SETON CONNECTIONS - November 2026

As we welcome November, we are reminded that even as the days grow shorter, we can be a light for one another through kindness, compassion, and love. At St. Elizabeth Seton, our faith theme, Anchored in Faith: Guided by Grace, Inspired by Hope, Transformed by Love, reminds us that hope is something we carry in our hearts and share through our everyday actions.

This past month, our Seton community put hope into action through our Thanksgiving Food Drive, generously supporting the Red Deer Food Bank. Our students also continued to shine as Guardians of Hope, reminding us that even the smallest acts of kindness can make a meaningful difference. These moments show us that hope grows when we care for one another and reach out to those in need.

As we journey through November, we will also begin preparing our hearts for the season of Advent, which begins at the end of the month. Advent is a time of waiting, watching, and preparing for the birth of Jesus. It invites us to slow down, make room for God in our hearts, and remember that Jesus is the light of the world and the source of our hope.

May we continue to be people of hope in our homes, our school, and our community, sharing God's love in the little things we do each day. As we approach Advent, may we find opportunities to bring light to others and help every child know that they belong, they are valued, and they are a beloved child of God.

Wishing all of our Seton families a November filled with hope, gratitude, and God's many blessings.

With gratitude,

Mrs. Rori-Lynn Daniel
Principal, St. Elizabeth Seton School

A big thank you to our SES families for staying on top of school fees and important forms! We appreciate your diligence in completing these items through RYCOR and helping us keep our school information up to date.

Here’s where we are as a school community:

• 73% of our Student Activity Fees have been paid.

• 80.7% of families have completed their child’s In-Town Transportation Form.

• 55% of our students now have their Student Update Forms completed.

Thank you for taking the time to complete these important tasks. If you haven’t had a chance yet, we encourage you to log in to RYCOR and complete any outstanding fees or forms. Every response helps us keep things running smoothly and ensures we have the information needed to support our students!

Thank you for being such an important part of our Seton community!

Our Seton community has shown what it means to put hope into action! As part of our 50th Anniversary celebrations, students and families came together for our Thanksgiving Food Drive in support of the Red Deer Food Bank. Our goal was to collect 300 non-perishable food items, and we are thrilled to share that we surpassed our goal by collecting an incredible 365 items!

Together, these donations will help support individuals and families in our community. Thank you to our students, families, and staff for your generosity and for reminding us that even small acts of kindness can make a big difference. When we share what we have with others, we become people of hope!

As part of our division's faith theme, Uplifted by Hope, we are inviting our SES students to share something special: their very own Message of Hope!

What brings your child hope? Perhaps it is a friendship, a caring teacher, someone who helped them through a tough day, or a special moment that made them smile. We want to hear what hope means to our students!

Every message begins with:

“What brings me hope at St. Elizabeth Seton is…”

Students can finish the sentence in just one or two short sentences. There are no perfect answers we simply want to hear their voices and what gives them hope!

With parent/guardian permission, participating students will have the opportunity to be professionally recorded at SES by the RDCRS Communications Department the third week of November. One student's message will be selected for a special Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools video featuring students from across the division. All participating students' recordings will also be celebrated and shared throughout the school year on SES social media.

• Submissions open: Monday, November 2

• Submission deadline: Wednesday, November 11

• Parent/Guardian submission form: [https://forms.gle/Sxy7qMQUt7YzVRzu7]

Every voice matters, no matter how small. We can't wait to hear what hope sounds like through the voices of our SES students!

We will gather as a school community on Tuesday, November 10, at 10:45 a.m. in our gym to honour and remember the brave men and women who have served, and those who continue to serve, our country. Our assembly will be led by Grade 3A.

Parents and guardians are warmly welcome to join us for this meaningful opportunity to reflect, remember, and give thanks.

Hope continues to shine throughout our Seton community! In October, we celebrated our Guardians of Hope, recognizing 120 students on our morning announcements for the kindness, care, and encouragement they showed others. These students remind us that hope can be found in everyday actions a helping hand, a kind word, a welcoming smile, or simply being there for someone who needs it.

On October 30th at our Spirit Assembly 13 lucky students had their names drawn to spin a wheel for a chance to win a prize .

Congratulations to our Guardians of Hope! Thank you for helping make SES a place where everyone feels valued, included, and loved.

Our 50th Anniversary celebrations continue! On Wednesday, November 18, we invite all students and staff to show their Seton spirit by wearing green and gold or their favourite SES gear.

Let's fill our school with Seton pride as we celebrate 50 years of learning, faith, friendship, and community!

50 Years Strong. Anchored in Faith. Uplifted by Hope. Transformed by Love.

We are delighted to welcome Mrs. Lisa Howell to our Student Support Team as an Educational Assistant! Mrs. Howell brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to SES and will be providing support primarily within our Kindergarten programs. We are excited to have her join our Seton community and look forward to the positive impact she will make in supporting our youngest learners!

At St. Elizabeth Seton, we believe that learning is most meaningful when students feel connected, engaged, and empowered to explore their interests! We are excited to introduce Seton Connections, a school-wide opportunity that celebrates student voice and choice while strengthening relationships across our school community.

Through Seton Connections, students will have the opportunity to choose from a variety of engaging sessions led by teachers (and parents) throughout the school, based on their interests, curiosities, and passions. Students will come together with classmates from different grade levels to learn something new, explore their gifts, discover new interests, and build connections with both students and teachers beyond their own classrooms.

Seton Connections is about more than just trying something new. It is about creating opportunities for every child to feel a sense of belonging, develop meaningful relationships, and recognize that their interests, talents, and ideas matter.

Discover your interests. Build connections. Grow together.

We look forward to seeing our Seton students learn, explore, and grow together through this exciting new opportunity! We are hoping to offer 3 throughout the school year with our first one will be on November 26th in the afternoon for all grade 1-5 students.

Would You Like to Be Part of Seton Connections?

We would love to invite our Seton parents and guardians to be part of this exciting initiative! Do you have a special talent, hobby, skill, or passion you would enjoy sharing with our students? Whether it’s art, music, cooking, crafts, sports, nature, building, or something completely unique, we would love to hear from you!

If you are interested in volunteering to lead a session, please reach out to Mrs. Connelly at krista.connelly@rdcrs.ca and contact the office to get your Criminal Record Check. Together, we can create meaningful opportunities for our students to discover new interests, share their gifts, and build connections across our Seton community!

Our faith journey continues in October as our Faith Coach leads students through another opportunity to learn, reflect and grow in their relationship with God.

November's faith lesson focuses on:

🌱 The Parable of the Lost Sheep
Hope is an Anchor for the Soul

Through the Parable of the Lost Sheep, students will explore how God’s unconditional love reminds us that every person is precious to Him and how we can find hope and comfort in knowing that we are never forgotten or alone.

Our lessons continue to invite students to think about what it means to recognize God's presence, trust in His faithfulness, and put our faith into action each day.

Our students will participate in Friday Faith Trivia during morning announcements! Students can listen, learn and test their knowledge as we revisit the messages from our faith lessons.

🌱 When we make room for God's word, faith has room to grow.

At St. Elizabeth Seton, we believe that when families and teachers work together, we create the strongest foundation for student success. Parent-Teacher Interviews are a valuable opportunity to connect, celebrate your child’s strengths and growth, discuss areas where additional support may be helpful, and work together to support their learning journey.

As part of our Fall Provincial Literacy and Numeracy Screenings, students in Grades 1 through 5 recently completed the mandatory assessments developed by the Alberta Ministry of Education and Childcare. Individual student reports have been sent home, along with a Parent Guide to help families understand the results and explore practical ways to support learning at home.

These screenings provide a snapshot of your child's foundational literacy and numeracy skills at this point in time. While they offer helpful information about areas of strength and areas where additional support may be beneficial, they represent just one part of your child's learning journey.

During upcoming interviews, teachers look forward to sharing the bigger picture of your child's learning, including their strengths, growth, classroom experiences and next steps. It is also a wonderful opportunity for families to ask questions, share insights and continue building a strong partnership between home and school.For more information, families can access the Parent Guide to Literacy and Numeracy Screeners here.

Parent-Teacher Interview

Interviews will take place on:

• Monday, November 9: 4:30–7:30 PM

• Tuesday, November 10: 4:30–7:30 PM

Online sign-up will open on Monday, November 2, at 9:00 AM and close on Monday, November 9 at noon.

Book your Parent-Teacher Interview: [ Sign-Up ]

A question to ask your child: “What is something you are proud of learning or working on at school?”

Kindness doesn't have to be a grand gesture. Often, it's the little things we do each day that make the biggest difference—a welcoming smile, an encouraging word, inviting someone to join in, or noticing when someone needs a little extra care.

As we continue our focus on Uplifted by Hope, we can help our children recognize that their words and actions have the power to bring hope to others. Kindness also takes practice! Children are still learning how to recognize others' feelings, respond with empathy, and make thoughtful choices, even when they feel frustrated or upset.

At home, talk about:

Noticing others.
“How might you know if someone needs a little kindness today?”

Choosing kind words.
“What could you say to help someone who is feeling sad or left out?”

Making things right.
“What can you do if your words or actions hurt someone's feelings?”

A little reminder: We don't have to be perfect to be kind. Every day gives us another opportunity to make a caring choice, offer encouragement, and help someone feel that they belong.

At SES, we believe that every child is a beloved child of God.

You belong. You are valued. You have a voice.

At St. Elizabeth Seton, we value your feedback! We want to ensure that our school photo experience meets the needs of our students and families.

This year, in response to parent feedback, our school photo provider, Legacy Images, accommodated our request to have class photos taken in the fall. Legacy also provides one complimentary class photo for each student whose family places a photo order.

We would love to hear about your experience with our school photos, including the timing of photo day, photo quality, the ordering process, and customer service. Your feedback will help us reflect on what is working well and identify opportunities for improvement.

Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts using the questions below. Thank you for helping us make informed decisions that best serve our Seton community!

Share your feedback here: [https://forms.gle/QXZT9ynQNFimWPbd8]

Thank you to the parents who joined us for our School Council meeting in September! School Council is looking forward to another year of working alongside our school community to support our students and staff.

We welcome your ideas, questions and participation throughout the year.

Our next meeting is..

Tuesday, November 3, 2026 @ 7PM

Sharing Hope Through Kindness and Service

Our School Council is once again partnering with Family Services of Central Alberta for the 18th annual Gifts for Grandparents program! Each Christmas season, this wonderful initiative provides gift packages to isolated seniors in our community, reminding them that they are remembered, valued, and cared for.

Throughout November and the first week of December, we will be collecting donations at SES to help fill these special packages. Items such as cozy blankets, chocolates, slippers, and other thoughtful gifts can bring comfort and joy to seniors who may otherwise spend the holidays alone.

This is a beautiful opportunity for our Seton families to put our faith into action by living out the Gospel call to love and serve others. Through Catholic Social Teaching, we are reminded of the dignity of every person and our responsibility to care for those who may be vulnerable or experiencing isolation. By participating together, families can help children understand that even small acts of kindness can make a meaningful difference in someone’s life.

Donations can be dropped off at the school during Parent-Teacher Interviews or anytime throughout the collection period.

As we continue our faith journey of Uplifted by Hope, may we be inspired to share God’s love through generosity, compassion, and service to others. Together, we can bring hope and a little extra warmth to seniors in our community this Christmas!

• Nov. 2: Fall Photos Retakes & any students who missed 9-10 AM
• Nov. 2: School Interviews Link Live at 9AM
• Nov. 3: School Council @ 7-8PM
• Nov. 5 & 6: Halloween Candy Trade-In
• Nov. 6: Hot Lunch - Cobs Bread
• Nov. 9 & 10: Parent Teacher Interviews
• Nov.10: Remembrance Day Ceremony @ 10:45 in the gym led by 3A - all are welcome to join
• Nov. 11: Remembrance Day - NO SCHOOL
• Nov. 12: Lieu Day - NO SCHOOL
• Nov. 13: Fall Break - NO SCHOOL
• Nov. 18: School Spirit - 50th Day of School in honour of our 50th year wear GREEN & GOLD
• Nov. 26: Seton Connections - student voice & choice sessions grades 1-5
• Nov.27: Staff Professional Development Day - NO SCHOOL for students
• Nov. 29: First Sunday of Advent