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St. Edmunds Newsletter – December 2020

Sunday, November 29th marked the beginning of Advent and our preparation for the birth of Christ.  Our community is blessed with many talents and gifts and I invite you to make this season one of peace and sharing.

It has filled my heart to witness the dedication and devotion of both the staff and parents to Catholic Education.  It takes a special commitment to send your children to a Catholic School and I believe that the education your child receives at St. Edmund’s reflects your values of faith being central in all that we do.

On behalf of the entire staff, I pray this Christmas brings your family love, peace and happiness as we celebrate the joy of our Savior’s birth.

Confessions:

To prepare the children for Christmas, we will have Reconciliation services for Grades 3 to 7 on December 9th. When we receive the sacrament of Reconciliation we show our desire to welcome the Lord with purified hearts.

Student Council Spirit of Giving & Dress Down Week:

  • Student Council is challenging all students to do some charity this month by bringing in a dollar a day or $5 for the week of December 8th to support the Holy Childhood Association. During this week of giving, students can either wear their uniform or come dressed for the theme of the day:
  • Twin Tuesday – Come dressed as a classmate, or a class can all wear the same colours
  • Wacky Wednesday – Mismatched designs, crazy hair/hats but be appropriate
  • Thursday Jersey Day (athletic wear)
  • Festive Friday – Winter colors – blue, white, Christmas colors – red, green, or Christmas themes – Christmas sweater)

Holy Childhood Association is a world-wide mission club for elementary school children. With “Children Helping Children,” young people are involved in the missionary activity of the Church by learning about, praying for and sharing with needy children around the world. The money provides food, medicine, clean water, shelter and education to the children.

Virtual Christmas Concert:

On Thursday, December 17 at 7 p.m. you are invited to join us for our annual Christmas Concert from the comfort of your own homes. The students have been working hard to prepare for this special evening of reflection and singing. A YouTube link will be sent out to all families soon and we hope that we can join together on this evening to watch the concert as a school community.

Smiles Winter Fundraisers

  • Please make arrangements for pick up Saturday, December 12th between 9:30-11:30am
  • Will be in Last Name Alphabetic order for drive by pick up from the parking lot.
  • Please advise the office if you cannot pick up as we are unable to store them.
  • Thank you for all your support!

Recognition & Appreciation

  • Thank you to our grades 4/5 and 6/7 Girls Volleyball team members and Miss Singer, Mrs. Dy, Mr. Grossi and Ms. Silva for coaching during our “adapted” volleyball season. Our girls are commended for their commitment to coming to practices to build their skills and have fun on the court.
  • Thank you to our grade 6/7 Boys Soccer team and coaches Mr. Dotto and Miss Bruschetta for our indoor/outdoor soccer season.
  • We very much appreciate our parents for the support you gave the children and coaches with this season’s athletic programs.

COVID UPDATES

As we hear of the increase in COVID cases, we are thankful that our parents and students are continuing to be careful and following our guidelines. All we can do is our part to stay safe. It is critical to remember to continue doing the daily screening checklist (also found on the St. Edmund’s website) and NOT send kids to school ill.

Also, you are reminded that our local health authority will notify the school of any direct exposures and if there happens to be any risks to our students, staff, or families. Please continue to follow the Vancouver Coastal Health website: www.vch.ca and the exposure listings page: http://www.vch.ca/covid-19/school-exposures#.X4fbW8Vw86U.gmail

This week, I wish to thank all our parents for continuing to work with us in following the staggered drop-off and pick-up times.  Please take extra caution at drop-off time and have your child exit your car from the passenger side onto the sidewalk.  A number of children have been exiting onto the street and not checking for cars.  Also, please shoulder check when you pull-out from the drop off zone!  Thank you to all parents who are staying safe by wearing masks, keeping physically distant and exiting the pick-up location as soon as possible.

Thank you for your continued diligence and prayers!

Calendar of Events

Mon. Nov. 30 – Start of Advent: Week 1: Hope

Mon. Dec. 7 – Communicating Student Learning: Interviews online

Wed. Dec. 9 – Confessions (Grades 3 – 7)

Sat. Dec. 12 – Purdy’s and Plants Pick-up (9:30-11:30)

Thurs. Dec. 17 – Virtual Christmas Concert 7:00

Fri. Dec. 18 – Noon dismissal for the Christmas holidays

Mon. Jan. 4 – School Re-opens (full-day)

COMMUNICATING STUDENT LEARNING CONFERENCES:

Our teachers appreciate your role as partners in your child’s learning and look forward to seeing you via Zoom on December 7th.  Please note that students in grades 4 to 7 are also expected to attend their conference. (If you haven’t done so already, please register online through the school website or contact the office for assistance.  Thank you for commitment in taking the opportunity to meet and celebrate your child’s academic progress so far this year.

KINDERGARTEN 2021/2022:

If you have a child ready for Kindergarten for the 2021/2022 class, please return the form below to the school office by Friday, December 11th, 2020.  Preference is given to siblings, however due to interest for enrolment in Kindergarten, we need to know how many spaces will be available.

NEW FAMILIES 2021/2022:

If you know any families whose first child will be in Kindergarten in September 2021, applications for the 2021/2022 school year can be made online form the school website.