Skip to content

St. Edmunds October 2019

A Great Start

It’s been an exciting first month of school and students are settling into routines. In the month of October, we give thanks to God for this wonderful autumn season and are looking forward to our upcoming school and parish fundraisers — Apple Orders (Oct. 3), Walkathon (Oct.4) and International Night (Oct. 5). Your participation and contributions are essential and directly impact the programs and resources we can provide your children. We appreciate the efforts of our volunteers and donors, who together help to provide the funds needed to upgrade our facilities and enrich our educational programs. We are also grateful for the parent involvement in the school – from our crossing guards to garden group, hot lunch team and everyone who worked so hard towards the success of our Back to School BBQ.  It is evident that St. Edmund’s is a fantastic community!

This month our teachers will be preparing our students to celebrate Thanksgiving. We encourage you as a family to pray and help those who need it the most. Thanksgiving encourages us to move beyond being thankful to having an active concern for the poor.  Our school theme, “I can do all things through Christ” fits well with practicing the works of mercy and helping our neighbour. Many of us perform works of mercy by sharing what we have and making the world a more welcoming and comfortable place for all. A smile, a helping hand, a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on, or an open mind can make a difference in the life of another person. On behalf of the staff I would like to wish all our St. Edmund’s families a blessed Thanksgiving.

Congratulations:

  • To our volleyball and soccer teams who have had a great start to their seasons
  • To our newly elected Student Council! Let us pray for them and their efforts in this upcoming year. This leadership team is enthusiastic about planning a fun and memorable year. Bless this council with the ability to work as a team with the best interests of all the students in their plans and performing works of service to the greater community.

With Gratitude:

Thank you to the students, parents and volunteers who took part in our very successful Back to School Barbeque.  Special thanks to our organizing parents who made sure that everything ran like a fine-oiled machine!

Reminders:

When Parents Have Concerns – If at any time you have a concern regarding your child, a school event, a staff member, 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.

When Your Child is Sick – In anticipation of cold and flu season, we’d like to remind parents to be prudent when it comes to deciding when to keep your child home, or when to send him/her to school if he/she has just recovered from being ill. Some basic guidelines are as follows: 24 hours after temperature returns to normal, or after gastrointestinal illness (vomiting/diarrhea); contagious infections such as suspected pink eye or strep throat; unexplained skin rash; severe cough and cold symptoms. Exercising proper hand washing techniques is also crucial to helping prevent the spread of viruses. This will go a long way to keep our student and staff population happy and at school.

Birthday Celebrations – In the spirit of including everyone in the celebration, we ask that no food items be brought to school as we have a number of students who carry Epi-Pens for food-related allergies.  Some ideas for your class to share their special day may include: donating a book or game to the class or bringing birthday pencils for their classmates.

Uniform Policy – We are asking all parents to help support our uniform policy to ensure our students are dressed in a way that promotes community, belonging, a feeling of equity, and a sense of growth and school spirit necessary for our school to thrive and prosper. 1) Uniform pieces are purchased from Cambridge Uniforms with the exception of the gym strip. 2) All uniform pieces need to be in good condition. Please check sizing as students grow, and for wear and frayed sleeves on sweaters. 3) Students need to wear their school sweater on school Mass days. 4) Hair colour needs to be natural. 5) Hair accessories need to be modest and in keeping with school color tones: navy, red. They should not draw attention.

Fall Weather –  Just a reminder to ensure your child comes to school dressed for the rainy and cooler weather. Being out in the fresh air (even in a bit of drizzle) is important for physical development.  The summer uniforms can be put away until May.

Apple Fundraiser – We are happy to hold our first Apple fundraiser this fall.  Orders for freshly picked apples from the Okanagan are due on Thursday October 3rd. $8 for a 5 lb bag; $45 for a 40lb box.  A wonderfully healthy and fresh fall treat! Thanks for your support!

STA Fundraiser – As you know, St. Edmund’s is a feeder school to our regional high school – St. Thomas Aquinas.  With a new school and gym having been built, STA would like to invite you to their Annual Christmas Craft Fair. Admission is $5 for adults, $2 for seniors and complimentary for elementary and high school students. Follow us at @stacraftfair for updates on the Craft Fair.

St. Edmunds Walkathon:

The parent volunteers are organized, the route is planned, and spirits are high. It’s ready, set, go! for our Walkathon this Friday.  This event is our major fund-raiser for the year. Over the past years the school has been able to purchase and update educational tools, athletic equipment and upgrade our fire safety system. This year’s $20,000 goal will enable us to upgrade our technology resources as well as provide new resources for our fine arts programming and upgrade some of our playground space.

Please ensure your child is on-time (8:45 am) for school this Friday as we need to make announcements and take attendance before boarding our buses after 9:00 am.  Parents who are walking with a class or volunteering along the route are asked to meet us at the Lower Seymour Demonstration Forest route.

Walkathon is an “out-of-uniform “day; please ensure your child is dressed appropriately for the weather.  Students will receive a cookie half-way along the route, but you may want to provide an additional snack that your child can carry in their pocket or in a small backpack.  Students will be bussed back to school and have a hotdog and drink before being dismissed at 1:00 pm.

To all the parent volunteers at the park, walking with the classes, riding along the route, and helping your child fundraise, we couldn’t do it without you. On behalf of the school, we thank you!

Please note that you can have family and friends donate online using the CHIMP fundraising website. See St. Edmund’s Elementary – Walkathon 2019, or click on this link. Remember, pledges of $25 or more are eligible for a Charitable Tax Receipt!