We are thrilled to announce the winners of the 2025 Attendance Awareness Month Poster Contest for both the Secondary and Elementary categories! A huge thank you to all students who participated this year, and we’re excited to celebrate your creativity and commitment to the theme Be Present, Be POWERFUL!

Secondary Category:

1st Place: Moira Escandor (St. Benedict’s Secondary School)
2nd Place: Rena Flarity (St. Charles College)
3rd Place: Emily LeFave (St. Benedict’s Secondary School)

Elementary Category:

1st Place: Kassidy Esguerra (St. Charles College Elementary)
2nd Place: Mata Taranun (St. Benedict’s Elementary)
3rd Place: Maxwell Hawke (St. Charles College Elementary)

Passing the Torch 
We’d also like to take a moment to recognize last year’s first place winners who are passing the torch to this year’s champions:

• Samuel Chirsky (St. Charles College) – First Place, Secondary
• Vera Thompson (Marymount Academy) – First Place, Elementary

Thank you to Samuel and Vera for setting the bar high with your incredible artwork last year. We are excited to see this year’s winners continue the tradition of excellence!

The artwork from this year’s winners will be displayed throughout our schools and will be a key part of our ongoing Attendance Awareness campaign. Let’s keep encouraging each other to Be Present, Be POWERFUL! 🌟

A big THANK YOU to our dedicated attendance counsellors, Brad Pharand and Amanda Lanthier, for their hard work and dedication to organizing this annual initiative for our schools.

2025 Winning Posters

Due to the road conditions and in the interest of safety, all school related transportation services for English Catholic, English public, French Catholic and French public schools, operating in the districts of SUDBURY, ESPANOLA, MASSEY AND MANITOULIN, (this includes all areas such as St-Charles, Noëlville, Monetville, Markstay, Hagar, Warren, Wahnapitae, Coniston, Killarney, Whitefish, Whitefish River First Nations, Manitoulin Island, Onaping, Chelmsford, Capreol, Valley East, Garson, Chelmsford and Azilda) 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 their children up at the end of the school day.

All staff are expected to report to work.

The Conseil scolaire catholique Nouvelon (CSC Nouvelon), Rainbow District School Board (RDSB), Sudbury Catholic District School Board (SCDSB) and Conseil scolaire du Grand Nord have approved the School Year Calendar for 2025-2026.

The four school boards have worked together to produce a common calendar for many years, facilitating the co-ordination of services such as student transportation. Each board adopted the calendar following its own consultation process. The calendar will now be submitted to the Ontario Ministry of Education for final approval.

The 2025-2026 School Year Calendar will be the same for all English and French-language schools in Greater Sudbury, Espanola, Manitoulin Island and Sudbury East (including Warren, Markstay, Noëlville, St. Charles and Killarney).

The 2025-2026 school year for students will begin on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, following the Labour Day weekend. There will be no early dismissal. (Please note that Tuesday, September 2, 2025 is a professional activity day.)

In addition to the first day of school, the School Year Calendar includes the dates for the Christmas Break, the March Break, statutory holidays, secondary school examination days and professional activity days in 2025-2026.

Labour Day	September 1, 2025
First Day of School for Students	September 3, 2025
Thanksgiving	October 13, 2025
Christmas Break	December 22, 2025 to January 2, 2026
Family Day	February 16, 2026
Mid-Winter Break	March 16 to 20, 2026
Good Friday	April 3, 2026
Easter Monday	April 6, 2026
Victoria Day	May 18, 2026
Last Day of School for Students	June 26, 2026

Examination Days for Secondary Schools

1st Semester Exams	January 23 to 29, 2026 (5 days)
2nd Semester Exams	June 22 to 26, 2026 (5 days)

Professional Activity Days

Seven days for professional development activities will also be held during the 2025-2026 School Year, as follows:

• September 2, 2025
• September 26, 2025
• October 20, 2025
• November 28, 2025
• January 30, 2026
• February 27, 2026
• June 5, 2026

The Draft School Year Calendar for 2025-2026 is available on the school board website here.

School Year Calendar

St. Charles Catholic Elementary School is proud to celebrate the success of its Family Literacy Day Carousel, held last month in the school gymnasium. The event brought families together to enjoy interactive activities and foster a shared love of reading and storytelling.

Parents, guardians, and students engaged in a variety of literacy-themed stations, each designed to spark creativity and inspire a passion for reading:

• “Take a Crunch with Munsch”: Families shared apples while reading timeless Robert Munsch stories, making this station a crowd favorite.
• Chelmsford Library Read-Aloud: Attendees were captivated by engaging stories brought to life during a special read-aloud session.
• “Colour with Clifford”: Creativity was in full swing as students and families enjoyed colouring activities inspired by Clifford, the Big Red Dog.
• “Make Your Own Turtley (Franklin) Awesome Bookmark”: Families created personalized bookmarks, a keepsake to remind them of the importance of literacy.

“We are so pleased with the turnout and enthusiasm from both families and staff,” said principal Christine McCracken. “Family Literacy Day is a wonderful opportunity to connect with our community and celebrate the joy of reading together.”

“I love Family Literacy Day because it’s so much fun! Reading with my family is special, and I like that we get to spend time together and enjoy silly books. We read Fancy Nancy, and I even made a bookmark! I can’t wait to bring it home and read more with my family.” – Nora Hotson, St. Charles Student

“Family literacy is very important in our home, so attending this event together was a wonderful experience. It was great for our kids to see us excited about reading and to share that excitement with their teachers and peers in a family-oriented environment. Our favourite part was reading stories along the caterpillar wall and enjoying apples.” – Elyssia Demeter, Parent Council Chair for St. Charles Elementary School.

St. Charles Elementary is committed to fostering literacy and lifelong learning, and events like this are an important part of that mission. The school extends its heartfelt thanks to all participants and partners, including Chelmsford Library, for helping make the event such a success.

Thank you to everyone who joined our schools in celebrating the power of stories and the joy of learning together!

A heartfelt congratulations to the staff and students at St. Albert Adult Learning Centre for their outstanding leadership in mentoring junior students at St. David School for the Meaning of Home writing contest.

The St. Albert learners guided and inspired students to reflect on what “home” means to them, encouraging creativity and thoughtful expression. The resulting poems beautifully captured each student’s unique perspective, showcasing the power of words to convey emotion and connection. This collaboration between St. Albert and St. David School is a wonderful testament to the importance of mentorship, community, and shared learning.

We are also proud to recognize the students at St. Albert Adult Learning Centre as past recipients of the prestigious Michael Monk Award, which celebrates their dedication, perseverance, and commitment to academic and personal excellence. The impact of St. Albert’s programs extends beyond the classroom, providing individuals with opportunities to overcome challenges, achieve their goals, and contribute meaningfully to the community.

We encourage all students in Grades 4 to 6 to participate in the annual Meaning of Home writing contest for the chance to win one of three $30,000 grants for their local Habitat for Humanity. Additionally, for every local student submission, $10 will be donated to Habitat for Humanity, helping families build strength, stability, and independence.

A sincere thank you to the students and staff at St. Albert for your unwavering commitment to education, mentorship, and community engagement. Your dedication continues to inspire, and we look forward to seeing the lasting impact of your leadership.

Miigwech to St. Albert for their continued investment in building a strong, supportive community!

On February 10th, St. Francis students and staff marked an exciting milestone—100 days of learning, growth, and fun!

Throughout the day, students engaged in a variety of creative and educational activities centered around the number 100. From counting exercises to hands-on projects, the celebrations highlighted the progress and accomplishments of our young learners.

“This special day would not be possible without the dedication of our staff, the enthusiasm of our students, and the support of our families. Thank you for being part of this incredible journey!” – Jennifer Connelly, St. Francis Principal.

Here’s to the next 100 days of learning, discovery, and success!

The Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association (OCSTA) called on Catholic schools across Ontario to participate in its Annual Short Video Contest by submitting student-created videos centered around the inspiring theme, “Pilgrims of Hope.” 

This year, St. Charles College (SCC) earned an impressive third place among nearly 100 school entries in the contest. Their video featured a warm message from Deacon Bruno Michel and highlighted how SCC’s passionate staff, talented and engaged students, wide range of classes and robust extracurricular offerings come together to foster a vibrant, faith-filled community. 

The video was the result of a collaborative class project led by Patricia Demore, a dedicated teacher at SCC and Grade 11 student Ravi Aguilar, who played a key role in production. 

St. Charles College has participated in the short video contest before, placing first in 2020. Demore credited this year’s success to her hardworking students and shared their excitement at being recognized as a top entrant. “What a fantastic way to kick off 2025. Earning third place this year is an achievement our students are truly proud of.” 

During last night’s board meeting, Patricia Demore received the third-place certificate from OCSTA President and SCDSB Chair, Michael Bellmore. 

Michael Bellmore, an alumnus of St. Charles College himself, expressed his enthusiasm, sharing, “It is a great honour to deliver this award to one of our schools here at the Sudbury Catholic District School Board. There are some larger boards who enter the contest, and the competition is quite strong, so this accomplishment is a testament to the creativity and talent of our students here in the North. Congratulations to Patricia and her students on this well-deserved recognition.” 

The video can be watched at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23mmASYvxdc&t=1s