As part of their ongoing commitment to fitness, St. David students participated in the 1K Strong Kids Fun Run at the recent Sudbury Rocks Walk, Run, Race For Diabetes. During education week the students collected pledges and raised approximately $100 dollars. The running club has not only been running but have also been reading once a week with community volunteers and reflecting on their running in their running journals as a way to promote literacy and physical fitness.
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Sudbury Catholic Students Participate in a Water Walk
On Friday, May 4th, over 50 students from St James, St Benedict Catholic Secondary School, St Charles College and St David in collaboration with Atikameksheng Anishinawbek participated in a Water Walk. According to Anishinaabe traditions women are responsible for the stewardship of water. Anishinaabe Grandmother, Josephine Mandamin reminds us of our responsibility through her actions of walking around the Great Lakes in bringing awareness and protection for the water. Sudbury holds their own Water Walk annually around Lake Ramsey. This Water Walk is to honour the water and to bring awareness to how critical it is to do our part in protecting it. In May we celebrate Mother’s Day and it is the Month of Mary. Anishinaabe people refer to Mother Earth as Shkagamik Kwe and the full moon as Nookomis or Grandmother Moon. The next day Nookomis was reported at her fullest for the 2012 calendar. Julia Pegahmagabow, Atikameksheng Anishinawbek member, started the morning with teaching the group of mostly young women about their role as women and their responsibility to take care of themselves and the water. The group then started the 7km walk to the Traditional Grounds of the Atikameksheng Anishinawbek located on Whitefish Lake. On the shores of the lake we ended our ceremony and celebrated with a traditional feast. Participants left with a sense of pride and accomplishment.
SCDSB Hosts Third Annual Turning Points Essay Awards Ceremony
Students, parents, teachers and invited guests gathered at the Sudbury Catholic District Board office on May 9, 2012 to take part in the SCDSB’s third annual Turning Points Essay Contest Awards ceremony. This essay contest is an initiative which stems from the Learning Partnership which is an organization that champions a strong public education system to deliver innovative programs, credible research, policy initiatives, executive leadership and public engagement across Canada. Turning Points is a character development and literacy program that allows students to reflect on their fundamental values and, through a process of self-reflection and dialogue, write a narrative essay about a significant event, or turning point in their lives. As it is the third year, student participation has continued to grow as teachers have continued to encourage their involvement with this rewarding program. The secondary students that took part in this contest and authored the winning essays were awarded plaques, a copy of the publication, as well as monetary awards at Wednesday night’s celebration. The students were honoured for their efforts and several students had the opportunity to read their essays allowed. The audience was visibly moved by these emotional accounts and several of the teachers involved spoke of the courage and strength of their students to be able to write such heart-felt accounts of their experiences. Allison Cameron, a Marymount English teacher was the master of ceremonies at this event and was visibly moved after the students read aloud their essays. “Even after being involved with this initiative for three years, I am never really prepared for the poignant words our students have written and shared with others,” Cameron stated. “The courage of these students to express their deepest feelings and emotions about their life’s turning point is so powerful – for the student, and their families.” Catherine McCullough, Director of Education for the Board echoed Cameron’s sentiments. “I am thrilled that the this program once again met with such success, and am so honoured that our students have courageously shared their most personal and meaningful life experiences. We are certainly overwhelmed by their talent and honesty involved in this writing experience.”
St. Raphael Early Learning Kindergarten Students Celebrate their Moms
Students in the two Early Learning Kindergarten Programs at St. Raphael Catholic School professed their love of their mothers with a show stopping performance on Monday, May 7th. As part of the school’s Catholic Education Week events, the two classes took turns singing songs in honour of their mothers and grandmothers. The families also enjoyed a slideshow and video presentation that had all the students professing what they loved most about their moms. Afterwards they had the opportunity to share in some refreshments with their classmates and their families. Some students were fortunate enough to have generations of moms together in the room – with grandmothers, and even great grandmothers in attendance. Rosemary Tripodi, one of the Early Learning teachers explained the history of the school’s Mother’s Day tea. “We have been hosting this event for approximately five years now,” Tripodi stated. “Every year, we get such positive feedback as it is really is such a wonderful opportunity to not only showcase our students’ talent, but to give parents a chance to enjoy their child’s company in the school setting. The students, their families and the staff really love this event as it is such a feel good morning – everyone leaves with big smiles and warm hearts!” As well as taking in the performances, the parents also walked around the entire gym as every single wall had pictures and tributes to the students’ mothers.
Walking in the Light of Christ at St. Andrew
The students and staff at St. Andrew School “Walked in the Light of Christ” around their school to celebrate the opening of Catholic Education Week on Monday May 7th. The school community walked while listening to the songs Children of God by C. Walker and Walk in the Light by C. Landry. The school community has planned many activtiies to celebrate this special week. Parents have already been into the school to picnic with the child(ren) and will continue to visit the school throughout the week.
St. Andrew Hosts Hawaiian Day Bookfair
The parents of St. Andrew School are hosted a Scholastic Book Fair during Catholic Education Week. To kick start the week students were encouraged to get dressed in Hawaiian gear and the best dressed from each class won $10. of free books.
Mentoring Students and Making Memories
The Grade 1 students at St. Bernadette Catholic School partnered with teacher Paola Gutcher’s Parenting Class from nearby St. Charles College to create wonderful Memory Boxes. The Grade 1 students read the book, Lighthouse: A Story of Remembrance and the class decided to create memory boxes that would celebrate highlights of this past school year and all of the love and important memories in their lives. Pictured are St. Bernadette grade 1 student Christina Gregory and St. Charles College student Julia Furlotte working on the memory box together.
Paralympic Athlete Brings “Passion for Sport” to St. Charles College
Robbi Weldon started downhill skiing at the age of three. Many years later, she would compete on the international level as a Nordic skier and cyclist as a Paralympic athlete. Weldon of Thunder Bay has been in Sudbury the last few days, sharing her story and passion for sport. She visited St. Charles College to inspire the students in the Exercise Science class. Weldon also shared her dreams for the upcoming games in London, England.
Weldon was diagnosed with a genetic eye disease when she was a teenager in high school. The macular degeneration disease she was diagnosed with has not stopped her from living out her dreams. She’s 2011 Parapan Am Games 4-time Gold Medalist, 2011 World Champion Road Cyclist in the Time Trial and the 2010 World Champion in Road Racing.
Students Learn about Community at Corpus Christi School
As part of their Catholic Education activities, Corpus Christi students in teacher Eva Scola-Lawryshyn’s grade 1/2 class had the opportunity to come to school dressed as their favourite community helper during the open house. They made a mural of our school community when the parents arrived putting their mapping skills to task. As well, they made their own community helper hats as part of their science unit.