“The Nickel Stops Here” is a play written and produced by Marlene Lee, the Grade 6/7 teacher at St. Paul Catholic Elementary School.This musical/comedy is an original script and score that Lee wrote about the Greater Sudbury area. As someone who moved here from southern Ontario, Lee wanted to give her perspective on life in the North. The play includes the Grade 6/7 class playing the parts of the leads, the JK/K class as the black flies and the JK FI class as the blueberries. The story is about King Inco and Queen Nephawin who need their son, Moose, to take over the throne of the Kingdom of Sudbury. Moose only wants to hunt and fish. His sister, the Princess Laurentian, is eager and willing to put Sudbury on the map environmentally and to rule it. According to the kingdom’s constitution, however, she must be married to do so. Laurentian must battle the two princes from Espanola and Wahnapitae in a game of Jeopardy to see who wins the throne. The students have been working for months in preparation for their show and it is very evident that the hard work has paid off. The play deserves two very big thumbs up for the efforts of the students and Marlene Lee for their outstanding production!
Category: Schools
Assistant Deputy Minister of Early Learning Division Visits Sudbury Catholic District School Board
The Sudbury Catholic District School Board was pleased to have Jim Grieve, Assistant Deputy Minister of the Early Learning Division and Pam Musson, Director of Implementation of Early Learning visit some of its elementary schools to look at examples of Full Day Senior Kindergarten and Junior Kindergarten classes as well as visit a Best Start Hub. Catherine McCullough, Director of Education for the Sudbury Catholic District School Board joined the visitors at St. Raphael and Pius XII Catholic Elementary Schools to see example of schools that have full day senior kindergarten as many other boards in the province have only half day kindergarten. With the full implementation of full day early learning and Junior Kindergarten in the fall of 2010, the Assistant Deputy Minister of the Early Learning Division and Director of Implementation of Early Learning visited both schools to better understand the organization and process of full day learning that Sudbury Catholic already has in place (S.K.). In partnership with the Best Start Hubs and (at Pius XII) Maple Tree Preschool, the Sudbury Catholic District School Board was able to highlight some great examples of how teachers and early childhood educators are already working together in the classroom to help students learn and grow.
Pius XII Holds First Annual Bluez Brothers Dinner and Show
Pius XII Catholic Elementary School held its first Bluez Brothers Dinner and Show on February 4, 2010. The stage and gym were set to amaze and entertain audiences. The Heroes Rock Band and the Restless Group Syndrome (RGS) Dance Band opened for the Bluez Brothers. All three bands had the audience grooving to the music. It was an awesome evening put together by many hands from Pius XII School. Funds raised from this benefit performance were collected for two worthy causes: the Haiti Relief and the Pius Ottawa Trip.
Elder Visits St. Benedict Students to Share Culture
On Thursday, January 11, 2010, students at St. Benedicts participated in a traditional smudging ceremony led by Elder Vince Pawis. Afterward, Mr. Pawis shared several traditional teachings such as the medicine wheel and clan names. The students learned how important it is to be respectful of others and of their connection to Mother Earth.
Bishop Alexander CCSS – Building Bridges and School Spirit Together
Students at Bishop Alexander Carter faced a bridge building challenge this past week in their woodshop class. The students had been given the task of building model bridges and then the completed projects were subjected to weight tests. The rules allowed only for glue and wood 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch to be used. In the end the majority of the bridges were able to remain stable even with a weight of 300 lbs pulling down on them. Savanna Lamoureux, one of the woodshop students said that the day was a lot of fun and it was a great opportunity for the students to express their school spirit. “We really had a lot of fun.” said Lamoureux. “Not only building the bridges, but also destroying them after it was all done!”
Bishop Alexander Carter Launches 2010 Heart and Stroke Campaign
Students at Bishop Alexander Carter gathered on February 5, 2010 for an assembly to launch the school’s Heart and Stroke campaign. The school had several guests speak to the importance of fundraising and awareness of Heart and Stroke issues. Michelle Toner, spokesperson for the foundation talked of the personal family members that have had heart disease or strokes and the impact it has had on her. “Great things can happen if you put your mind to it.” said Toner. “Go get ’em Gators and do the best you can to raise as much money as you can for Heart and Stroke!” Deputy Mayor Ron Dupuis also told the students of the importance of this campaign to the city of Sudbury. As a survivor of a massive heart attack back in 2006, Dupuis knows that the community of Sudbury has top-notch doctors,in fact, he believes “the best cardiologists in the world.” By raising funds, he explained how this money was put right back into the community with dollars going to research, medical technology and support. He thanked all of the students for their past donations and told them that they were heroes for so generously giving their time and funds to support such a worthy cause. The students will have several ways to raise money for this year’s campaign. First, the students have been asked to go out and canvas their communities for donations. As well, the students have the opportunity to participate in a co-ed ball hockey tournament on February 18, 2010 as either a player or a spectator by buying into the game or as buy out of class to cheer on the teams. The students will also have a dress down day they can buy into on February 24, 2010. The students hope to beat their donations from last year which were close to $3000.
St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School Launches New Breakfast Program
On Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010, St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School opened the doors to its new Breakfast Club. The program is a partnership between Breakfast Clubs of Canada, the Human League Association and the Sudbury Catholic District School Board. The Breakfast Club provides a healthy breakfast for the students in a relaxed environment and is operated by volunteer staff members and students. The club is open five days per week in the morning and allows students to help themselves to menu items such as fruit, fruit juice, yogurt, cereal and whole wheat bagels to name a few. This is the forth breakfast program operating in the SCDSB secondary schools. The primary goal of the program is to feed students who do not have the opportunity to have breakfast, allowing them to focus on their academics rather than being distracted by hunger.”
St. Ben’s in Pink to Support Janis Foligno Foundation
On Friday, February 5th, 2010, students and staff at St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School donned pink to show their support in the fight againstt breast cancer. The students were encouraged to replace some or all of their uniform with a pink item. Those who participated paid a toonie for the opportunity to shed the uniform for the day in support of breast cancer research. All money raised will be donated to the Janis Foligno Foundation. Janis is the mother of two former St. Ben’s students – Lisa and Marcus. The proceeds will be presented to Marcus when he speaks at St. Benedict’s Open House on February 16th. It was a fun day to replace the uniform and raised money and awareness to support research for breast cancer.
St. James Student Council and Custodian Unite to Create Hopes and Dreams for Haiti
Five hundred dollars was collected during a recent theme day hosted by the St. James student council for Haitian relief. The student council has forwarded the donations to Mr. Sunny Fournier, staff custodian and accomplished musician. Mr. Fournier, who hopes to raise $10,000 will be hosting a benefit concert for Haiti relief later this month and monies will be forwarded to aid Haitian Children.