Sudbury Catholic District School Board

Category: Programs

Harvesting Sweetgrass at St. David School

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This fall, St. David Catholic Elementary School resumed it’s 2015 “Project Impact” community initiative entitled, “The Regreening of St. David School Yard with Sweetgrass”. As part of the project, funded through the Coalition for a Livable Sudbury, Local First Nation artist and parent of a student of the Donovan area school, Will Morin, continued his work with the students and staff. Mr. Morin supported the school in planting sweetgrass seeds in the spring of 2015 and is now teaching the schoolbody about harvesting sweetgrass. According to Mr. Morin, “This autumn harvest season rekindles the project’s plan of regreening the new school site for St. David School with native plants specifically sweetgrass, a traditional Anishnabe medicine. The growing of sweetgrass is an ongoing set a teachable moment from planting to harvesting”.

During the presentation, two young female students were asked to water the plants before the sweetgrass was cut. It was explained that water is the first medicine and vital for survival of all life.
Two young boys then gave offerings of tobacco in order to give back before the students take from nature. “We have to give back to the earth. This is done to maintain balance” stated grade 4/5 student Ethan Thompson.

According to kindergarten student, Kadence Legarde, “My Papa grows sweetgrass so I can have sweet dreams.” Mr. Morin’s message reached all students and staff regardless of age. Prior to braiding the sweetgrass Mr. Morin demonstrated the strength of many compared to the strength of one – which echoes the value of inclusion and the importance of coming together as a community to be our strongest selves.

A Walk to Remember at Bishop ACCSS

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On Wednesday, September 30th, Bishop Alexander Carter Catholic Secondary students participated in the third annual Memorial Walk in memory of Mackenzie Rooney and Denis Dechaine. Mackenzie was a Grade 11 student at Bishop whose life was cut short in a atv accident. Denis was a teacher at Bishop who lost his courageous fight with cancer. Students kicked off the day with a prayer service and zumba, led by Bishop’s mascot, The Golden Gator and KICX 91.7 Radio’s mascot, Moola.

After the 10km walk, students found themselves back at school enjoying a barbecue put on by the teachers, karaoke, and of course the famous teacher vs. girls flag football game! For the first time in Bishop history, the girl’s flag football team tied the teachers.

Mackenzie and Denis’ family and friends joined the students and teachers on the walk. “This day always touches my heart. I understand why Denis loved teaching at the school and why he considered it his extended family” said Anne Dechaine, Denis’ wife. Money raised from the walk supports KICX for Kids and Mackenzie and Denis’ Memorial Fund.

St. Charles Cards on Annual Mission to Fill Sudbury Food Bank Shelves

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This week, students at St. Charles began visits to feeder schools to get students amped up and motivated about this year’s food drive.

The goal is to raise 60, 000 cans for the Sudbury Food Bank, along with support from its feeder schools – St. David’s, Holy Trinity, Pius XII, St. John and St. Paul schools. 

The food drive began almost thirty years ago with the student council at the time initiating the drive.  Founder, Jim Szilva continues to help the school each year with the annual mission.  The school is also supported by Kiss 105.3 and Q host Melanie Dahl on the airways.

In the past, donations from St.Charles College each fall have made for the largest single donation in Sudbury Food Bank history.

The drive wraps up on October 27th when final results will be tabulated and unveiled at the assembly.

It’s All about the Music with Sudbury Catholic Schools and Newcap Radio

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For the seventh year in a row, Newcap Radio presented the Sudbury Catholic District School Board with a generous donation of over $7,500 to enhance music programming in their schools. The cheque is a result of Newcap’s commitment to supporting music programming and education in Sudbury as part of an agreement between Newcap Radio and the CRTC. Through this agreement, the station helps foster youth musicianship in the area. “We are so grateful to Newcap for their ongoing support of our music programming in our schools,” Nicole Bédard, Superintendent for the Board stated. “This extra funding helps us enhance the programming in both our elementary and secondary panels – with the purchase and repair of instruments, the funding to support music field trips and concerts, and the purchase of new music programs. We want to thank Newcap for their partnership in music advocacy – recognizing the importance of engaging students through the arts at Sudbury Catholic”. The cheque presentation took place at St. Anne Catholic Elementary School in Hanmer. Newcap Director of Programming Rick Tompkins was on hand to present the cheque to Joanne Bénard, Director of Education, and St. Anne Vice Principal and music teacher JoAnne Comisso. Much to the students’ surprise, Hot 935 Morning Hot Tub Team G-Rant and Sherry K also came out to help present the cheque. The group visited the school’s music room, and then proceeded to take over the school’s intercom to announce an early recess to the entire school – much to the principal’s dismay.

To date, Newcap has donated over $40,000 to The Sudbury Catholic Board to support its students.

Grade 7-8 French Immersion Students At St. Charles College Explore Inclusive Education Outdoors

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Grade 7-8 French Immersion students at St. Charles College take French, social studies, science, inclusive education and art outdoors. Students collected parts of nature, brought them inside and co-constructed success criteria around how everything that was collected can come together to form one. They were only allowed to pick up items that were not attached to the ground, hence that had already fallen on their own. Students decided to make an animal with everything that they had collected and together determined what that would look like and feel like. Each student had the chance to place one object at a time on the giant paper. One at a time, without moving the piece that the previous student placed on the page, the animal began to take shape. Students quickly saw how a variety of objects from different parts of nature came together to form one, just like our world. Students were then asked to sketch what they saw on the giant page. Even though, everyone was looking at the same thing, each picture was different as beauty and perception are in the eyes of the beholder. This lesson was based on the play Spirit Horse and was conducted in the French Language led by teacher Sabrina Rocca at St. Charles College.

Pictured are Colby (grade 8) and Kennedy (grade 7) from the French Immersion class at St. Charles College.

Grades 7 to 12 “F.I. Cards” Celebrate Franco-Ontarian Flag

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To commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Franco Ontarian flag, on September 25th, 2015 at 11:00am, over 1500 Franco- Ontarian flags were raised across Ontario to recognize the francophone community and their contribution to culture and history. It’s also a way to recognize the 400th anniversary of Champlain’s arrival in Ontario – marking the birth of Francophone culture.

SCC teacher Jessica Demore’s high school Immersion students were able to participate in the celebration and create their own flag raising ceremony. The students were also featured on the CBC/Radio Canada “carte de drapeau” or “map of the flag” and can be seen on one of the three Sudbury points on the map located at:http://ici.radio-canada.ca/regions/ontario/2015/09/25/002-drapeau-franco-ontarien-25-septembre.shtml

The students in the 7/8 Immersion program did the same under the direction of teacher Sabrina Rocca. Students were given the opportunity to experience their francophone culture, by learning about the meaning, and background history of the flag.

It also happened to be country/western day to wrap-up a very successful Spirit week at S.C.C.

VIVE LA FRANCOPHONIE!!

Seven Year Partnership Continues in their Support of the Community

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St. David Catholic School welcomed community partners into their school to support the planning of a local conference on Cultural Safety and how First Nation culture is shared and promoted. The Best Start Aboriginal Hub’s Agency Advisory Committee, which includes the Child and Family Centre, the Metis Nation of Ontario, Aboriginal People’s Alliance of Northern Ontario, N’Swakamok Native Friendship Centre and the Jubilee Aboriginal Daycare were all at the table to plan the November 20th interagency conference on Cultural Standards in Our Community. According to Jim Eshkawkogan, program manager, “We all have a responsibility to share the culture in the inclusive way it was intended.”
St. David Catholic School and the Aboriginal Best Start Hub have had a 7 year partnership supporting the needs of the community. It is through positive partnerships, with an emphasis on relationship building, that continues to be the foundation of student success and well-being both within the school and the community.

Grades 7 to 12 Cardinals Celebrate Mass All Together as One

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The St. Charles College student body grew by more than two hundred this fall when grades 7 and 8 students were introduced into the campus mix. 

On Thursday, September 17, 2015, students celebrated their first mass together in the gymnasium with Father Jim Ketzler of St. John the Evangelist in Garson presiding.   

Under the direction of teacher Shannon Coyle, the new 7-12 choir helped to beautify the mass with their voices.

Students from the senior boys’ football team helped with the procession and the Prayers of the Faithful.

“Why Yes, it’s HAT DAY at St. David School!”

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September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. This is a great time for schools and families to create awareness about pediatric cancers.

St. David Catholic Elementary School started its year off right with a fun-filled HAT DAY at the end of the first week of school. The students and staff wore crazy hats and ball caps during the school day to emotionally and financially support a former student battling synovial sarcoma cancer. Students donated funds for the privilege of wearing their hats during the school day. The school raised almost $400.00 to help provide support for the family. The school would like to publicly thank everyone who participated in this event!

Dylan Fay, a former St. David student, now a St. Charles College grade 8 student, was diagnosed this summer with synovial sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. His family spent most of the summer at Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto. This fall, Dylan will be going back and forth from Sick Kids to the Sudbury Cancer Center for treatment. During the month of September, St. David School will continue to support the Fay family through pray and fundraising efforts. “It is important that we support our school families in every way possible. We are asking for donations to support Dylan’s family during this time, but more importantly we are praying for his full recovery. We know every little bit counts and want to provide as much support as possible — in any form they need.” stated Lindsay Michel, kindergarten teacher at St. David School.

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