By 6:30 a.m. on December 2, St. Anne Catholic Elementary was a-buzz with excitement. The arrival of Q92’s Terry and Mel and the TD Toy Caravan had staff and students prepping the school’s foyer and library with decorations, breakfast items, and most importantly, Christmas cheer.
Guy Mathieu, Principal of St. Anne said the school was approached to be a possible location for the Q92 Toy Caravan live on location spot and without hesitation, accepted immediately. “We started sending out flyers to the community and encouraging as many people as possible to come out and donate this morning,” Mathieu stated. “This event is one that really encourages people to dig deep inside themselves and truly give from the heart. So many of the children in the Greater Sudbury community are in need of our support – we are just glad to be a part of something that helps us see what’s right with the world.”
From 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. both Terry and Mel encouraged listeners to come in and donate either a new toy or a monetary donation and people came out in droves. Students, both present and past, as well as parents, grandparents, friends and community members came through the school’s main doors and brought with them hundreds of toys as well as over $600 in money donations. Mathieu was overwhelmed by the support. “What has happened here this morning has really set the stage for us all to get in to the holiday spirit. That’s what I love about this community – everybody comes together and shows us that the true spirit of Christmas is alive and well at St. Anne’s – I couldn’t be more proud. Kids helping kids. Children giving to other children. I don’t know that I can think of anything that is more powerful than that.”
As well as getting to meet Terry and Mel – the students and staff got to see how the show worked and teacher Alice Desormeaux and custodian Dan Sauve even got to take part in the “Battle of the Sexes” of which Sauve came out as champion. By 9:15, the foyer was stuffed with hundreds of toys and the students were amazed at the piles of donations in front of them. Some teachers even walked their classes down to see just how generous the community and their school had been. “I am just so proud of our school-students, staff and parents alike,” Mathieu stated. “The Christmas spirit is alive and well at St. Anne!”
Category: Programs
“Elders in the Classroom” at St. Bernadette
St. Bernadette students Sydney Cimino, Grade 5 and Shaeleigh Wisniewski, Grade 6 show off their colourful and intricate replica headdresses that they created at school with the aid of Winnie Pitawanakwat a Community Elder and Native Teachings Facilitator, and her husband, Bill. Through the Elders in the Schools Project, Winnie shared the teachings and traditions around the headdress with the students before they began the process of creating their own.
Cardinal Takes on Lead Role in Popular Production
Dante Falcioni, a grade 9 student at St. Charles College will be taking centre stage next week. Dante is the lead role in Cambrian Theatre’s Kid’s Curtain production of Footloose which gets underway December 8th.
Dante will play main character Ren. The high school student must move from Chicago to a small farming town and re-adjust to life at a new school. Dante says he can relate in some ways to the character as he is just entering his first year of high school and had to transition to a new school himself.
Dante has been involved in Cambrian Theatre productions for a number of years. His good friend and school mate Jenna Daypuk will also be joining him on stage as Rusty. Jenna says the two get involved in local theatre because “they learn a lot and have fun while doing it.”
The Footloose production goes until December 17th.
St. Mark Students Earn Top Prizes in Royal Canadian Legion Remembrance Day Contest
Students at St. Mark Catholic Elementary School participated in this year’s Royal Canadian Legion Remembrance Day Literary and Poster Contest. This contest heightens student awareness of the sacrifices made by our veterans in various conflicts including our present day involvement in Afghanistan.
Two St. Mary students – Mathieu Sisk and Tyler Kotanko both won prizes in this year’s contest. Tyler placed first in the Junior Essay as well as second in the colour poster and second in the black and white poster contests. Mathieu placed first in the primary colour poster and third in the black and white poster contests. Both Tyler’s essay and Mathieu’s poster will advance to the Zone competition for further judging.
Samaritan Purse Collection at St. Francis
During the last few weeks, the students at St. Francis School have been collecting items for the Samaritan Purse Organization. Items collected are going to be boxed and wrapped and delivered to children in need throughout the world, during the Christmas season. The students are happy to make the lives of those less fortunate a little brigher during the season of giving. It does not stop there as they are continuing to help others during the season of Advent by collecting non perishable food items for the Inner City Home.
St. David School Creatively Encourages Parent Engagement
St. David Catholic School teachers, Terri Lynn Lepage and Eleanor Anderson, volunteer their after school time coordinating the “Roaring Runners Club” two days a week. “The school running club promotes the development healthy habits. and are trying to be innovative, engaging, and most importantly provide our students the opportunity for daily exercise. The club builds lifelong skills including self-confidence, self-discipline, self-respect, integrity and humility. As a member of a team working together for a common goal, the club also helps students improve in the areas of sportsmanship, teamwork, and respect for others”, states Lepage.
As the “Roaring Runners Club” approaches their first official event, the Salvation Army’s Santa Shuffle and Elf Walk this Saturday at 10 am, they decided to invite their parents, grandparents, and older brothers and sisters to attend their last practice before the race. Not only did student families participate in the practice, the teacher’s families also came out and participated in the event. “I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to have fun and laugh with my grandchild, learn about healthy choices and meet other families that attend the same school” states Theresa Spencer, school grandparent that attended the practice with her granddaughter. “These opportunities are what makes our school a great place to be. They are filled with laughter and learning for everyone”, said Eleanor Anderson grade 1/2 teacher at St. David School.
St. Benedict Junior Boys Volleyball Team – NOSSA “A” Champions
St. Benedict Junior Boys Volleyball team defeated Chippewa Raiders 2-0 in North Bay for the NOSSA “A” Championship on Friday, November 18, 2011.
Team Members: Nick Filipetto, Rudy Giusti, Curtis Hancock, Jarvis Hill, Bradley Lavoie, Cody Lavoie, Alex Michel, David Portelance, Chase Pressacco, Connor Vande Weghe, Anthony Zanetti, Jonathan Zanini
Team Manager: Harley Hanes
Coaches: Maurizio De Poli, Jeff Mousseau, Sarah Hill
St. James Hops on Stewardship
Young students at St. James Catholic School were fascinated by a presentation about local frogs and toads that inhabit Junction Creek. In collaboration with the Junction Creek Stewardship Committee the students learned about the different types of frog and toad calls and how to identify different types of frogs and toads both by sound and by sight. The presentation ended with an interactive frog calling session when the students created a chorus of different frog calls using their voices and other objects such as balloons, combs, and elastic bands.
Angels/Flames Junior Co-ed Volleyball Tournament Results
The Angels/Flames Junior Co-ed Volleyball Tournament took place on Saturday November 19th at St. Francis School. There were 14 teams participating in the event. Many thanks to the coaches for their time and dedication to sport. Lots of great skills being developed.
The results of the tournament were as follows:
First Place – St. Francis
Second Place – Corpus Christi
Third Place – St. Theresa
Fourth Place – St. Anne
Congratulations to all the teams, players and coaches!