Last month 15 students from St. Charles College went on the vacation of a lifetime. From April 12 – 20, 2013, as part of the school’s Specialist High Skills Major (S.H.S.M.) in Health and Wellness, these students, accompanied by two teachers, had the opportunity to visit the country of Guatemala to work with a restoration group in local communities. Based on the belief that “if you can keep a community environmentally healthy, you can keep the community physically healthy” teacher Tim Kingshott led the students to support the Chico Mendez Project which is a non-profit organization based out of Guatemala which works towards reforestation of the forests, the provision of environmental education, and the generation of oxygen for the world. The students helped collect soil and loam to mix and prep for the next round of trees that were scheduled to be planted in the areas they visited.
As well as the community service, another aspect of their trip was a homestay with a family from Guatemala. Each student had the opportunity to live with a Guatemalan family and experience their traditional culture.
In order to prepare for this trip, the students were required to learn the basics of First Aid, as well as travel and health/safety. The group even learned a little Spanish in order to support their communication skills during their adventure.
Kingshott, who is also an outdoor education teacher, organized many hikes, and other outdoor activities including ziplining. “This is the fourth year I have brought St. Charles College students to another country for the S.H.S.M. in Health and Wellness,” Kingshott stated. “Four years ago I took students to Ecuador, then Costa Rica, then Belize and this year Guatemala. It is such a life changing opportunity for these grade 11 and 12 students as they take part in real hands on learning. At the end of these trips, they take away skills that they will use for the rest of their lives. These experiences are history and learning based, curriculum based, and most importantly adventure based – all the while pushing the students beyond their comfort zone – there is no better way to learn!”
Category: Student Achievement
St. Charles College Student Takes Top Writing Prize and Becomes a Published Author
Emily McCarthy has worked tirelessly to take the top prize in The Learning Partnership’s Turning Points Essay Contest this year.
Each year, the essay contest forces students to explore their character development through the use of literacy.
McCarthy’s personal essay of 500-700 words reflects on how individuals deal with conflict in their lives and how that changes them to become different people.
She shared the story of her cousin who died in 2009 and how she went through a dark stage in her life. To overcome the darkness, she turned to her family and found a better relationship with God.
This is a first-time win for Emily and for her school, St. Charles College.
Ms. Lindsay Morris, her English teacher from first semester says “Emily deserves this honour. As a class, we did a lot of legwork to make the students really think about who they are inside. Emily did many drafts, and worked so hard to take each revision of her work seriously. I would give her tips and the next day she would come back with an entire re-write.”
Emily will receive a cheque and a plaque for all her hard work. She will also have her work formally published.
“Tanning is Out” at MMA
Sophia Baldan, a grade 9 student at Marymount Academy has learned a lot about tanning beds over the last few months. The one main thing she has learned – is just how bad they are for you. Compelled to spread the word, Baldan decided to apply for a grant for her school to start a “Tan-Free” Grad initiative and help inform her peers about the dangers of tanning beds and sun-exposure. On April 16, Baldan was presented a cheque by C.E.O. of the Canadian Cancer Society – Ontario Division, Martin Kabat to kick off her initiative within the school. Baldan took the opportunity to speak to the other students about several of the alarming facts associated with tanning bed usage – including the fact that the use of tanning beds before the age of 35 can increase one’s chances of getting melanoma by 75%, as well as the fact that it is just as dangerous to one’s health as smoking. Kabat spoke to the students about being the change, and that the young people of Ontario have a lot of power to help make this important shift in the culture. “Young people don’t realize how much power you have,” Kabat explained. “The Canadian Cancer Society has been after the government for years to ban tanning beds and couldn’t get them to do it. It is because of a young person like you that they are finally recognizing the dangers. The voice of one can make a difference, and young people can be the voice.” Kabat went on to congratulate the school for taking up this initiative as they are a wonderful example of what young people can do to inspire change.
M.P.P. of Nickel Belt, Frances Gelinas was also scheduled to speak to the students as she has been instrumental in bringing forward the bill and is very passionate about this initiative. Unfortunately she was unable to leave Toronto to attend the assembly at the school, but sent a message to be shared with the students. Gelinas congratulated Baldan for her efforts and thanked the students “for their positive actions – resulting in more Sudburians having a better and healtheir place to live.”
Baldan will use the grant money to provide information and resources with the other students, as well as purchase different make-up alternatives to tanning for the students to use for their graduations. Baldan appealed to the students to join in the campaign and “be smart about the sun and tanning because this is what making a difference is all about – are you with me?” She then urged them to get involved by writing their members of provincial parliament to support banning tanning bed usage as well as share information they learned with their family and friends.
Second Annual “Dragon’s Den” a Hit at St. Anne Catholic Elementary School
Recently, students in grade 8 at St. Anne Catholic Elementary School in Hanmer participated in their annual “Dragon’s Den” science fair and became inventors for the day. Grade 8 students displayed their inventions for the entire school community to view and ten groups were selected to present their inventions to the panel of Dragons in the afternoon. The dragons consisted of Mr. Mathieu, Principal of St. Anne Catholic School, Mrs. Connelly, Curriculum Coordinator at Sudbury Catholic Schools, Mr. McKee, teacher at Bishop Alexander Carter Catholic Secondary School, and Ms. McNicoll, registered nurse and community member.
Students worked extremely hard over the past 3 weeks planning, constructing, interviewing, testing, and marketing their new inventions. Their final products demonstrated the development and evaluation of innovative devices, models, techniques and approaches in technology and engineering. With the help of their teachers Julie Caissie, Jody O’Daiskey, and Jules Guenette, students integrated several technologies, inventions, or designs and constructed technological systems that could have human and commercial benefits.
St. Anne Angels created highly original products that demonstrated resourcefulness and creativity in design. Some of the top products were the “Purf”, created by Robyn Gagne and Coral Brabant, which transforms a scarf to a purse, as well as the “Kibble Katcher”, created by Alexander Gardner, which helps keep pet food from being scattered across the floor. The Sudbury Catholic District School Board held a board wide science fair on March 6th, and seven projects from St. Anne Catholic School in Hanmer were among those featured.
Cardinals Take Home Both Junior and Senior Volleyball Titles at NOSSA
It was a celebratory Monday at St. Charles College recently. The girls’ junior and senior volleyball teams competed at NOSSA and brought home not one BUT TWO championship banners.
The junior team beat the Sault’s Superior Heights Steelhawks to take the Northern Ontario Secondary Schools Association AAA junior girls title.
Head coach Julie Dion told her team to remain positive as they are always a team that works well at coming from behind and they did.
The senior team also took the AAA senior girls volleyball title after beating out the Korah Colts with their strong offense and defence.
Both teams advanced to the Ontario Federation of School Athletics Associations (OFSAA) AAA championships held in Windsor March 3rd to the 6th.
On Your Mark, Get Set… Let the Winter Outdoor Adventure Race Begin!
The scene was set for a perfect Winter Outdoor Adventure Race on Tuesday, February 26, 2013. The sky was clear, the temperature was above zero – and most importantly, there was a lot of snow in Killarney. Compared to past years, this year’s event had more than enough snow for organizer and outdoor education teacher for the Sudbury Catholic District School Board, Brad Blackwell, to really focus the adventure race activities on true Northern Ontario winter activities.
“This was our third year running the Winter Outdoor adventure race – and, as compared to year’s past, the abundance of snow allowed us to set up some true northern outdoor programming as part of the race,” Blackwell said. “We wanted to ensure that all of the students taking part got a real feel for adventures in the snow, and how to not only survive it, but excel and have fun in it!”
This year’s race participants included secondary students from St. Charles College, St. Benedict and Marymount Academy. There were fifteen teams of three and each team had to take part in every leg of the race. Upon arrival in Killarney, the students were given race packets and instructions, and were quickly directed to the outdoor start location. Once the rules were established and all safety aspects reviewed, the students lined up to begin the first part of a seven-part challenge. The entire race included a strategic stick toss, a snow-pile build (a scaled-down version of a quinzee), a 1.13 km sprint, a 750 run in snowshoes, a Frisbee target toss, a strategic orienteering challenge and a fire-lighting trial.
The snowshoe run, the orienteering challenge and the fire-lighting components proved to be the most difficult part of the race for the participants. The orienteering section was tricky as any wrong answers on their check sheet resulted in penalties of an additional five minutes added on to their final time at the finish line. Once the snowshoes were on, they had to stay on throughout the orienteering section of the race and the students were only able to remove them once they began their fire challenge. With the fire challenge, the students were given minimal materials to start their fire, and the ultimate goal was to get a metal can of water to come to a complete boil before sprinting to the finish line. In order to get additional materials for the fire, the students had to do a different number of laps around a section of the forest depending on what materials were needed – whether it be more kindling, extra matches, etc.
In the end, one of the teams from St. Benedict was the first to cross the finish line and, despite some errors during the orienteering challenge, they beat the next team by a mere 25 seconds. This team consisted of Kyle Herbert (grade 10), Doug Pitfield (grade 12) and Kayla Huchenski (grade 12). Not only did the first place team take home the banner for their school, but were also each awarded a brand new set of Tubbs snowshoes that were generously donated to the race by the Tubbs Snowshoe Company. What happened after the team was presented with their prize, speaks volumes about the outstanding character of the Sudbury Catholic students. Both Kyle Herbert and Doug Pitfield thanked the organizers for their prize, but as their families are fortunate to already own several pairs, decided to donate the snowshoes back to their school to support the outdoor education program at St. Benedict. “This most generous gesture by these two students really capped off what was already a truly exceptional day,” Blackwell stated. “These students poured their heart and soul into this competition, and in the end they proudly represented their school both during and after the race! All of the students that competed today truly represent the positive Sudbury Catholic spirit and I congratulate each and every one of them for an outstanding job! As well, I thank all of the teachers and volunteers who helped made today such a success!”
After a hearty lunch provided by the organizers, students began to get ready for departure, but were overheard by the teachers and volunteers already strategizing for the next outdoor adventure race in the spring.
Robenedicts are Taking Over…
What does the St. Benedicts Robotics team know about robots and motors? Since October – a whole lot!
FIRST Robotics Canada have granted St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School with money and a starter kit to begin the first ever robotics team at the school. The team, keenly named Robenedicts by Grade 12 Benjamin Nolan, was formed in October 2012 by teachers Julianne Falconi and John Doyon. There are 30 students that make up Robenedicts, including two sections consisting of engineering and business that the students can choose to focus on. “When we first did a call out to those interested – the number of students interested was overwhelming. The club consists of secondary students, with several Grade 7 and 8’s interested in being part of the team as well,” Falconi said.
“This was something new for us to try as a school,” says Grade 12 team member Christian Bastistelli, “the team has really evolved since we first began.” The group’s first competition is the FIRST Robotics Canada Greater Toronto West Regional competition at the end of March that includes competitors from Singapore and the United States. If Robenedicts move on in the competition, they will advance to nationals where they will encounter oppositions from several countries throughout the world.
Grade 12 teammate Benjamin Nolan affirms that “the team has given us all a head start for university. It has been a great learning experience and even though it has been a lot of work, it also has been a lot of fun.” The competition could also help give the students an advantage going into post secondary school, as according to the Union Gas Press Release, the robotics teams from Ontario can qualify for over $16 million in university scholarships. “You are our future leaders, future innovators, and we are very proud to be a part of this process,” says Tom O’Malley, Utilities Manager of Union Gas who was part of the mentoring team supporting the robotics team. O’Malley concluded his presentation with a cheque for $2500 to the team by encouraging the students, “hopefully you’ll kick some robot butt.”
Story by Mackenzie Connelly
St. Benedict Communications Co-op student
St. Charles Cardinal Receives Prestigious Young Leaders Award
Students and staff at St. Charles College are confident that when David DiBrina leaves the school doors, it won’t be the last they hear of him.
Grade 12 Cardinal David DiBrina is the recipient of the 2013 Sudbury Community Builders Young Leader Award.
David, who is serving his second term as the Student President graciously accepted his award at the Community Builders Awards Gala February 21st.
David headed up the school’s annual food drive this school year which raised 125, 000 cans to combat hunger in the city. It was the largest single contribution in history of the Sudbury Food Bank.
David also serves as the student trustee for the Sudbury Catholic District School Board. He is involved in theatre, as well as community projects like the Gift of Life organ donation campaign while maintaining an average of 95 percent at school.
David graduates from St. Charles College this year and hopes to attend Western University in the fall and get accepted to its prestigious Richard Ivey School of Business.
Jeans for Teens at MMA
Through the organization dosomething.org, the Aeropostale clothing company has initiated a competition for Canadian secondary schools. Trying to make a difference for homeless teens, Aeropostale is challenging schools to collect the most number of jeans to support the teen clientele at homeless shelters across the nation. According to the website dosomething.org, the number one requested item at homeless shelters by teens is jeans. Marymount student Brooke Debassige who works at the Sudbury Aeropostale store was inspired by this contest and knew that her school would step up and take part in this initiative. After talking to both her principal Lucie Cullen and vice principal Lori Holden, the school launched its own Jeans for Teens collection. “It is the least we can do for others who are less fortunate in our local and surrounding communities,” Debassige stated. “At Marymount we are always encouraged to support each other and give back to the community, and I knew this was something that we should definitely be a part of – plus, it just feels good to do something good for others.”
Principal Lucie Cullen was inspired by Debassige’s idea. “Brooke came to us right away with this idea and we knew immediately that it was something that we would support as a school,” Cullen stated. “Marymount strives to support social justice initiatives and we are very proud of Brooke for bringing this forward so that we could participate as a school.”
After counting the jeans already collected on Friday, February 8th, Marymount Academy had over 600 pairs of jeans for donation. The Jeans for Teens collection will be ongoing until February 25, 2013 and the school is asking the community to help them with their collection and to drop off any new or gently used jeans to Marymount Academy located at 165 D’Youville St. before February 25, 2013.
The winning school will receive a $10,000 prize, Aeropostale hoodies with the school logo, and a party for the students.