Sudbury Catholic District School Board

Category: Programs

Sudbury Catholic Board Launches New Outdoor Environmental Education Centre

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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 Receives Ministry Funding to Build New Green School

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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.”

Aboriginal art show to be held today

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Sudbury Catholic District School Board will be hosting an Aboriginal Art show today from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Board’s Catholic Education Office located at 165A D’Youville Street.

There will be an Opportunity for the media to take pictures and do interviews with successful young elementary and secondary artists who use culture and spirituality in the creation of their artwork to transmit feelings, emotions and ideas of our world and our identity. Student hand drumming and Drumming with the grandfather drum will occur throughout the evening as well.

Relay for Life to be hosted by St. John Catholic School

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On Friday, June 12, 2009 from 9:15-11:45, over 400 students, teachers and parents from the St. John Catholic School community will rally together to help raise funds by holding a Canadian Cancer Society Relay For Life at our school.

The Canadian Cancer Society Relay For Life involves participants who take turns walking, running or strolling around a track. Proceeds are used to fund cancer research and community services for people living with cancer and their families.

Sudbury Catholic Board Hosts First Annual “Killarney-Shebanoning Outdoor Adventure Race”

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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.

Sudbury Catholic Board to Build Green School in South End

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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.

St. Charles College Presents Tony Award Winning Broadway Play, “Into the Woods”

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St. Charles College Theatre recently presented one of their best performances to date. Their drama, art and music students have once again joined forces to showcase their incredible talents!

Into the Woods is a fractured fairy tale that borrows from the original fairy tales collected by the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Anderson. Characters such as Cinderella, Little Red Ridinghood, Jack and the Beanstock, The Baker and his Wife, a Wicked Witch, princes, stepmothers and a hungry wolf go on an adventurous journey “into the woods” to find their wish.

The show explores what happens after “happily ever after.” The “Shrek-like” humour, excellent music, singing and dancing is a definite hit with all audiences and the St. Charles College Theatre group is excited for what will come out of the woodwork for next year!

Sudbury Catholic Schools & Special Olympics Ontario host ‘Have A Go!’ Event

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The Sudbury Catholic District School Board will be hosting the Special Olympics Ontario “Have A Go!” Event on Monday, May 4, 2009 at St. Raphael and Pius XII Catholic Schools for the elementary students and at St. Charles College and St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School for the secondary students.

The event is a multi-sport festival for students in the LifeSkills classrooms throughout the Board and will allow students to “have a go” at different Special Olympic sports. In addition, the Special Olympics event will showcase emerging athletes, thus allowing for the development of future Special Olympians. It also introduces sport to individuals with intellectual disabilities.

All Life Skills students in the Sudbury Catholic Schools at both the elementary and secondary levels will be participating. As well, a senior physical education class and a grade 8 class, will be volunteers for the day.

Bartolucci announces funding for School Board energy retrofits

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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.

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