Sudbury Catholic District School Board

Category: Character Development

St. Anne/Q92/TD Bank Toy Caravan a Huge Success!

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On November 23, 2012, members of the St. Anne Catholic Elementary School community in Hanmer demonstrated their generosity when Terri and Mel broadcast their morning show live on location for the Q92/TD Toy Caravan. The school was bustling with Christmas spirit as students, staff, and parents brought in numerous toys and monetary donations.

This is the second year that St. Anne Catholic School brings the Q92/TD Toy Caravan to the folks in the Valley and Capreol. “It is fun! We are not only helping ourselves become better people, but we are also helping others who are less fortunate have a merry Christmas,” said Brayden Kraemer, a student at the school. Student also enjoyed listening to their very own teachers, Jen Bruneau and Dante Merigioli, participate in “Battle of the Sexes.” Mr. Merigioli secured the win for the boys. Students were excited about this victory, which meant no homework for two days.

Everyone gathered in the library to enjoy baked goods and orange juice generously donated by Perkins Restaurant and Bakery, as well as coffee and treats from Tim Hortons.

“This month, we are celebrating the Catholic virtue of Justice, and when we look at this through the lens of social justice, this Toy Drive is a prime example of what our students are able to do to help others in need,” said Guy Mathieu, principal.

“Bucket Filling” at Pius XII

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Grade 6 student, Grace Tilbury reads the book “Have You Filled a Bucket Today?” to Kindergarten students Gabriel Broughton and Ramsey Tolkacz. The message of the book is to be kind to people. In the story, you fill a bucket when you show love to someone, when you say or do somethink kind, or even when you give someone a smile. Every student at Pius XII had the story read to them. Pius is striving to become a school of ‘bucket fillers’ – loving and caring students who say or do nice things that make others feel special.

Provincial Take a Kid to Work Day

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Grade nine students in the province of Ontario participated in Take a Kid to Work day on November 7, 2012.  At St. Charles College, over one hundred students were on site at job locations around the city.  A number of students took on positions in healthcare, education as well as the retail and industrial sectors.
 
It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity for grade nine students to learn about a career opportunity that interests them and  illustrates the importance of education, skills development and training. 
 
The day is organized by “The Learning Partnership”, a non-for-profit organization.
 

“Operation Christmas Child” in Full Swing at St. Andrew

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Staff and students from St. Andrew Catholic Elementary School have taken on the Operation Christmas Child Project as a Social Justice project during the month of November. On the website of Operation Christmas Child it says:”Operation Christmas Child brings joy and hope to children in desparate situations around the world through gift-filled shoe boxes and the message of God’s unconditional love. Every gift-filled shoe box is given unconditionally regardless of religion, gender or race.” We are very proud of the generosity of the staff, the students and many of their families for all of their support for this project.

“If I can do it, why can’t you?”

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Close to one thousand students were touched by the life story of Shayne Smith at St. Charles College this week. 
 
Smith is a member of the Canadian National Wheelchair Basketball team.  He competes with only half a hand for dribbling and passing the ball.
 
Shayne contracted a dangerous and deadly form of meningitis at four months of age.  The blood poisoning forced doctors to amputate both his legs and a hand.
 
To make matters worse, Shayne also had to deal with a rough relationship with his father that led him down a path of drugs, and school suspensions. 
 
His determination has allowed him to triumph and he brought his inspiring message to the students. The story tied in nicely with the school’s anti-bullying message. This month, St. Charles students are active in presentations and activities centred around Bullying Awareness and Prevention month.
 
Students were very receptive of the presentation and many wanted to take pictures or to exchange words personally with Shayne afterwards. 
 
Students continued the conversation by tweeting and sending Facebook messages to Shayne.
 
Shayne lives in Toronto but his presentation was provided by an organization called the Tutor Doctor.

Shoes, Shoes and more Shoes!

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Box after box, bag after bag, over 1500 pairs of shoes lined the hallway ready to be sorted. As part of a social justice initiative last year, the students and staff at the Sudbury Catholic District School Board collected a multitude of shoes to donate to other students and people in need in the community. The “Sudbury Catholic Shoe-Drop” was an initiative that was launched in May of 2012 as part of Catholic Education Week and continued until the end of June. To connect with this initiative, the SCDSB also asked Catholic trustees from across the nation visiting Sudbury for the Canadian Catholic Schools’ Trustee Association A.G.M. in June to support this cause. Many came with bags full of brand new shoes that were donated from their local community shoes stores. As well, students and staff from the Conseil scolaire de district catholique du Nouvel-Ontario also stepped up to the plate and sent over numerous boxes from their own shoe drives. It has taken a few months to get the shoes all to one location and preliminarily sorted, and now the task at hand is a doing a more comprehensive inventory of the shoes. Christina Kilby, the grade 8 teacher at St. David Catholic Elementary School volunteered her class to be in charge of sorting all of the shoes by size to make it easier for donation. “I knew that this activity would be a great opportunity to connect to this month’s virtue of justice,” Kilby stated. “Working with my students to service the needs of others definitely speaks to this virtue, and allows my class to be able to connect to their faith through empathy and compassion.” Once organized, the shoes will be sent to those who might need some warm and dry footwear in the Greater City of Sudbury through various charities and outlets. Barry MacDonald, Chair of the Board for the Sudbury Catholic District School Board was thrilled with the response to the call for new and gently used shoes. “What an outstanding success this has been to support those in need in our community,” MacDonald stated. “Especially as we are gearing up for the Christmas season, as well as cold and wet winter weather, this considerable donation is a true reflection of the generous and compassionate spirit of the Sudbury Catholic DSB family, as well as its partners both in the community and across the nation!”

NET Some Faith for St. Anne Angels

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On November 5, 2012, Grade 8 students at St. Anne Catholic Elementary School in Hanmer participated in a NET retreat (National Evangelization Team). NET members, comprised of a group of young people who challenge young Catholics to embrace Christ, shared Jesus’ gospel message in a dynamic format. They brought their message to life through songs, skits, small group discussions, and prayer. “It was a lot of fun. I liked talking in groups and getting to know my classmates on a deeper level,” said Crystal Therrien, a student who attended the retreat.

Students embraced the day by taking part in all activities. Some were compelled to read the Bible while others opted to pray the rosary. This quiet time allowed students to reflect in prayer and even brought some to tears. “It gave me time to speak to God about some of the choices I have made. I also prayed for world peace,” said Jacob Lesenke, a student at the school. To end the day, students quietly entered the church and prayed silently with their team leader. Lunch was provided courtesy of The Caruso Club.

Water Walk at Holy Cross

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On Friday, November 2, Holy Cross teacher Shanna Whalen’s Grade 3/4 class and teacher Eva Scola’s Grade 3 class, set off to obtain some understanding of how difficult it is for those living in Africa. They took with them their water bottles, one huge jug, and a jerry can, to collect water from the water filling station on Countryside. Both classes have been learning about the poor water conditions in Africa, and how children there need to walk for 2 hours and 10 000 steps to get water- dirty water. Upon arriving at our destination, Ms. Scola lead the students in a water prayer, a prayer for those who do not have the wonderful, clean water that we do, and usually take for granted. On the way back to the school, the students took turns carrying the heavy containers of water. The two classes have been introduced to Ryan’s Well, and have been given the task of educating the whole school about the water conditions in Africa and how we can make a difference. They want to make others realize that they can be kids and think about Africa too.

Giving Comes Naturally to St. Anne Angels

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Students in grade 6, 7, and 8, celebrating the virtue of Justice, had the opportunity to give to students in under-developed countries. St. Anne Catholic School in Hanmer worked with Our Lady of Peace Parish in Capreol to fill numerous shoeboxes that will be sent away through Operation Christmas Child.

Students watched videos to understand how Operation Christmas Child works and to see young children who received these gifts in previous years. The students were excited to fill their boxes and ultimately make a difference in the life of a child they do not know. “It was an honour to help out children who are not as fortunate as we are. Our small donations can brighten a child’s Christmas,” said Jamie Poulin-Fortier.

“Our students were so excited to fill these shoeboxes. They were happy to know that they were able to give to others across the globe,” said Jody O’Daiskey, a teacher at the school.

St. Anne Catholic School participates in a number of different charity events throughout the year. At the end of November, the school will host the Q92/TD Bank Toy Drive. Students will also take part in the “Socks, Mitts, and Hats for the Homeless” campaign in conjunction with St. Kevin’s Parish in Val Therese and the annual St. Anne Christmas Food Drive with St. Jacques Parish in Hanmer.

It is clear that St. Anne Angels have a huge heart for others in need. Every year, charity fundraisers are more successful than the last. Students have every reason to be proud of their accomplishments!

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