The St. Andrew School grade six class welcomed Vince Pawis and Thecla Neganegijig, both traditional Elders who work with the board at the Outdoor Education Centre in Killarney, to their school. Vince started the presentation with a traditional Smudging ceremony to elliminate all the bad energy in the room. He spoke to the students and their teacher about the Medicine Wheel and traditional medicines of tobacco, sage, sweetgrass and cedar. Mr. Pawis also tied in the 7 Grandfather Good Life Teachings of wisdom, respect, love, bravery, humility, honesty and truth. The students and their teacher, Mr. Gautheir, were very interested to learn more about First Nation culture and tradition.
Category: Outdoor Education
Sudbury Catholic School Students Honoured to Participate in Traditional Eagle Ceremony
Students from the Native Studies and Native Language Programs at the Sudbury Catholic District School board were invited to participate in an Eagle Ceremony at the board’s Outdoor Education Centre in Killarney on January 13, 2010. Vince Pawis, a traditional elder who works with the Catholic Board was given an eagle that had been hit on the highway so he invited the students as well as other community Elders and traditional teachers to help him feast the eagle so that the feathers could be used for traditional purposes. In aboriginal culture, it is believed that the Eagle flies closest to the Creator and, therefore, can see the past, present and future at a glance. The Eagle is considered the great illuminator and sits in the east on the Medicine Wheel with the Elders and the direction of wisdom and guidance. It is a powerful symbol of courage and this is why the feathers are such powerful tools for healing, and why there are special ceremonies for the Eagle feathers. The students learned from the celebration that it is okay to combine wisdom and courage and to be wise enough to know when a change needs to be made in one’s life. Through the strength of the Eagle’s spirit, they learned that they can find the courage to execute the change. The Elders expressed their happiness that there were so many students there to witness and participate in the celebration as it is so important for their culture to passed on. Each student that took part in the ceremony was given an Eagle feather by the elders to take home and cherish.
Sudbury Catholic Schools Gets Big Boost from the Community of Killarney
The Sudbury Catholic District School Board’s Outdoor Education Centre is one step closer to completion thanks to a huge financial boost from the municipality of Killarney.
The Killarney Shebanoning Outdoor Environmental Education Centre received a cheque from the municipality for the sum of $20,000. Dawn Wemigwans, Vice-Principal of the Centre was thrilled that the municipality was able to contribute to the Centre’s development. “The municipality of Killarney has given us its full support from the very beginning of this project,” stated Wemigwans. From our first original meeting with the town and its community members a year ago, Killarney has been a true partner.” Three staff members of the municipality office presented Wemigwans with the cheque. “This money is a significant sum, and will go toward our next steps in making this centre a truly unique adventure for all that come to experience it.”
The Sudbury Catholic District School Board is once again very thankful to the town of Killarney for continuing to champion the Centre.
Sudbury Catholic District School Board to Celebrate “First Nation Day” Friday, September 25, 2009
Sudbury Catholic District School Board will be celebrating First Nation Day on Friday, September 25, 2009 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the St. Joseph Catholic School, 8 St. Paul Street in the township of Killarney, and the startup of the Board’s Outdoor Education Program for the 2009-2010 school year at the Killarney Shebanoning Outdoor Environmental Education Centre (KSOEEC) at the same location from 10:00 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.
The purpose of the day is to actively promote an increased awareness, understanding and appreciation of the rich histories, cultures and perspectives of First Nation, Métis and Inuit peoples to all staff, students and families in the Sudbury Catholic District School Board. Students will also learn about the Board’s Outdoor Environmental program.
Schedule of events:
9:00 a.m. – Students / teacher /community participants meet in circle (around fire pit)
9:15 a.m. – Students and participants help build a small tepee
10:00 a.m. – St. James Catholic School Classes arrive at KSOEEC for Outdoor Education Program
11:00 a.m. – Student dance demonstration (inside school)
11:30 a.m. – Lunch served – Indian Tacos
12:00 p.m. – Students will have their regularly scheduled lunch hour
12:40 p.m. – St. James students split into two groups, (Group A to erect tepees, Group B to participate in outdoor activity)
2:30 p.m – St. James students depart from KSOEEC
Thank you! Miigwetch!
Sudbury Catholic Board Launches New Outdoor Environmental Education Centre
The Sudbury Catholic District School Board is pleased to announce the launch of its Killarney-Shebanoning Outdoor Environmental Education Centre, on Monday, June 15, 2009 at 6:30 p.m., 8 St. Paul Street, in the township of Killarney. The new Outdoor Environmental Education Centre is the latest addition in the Sudbury Catholic District School Board’s commitment in promoting environmental awareness and educational opportunities in a natural environment.
The Outdoor Centre will seek to support and expand the environmental, educational, cultural and historical aspects of the town of Killarney, St. Joseph Catholic School and the whole of the Sudbury Catholic District School Board by establishing an outdoor centre in the heart of the community. The Board owns seven acres of property associated with St. Joseph Catholic School which will serve as the host site for the centre. The centre is only eight kilometres from one of the most prestigious parks in the world-Killarney Provincial Park that boasts an average annual visitation of 100,000 people.
The Sudbury Catholic District School Board is partnering with the Municipality of Killarney, Killarney Provincial Park, and the “Friends of Killarney Park’ to offer exciting, exhilarating and very diversified activities. All programming is based on the Ontario Ministry of Education school curriculum with the added bonus of the unique Killarney experience. At the elementary level the centre will offer the students the opportunity to learn about: authentic Aboriginal culture and teachings, ecological and environmental studies, sustainability of resource uses, healthy living, child and youth stewardship, values of faith, community studies and much more.
The ecological focus of the centre will extend across elementary through to secondary and even post-secondary learning and will focus on the latest innovative “green” technologies and practises. Secondary school opportunities will permit biology, geography and geology students to partake in practical field course experiences. This will blend the theory of the class room with the reality of the outdoors and better prepare them for making post-secondary and career choices.
Please join the Sudbury Catholic District School Board in celebrating the launch of its Killarney-Shebanoning Outdoor Environmental Education Centre on Monday, June 15, 2009 at 6:30 p.m., (8 St. Paul Street) in Killarney.
Sudbury Catholic Board Hosts First Annual “Killarney-Shebanoning Outdoor Adventure Race”
The Sudbury Catholic District School Board presents its first Killarney-Shebanoning Outdoor Adventure Race, hosted by the St. Charles College Outdoor Education Class on Friday, June 5, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. in the township of Killarney.
The Outdoor Race will include teams from all four of the Board’s secondary schools and will be composed of four sections as follows:
1. Bike-approx 4 km bike ride from start to the canoe launch
2. Canoe-approx 1 km around marked buoys
3. Bike-approx 6 km bike ride around a marked course
4. Orienteering course-use of map and compass to find designated marked locations and finish line
All teams will check in with the race staff at the race headquarters (also the start and finish points for the race) at the St. Joseph Catholic Elementary School in Killarney by 9:00 a.m. Teams will go through a quick gear check to make sure key items are present and will receive their competitor kits.
Each team will consist of three members (teams can be single sex or mixed). There will be teams from St. Charles College, Bishop Alexander Carter Catholic Secondary School, St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School and Marymount Academy.
The Sudbury Catholic Board Brings the World of the Classroom to the Vistas of Killarney
The Sudbury Catholic District School Board is embarking upon a new initiative that will seek to support and expand the educational, cultural, and historical aspects of Killarney Village and St. Joseph Catholic School by establishing an outdoor education centre in the heart of the small community. The school board owns 7.24 acres of property associated with St. Joseph Catholic School and would serve as the host site for the centre.
The Sudbury Catholic District School Board will be partnering with Killarney Provincial Park to offer programming that will be based on the Ontario Ministry of Education school curriculum and will add the bonus component of a unique Killarney experience. The centre will focus on outdoor education but will also offer students the opportunity to learn about healthy living, child and youth stewardship, values of faith, community studies, aboriginal teachings, ecological and environmental studies (focussing on how current practices influence the world around us and the sustain ability of resources in an ever resource hungry world). The ecology focus will extend across elementary through to secondary and even post-secondary opportunities.
The secondary opportunities would permit biology and geology students the opportunity to undertake actual field course experience that would better prepare them for making career and post-secondary choices. From the post-secondary perspective, courses could be developed that would support university courses (or be a direct part of these courses) in a broad range of disciplines, most notably ecology and geology.
Groups that have been consulted include Science North, the City of Greater Sudbury, FedNor, the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund, Ministry of Northern Development and Mines, Laurentian University, Cambrian College, College Boreal, the Municipality of Killarney, several community businesses in Killarney, and many, many more. Some funding has already been committed to this project from outside sources.
The Sudbury Catholic Board has passed a motion at the January 20, 2009 board meeting supporting the position of Start Up Coordinator for the project and who will be starting this week. The start up coordinator will develop and implement a project plan which will allow schools to begin booking trips for this spring. Initially, the programming will involve Grade 6 Science, Grade 10 Science – (Grade 9 next year) and the development of an orienteering course that would be accessible for all grades.
The Sudbury Catholic District School Board is fully committed to the successful launch of the Outdoor Centre in May 2009. More information will be provided in the upcoming weeks.