St. Charles Elementary School kicked off June with its 19th Annual Johnathan Hetu Walk, a cherished event supporting the Northern Ontario Families of Children with Cancer (NOFCC). This walk honours Johnathan Hetu, a former student who bravely fought cancer and passed away in September 2004.

Although current students and staff at St. Charles Catholic Elementary School may not have known Johnathan Hetu personally, his legacy lives on through this annual walk. This year, the school raised $13,035.26 , bringing the grand total to $160,217.74 in nineteen years.

History of the Jonathan Hetu Walk

The first Johnathan Hetu Walk was organized in 2006 by one of Johnathan’s teachers, David Nicholls. The walk became an annual event, celebrating Johnathan’s bright spirit and fostering unity, strength, and collective action within the school and surrounding community. David Nicholls spearheaded the event for many years until his unexpected passing in 2019. Since then, school staff including Maria Peplinski, Brent Peplinski, and Ronald Belanger have continued organizing the fundraiser, honouring both Johnathan and David while supporting children and families in Northern Ontario.

“We are incredibly proud of our entire school community for continuing to support this walk that honours the legacy of kindness and compassion that Johnathan and David cultivated in the St. Charles community,” said Principal Christine McCracken. “Reflecting on what has been achieved by our community over the past 19 years is quite simply astounding. The achievement is a result of the collective effort of past and present students, staff, and families. We are so grateful that we have been able to help provide hope, support, education, and advocacy to families who have a child with cancer.”

In addition to the walk, the school honours Johnathan by presenting an annual award to a student who exhibit a positive attitude, participate in sports, and have a love for learning. This year, Rarity Sasseville received the Johnathan Hetu Award.

Students within St. Charles feel passionate about this annual fundraising event. “This walk is  important for our school community to help students with cancer. My neighbour and my grandma had cancer so I feel close to the cause like many of my friends do. We want to help make life a little easier for families going through something so hard. Fundraising for NOFCC is our way of saying we care. It felt really nice to be able to help. Students donated and we sold popcorn and ice cream sandwiches to fundraise and make difference.” Student Nora Ceretti said about the event. 

Johnathan and David’s memory continue to inspire the community at St. Charles Elementary School. The annual walk has become a vital tradition, bringing the community together and supporting a cause that remains close to their hearts. 

New Blog Alert!

We’re proud to share the final Director’s Corner blog of the 2024-2025 school year: Together in Service.

This special year-end entry is the final blog from our Director of Education, Joanne Bénard, as we celebrate leadership, honour graduates and retirees, and recognize those who make a difference across our system. Read our latest blog today and join us in reflecting on an incredible school year spent with incredible people.

Wishing everyone a safe, happy, and healthy summer!

 Read the full blog here: Together In Service

Happy Canada Day from Sudbury Catholic Schools!

Today, we celebrate the beauty, diversity, and spirit of our great country. As a Catholic learning community rooted in faith, we are proud to be part of a nation that values inclusion, kindness, and service to others.

Wishing our students, staff, families, and community a joyful and safe Canada Day!

Jennifer Petahtegoose, Native Studies teacher at St. Charles College, was recognized earlier this year with the AES Educator Excellence Award at the Evening of Excellence, held last August at Casino Rama. Celebrated for her unwavering dedication to land-based learning and her passion for sharing Indigenous knowledge, Jennifer continues to be a source of inspiration for both students and colleagues. 

This June, Jennifer reached a new milestone in her journey — becoming a published children’s author. 

Her debut picture book, A Ribbon Skirt for Hannah, is a beautifully illustrated story that honours culture, self-discovery, and community. As young Hannah learns to create her own ribbon skirt, she also learns to pause, listen, reflect, and draw strength from the people and traditions who surround her. 

Check out the exciting announcement from Second Story Press!

Congratulations, Jennifer, on this exciting achievement. Your voice continues to uplift and inspire minds and hearts at Sudbury Catholic Schools and beyond. 

We are thrilled to announce that the SCDSB 2025 Walking Challenge has officially concluded, and what an adventure it has been.  

We would like to thank everyone who came together, stepped up, and got involved this year! It was a fantastic opportunity to embark on this journey together. We are proud of the special way we continue to build fitness into our day and have a little fun in the process. Thank you to all the members of the Wellness Committee for their continued support and leadership as well as all 160 participants who took part.

Walking Challenge Highlights: 

Record Breaking Year! 

We did it! This May, our community took a giant leap forward—smashing last year’s total of 46,242,807 steps with an incredible 57,781,304 steps! That’s the equivalent of 43,774 kilometres—enough to walk around the entire Earth once and still have 3,699 km to spare. Or, to bring it closer to home, that’s like walking from Sudbury to Vancouver and back—five times!

But among all 40 teams, we saw three stand out! Without further ado, I am excited to announce that the TOP 3 Teams of the 2025 Walking Challenge are:

• 1^st Place: Celtic Calzoni Cruiser
• 2^nd Place: Redbirds 2.0
• 3^rd Place: Holy Walkamolies 

     Congratulations! 

We also want to give a big shoutout to the TOP 15 Teams of the 2025 Walking Challenge! Congratulations to the following teams for their tremendous efforts this year: 

RANK	TEAM	MEMBERS	TOTAL STEPS
#1	Celtic Calzoni Cruiser	Stephanie Venturi David Fabiili David Ranger Kathleen Cameron	3,121,425
#2	Redbirds 2.0	Colin Lapalme Jennifer Skelly Nancy Bellemare-Perron Kevin Krystia	2,602,605
#3	Holy Walkamolies	Pat Shewring Andria Field Jen Geddes Andrea Jebreen	1,866,843
#4	Red Hot Chili Steppers	Faith Van De Kraats Robyn Thomson Sandra Burch Lynn Dubois	1,866,115
#5	The Penguin Preppers	Michelle Cousineau Beth Kromer Shannon Read-Pastre Adriano Simonato	1,735,843
#6	St. Francis Detention Dodgers	Rachelle Dearing Michela Rocca Jessica Pigozzo Jennifer Cormier	1,726,977
#7	Cirque du Sore Legs	Kelsey Franklin Megan Dubois Tina Hebert Megan Desormeaux	1,712,630
#8	SCC Admin Team	Aaron Barry Kathryn Kurt Blaire Rains Lori Holden	1,663,576
#9	SCC Stride Tribe	Jessica-Anne Sawyer Tara Beaudry Chancey Miron Morgan Melnek	1,613,981
#10	The WalkingIMSpiration	Pat Hauser Stacy Copland Dan Crepeault David Hempel	1,575,462
#11	Anne-credible Walkers	Jennifer Makela Eric Baillargeon Danika Teddy Melissa Faggioni	1,481,436
#12	Angels In Our Walking Era	Natalie Lafrance Serena Troscinski Nanette Shonwise Amanda Douglas	1,465,670
#13	Team Mediocre	Brad Pharand Jessie Jones Amanda Lanthier Melissa Mason	1,461,966
#14	Team Holy Soles	Melanie Morin Joanna Hammond Jennifer Benoit Carla Lacelle	1,452,949
#15	Gator Trotters	Kristen Bell Lisa Hunter Doug MacNeil Jennifer Ilg	1,445,247

Congratulations everyone! Together let’s keep focused on our health and continue our wellness journeys throughout June and beyond.

Support Doesn’t Take a Summer Break.

Supporting the mental health and well-being of our students remains a priority all year-round. To help our students stay connected and supported this summer, the Sudbury Catholic District School Board’s Mental Health and Addiction Services team is offering free, brief one-on-one counselling sessions (up to three per person) for Sudbury Catholic students aged 8 to 17.

Sessions will be available: July 7 to 25 and August 11 to 29, 2025.

Mental Health Doesn’t Take a Holiday. These confidential sessions provide Sudbury Catholic students with a safe, supportive space to talk and receive professional guidance. Whether you are facing challenges or simply need someone to talk to, our team is here to help throughout the summer months.

This free service provides flexible meeting options to best meet students’ needs and preferences, including in-person (face-to-face), telephone, and virtual (Zoom) sessions. In-person appointments are available at St. Francis School (691 Lilac Street) for students aged 8 to 17, while virtual and telephone sessions are only offered for students aged 12 and up.

How to Book A Session?

To request a session, please call 705-929-3970 and leave a message for Laurie Milling. A registered clinician will return your call to arrange an appointment. Appointments are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Please note: This is not a drop-in service. All counselling sessions must be booked in advance with a registered clinician.

Please note: This is not a crisis service. For immediate mental health support, contact HSN Crisis Intervention at 705-675-4760 or go in person to the HSN Emergency Department.

Congratulations to Grade 8 Marymount Academy student Mercia Thompson, who placed second in the Excellence Award category at the Canada-Wide Science Fair in Fredericton this morning!

Mercia was recognized for her innovative project, “Anti-Pull Collar for Dogs“, in which she developed an electronic collar that helps train dogs not to pull on the leash during walks. The collar features a built-in sensor that automatically detects when a dog pulls and responds by emitting a sound and vibration that the dog finds unpleasant.

What sets Mercia’s collar apart is its automatic response—it requires no input from the person walking the dog, making the training process more consistent, reliable, and immediate. This not only helps synchronize the dog’s pace with the owner’s but also creates a safer and more enjoyable walking experience.

Unlike traditional training tools like shock collars or choke chains, Mercia’s design does not cause pain or fear, making it a humane and safe alternative for dog training.

Well done, Mercia!