On November 26 2012, Dr. Karyn Gordon visited both St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School as well as Marymount Academy to speak to all grade 7 and 8 students. Dr. Gordon is a relationship expert for organizations and families and has over 14 years of professional national media experience in TV, print and radio including CityLine, Chatelaine Magazine and “The Mom Show”. Invited by the Catholic Regional Parent Involvement Committee (C.R.P.I.C.), Dr. Gordon spoke to the students about self-esteem and anxiety. Introduced by the student senate, Dr. Gordon helped the students to identify which self-esteem attitude they hold, to recognize the power their attitude has on motivation, dating, friendships, peer-pressure and their body, and how to empower themselves by learning practical steps to building a healthy self-image. The presentation was interactive as Dr. Gordon had students using improv and acting out different scenerios so that the group could see evidence of the power of healthy self-esteem. David DiBrina, Sudbury Catholic Student Trustee, as well as leader of the Student Senate felt it was a very impactful presentation and that the students were engaged and responsive to Dr. Gordon’s message. “This presentation wasn’t just the students sitting and listening to words, it was much more than that. Dr. Gordon really hit home with the audience about how important a healthy self-esteem is, and that we all need to work towards this positive self-confidence, as it will shape our future success. Many of the students in the audience were visibly moved by Dr. Gordon’s words and a large number of students stayed behind after the presentation to talk one on one with her about their personal situations. I congratulate C.R.P.I.C. and the Sudbury Catholic Board for being proactive in addressing the needs and well-being of the students.”
Dr. Gordon was also invited to speak to the community at a free event at the St. Benedict auditorium that same evening. Over 150 parents, teachers and other community members listened to Dr. Gordon’s message of understanding the faces of youth self-esteem and how it impacts their decision making, as well as learning about powerful communication strategies to “bridge the gap”. The audience learned different ways to encourage their child to open up, accept responsibility, build confidence and reduce anxiety.
Category: Community
When Life Throws You an Apple, Peel It!
During Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week students at St Bernadette school “got to know their apples” by touching them, throwing them and rolling them around. They were then asked to describe their apples. Students described their apples as bruised, dented, marked up, big and small. After a few minutes, the apples were collected, peeled and dropped into a basket. Children were then asked to find their apple within the pile. Remarkably, most children couldn’t find their apples. “They all looked the same!” students exclaimed. This activity allowed students to discover that, just like the apples, on the outside people, too, come in different sizes and shapes. But, underneath the outer layer, just like the apples, people are all the same. We have the same hopes and fears and dreams.
Students Remember War Veterans
Students from St. Francis Catholic Elementary School in grades 3 and 4 eagerly wrote postcards to war veterans for Remembrance Day. The postcards were provided by Veteran Affairs Canada. The class put their friendly letter writing skills to use in order to compose a thoughtful message. Students in teacher Graziella Visentin’s class annually write postcards to thank veterans for being brave and courageous in order to protect us. The grade 3 and 4 students acknowledged the veterans’ efforts and their gratitude for the freedom we so much enjoy today. This year the postcards were sent to war veterans residing in Ottawa, Ontario.
Christmas Food Drive at Marymount Academy
Every year Marymount Academy holds a Christmas food drive to help stock the shelves of the Sudbury Food Bank for the holiday season. Last year the school paired up with “kids helping kids” which was started by Edgar Burton and is the biggest food drive in the city. We raised and incredible amount of cans, over 13 thousand cans. They were told in September that they raised the most cans out of all the schools participating with “kids helping kids”. MMA was then rewarded with “the handing over of the official Vancouver Olympic torch” from last years winner, Lively District School. A group of students went to the mall on Nov 15th, and several tv and newspaper reporters were there including Mel from the radio who talked about how Edgar Burton ran with the torch in Sudbury during the Olympics. He then bought the torch for $500.00 and decided to donate it to the schools who raised the most cans. Marymount Academy now gets to keep the torch for one year
As well, on Monday Nov, 19th, our Marymount Catholic Charities council was asked to visit with the Mayor, her staff, Frank Elsner (the chair of the Sudbury Food Bank), several food bank volunteers, as well as Edgar Burton’s daughter and of course the media for the official signing of the Proclamation. Several MC3 members sat with the Mayor as she explained the process of the signing of an official Proclamation. The girls were thrilled to sit with the Mayor and to be congratulated for their efforts to help the less fortunate in our community. They told her how they just learned about the steps of a Proclamation in their Civics class at school. (they got to see it in action).
The girls were very impressed at being part of history, they were very proud of their efforts and vowed to continue helping our community.
St. Anne/Q92/TD Bank Toy Caravan a Huge Success!
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.
An Evening with Dr. Karyn Gordon – Free Event
Date: Monday, November 26, 2012
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: St. Benedict Auditorium
On November 26 2012, Sudbury Catholic Schools invites all parents to St Benedict’s Catholic Secondary School at 7pm to hear Dr Karyn’s message to:
• understand the faces of youth self-esteem and how it impacts their decision making.
• engage in powerful communication strategies to ‘bridge the gap’ and encourage your child to open up.
• inspire your child to accept responsibility, building their confidence and reducing your anxiety.
The event is free to the public and all are welcome!
Provincial Take a Kid to Work Day
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.
Elders in the Classroom at St. Paul Catholic Elementary School
First Nation Elder, Vince Pawis visited all grade 5 and 6 students at St. Paul Catholic Elementary School on October 30th. The “Elders in the School Project” promotes awareness, understanding and appreciation of the rich histories, cultures and perspectives of First Nation, Metis and Inuit people. The students experienced a smudge and learned about the Medicine Wheel and heard some of the Seven Grandfather Teachings.
S.C.D.S.B. Celebrates L.D.A.S. Teacher of the Year – Caroline Mansourian
On Tuesday, November 20, at the Sudbury Catholic District School Board monthly board meeting, St. David Catholic Elementary School teacher Caroline Mansourian was recognized by the Learning Disability Association of Sudbury as Educator of the Year. On hand to present the award was L.D.A.S. Chair Liz Brett-Dickie and Vice-Chair Giulia Langlois. According to Brett-Dickie, the L.D.A.S. selects outstanding educators who work day in and day out to release the power of students with learning disabilities. “This Teacher of the Year award recognizes an exceptional educator who consistently supports, encourages, and advocates for the success of students with learning disabilities.” She goes on to explain that the committee was very impressed with Caroline Mansourian’s nomination letter (of which she was not aware as it was submitted without her knowledge by the staff of St. David) but also the letters from four former students that accompanied the nomination letter.
“The committee was extremely impressed with Caroline’s accomplishments and her efforts to help students with learning disabilities achieve to their full potential by maximizing their strengths.” The school’s nomination letter was scripted by the whole staff and submitted by the principal Dawn Wemigwans. In it, the staff stated, “Caroline always works with her students’ strengths in mind, coaching them to become leaders and independent thinkers. She takes inventory of their interests, stages of readiness and overall social and academic needs…”
After the presentation of the award, Mansourian was visibly moved by the support of the L.D.A.S., the S.C.D.S.B. trustees and superintendents, as well as the full audience of St. David staff that were on hand to share in her celebration, and took a few minutes to share her feelings.
“What a great honour it is to work with a staff that is so understanding and intuitive of one another’s needs, that they don’t just step in with a kind thought or words, but carry out their kindness through compassionate and benevolent acts… One of the best descriptors about working at St. David Catholic School alongside a staff of devoted and tireless advocates, is that we not only provide our students with the knowledge and tools to enrich and build skills, but we also provide them with an overly generous dose of care, compassion, and charity, infused with our genuine concerns for their well-being. We not only teach with our minds, but with our hearts. When we take on this task, we do so wearing many hats… Human relationships are at the heart of all we do in our school. By establishing and building these trusting rapports with our students and their families, we seek to show that the close connectivity in human bonds is the crux of the dignity of the human being.”
The students and staff of St. David also celebrated Mansourian’s award on Wednesday, November 22 with a school presentation of gifts, as well as a short video montage honouring all of her contributions to the school. The event ended with a standing ovation from the entire audience, as they are very proud to call Caroline Mansourian one of their own.