The Peace Program participated in a Veterans Affairs Canada initiative called Postcards for Peace. The goal of this initiative is to link today’s youth with veterans in a personal way and to help youth understand the significance of the sacrifices and achievements of Canada’s Veterans or Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members. The students at St. Albert Learning Centre created their own unique postcards, complete with an art piece as well as a personalized letter to a veteran in an Ontario long-term care facility. The class especially wanted to pay tribute to veterans who would normally be honoured in Remembrance Day Ceremonies, but who will have to stay isolated from such gatherings due the global pandemic. It is a simple gesture and a significant reminder that, although the world is changing, we can still recognize the selfless courage that brought us PEACE.
Category: Pathways to Success
Grade 9 Students Participate in Virtual Take Our Kids to Work Event
Launched in 1994 by The Learning Partnership, Take Our Kids to Work Day is an experiential learning opportunity for Grade 9 students across Canada offering them the chance to see the world of work firsthand, explore a variety of careers and sectors, and look at what skills are important to thrive in the world of work. The goal is to ignite students’ curiosity and open the door for them to see what is possible for their future.
On Wednesday, November 4, students, their parents, educators, and schools had access to both pre-recorded and live virtual content to create an exciting learning experience. Over 200 Sudbury Catholic Grade 9 students participated in the event facilitated by consultants Daniel Levecque and Christina Raso.
Dan Levecque led students through the 5 easy steps to “Creating Your Own Personal Brand” followed by Christina Raso teaching the importance of “Managing Your Online Reputation”. Students then listened to a message of hope and resilience hosted by Erin Latimer RBC Olympian. Watch the video at : Your Future Now: Take Our Kids to Work 2020
The day ended with, four live breakout sessions hosted by industry experts in the area of the skilled trades, innovation & entrepreneurship, healthcare and technology & finance.
Marymount Student Gets Creative With Co-op Placement
Milena Raso, a Grade 11 student at Marymount Academy, came up with a creative solution when her Co-op placement was cancelled due to Covid-19. During the school closure period, Milena has spent hundreds of hours making masks for the Sudbury community. Each mask costs just $5.00 and is made with love. Milena is donating all of the money raised to NOFCC (Northern Ontario Families of Children with Cancer). Congratulations Milena for finding a creative way to complete your Co-op. We are very proud of your dedication to your schooling and your community.
Daily Trivia Winners Announced!
Throughout June, we challenged our students to complete the Daily Trivia Challenge! There were two different categories: a scavenger hunt themed challenge for Kindergarten to Grade 6 students and a trades trivia challenge for Grade 7 – Grade 12 students. 32 elementary students participated from six different schools and 50 secondary students participated from all of our secondary schools. Our two winners are:
• Addisyn Doherty from Pius XII School
• Esther Oseni-K. from St. Benedict School
The two winners were happy to complete the challenges and eager to get the correct answers for each day.
“The contest was a great opportunity for all students. I am glad to have participated in the contest because I had learned a lot from the experience. I would like to say thank you for organizing such a great trivia challenge contest,” said Esther.
“I really enjoyed completing the scavenger hunt, it was so fun to find the answer to the clue around my house each day!,” said Addisyn.
Thanks to all for participating in this fun and educational challenge!
Three St. Benedict Students Receive Business Grants from Government of Ontario
Three St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School students have received business grants from the Government of Ontario through the program Summer Company. Students were required to submit an application which includes a business plan and cash flow. Once approved, the projects will receive a maximum grant of $3000 to cover start-up costs and complete program requirements. The students will also receive advice and mentorship from local business leaders to help guide them.
The founder of Active Soul, Mackenzie Coggins has followed her passion within the fitness industry, by developing a business that inspires confidence. Active Soul will be launching their first ever comfort fit resistance bands that will intensify workouts for anyone. Mackenzie has taken it upon herself to ensure these resistance bands are made out of eco-friendly cotton as well as a premium non-slip and comfort grip hand woven design. Active Soul bands benefit customers by building stronger, rounder glutes while also developing better posture by using scientifically proven movements. Active Soul bands can be found at: https://active-soull.myshopify.com.
Dante’s Custom Woodworking is a local start-up business that delivers elegant wood products to customers. The owner Dante Strangis has turned his passion for woodworking into something that all people can enjoy. Dante only uses the best materials, taking it upon himself to choose all materials by hand. Dante can also deliver custom wood engraving such as picture frames or plaques. He challenges himself to deliver the highest quality of products to all his customers and strives to meet their needs. You can text him at (705)-698-3864 and check out his website at https://dante2luigi.wixsite.com/mysite.
B-Hyped Kicks & Clothing is run by sneaker head Brady Howard. Inspired by his own passion, Brady wanted to create a business that allows people in North Ontario the opportunity to buy all of their “hyped” items and get them delivered right to their door, without having to worry about additional duty & custom fees. B-Hyped allows you to shop with confidence knowing that everything you buy will be 100% authentic or your money back guarantee. From new, used, and vintage, there is something for everyone! View more at: https://www.instagram.com/bhypedkicksandclothing/.
“As the business teacher, I’m really proud of these three students demonstrating such initiative. The business class at St. Benedict C.S.S has grown over the last few years, now offering students the opportunity to achieve a Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) status. Along with the various field trips and co-op opportunities, I’m really excited to see these students demonstrate a youthful entrepreneurial spirit,” states Giuseppe Politi, Business Teacher from St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School.
“It is with great pleasure that I congratulate the successful student finalists in the Summer Company program initiated by the Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. With this great start along with their tenacity, drive and entrepreneurial spirit, I am certain that we will be hearing more from these three business stars in the years to come,” said Peter Prochilo, Superintendent of School Effectiveness for the Sudbury Catholic District School Board.
“On behalf of the Sudbury Catholic District School Board, I would like to congratulate Mackenzie, Dante and Brady for their accomplishments in the Summer Company program,” said Joanne Bénard, Director of Education at the Sudbury Catholic District School Board. “We are so proud of our students in whatever goals they accomplish but are especially delighted when students are able to follow their passion and showcase what they have learned in their classrooms. We also thank their dedicated educators for their ongoing support for student leadership and entrepreneurship. Once again, congratulations Mackenzie, Dante and Brady, we can’t wait to hear more about your successes and triumphs!”
For more information about the Summer Company program, please go to https://www.ontario.ca/page/start-summer-company-students#section-2.
Students Participate in #SkillsAtHome Challenge Series
Students at Sudbury Catholic Schools are joining in on the fun with the various challenges hosted by Skills Ontario and Edge Factor . There are 16 #SkillsAtHome contests that explore the skilled trades and tech through a series of challenges on Twitter, testing student’s skills without ever leaving home.
Challenge Number #3, involved students using their creativity to create a wacky hair style.
Pictured above is Entrepreneur & founder of Scrunchies by Milena, (all proceeds of her sales go to NOFCC, Northern Cancer Foundation, Hospice Care and Children’s Wish Foundation) who created the word L-(Gracie B)O-(Milena R) V-(Marly K)-E (Brooke P)!

Challenge Number #4: #SkillsBridgeChallenge tests students skills in design, planning, and construction! Bridges will be judged by longest distance and heaviest weight held. Deadline to enter is May 25th at noon
To join in on the fun:
– Follow Skills Ontario on Twitter here!
– Read the rules and guidelines for the challenge you’d like to participate in the chart
– Tweet your submission to @skillsontario with hashtag #SkillsAtHome and the challenge-specific hashtag.
Travel the World While Earning Credit!
Travel the world, while earning a course credit! We are excited to offer secondary students an affordable, experiential learning program that enables students in Grade 8-10 to earn a credit while travelling to Ottawa, Montreal, New York City, and Toronto while earning Civics/Careers credits (Course Codes (CHV/GLC). This course has two components. The first component consists of an eLearning module from June 30th-July 10th, and July 21st-July27th. The second component consists of an 8 day trip that will take students to Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto, and New York City from July 13th – July 30th.
Space is limited to 35 students and is available to students in regular and French immersion programming. The deadline to enrol is April 1st, 2020. Register now at the following link.
For more information contact Christina Raso, Experiential Learning Consultant at christina.raso@sudburycatholicschools.ca, or your school’s Guidance Counselor.
You’re Invited! Travel Opportunity for current Grade 8, 9 & 10 Students
Sudbury Catholic District School Board is excited to offer both an English and French Immersion Grade 10 Civics and Careers travel for credit course during the summer of 2020. This course has two components. The first component consists of an eLearning module during the first two weeks of July. The second component consists of an 8 day trip that will take students to Ottawa, Montreal, and New York City during the second two weeks of July. The travel portion of the course will be organized by EF Educational Tours. We are hosting an information night for parents/guardians who are interested in learning more about this exciting opportunity. Please join us!
Marymount Academy
The Gymnasium
February 5th 2020
7 PM
RSVP to the meeting at: www.eftours.ca/creditinfo
For more information contact:
Christina Raso, Adult Education & Experiential Learning Consultant at 705 673-5620 EXT 208
Peter Prochilo, Superintendent of School Effectiveness
705 673-5620 EXT 301
BACCSS Student Following His Passion to Success
A teenager’s life is filled with many decisions. Choosing courses and a career destination can cause stressful situations, but as Alex Laurin leant, it is important to choose a career that you love to do. Alex, a grade 12 student at Bishop Alexander Carter, started his grade 9 year in the pathways program. He often thought about architecture and tried to upgrade a few classes but struggled, especially in math he said. Deep down he knew that university and college would not be his destination. It simply was not for him. Alex’s destination was the workplace.
Alex met with the guidance counsellor at the school, Heather Duguay, to explore career options. He loved the thought of being able to design things. With encouragement from Mrs. Duguay and his parents, he enroled in the Specialist High Skills Program (SHSM) in Manufacturing and Robotics in the school.
“I was surprised to find out I was really good at welding”, Alex explained. “I love to create and make things with my hands”.
Discovering his new talent, Alex set his own goals and discussed these with his parents. He felt that his parents were excited that he found his passion.
“My dad was really supportive of my career goals. They bought me my own welding mask and boots”.
Today, Alex is finishing his SHSM course and is completing his coop placement at Belanger construction. He is a registered OYAP (Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program) student through the MTCU (Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities) and a registered level 1 apprentice through the College of Trades. Alex has been a valuable asset to Belanger Construction and they encouraged him to write his Canadian Welding Bureau test (at the employer’s cost). Alex was successful in this test and has obtained his welding certificate in shielded metal arc welding. His advice for students, “Work hard and know what you are getting into and do your research into career option. But most of all, enjoy it!”.