Trustees with the Sudbury Catholic District School Board proved successful in passing a balanced budget for the 2003-2004 school year. The Board approved a budget of $57,943,878 during its last meeting of the school year before the summer break. The new budget will maintain the 2002-03 level of programs and curriculum services and will also incorporate new initiatives in the areas of special education such as additional special education classes, increased in-school special education resource, specialized teachers for speech correction, the deaf and the blind, additional educational assistants and increased funding for professional development.

With respect to curriculum, the 2002-2003 level of support for curriculum services including professional development, special assignment teachers and secondary school co-ordinators, as well as the level of teacher support in curriculum in-service has been maintained. The budget allows for the retention of the Faith Animator position at 50% capacity, and provides for two chaplains in the secondary schools. There will be no reduction in the amount of the support from technology and school-administrative lines. In addition, all elementary schools will have from .7 to 1.3 full time secretaries. Included in the 2003-04 budget are the start up costs associated with the introduction of the Grade 10 classes at Bishop Alexander Carter Catholic Secondary School and the renovation costs for St. Francis School as a result of the consolidation of St. Anthony school with St. Francis for the 2003-2004 school year.

Zandra Zubac, Director of Education for the Sudbury Catholic District School Board, attributed the fact that the Board was able to bring in a balanced budget to the additional funding provided by the provincial government stating that, “Thanks to the increased spending in education recommended by the Rozanksi report, the Sudbury Catholic District School Board will continue to maintain its high level of commitment to our students and teachers and to Catholic Education.” Ray Vincent, Chair of the Board, stated that, “Last year’s budget placed the Board in a very difficult situation. With respect to the 2003-2004 school year budget, the Sudbury Catholic Board finds itself in a much better position. Grant revenues have increased by $3.6 million over last year’s levels which is a direct result of the funding committed by the government for salaries, benefits, supplies, special education and transportation. It is also important to note that the Board was able to meet school council, parental, and staff requests for additional hours for secretaries by increasing the minimum to 25 hours per week. This will not only add efficiencies to our school system but also provide a valuable degree of safety for each child at school.”

Sister Pat Carter (pictured left) , Vocation Director with The Sisters of St. Joseph of Sault Ste. Marie, visited Grade 6 classes across the North earlier in 2003 and challenged the students to become people of prayer and service. Sister Pat announced an essay and poster contest that invited students to draw upon their religious education program entitled “You Shall Be My Witness”, and reflect on who has been a good witness of the Gospel message to them. They were asked to write their reflections in an essay or create a poster to give specific examples of how this person was an effective witness of Jesus’ love. The winner for the Sudbury Catholic District School Board was Alex McGilles from St. Mark School in Markstay. Alex wrote about her special relationship with her grandmother Aileen Large, and her grandmother’s special relationship with God. Aileen Large is a teacher with the Sudbury Catholic District School Board. Congratulations Alex and Aileen!

My Witness to God Have you ever felt like someone you know is an angel that fell from heaven? Well I do and it’s my Nana Aileen. She is my witness to God. My Nana is my witness to God because she is a very special person. She goes to church every Saturday and if she misses then she goes on Sunday or Tuesday. My Nana always volunteers to do stuff for our church, like when the Deacon asks our community to read for our church my Nana always says “yes”. She willingly offers to make sandwiches whenever there is a funeral. She also makes sure that there are severs at our church to help the priest. She always asks me to participate and because of her influence I serve at funerals and I help with children’s liturgy. My Nana also takes care of my family and me. When my best friend moved to Virginia my Nana was there to help me push back my tears. She also helped my Dada (Grandpa) when he was sick with cancer. She stayed with him every second of the day until he passed away. Also, just this summer she came to my house to see my Papa when he was sick with cancer and he also died. She comforted me by ensuring me that Papa was at peace with God. My nana goes to school and teaches kids about God. She teaches five times a week for one hundred ninety days and she never complains around the children. At school three times a day she prays. She prays for kids and their families who do not have a house to go to. She also prays for the sick and for the deceased. She even prays for my family that we may live for eternal life in heaven. I feel that I will always be able to look towards my Nana for spiritual guidance and I pray to God to look after her. Alex McGilles St. Mark School, Markstay

Students from the Sudbury Catholic District School Board travelled to Kitchener-Waterloo to represent the Board in the Skills Canada National Competition recently. The event is designed to give students from across Canada the opportunity to represent their provinces in an annual competition which celebrates trades and technology. Over 40 contests were held at the Canadian Skills competition involving some 400 students from both the secondary and post-secondary apprenticeship programs. Representing the SCDSB Team are (L-R); Mr. Lynden Baxter, Matt Rocca, Andrew Kostvik, Amy Richard, Tabitha Higgins, and Ms. Allison Simpson. (Missing from the photo is Chris Gunville).

Mat Rocca and Andrew Kostvik from St. Benedict Catholic Secondary competed in the Web Page Design competition while Amy Richard and Tabitha Higgins, also from St. Benedict competed in TV-Video production.. Chris Gunville from St. Charles College won a Bronze Medal in the Prepared speech competition. The Canadian Skills Competition is the first stage of building Team Canada for the World Skills Competition which is hosted every two years.

The bargaining committee for the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association representing Occasional Teachers, Sudbury Unit, (OECTA Occasional) and the Sudbury Catholic District School Board have reached a tentative agreement.

On Monday, June 16th , the union membership will vote on the tentative settlement and on Tuesday, June 17th, the Board’s salary negotiation committee will bring the tentative proposal forward to the Trustees with a recommendation for approval.

Paula Peroni, Board Trustee and Chair of the Board’s negotiation committee and Linda Kingerski, President of the OECTA Occasional Unit, Sudbury, stated that both parties were pleased with the outcome of negotiations.

Ray Vincent, Chair of the Board, thanked teachers and both negotiating committees for achieving a tentative agreement, stating that, “The goodwill shown by both parties to reach an agreement during these negotiations will ultimately transfer itself to the classroom.”

The Sudbury Elementary Unit of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association (OECTA) and the Sudbury Catholic District School Board have ratified a new one-year collective agreement effective September 2003 to August 2004. The new agreement includes a benefit package for retirees consisting of dental coverage, extended health care and group life while the monetary portion of the contract will see the teachers’ salaries increase by 1.5 percent effective September 2003, an additional 1 percent in February 2004 and 1 percent on June 1 of 2004.

Ray Vincent, Chair of the Sudbury Catholic School Board is pleased with the fact that the contract has been ratified by the membership, stating that, “ the Board is very happy that we had an agreement reached on friendly terms. Our two most important assets are our students and the teachers we hire to educate them. The ratification of this contract underscores the common goal of the Board and the Elementary Teachers’ Local Bargaining Unit to provide the best possible education to the Catholic children of this community.”