The Catholic Education Centre at the Sudbury Catholic District School Board has raised a total of $1300 in canned goods and monetary donations through the Edgar Burton Food Drive. The donations was given to the Sudbury Food Bank to help replenish their stock and support those who will utilize their services this Christmas.
The Catholic Education Centre consists of approximately 70 employees made up of educators, support staff and administrators. The group originally had a goal of $600 but this was quickly surpassed during the two-week campaign!
“We are very proud of all central Board office staff for the dedication they had to the Edgar Burton Food Drive this year,” said Joanne Bénard, Director of Education for the Sudbury Catholic District School Board. “We know how important it is to help provide food and monetary support in these difficult times and are very pleased to play a part in helping! We look forward to continuing to support the Sudbury Food Bank in the new year.”
Month: December 2020
Over 3500 students Participate in Hour of Code Activities At Sudbury Catholic Schools
Approximately 3, 543 students Kindergarten to Grade 12 from 167 classes Board wide participated in Hour of Code activities during Computer Science Week. The Hour of Code is a global movement that Sudbury Catholic District School Board staff and students are thrilled to participate in annually.
This year, activities were held virtually and in-class. Classroom teachers registered their students to participate. They then taught a lesson on their own or joined one of the six lessons led by members of our Learning Support Services team. In addition, the Board also hosted two virtual evening sessions in which 74 additional coders helped create an online dance all while learning about coding!
The event continues to grow in popularity each year as more and more classrooms participate in computer science and coding activities!
“It’s incredible to see the level of dedication and engagement our staff and students continue to show to computer science and the Hour of Code,” said Joanne Bénard, Director of Education for the Sudbury Catholic District School Board. “The Hour of Code provides unique opportunities to introduce coding to students of all grade levels. We thank our educators and those on our Learning Support Services team who always go above and beyond to plan educational and rewarding learning opportunities throughout the school year.”
St. Francis takes part in the Mistle “Toes” Campaign for the Elgin Street Mission
Students and Staff support the Elgin Street Mission this Christmas by filling socks for the Mistle“Toes” Campaign. Grade ¾ French Immersion teacher, Dominica Frometa said, “It just warms my heart and gives me goosebumps, because it’s so nice for them to understand that aspect of giving throughout the Christmas holidays and the season. Every day, I’ve been having students bring Mistle“toes” in, and it’s such a beautiful thing to see and for them to learn. It’s such a big learning opportunity for them.”
Holy Trinity Students Start an Upcycling club!
Grades 1, 2 & 3 students at Holy Trinity start an Upcycling club with funding received from Learning for a Sustainable Future Action Project.
To celebrate Christmas, the students created a massive Christmas tree out of recycled boxes. Classes designed, painted and decorated the boxes that would have otherwise gone into the recycling bin. This beautiful masterpiece is showcased in the school’s entrance.
We can’t wait to see the other projects this club will be creating!
Join our Virtual Dance Party!
On Tuesday evening, families participated in an Hour of Code while participating in a dance party and learning about coding all at the same time! This session was designed for families to learn the basics of coding without even using a device.
Students learned that events are a useful way to control when an action happens and can be used to make multiple things act in sync. In programming, events can be used to respond to a user controlling it (like pressing buttons or clicking the mouse) and that events can make programs more interesting and interactive.
Following, our teachers taught various dance moves such as the “Star, Dab, High Clap and This & That”. Then, families were asked to create their own unique dance algorithm and to share their finished products in order to have a chance to win a family prize pack.
There is still time for families to join our next Dance Party on December 10th at 6pm. To register go to: Learning Support Hub for Students and Parents.
SkillsAtHome Challenge Series Challenge #16: Build A Robot
Ms. Reale’s Grade 1 & 2 class at Holy Cross School was assigned challenge #16 as it relates to mathematics and literacy curriculum expectations. Students were asked to use their imagination to create and write about a robot following the challenge rules set out by Skills Ontario. This challenge introduces children to robotics and project planning.
We encourage students to enter the 2nd last challenge in the series for a chance to win one of three prizes. Submissions are due by December 14th at noon. More information about this challenge can be found at the following link: Build a Robot.
Father Larry Shares a Message of Connection and Hope during the Christmas Season
St. Francis School Council hosted a parent session with Father Larry Rymes on December 3rd, 2020. Families were invited to join a Zoom session to discuss “Connection at Christmas during Covid Times.” Father Larry led the group in prayer and an interactive discussion about connection at school and with Our Lady of Hope Parish. “We were thrilled to be able to offer our school community an opportunity to connect with other families and our parish to discuss connection during this very unprecedented time. We are always thankful for Father Larry, his insight and comedic relief!” said, Natasha Folino, St. Francis Acting Principal.
Marymount Students Send 3500 Christmas Cards to the Canadian Armed Forces
Students and teachers at Marymount Academy all came together to truly share what Christmas is about; spreading joy and love to everyone.
While this holiday season will be different with COVID-19, our Canadian Forces are always putting themselves in harm’s way to ensure we can spend the holidays with our families. Creating Christmas cards for the Canadian Armed Forces is something we did as a school to share the holiday spirit with them. We are forever grateful for their sacrifices and service.
Christmas is a time when you want to be surrounded by love and family. For the Canadian troops overseas, this must be a very difficult time and although we can’t all understand, we can empathize and help support in any way possible. This year we have decided to create Christmas cards for the Canadian Troops and send joy to them during the holidays. Students have been busy making cards this week and last in hopes of spreading love and cheer this holiday season. The cards will be mailed out this Friday, December 4 to the military headquarters in Belleville, where they will be then deployed to different locations around the world where our troops are stationed. We have come together as a community of students to share in the Christmas spirit as we will be sending 3500 Christmas cards out to the troops.
Ms. Gattoni, the teacher who spearheaded this thoughtful gesture at Marymount shared that “we were truly overwhelmed by the amount of cards students were making. The beautiful and thoughtful messages and warm wishes they included for the Canadian Forces truly demonstrates what wonderful and caring students we have at Marymount.”
Michael Bellmore and Ray Desjardins Elected During Annual Inaugural Meeting
The Sudbury Catholic District School Board held its annual Inaugural meeting on Tuesday, December 1, 2020.
At the meeting, Michael Bellmore was elected Board Chair and Ray Desjardins was elected Vice-Chair of the Board. Both Michael Bellmore and Ray Desjardins have served in their roles for five years. They were first acclaimed during the 2015 Inaugural Board meeting.
“I am proud to be re-elected as Board Chair,” said Michael Bellmore, Chair of the Board of Trustees. “I thank my fellow Trustees for entrusting me with this role and look forward to working alongside them and our Senior Administration team as we navigate this unique school year and work collaboratively in the best interest of all of our students.”
“I thank my fellow Trustees for re-electing me as Vice Chair,” said Ray Desjardins, Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees. “I take great pride in serving alongside each of them and look forward to our continued work.”
Board meetings take place on the third Tuesday of each month during the school year at 6 p.m. and are open to the public.