Students in Ms. Holly Swain’s Grade 4 class at St. Charles Elementary School created their own cryptography wheel and became cryptographers solving mystery messages all afternoon!
Nicholas Butt, Outreach Coordinator for Let’s Talk Science and special guest Morgan, first year Master’s Student in Neuroscience at University of British Columbia led the students in this week’s STEM activity. Students gained an understanding about the history of cryptography and how ancient Greeks were known to have ciphers over 2000 years ago. Students also learned that computer science uses cryptography to secure information and communication techniques using algorithms to transform messages in ways that are hard to decipher.
There is still time toRegister Your Class for fun and interactive STEM activities intended for Grade 4-6 students! Each week, Let’s Talk Science, features a different hands-on activity using minimal, easy-to-find materials. Students will also have the chance to learn from and ask questions to inspiring STEM role models.
An English activity is offered two times per week (Tuesdays at 11:30 a.m. ET & Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. ET), and a French activity is offered once a week (Tuesdays at 1:00 p.m. ET).
Launched in 1994 by The Learning Partnership, Take Our Kids to Work Day is an experiential learning opportunity for Grade 9 students across Canada offering them the chance to see the world of work firsthand, explore a variety of careers and sectors, and look at what skills are important to thrive in the world of work. The goal is to ignite students’ curiosity and open the door for them to see what is possible for their future.
On Tuesday, November 3rd, 2021, Grade 9 students had access to both pre-recorded and live virtual content to create an exciting learning experience. Over 200 Sudbury Catholic students participated in the event facilitated by consultant Christina Raso.
Students learned the importance of managing their online reputation and understanding that the internet is a public place and anything posted online is likely to exist forever. A positive online reputation can be advantageous and will likely be seen by future employees so students need to be careful about what they share and how it will be perceived. Students then listened to an inspiring message of purpose and belonging by Sam Effah, RBC Olympian. Watch the video at : Take Our Kids to Work 2021: You Belong Here Following, students joined a live Q and A session on Diversity in the Skilled Trades sponsored by Toronto Hydro. The day ended with sessions hosted by industry experts in the area of innovation & entrepreneurship, healthcare and technology & finance.
The Sudbury Catholic District School Board would like to thank all our community partners, staff, and keynote speakers who helped make our Nov. 19th PA Day a tremendous success.
The abundance of knowledge accumulated throughout the day has been enormous. Today’s resources show a strong future for efforts to grow our schools and help students and staff in our community by enhancing the educational experiences that strengthen the ways we can help all our learners understand and grow into responsible leaders.
We sincerely appreciate all the hard work of our community partners, who took time out of their busy schedules to talk with our board and be extraordinary virtual visitors by introducing new concepts and programs to teachers and staff.
Pictured is Sam Demma – one of the inspiring guests who helped make this PA Day amazing.
Special thanks to…
Pearson
Let’s Talk Science
Compass
Monsieur Steve
Sam Demma
Children’s Treatment Centre
Canadian Mental Health Association
Empower Reading Program – SickKids
Learning for a Sustainable Future (LSF)
Ontario Ministry of Education
Cooperation Council of Ontario
Unlearn – Unlearning Streaming
Edge Factor
Mersive Solstice Software
Skills Ontario
Mind UP
Investors Group
Jane Goodall Foundation
Pear Deck
Thank you for supporting our school community and bestowing your tools and experience to support Sudbury Catholic Schools.
In addition, many of our incredible staff attended these comprehensive presentations throughout this Friday and even provided wisdom by preparing engaging presentations that tackled many topics that opened the door for continued growth and learning at SCDSB. We thank all our fantastic staff for their diligent preparation and planning that provided a triumphant PA Day for everyone at Sudbury Catholic District School Board.
When he is not inventing a new donut called “The Magnolia” at Beards Bakery, he is a busy Grade 3 student in Mrs. Whalen’s Grade 3/4 class at Holy Cross School.
Pictured: Holy Cross Student and Donut Designer, Nate proudly shows off his “Magnolia” donuts outside Beards Bakery
Why did Nate create a donut, and what does this have to do with school? Well, it all started with an idea and a little persuasion.
This past school year, Mrs. Whalen taught Nate and his classmates about the author’s purpose, which involves concentrating on convincing others and practicing persuasion through persuasive writing.
To help students understand persuasion, Mrs. Whalen had an idea to get each student to design a donut with the goal that once their creation was complete, they had to convince their other classmates why their donut design was the best. This would put their writing skills to the test and make them ponder how they could best convince and persuade their classmates using the skills they had learned from their lessons.
To make this persuasive writing activity a reality, Mrs. Whalen reached out to Beards Bakery, located on Kathleen Street, at the end of August to see if the owner would be interested in helping out.
Pictured: Beards Bakery’s Magnolia Donuts
Jess, Beards Bakery owner, quickly and enthusiastically agreed, and the plan was set in motion!
Under Mrs. Whalen’s instruction, students illustrated and labelled their donuts and then wrote a paragraph to persuade their audience (classmates) to believe that their donut design was the best. Following this, students presented their donut designs, and each student voted for their favourite. The activity was extra exciting because Beards agreed to serve the winning donut at their storefront on Nov. 6th.
Fast forward to this November. Students then worked on designing a donut using nothing but their imagination and a toppings list provided by Beards.
The students all did a fabulous job using their words and illustrations to persuade the class. Nate was crowned the ultimate donut designer and was excited to have Beards Bakery bring his winning donut, “The Magnolia,” to life. What made the occasion more fun was his brother’s 10th Birthday fell on Nov. 6th and was celebrated with a specially designed Beards donut.
Nate’s family ordered many donuts to share with their friends and family. The rest of the class also had the option to visit Beards to purchase a donut on the day. A HUGE thanks to Beards Bakery for embracing this idea and helping us out. ‘Donut’ forget that you’re fantastic!
Your newest member of our provincial EQAO Student Engagement committee. WOW!
We want to congratulate Myra who was selected out of 250+ students to be on this very important committee to promote student voice and find ideas/ strategies that will help our school community become more inclusive. Myra and the 34 other students that were selected in Ontario, carry on a role of leadership in their schools by attending regular zoom meetings and have wholesome discussions around equity and student needs. Well done Myra, we are extremely thrilled to celebrate your accomplishment, while starting our grade 11’s off in the OSSLT testing this week.
This year for Remembrance Day, the Sudbury Catholic District School Board (SCDSB) paid respects to the extraordinary men and women whose services and sacrifices will never be forgotten through preparing a virtual Remembrance Day ceremony on Nov. 11th. The service, which used various forms of prayer, readings, music, and video, worked with parish partners to help acknowledge the day’s importance and was a powerful social connection that included various schools participating in its production.
Following today’s events, the SCDSB has provided a clip of our opening video that was viewed at our virtual ceremony.
The following presentation highlights historic clippings and images of war veterans as well as beautiful artwork and visual displays that our school’s students and staff brought forward this year.
In addition to the video, please see the gallery of photos below. The gallery demonstrates wonderful examples of various artistic and faith-based learning activities and lessons school’s had participated in leading up to and on this important day of reflection.
Special thanksis given to the staff and students whose provided contributions enabled us to put together an amazing virtual service for our entire board. Thank you everyone!
Sudbury, ON – On November 9th, 2021, St. Charles Catholic Elementary School students in Mme Lamond and Mme Jorstad’s class participated in a Zoom lesson highlighting Remembrance Day which allowed them to send letters to Canadian soldiers.
With help from special guest Captain Amirault of the Royal Canadian Air Force Station in Nova Scotia, the class was also led in an exercise that helped our kindergarten students learn about the Royal Canadian Air Force and become more educated about the meaning of Remembrance Day.
Pictured: Captain Amirault of the Royal Canadian Air Force
During the visit, the class was able to ask questions about helicopters and Captain Amirault showed his uniform.
Upon completing this exercise, students then wrote their letters that will be distributed to Canadian soldiers. Students were happy to showcase their letters in a picture taken with Captain Amirault.
“We love creating engaging opportunities that foster strength in student understanding of Remembrance Day. We’re grateful to Captain Amirault for providing these students with a fantastic experience that will help empower their learning on themes like compassion and respect that are important to address every day.” – Angela Polischuk, Principal.
“Recognizing Remembrance Day in schools and remembering those who fought and continue to fight for our freedom is extremely important at the Sudbury Catholic District School Board. Learning stems from the experiences we provide to help our children understand the world. We are very pleased to nurture partnerships with the community and beyond to enhance our student experience.” – Joanne Bénard, Director of Education.
Over 75 girls from Marymount Academy and St. Charles College participated in the Jill of All Trades event hosted by Cambrian College with the help of many community sponsors, to encourage girls from Grades 7-12 to consider a career in the skilled trades.
This day-long event was packed with activities and hands-on learning, designed to foster in young women a better understanding and appreciation for skilled trades, and inspire them to consider a rewarding career in skilled trades.
The virtual event included:
3-45-minute interactive workshops showcasing a number of skilled trades offered at Cambrian (Build Your Own Motor, Hydraulic Robot Arm & Wiring an Extension Cord)
Keynote address from an amazing guest speaker in the field
A tour of Cambrian College labs
A Jill of All Trades shirt and a backpack filled with tools and PPE for participants
“This event was two years in the making, and after having to reschedule and retool the scope and delivery of activities, we are beyond thrilled to finally have some of our young women take part in such a great experience”, said Dan Levecque, OYAP and SHSM Co-ordinator for Sudbury Catholic Schools.“We were very impressed with the level of participation and engagement with our students throughout the day, and we have received so much positive feedback from both students and teachers. It certainly exceeded our expectations”
These young ladies were so excited to be able to build and complete their projects successfully.
November 1-7 is Treaties Recognition Week, an important time of year where Ontario students acknowledge and learn about treaties as well as the histories, perspectives, and contributions of First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples.
The Sudbury Catholic District School Board (SCDSB) is celebrating its participation in Treaties Recognition Week. This year, we honour Indigenous histories, perspectives, and contributions through meaningful lessons, presentations, readings, events and celebrations for students and staff at all our schools.
School Highlights
St. John
At St. John Catholic Elementary School, students in Mrs. Galipeau’s class learned about wampum belts in an activity where they could make their own belts out of Lego. Students in Grade 5 and 6 created the 1764 Treaty of Niagara wampum belt. Pictured are Nathan and Olivia, Jaguar students proudly showcasing their class’s completed belt. Wampum belts represent agreements and promises that last “as long as the sun shines and rivers flow”.
On Nov. 2nd, Grade 2 students in Mrs. Child’s class at St. Charles Catholic Elementary School read “Dakota Talks About Treaties.” Afterwards, they created a word web to describe what the word “treaty” means. Also, reading a story was Ms. Trudeau and Ms. D’Angelo’s class! “A Family Cookout” was read to help students explore measuring objects. Afterwards, Ms. Trudeau led an engaging lesson on making bannock where students used their knowledge in a real-life context. However, reading wasn’t the only popular activity. Mrs. Blakely’s grade 1 class learned all about the medicine wheel, smudged, made wampum belts and created their very own classroom treaty.
At St. David, a school-wide activity was implemented in preparation for the week. The Grade 5 class mapped the forested area in an educational exercise that touched on Indigenous identity, history, and ways of being. In an abundance of activities, students learned about treaties, promises, wampum belts and what it means to be indigenous. The school listened to “The Drum Calls Softly” and students created versions of the artwork in the video.
Over at Pius, Treaty Recognition Week was in full force. The school’s Grade 6 students took part in a lesson that included constructing their own Wampum commitment string. Wampum commitment string symbolizes an agreement of respect and peace. Collectively, all the strings will attach and form a family circle to honour Treaty Week.
To commemorate Treaty Week, the students in Grade 2/3 FI at St. James explored the significance of wampum belts as representations of promises that were made to last. They recreated the Treaty of Niagara wampum belt with Legos and other materials and mapped out some of our province’s treaties.
St. Benedict’s kicked off Treaty Recognition Week with Smudging available to students and staff. Classes participated in the Treaty Awareness dialogue. For example, Treaty is ‘Legally Binding’ and that there is also a ‘Sacred Element’ to the agreements. In addition, the school’s Life Skills Class learned and designed a Wampum Treaty Belt of their choosing. Tobacco was offered to our Indigenous Support Worker, Ms. Agowissa, for knowledge sharing. “We Are All Treaty People and are in the Robinson Huron Treaty region.”
Other highlights included secondary students participating in the Robinson Huron Treaty “Treaty Talks with Tomorrow’s Leaders”. Students were able to listen to different Ogimaak/Chiefs from RHT communities share treaty knowledge past, present and future about ‘Gweksijigewin’ (making things right). This knowledge was applied on Friday, Nov. 5th, with presentations from the students.
It truly is very exciting to see what beautiful things our schools are doing to honour this essential part of the learning experience. Thank you to all our staff and community leaders, who took the time to capture and share some of the many wonderful things they were able to participate in this week. For more school activity updates, check out Indigenous Education SCDSB.
