfect example for us. He reminds us to work hard in our studies, treat others with kindness, and stay close to God through prayer. His feast day is celebrated on November 16th, and we honor him as a saint who shows us how to combine faith with learning.
https://saintoftheday.com/st-edmund-rich/
https://www.britannica.com/topic/archbishop-of-Canterbury
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmund_of_Abingdon
We also ask that you keep our wonderful priests Fr. Steny and Fr. Jeevan in your prayers as they will be attending their annual pastoral study days from November 17-21.