Sudbury Catholic District School Board

Category: Staff

Board celebrates faith community on PA Day

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On Nov 7 2014, the Sudbury Catholic District School Board came together as a faith community. The PA Day began with a mass celebrated by His Excellency Bishop Jean-Louis Plouffe and many priests from the area. The day continued with the unveiling of the SudburyCatholicSchools mental health strategy – “Sudbury Catholic Schools… where your well-being matters”. The logo for the mental health strategy is a combination of the sun and a dandelion. The dandelion is regarded as a weed, despite it’s many beneficial health properties. A weed is to dandelion as words like crazy are to mental health. The warm colour and sun-like qualities promote positivity, brightness and growth. At the centre is a cross to symbolize how our faith is at the centre of all that we do.

The staff was also addressed by a current student who shared their own struggles. Student Rilie spoke from her heart and helped the staff understand what a caring adult can do to help students. The afternoon continued with Psychologist Adele Robinson whose topic was Emotional Coaching: Supporting the Emotional Health of Youth in Schools. SCDSB wants to thank each and every staff member who helps make a difference in the lives of our students everyday! Sudbury Catholic Schools… where your well-being matters

LDAS Teacher of the Year

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On Oct 21, an outstanding SCDSB teacher was recognized by the Learning Disabilities Association of Sudbury as the 2014 Teacher of the Year.

Jodi Cunningham, a teacher at St Charles College, has been with the board since 1995 and has taught in a variety of settings but it is the last nine years as the resource teacher at St Charles where she has made the biggest impact. Jodi continually puts students and families first and goes above and beyond to make sure each student has a place at St Charles College.

At St Charles you can ask any student with needs who one of their first contacts was at St Charles and they would tell you Mrs. Cunningham. Jodi helps every student find their appropriate path with the right supports for them. In her role, Jodi shares difficult conversations with students and families, in a caring way, and will go that extra mile to help each student reach their potential. It only takes five minutes with Jodi to know that each and every student is special to her and she will do everything in her power to help them be successful.

At SCDSB we are proud to be have such dedicated teachers as Jodi Cunningham helping each and every student.

Congratulations Jodi Cunningham!

Technology in the Classrooms at SCDSB

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On Friday, June 13, SCDSB secondary teacher and educational assistants were provided with an ipad for the day and given the option to sign it out for the summer. The teachers and EA’s had pre-registered for several of the 8 different workshops focusing on the integration of ipads. These are the workshops that were offered:

• Foundations of Using an iPad as a Tool for Innovation and Instruction
• Traversing the Digital Realm: Recreation of Content in the 21st Century Classroom- This workshop will focus on a new way to offer content to students through the use of the vLE (Virtual Learning Environment) and NearPod
• Conquering the iPad Frontier: PionEAring iPads for Educational Assistants- This workshop will focus on universal access to: document and support learners, explore social stories to support Kelso and apps for behaviour management.Conquering the iPad Frontier: PionEAring iPads for Educational Assistants- This workshop will focus on universal access to: document and support learners, explore social stories to support Kelso and apps for behaviour management.
• You Really Can “Explain Everything”- This workshop will introduce the multi-talented design, screencasting, interactive whiteboard app. “Animation can explain whatever the mind of man can conceive”- Walt Disney
• Don’t Flip Out Over Flipping Your Classroom! – This workshop will introduce the concept of a flipped classroom. Why, when and how.  Learn about Doceri and other apps that support this concept.  Be prepared for hands-on activities. 
• Let iPads lead the way for ALL – Let ALL students contribute and show their learning every day through the use of these tips, tools and tricks. (Special Education Focus)Let iPads Lead the Way for ALL – Let ALL students contribute and show their learning every day through the use of these tips, tools and tricks. (Special Education Focus)
• Go with the Flow!- Join this Apple Development Executive with hands-on navigation of the iOS App environment, focusing on multi-app use and tools that support collaboration, workflow, communication amongst and between teacher and student and student to student.
• Innovation in Instruction- The iPad is having a transformational impact on teaching and learning all over the planet. In this “Hands-on” session, come experience and learn about how the iPad, iTunes U and a few powerful apps can be used to differentiate, enhance and transform instruction and assessment practices in any classroom.  

This session was lead an Apple Development Executive.

New Director Hired for the Sudbury Catholic District School Board

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The Sudbury Catholic Trustees are pleased to announce that they have selected a new Director for their Board. Mrs. Joanne Bénard is the successful Directorial candidate, and joins the Board from her current position as Superintendent of Education with the Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic District School Board in North Bay, where she has held her position since 2001. Joanne graduated from the University of Ottawa and Nippissing University and holds a Masters of Education degree. Effective July 1, Joanne will be replacing Catherine McCullough who has served as Director for seven years.

“Throughout her career, Joanne has consistently demonstrated her very strong leadership skills, and the fact that she leads with integrity and compassion,” says Jody Cameron, Chair of the Board. “Joanne’s outstanding accomplishments, and connection to her board, community and province makes it quite evident that she will be a huge asset to our already strong senior administration team, as well as the entire Sudbury Catholic community.”

Under her direction as Superintendent, Joanne has led several programs including Kindergarten to Grade 12 supervision, French as a Second Language, Early Learning, Board Leadership and Development Strategies, Parent Engagement, and Equality and Inclusive Education.

In her community, Joanne has been involved with numerous organizations including serving on the Board of Directors for the North Bay and District Multicultural Centre, is Chair of the Nippssing, Parry Sound Student Support Leadership Committee and is Chair of the Crown Ward Championship Team of Parry Sound and Muskoka. Provincially, Joanne serves as the Chair of the Ontario Institute for Educational Leadership (her second term) and also is a part of both the Principal Workload Study Group as well as the French as a Second Language Provincial Working Group.

“I am truly honoured and privileged to have the opportunity of working with the Board of Trustees in serving the students, parents and staff of the Sudbury Catholic District School Board.” said Joanne Bénard. “I look forward to building upon the Board’s solid foundation in building schools focused on academic excellence and student success.”

Sandra Herbst ‘Sits Beside’ SCDSB Leaders in Their Learning

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On October 2, 3 and 4th 2013, the Sudbury Catholic District School Board hosted learning sessions with Sandra Herbst, co-author of several Assessment for Learning books, a noted system leader, speaker, coach, consultant, and educator with extensive experience in assessment, leadership, and adult learning.

With her warm demure and her real life anecdotes, Herbst shared practical strategies that can be used from the classroom to the boardroom that encourage self-assessment, self-regulation and improved achievement for ALL learners in the board. Over 75 members of the SCDSB community participated in the learning and had nothing but positive feedback to share.

Testimonials

“I really feel that this was one of the best presentations I have attended in my fourteen years with this board. I walked away energized, motivated and with many interesting ideas and strategies to ponder. Ms Herbst was a fantastic facilitator and her belief in educating the whole child connected so well with our catholic graduate expectations.”

“I have been reflecting more on my practice and the way in which I can influence and promote progress in my classroom and my school.”

“What I learned was I need to make myself more vulnerable… in the classroom… just like the teachers who opened their classrooms in the videos we watched.”

“It allowed me to clearly connect with concepts… such as… the difference between assessment and evaluation. It helped me spark new ideas for my teaching practice.”

The learning sessions supported our BIPSA priorities in Assessment for Learning and in technology. If you are interested in reading more on Sandra’s presentation, talk to your respective school leaders to obtain valuable handouts that were shared.

Students and Parents say Thank You to St. Bernadette Staff

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In appreciation of all the staff at St. Bernadette Catholic Elementary School, every single staff member was presented with a plaque of appreciation from the students and parents of the school community during Catholic Education week. Each teacher, the Principal and the school secretary, received their own personal plaque that described exactly why they were appreciated and cherished by the students of St. Bernadette and all of the comments and illustrations on the individual plaques were then collected and placed on a large plaque for the school to proudly display. The Catholic School Council members had secretly collected comments and artwork from the students describing why they loved their teachers.

“Bullying is not Cool – Keep it out of our School!”

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Three members of Canadian Half-Pints basketball team visited Immaculate Conception school recently. They spoke to the students and staff about how they were bullied in elementary and secondary schools. Farmer Pete shared with the students that he was teased and called names because of his size and appearance. He explained that he may look different, but he can still do everything any other person can do, including playing basketball. The Canadian Half Pint team spoke about the harmful effects of bullying to students and staff. After the presentation, the Canadian Half Pints played a half court basketball game againstt students and staff. Staff and students cheered on the Canadian Half Pints, and they couldn’t believe how many baskets they made. Principal Louisa Bianchin thanked the Canadian Half Pints for coming to the school and teaching them how “we all belong, we are all brothers and sisters, and together we are better.”

St. David School Successfully Collaborates as a Interdisciplinary Team

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St. David School staff collaboratively works as a team with support from school board personal, Jennifer Connelly, assistive technology teacher, on using assistive technology to support student achievement. The school teachers, principal, educational assistants, secretary and child and youth worker all attended an in-service on a new exciting computer program called Word Q. Word Q helps students develop confidence, improve productivity, increase self-esteem and foster a spirit of inclusion. The program assists by predicting words and providing speech feedback that allows students to hear their mistakes. “I appreciate its simplicity”, said Nancy Costanzi, resource teacher at St. David Catholic School and new WordQ expert.

Sudbury Catholic Partners with Laurentian University to “Dig Into the Arts”

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On Friday, November 25 both teachers, and Early Childhood Educators from the Sudbury Catholic District School Board’s Full Day Early Learning Kindergarten Program (ELKP) participated in a day of experiential learning at Laurentian University. Guided by professors Dave and Jan Buley, the educators discovered interesting ways to integrate the arts in everyday teaching and learning. With the help of Marc Poirier from Pearson Education, the educators experienced a digital learning classroom where they explored a variety of opportunities for embedding technology in their practice.

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