Our French Immersion students are boosting their oral language skills with Smash Education—an engaging, interactive program proven to get results.
Through games, activities, and lots of speaking practice, students are gaining confidence in French while having fun. We’re lucky to have access to this amazing resource this summer.
Apprendre en s’amusant = Learning while having fun!
Sudbury Catholic Schools has officially launched its Summer Literacy and Numeracy Camp! Over the next three weeks, students from FDK Year 2 to Grade 6—including those in the French Immersion program—will participate in engaging, hands-on learning experiences designed to strengthen their literacy and numeracy skills.
In addition to targeted academic support, students will enjoy a wide range of enrichment activities, including Let’s Talk Science programming, Indigenous cultural learning, and outdoor exploration. It’s a wonderful opportunity for students to learn, grow, and have fun during the summer months.
We’re excited to see our students thrive in this supportive and dynamic environment!
St. Charles Elementary School kicked off June with its 19th Annual Johnathan Hetu Walk, a cherished event supporting the Northern Ontario Families of Children with Cancer (NOFCC). This walk honours Johnathan Hetu, a former student who bravely fought cancer and passed away in September 2004.
Although current students and staff at St. Charles Catholic Elementary School may not have known Johnathan Hetu personally, his legacy lives on through this annual walk. This year, the school raised $13,035.26 , bringing the grand total to $160,217.74 in nineteen years.
History of the Jonathan Hetu Walk
The first Johnathan Hetu Walk was organized in 2006 by one of Johnathan’s teachers, David Nicholls. The walk became an annual event, celebrating Johnathan’s bright spirit and fostering unity, strength, and collective action within the school and surrounding community. David Nicholls spearheaded the event for many years until his unexpected passing in 2019. Since then, school staff including Maria Peplinski, Brent Peplinski, and Ronald Belanger have continued organizing the fundraiser, honouring both Johnathan and David while supporting children and families in Northern Ontario.
“We are incredibly proud of our entire school community for continuing to support this walk that honours the legacy of kindness and compassion that Johnathan and David cultivated in the St. Charles community,” said Principal Christine McCracken. “Reflecting on what has been achieved by our community over the past 19 years is quite simply astounding. The achievement is a result of the collective effort of past and present students, staff, and families. We are so grateful that we have been able to help provide hope, support, education, and advocacy to families who have a child with cancer.”
In addition to the walk, the school honours Johnathan by presenting an annual award to a student who exhibit a positive attitude, participate in sports, and have a love for learning. This year, Rarity Sasseville received the Johnathan Hetu Award.
Students within St. Charles feel passionate about this annual fundraising event. “This walk is important for our school community to help students with cancer. My neighbour and my grandma had cancer so I feel close to the cause like many of my friends do. We want to help make life a little easier for families going through something so hard. Fundraising for NOFCC is our way of saying we care. It felt really nice to be able to help. Students donated and we sold popcorn and ice cream sandwiches to fundraise and make difference.” Student Nora Ceretti said about the event.
Johnathan and David’s memory continue to inspire the community at St. Charles Elementary School. The annual walk has become a vital tradition, bringing the community together and supporting a cause that remains close to their hearts.
We’re proud to share the final Director’s Corner blog of the 2024-2025 school year: Together in Service.
This special year-end entry is the final blog from our Director of Education, Joanne Bénard, as we celebrate leadership, honour graduates and retirees, and recognize those who make a difference across our system. Read our latest blog today and join us in reflecting on an incredible school year spent with incredible people.
Wishing everyone a safe, happy, and healthy summer! 
Read the full blog here: Together In Service
Happy Canada Day from Sudbury Catholic Schools!
Today, we celebrate the beauty, diversity, and spirit of our great country. As a Catholic learning community rooted in faith, we are proud to be part of a nation that values inclusion, kindness, and service to others.
Wishing our students, staff, families, and community a joyful and safe Canada Day! 
Jennifer Petahtegoose, Native Studies teacher at St. Charles College, was recognized earlier this year with the AES Educator Excellence Award at the Evening of Excellence, held last August at Casino Rama. Celebrated for her unwavering dedication to land-based learning and her passion for sharing Indigenous knowledge, Jennifer continues to be a source of inspiration for both students and colleagues.
This June, Jennifer reached a new milestone in her journey — becoming a published children’s author.
Her debut picture book, A Ribbon Skirt for Hannah, is a beautifully illustrated story that honours culture, self-discovery, and community. As young Hannah learns to create her own ribbon skirt, she also learns to pause, listen, reflect, and draw strength from the people and traditions who surround her.
Check out the exciting announcement from Second Story Press!
Congratulations, Jennifer, on this exciting achievement. Your voice continues to uplift and inspire minds and hearts at Sudbury Catholic Schools and beyond.
Today, nearly 350 grade 5/6 students from schools across Sudbury Catholic came together at St. Charles College for the annual Anishinaabe Ball (Nish Ball) Tournament hosted by Holy Trinity Catholic Elementary School.
This exciting Indigenous game has quickly become a favourite among our students — combining teamwork, athleticism, and fun. Players showed off their skills: throwing, catching, kicking the ball, and sprinting across the field in fast-paced matches as spectators cheered from the sidelines.
After a full day of friendly but fierce competition, it was Holy Trinity and St. James who made it to the championship game. In an exciting final match, Holy Trinity clinched the win and brought home the banner! 
Chi-miigwetch to all who participated and supported this amazing event! 
We are thrilled to announce that the SCDSB 2025 Walking Challenge has officially concluded, and what an adventure it has been.
We would like to thank everyone who came together, stepped up, and got involved this year! It was a fantastic opportunity to embark on this journey together. We are proud of the special way we continue to build fitness into our day and have a little fun in the process. Thank you to all the members of the Wellness Committee for their continued support and leadership as well as all 160 participants who took part.
We did it! This May, our community took a giant leap forward—smashing last year’s total of 46,242,807 steps with an incredible 57,781,304 steps! That’s the equivalent of 43,774 kilometres—enough to walk around the entire Earth once and still have 3,699 km to spare. Or, to bring it closer to home, that’s like walking from Sudbury to Vancouver and back—five times!
But among all 40 teams, we saw three stand out! Without further ado, I am excited to announce that the TOP 3 Teams of the 2025 Walking Challenge are:
We also want to give a big shoutout to the TOP 15 Teams of the 2025 Walking Challenge! Congratulations to the following teams for their tremendous efforts this year:
| RANK | TEAM | MEMBERS | TOTAL STEPS |
| #1 | Celtic Calzoni Cruiser | Stephanie Venturi David Fabiili David Ranger Kathleen Cameron | 3,121,425 |
| #2 | Redbirds 2.0 | Colin Lapalme Jennifer Skelly Nancy Bellemare-Perron Kevin Krystia | 2,602,605 |
| #3 | Holy Walkamolies | Pat Shewring Andria Field Jen Geddes Andrea Jebreen | 1,866,843 |
| #4 | Red Hot Chili Steppers | Faith Van De Kraats Robyn Thomson Sandra Burch Lynn Dubois | 1,866,115 |
| #5 | The Penguin Preppers | Michelle Cousineau Beth Kromer Shannon Read-Pastre Adriano Simonato | 1,735,843 |
| #6 | St. Francis Detention Dodgers | Rachelle Dearing Michela Rocca Jessica Pigozzo Jennifer Cormier | 1,726,977 |
| #7 | Cirque du Sore Legs | Kelsey Franklin Megan Dubois Tina Hebert Megan Desormeaux | 1,712,630 |
| #8 | SCC Admin Team | Aaron Barry Kathryn Kurt Blaire Rains Lori Holden | 1,663,576 |
| #9 | SCC Stride Tribe | Jessica-Anne Sawyer Tara Beaudry Chancey Miron Morgan Melnek | 1,613,981 |
| #10 | The WalkingIMSpiration | Pat Hauser Stacy Copland Dan Crepeault David Hempel | 1,575,462 |
| #11 | Anne-credible Walkers | Jennifer Makela Eric Baillargeon Danika Teddy Melissa Faggioni | 1,481,436 |
| #12 | Angels In Our Walking Era | Natalie Lafrance Serena Troscinski Nanette Shonwise Amanda Douglas | 1,465,670 |
| #13 | Team Mediocre | Brad Pharand Jessie Jones Amanda Lanthier Melissa Mason | 1,461,966 |
| #14 | Team Holy Soles | Melanie Morin Joanna Hammond Jennifer Benoit Carla Lacelle | 1,452,949 |
| #15 | Gator Trotters | Kristen Bell Lisa Hunter Doug MacNeil Jennifer Ilg | 1,445,247 |
Congratulations everyone! Together let’s keep focused on our health and continue our wellness journeys throughout June and beyond.
Staff at the Catholic Education Centre were treated to a thoughtful and delicious surprise today, as students from the Learning Support Centre (LSC) at St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School hosted a pop-up booth to showcase their latest project — Cookies in a Jar.
The initiative is part of an experiential learning opportunity developed in collaboration with the Bruce-Grey Catholic District School Board through their Limitless Ventures program — an innovative initiative that supports students in alternative education settings by fostering entrepreneurial and employability skills.
Each jar, carefully packed with pre-measured ingredients for homemade cookies, was designed, assembled, and prepared by the students. Through this hands-on experience, students have been involved in every aspect of the process — from measuring and mixing to decorating, promoting, and selling the product. The project supports the development of essential life skills such as teamwork, communication, organization, and creativity.
Proceeds from the sale of Cookies in a Jar will directly support LSC programming and future student opportunities at St. Benedict.
The Sudbury Catholic District School Board extends its congratulations to the students and educators involved in this initiative and thanks them for bringing such joy — and such a sweet treat — to the board office today.
