Students in enroled in the St. Benedict Business Studies program travelled to Boston, Massachusetts from May 13-17. The group plans a major field trip each year to bring to life concepts including marketing, leadership, budgeting, international business, accounting, entrepreneurship and concept development. During their visit, the students toured MIT- Sloan School of Management, Harvard Business School, the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and even the Boston Marathon Finish line among other stops. “This was a great city for the business students to visit,” explained teacher Giuseppe Politi. “Boston is really a wonderful area that highlights successful schools of business and entrepreneurship. The students were excited to see such historic and important institutions that demonstrate a true understanding of how successful businesses respond to needs, wants, supply and demand.” The previous two years have had the students visiting New York and Chicago.
Category: Pathways to Success
Minister of Education Launches New Aboriginal Business Program at St. Charles College
A new pilot program was launched on Tuesday, April 29 at St. Charles College to help Aboriginal students develop business and entrepreneurial skills. Minister of Education Liz Sandals was on hand to reveal the details of the program as the province partners with the Paul Martin Aboriginal Education Initiative to support Aboriginal Youth Entrepreneurship.
The students will learn how to develop a business plan and create product or service based business.Jason Michelutti and Paola Gutscher will spearhead the grade 11/12 program at St. Charles College.
Gutscher says “the critical goal of the program is to improve attendance and increase student confidence levels.”Michelutti says he’s eager to get started and wants to get the students “thinking like business owners”.
About fifteen students are already enroled in the program which will commence September 2014.
BACCSS Receives Significant Donation
Bishop Alexander Carter Catholic Secondary School was pleased to be a recipient of some funds from the Sudbury Branch of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM). The school was among one of a handful of chosen recipients from this year’s applications. CIM donated $ 8111.00 for the school to purchase new equipment for their technology department. A metallurgical bender and a MIG stick welding machine was purchased and will be used to teach students the skills and techniques involved with fabricating and manufacturing.
St. Benedict Visits the “Big Apple”
Thirty-two of St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School’s best and brightest business studies students recently travelled to New York City for a 5-day field trip from May 15-19. Among the activities, students experienced a trading simulation on Wall St. in front of the New York Stock Exchange, while also visiting the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, and taking a full harbour cruise. Students were able to experience a myriad of business concepts in a real-world setting: from professional sports marketing (New York Yankees Game); to the entertainment industry (Broadway Show); to retail marketing (5th Avenue / Times Square); to corporate social responsibility (Central Park). The travel group also made a special visit to St. Patrick’s Cathedral as well as the 9/11 memorial (Ground Zero). Chaperones included Vice-Principal Stephanie Van Druenen and teachers Giuseppe Politi (Business Studies Teacher) and Gino Posteraro.
St. Albert and ICAN Making a Positive Difference in Health Care Through Partnership
The ICAN Independence Centre and Network in Sudbury is a community- based non-profit organization that provides services, resources and support for people with disabilities. St. Albert Adult Learning Centre is a school in the Sudbury Catholic District School Board that offers adult and continuing education programs with the purpose of preparing individuals to succeed in today’s workplace through a variety of programs and initiatives. One of the programs that St. Albert offers is a Personal Support Worker (PSW) program. While these two organizations differ greatly in their mandate, they do share a common theme – a quest to seek and train people who are enthusiastic and compassionate, and who are motivated to work in the PSW field.
In a recent interview, Chief Executive Officer for ICAN, Marie Leon, explained that with a growing population of seniors, there is a greater need for qualified PSWs, particularly those who are committed to providing quality care for their clients. The challenge is to recruit motivated candidates and retain them within the organization. She explained that when demands for a profession are high, so are turnover rates.
St. Albert’s PSW program is in its third year and 24 spots are available for each intake (every six months). Students must pass an aptitude test and a formal interview before gaining admission to the Program. ICAN is one of the facilities that accepted PSW students to do the practical portion of the, so a positive partnership between the two organizations already existed. In the Fall, both ICAN and St. Albert entered into formal discussions to take their partnership one step further. In an an effort to recruit and retain strong PSWs, an agreement was reached whereby ICAN would sponsor up to six students. ICAN supports each student by paying their registration fee of $1,500, and by providing a weekly stipend to support the student financially during their program. Once the student finishes the theory portion of the course, they are hired immediately as a casual employee. In return, the student must commit to working for ICAN for two years in order to fulfill their obligation of the agreement.
According to the school’s principal, Karl Dreger,it is a win-win for both parties. “ICAN is a progressive organization which offers its employees a competitive wage and a comprehensive benefit package.” “There is a comprehensive interview process for these six coveted spots,” Dreger explained. “Not only is the student candidate interviewed to gain admittance into the PSW program, but select students who we believe would be good candidates for the ICAN program are interviewed again by the ICAN staff.
One of the students who was given this opportunity, Amy Winn, gushed about her experience at St. Albert, as well as her upcoming career placement with ICAN. “I have been a career waitress for 15 years,” Winn explained. “I heard about the St. Albert PSW program through word of mouth, and decided it was worth looking into. I had been out of school for 15 years and all I could remember about school was that I struggled to stay awake. This program at St. Albert is anything but boring – the teacher is absolutely incredible – she is very knowledgeable and every day teaches us something interesting and exciting. This school is the perfect setting for learning as there are no distractions like in a regular school. I am excited about this opportunity, and feel very lucky to have been chosen to be a part of this incredible partnership with ICAN.” Principal Karl Dreger echoed Winn’s sentiments about the teacher and the school. “We are so fortunate to have Dawn-Marie Brunet as the program lead for this course. Not only is she a certified teacher, but she is also a certified Registered Nurse (R.N.) with many years of experience. Someone with this type of experience is very hard to come by. The students really respond well to her teaching, and the end result is a group of PSW’s who are inspired to make a positive difference in our community. This is a really great example of the outstanding and supportive environment at St. Albert. These days, we must seek and forge partnerships outside of the education sector to keep our programs strong and viable. A synergistic relationship such as this is a wonderful model that we are very proud of”
For more information on the PSW program, the partnership with ICAN or other St. Albert programs, please call the school at (705)673-3031 or visit their website at:
[ http://www.st-albert.sudburycatholicschools.ca ]www.st-albert.sudburycatholicschools.ca
St. Charles College and Laurentian University Partner for Forensic Science Programming
St. Charles College is pleased to announce that it has added yet another partnership to its learning community to better support its students. The Department of Forensic Science of Laurentian University – which delivers the only accredited forensic science programs in Canada, has formed a partnership with the school, in order to allow for new and outstanding learning opportunities for the students of St. Charles College. Senior students in both the school’s Specialist High Skills Major in Health and Wellness, as well as the senior law classes will now be taking part in regular workshops and labs with the Forensics Department at the university. The forensic professors – including Dr. Fairgrieve, Dr. Watterson and Dr. Donohue, have agreed to gear their presentations to meet the curriculum needs for both areas of learning, and will directly tie into their areas of study. The forensic courses will introduce the students to blood spatter, arson investigation, autopsy, hair and fibre analysis, facial sculpting, forensic botany and entomology, criminal profiling and DNA analysis.
“This linkage to our programming – both our law and health and wellness classes – is exceptional as it is giving limitless opportunities for our students to pursue a variety of careers they may not have considered before.” says Principal Mardero. “This hands on learning will allow them to really receive a deeper understanding of these sciences.
St. Charles College is a proud partner of Laurentian, and this new agreement reinforces the strength of our relationship with the University.”
Classes have already begun working with the university starting the end of October, 2012.
Provincial Take a Kid to Work Day
Grade nine students in the province of Ontario participated in Take a Kid to Work day on November 7, 2012. At St. Charles College, over one hundred students were on site at job locations around the city. A number of students took on positions in healthcare, education as well as the retail and industrial sectors.
It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity for grade nine students to learn about a career opportunity that interests them and illustrates the importance of education, skills development and training.
The day is organized by “The Learning Partnership”, a non-for-profit organization.
Sudbury Catholic Principal Keynote Speaker at L.U. Event
Sudbury Catholic principal, Cassandra MacGregor, was asked to be the keynote speaker at a Laurentian University event recently. As part of the Community Stars Celebration, MacGregor was asked to address students in the concurrent education program to speak to the importance of connecting to community in the education field. This event was an information fair for the students, and MacGregor was asked to speak as a principal who is making a difference in the community. Reflecting on her past experience as principal of St. Albert Adult Learning Centre, her lecture, Connecting to Community, spoke to the importance of building positive relationships with community organizations, and the positive outcomes from creating these connections. Students were encouraged to seek out these alliances as they allow for better opportunities for students and schools alike. As well as the keynote address, the Laurentian University students also visited several booths and displays set up by numerous community organizations that support their learning and the community as a whole.
Stepping Into Grade 9 Night -St. Charles College – Nov. 7
St. Charles College will be hosting their Stepping into Grade 9.
This is an information session for parents and students focussed on the transition from elementary to secondary school.
Topics will include:
Course selection and pathways, graduation requirements and electives, academic services, resource and student success, athletics, extra-curricular and community.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012 beginning at 6:30 p.m.
St. Charles College
1940 Hawthorne Drive
705-566-9605
www.scc.scdsb.edu.on.ca