Sudbury Catholic District School Board

Category: Programs

SCDSB Launches School Conservation Challenge for 2007-2008

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The Sudbury Catholic District School Board is hosting year two of its School Conservation Challenge and is inviting all SCDSB Dearness Schools, Classes and Clubs to participate. The “challenge” will run from October 30, 2007 to May 1, 2008.

The School Conservation Challenge was created by the Sudbury Catholic District School Board to increase the participation in the Dearness Conservation (DC) initiative that was introduced into all of the Board’s schools in 2001. Since the inception of the DC program, the Board has been able to achieve substantial utility savings by educating teachers, students and staff and providing them with the necessary resources through this program.

To help revitalize the program in 2006-2007, senior administration decided that a “Conservation Challenge” would be an excellent way to enhance the effectiveness of the program in addition to acknowledging the “Environmental Champions.” The selection of the School Conservation Champion involves a point system based on three categories; (i) an unannounced site visit by the SCDSB’s Facility Services Department during the school year (ii) an interview to be conducted with the principal from each participating school (iii) in late May, schools will be asked to submit reports dealing with Lifestyle Conservation Campaigns and other relevant materials such as videos/newsletters/announcements and presentations. Schools will be awarded points based on the above three categories.

The school that attains the most points will be deemed the winner of the Sudbury Catholic District School Board’s 2007-2008 School Conservation Challenge and will be awarded a Grand Prize of $500.00 (toward an approved greening/grounds improvement project) and the right to display the “SCDSB School Conservation Challenge Champions” banner for a year.

Catherine McCullough, Director of Education for the Sudbury Catholic District School Board supports the board’s new initiative with respect to the far reaching positive effects and implications this program will have on students and the environment. “The SCDSB School Conservation Challenge provides our students with an opportunity to integrate the Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations into their lives in an authentic manner,” states McCullough. “This Conservation Challenge invites all students to become responsible citizens and stewards of creation by respecting the environment and using the earth’s resources wisely.”

For more information on the SCDSB School Conservation Challenge please contact, Mark Gervais, Energy Coordinator at the Sudbury Catholic District School Board.

CEC Staff to Celebrate All Saints Day with Morning Prayer

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The staff at the Catholic Education Centre celebrate All Saints Day with Morning Prayer. Together with students from Marymount Academy, Morning Prayer, following the Liturgy of the Hours, will be recited to honour all people who are not recognized officially in the Calendar of the Saints.

This ancient feast has it roots in the 4th century and it became a celebration for the universal Church in the 9th century. The day before, Oct. 31, the vigil of All Saints, All Hallows Eve, was a time of prayer and fasting in preparation for the major feast of All Saints.

Dr. Janna-Marie Doni Visits St. Mary Catholic School

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Dr. Janna-Marie Doni, a Chiropractor at the Capreol Chiropractic Clinic, recently visited St. Mary Catholic School to speak to the students on a variety of health issues. Dr. Doni’s presentation to the class focussed on how the body works and how the brain sends messages down the spinal cord and out through the nerves to all parts of the body.

Students actively participated in the presentation, answering questions and performing exercises to improve body posture. The students learned three ways in which to keep a spine healthy: good posture, carry a backpack properly (pack it light, wear it right), and regular chiropractic care.

Primary students were also provided with a colouring page highlighting the “do’s and don’ts” of carrying backpacks. Older students were given a sheet entitled “Lighten Your Load,” re-enforcing the fact that the weight of a backpack should be a maximum of 10 percent of a person’s body weight for students in Kindergarten to Grade 8.

Dr. Janna’s final thoughts for the students were: “I wish you a lifetime of happiness and great health.” For more information on these and other topics please visit http://www.chiropractic.on.ca.

St. Theresa Catholic School Students Fit for the Challenge

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St. Theresa Catholic School is the winner of the Sudbury Catholic District School Board’s 2006-2007 Fitness Challenge. The goal of the program is to lower the resting and exercise heart rates of the Board’s students over the course of the school year. Staff and students in the Junior Division participated in this program under the supervision of Mr. John Tarini, Coordinator of the Fitness Challenge for the Sudbury Catholic District School Board.

The heart rates of the students were measured three times during the 2006-2007 school year. Throughout the year students participated in various activities such as intramural sports, outdoor exercises and the “School Fit Program” to improve their physical fitness. The school whose students displayed the “lowest average increase in heart rate” from the “resting to the exercise mode” was deemed the winner of the Fitness Challenge.

Students from St. Theresa Catholic School received a plaque and a small token of appreciation from Sudbury Catholic District School Board Vice-Chair, George Middleton during a recent board meeting for winning the Fitness Challenge.

“We Are Called”
Sudbury Catholic District School Board Celebrates Faith Day

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Sudbury Catholic District School Board students, parents, teachers, vice-principals, principals, staff, trustees and clergy joined support staff from the SCDSB school communities in Faith Day celebrations St. Charles College on September 28, 2007.

This year’s theme “ We Are Called” was a celebration of community and Catholic education. In Catholic Education we are called on many levels, depending on our responsibility, but the foundation call for all of us — is the call of our Baptism, a call that is our common bond with the whole Church. The call of our Baptism is a call to discipleship with Jesus Christ.

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St. John Catholic School Raises the Bar

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Raise the Bar is an exciting new program designed to improve the quality of intramural programs in schools across Ontario. Supported by the Ministry of Health promotion, Raise the Bar offers students, regardless of previous experience or skill level the opportunity to become more engaged in the school community through sport and exercise. By their inclusive nature, intramurals provide St. John’s students with an even playing field allowing everyone the chance to play on a team and enjoy physical activities that are fun.

St. John Catholic School Grade 7 & 8 students have fun playing floor hockey as part of the schools’s Raise the Bar initiative – an intramural sports program which promotes Active,Healthy Kids! St. John Catholic School began the intramural season with floor hockey available to all grade 7 and 8 students. Currently, eight teams have signed up and participate every lunch and recess in the gymnasium. The school’s junior grades (grades 4, 5, and 6) will also have the opportunity to participate in Raise the Bar as their season is slated to begin in mid October.

SCDSB Students Continue to Improve on Provincial Test Scores

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The Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) has released the results of the Grades 3 and 6 reading, writing and mathematics assessments and the Grade 9 academic and applied mathematics tests written by Ontario students during the 2006–2007 school year.

Officials at the Sudbury Catholic District School Board are pleased with the results of their Grade 3 and 6 students with both grades demonstrating gains across the spectrum. With respect to all Grade 3 students that wrote the Provincial assessments, student scores improved by 5 percent in reading (from 51 percent to 56 percent), 5 percent in writing (from 49 percent to 53 percent) and 3 percent in mathematics (from 56 percent to 59 percent). The Board’s Grade 6 students also showed improvement in the reading component (from 66 percent to 68 percent) and math component (54 percent to 59 percent) while maintaining an average of 58 percent in writing.

The positive trend in EQAO results was also demonstrated by the Sudbury Catholic District School Board’s Grade 9 students, scoring 76 percent in the academic math program
(5 percent above the Provincial average of 71 percent) and 56 percent in the applied program
(21 percent higher than the Provincial average of 35 percent).

SCDSB Results Over Time
Percentage of Students Meeting the Provincial Standard (Levels 3 and 4):

 
Reading
Writing
Mathematics
2002-2003
 2006-2007 2002-2003 2006-2007 2002-2003 2006-2007
Grade 3 45% 56% 47% 53% 54% 59%
Grade 6 61% 68% 53% 58% 52% 59%
 
Mathematics
  
Grade 9
Academics
Applied
  2002-2003 2006-2007 2002-2003 2006-2007
71%
76%
27%
56%

(Source EQAO website, www.eqao.com)

Media ReleasePaula Peroni, Chair of the Sudbury Catholic District School Board is encouraged with the recent test results. “In the last five years our Board has witnessed an increase in the percentage of our Grade 3, 6 and 9 students who have met or surpassed the provincial standards in reading, writing and math,” states Peroni. “Numerous strategies have been put into place this year which we are confident will continue to yield positive results. The overall picture, which includes significant increases in our secondary schools is in line with our strategic improvement plan.”

Catherine McCullough, Director of Education for the Sudbury Catholic District School Board is equally optimistic with the latest data. “Recent test scores of our students writing the
Grade 3 and 6 provincial tests indicate that we are on an upward trend,” states McCullough. “Our secondary school scores exceed the provincial average and we will continue to use our secondary schools as a model for best practices. The strategies that are working well in one school will be used in other schools to yield positive results. The Learning With Laptops program for Grade 9 math was introduced in the spring of 2005. As we enter year 3 of the program, with our new MacBooks we hope to see continued improvement.”

St. Michael Opens School Year with Liturgy

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Staff, students and parents from St. Michael Catholic School gathered for the “Opening of the School Year” Liturgy with Father Tony on Tuesday, September 11th, 2007.

In order to get to know the “family of students and teachers”, each class prepared and read a brief biography telling about themselves. Class candles were lit and placed on the altar.

The photo shows Mrs. St. Denis, Principal, holding the microphone as Madison shares something exciting about their class. Sophia is holding the class candle. Both students are in Ms. Smith’s grade 1/2 class.

Staff and students look forward to Father Tony’s bi-weekly visits.

What a great way to start the new academic school year!

SCDSB Celebrates Technology

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The Sudbury Catholic District School Board celebrated its first technology session by dedicating an entire evening to showcasing the authentic works of the Board’s Grade 7 and 8 students with respect to its brand new “1 to 1 learning with laptops program” at
St. Charles College recently. Students, parents, teachers, and staff along with SCDSB Trustees and Senior Administration were treated to a host of high tech presentations in the form of movies, podcasts, interpretations of creative poetry, and historical events.

Lisa Samuels, Curriculum Coordinator for the Sudbury Catholic District School Board’s Laptop program stated in her opening remarks to the audience that even though the Sudbury Catholic District School Board was the first and only board in Ontario to take on such an innovative project and faced numerous challenges, the students responded quite admirably and succeeded beyond the Board’s expectations. “When we started this journey in September, I don’t think any of us knew where this path would take us,” stated Samuels. “We had no road map as no other board in Ontario has implemented a 1 to 1 laptop program system wide. Like the voyageurs who explored what was to become Canada, we set out into unfamiliar territory to learn how to effectively use the technology. Our goals were simple: increase student engagement, increase student achievement, provide every student with access to digital resources, and provide our students with learning experiences that are inquiry based in nature and foster what are called 21st century skills.”

The Board’s laptop program provided its students with an opportunity to explore the Ontario curriculum differently by allowing them to become critical thinkers and problem solvers. The project also afforded the students a great deal of flexibility in demonstrating their creative and innovative talents while working collaboratively as team. To assist and support the project, the Board sought the services and expertise of Apple Canada and its access to skilled educators who have been working with the laptop program for more than 15 years.

The evening showcased the authentic work from 5 schools, 8 teachers, and 200 students who were engaged with the Board’s laptop program over the last year which included, multimedia poetry interpretations, mini documentaries on the opening of the west, a video diary of a science experiment, and public service announcements about the choices facing teenagers today.

Sudbury Catholic District School Board Chair, Paula Peroni is quite proud of the efforts of her students and the initial results of Board’s laptop program. “Laptops have become a tool to learn with and not solely a tool to learn from,” states Peroni. “Over the last several years the Board has committed itself to the expansion of the wireless laptop program into our Grade 7 and 8 curriculum. In June 2006, our Board purchased eleven hundred wireless laptop computers for every grade 7 and 8 student in our system. The wireless laptop program has had a dramatic impact on student learning and student achievement. This evening has been dedicated to showcasing the creative talents of the Board’s students as they embrace the technology they will be using in their upcoming careers.”

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