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.
Category: St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School
Soccer Opportunities at St. Benedict
A group of grade 10 students enroled in the school’s soccer focus class from St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School recently had the opportunity to watch a professional match between Toronto FC and Montreal Impact at BMO field in downtown Toronto. Students at St. Benedict can register for this phys-ed soccer-focused course to learn and experience the various aspects of soccer – from playing, to training, to coaching, to refereeing, to nutrition, to strategy, and so on. In the photo, soccer class students with teacher and “A” license coach, Giuseppe Politi, pose at the entrance gate of the stadium.
French Language Services Commissioner of Ontario Visits St. Benedict
On Wednesday, March 20th, all Sudbury Catholic Schools celebrated Franco-Fun day, which is a day dedicated to celebrating French language and culture. As part of St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School’s Franco-Fun Day activities, grade 11 and 12 French Immersion students were honoured to welcome Francois Boileau, the French Language Services Commissioner of Ontario to their school. Francois Boileau is currently pursuing his third mandate as the French Language Services Commissioner of Ontario and his role is to receive complaints from members of the public and present recommendations regarding the application of the French Language Services Act. Currently, Mr. Boileau reports directly to the Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs, the Honourable Madeleine Meilleur, and has the power to make recommendations on matters pertaining to the application of the French Language Services Act. Since his appointment, Commissioner Boileau has worked diligently to improve the quality of French-language services in Ontario, and to ensure its full development and preserve its culture.
Introducing Mr. Boileau to the students was Sudbury Catholic consultant Lianne Perreault-Raymond, who was thrilled about the opportunity for the students to interact with the Commissioner. “It was wonderful to see our French Immersion (F.I.) students participating in an open discussion with M. Boileau, completely in French. We were honoured that he recognized both the students and staff for speaking the language so fluently, and he encouraged them to continue their journey even after leaving high school,” Perreault-Raymond stated. “I was very proud of our students, as well as the teaching staff, as they demonstrated such skill and confidence during the entire discussion, which is strong evidence that our French Immersion program is very successful!”
The students spoke with the Commissioner for approximately an hour, and discussed the importance of carrying on with the language after graduation, as well as how French can play a great role in one’s career and contribute to personal and cultural growth. “To take on a new language, is to take on new thinking,” Boileau told the students. “To take on new thinking is to take on a new world and new possibilities!”
Catherine McCullough, Director of Education for the board echoed Mr. Boileau’s sentiments. “We are so honoured that Commissioner Boileau spoke to our students about the importance of bilingualism in today’s society as part of the board’s Franco-fun day,” McCullough said. “At Sudbury Catholic, we recognize that French language skills can certainly improve a student’s career options later on in life and the Commissioner’s visit reinforced this message for the students.”
ST. BENEDICT ALUMNI CHALLENGE SENIOR BASKETBALL TEAMS IN THRILLING DISPLAY OF SCHOOL HISTORY
On February 20th, St. Benedict C.S.S. hosted an ‘Alumni vs. Student’ Basketball Game in conjunction with the St. Benedict Alumni Association to raise awareness and funds for an upcoming Reunion event in 2015. The basketball event was also a way to celebrate the success of past graduates and the rich 20 year history of the school. The school’s very first reunion will commemorate the first 20 years of graduates from its initial graduating class of 1999/2000, to those graduating in 2010.
The proceeds of this buyout event for the students went to the St. Benedict Alumni Association, who is working with the school and various individuals throughout the community, to organize a number of fundraising events over the next few years in anticipation of the upcoming reunion. With a final score of 58 to 36, fans were on the edge of their seats from start to finish. After the game, the alumni took time to speak with the current generation of students and staff about their experiences at St. Benedict C.S.S., their ambitions after graduating, and their chosen career paths and goals.
The mission of the St. Benedict Alumni Association is to promote a strong relationship between alumni and the school, to promote a sense of pride among alumni and current students, as well as establish and nurture mutually beneficial relationships with other alumni, students, and the community.
They are working diligently on many upcoming events and are looking for volunteers, donations, and sponsors. If you wish to participate, “Like” them on Facebook at Facebook.com/stbenedictcssalumni or e-mail st.benedict.reunion@hotmail.com.
On Your Mark, Get Set… Let the Winter Outdoor Adventure Race Begin!
The scene was set for a perfect Winter Outdoor Adventure Race on Tuesday, February 26, 2013. The sky was clear, the temperature was above zero – and most importantly, there was a lot of snow in Killarney. Compared to past years, this year’s event had more than enough snow for organizer and outdoor education teacher for the Sudbury Catholic District School Board, Brad Blackwell, to really focus the adventure race activities on true Northern Ontario winter activities.
“This was our third year running the Winter Outdoor adventure race – and, as compared to year’s past, the abundance of snow allowed us to set up some true northern outdoor programming as part of the race,” Blackwell said. “We wanted to ensure that all of the students taking part got a real feel for adventures in the snow, and how to not only survive it, but excel and have fun in it!”
This year’s race participants included secondary students from St. Charles College, St. Benedict and Marymount Academy. There were fifteen teams of three and each team had to take part in every leg of the race. Upon arrival in Killarney, the students were given race packets and instructions, and were quickly directed to the outdoor start location. Once the rules were established and all safety aspects reviewed, the students lined up to begin the first part of a seven-part challenge. The entire race included a strategic stick toss, a snow-pile build (a scaled-down version of a quinzee), a 1.13 km sprint, a 750 run in snowshoes, a Frisbee target toss, a strategic orienteering challenge and a fire-lighting trial.
The snowshoe run, the orienteering challenge and the fire-lighting components proved to be the most difficult part of the race for the participants. The orienteering section was tricky as any wrong answers on their check sheet resulted in penalties of an additional five minutes added on to their final time at the finish line. Once the snowshoes were on, they had to stay on throughout the orienteering section of the race and the students were only able to remove them once they began their fire challenge. With the fire challenge, the students were given minimal materials to start their fire, and the ultimate goal was to get a metal can of water to come to a complete boil before sprinting to the finish line. In order to get additional materials for the fire, the students had to do a different number of laps around a section of the forest depending on what materials were needed – whether it be more kindling, extra matches, etc.
In the end, one of the teams from St. Benedict was the first to cross the finish line and, despite some errors during the orienteering challenge, they beat the next team by a mere 25 seconds. This team consisted of Kyle Herbert (grade 10), Doug Pitfield (grade 12) and Kayla Huchenski (grade 12). Not only did the first place team take home the banner for their school, but were also each awarded a brand new set of Tubbs snowshoes that were generously donated to the race by the Tubbs Snowshoe Company. What happened after the team was presented with their prize, speaks volumes about the outstanding character of the Sudbury Catholic students. Both Kyle Herbert and Doug Pitfield thanked the organizers for their prize, but as their families are fortunate to already own several pairs, decided to donate the snowshoes back to their school to support the outdoor education program at St. Benedict. “This most generous gesture by these two students really capped off what was already a truly exceptional day,” Blackwell stated. “These students poured their heart and soul into this competition, and in the end they proudly represented their school both during and after the race! All of the students that competed today truly represent the positive Sudbury Catholic spirit and I congratulate each and every one of them for an outstanding job! As well, I thank all of the teachers and volunteers who helped made today such a success!”
After a hearty lunch provided by the organizers, students began to get ready for departure, but were overheard by the teachers and volunteers already strategizing for the next outdoor adventure race in the spring.
Robenedicts are Taking Over…
What does the St. Benedicts Robotics team know about robots and motors? Since October – a whole lot!
FIRST Robotics Canada have granted St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School with money and a starter kit to begin the first ever robotics team at the school. The team, keenly named Robenedicts by Grade 12 Benjamin Nolan, was formed in October 2012 by teachers Julianne Falconi and John Doyon. There are 30 students that make up Robenedicts, including two sections consisting of engineering and business that the students can choose to focus on. “When we first did a call out to those interested – the number of students interested was overwhelming. The club consists of secondary students, with several Grade 7 and 8’s interested in being part of the team as well,” Falconi said.
“This was something new for us to try as a school,” says Grade 12 team member Christian Bastistelli, “the team has really evolved since we first began.” The group’s first competition is the FIRST Robotics Canada Greater Toronto West Regional competition at the end of March that includes competitors from Singapore and the United States. If Robenedicts move on in the competition, they will advance to nationals where they will encounter oppositions from several countries throughout the world.
Grade 12 teammate Benjamin Nolan affirms that “the team has given us all a head start for university. It has been a great learning experience and even though it has been a lot of work, it also has been a lot of fun.” The competition could also help give the students an advantage going into post secondary school, as according to the Union Gas Press Release, the robotics teams from Ontario can qualify for over $16 million in university scholarships. “You are our future leaders, future innovators, and we are very proud to be a part of this process,” says Tom O’Malley, Utilities Manager of Union Gas who was part of the mentoring team supporting the robotics team. O’Malley concluded his presentation with a cheque for $2500 to the team by encouraging the students, “hopefully you’ll kick some robot butt.”
Story by Mackenzie Connelly
St. Benedict Communications Co-op student
Marymount/St. Ben’s Alpine Teams Make it Back-to-Back-to-Back
On Wednesday, February 13th the SDSSAA/NOSSA Alpine Championships took place showcasing just shy of 100 of the best high school racers who competed in slalom and giant slalom. Conditions were perfect for racing and all of the skiers took advantage of the favourable racing conditions. In the Level 1 division (no club racing affiliation or experience past Nancy Greene) Marymount Academy and St. Benedict’s were looking to make it three consecutive championships in three consecutive years. In the morning slalom runs, Marymount set the mark and reaffirmed that they are still a strong force in the city. Katherine Boyce earned her first gold medal in alpine competition in only her second year of ski racing and she wasn’t finished there. She finished the afternoon giant slalom run in second and was the silver medallist. This resulted in Katherine being crowned the overall Level 1 Girls’ combined champion and double-gold medallist. The success didn’t stop with Katherine. Veteran high school racer Danielle Burla captured the gold medal in the girls’ giant slalom after having a difficult morning in the slalom. Overall, the Regals finished with Katherine as the gold medallist, first-year racer Carissa Roy as the silver medallist, second-year racer Kelsey Roy in third place, and veteran Brittany Major in fifth place. This was more than enough to earn Marymount their third NOSSA championship in three consecutive years. Team members include: Danielle Burla, Katherine Boyce, Carissa Roy, Kelsey Roy, Brittany Major, McKenna Urso, Toni Teale, Kelsey Bell, Brier Cook, and Marika Moskalyk.
For St. Benedict’s, it was very much of the same. Ryan Bell was the overall Level 1 boys’ combined silver medallist. Adam Kirkwood and Arthur Cavallin finished fourth and fifth respectively overall. These outstanding finishes also earned the St. Benedict’s Level 1 boys’ team their third NOSSA championship in three consecutive years. Team members include: Ryan Bell, Adam Kirkwood, Arthur Cavallin, Jarvis Hill, Alex Andlar, Justin Fabian, and Dana Petrone.
Both teams will be representing Northern Ontario at the Provincial OFSAA Championships to be held at Blue Mountain in Collingwood from February 24th – 26th.
St. Benedict Receives Grant from Lowes
St. Benedict Catholic Secondary teacher John Doyon figured he had nothing to lose when he applied for a grant through Lowes Canada for his woodshop class. Each year, Lowes Canada gives away $10,000 to community organizations to support their projects. Doyon had a plan for his class and thought it would be worthwhile to see if perhaps it could be funded through this initiative. Doyon, as well as the St. Benedict staff and students were thrilled to learn that they were successful in their grant application and would receive a cheque for $5000 to support their project. Based on the curriculum expectations, Doyon’s project involves the production of a tool crib for his woodshop classes that would allow for improved monitoring of tool inventory for the school. As part of the application process, the students had to put together and submit all specs for the project including design and drawings. As well, the group had to endorse their project to Lowes and show them why they should support and fund the project.
Mike Porter, Manager for the Sudbury Lowes presented Doyon with $5000 cheque on Tuesday, February 5, 2013 on behalf of the store.
“What a great surprise for the students and staff at St. Benedict,” said Doyon. “ We are very thankful to Lowes for generously supporting us with this project, and are excited to get started with the second semester class to bring our idea and project design to fruition.” The class will be working to get the tool crib plans constructed and finished by this June.
Inaugural Cubs and Bears Junior Co-ed Volleyball Tournament
On December 9th, Holy Cross Catholic Elementary School held its first Junior Coed Volleyball Tournament. This tournament was run in collaboration with St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School.
Newly dubbed the “Cubs and Bears Junior Co-ed Volleyball Tournament”, there was a total of 15 teams entered with a round robin in three pools with the top 2 teams in each pool advancing to the finals (also included the top two 3rd place teams advancing as well to the quarter finals).
The results are as follows: Gold medal winners Holy Cross 2 coach Mr. Gallien.
Silver medallist St. James A team coach Mr. Lariviere
Bronze medallist St. Anne B team coaches: Mrs. Mazerolle and
Mr. Merigioli
Fourth place finalist St. Paul coaches: Mrs. Valiquette and Stacey Vendramin
This was history in the making as it is the first year of existence for Holy Cross Catholic Elementary School and were able to have four teams entered in this tournament. This is the first of many types of tournaments that will run as a joint effort.