Sudbury Catholic District School Board

Category: Schools

Greater Sudbury Public Library Presents Jamaican-born Canadian Author Horane Smith

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Award-winning Jamaican-born Canadian author Horane Smith will read from his works of fiction at the Main Public Library, 74 Mackenzie Street on Tuesday September 18, beginning at 6 p.m.

Mr. Smith has written on subjects such as the Underground Railroad to Canada, lynchings in America, the pirates of the Caribbean, reggae music, and slavery in North America and the Caribbean. His latest novel, Dawn at Lover’s Leap, the sequel to his highly-acclaimed first novel, Lover’s Leap: Based on the Jamaican Legend, was a finalist in the 2006 USA Booknews Best Book Award for Historical Fiction. His new novel, Seven Days in Jamaica, will be published next February.

Described by the late British best-selling author John Prebble as “one of our four best emerging writers,” Mr. Smith was the first recipient for the BURLA Award in 2004, for Outstanding Contribution to African Canadian and Caribbean Literature. He has also been recognized with an honorary award from the Jamaica Diaspora Foundation Canada, for his outstanding contribution to Jamaican Literature. He has been described as “prolific…growing from strength to strength…and a gripping writer.”

Mr. Smith’s other novels are: Underground to Freedom, Port Royal, Reggae Silver and The Lynching Stream.

For more information or to reserve your seat, please call Lise Larose at 673-1155, extension 225. Everyone is welcome.

For more information, please contact:
Lise Larose
Adult, Senior and Client Education Programmer
Greater Sudbury Public Library, 673-1155, extension 225
lise.larose@greatersudbury.ca

SCDSB Teacher Receives Best Practice Award

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Rosanna Battigelli, a teacher at St. James Catholic School in Lively, has been awarded a Best Practice Award from the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association (OECTA) for an essay she wrote highlighting her teaching experiences dealing with loss, grief and healing, and the support systems she developed within the classroom and school setting. She also received a Best Practice Award in 2002, 2004 and 2005.

Rosanna’s writing has been published in a number of Canadian anthologies. In August 2006, she was awarded an Ontario Arts Council “Writer’s Works in Progress” Grant for her second novel. Out of 116 applicants, 14 writers were each awarded $12,000.

Rosanna plans to spend her summer relaxing, reading, researching and writing.

SCDSB Celebrates Technology

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The Sudbury Catholic District School Board celebrated its first technology session by dedicating an entire evening to showcasing the authentic works of the Board’s Grade 7 and 8 students with respect to its brand new “1 to 1 learning with laptops program” at
St. Charles College recently. Students, parents, teachers, and staff along with SCDSB Trustees and Senior Administration were treated to a host of high tech presentations in the form of movies, podcasts, interpretations of creative poetry, and historical events.

Lisa Samuels, Curriculum Coordinator for the Sudbury Catholic District School Board’s Laptop program stated in her opening remarks to the audience that even though the Sudbury Catholic District School Board was the first and only board in Ontario to take on such an innovative project and faced numerous challenges, the students responded quite admirably and succeeded beyond the Board’s expectations. “When we started this journey in September, I don’t think any of us knew where this path would take us,” stated Samuels. “We had no road map as no other board in Ontario has implemented a 1 to 1 laptop program system wide. Like the voyageurs who explored what was to become Canada, we set out into unfamiliar territory to learn how to effectively use the technology. Our goals were simple: increase student engagement, increase student achievement, provide every student with access to digital resources, and provide our students with learning experiences that are inquiry based in nature and foster what are called 21st century skills.”

The Board’s laptop program provided its students with an opportunity to explore the Ontario curriculum differently by allowing them to become critical thinkers and problem solvers. The project also afforded the students a great deal of flexibility in demonstrating their creative and innovative talents while working collaboratively as team. To assist and support the project, the Board sought the services and expertise of Apple Canada and its access to skilled educators who have been working with the laptop program for more than 15 years.

The evening showcased the authentic work from 5 schools, 8 teachers, and 200 students who were engaged with the Board’s laptop program over the last year which included, multimedia poetry interpretations, mini documentaries on the opening of the west, a video diary of a science experiment, and public service announcements about the choices facing teenagers today.

Sudbury Catholic District School Board Chair, Paula Peroni is quite proud of the efforts of her students and the initial results of Board’s laptop program. “Laptops have become a tool to learn with and not solely a tool to learn from,” states Peroni. “Over the last several years the Board has committed itself to the expansion of the wireless laptop program into our Grade 7 and 8 curriculum. In June 2006, our Board purchased eleven hundred wireless laptop computers for every grade 7 and 8 student in our system. The wireless laptop program has had a dramatic impact on student learning and student achievement. This evening has been dedicated to showcasing the creative talents of the Board’s students as they embrace the technology they will be using in their upcoming careers.”

SCDSB Appoints New Director of Education

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The Sudbury Catholic District School Board is pleased to announce the appointment of Catherine McCullough as its new Director of Education. Previous to her appointment as Director with the Sudbury Catholic District School Board, Mrs. McCullough was the Superintendent of Education for the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board.

Catherine McCullough obtained her Catholic Leadership Certificate from the University of Toronto (2004), and her Supervisory Officer Certificate (1998), she also holds a Masters of Education in Curriculum Development from Brock University (1995). Mrs. McCullough began her career in Catholic education 25 years ago with the Dufferin Peel Roman Catholic Separate School Board. Building on a lifelong commitment to faith-filled learning, she served with the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District Board for the past 17 years. She is an active member of many education related groups including the Board of Directors and Provincial Representative for the Ontario Catholic Supervisory Officers’ Association (OCSOA), the Institute for Educational Leadership for OCSOA, the Canadian Association of School Administrators, the Children’s Coalition Table, Community Partners with Schools (COMPASS), the Canadian Safe Schools Network, Women in Education in Ontario and is a member of the Advisory Group for Lakehead University, Orillia Campus. In these various capacities, Mrs. McCullough’s focus has always been on advancing student learning and on promoting Catholic education.

“I am honoured to assume the role of Director of Education for the Sudbury Catholic District School Board,” stated Mrs. McCullough upon accepting her new position. “I am looking forward to continuing the excellent standard set by the Board’s Senior Administrative Team and the Board of Trustees.”

“It is with a great deal of pleasure that the Board announces Mrs. McCullough as our new Director of Education,” stated Sudbury Catholic District School Board Chair, Paula Peroni. “She is well suited for the position given her previous experience as a teacher, consultant, vice-principal, principal and Superintendent. Catherine McCullough is a highly experienced and passionate advocate for Catholic education and will be a credit to our board.”

Mrs. McCullough and her husband Mike have two children who are enroled in university. She officially assumes her position as Director of the Sudbury Catholic District School Board effective, August 1, 2007.

SCDSB Proud Partner in “Books for Ethiopia” Campaign

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Some 20,000 educational books no longer being used in area schools are being shipped to Ethiopia this summer thanks to the generous support of local donors.

The Sudbury Catholic District School Board in partnership with the Rainbow District School Board and numerous individuals in the Sudbury Community have donated excellent used educational materials for the Books for Reading program. The books are being sent to a brand-new school of 250 children in Ethiopia with very few resources. Thanks to the generosity of the two English school boards and through the support of local Sudbury businesses and volunteers these badly needed books will be in the hands of the students over the next two weeks.

CVRD Inco donated $5,000 to help cover the costs of shipping the books. The Rainbow Local of the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (ETFO) contributed $600 toward the project and Taylor Beange Doors and Frames provided space to store the books and also donated $800 toward the shipping costs.

“Thanks to the generous contribution of many participants, this literacy project will assist in breaking the cycle of poverty for many children for generations to come,” said Guy Campeau, Director for The Mission of Tears, Northern Ontario region. “We are most grateful to the schools who donated their surplus books for this program. We are also grateful to CVRD Inco, ETFO and Taylor Beange Doors and Frames for their collective contributions.”
To date, local schools have provided in excess of 80,000 surplus books to third world countries. The books include teacher resource guides that have since been updated by the Ministry of Education.

The Books for Reading program is spearheaded by the Northern Ontario region of The Mission of TEARS.

St. Paul Catholic School Students Have a Lot of Heart

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Students at St. Paul The Apostle Catholic School raised more than $8,500 for the Heart and Stroke Foundation during the school’s annual Jump Rope for Heart fundraising campaign.

The school’s students attribute much of their success to the tremendous support they received from both family and friends including the Coniston, Minnow Lake and Wahnapitae communities for the fundraising event.

Allison Hall, a Grade 1 student in the French Immersion program at St. Paul was the top fundraiser bringing in a total of $351 in donations.

The money was raised during the school’s annual Jump Rope for Heart.Representatives from the Heart and Stroke Foundation, Area Manager, Cathy Macey and Diane Larose, School Coordinator who were on hand for the cheque presentation at the school thanked the St. Paul Catholic School students for their hard work and generous donation. Macey informed the students that St. Paul The Apostle Catholic School was one of the top schools out of 50 schools that raised money for the Heart and Stroke Foundation this year.

SCDSB Balances Budget for 2007-08 School Year

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Trustees with the Sudbury Catholic District School Board proved successful in passing a balanced budget for the 2007-2008 school year at the last board meeting before the summer break. The approved budget of $72,230,115 will sustain the positive momentum that has been achieved in the Board’s new initiatives and programs such as the “Learning with Laptops” program and complies with the objectives set by the Ministry of Education with respect to the reduction of class sizes in the primary classes.

With respect to curriculum, the 2006-2007 level of support for curriculum services including special education, professional development, special assignment teachers and secondary school co-ordinators, as well as the level of teacher support in curriculum in-service has been maintained. The budget allows for the retention of the Faith Animator position and provides for a chaplain in each of the board’s four secondary schools. There will be no reduction in the amount of the support from technology and school-administrative lines.

Rossella Bagnato, Interim Director of Education for the Sudbury Catholic District School Board is pleased with the budget. “I am very happy with the fact that the Board was able to bring in a balanced budget,” stated Bagnato. “The new budget will allow us to meet Ministry of Education regulation and obligations and we will continue to deliver quality services and programs to our students in order that they may achieve their maximum potential.”

Board Chair, Paula Peroni is also pleased with the budget. “Over the past few months, Trustees and Senior Administration have worked extremely hard to bring in a balanced budget that addresses some of the key priorities of the Board and its stake holders. This new budget will allow us to move forward on present initiatives such maintaining our Special Education Program, the reduction of class sizes in our primary grades and the upgrading of our wireless laptop program in Grade 9 from I-books to Macbooks which are state of the art and more efficient.”

Sudbury Catholic District School Board Celebrates Technology

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Families are cordially invited to attend the Sudbury Catholic District School Board’s Celebrating Technology presentation on Wednesday, June 27, 2007 (7:00 p.m.) at St. Charles College, 1940 Hawthorne Drive, Sudbury. The evening will feature the authentic works of the Board’s Grade 7 and 8 students and will demonstrate how student engagement contributes to the creation of a wide variety of wireless laptop projects; I-Movies, podcasts, interpretations of creative poetry, and historical events.

In its continued commitment to student success, the Sudbury Catholic District School Board has developed strong expertise in the use of technology as a resource for improving student achievement. “Laptops have become a tool to learn with and not solely a tool to learn from,” states Paula Peroni, Sudbury Catholic District School Board Chair. “Over the last several years the Board has committed itself to the expansion of the wireless laptop program into our Grade 7 and 8 curriculum. Toward that end, in June 2006, our Board purchased eleven hundred wireless laptop computers or Macbooks as they are commonly referred to for every grade 7 and 8 student in our system. We have seen first hand the significant benefits of using grade-wide one on one laptop programming and we are thrilled that the Sudbury Catholic District School Board in partnership with Apple Canada was the first board in Ontario to champion a new innovative and successful way of delivering education to its grade 7 and 8 students.”

According to Peroni, the wireless laptop program has had a dramatic impact on student learning and student achievement. The reason for this improvement can be directly attributed to the fact that students are actively engaged by technology which translates into fewer behavioural problems, better attendance, punctuality, and more time for individualized learning. This evening is dedicated to showcasing the creative talents of the Board’s students as they embrace the technology they will be using in their upcoming careers.

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