Staff and students throughout the Sudbury Catholic District School Board joined hundreds of others across Canada by participating in Orange Shirt Day on Wednesday, September 30, 2020.
By wearing orange shirts, we recognize the harm the residential school system did to children’s sense of self-esteem and well-being and it serves as a symbol of our commitment to reconciliation. Since it began in 2013, the phrase “Every Child Matters” has been used as part of the movement to recognize the value of every child and for communities to come together.
“The Sudbury Catholic District School Board firmly believes that every child matters and as such we will continue to honour Orange Shirt Day year after year,” said Joanne Bénard, Director of Education. “We are committed to Truth and Reconciliation and we strive to find opportunities for our staff and students to come together in support of intercultural understanding, empathy, and mutual respect.”
The Sudbury Catholic District School Board is proud to announce the recipients of this year’s Chairperson’s Award. All three individuals embody the Board’s mission, vision and values. They are each passionate about Catholic education and demonstrate an unwavering commitment to student success.
Cathy Spencer is an Educational Assistant at Bishop Alexander Carter C.S.S who always strives to put students first. She has worked tirelessly to meet the needs of students at risk, often taking the lead on projects such as the Open Doors program and the Breakfast Club. Through Cathy’s everyday positive attitude, she is a beacon of light for staff and students alike. She is regarded as a kind individual who brings a smile to all who meet her in the halls at Bishop and makes everyone feel welcome and included.
Ginette Toivonen is the Indigenous Education Facilitator for the Board. Through this position, she ensures that the Catholic values are integrated with the Ojibwe Seven Grandfather Teachings. As Indigenous Lead, Ginette has created many opportunities for students to feel comfortable and safe at school while learning with their peers about Indigenous knowledge and World views. Ginette is an innovative, caring and inclusive individual with a true passion for what she does.
Melanie Johncox is an Literacy & Basic Skills instructor at St. Albert Learning Centre who supports our adult students at the Sudbury District Jail four days per week. In her role, Melanie works directly with students on their individual learning plans, approaching each student with a caring and supportive approach and ensuring that they have the resources that they need to succeed. Melanie models Jesus and our Catholic values in her interactions with all learners and is seen as an empathetic and compassionate member of the St. Albert Learning Centre community.
“Each year, I have the honour of recognizing individuals who are difference makers and leaders within our Catholic learning community,” said Michael Bellmore, Chair of the Board of Trustees. “These individuals are always inspirational and are a true representation of what it means to be a leader in learning and faith. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, we are proud to recognize the recipients and thank them for their continued service and commitment to Catholic education.”
This year’s award winners were recognized at the April 21 Board meeting and will be honoured formally at a later date.
Cathy Spencer (left), Ginette Toivonen (middle) and Melanie Johncox (right) have been chosen as this year’s Chairperson’s Award Recipients.
The end of 2019 was the very beginning of this new initiative aimed at supporting youth and bringing awareness and knowledge around the indigenous culture at Bishop Alexander Carter. Robyn Lafortune, the school’s new Indigenous Support Worker was very pleased to join the school community.
This room has been named the “Sacred Room” and the hope is to create a safe place for students to work, talk, learn and connect with one another. The students will have the opportunity to help design the space and support with future mural projects within this space.
Moving forward students will be able to participate in a variety of different activities and teachings that will be facilitated in this space. Guest speakers will be invited to discuss their experiences and provide students with sacred teachings. On days where there are no planned activities this room becomes a safe space for students to drop in throughout the day either to work or talk with Robyn.
We are happy and pleased to welcome all students at Bishop Alexander Carter into this room to learn and share together!
St. David School received visits from Laurentian University this past week! The National Centre for Collaboration in Indigenous Education (NCCIE) promotes Indigenous education they feel is innovative, exciting and worth celebrating. Their mission and vision is to connect parents, educators and students to their “grassroots”, which will advance the planning and success of Indigenous education. Laurentian professor and NCCIE regional lead, Kevin Fitzmaurice, was at St. David to interview staff, elders and students about their experiences in schooling and what they think of St. David from an academic, social and spiritual point of view. Videographer, Brandon Gray is filming a documentary on the school to highlight the integration of Indigenous culture and curriculum. According to Gray and Fitzmaurice, “St. David is an Indigenous Education success story”, which they would like to share in film to help support educators and academics across Canada. One of our community Elder’s Vince was at the school erecting our very own Teepee with Mr. Mailloux’s grade 3/4 class. What a great experiential learning experience it was for them to embrace with their peers and teacher.
Orange Shirt Day is an opportunity for First Nations, local governments, schools and communities to come together in the spirit of reconciliation and hope for generations of children to come. Orange Shirt Day recognizes the harm the residential school system did to children’s sense of self-esteem and well-being, and is an affirmation of our commitment to ensure that everyone around us matters.
The Sudbury Catholic District School Board participated in Orange Shirt Day on September 30, 2019. Staff and students throughout the system participated by wearing these shirts or their favourite orange shirt as a reminder of the importance of this day.
Students at Sudbury Catholic Schools completed another year of summer learning this month! 60 students from Kindergarten to Grade 3 completed the three-week Summer Learning Program at St. David School from July 8 – July 26, 2019.
Students participated in a literacy and numeracy program, which supported students in improving their skills at their own pace. The program also featured various activities centered around Indigenous culture. The program was led by both classroom teachers and camp counsellors, providing a full educational team to participating students. Through the online tool and app Lexia, teachers and counsellors were able to provide a visual experience for both the literacy and numeracy components, and students are able to continue to access their account from home throughout the summer.
As in past years, each morning began with a physical activity which helped to energize students and build confidence so that they were ready to learn. This year, the group participated in Zumba sessions provided by Zumba Vibe.
The Board is thrilled with student participation in this year’s Summer Learning Program.
“The work and effort that goes into making the summer learning program a success each year is truly inspiring,” said Joanne Bénard, Director of Education at the Sudbury Catholic District School Board. “With the right tools, support and amazing staff, participating students were able to improve their skills and enjoy the experience along the way!”
The Summer Learning Program is a Ministry funded program which aims to promote literacy and numeracy learning for students during the summer months in fun and engaging ways.
Grade 6 students in Miss Scola’s class, at Holy Cross Elementary, acknowledged National Indigenous People’s Day by holding group discussions and participating in an art activity. In the morning, students viewed “In Our Words,” a series of videos from the Ministry of Education that explores the events that took place between Europeans and Indigenous peoples in the early years of settlement, in what is now called Canada. Following each video, students lead discussions on their thoughts of early colonization and how the Indigenous Peoples were treated. In the afternoon, students took part in an art activity that was inspired by Contemporary Indigenous artist Faye Heavyshield. The Grade 6 students are hopeful that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission will lead to a renewed relationship between the Government of Canada and the Indigenous Peoples through respect, rights, co-operation and partnership.
Chief Valerie Richer visited Mr. Beaudry’s Native Second Language classroom at St. James recently and shared the history of Atikmeksheng with all the students. Chief Richer is a practicing lawyer and discussed some of the economic initiatives that her community will be planning in the near future. She was happy to meet with all the students and encouraged them to learn the Ojibwe language. She said that some of our stories need to be shared in our language. The students provided her with some gifts following the presentation.
St. Francis students and staff are building community and collaboration through regular CLAN challenges. Today St. Francis School’s CLANs were challenged to build a snowman using the recycled materials from our Christmas door decorating contest. The students and staff had to build their snowman and were awarded points.
Each student and staff member is placed in a CLAN which is represented through the Medicine Wheel. Our CLAN challenges are held throughout the year, challenging students and staff to work together on common activities. Each CLAN challenge results in points being earned.
Maggie Polischuk, CLAN Captain said, “Our CLANs program gives us a chance to work collaboratively, be creative, have a voice and contribute to our school and community; all while being silly and having fun! Being part of a CLAN is like being part of a big family. We all become one!”
