Category: Programs
No More Pencils, No More Books, But Definitely a Laptop!
Representatives from Apple Canada joined the Sudbury Catholic District School Board’s administrative team in presenting all of the Board’s Grade 7 and 8 teachers and vice-principals with a wireless MacBook laptop computer in its ‘Apple For The Teacher Day.’ The Board passed a motion last week to purchase eleven hundred laptop computers in a bold move to bring more technology into the classroom this September.
Zandra Zubac, Director of Education for the Sudbury Catholic District School Board stated in her opening address to the teachers that today marks an historic day not only for the Sudbury Catholic District School Board but for the educational process across the entire province. ‘Our Board is the very first Board in Ontario to give every grade 7 and 8 student a wireless computer,’ stated Zubac. ‘Through our partnership with Apple Canada we are championing new innovative and successful technological ways of delivering education to our students.’
Following the presentation of the wireless computers, consultants from Apple Canada conducted workshop sessions with the teachers, vice-principals and student leaders to help orient them with the new technology. “The teachers will be taking the wireless MacBook Laptop computers home for the summer to familiarize themselves with the new technology using the expertise they acquired in the workshops,” stated Bob Kennedy, Consultant for Apple Canada. “Today the teachers are learning how use the new equipment, but it is very evident that once they are comfortable with the new technology they will continue to be the leaders as they integrate this new technology into the science, literacy, numeracy, religion, french and other programs,” concluded Kennedy.
The Sudbury Catholic District School Board first introduced the wireless technology into the classroom in 2003-2004 by piloting the “Learning with Laptops Program” to a wide range of students from kindergarten to grade 6. In 2004-05 the Board decided to expand the wireless laptop technology into all secondary schools with the new Learning With Laptops-One to One Grade 9 Math program using Apple wireless ibooks. The mathematics-based program allows students to conceptualize the abstracts of mathematics and continues to integrate technology into the classroom setting. The 2005-2006 school year saw the Board expand its wireless program again by extending the availability of wireless laptops to Special Education students under a CODE grant in an additional six schools. Today, under Phase 4, eleven hundred wireless laptops will be making their way into the hands of the board’s Grade 7 and 8 teachers and students for the fall of 2006.
Olympic Athlete Visits St. James, St. David Catholic Schools
Junior Soccer Tournament Great Success
2005 Grade 10 OSSLT Results Highest in Northeastern Ontario; SCDSB Proud of Staff, Students
Ontario’s Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) has announced the results of its annual province-wide Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) for the 2005-2006 school year. Of the 383 Sudbury Catholic District School Board students who wrote the OSSLT test for the first time, 90 percent were successful in passing. The Sudbury Catholic District School Board scores were the highest in Northeastern Ontario.
The report also profiles 17 secondary schools made notable for their progress in OSSLT results since the tests were first introduced in 2002. St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School has been selected by EQAO in the province of Ontario as one of the English-language schools that has demonstrated continued student success in the OSSLT.
The school’s success rate for students writing the OSSLT for the first time rose from 80 percent in February 2002 to 92 percent in March 2006. St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School has a population of 650 students, of whom 23 percent are identified as having special needs. Now in its 12th year, the school offers a wide variety of programming, including French Immersion, locally developed
not-for-credit courses and a Wireless Laptop Grade 9 Math program.
“Underlying the many initiatives to build school-wide literacy at St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School is the philosophy that literacy is critical for every subject,” states Guy Mathieu, Principal of St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School. “Strategies such as think-alouds and focused readings have become standard practice in every classroom. Our teachers articulate how they
will promote the development of literacy skills in the course outlines that go home with students.”
In addition to providing dedicated literacy days, the school also offers Grade 9 literature activities which focus on the literacy skills reflected in the curriculum and the OSSLT. This approach will be extended to Grade 10. In order to build capacity, the school has partnered with the local university, colleges and retired teachers to enhance support for students in need of additional assistance.
Paula Peroni, Chair of the Sudbury Catholic District School Board is pleased with the recent OSSLT results.
“I would like to congratulate our secondary students, parents, teachers and staff on their excellent results in the recent OSSLT scores,” states Peroni. “The results are a tribute to their hard work and dedication.” Zandra Zubac Director of Education for the Sudbury Catholic District School Board shares Peroni’s optimism given the latest test results. “Literacy and student success rates have always been a major priority with our Board,” states, Zubac. “We are continuing our work with our cross-curricular teams and school staff to build successful learning environments for
students to ensure continued success rates.”
A record-high 125,830 Grade 10 secondary school students in Ontario met the literacy standard this year as the provincial success rate on the literacy test continues to rise, increasing to 84% in 2006.
Wireless Laptops Enhance Curriculum at St. James Catholic School
Students in Mr. Lusk’s Grade 5 class at St. James Catholic School are not only learning to take care of their bones but they are sharing what they learned with the world. The students participated in the “Power4 Bones” program designed specifically for the Grade 5 curriculum.
Power4Bones is a FREE program that encourages students in Ontario to take care of their bones. As a final assignment they had to come up with catchy Public Service Announcements (PSAs) that could be used to educate the general public. This creative class of students went one step further by broadcasting their announcements on the World Wide Web. They recorded, edited and enhanced their PSAs using their Apple iBook laptops and some specialized software.
The students’ broadcasts were uploaded to a ‘podcasting’ site that not only allows users to listen to the broadcasts, but also to download it to a mp3 player allowing the user to listen anytime anywhere.
Marymount Academy-St. Charles College Poetry Celebration
St. Anne Catholic School Students Celebrate Seniors Month at Westmount Retirement Residence
SCDSB Celebrates Another Successful Year of the Dearness Conservation Program
The Sudbury Catholic District School Board recently took the opportunity to thank the lead teachers and students for their ongoing efforts and commitment in helping schools conserve resources and protect the environment. The Board has been successful in accomplishing this goal with the help of the Dearness Conservation program which is a proven, practical student/staff driven environmental program that enhances curriculum, modifies behaviour, and is self financing through utility savings and waste reduction.
A field trip was organized for the participants to the City of Greater Sudbury’s water treatment plant and landfill site. Both tours allowed students and teachers to gain a better understanding of how complex the local water treatment process is, along with the importance of recycling.
The Sudbury Catholic District School Board would also like to thank the Wanapitei Water Treatment Plant Staff, Bernice Tario and Carrie Ann Marasato from the Waste Division Department/City of Greater Sudbury, INCO Limited, and Union Gas for their assistance in this event.