Sudbury Catholic District School Board

Category: Environmental Education

Sudbury Catholic Board Receives Ministry Funding to Build New Green School

Posted on by admin

The Sudbury Catholic District School Board will be better positioned to address the accommodation needs of its students with an investment of $13.8 million from the McGuinty government for the construction of a new green school, Sudbury MPP Rick Bartolucci announced yesterday.

“Building and improving school facilities creates safe and engaging places for our students to learn and grow,” said Bartolucci. “This kind of significant education investment will go a long way to support students in Sudbury for generations to come.”

As part of a $500 million province-wide investment, the government is giving kids better places to learn by improving publicly funded schools.

Ontario is investing in a variety of ways to improve schools and make schools better places to learn. Projects include building new schools, expanding existing school facilities and reconfiguring school space to reduce energy costs. This also creates economic benefits, such as work for local companies and helps to support a stronger, greener economy.

The Sudbury Catholic District School Board will be creating a new 550 pupil place, “dual track,” quality teaching and learning environment in the City’s South End, which will include a Multi-Media Technology Plaza, based on an education village model, one-site, JK to Grade 12 campus. Students from St. Christopher and all of the Grade 7 and 8 students from St. Francis and St. David Elementary Catholic Schools will be consolidated into the “new green school” on the St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School site. Students from St. Michael Catholic School will be consolidated into the St. Francis Catholic School (JK to Grade 6). St. Theresa and Corpus Christi Catholic School students will have the option of attending either St. Francis Catholic School or the new school (flexible boundaries). However, once the transition of the current students of Corpus Christi and St. Theresa is completed to either the new school or St. Francis, new boundaries will apply to new families.

Catherine McCullough Director of Education for the Sudbury Catholic District School Board is very pleased with the latest funding announcement from the McGuinty government. Joined by Trustees, Senior Administration, students, parents and staff, McCullough announced that teaching and learning through newly built 21st century schools will now have a whole new meaning. “With the support of the Provincial government we will have the ability to change the way a child learns,” said McCullough. “Our new green school will have lower energy and utility costs than traditionally built schools, and the money saved can go back into classrooms to our students.”

Sudbury Catholic Board to Build Green School in South End

Posted on by admin

Trustees for the Sudbury Catholic District School Board voted in favour of closing four south end schools (St. Christopher, St. Theresa, Corpus Christi, and St. Michael Catholic Schools) at the May 26th Board meeting held at Tom Davies Square.

The motion to close the four schools, three of which are PTR Schools (Prohibitive to Repair),allows the Board to apply for Ministry funding to renovate St. Francis Catholic School and to build a new state of the art 550 pupil “Green” dual track (JK to Grade 8) school with a Multi-Media Technology Plaza in the City’s South End.

Students from Corpus Christi and St. Michael Catholic Schools will be consolidated into St. Francis Catholic School (JK to Grade 6)
while students from St. Christopher, St. Theresa and all of the Grade 7 and 8 students from St. Francis and St. David Elementary Schools will be consolidated into the new “green school” on the St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School site. Trustees also voted in favour of renovating St. David Catholic School with regular JK to Grade 6 programming to include further community partnerships aimed at the expansion of the current programming with a holistic service model.

With respect to the North/West Planning area, Trustees passed a motion to consolidate St. Mary Elementary School Grade 7 and 8 students and programming into St. Anne Elementary School commencing September 2009.

In her presentation to Trustees, Director of Education for the Sudbury Catholic District School Board, Catherine McCullough stated that after the Accommodation Review Committee (ARC) had completed its work and made its recommendations, it was incumbent upon her to provide a vision for the Board in both programming and capital expenditures. These recommendations recognized that the decision before Trustees revolved around the future of providing quality education and quality facilities for all of Sudbury’s Catholic students.

With respect to the South/Central Planning area, McCullough reiterated the following major points concerning the Director’s recommendations before the motions were considered by Trustees:

• The recommendations maintained the integrity of the accommodation review process. The supporting rationale provided by the Accommodation Review Committee guided the decision making process.

• JK to Grade 12 on the one site at St. Benedict CSS permits increased opportunities for professional development, teacher collaboration and staff specialization

• JK to Grade 12 on the one site at St. Benedict CSS creates more opportunities for cooperative education, peer tutoring, “fast tracking,” interventions for at risk and disengaged students, and seamless transition for French Immersion students wishing
regular programming

• Two large elementary schools (St. Francis and St. Benedict) with dual track programming are beneficial to the Board as it provides parents and students with more options

• A renovated St. David School would enhance partnerships with First Nations communities within the Board’s jurisdiction.

• The recommendations implement the Ministry of Education’s direction that effective programming must be viewed as a continuum that minimizes the number of times a student would transition as he or she progresses from JK to Grade 12. In fact, the JK to Grade 12
single campus concept would be unique to the South/Central community.

• A state of the art Green School will be fuly compliant with the Ontario Disabilities Act(ODA) with enhanced programming such as music, drama, theatre, technology, day care,be fore and after programs, and superior sports facility.

• The larger population of Grade 7 and 8 students and the proximity of the secondary school creates an opportunity for program enhancements

• Access to specialized facilities (technology areas, cafeteria, double-gym, sports programs and fields)

• Expansion of program offerings and flexible spaces to meet changing program needs

• Expansion of resources in classrooms and optimal learning opportunities for all students

• Interaction with a larger community learners

• Larger blocks of uninterrupted teaching time

• Expansion of co-curricular activities for all students

• Potential of enhanced partnerships with the City of Greater Sudbury

The Multi Media Resource Centre would provide equipment for students to have a more hands on style of interaction encouraging new learning opportunities. This Centre would enable the Board to provide both elementary and secondary students with 21st Century skills and learning opportunities directed toward all career pathways.

“The creation of a new “green school” and the renovations to St. Francis and St. David Catholic Schools will enhance educational programs within these facilities which will provide the students under our care with a Catholic education that is of the highest quality possible,” stated McCullough.

Bartolucci announces funding for School Board energy retrofits

Posted on by admin

The McGuinty government is investing over $12 million in energy efficient retrofits for our four local school boards, Sudbury MPP Rick Bartolucci announced today.

“A vibrant school environment starts from the ground up. By retrofitting our schools we’re creating jobs while saving energy and money, and teaching our kids about greener ways to live,” said Bartolucci.

More than 1000 publicly funded schools across the province will be made more energy efficient to give Ontario students better places to learn and help boards save energy and money. Construction will start as soon as this summer.

This two-year investment will help improve existing schools across Ontario, while creating and sustaining more than 5,500 jobs. Of the $550-million investment, $400 million will be allocated to:

• Conduct energy audits to help manage and conserve energy
• Retrofit buildings with new energy efficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems and boilers.

Locally, these investments will save school boards money by reducing energy bills and will create jobs in our new green economy:

• Conseil scolaire de district du Grand Nord de l’Ontario – $1,796,375
• Conseil scolaire de district catholique du Nouvel-Ontario -$3,610,099
• Rainbow District School Board – $4,521,874
• Sudbury Catholic District School Board – $2,343,330

The remaining $150 million will be allocated on a project-by-project basis to improve the learning environment for students currently in energy inefficient portables and schools.

Ontario schools are also teaching kids how to be more environmentally friendly. Starting in the fall of 2009, environmental education will be added to the curriculum in every subject, in every grade. Programs such as EcoSchools are teaching students about conserving energy, minimizing waste and greening school grounds.

“Making our school facilities more energy efficient promotes better, greener learning environments — a key ingredient to building the best possible publicly funded education system in the world, and one that inspires confidence in our communities and success in our students,” concluded Bartolucci.

Learn More

• Find out more about the greening of Ontario’s schools.
• Learn more about Ontario EcoSchools.

St. Benedict Student Awarded $5,000 Toyota Earth Day Scholarship

Posted on by admin

The Toyota Earth Day Scholarship Program has recognized Dayna Corelli, a Grade 12 student at St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School as one of this year’s fifteen $5,000 scholarship winners. The award recognizes her outstanding achievements in environmental community service, academics and extracurricular participation. Dayna is among an elite group of students from across Canada chosen from a pool of more than 400 applicants.

“These students are involved in an array of inspiring projects that are having significant impact on their communities,” said Jed Goldberg, President of Earth Day Canada. “They are truly stepping forward as the environmental leaders of tomorrow.”

Dayna led her school’s Envirothon team to first place in a 2007 competition where she had the opportunity to make recommendations to the City of Greater Sudbury regarding water and energy conservation. She is active in other environmental initiatives in her community and also helped her Ontario team win a gold medal at a national soccer championship.

At school, Dayna keeps environmental considerations clearly in focus as the president of her student council.She is also a senior member of the Environmental Club, a role in which she coordinates the school’s recycling program and promotes energy efficiency and water conservation projects. Despite her busy schedule Dayna manages to find time to volunteer with the community’s nonprofit organizations. She was instrumental in helping a local youth centre win funding through the Young Philanthropist Challenge and spends time campaigning for Efficient Sudbury, an organization promoting home energy efficiency.

Dayna was presented with a $5,000 ceremonial cheque at St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School on Tuesday, April 22, (Earth Day) by Mike Charbonneau, Area Parts and Service Manager for Toyota’s Northern Ontario Division. “On behalf of Toyota Canada it gives me great pleasure to present Dayna Corelli with the Toyota Earth Day Scholarship award for her commitment to environmental stewardship and her unending desire to improve the environment,” stated Charbonneau. “This scholarship will help to further her education and help her develop into one of Canada’s future environmental leaders.”

Dayna will now move on as a finalist for the Toyota Earth Day Scholarship National Award. The student chosen from among the 15 finalists will be presented with a Panasonic notebook computer at a ceremony on May 22, 2008

Sudbury Catholic Schools to Participate in Earth Hour

Posted on by admin

The Sudbury Catholic District School Board along with its families of schools will be participating in the WWF’s Earth Hour on Friday, March 28, 2008.

On March 29th at 8:00 p.m. people around the world will turn off their lights for just one hour – Earth Hour – to show it’s possible to take action on climate change. Switching off lights is a simple action that school boards, schools and students can take, but one that helps make a difference and sends a powerful message that we care about our planet. After all, the actions we take today affect the planet students will inherit tomorrow.

Climate change is the biggest environmental threat to our planet and the number one environmental concern of Canadians. By participating in Earth Hour our schools and our students are demonstrating to the world that they want to be part of the solution.

In support of the March 29th initiative, Sudbury Catholic Schools will be taking the lead by turning off lights for one hour, on Friday March 28th. All Sudbury Catholic District School Board staff have also been encouraged to do the same by turning off their office lights for at least one hour during the March 28th workday.

For more information, on Earth Hour, please contact Mark Gervais,
Energy Coordinator for Sudbury Catholic Schools ph: 673-5620 ext: 424.

St. Benedict Students Passionate About the Environment

Posted on by admin

St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School is located in the south end of the City of Greater Sudbury. Like many other high schools in the region it has great sports teams, high academic standings, terrific school spirit and a deep and caring concern for the planet. However, it is level, breadth and intensity of this concern for the environment that makes it unique. Through a core group of passionate and enthusiastic students coupled with supportive teachers and the integration of the Sudbury Catholic District School Board’s comprehensive Dearness Conservation (DC) program, St. Benedict has developed a reputation for being a dedicated steward of the earth.

In Spring 2006, DC approached St. Benedict CSS students to campaign in their neighbourhoods to promote the Interactive Home Audit. The Interactive Home Audit was an online survey that homeowners would complete to determine their energy consumption. The audit then offered suggestions on how energy and money could be saved by implementing simple, efficient changes.

Groups of two to three students canvassed their neighbourhoods distributing pamphlets and florescent light bulbs to residents who agreed to complete the Home Audit. The students were overwhelmed with the results of the campaign as they felt that they had reached a great number of homeowners in the Sudbury area with their targeted message. Upon the completion of the Home Audit program, Efficient Sudbury deemed the St. Benedict groups as the most efficient representatives based on the feedback from residents who were targeted by the campaign.

In November 2007, Dearness Conservation held a school wide presentation to give students and staff an update on climate change. The students were enthralled by a dynamic, comprehensive presentation highlighting the effects of climate change and individual choices that can be made to reduce the impacts on our planet. Following the presentation, interactive workshops were held with grade ten science classes which peaked the interest of many younger environmentalists.

The Sudbury Catholic District School Board’s DC Conservation Challenge was launched to encourage each school to reduce their waste, water, and energy usage with the incentive of winning $500 for re-greening initiatives. St. Benedict has also established itself as an environmental icon purely through the initiatives of its students. Each year the St. Benedict Environmental club competes in the Ontario Annual Envirothon and have won the Oral Presentation Award for the most practical solution for pressing environmental issues for the past two years. Students must employ their extensive knowledge of environmental topics, as well as their originality and creativity. Students are also in charge of many environmental services within the school. Weekly recycling is coordinated by students as well the collection of cell phones and used batteries for proper disposal. The Environment team is adamant about ensuring that all recyclables are placed in the proper bins and that students and staff are being environmentally conscious with energy and water consumption.

St. Benedict is a remarkable school that takes environmentalism to heart. With the culmination of the DC initiatives and resources, supportive teachers, and passionate students, St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School is a school with an environmental conscience.

Sudbury Catholic Board Launches Year Two of Dearness Conservation Program and Challenge

Posted on by admin

The Sudbury Catholic District School Board “kicked off” year two of its Dearness Conservation Program and Challenge on November 14, 2007 at a media launch held at St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School. The School Conservation Challenge was created by the Sudbury Catholic District School Board to increase the participation in the Dearness Conservation (DC) initiative that was introduced into all of the Board’s schools in 2001.

Since the inception of the DC program, the Board has been able to achieve substantial utility savings by educating teachers, students and staff and providing them with the necessary resources through this program. Mark Gervais, Energy Coordinator for the Sudbury Catholic Board is very proud of the cost saving measures of the DC program. “Our Board has saved $125,000 per year with the implementation of the energy conservation initiatives of the Dearness Conservation Program,” states Gervais. “This means that over the last six years the Board has realized more than three-quarters of a million dollars in cost savings.”

In 2006-2007, senior administration decided that a “Conservation Challenge” would be an excellent way to enhance the effectiveness of the program in addition to acknowledging the “Environmental Champions.” The selection of the School Conservation Champion involves a point system based on three categories;
(i) an unannounced site visit by the SCDSB’s Facility Services Department during the school year (ii) an interview with the principal from each participating school
(iii) submission of reports dealing with Lifestyle Conservation Campaigns and other relevant materials. Schools will be awarded points based on the above three categories.

The school that attains the most points will be deemed the winner of the Sudbury Catholic District School Board’s 2007-2008 School Conservation Challenge and will be awarded a Grand Prize of $500.00 and the right to display the “SCDSB School Conservation Challenge Champions” banner for a year.

The Dearness Conservation Program is geared toward both secondary school and elementary schools. The program consists of an in-school presentation/workshop and its mandate is to incorporate all of the Board’s students in its conservation efforts.
Eric Foster, Managing Director of the Dearness Environmental Society speaks to St. Benedict CSS students re the impact of and solutions to climate change during a slide show presentation.The DC launch consisted of two components: (1); A viewing of the widely acclaimed environmental movie trailer, An Inconvenient Truth followed by a “Changes” and “Choices” presentation by Eric Foster, Managing Director, Dearness Environmental Society. (2); Following the presentation, Suzanne Burwell, Educational Resources Manager for the Dearness Environmental Society guided students through a trade show which focussed on efficient technologies. Students learned about energy and water saving technologies, how to perform technical audits, and how to run campaigns to achieve energy, water and waste reduction.

The Sudbury Catholic District School Board will be presenting workshops in all of its four secondary and twenty elementary schools over the next two weeks and is inviting all SCDSB Dearness Schools, Classes and Clubs to participate in the “Conservation Challenge.”
Catherine McCullough, Director of Education for the Sudbury Catholic District School Board supports the board’s new initiative with respect to the far reaching positive effects and implications this program will have on students and the environment. “The SCDSB School Conservation Challenge provides our students with an opportunity to integrate the Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations into their lives in an authentic manner,” states McCullough. “This Conservation Challenge invites all students to become responsible citizens and stewards of creation by respecting the environment and using the earth’s resources wisely.”
For more information on the SCDSB School Conservation Challenge please contact Mark Gervais, Energy Coordinator at the Sudbury Catholic District School Board.

SCDSB Launches Year Two of “Dearness Conservation Program and Challenge”

Posted on by admin

The Sudbury Catholic District School Board recently launched the 2007-2008 Dearness Conservation Program and Challenge. The School Conservation Challenge was created by the Sudbury Catholic District School Board to increase the participation in the Dearness Conservation (DC) initiative that was introduced into all of the Board’s schools in 2001. Since the inception of the DC program, the Board has been able to achieve substantial utility savings by educating teachers, students and staff and providing them with the necessary resources through this program.

The Dearness Conservation Program is geared toward both secondary school and elementary schools. The program consists of an in-school presentation/workshop and seeks to incorporate all students in the school in its conservation efforts.

The DC in-school program launch consisted of two components:

Part 1: A viewing of the widely acclaimed environmental movie trailer, An Inconvenient Truth followed by a “Changes” and a “Choices” presentation which focused on the choices that students have to make with respect to the environment. Discussion also centred around the key aspects of the Board’s Conservation Challenge.

Part 2: A conservation trade show was held on energy efficient technologies. Students learned about energy and water saving technologies, how to perform technical audits, and how to run campaigns to involve all students and staff in energy, water and waste reduction.

Workshops are being presented in all secondary and elementary schools over the next two weeks, and all SCDSB Dearness Schools, Classes and Clubs are invited to participate in the “Conservation Challenge” which will run from October 30, 2007 to May 1, 2008.

The winner of the Sudbury Catholic District School Board’s 2007-2008 School Conservation Challenge will be awarded a Grand Prize of $500.00 (toward an approved greening/grounds improvement project) and the right to display the “SCDSB School Conservation Challenge Champions” banner for a year.

For more information on the Sudbury Catholic District School Board’s DC Program and Challenge please contact, Mark Gervais, Energy Coordinator at the Sudbury Catholic District School Board.

SCDSB Launches School Conservation Challenge for 2007-2008

Posted on by admin

The Sudbury Catholic District School Board is hosting year two of its School Conservation Challenge and is inviting all SCDSB Dearness Schools, Classes and Clubs to participate. The “challenge” will run from October 30, 2007 to May 1, 2008.

The School Conservation Challenge was created by the Sudbury Catholic District School Board to increase the participation in the Dearness Conservation (DC) initiative that was introduced into all of the Board’s schools in 2001. Since the inception of the DC program, the Board has been able to achieve substantial utility savings by educating teachers, students and staff and providing them with the necessary resources through this program.

To help revitalize the program in 2006-2007, senior administration decided that a “Conservation Challenge” would be an excellent way to enhance the effectiveness of the program in addition to acknowledging the “Environmental Champions.” The selection of the School Conservation Champion involves a point system based on three categories; (i) an unannounced site visit by the SCDSB’s Facility Services Department during the school year (ii) an interview to be conducted with the principal from each participating school (iii) in late May, schools will be asked to submit reports dealing with Lifestyle Conservation Campaigns and other relevant materials such as videos/newsletters/announcements and presentations. Schools will be awarded points based on the above three categories.

The school that attains the most points will be deemed the winner of the Sudbury Catholic District School Board’s 2007-2008 School Conservation Challenge and will be awarded a Grand Prize of $500.00 (toward an approved greening/grounds improvement project) and the right to display the “SCDSB School Conservation Challenge Champions” banner for a year.

Catherine McCullough, Director of Education for the Sudbury Catholic District School Board supports the board’s new initiative with respect to the far reaching positive effects and implications this program will have on students and the environment. “The SCDSB School Conservation Challenge provides our students with an opportunity to integrate the Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations into their lives in an authentic manner,” states McCullough. “This Conservation Challenge invites all students to become responsible citizens and stewards of creation by respecting the environment and using the earth’s resources wisely.”

For more information on the SCDSB School Conservation Challenge please contact, Mark Gervais, Energy Coordinator at the Sudbury Catholic District School Board.

Register Now! E-mail Copied to Clipboard