Sudbury Catholic District School Board

Category: Community

Sudbury Catholic Board Implements Full Day Junior Kindergarten Programs in All Schools

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It was a historic moment last evening as Trustees voted in favour of bringing full-day Kindergarten Programs to all of its elementary schools. The full day JK classes will begin next Fall. The Sudbury Catholic District School Board is the first English school system in Greater Sudbury to offer full-day junior kindergarten.

The decision comes less than a month after Dr. Charles Pascal released his report on early childhood learning commissioned by Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty. The report called on the government to introduce full-day JK for four and five-year-olds. The Provincial Government responded by agreeing to phase it in over the next five years.

“Dr. Pascal’s report talked about the economic and social benefits of spending public money on quality early childhood programs,” says Jody Cameron, Chair of the Sudbury Catholic District School Board, “We agree with those findings completely and following the lead of the province, thought it was best for our students and our parents to implement full day junior kindergarten right away. Why wait for something that so clearly will help our children succeed?”

The programming will cost the Board $950,000 from its reserve fund. That cost also includes implementing nineteen Early Learning Program (ELP) classes in seven designated schools beginning September 2010.

“At the Sudbury Catholic District School Board, we believe you can’t put a price on the education and futures of our young people,” adds Director Catherine McCullough, “As Dr. Pascal said in his report — this is about more than traditional education — this is about turning schools into places that provide families with opportunities for children’s learning, care, health, culture, arts, and recreation. We agree completely and look forward to welcoming our new students and families into our full-day junior kindergarten programs in September 2010.”

Parents who are interested in registering their children for full-day JK in the Fall can do it now by calling the Board offices at: 673-5620.

For more information on the Early Learning Program please visit http://www.ontario.ca/en/initiatives/early_learning/ONT06_018876.

St. James Catholic School Receives Dr. Bette M. Stephenson Award

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The Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) is pleased to announce that St. James Catholic School has been presented with the Dr. Bette M. Stephenson Award in recognition of the school community’s dedication to student achievement and use of provincial assessment results to improve student learning. EQAO would also like to acknowledge and congratulate St. James Catholic School’s principal, staff and parents for their leadership, positive attitude and sincere efforts in helping every child to succeed. The award was presented to a contingent of St. James parents and staff in Toronto in early November.

Chapters & Coles and the Greater Sudbury Police Service “ADOPT” St. David Catholic School

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Chapters, Coles and the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation along with the Greater Sudbury Police Service launched a two-week fundraising drive in October to help transform the library at St. David Catholic School.

The passionate commitment to learning through the love of reading a St. David Catholic School inspired the team at Chapters to select the local school as the recipient of the first Indigo Love of Reading Adopt-a-School Fundraising Drive in Sudbury. All funds raised at Chapters through in-store donations were directed to St. David Catholic School. The Indigo Love of Reading Foundation was established in 2004 to address Canada’s literacy crisis and help give Canadian Schools in severe need access to new books and education resources. Since its inception, the Foundation has made a total contribution of more than $7.5 million to more than 70 schools nationally.

Chapters and Cole’s staff raised $2,297 by asking the public to donate to the special campaign with the Greater Sudbury Police Services providing an additional $2,000 under the “Youth for Chiefs” program for a grand total of $4,297. “With these funds, we can purchase at least one book for every child at St. David Catholic School,” stated Kim Stephenson, ACEM, Chapters Book Store on the Kingsway. The JK to Grade 8 teachers at St. David Catholic School will visit Chapters Bookstore to purchase books for each of their grades. The books will be catalogued and housed in the St. David Catholic School Library.

Sudbury Catholic Board Proud Partner in Autism of Ontario

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Autism Ontario-Sudbury & District Chapter is thrilled to partner with the Sudbury Catholic District School Board. Autism Ontario looks forward to sharing office space within St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School to hold weekly office hours, during which time they will be available to meet with members of the community, school staff, individuals and families of individuals on the autism spectrum for support and resource sharing.

Adjacent photo: (L-R): Judi Way, Vice-Principal of St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School, Christina Raso, Special Education Consultant, Sudbury Catholic District School Board, Rick Grylls, Fundraising and Awareness Lead, Chanda Grylls-Mahaffy, Secretary, Dale Canapini, Treasurer, Heather McFarlane, President, Autism Ontario-Sudbury & District Chapter, (missing from photo, Kelly Joyce, Vice-President)

104,000 Cans of Food Collected by St. Charles College

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St. Charles College wrapped up its food drive by not only surpassing its previous year’s record of 60,000 Cans Plus 2 but by completely “blowing it out of the water” by collecting an unbelievable 104,012 cans.

Patty Mardero, Principal of St. Charles College acknowledged that the success of the food drive was made possible only through the hard work and support from the Sudbury Community. “I would like to take this opportunity to publicly acknowledge the efforts of many fine people who contributed to the amazing outcome of our school’s food drive,” stated Mardero

Mardero went on to thank the St. Charles College Canned Food Drive Committee, the School’s Student Council, the students and staff of St. Charles College, the St. Charles College Alumni, the Sudbury Business Community and Kelly Toppazzini from Topper’s Pizza who supported the food drive with donations through pizza sales.

Principal Mardero also emphasized the key role played by the Board’s elementary schools and the Board’s partners in education in attaining this goal. “To our feeder schools- St. Paul, St. David, Pius XII, St. Raphael’s and St. John, as well as St. Francis Catholic Schools- for coming on board with us with over 30 000 cans and to helping us surpass our goal, I salute you. Kudos To Bell Alliant and Harris Movers- our community partners and sponsors of this amazing event. To Mayor John Rodriguez-it is good to know that when we need support at St. Charles College we can always count on you! You once again, made it possible to have a transit bus for a week. To Mr. Jerry Portelance and the folks over at Sudbury Transit, for all your help in providing transportation. Thanks to Big Daddy, the morning team- Jim, Carrie-Anne, and Rick Tompkins- for partnering with us for such an important event.

Chief Elsner, on behalf of the students and staff of St. Charles College, it is with great pleasure that I present to you these non-perishable food items, along with a cheque for $10. 000 for the Sudbury Food Bank.

Marymount Academy Introduces New OSAID Mascot to Community

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Marymount Academy was the scene of a very special event on October 26, 2009 as “Barney” the Bear and new OSAID (Ontario Students Against Impaired Driving) Mascot was introduced to the Sudbury Community for the very first time.

Barney arrived by police escort accompanied by Ms. Nicole LaCroix, a member of the Provincial OSAID, Board of Directors.

Barney, an Issue Awareness Development Campaign Project, is starting his province-wide journey in Sudbury. Students at Marymount will be Barney’s first official ‘owners’-they will look after him, blog of his whereabouts on the OSAID website and post photos of Barney on his travels and pass him on the new ‘owners’ in other OSAID member schools.

Barney will travel from school to school, community to community and around the province. Where he goes is entirely for his ‘owners’ to decide.

Donation is music to our ears, says Sudbury Catholic Board

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The Sudbury Catholic District School Board enthusiastically welcomed a cheque presentation from Newcap Radio’s Director of Programming, Rick Tompkins, at its first regular board meeting of the 2009-2010 school year. The cheque in the amount of $4,665 was donated to the Board to purchase and/or repair musical equipment in the Board’s family of schools.

The presentation also honours Newcap’s part of the agreement wherein if the Sudbury Catholic District School Board wrote a letter to the CRTC supporting Newcap Radio’s application to launch a new FM Radio Station in Sudbury; if Newcap was successful in that bid it would in return donate monies to the Board’s music program. The CRTC did in fact sanction Newcap’s request for a new radio station which led to the subsequent launch of the company’s new “Top Forty” radio station “the new Hot 93.5” a couple of weeks ago.
Jody Cameron, Chair of the Sudbury Catholic District School Board is very pleased with the donation. “We truly appreciate Newcap Radio’s support for our music program,” stated Cameron. “This money will allow us to enhance the compliment of instruments and the music program in our schools. Newcap Radio has established itself as community-based radio station that will go to great lengths to support many of the City of Greater Sudbury’s and our Board’s local initiatives and charitable events, such as our annual Big Daddy Food Drive with St. Charles College.”

According to Rick Tompkins, Director of Programming for Newcap Radio, there is a definite need for a TOP FORTY format focusing on new music here in Sudbury. The new music will also attract many new radio listeners including students of the Sudbury Catholic District School Board in both the elementary and secondary schools. Tompkins believes, “Before the launch of the new Hot 93.5 there really was no radio station in the City of Greater Sudbury that played a format that catered to an audience that wants new music. Sudbury deserves a radio station like the new Hot 93.5, we welcome our listeners to reach out to us by inviting us into their homes, cars and events.”

“The Fonz” to visit Sudbury as guest of the Learning Disabilities Association of Sudbury

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The Special Education Advisory Committee of the Sudbury Catholic District School Board in conjunction with the Learning Disabilities Association of Sudbury (LDAS) is pleased to announce that Henry Winkler, none other than “The Fonz” himself will be “Celebrating Rising Stars” on Monday, October 19, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. at the Glad Tidings Tabernacle.

Don’t miss this opportunity to meet and hear from someone who struggled with a learning disability and managed to overcome this challenge to co-author a collection of children’s books and who is also the recipient of the United Nation’s Peace Prize.

Learn more in the Fall 2009 Learning Disabilities Association of Sudbury newsletter.

St. Francis to hold Open House, Spring Fair events

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St. Francis Catholic School will hold an Open House on Thursday May 14th from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. for those students and parents in grade 5/6 who might be interested in seeing the school and meeting the intermediate teachers.

This is an opportunity for the students and parents to visit St. Francis and meet the grade 7/8 teachers.

The school will also host a Spring Fair on Thursday May 7th from 4:30 to 7:00 pm. All welcome.

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