Sudbury Catholic District School Board

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Accommodation Review: Director’s Recommendations

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The Accommodation Review Process for the Sudbury Catholic District School Board came one step closer to conclusion last night with Director of Education, Catherine McCullough’s recommendations to Trustees with respect to the North/West and South/Central Planning Areas.

Before making her recommendations to the Board, McCullough thanked the members of the Accommodation Review Committees for their commitment to a lengthy process that began in February 2008. McCullough also acknowledged the valuable input of Watson and Associates Economists Ltd., as an ARC Facilitator in providing counsel to the ARC Steering Committee within the framework of the Ministry of Education’s Pupil Accommodation Review Process.
With respect to the North/West Planning Area, the Director recommended the following elements may proceed, subject to Board funding:

(1) At this time, the value of the St. Mary Elementary School to the students, the Board, the economy and the community of Capreol, outweighs the financial benefit of closure.

(2) That the St. Mary Elementary School Grade 7 and 8 students and programming be consolidated into St. Anne Elementary School commencing September 2009.

(3) That a section of the current St. Mary Elementary School be demolished, using Facility Renewal Program (FRP) funding, to best serve the needs of JK to Grade 6 programming.

For future planning McCullough also proposed that the following recommendations be incorporated in the Board’s Long-Term Capital Plan subject to Board funding:

(1) That the Bishop Alexander Carter Catholic Secondary School facility be renovated to allow for the implementation of Grade 7 to 12 programming at a date to be determined.

(2) That the implementation of Grade 7 to 12 programming at Bishop Alexander Carter Catholic Secondary School include the construction of a Multi-Media Resource Centre.

(3) The St. Anne Elementary School Grade 7 and 8 students and programming would then be consolidated into Bishop Alexander Carter Catholic Secondary School.

With respect to the South/Central Planning Area, the Director recommended the following elements may proceed, subject to Ministry funding:

(1) That the current school communities are ‘grandfathered’, when implementing the new enrolment boundaries for this planning area.

(2) Construction of a new “Green” Dual-track JK to Grade 8 Elementary School and a Multi-Media Technology Plaza on the St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School site, to include all of Grade 7 and 8 students from St. Francis and St. David Elementary Schools, and all of the current JK to Grade 6 students from St. Theresa and St. Christopher Elementary Schools.

(3) Renovation of the existing St. Francis Elementary School with Dual-track JK to Grade 6 programming to include all of the current students from St. Francis, Corpus Christi and St. Michael Elementary Schools.

(4) Renovation of the existing St. David Elementary School with Regular JK to Grade 6 programming, to include further community partnerships aimed at the expansion of the current programming within a holistic service model. Contingent upon consultation with the school community, the participation in the Grade 7 to 12 programming at the St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School campus may be re-examined.

(5) That the revised boundaries apply to all new families within this planning area.

Director of Education, Catherine McCullough noted in her presentation that Sudbury Catholic District School Board staff will develop an implementation plan for the school consolidations in the South/Central Planning Area. “This implementation plan will include consultations with all stakeholders. The completed plan will then be communicated to all school communities prior to initial implementation. The recommendations herein are intended to provide the students under our care with a Catholic Education that is of the highest quality possible,” concluded McCullough.

Catholic Principals’ Council of Ontario hosts Symposium on Aboriginal Education

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The Catholic Principals’ Council of Ontario in partnership with the Ministry of Education presents “Honouring the Spirit: Equity in Education . . . A Symposium on Aboriginal Education for Catholic School and System Leaders.” This exciting event will take place on Tuesday, March 24, 2009 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Science North’s, Inco Cavern.

The symposium will feature special keynote speakers Susan Aglukark, (OC, Aboriginal Recording Artist), and Kathleen Wynne, (Minister of Education), along with George Couchie, (Community Outreach, OPP), and a Student Panel. The day’s events will conclude with an Aboriginal Liturgical Celebration.

For further information please contact, Patty Orecchio, Program Director at The Catholic Principals’ Council of Ontario 416-483-1556 Ext. 29 or 1-888-621-9190.

St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School to Hold Book Fair March 25

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St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School in conjunction with Chapters Book Store will holding a Book Fair-fundraiser to promote the “love of reading” on Wednesday, March 25, 2009 from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The event will take place in the St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School Library.

St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School students, parents and staff encourage you and your child to visit the Book Fair as it will connect students to the newest and best books that they are interested in reading.

Chapters will be bringing a wide selection of books, but suggestions and individual orders may be placed at stben_fundraiser@yahoo.ca

For more information, please contact Libby Marinili, Teacher-Librarian at St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School, ph. 523-9235.

Safety Alert

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The Sudbury Catholic District School Board has been informed by the Greater Sudbury Police Service that there have been a number of complaints issued by parents and students regarding suspicious vehicles and persons approaching children in the Greater Sudbury Community.

The Greater Sudbury Police Force is taking these complaints very seriously and is investigating the incidents. The Sudbury Catholic District School Board would like to remind all parents, students and staff to report all suspicious activities to school administration who in turn will inform the police.

Please see the Greater Sudbury Police Service press release for more information.

School Bus Transportation, Games Cancelled

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Please note that due to weather conditions and in the interest of safety, all school related transportation services for English catholic and English public schools as well as the French catholic and French public schools, operating in the Manitoulin, Espanola, Massey and Sudbury District are cancelled today. All schools will remain open, however, NO transportation will be provided. Parents who transport their children to school are reminded that they must pick them up at the end of the day.

In addition, game two of the senior boys hockey semi final between St Charles and Notre-Dame that was scheduled for 7pm at Carmichael tonight will be postponed and played Saturday, 6:30pm @ Carmichael. Game three in this series, if necessary, will take place Monday, March 9th, 3pm @ Carmichael. NOSSA events scheduled for today may proceed, although some schedule adjustments may be required to accommodate late arrivals. Contact the appropriate NOSSA convener for details.

Sudbury Catholic Board Places Schools in East Planning Area Under Review

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In accordance with its Pupil/School Accommodation Review Regulation BR 10, the Sudbury Catholic District School Board is in the process of conducting an Accommodation Review for its family of schools situated in the East Planning Area. Sudbury Catholic Schools Director of Education, Catherine McCullough will recommend an action plan to Trustees at a special Board Meeting in May 2010.

The Sudbury Catholic District School Board is committed to providing a full range of educational opportunities equitably distributed across a broad and diverse geographical area. Due to ever-changing factors such as mobile population, changes in funding, new legislation, changing in educational objectives, community aspirations and physical limitations of buildings, the Board is obligated to monitoring and evaluating all schools on a regular basis.

Given the present state of its priorities, the Board will be focussing its attention on the East Planning Area for the purpose of this Accommodation Review which will include the following schools;

Elementary:
Pius XII Catholic School
St. Andrew Catholic School
St. Bernadette Catholic School
St. John Catholic School
St. Mark Catholic School
St. Paul the Apostle Catholic School
St. Raphael Catholic School

Secondary:
St. Charles College
St. Albert Adult Learning Centre

The School Accommodation Review may result in such changes as boundary adjustments, major additions, renovations and alterations to school buildings, blending or twinning arrangements for school organization and/or programs or school consolidations

The Board is in the process of informing parents, staff, school councils, and school communities of the logistics and time lines regarding its Accommodation Review. The Sudbury Catholic District School Board has hired the firm of Waston and Associates Economists Ltd. (one of Canada’s leading economic firms) to prepare population, household, employment and student enrolment forecasts in the City of Greater Sudbury and more specifically in the planning area of the schools under review. This information will greatly assist the Sudbury Catholic District School Board in assessing opportunities for long term growth and development and help guide the Board in the implementation of accommodation strategies that will serve to enhance student learning.

Accommodation Review Committees (ARC’s) will be created to provide the Sudbury Catholic District School Board with information re School Valuation Framework and applying this framework to the schools under review, giving consideration to the value of the students, community, school board and the local economy.

Xstrata Nickel makes a difference at two Sudbury Catholic Schools

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On behalf of the Sudbury Catholic District School Board and St. Anne and St. James Catholic Schools, we would like to thank Xstrata Nickel Company for their generous gift of $881.00 for the purchase of two full goalball kits. Their commitment to helping develop the sport of goalball in our schools is sincerely appreciated.

Goalball is a team sport designed for blind athletes but can be played by sighted athletes as well. It is an established Paralympic sport.

Participants compete in teams of three, and try to throw a ball that has bells embedded in it, into the opponents’ goal. They must use the sound of the bell to judge the position and movement of the ball. Blindfolds allow partially sighted and sighted players to compete on an equal footing with blind players.

Thanks again to Xstrata Nickel Company for their generous support of our efforts to establish the sport of goalball in our schools.

Best Wishes,

Adriano Simonato
Teacher of the blind and low vision
Sudbury Catholic District School Board

SWAT Teams Descend on Sudbury Catholic Schools

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SWAT Teams are alive and well at Sudbury Catholic Schools…SWAT (Students Who Assist Technology) launched this new and exciting initiative at the Board’s Catholic Education Centre.
Forty students from eleven of the Board’s schools participated in a one-day session with the TIM Teachers (Technology Integration Mentors) and Tech Coordinators.

The SWAT teams have a very important mission: Helping to bring technology into their 21st. century classrooms.

One student from each of the Grade 7 and 8 classes was nominated by their teacher to join the inaugural team of Students Who Assist Technology. Grade 7 and 8 students at SCDSB are part of the “One to One Laptop Program” in which each student has a Macbook laptop to use for the school year.

As any classroom teacher will tell you, it is not only difficult to keep up with the ever changing world of technology, but it is especially difficult to keep up with the technological aptitudes of the students – or said simply “the kids know more than the adults.” That is why the SWAT team was formed.

These students will be recognized as the experts they are. The goal is to have them help with the little problems that arise when using technology in the classroom. The students will also be asked for feedback on various aspects of the laptop program and are asked to share their knowledge with others. From time to time, the group will gather in person but for the most part it will be done through the use of technology. In fact, they had the opportunity to reflect on their day and give feedback through a wiki. A wiki is an interactive webspace where students are able to post their comments and respond to the comments of others.

This group is not expected to tackle this mission alone. Along with Lisa Samuels, Technology Coordinator, three teachers have been assigned the task of helping teachers to integrate technology into the 7 and 8 classrooms this year. These teachers are called Technology Integration Mentors (TIM teachers). Each TIM teacher supports fifteen different classrooms and has taken on the role of organizing and guiding the SWAT team.

The first day with the SWAT team included team building games and exercises, a video chat with the Superintendent of Education Jean McHarg, an overview of their roles, a tour of the Information Management Services Department, an interactive whiteboard activity, words of encouragement and thanks from the Director of Education Catherine McCullough, followed by a pizza lunch. After lunch students had the choice of creating podcasts, promotional videos, logos, instructional videos, posters, brochures or songs, all within the overall theme of the Laptop Program. SWAT Team students used the Macbooks to produce projects of considerable quality in a short period of time.

These new ambassadors for the laptop program have returned to their schools where they will take on a leadership role in their classrooms and will be called upon to assist students and staff with basic troubleshooting, software questions, setting up and using projectors, interactive whiteboards and many other technologies.

The Sudbury Catholic Board Brings the World of the Classroom to the Vistas of Killarney

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The Sudbury Catholic District School Board is embarking upon a new initiative that will seek to support and expand the educational, cultural, and historical aspects of Killarney Village and St. Joseph Catholic School by establishing an outdoor education centre in the heart of the small community. The school board owns 7.24 acres of property associated with St. Joseph Catholic School and would serve as the host site for the centre.

The Sudbury Catholic District School Board will be partnering with Killarney Provincial Park to offer programming that will be based on the Ontario Ministry of Education school curriculum and will add the bonus component of a unique Killarney experience. The centre will focus on outdoor education but will also offer students the opportunity to learn about healthy living, child and youth stewardship, values of faith, community studies, aboriginal teachings, ecological and environmental studies (focussing on how current practices influence the world around us and the sustain ability of resources in an ever resource hungry world). The ecology focus will extend across elementary through to secondary and even post-secondary opportunities.

The secondary opportunities would permit biology and geology students the opportunity to undertake actual field course experience that would better prepare them for making career and post-secondary choices. From the post-secondary perspective, courses could be developed that would support university courses (or be a direct part of these courses) in a broad range of disciplines, most notably ecology and geology.

Groups that have been consulted include Science North, the City of Greater Sudbury, FedNor, the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund, Ministry of Northern Development and Mines, Laurentian University, Cambrian College, College Boreal, the Municipality of Killarney, several community businesses in Killarney, and many, many more. Some funding has already been committed to this project from outside sources.

The Sudbury Catholic Board has passed a motion at the January 20, 2009 board meeting supporting the position of Start Up Coordinator for the project and who will be starting this week. The start up coordinator will develop and implement a project plan which will allow schools to begin booking trips for this spring. Initially, the programming will involve Grade 6 Science, Grade 10 Science – (Grade 9 next year) and the development of an orienteering course that would be accessible for all grades.

The Sudbury Catholic District School Board is fully committed to the successful launch of the Outdoor Centre in May 2009. More information will be provided in the upcoming weeks.

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