The Sudbury Catholic District School Board is delighted to share the first blog of the 2023-24 school year, “Together We Lead.”
This blog is a celebration of the remarkable stories and experiences that unfolded throughout our community during the past two months. In this edition, you’ll find inspiring accounts of collaboration, leadership, and dedication from students, teachers, staff, and community partners.
Highlights from September include:
Honouring Terry Fox – Features stories from St. Paul, Pius XII, St. Francis, and Holy Trinity.
Marymount Academy’s Fundraiser for NOFCC
Franco-Ontarian Day Celebrations – Features stories from St. Charles, St. James, and Immaculate Conception.
National Day for Truth & Reconciliation Initiatives – Features stories from St. Charles College, St. Albert, and St. Anne.
Highlights from October include:
Learning Disabilities Awareness Month – Features Holy Cross Raising the Flag with the Learning Disabilities Association of Sudbury at James Jerome Field.
International Day of the Girl – Features Grade 7 and 8 students at Skill’s Ontario’s Women in Trades Conference.
Jill of All Trades Event – Features Secondary Schools and SCDSB Scholarship Winners.
International Heritage and Language Classes at St. Albert
We invite you to read the full blog, where the incredible stories of leadership, collaboration, and community spirit come to life.
The Sudbury Catholic District School Board is pleased to join students from Sudbury, Espanola and Manitoulin Island for HEADSTRONG, an evidence-based anti-stigma initiative that inspires students to Be Brave, Reach Out and Speak Up about mental health. The summit will occur on Tuesday, October 24, 2023, from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm at Cambrian College.
This day-long conference will bring together approximately 140 Secondary students from the Sudbury Catholic District School Board, Rainbow District School Board, Conseil scolaire public du Grand Nord de l’Ontario, and Conseil scolaire catholique du Nouvel-Ontario.
Spearheaded by the Mental Health Commission of Canada, the HEADSTRONG movement educates youth ages 12 to 18 to recognize the signs of mental health problems and to help reduce the associated stigma.
“Mental health and well-being is a priority for the Sudbury Catholic District School Board,” says Director of Education, Joanne Bénard. “Working with our co-terminous boards to host HEADSTRONG further supports our ongoing commitment to nurture students by fostering their mental, physical, social, and emotional well-being. Through this experience, HEADSTRONG will provide summit attendees with the essential tools, knowledge, and confidence to confront mental health stigmas respectfully and promote mental health and wellness within their school and surrounding community. We want to thank the support of our sponsors, including Cambrian College, Lions Club, Future North, and the Greater Sudbury Police Services, who have charitably contributed to the success of this upcoming event.”
At the summit, students will have the unique opportunity to listen to speakers with lived experiences, engage in stigma-busting activities, gain insights into available community services, and devise action plans to implement positive change upon returning to their respective schools.
“The Board recognizes the importance of erasing stigmas and cultivating a culture of hope. Though this is a one-day conference, the learning it will provide is meaningful for years to come.” Say’s Tasha Breau, a registered Psychotherapist at the Sudbury Catholic District School Board and lead organizer of this year’s HEADSTONG summit. “We are thrilled to see how this year’s summit will educate our students, strengthen our communities, and transform how we can further support mental health and wellness in our schools.”
HEADSTRONG Summit Agenda
Tuesday, October 24, 2023
Cambrian College
8:30 am to 9:00 am
Registration
9:00 am to 9:30 am
Introduction/Welcome
9:30 am to 9:55 am
Keynote Address: Gabe Parent
9:55 am to 10:10 am
Break
10:10 am to 10:35 am
Keynote Address: Katlyn Kotila
10:40 am to 11:10 am
Breakout Room Activities
11:15 pm to 12:15 pmNote: Best time for media interviews
Lunch/Resource Fair
12:15 pm to 12:45 pm
Prize Draw/Speaker Panel Introductions
12:45 pm to 1:45 pm
Panel discussion with guest speakers
2:00 pm to 2:25 pm
Action planning breakout activity
2:30 pm to 2:45 pm
Youth Presentations
2:30 pm to 3:00 pm
Wrap-up
About Keynote Speakers:
The first keynote address will be delivered by Gabe Parent. Gabe is a passionate mental health advocate with a bachelor’s degree in social work. Gabe’s career journey has included roles as a Youth net/Reseau Ado facilitator and as a healthcare worker, providing care to seniors and youth. Gabe identifies as part of the LGBTQ2S+ community and works to be proactively inclusive of all individuals. In addition to empowering youth to follow their dreams, Gabe believes in the value of well-being for all, from the youngest to the oldest members of the community.
Students will also hear from Katlyn Kotila, a passionate public speaker and community leader from Sudbury, Ontario. She is the Co-Founder of the Northern Ontario Pride Connection, a non-profit organization aimed at supporting and empowering the 2SLGBTQ+ community across northern Ontario. At the age of 14, she lost a close friend to death by suicide, a moment that would go on to change her life forever. Since then, she has spent her career advocating for improved mental health services and speaking to audiences across North America about her experiences as a suicide-loss survivor.
The Sudbury Catholic District School Board is thrilled to announce that 25 international students have joined the Board’s International Education program for the 2023-2024 academic year.
These students have come to Sudbury from China, Germany, Japan, Nigeria, the Republic of Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Sudbury Catholic remains committed to providing our new students with a rich and authentic Canadian experience, fostering English language proficiency, and preparing them for success within our inclusive, compassionate, and innovative Catholic learning environment.
Currently, The Board’s international students are enrolled in the following schools:
Holy Cross: 1 Student
St. David: 4 Students
St. Benedict C.S.S: 11 Students
St. Charles College: 4 Students
Marymount Academy: 5 Students
International students and their host families were treated to a barbecue event held on September 28, 2023, at Marymount Academy to celebrate their arrival and extend a warm Sudbury welcome.
Peter Prochilo, Superintendent of Education expressed his enthusiasm at this event, emphasizing, “Our Board is excited and proud to welcome 25 extraordinary students from nine different countries into our school communities. Together with our staff and host families, we eagerly anticipate the connections we’ll forge with these students as they enhance their English proficiency, establish enduring friendships, and discover the rich tapestry of experiences Sudbury offers.”
Michael Bellmore, Chair of the Board of Trustees at the Sudbury Catholic District School Board, also shared his excitement, saying, “We are delighted to welcome students to the International Education program. Our program continues to expand as more schools across the Board welcome students into their communities. The Board of Trustees is honoured to support a program that embraces diversity, fosters connectivity, and promotes inclusion.”
The program’s success relies heavily on the generosity and support of local families who open their homes to international students. The Board is always eager to welcome more families to join the growing host family community at MLI Homestay. Interested families can contact Devon Crossgrove at dcrossgrove@mlihomestay.com or 705.507.8052.
Today is International Teachers’ Day, a day dedicated to honouring the valuable contributions of educators worldwide.
The Sudbury Catholic District School Board is very pleased to take this opportunity to recognize our teachers. Their unwavering dedication, passion, and commitment to the pursuit of knowledge and to inspiring our students is exemplary. Their daily actions, which display their hard work, passion and leadership, inspire and empower our students to achieve their full potential in mind, body and spirit.
To all our teachers, we want to extend our heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering commitment to creating the conditions for student success. Happy International Teachers’ Day! May it be a day filled with well-deserved appreciation for the remarkable and important work that you do.
October 2nd is National Custodial Appreciation Day! This is a wonderful opportunity to recognize and appreciate every member of our dedicated custodial team, including our custodians, assistant custodians, cleaners, BSTs, and maintenance staff. Their exceptional efforts and hard work are a vital part of our daily lives, ensuring that our schools and Board office buildings are clean and well-maintained throughout the entire year.
Their commitment goes beyond cleanliness; it extends to helping create an inviting environment for our community and contributes significantly to the health and safety of all students and staff.
On behalf of the Sudbury Catholic District School Board community, we extend our heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering dedication and outstanding service. We are very fortunate to have you on the team.
Since 2021, St. Benedict has made a commitment to be a legacy school with the Downie Wenjack Fund which honours a commitment to Truth and Reconciliation.
This year, students in Ms. Dowdall’s Indigenous Studies classes took part in the Truth and Reconciliation Relay hosted by Greater Sudbury Police Service. Additionally, students participated in a fence art project where they created a large mural stating, “Every Child Matters”. Students were able to participate in both events. Their ReconciliACTIONS were complimented with learning about the Residential School System and why they were taking part in the actions. The Honourable Murray Sinclair said, “Education is what got us into this mess, education will get us out.”
A big congratulations goes out to Coach Kim Labrosse and the six members of the St. Benedict Girls Tackle Football team! After competing in jamboree setting mini-tournaments in both Ottawa and Toronto this spring, along with hosting a pair of games in the Nickel City, six Bears were invited to Team Ontario tryouts, with four moving on to compete at the 2023 U18 Women’s Tackle National Championship this month.
Neva Spadafora, Olamide Fadahunsi, Chiamaka Ivenso and Emily Rocha were selected following an assessment camp. Milana Hickey and Elsa Blum also received Team Ontario tryout invitations.
This latest achievement follows two very successful seasons for the Bears! St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School made history in 2022 when they hosted the first-ever Canadian girls tackle football game at the high school level.
Do you have an idea on how we can prepare our students for the challenges and opportunities of the future? We want to hear from you!
The Sudbury Catholic District School Board is pleased to invite you to participate in our community-wide ThoughtExchange Consultation. This unique opportunity allows community members, including staff, students, parents/guardians, community partners, and more to share their thoughts about how we can improve our schools and our Board. We want to know what you value about Sudbury Catholic Schools and how we can better prepare our students for the future.
What will this info be used for?
The information we collect from this exchange will assist us as we review Sudbury Catholic District School Board’s multi-year strategic plan – an important tool which will guide and support our work over the next 3 to 5 years.
How To Participate?
To participate, please click the link below. Reminder! After you share your thoughts, we encourage you to rate other people’s submissions as well. It is recommended to rate at least 20-30 thoughts, as this will provide the Board a more thorough analysis on how we can improve as a system. Come back often until July 14, 2023, to rate thoughts or add new ideas.
ThoughtExchange is a group discussion tool designed to engage community participation and help inform decision-making. By using ThoughtExchange, the Sudbury Catholic District School Board is providing an avenue for everyone to express their opinions and have a say in decisions that affect the future of our system.
Quick Tips:
This survey will be open until Friday, July 14, 2023.
This Exchange is confidential. Your thoughts will be shared with other participants, but not your identity.
You will be able to see and rate thoughts that others have shared. 5 stars = strongly agree, 1 star = strongly disagree.
You do not need to rate all thoughts, though it’s recommended to rate at least 30 thoughts.
If a thought seems inappropriate, for example, if it identifies a person, you can flag it by ‘clicking’ on the three dots in the right-hand corner.
