Students in Grades 7 and 8 at St. Anne Catholic School in Hanmer experienced first hand what it was like to come together as a village. For the past four days, students have had the opportunity to listen to different variations of “The Stone Soup” story. They also brought donations of food forward to create their own stone soup. Students worked together preparing all of the necessary ingredients, and learned that working together as a community has its own rewards. “Even though we shed a few tears while cutting onions, it was still fun working my fellow classmates,” said Stephanie Fortier, a Grade 7 student at St. Anne Catholic School. Students enjoyed their delicious stone soup on Friday, October 5th, 2012. The general consensus was that working together to provide for one another was a rewarding experience that everyone will cherish for a long time.
Category: Schools
St. James – Bears Who Care!
Dressed in their best jammies, brothers Jackson and Carter Drigo proudly show off their coin donation in a specially decorated can. St. James held a PJ Day and coin drive on Friday, October 5th. Students brought in loose change in support of a local family whose young son has been diagnosed with cancer. Heading into the Thanksgiving weekend, students were reminded that even though the young boy attends a different school, we are all part of a larger community and we are thankful for the chance to show our support . The single day event raised more than $1700 for the family of 5 yr-old Carson Widdifield.
Terry Fox Run at St. Andrew
St. Andrew students and staff participated in a “Toonies+1 ” to support the Terry Fox Foundation on Thursday September 27th. The whole school community either walked, ran or skipped around the school for half an hour. Canadian music from the CD Canada is for Kids was played on the outside PA system for all to enjoy as they supported this great cause. Pictured are the two cousins Tomasso and Martina as they participated
Surpassing Science Expectations Across a Nation
Students at Marymount Academy had a very unique opportunity on Friday, October 12, 2012. Classes from four different grades took part in what could be the world’s largest science lesson. Students from a grade 7, 8, 10 and 12 science class took part in the attempt at a world record for the largest practical science lesson with the hopes of inclusion in the Guinness Book of World Records. Alongside thousands of other Canadians, different groups took part in this activity across Canada as the official launch of National Science and Technology Week 2012 through Science.gc.ca.
Following strict guidelines, students had to sign in, and the entire activity was documented with time-stamped video and pictures to ensure the group was following the outlined rules. After a brief video introduction from Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, the students watched another short clip that demonstrated the two different experiments – “the Kissing Balloons” and “the Water Mister”. Using simple materials such as balloons, string, plastic cups and water provided at each table, the students then worked together in groups to perform both experiments and document their findings. Working in the school’s cafeteria, giggles and laughter could be heard throughout as each student worked through their part of the experiment. Marymount science teacher Lise Callahan was the organizer for the event and made sure she followed all outlined instructions for her students to be included in this monumentous event. “It seemed pretty simple at first,” Callahan remarked. “Just sign up the students and provide the materials… however, I quickly realized that it was a much more involved process. We have to ensure that everything is done properly to be included in the world record attempt. The students have been quite excited leading up to this event and we are thrilled to be a part of it! At Marymount Academy, we have really outstanding students and knew that their level of enthusiasm for this project would be really high. I am proud of our school for participating and can’t wait to see if we do actually set the record!” All of the participants have to have their results sent by October 19 and would find out soon after if their attempt was successful for inclusion in the Guinness Book of World Records.
World Smile Day Celebrated at Pius XII
Students at Pius XII school celebrated World Smile Day on October 5th, 2012. On this day, people are called around the world to be thoughtful of others and use the power of a smile and a kind act to make a small difference in the world we live in. At Pius XII school, the hallways and classrooms were filled with smiles and ‘Caught in the Act of Kindness’.
Thanksgiving at Pius XII
Pius XII, Grade 1 students celebrated and learned about Thanksgiving as classroom teacher, Judy Bowes, taught the students about the importance of giving thanks, not just on Thanksgiving holiday, but on everyday. The students celebrated beginning with a procession, displaying artwork and dancing the ‘Circle of Friends’. Prior to celebrating with a healthy feast of cheese, crackers, fruit and vegetables, students expressed prayers of thanks – especially Mrs. Bowes for “letting us have a fun time celebrating Thanksgiving”.
St. Anne Angels Thankful for Their Many Blessings
Students, staff, parents, and the greater St. Anne Catholic School community joined together in a Thanksgiving prayer service. The school gymnasium was filled to capacity as Father Michael, parish priest of St. Kevin’s and Our Lady of Peace Parish, led everyone into prayer. Students listened attentively to the gospel’s message: let us be thankful for our many blessings. The walls of the gymnasium echoed the beautiful sound of children’s voices as the entire school joined together in prayer and song. The students willingly offered examples of things for which they are thankful: love, God, family, and food were at the top of the list. Father Michael reminded students that they should also be thankful for the gifts and talents each received from God.
Learning about Aboriginal Culture at St. Bernadette
Students in grade 1 at St. Bernadette Catholic School gathered in a circle around Aboriginal Educator, Joel Agowissa recently. Joel is sharing his knowledge of aboriginal teachings and traditions with the students.
Thanksgiving at St. Andrew
On October 5, 2012, the students, staff and parents of St. Andrew school were led in a beautiful Thanksgiving prayer service by the grade 2 class and their teacher Mrs. Vervega. Every child in the class participated in some way to enhance this service. All were left with a warm feeling of gratitude and thanksgiving for all the wonderful gifts God has bestowed on us. St. Andrew School community wish parents, students and staff a blessed Thanksgiving.