Sudbury Catholic District School Board teachers, parents, clergy and staff celebrated more than 150 years of Catholic Education in Ontario during its Institute for Catholic Education (ICE) Symposium held at Marymount Academy last week. The initiative is part of a campaign undertaken by the Board and its Partners in Education to increase the awareness of what Catholic Schools are really all about.

In his opening remarks, Barry MacDonald, SCDSB Trustee welcomed guests and took the opportunity to share his thoughts on Catholic Education “For more than a century and a half Catholic Schools have enriched communities through the education of students rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ,” MacDonald told the capacity crowd of Catholic Educators. “Schools belonging to the Sudbury Catholic District School Board incorporate Catholic beliefs throughout all subject areas of the curriculum. Both individually and as members of interdependent teams, students are called to examine and evaluate their own contributions to physical, political, ethical, socioeconomic and ecological systems with an informed moral conscience as they learn to integrate faith with life. The English Catholic School system in Sudbury has proven to be a very successful one that provides a value added, faith-based quality education that meets or exceeds provincial standards for excellence and student achievement. By recognizing the diversity in our community and the Constitutional guarantees established to protect minorities, we will continue to provide the very best for our students now and in the future,” concluded MacDonald.

Rossella Bagnato, Interim Director of Education for the Sudbury Catholic District School Board echoed Mr. MacDonald’s thoughts on the uniqueness and distinctiveness of Catholic Education. “Integral to our Catholic school system is the firm conviction that it encourages and challenges students and teachers alike to become involved in issues and questions of social justice. Our faith permeates every aspect of the curriculum,” noted Mrs. Bagnato. “Catholic schools educate more than 600,000 students representing cultures and nations from around the world. You are the guardians of Catholic Education,” Bagnato told her audience. “Every thing you do promotes, preserves and protects the children we love and that is why we are confident in saying that our schools are truly Schools To Believe In.”