St. Edmunds Newsletter – October 2021
It’s been an exciting first month of school and students are settling into routines!
In October, we give thanks to God for this wonderful autumn season and all our blessings. We are so very fortunate to be a part of this supportive community at St. Edmund’s and I am so grateful to all of you for choosing our school for your children.
I am also grateful for the leadership of our Pastor Fr. Steny, the support of our PEC, and the dedication and professionalism of our staff. I would like to share this prayer that I found on Twitter and ask you to pray it with your children at home to remind us of our many blessings.
Lord for every opportunity to walk in your light and to change a life, I thank you.
For all the different ways you renew my faith, never giving up on me, I thank you.
For every reminder that I am unique, here for a reason, I thank you.
For uplifting me through the joy of gratitude and connection, I thank you Lord.
@LumenChristi_NI
I encourage you as a family to pray and help those in need. Thanksgiving encourages us to move beyond being thankful to have an active concern for the poor. Many of us perform works of mercy by sharing what we have and making the world a more welcoming and safer place for all.
On behalf of the staff, I would like to wish all our St. Edmund’s families a blessed Thanksgiving.
Reflecting on Truth & Reconciliation
Thank you to all our families who supported Orange Shirt Day. We wore our orange shirts to school on September 29th and throughout the week we honoured our Indigenous Peoples through reflective prayers and activities. We also collected $160 for the RCAV Healing and Reconciliation initiative.
Parish Education Committee (PEC)
We are pleased to announce the following PEC members for the 2021-2022 school year: and wish them the very best in their endeavours:
Pastor – Fr. Steny Mascarenhas
Chairperson – Serafino Vignone
Vice Chairperson & CISVA Delegate – Donovan Plomp
Treasurer – Robert Spyrka
Facilities & Maintenance Coordinator – Enrique Fernandez
Secretary & PAC Liaison – Janet Westcott
Fundraising Coordinator – Kathryn Grant
Parent Participation Liaison – Ionela Soare
Principal – Diana Silva
Staff Representative – Daniela Oman
Along with our new members, we would also like to thank our past members Iolanda Organ, Karl Viscayno and Pauline Wijesekera for their dedication and support in creating the special community we have here at St. Ed’s!
Sacramental Preparation
Congratulations to all our grade 2 and 7 school and PREP students who with their parents were enrolled in the sacramental programs for First Holy Communion and Confirmation. We pray that the youth of our parish family will continue to be a witness to Christ and grow in faith with the gifts of the Spirit. Special thanks for Fr. Steny for his spiritual guidance and all our teachers for working alongside families in the children’s faith journey.
COVID Updates: Daily Health Check (K-12 Online Health Check)
I would like to thank everyone in our community, staff and parents, for everything that is being done to support our students. Thank you for continuing to monitor your child’s health each day before coming to school. Please click on the above links for the Daily Health Check form or the K-12 Online Health Check links. For quick reference, you can print the page and post it on your fridge. We also thank you for working with us to remind your children of proper handwashing/sanitizing, masking and personal space. We understand that with the evolving situation of COVID variants, there is a high level of concern regarding transmission. As always, the health and safety of our school family is a priority.
We receive weekly bulletins from the Ministry of Education as well as our Superintendent each Friday and follow the directives that they receive from the PHO. We will inform you if there are any changes to our protocols. We continue to strongly encourage masking in our Kindergarten to Grade 3 students.
Uniform
As you are aware, St. Edmund’s School has a uniform policy for the following reasons:
- Respect for both the individual and school is manifested by a mindset of “dressing up” for school.
- A neat personal appearance reflects a positive image of our school to the community.
- It helps to reduce differences among children in regard to fashion and promotes a Catholic ethic of modesty.
- A school uniform worn well instills a sense of pride and unites students in a common school identity.
If a circumstance arises that your child arrives to school without the proper uniform items, a notice will be sent home in an effort to provide parents with feedback on their child’s uniform. Thank you for supporting our uniform policy and keeping our students looking their best! A reminder to label all clothing items with your child’s full name as many students share the same first name or initials.
Additionally, we look forward to your continued support in doing your utmost to ensure children have dressed appropriately (for rain or shine) each day so that we can continue to enjoy the fresh North Vancouver air! (For safety and storage reasons, please do not send your children to school with umbrellas unless they are walking from home.)
Parent Participation & Volunteers
We are continuing to adapt our parent participation and events programs to meet the COVID protocols. Please go to our website Parent Participation Login to check for opportunities to fulfill your participation obligation. If you require assistance with your login, please contact the office.
Note: All volunteer positions that are directly involved with students require a Criminal Record Check. If you have previously applied for a CRC, it is valid for 5 years. If you are unsure or are new to the school and would like to volunteer, please contact Mrs. deFreitas in the office. Thank you for helping to make our students’ safety a priority.
Communication Reminders:
Contact Information – It is important that our school records be kept up to date. If you have moved, or changed phone numbers or email addresses, please notify the school office. Additionally, if your child’s medical information has changed, please notify the school office.
When Parents Have Concerns – If at any time you have a concern regarding your child or an incident that happened, we ask that you please come and speak with your child’s teacher. The only way that concerns can be effectively resolved is through open communication between home and school, resulting in accurate information being shared, and an informed understanding of your concern.
Attendance (Absent or Late Days) – Regular attendance and prompt arrival at school is important if your child is to gain full benefit from the school program. Please do your best to ensure your child arrives to school on time each day. The school gate opens at 8:30 and classes begin at 8:45 am. If your child is going to be late or absent for any reason, please call, or email our school office at office@stedmunds.ca. Students who are late must report to the office for a late slip. If we do not receive a call or email or notification and your child is not at school, we will call to ensure his/her safe arrival.
Students leaving early during the school day for an appointment must be signed out at the school office and signed in when they return to the school. Please remember that all students will be dismissed at the end of each day from the back school doors that lead into the playground. Please be on time to pick up your children and leave the grounds immediately to practice social distancing and keep everyone safe.
Curriculum
Communicating Student Learning – Wed. Oct. 27
As a way of keeping you informed about the effort your child is making this term, teachers will be sending an interim report which will give you information about your child’s observable work habits and respectful interactions with peers and adults. Please use this report as a focus for discussion with your child about their attitude towards school, their strengths, and possible areas for improvement.
Formal Parent-Teacher Conferences are scheduled for Monday, December 6th, but know that you can always reach out to your child’s teacher if you have any questions.
Individual Photo Day – Oct. 13
Mark your calendars! Artona Photography will be taking individual student photos on Wednesday, October 13th . All students are to wear their full school uniform on this day (school sweaters, hair accessories in school colours only). You can check the online flyer for further information. If your child misses the October 13th date, photo retake day is November 5th.
Professional Day – No School on Oct. 22
All staff will participate in the BC Professional Development Day on Friday October 22nd. Please note that there is no school for students on this day.
All Hallows Eve, All Saints Day, All Souls Day
With the approach of All Hallows Eve (Hallowe’en) on October 31st, All Saints’ Day on November 1st, and All Souls Day on November 2nd, it is important to recognize our faith heritage in a special way, while also recognizing the aspects of fun and school spirit.
As a Catholic school, we will be reminding the students of the origin of All Hallows Eve. For a $2 donation, students are welcome to wear costumes or Halloween colours (orange and black) to school rather than their uniforms on Friday October 29th. Proceeds raised will be shared with the Good Shepherd Ministry. We will also be joining our high school in collecting candy donations and prayer messages for the Good Shepherd Ministry.
Please ensure that costumes are safe and appropriate for a Catholic elementary school. No full masks or weapons of any kind are permitted. Regular face masks are acceptable of course.
Calendar of Events
Mon. Oct. 4 Early Dismissal: 12:00
Tues. Oct. 5 Hi Touch High Tech Presentation (K, Gr.1 & 2)
Wed. Oct. 6 Whole School Mass led by Grade 7s
Thurs. Oct. 7 Hi Touch High Tech Presentation (Gr. 3, 4 & 5)
Mon. Oct.11 No School – Thanksgiving Holiday
Tues. Oct. 12 Hi Touch High Tech Presentation (Gr. 6 & 7)
Wed. Oct. 13 Grade 5 Class Mass
Wed. Oct. 13 Individual Photo Day
Thurs. Oct. 14 Living Rosary led by Gr. 4
Wed. Oct. 20 Grade 4 Class Mass
Fri. Oct. 22 No School – Professional Day
Wed. Oct. 27 Grade 3 Class Mass
Wed. Oct. 27 Communicating Student Learning Mid-term Reports
Fri. Oct. 29 Dress Down – Halloween Theme