Motivational speaker and author, Betty Boult was in the City of Greater Sudbury to speak to students, parents, families and members of the educational sector regarding her most recent book 176 Ways to Involve Parents. Dr. Boult’s presentation focussed on the practical, doable activities and ideas that enhance student learning by involving parents in a respectful, meaningful, and productive way.

“In schools where teachers reported high levels of outreach to parents, test scores grew at a rate 40 percent higher that in schools where teachers reported low levels of outreach,” Boult told her audience who had gathered in the Science North Inco Cavern to hear her speak. Dr. Boult went on to state that what we know for sure is that adolescents want and need more independence. In fact, it did not matter what the students’ background or prior school achievement was, if the parents became involved there was a positive impact on achievement, attendance, behaviour, and course credits completed.

Students whose parents remained involved through high school were much more likely to complete college. These students were three times more likely to complete a bachelor’s degree than children of parents who were not involved in high school. (Parent involvement was defined by Boult as frequency of talking to teachers, parent interest in planning for post-high school activities, and parent monitoring of school work).

Boult concluded her presentation by quoting from the report of The Parent Voice which re-affirmed that parents do not want to run schools, but they do want to have a voice that they can be assured will be taken into account at the school, board, and provincial levels. When schools, families, and community organizations work together to support learning, children not only achieve better academically but also stay in school longer.

The Sudbury Catholic District School Board celebrated Catholic Education Week 2008, from April 27 to May 2. During this week the Catholic Community celebrated the unique and distinctive contribution that Catholic Schools make to our students, our community and our Province. Catholic Education Week is a welcome opportunity to celebrate the Mission of our Catholic Schools as they strive to integrate the Gospel values of Jesus Christ in every aspect of the school’s curriculum.

This year’s theme, “We are Called” celebrated the fact that each of us has been called by God, and not just called as a collective, but called by name. “I have called you and you are mine.” (Isaiah 43:1) Amid life’s joy’s and sorrows, its challenges and doubts, these words can be a source of inspiration and a reaffirmation of faith.

Five sub-themes, (one for each of the five days of Catholic Education Week) help us to understand the rich meaning of this year’s theme.

Day one . . . to Act Justly
Day two . . . to Love Tenderly
Day three . . . to Walk Humbly
Day four . . . to Serve Generously
Day five . . . to Live Peacefully

Continuing with classroom celebrations and activities in the months preceding Catholic Education Week Sudbury Catholic Schools and Catholic School Councils prepared for this year’s theme. Prayer activities contained references to the counsel of the prophet Micah and that of Christ’s discipleship with each activity reflecting on one of the above five sub-themes of Catholic Education Week. In addition, schools celebrated Catholic Education Week by undertaking activities at all grade levels.

Sudbury Catholic Schools would like to thank all students, parents, teachers and staff for their excellent participation in the special activities and prayer celebrations that marked this year’s Catholic Education Week! Please enjoy the enclosed slide show!

View slide show.

Holocaust survivor and inspirational speaker, Eva Olsson will be in Sudbury on May 12 and 13, 2008 to speak to Sudbury Catholic District School Board’s secondary students and the general public re her experiences in the Holocaust-concentration camps during World War II.

The outbreak of World War II plunged Eva into the heart of the Holocaust-concentration camps, slave labour factories, disease, and the deaths of millions, including most of her family. Eva’s strong faith in God and in herself has enabled her to maintain a positive focus throughout the rest of her life. For fifty years she remained silent about her experiences during the Holocaust, partly out of denial and partly out of fear it might happen again.

Eva Olsson was ostracized because of her determination to live life on her own terms. She was born in Szatsmar, Hungary in October of 1924 into a poor family of Hasidic Jews. This was the beginning of her lifelong struggle againstt other people’s attempts to control her. Eva’s innate curiosity and need to develop along a different spiritual path would not be stifled and she struggled againstt this restrictive life.

Since 1996 Eva has been speaking about her life in hundreds of classrooms, churches, meeting halls, conference rooms, colleges and universities, in the hope that people who hear her story will know that it is possible to survive the worst life has to throw at them. The response has been overwhelming. Thousands of letters from students have confirmed her hope that telling her story could make a difference in their lives.

Dr. Olsson will be speaking on the following dates and times:

Monday, May 12, 2008, Marymount Academy, (9:30 a.m.), St. Benedict CSS (1:00 p.m.)

Monday, May 12, 2008, Marymount Academy, (Community presentation at 7:00 p.m.)

Tuesday, May 13, 2008, Bishop Alexander Carter CSS, (10:00 a.m.)

Tuesday, May 13, 2008, St. Charles College (12:30 p.m.)

Please RSVP Dan Bartolucci, Marymount Academy, Teacher/Program Leader, by phone or email at 674-4231, Ext. 202, bartold@scdsb.edu.on.ca.