Christine Sola, local Sudbury business woman visited St. David Catholic Elementary School. Sola who is associated with the production of the movie “The Fighting Man” which is being filmed locally, dropped by the school to talk to students. During her visit, she gifted an autographed photo of Kim Coates, who is a Canadian actor who plays Tig Trager on the popular television show, Sons of Anarchy. St. David grade six student, Darrian Boucher, who is a big fan of the show, was the proud recipient of the autographed photo. When receiving the photo, Boucher replied, “Tig is one of my favourite characters on the series Sons of Anarchy!”
Category: St. David School
St. David School Hosts Healthy Food Summit
The students and staff at St. David Catholic Elementary School hosted a full day Healthy Foods Summit at the beginning of April. The day consisted of guest speakers from the community facilitating “hands-on healthy foods” workshops. All classes, JK – grade 8, had the opportunity to visit three healthy foods workshops during the day. The topics ranged from: healthy choices using culturally based foods, healthy choices with after school snacks, how to pack a healthy lunch, Eat Local, and healthy desert choices. The school also partnered with the Sudbury Health Unit and offered workshops in proper handwashing techniques and student led leadership workshops.
The St. David School student leadership team co-planned the sessions with the mentorship of Janet Spergel, Community Health Care Nurse for the Sudbury Health Unit. Students were engaged in all sessions. Staff, students and families from St. David Catholic Elementary School all walked away with a better understanding of the importance of healthy food choices, their availability in the community and how to prepare them as meals and snacks.
St. David School Celebrates Earth Day!
On April 22, 2013 the students in Mrs. Cimino’s grade 1 class participated in hands on educational Earth Day activities. During the activity centres, the students made Earth Day necklaces as a reminder to keep our earth clean and healthy. They read the book “The Lorax” and discussed what can happen if we do not take responsibility for the care of our planet.
St. David Catholic Elementary School students participate in a school wide recycling program, composting program and vermi composting program.
Next Friday, the grade one students and their fellow St. David classmates will be participating in the community clean up along Jean Street, Frood Road and Dupont Street. “The students had a wonderful day learning about the importance of maintaining a healthy environment while having fun and participating in activities that engaged their minds and kept them physically active. As a class, we have really focused on healthy living and environmentally friendly actions. The students continue to be committed to caring for their environment and making choices that improve and support the positive development of their community”, states Maria Cimino, grade 1 teacher at St. David School.
St. David School is now Idle Free
On Earth Day 2013, the students and staff of St. David Catholic School launched an “Idle-Free Campaign” in partnership with the Earth Care Sudbury. An idle free school is one where all non-moving vehicles on school property do not have their engines running. Parents waiting for their children will keep their engines off. Studies by Health Canada and community health departments show a direct, significant link between air pollution and respiratory health. When a vehicle is idling it releases more carbon dioxide than when it is moving.
St. David School, with support from Jennifer Babin-Fenske, Earth Care Sudbury, thought it appropriate to launch the Idle -Free Campaign on April 22 – Earth Day. The school’s student led Green Team discussed the importance of having an idle free area by their school as well as other earth day campaigns active in the school community. According to grade 3 student, Alyssa Gasper, “the pollution from cars affect the plants and animals and our health in negative ways”.
Megan Murphy, school vice principal assisted the students in posting Idle-Free signs and banners throughout the school. “Our students are genuinely concerned and active in caring for our environment not only on Earth Day, but throughout the year. Our students are passionate about educating their peers and family members about the importance of being environmentally conscious.”
Franco Fun Day – A Tremendous Hit with St. David Students!
St. David Catholic Elementary School celebrated, along with the world, the Francophone culture, music, food and language on March 20, 2013. Franco Fun Day was a day filled with fun, educational cultural activities and interactive games. There were culturally themed prizes for rewarding student participation and a very special treat for all those who enjoy good food with a Franco cultural twist!
St. David School Green Team Prepare for Upcoming Earth Day
In preparation for Earth Day 2013, the grade 3 Dearness Conservation “Green Team” at St. David Catholic School spent the morning creating environmentally themed buttons with the help of Lesley Comyn Lippold of Lellyrella. Lesley Comyn Lippold is a local entrepreneur and environmental mentor to the St. David “Green Team”.
For over a decade, Sudbury Catholic Schools has been aggressively working on numerous Energy Conservation projects and initiatives to maximize efficiencies, including the Dearness Conservation program. The aim of the DC program is to involve students and staff in efforts to reduce the ecological footprint of their schools. The St. David School “Green Team” is a large group of students that work as a leadership team throughout the year to promote DC green initiatives and help build a healtheir and greener St. David School community.
The students, under the leadership of Ms. Comyn Lippold and their classroom teacher, Terri Lynn Lepage, created buttons with messages about saving electricity by shutting the lights off, the importance of daily composting & recycling, and eating foods that come in their own natural packaging such as fruits and vegetables.
Some student favourite themed messages included “Lettuce be Green”, “May the Forest be with You” and “Don’t drop the Ball”.
These buttons will be distributed to students at St. David School in grades JK to 8 who are “Caught Being Green” during the month of April in celebration of Earth Day and in promotion of the school’s Dearness Conservation initiatives.
St. David Roaring Runners Prepare for Spring Running Season
The St. David Catholic Elementary School Roaring Runners cooking club is anxiously awaiting the beginning of the spring running season. While they wait for the snow to melt they are learning more about fuelling their bodies with healthy foods. As they wait for the seasons to change, the students participate in an after school cooking club. The students learn how to prepare a variety of healthy meals, learn about nutrition and enjoy the meals that they make together. This week students were hard at work making oatmeal muffin cups and banana French toast kabobs.
According to Ontario Ministry of Education “schools play an important role in teaching students healthy eating habits and reinforcing those lessons through school practices. Research shows that good health is a prerequisite for good learning. The government passed the Healthy Food for Healthy Schools Act in April 2008.”
As a staff, St. David School works in partnership with Better Beginnings Better Futures, Breakfast Clubs of Canada and Holy Trinity Men’s Club to create an “environment where the healthiest choices are the easiest choices for students to make”. The school provides opportunities that reinforces the knowledge and attitudes regarding healthy eating developed through the Ontario curriculum.
Celebrating Shrove Tuesday at St. David Catholic Elementary School
Kasa Soucy and Drew Noble helped stir up special pancake batters alongside teacher Caroline Mansourian’s Grade 7 class, to celebrate Shrove Tuesday on Tuesday, February 12, 2013 at St. David Catholic Elementary School. The students were all smiles as they served up stacks of pancakes in preparation for Lent. The students and their teacher cooked breakfast for all school staff, JK to grade 8 students and Aboriginal Best Start HUB clients and staff members.
The Grade 7 class also organized and lead their peers in literacy and math-based hands-on activities that shared the Lenten message. The teachers at St. David School used this day of special activities to teach their students that during Lent, as Catholics, we try to give up some of our daily consumerist excesses. Instead, students were encouraged to make room for God during this special time of reflection.
St. David Students Learn About the Lenten Season
To mark the start of Lent, St. David Catholic Elementary School Grade 1 students, Zach Munoz and Isabelle Fraser, took part in an Ash Wednesday service by being marked with the symbolic sign of the cross. Teacher Jennifer Gran’s grade 4/5 class organized and helped prepare the celebration. According to Grade 6 student, Katie MacLean, “Today’s Ash Wednesday celebration helped me better understand how important it is remember the sacrifices Jesus made for us. I think it is important that we learn how to treat one another with kindness and respect and appreciate how much we have.”
During the Lenten season, students at St. David Catholic Elementary School will be participating in reflective activities and lessons about who they really are as growing Catholic citizens. The ashes serve as a reminder of actions they are sorry for and of the importance of making good choices. Father Brendan Doherty, from Christ the King Parish, conducted the celebration for the school and local community members. Father Brendan spoke about how Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Season of Lent and that it is a season of penance, reflection, and fasting which prepares us for Christ’s Resurrection on Easter Sunday.