Outdoor Education Archives - Sudbury Catholic District School Board

St. James Students Teach Environmental Stewardship During Earth Month

Posted on April 3, 2025April 4, 2025 by Erin Kendall

April is Earth Month, and students at St. James School are putting their faith into action by learning how to care for the environment. As part of the school’s focus on stewardship (April’s virtue of the month), Mme Hagen’s Full-Day Kindergarten French Immersion class led an engaging lesson on waste sorting, teaching their peers how to properly use the green bin, blue box, and recycling bin.

The activity highlights the school’s commitment to responsible environmental practices and aligns with April’s virtue of stewardship. Through hands-on learning, the young students demonstrated how small actions—like sorting waste correctly—can make a big difference in protecting God’s creation.

“Our Kindergarten students did a wonderful job leading by example and reminding us of the importance of caring for our common home,” said Jody O’Daiskey, Principal of St. James School. “By fostering these habits early on, we are helping to build a generation that values sustainability and environmental responsibility.”

Throughout Earth Month, St. James School will continue to promote stewardship through a variety of eco-friendly initiatives. The school community is encouraged to take inspiration from the Kindergarten students and make environmentally conscious choices every day.

For more information please contact St. James School at 705 692 3874 or visit https://st-james.sudburycatholicschools.ca/.

Growing Young Minds in the Great Outdoors: Outdoor Learning in Kindergarten

Posted on February 8, 2025February 25, 2025 by Erin Kendall

Did you know that outdoor learning is a game-changer for young children? At Sudbury Catholic Schools we believe in providing students with meaningful experiences that foster both learning and well-being. Our kindergarten students at St. David recently had an exciting opportunity to take their classroom outdoors, exploring nature while developing essential physical literacy skills.

Led by Mr. Atkinson, this engaging outdoor activity encouraged students to connect with the environment, stay active, and develop important skills such as creativity, problem-solving, and teamwork. Research shows that hands-on learning in natural settings enhances cognitive development, promotes physical health, and nurtures a lifelong appreciation for the world around us.

We extend our gratitude to our dedicated teachers for making learning both fun and enriching. Through outdoor exploration, we are shaping curious, confident, and resilient learners—one adventure at a time!

Sudbury Catholic Schools is proud to support innovative learning experiences that inspire young minds. Stay tuned for more exciting initiatives that help our students learn, grow and thrive!

Small Hands, Big Impact: Pius XII Students Celebrate Earth Day with Schoolyard Cleanup

Posted on April 22, 2024April 22, 2024 by Erin Kendall

In honour of Earth Day, students at Pius XII, including those in the Full-Day Kindergarten program, are participating by picking up garbage in their schoolyard. Students wore protective gloves and disposed of the collected trash with the help of our educators. This initiative reminds us that no matter how small we are, we can make a big difference in protecting the environment by working together. By participating in such activities, we nurture meaningful lessons and discussions about the importance of sustainability and conserving natural resources for future learners.

Today, as we celebrate our beautiful planet, we reflect on how we can protect and preserve it for future generations. Every action counts, from reducing energy consumption, recycling, planting trees, cleaning our local neighbourhoods, or spending more time outdoors.

Thank you to Pius XII for nurturing an insightful lesson that will support their school community’s efforts to keep the planet clean and beautiful.

2022-23 Director’s Annual Report

Posted on February 1, 2024April 23, 2024 by Erin Kendall

We are very pleased to present the Director of Education’s Annual Report for the 2022-2023 school year.

We thank our Board of Trustees, Senior Administration, staff, students, families, volunteers, community partners, and our parishes for their continued support and commitment to Sudbury Catholic. Together we are providing a caring, progressive, high quality Catholic school system that is nurturing our students – mind, body, and spirit.

Click here to read our 2022-23 report!

St. David School Students Take the Lead in School Beautification Efforts

Posted on September 14, 2023September 14, 2023 by Erin Kendall

St. David School is proud to announce that a group of dedicated students has stepped up to lead the School Beautification Committee, embarking on a mission to enhance the school’s environment and foster a culture of responsibility and care.

Since the start of school, young leaders have been volunteering during their lunchtime recesses to make a positive impact on their school community. Together in an inspiring display of commitment and initiative, these students have worked tirelessly to keep their school grounds clean and beautiful. Their efforts include picking up litter and debris around the school premises, as well as taking on the task of weeding and maintaining one of the school gardens.

St. David School’s administration and staff are immensely proud of these exceptional student leaders who are demonstrating their dedication to making a positive change within their school community. Their enthusiasm and selflessness serve as an example to their peers and a testament to the school’s values. Their daily efforts will help demonstrate the power of youth engagement and the potential for positive change when a group of dedicated individuals comes together to unite for a common cause.

“The students involved in the School Beautification Committee have adopted the motto, “Be the Change You Want to See,” and are truly living it out,” say’s Dawn-Marie Wemigwans, Principal of St. David Catholic Elementary School. “Their commitment to creating a cleaner, more vibrant school environment exemplifies the spirit of leadership and community engagement that St. David School aims to cultivate in all its students.”

St. David School encourages other students, parents, and community members to join in supporting these young leaders in their beautification efforts. Together, they hope to ensure that their school remains a welcoming and inspiring place for generations to come.

The Sudbury Catholic District School Board’s mission is to realize each student’s potential within an inclusive Catholic Learning Community by nurturing and developing students through mind, body, and spirit. For more info on Sudbury Catholic District School Board, please visit www.sudburycatholicschools.ca

Kindergarten Students at St. John School Have a Sweet Visit to Maple Hill Farm

Posted on March 23, 2023March 23, 2023 by Carlee Vendramin

Kindergarten students at St. John School had a sweet field trip when they visited the Maple Hill Farm in Hanmer! Students had the opportunity to have a 90-minute guided tour of the facility where they learned how maple syrup is made and even got to taste some of the final product!

Field trips such as these provide students with real world knowledge in a fun and engaging environment. It’s safe to say, students certainly enjoyed their experience!

“I had so much fun today! I can’t wait to come back with my family,” said Ellie Borton-St.Louis Kindergarten student. “My favourite part was tasting the taffy – it’s so good!” said Grace Rinta.

Check out the highlight video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wciCBP5Ipis

2021-22 Director’s Annual Report

Posted on February 3, 2023February 3, 2023 by Erin Kendall

We are very pleased to present the Director of Education’s Annual Report for the 2021-2022 school year.

Click here to read our 2021-22 report!

St. David Students Complete Cardboard Sled Races

Posted on February 1, 2023February 3, 2023 by Carlee Vendramin

Students at St. David School put their love of outdoors, creativity, and innovation into action with the Cardboard Sled Challenge! Studen used collaboration and teamwork skills to create a Cardboard sled to represent their class. The only materials they were able to use were cardboard and duct tape to make their epic creations. The project is part of the Canadian Playful Skills Network project – a national network of schools dedicated to deepening and broadening play-based pedagogies.

Students raced their completed sleds with excitement on January 23.

“We did a net design to reduce the amount of seams in it,” said Grade 5 student Dharshan Shinoj.“We also did a small paper prototype before we started so can make sure it’s a feasible design.”

“To make it go fast, we put tape on the bottom and we coloured it with crayons so it’s waxy and slippery,” added Grade 5 student Xander Pharand.

The event was part of the Canadian Playful Schools Network – a national network of schools dedicated to deepening and broadening play-based pedagogies across four modes: green (outdoor-focused), screen (digital), machine (building and making for a purpose), and everything in between, which speaks to the fundamental importance of place, identity, language, and culture.

St. David School Joins the Canadian Playful Schools Network

Posted on November 7, 2022November 7, 2022 by Carlee Vendramin

St. David School will be joining 40 other schools across the country in the Canadian Playful Schools Network (CPSN) for the 2022-2023 school year.

Since play fosters curiosity, creativity, imagination, self-confidence, and physical, social, and cognitive skills, the CPSN is a hub for sharing experiences and for learning. As a member, St. David School will have the opportunity to learn with and from educators engaged in learning through play from seven provinces (BC, SK, ON, QC, NB, NS, NL). The secondary objective is to build human and virtual connections to support and sustain play-based practices in schools across Canada. All school teams will be supported by researchers at the University of Ottawa’s CPSN, as well as national and international experts in the field of education.

This innovative educational initiative is a national network of schools dedicated to deepening and broadening play-based pedagogies across four modes: green (outdoor-focused), screen (digital), machine (building and making for a purpose), and everything in between, which speaks to the fundamental importance of place, identity, language, and culture.

Together, the network will develop new understandings of what learning through play means in Canadian classrooms and champion the way play is integrated into the daily experience of schooling in the middle years to support the well-being, engagement, and learning of students and educators.

“St. David School believes in providing opportunities for our students to learn on the land. We engage in outdoor learning as a pedagogical approach to enrich learning, enhance school engagement, and improve student health and well-being. Through the CPSN, we intend to extend the learning environment beyond the desk and four walls and use the outdoor space as part of our regular teaching practice,” said Dawn Wemigwans, Principal at St. David School.

About the Network

Funded through a grant from the LEGO Foundation, and headed by University of Ottawa researchers, the CPSN is a newly established network of publicly-funded schools from across Canada that leverage learning through play in grades 4 to 8 to improve engagement and well-being for students traditionally marginalised by systems of schooling.

For more information, please contact Josée Lebel (playjouer@uottawa.ca) or visit www.playjouer.ca.

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