This year, two classes at St. Charles Elementary School have been working on building their math skills using Dreambox, an online math tool that they can access both at school and at home. This project, funded through the North Easter Ontario Education Network (NEOEN), has provided home and school access to students in these classes, as well as time for collaborative planning and learning for the teachers. On Friday, April 1st, Mrs. Bardswich’s Grade 1/ 2 and Mrs. Harris’ Grade 2/3 classes shared their Dreambox learning with their parents. Parents were invited to the classroom to visit and participate in math learning centres with their children, followed by a pizza lunch. The students shared their experiences, and talked about how they felt that Dreambox was improving their math ability. The enthusiasm and confidence displayed by all of the students was wonderful to see. This lunch was a perfect opportunity for teachers and parents to share their observations about student learning and confidence, and for students to share their perceptions of their math ability and the value of using this tool for math learning. Our thanks go out to all of the parents who participated in this event, and to the staff of St. Charles Elementary School, particularly Mrs. Bardswich and Mrs. Harris, for making this event possible.

The junior kindergarten students in Mrs.Visentin’s class look forward to reading buddies each month at St.Francis. The students in junior kindergarten have partnered with Mrs. Narduzzi’s grade 3 & 4 class twice a month to listen to award winning read alouds with their reading buddies. The junior kindergarten students have also been participating in a Read at Home Program that encourages reading which is an essential part of children’s education. The students are encouraged to listen nightly to short stories at home.
The Sudbury Public Library will also be present in the class to accept new library card registrations for the junior kindergarten students. Students and parents are encouraged to use the free sign out privileges of fiction and nonfiction children books and other available resources.

On March 25, students in Mrs. Low’s grade one class were wishing for spring this morning by making beautiful kites in an array of colours.

On March 25, St. Raphael students in Mrs. Low’s grade one class were wishing for spring by making beautiful kites in an array of colours.

Mrs.Visentin’s junior kindergarten students at St.Francis celebrated St. Patrick’s Day before their March break and students wore green clothing to school and their leprechaun hats to wish a “top of the morning” to all. The students made leprechaun puppets, dramatized rhymes, listened to Irish music and even did a little jig to celebrate the luck of the Irish. Students also learned about St. Patrick and how the saint taught the people of Ireland about God many years ago.

Mrs. Boudreau’s class is in charge of the St. Raphael Conservation program this year and as part of their efforts, they are trying to reduce lunch waste, divert dead batteries from our landfills and reduce electricity by reminding people to turn their lights off when they are not in use.

The program is part of the school board “SCDSB Conservation Challenge” and the winning school can win up to 15-hundred dollars for re-greening the school landscape.