The reintroduction of school athletics at the Sudbury Catholic District School Board (SCDSB) has been met with great enthusiasm by our students, staff, parents and community. In this month’s blog, we highlight the important role sports play in education and more specifically in our schools. Sport provides many advantages to our students such as increased confidence, mental alertness, team work, leadership skills and overall physical health and wellness. What students learn on the field, on the court, in the gym are skills that can be applied in all aspect of life at school and after graduation. We extend our appreciation to our coaches who volunteer countless hours throughout the year to ensure that our students have many opportunities to grow both as students and as athletes. Through their support they are able to improve their skills and help them to achieve their goals. Thank you for fostering our students’ emotional, social, and intellectual growth through athletics.
Our Student Athletes
Grade 9 Student Lucia Salmaso from Marymount Academy
Grade 9 Student, Lucia Salmaso from Marymount Academy has been running all her life, and at NOSSA, she surprised herself by taking home gold! “I was really proud of myself with how I did. I didn’t expect to win. I was just hoping to place in the top 10!”
With her eye’s now set on OFSSA, she explains that she’s nervous but is just happy to be doing a sport she loves! Congratulations, Lucia and best of luck ahead! Thank you to MMA Coach Rob Van Mierlo and Coach Tammy Jutila for the effort and dedication they’ve contributed to cross country running this year!
Grade 12 Student Jake Dubowsky from St. Benedict
Grade 12 Student Jake Dubowsky from St. Benedict also has a lot to smile about. Placing first overall in Golf at NOSSA and 14th at OFSSA, he’s no stranger to the game, having played since he was young. Special thank you is extended to St. Ben’s Golf Coaches, Mrs. Colasimone and Mrs. Kowaluk for their help and support!
“Golf is a big mental game. It takes a lot of practice and patience. I can’t focus after a bad shot; I learned to concentrate on moving forward. I find playing builds my mental strength and has helped me learn how to manage my stress. The best feeling is that rush I get when I hit a good shot.”
Well said Jake!
Athletics at SCDSB
Basketball, volleyball, soccer, badminton, baseball, football, cross country, golf, are in full force throughout our schools.
As previously mentioned, these opportunities are made possible through our incredible faculty and community partners. Their determination enables our students to participate in unique opportunities that have positively impacted their school experience. We have many amazing coaches in all of our schools and one such coach is Darren Michelluti. His commitment and positive approach in nurturing student development is a great example of the many faculty and community partners we have throughout the system.
Darren Michelluti, Teacher, Athletic Director and Lead of the Hockey Skills Academy
Darren Michelluti is the Athletic Director for St. Charles College and the Lead of the Hockey Skills Academy; a hockey program partnering with the Hockey Canada Foundation to help kids of all different skill levels pursue their interest on and off the ice. This year alone, 100 kids have signed up to participate in the program. A record-breaking number!
“When students found out they would be able to play sports again this year, they were very excited. Last year it was difficult not to have the opportunity to have sports, but this year we have more kids trying out for teams and wanting to participate. It’s at an all-time high for our school. Sports like baseball, football, and flag, along with our Hockey program, are seeing a lot of interest, and it’s a credit to our amazing crew at SCC!”
Importance of Sport in Education
Getting students involved in some aspect of school athletics is an important element for their growth. The importance of sports in schools goes beyond the game itself by providing students with a constructive outlet to help them socialize, make friends, and ultimately encourage academic excellence.
Leadership, communication, goal setting, perseverance, teamwork, responsibility, and respect are qualities that a student can develop through playing sports, according to the latest study by OFSSA.
Christina Baril
“Because of the social aspect sport provides, I find students have a more positive attitude when they’re in the classroom.” Say’s Christina Baril, a Grade 7 teacher and coach at Bishop Alexander Carter Elementary School.
Christina explains that school sports provide students with opportunities to develop skills that will translate into other areas of their lives. “We’re seeing that because of sports, students want to come to school, they want to be able to participate on a team, and they’re happier because of it.”
The Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations
At SCDSB, our sports programs focus on helping children learn the skills and attitudes that will make them better citizens within the school and community. Creating unique opportunities to help encourage growth and professionalism through sport is more crucial than ever to ensure we’re helping each student reach their full potential. A focus on the Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations helps teach our students about being good citizens and is a foundation in all our athletic programs.
“We try to capitalize on these crucial expectations so we can teach students how to not only represent themselves well within school amongst their grades, but when they go on into the community that they’re being role models and setting a good standard for others no matter where they are.” – Darren Michelluti, Teacher, Athletic Director and Lead of the Hockey Skills Academy
Thank you to everyone who has gone above and beyond to make sure we are offering opportunities for our children to move, socialize with their peers, and be a part of a community inclusive of every ability and skill level. It is truly extraordinary to see our athletic programs flourish this year, and we know it will positively impact our communities. We want to thank all who are involved in making these programs happen and wish everyone an engaging and healthy school year ahead.
September is no stranger to new beginnings. It brings about new opportunities, a renewed excitement, and energy that creates an atmosphere that is bursting with life. It’s exhilarating to experience, and we couldn’t be happier to be back this fall to embrace another September as a school board community. Our theme this year is Back to School with Gratitude, Hope, and Success for All. To support our system in a mentally healthy return to school we are all reminded of the following:
We need to work with compassion, and empathy. We need to take care of ourselves so that we are better able to support one another, and our students, with compassion, understanding and empathy.
We need to acknowledge the varied COVID-19 experiences of staff and students during the time of school closures. Each person will carry a unique story as we return to school, and this story will impact the way each of us approaches this time of transition.
Schools are an excellent place to promote and protect student mental health. Together, we welcome students warmly, build their mental health self-care and social-emotional skills, reduce stigma, and encourage help-seeking.
We have strong mental health foundations to build on. Now more than ever, we need to leverage the knowledge and skills of our team and the work we have been doing within our mental health strategy. Our board is well-positioned to support student mental health and well-being through the return to school.
There are many unknowns and we don’t have all the answers, but we know that a challenge this big requires us to work together. All system and school leaders, educators, support staff, school mental health professionals, parents/families, and community partners have a shared responsibility to prepare and support students for the return to school. Let us always be there for one another.
In this first blog of the new school year, I want to highlight the opening of our grade 7 and 8 wing at Bishop Alexander Carter Secondary School. This is a very exciting time, as now all of our secondary schools offer Grade 7 and 8 programming which brings so many new opportunities for our students. Special recognition for making this possible is extended to our Board of Trustees, Alan Levesque (Manager of Facilities), James Morgan (Facilities Administrator), Steve Odette (Head Custodian – BST) and the custodial team at BAC, GerryRobillard (Manager of IMS), Ron LeClair (IMS team), Darren Smith (IMS team), Tara Large (Procurement Coordinator) and both the School Leadership and the Senior Administrative Team. Thank you as well to our teaching and support staff, as they are the difference makers in making such an endeavour a success.
Bishop Alexander Carter Secondary School Welcomes Grade 7 and 8 Students
On Tuesday, September 28th, 2021, the official opening of the new Grade 7 & 8 wing was held. The occasion was highlighted with a ribbon-cutting ceremony to honour this event. To open the celebration we were greeted by student Jade Prentice and Grandmother Sandra Corbiere who invited us to smudge. The celebration also included opening remarks from Principal Stephanie Venturi, Chaplaincy Lead Jennifer Geddes, and Chair Michael Bellmore, along with a very impactful prayer and song by Grandmother Sandra Corbiere and blessing by Deacon Steve. It was a beautiful ceremony to welcome amazing staff, students and families to the Gator community.
Ribbon Cutting with students C. Rideout and A. Charron, along with Director of Education J. Bénard
Teachers & Staff
The new wing brings further advantages for modern learning. Specifically, Bishop’s newly added technological resources provide further opportunities to enhance teaching and learning.
“The new technology that we have in our classroom is wonderful. We’ve been given stunning, new Chromebooks which is incredible because it adds excellent resources for students to grow and expand their knowledge.” Says Grade 8 Teacher, Jody O’Daiskey.
We’re proud of all our educators for embracing this new opportunity and seeing the potential it has to further enhance teaching and learning. In addition to the technology, this new wing offers facilities that according to Bishop’s Principal, Stephanie Venturi provide a “precious opportunity for us to enhance learning in all areas of the curriculum and to help our students achieve the 21st-century skills they require to be successful”.
Students
But what have Bishop’s newest students enjoyed most at their new school?!
New lockers
A beautiful, newly renovated gym
Larger classrooms
Club and sport participation
Comfortable uniforms with many options
New laptops
Big screen TVs in all classrooms
Creative learning opportunities
Awesome staff
And so much more.
Particularly, many students expressed their enthusiasm towards being able to participate in Bishop’s intramural volleyball league at lunchtime in the school’s modern gymnasium.
Many people in our community have found themselves adjusting to a bustling schedule of school activities, but as one student puts it “even though it’s a different school, it still feels the same.”
This comment reinforces what is really at the heart of what we do… our students.
No matter where they are, at SCDSB we want them to feel like they’re at home. Even though it’s a new experience and a new setting, it’s filled with the same love, high-quality teaching, and helpful support we have at every school.
As we begin this new school year, some of us may have new classes, friends, and educational pathways we are discovering, and others could be finding themselves learning, growing, and teaching in a new place entirely. Regardless of where we are, we should always remember that we are a part of one family at SCDSB. Let us embrace change as this promotes growth and learning and allows us to be Leaders in Learning and Faith, which is at the heart of what we do. Wishing everyone another successful school year.
I think that we can all agree that this past year has been extraordinary, not simply because we find ourselves in a pandemic, but it has been extraordinary because of how our staff, our students, our parents, guardians and community have responded to this reality. Over this past year and half, you have demonstrated resilience, optimism and strong leadership. You have lifted each other up and helped one another through these challenging times. Our staff with our parent/guardian partners have gone the extra mile to passionately serve and support our 6000 plus students and we are very blessed to have such an amazing team at Sudbury Catholic. While it certainly is not the year we all envisioned, I can’t help but feel immensely proud to be part of the Sudbury Catholic School community. We do have much to be thankful for, whether that is achieving success in a competition, surpassing a personal goal or graduating and moving on to another stage in life. In this month’s blog we have included a few examples, among many of the accomplishments this past year calling us to say thank you and to look back and celebrate.
https://vimeo.com/568617391/71995ba7d6
Sudbury Catholic Students & Staff are part of a Guinness World Record!
In May 2021, Skills Ontario invited Ontarians to participate in setting out to attain the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS achievement for Largest Online Video Chain of People Passing and Using a Screwdriver. The record attempt was open to anyone, any age across the province, with a minimum goal of receiving 251 video submissions. A call out was made to Sudbury Catholic students, families and staff.
“We truly enjoy partnering with Skills Ontario as they always have innovative and fun ways to promote the skilled trades and technologies to our students. We were especially excited to be able to join this initiative as a community. We are ecstatic to know that we made history!” said Christina Raso, Experiential Learning Consultant.
Peter Prochilo, Superintendent of School Effectiveness gives a tremendous round of applause and a sincere word of thanks to all of the students and staff that participated in the Skills Ontario Guinness World Record Breaking event. “All of the participants from the Sudbury Catholic District School Board once again rose to the challenge and had a hand in surpassing the goal of 250 linked individuals with a final count of 381 submissions!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0R2wFVjujTk
Jump Rope for Heart – Holy Cross School
Students at Holy Cross school once again participated in the ‘Jump Rope for Heart’ campaign – this year they found a way to hold the event virtually. Students and families came together to raise $5,521, almost doubling their initial goal! Well done Cubs!
Be Kind T-Shirt Campaign – St. Charles College
Deep in the heart of the pandemic, when the world was growing weary, the staff and students in Mrs. Allen’s Learning Support Classroom launched and executed an innovative idea: the Be Kind t-shirt campaign. The class of 11 originally anticipated 50 shirts would be sold but then they had requests from all over the world – they were fulfilling 550 orders! The students were involved in the design, creation, marketing, selling, and shipping components. Educational Assistant Mrs. MacDonald described the classroom in March as an assembly line.
Today, students can be seen wearing their shirts in class and out in the community. The team is already in the process of developing a new plan for the fall and once again, all funds raised will go to life skills programming in the areas of cooking, crafting, gardening and novel studies all the while sprinkling the world and community they live in with some much needed upbeat positivity.
Success at Skills Ontario Competition
Veronica Zulich, a grade 11 student enrolled in the Hospitality & Tourism SHSM program at St. Benedict C.S.S competed in her third Skills Ontario cooking competition on May 4th, 2021.
In Part 1 of the competition, Veronica demonstrated her competency in some fundamental cooking skills including recipe conversions, precision vegetable cuts and a whole chicken breakdown. She also prepared a French Rolled Omelet stuffed with Brie and Mushrooms accompanied by a side Salad in an Emulsified French Dressing. The French omelet is considered to be a cornerstone skill that every chef should be able to demonstrate. For Part 2, Veronica prepared a Thai Style Chicken Stir-fry, with Green Curry Sauce, accompanied by Brown Rice Pilaf. It is during this stage that Veronica showcased her creative plating skills to “wow” the judges. Her teacher at St. Benedict, Mike Sipos and restauranteur Mark Gregorini of Verdicchio Ristorante have mentored Veronica virtually throughout her preparation and practice sessions.
At the provincial level competition May 4th, Veronica achieved first place! She then moved onto the National competition which was virtually held on May 28th, 2021, claiming the silver medal in cooking! Congratulations on your achievements Veronica! Yum this meal looks delicious!
Isaac Chandler, a Green Industries SHSM student at Bishop Alexander Carter C.S.S also competed in the Skills Ontario competition in the CNC Woodworking category where he achieved gold! View his award winning woodworking project below. Congratulations Isaac, we are so proud of you!
Honouring Our 2021 Grads
The end of the school year is a welcome time for our elementary and secondary graduates and truly a time for celebration and joy as they reflect on their accomplishments and look toward the future. While our schools were unable to hold traditional graduation ceremonies, they found unique ways to honour and celebrate our students! Here are a few ways our schools honoured our graduates!
Marymount Academy created a photo opportunity which allowed graduates and their families to come pick up their diploma in their formal attire and take a few photos to remember the occasion!
St. David School hosted a drive-by celebration so that Grade 6 students and their families could come to the school and receive a celebration package, take photos and say goodbye to their teachers and St. David staff members before moving on to St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School!
St. Charles elementary school celebrated their Grade 6, 7 and 8 students with special photo opportunities throughout the end of June. They also celebrated with graduate profiles which were showcased on the school’s social media.
SCDSB Staff Take Part in Walking Challenge – Completing Enough Steps to Walk to Australia!
During the month of May, the Board launched the SCDSB Staff Walking Challenge which encouraged staff members to create a team of four and track their steps each week. 46 eager teams of competitors participated in the challenge walking a total of 29, 941, 502 steps which is the equivalent to 22, 815 KM! This would take us from Sudbury, Ontario to Adelaide, Australia. We congratulate all participants! The challenge served as a reminder of the importance of making our health a priority and instilling habits that we can use beyond the school year.
A message from our Student Trustees
As we conclude the 2020-2021 school year, we say goodbye and thank you to Rosaria Nero and we welcome Jack Gouchie to the Board table.
Rosaria Nero, Grade 12 student at St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School, served as a Student Trustee for the 2020-2021 term. Throughout her term she enjoyed interacting with the other members of Student Senate, organizing events and initiatives and representing student voice at the Board table. Here, she leaves a message of thanks to the Sudbury Catholic community.
https://vimeo.com/565596020/9da60eee70
Jack Gouchie is currently a Grade 10 student at St. Charles College. He will join fellow Student Trustee Kylie MacGregor for the 2021-2022 School Year. He looks forward to working alongside Kylie and learning more about the Board and Board of Trustees while working throughout the year to provide support to his fellow students.
During May 2 – May 7, 2021, Sudbury Catholic Schools celebrated Catholic Education Week. Each year, we are very fortunate to be able to join the Catholic community across Ontario in a week-long celebration of the unique identity and distinctive contributions of Catholic education. Together we celebrate all that is best and most beautiful about the Catholic school system and to give thanks for the gift of a faith-filled education.
The theme for 2021 is ‘Nurturing Hope,’ which is so fitting considering that it is faith and hope that has provided us with the spiritual nourishment to weather the challenges we have all faced this year.
Throughout the week, we were thrilled to see our students and staff engaged in various activities, lessons and virtual events to celebrate and honour Catholic Education Week. We also shared activities with families and invited them to participate.
The five sub themes for this year were:
Preparing the Earth Sowing Seeds of Gratitude Cultivating Relationships Harvesting New Fruit Marvelling in Wonder
Certainly a highlight was the Mass celebrated by His Eminence, Thomas Cardinal Collins on Wednesday, May 5. Across the province we joined together in prayer. We were all moved by his words: “See the Lord more clearly, Love the Lord more dearly, Follow the Lord more nearly”.
Other activities included:
A Cyber Security Presentation geared toward staff, parents and guardians and was presented by cybersecurity expert Danny Pehar.
Launching of Young Entrepreneur Contest. Students will create a business plan (as required by the Ontario government) and pitch their business idea for a chance to win a prize pack.
Career Day: Partnership with Skills Ontario which offered a variety of activities that promoted the skilled trades and technologies for K-12.
“People often comment that when they enter a Catholic school they feel a special presence. This does not come from the building or even the religious symbols that are an important witness to our faith. The presence comes from Christ who is proclaimed by word and example, and is evidenced in the way people care for one another — “see how they love one another.” Catholic schools witness to Christ and by doing so help to reveal Him to others.” (Renewing the Promise p. 9). In this month’s blog we are sharing many examples of our faith lived out.
Preparing the Earth
Our week began with a message from Bishop Thomas Dowd who reflected on the overall theme of Nurturing Hope:
https://vimeo.com/557196530
Holy Cross School began Catholic Education Week with their virtue assembly, allowing the entire school to gather virtually and honour both the monthly virtues and the start of Catholic Education Week! View the assembly below:
https://vimeo.com/557200936
St. James School worked with our Indigenous team to produce daily sub theme videos to share with students and families throughout Catholic Education week!
https://vimeo.com/557262123
Sowing Seeds of Gratitude
As a demonstration of sowing seeds of gratitude, kindergarten students at St. Francis School each received and planted a yellow bean seed. The class discussed what gratitude means to them and will observe the growth of their plants throughout the Spring!
Grade 5/6 students at St. Charles School in Chelmsford completed an activity reflecting on what they are grateful for and their symbols of hope for the future! This offered students an important lesson on what nurturing hope truly means.
What does hope look like in the future? Grade 5/6 students provide a few examples.
Bishop Alexander Carter C.S.S created visual prayers and messages of hope to share with students and families. For Sowing seeds of gratitude, the school focused on giving thanks to the front line health workers.
Cultivating Relationships
To understand what cultivating relationships may look like, Grade 4/5 French Immersion students at Holy Trinity School were given the challenge of cooking a Malawian cultural dish. The students also watched “The Boy who Harnessed the Wind” and discussed the importance of nurturing hope for a better tomorrow (especially for those who may not be as fortunate as we are in Canada). Pictured here is student Simon who cooked the dish alongside his family. Simon shared that the dish was really easy and fun to make and that his family enjoyed participating in this challenge!
Simon, student at Holy Trinity school, cooked a complete Malawian cultural dish along with his family!
Grade 2/3 Pius XII students created “a garden of hope” cards for family members or neighbours who are alone – showing that while we may not be able to gather physically, we can still cultivate meaningful relationships.
Mr. Pappin organized a liturgy for the entire St. Benedict school community. His message was incredibly meaningful for staff and students. Beautiful messages were also shared from Shannon Agowissa, Indigenous Support Worker.
Harvesting New Fruit
Immaculate Conception students reflected on the theme of Nurturing Hope by writing their own poems! Here are a few examples of their work:
Grade 7 English students at Marymount Academy have been working on creating children’s books that are inspired by Nurturing Hope and the five daily themes of Catholic Education week. Students have connected their learning and stories to the inspiring true story of William Kamkwamba, who wrote The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. Below are a few examples of their completed books.
Marymount students have been unleashing their creativity by creating their own children’s books inspired by the theme of Nurturing Hope!
Marvelling in Wonder
St. David students had the opportunity to work with Skills Ontario to construct their own birdhouses. The activity was enjoyed by all as they learned valuable experiential learning skills and reflected on the sub theme of Marvelling in Wonder.
St. David Students constructed bird houses that each reflected their own identity.
Inspired by our Catholic Education Week theme of “Nurturing Hope,” Mrs. Whitman and Mrs. Thomson’s Kindergarten students at St. John School spent the week learning the prayer/song “All Things Bright and Beautiful.” They talked a lot about how God created everything (“all creatures great and small”) – including themselves! They then created beautiful self-portraits to demonstrate their learning!
To end Catholic Education week, Grade 9 Instrumental students at St. Charles College created posters demonstrating how they nurture hope through the sound of music!
Sudbury Catholic Schools #GetReal with Children’s Mental Week
In addition to Catholic Education Week, May 3 – 9 was also Children’s Mental Health week. The theme for this year’s Mental Health Week was #GetReal and focused on tuning into our feelings by naming them, and not numbing them. The power of identifying what you are feeling and allowing yourself to sit with your emotions can lighten the load and help them to feel less intense. Students learned that when we name our emotions, we give our feelings space, and allow ourselves permission to feel whatever we are feeling; the good, the bad and the ugly.
This week appropriately coincides with the theme of Catholic Education Week: Nurturing Hope. While we are celebrating the unique identity and distinctive of Catholic education it is important to recognize that our faith is also an important part of the Sudbury Catholic Mental Health Plan’s proactive strategy. Faith brings a sense of community and teachings, when done in a supportive way, that assist incorporating healthy practices, for the mind, body and soul, which positively influences mental health and emotional wellbeing.
Throughout Children’s Mental health week, our Mental Health team provided schools, students and parents/guardians with various activities and resources.
Throughout the month of April, we celebrate the virtue of stewardship. This month, we focused our role as stewards of the environment. How can we act responsibly as keepers of the beautiful world God has given us? Throughout each of our schools, we engage in many opportunities and take actions which lead to a positive impact on the environment. Through these actions we support students in acquiring the knowledge, skills, perspectives and practices to become active, engaged and responsible citizens.
At the Board level, our facilities and planning department works tirelessly throughout the year to find environmentally friendly alternatives and solutions that also benefit the overall health and well-being of staff and students! There is much evidence of our focus on environmental stewardship throughout our school board. Below are a wonderful examples:
Outdoor Classrooms Outdoor classrooms and trails have given students the opportunity to make deep and meaningful connections to their learning and the natural world around them. We know outdoor learning is critical in supporting the whole child and promoting a holistic education that challenges students to be more self-aware and have an appreciation for all that is living. Through the outdoor classrooms, students are working on their team building, communication and collaborative skills while fostering lifelong love for the outdoors. Many of our schools have these dedicated spaces and we hope to continue to grow this initiative.
Recycling and Composting All schools participate in a recycling and composting program often involving students as a means of diverting waste and promoting environmental stewardship (though this is currently paused due to COVID-19). Throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Board has promoted and encouraged schools to participate in healthy waste free lunches to join our efforts and reduce the waste we are bringing into our schools and buildings.
Capital Projects
As a Board, we have been very deliberate in ensuring that capital projects utilize energy efficient equipment and processes to minimize the use of resources. This includes:
LED lighting conversions to ensure schools have the most efficient lighting system possible. This project is targeted for completion in 2021.
Use of Energy Recovery Ventilators to ensure the most efficient operation/heat recovery of new ventilation systems.
Use of high efficiency condensing boilers to ensure maximum reduction in the consumption of fuels.
Use of variable frequency drives (VFD’s) to ensure efficient operation of large motors.
Improve the R value of building envelopes specifically the insulation value in roof assemblies and R value of windows.
Examples of recent capital projects include solar panel installation at Holy Cross School (left) and implementing high efficiency condensing boilers at St. James School (right).
Efficient and green initiatives All schools and buildings use a web-based building control system to efficiently manage and monitor building heating, ventilation and lighting systems. This includes managing building schedules and use of set-back temperatures to minimize utilization of fuels and electricity. Staff also utilize certified green cleaning products and processes to minimize the use of chemicals hazardous to the environment and people and to minimize waste. Environmental controls and management processes are in place to ensure that when designated substances are identified and removed that all safety protocols including proper disposal are adhered to.
LED lighting and dimming controls displayed at Marymount Academy.
St. Benedict Students learn to garden
As part of programming at St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School, students are exploring the many health and wellness benefits of gardening and taking care of plants. A variety of nutritious foods, including lettuce, tomatoes and herbs have been harvested already by the students. Future plans include having a plant sale later in the Spring as well as providing plants and assistance to a nearby community garden. Students have been enjoying learning about the process of planting and look forward to continuing the project in May!
Marymount Students Design French Posters to Demonstrate Their Commitment to Mother Earth!
Core French students completed research projects to develop their own posters and show their commitment to the environment. Students researched various solutions at home and in the community and visually demonstrated their actions with creative designs and statements in French. Students also chose to enter their submissions to the Board wide Earth Day contest.
St. David Students Make a Difference on Earth Day!
Mrs. Cimino’s grade 1 class had a great day celebrating Earth Day by creating their very own cross curricular art and science projects using only recyclable items from home. Students were learning about how to care for Mother Earth through their own actions and understanding how simple gestures, like picking up garbage around the neighbourhood could make a difference. Many students individually entered the Board wide Earth day contest as well as the whole class! Way to go Dragons! Prizes will be given at the school level to congratulate all students for their efforts in becoming better stewards of the earth.
Remote Learning Class Raises Money to Adopt Injured Animals
Melanie Jarrett’s Kindergarten/Grade 1 Remote Learning class raised $200 and adopted an injured porcupine and rabbit from the Procyon Wildlife Center! Students completed chores, picked up garbage and collected donations to raise the necessary funds. The class named the porcupine Sweetheart and the rabbit has been named Diamond. They will complete a virtual visit with their adopted new friends via a live web cam! Mrs. Jarrett is very proud of her students and their commitment to wildlife!
Sudbury Catholic Students Participate in Second Annual Board Wide Earth Day Contest!
Students Kindergarten to Grade 12 participated in the second annual Board wide Earth Day Contest. Students were encouraged to show their commitment to the environment by demonstrating how they were going to celebrate Earth Day. Examples of submissions included poems, stories, songs, comic strips, an art pieces using only recyclable items, environmental ads, and gardening. We received 136 entries from innovative students across the Board!
Here are our winners!
Kindergarten to Grade 3:
Rylan Benoit, St. David School who created this life size structure using recyclable materials!
Andrew Akero, St. David School, who created face masks from recyclable materials
Grade 4-6
Mac Gorrie Martin, Remote Learning School who created the following news segment showcasing what is not safe to pour into drains
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LC_vjnvlOco
Hannah Potvin, Remote Learning School who created her own bee and butterfly watering station
Grade 7 and 8
Mali Jutila, Marymount Academy created the following Earth Day Poster
Mya Massimiliano, Marymount Academy wrote the following poem
Thank you to everyone for caring for the earth and for being wonderful Stewards.
Our vision at Sudbury Catholic Schools is to create leaders in learning and faith and we begin that process as soon as students enter our buildings for the first time! In this blog we will explore the amazing learning that takes place in our Kindergarten classrooms every day. Working as partners, our teachers, early childhood educators and other support staff create the conditions where students can learn through exploration and play. It is upon this foundation that our students continue to grow and develop, mind, body and spirit.
In our Kindergarten program, the four “frames”, or broad areas of learning, are used to structure thinking about learning and assessment. The frames are:
Belonging and Contributing
Self-Regulation and Well-Being
Demonstrating Literacy and Mathematics Behaviours
Problem Solving and Innovating
Here is what that looks like in our classrooms!
Our Catholic Faith
Faith is infused throughout the Kindergarten program by honouring the liturgical year, learning about the Catholic virtues and values of the month and celebrating Catholic Education Week. An essential question is asked throughout the program: Where is God? Students find God in every aspect of life and are able to articulate this in a variety of ways such as through stories, songs, drawings and discussions.
Technology Integration Our students and teachers participate in a variety of learning opportunities that involve technology and innovation, providing access to technology and digital tools of the 21st century. Technology integration also fosters global competencies including: critical thinking and problem solving; innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship, learning to learn/self-aware and self-directed learning; collaboration; communication; and global citizenship. Various digital technologies have been embedded into our Kindergarten program. Examples include:
MacBooks for staff and iPads for students
Apple TV to project learning activities and games
A variety of learning applications to use on the iPads including: self-regulation tools, Toy Theatre, Mathies, Reading games and more!
French Immersion Early French Immersion begins in our Kindergarten program. Through French as a Second Language programs, students will communicate and interact with growing confidence in French, one of Canada’s official languages, while developing the knowledge, skills, and perspectives they need to participate fully as citizens in Canada and in the world.The French language is used in the classroom for most of the day (90% is taught and spoken in French and 10% is taught in English through religion).
Let’s explore some of our classrooms…
St. David Kindergarten Class Embraces the Outdoors
Karen Healy, kindergarten teacher at St. David school has enjoyed utilizing outdoor learning with students throughout the year. Using the outdoor space provided by the school, Karen and Early Childhood Educator Deanna Delamorandiere have incorporated large blocks of outdoor learning daily. This has provided a unique opportunity to work on literacy and numeracy skills outside of the traditional classroom setting. The students truly enjoy learning on the land and come alive when they are outside. Not only are they learning many different skills, but connecting with the land has also been very beneficial for their self-regulation and well-being.
They have also been sharing regular updates with parents and guardians by uploading daily photos and videos to the SeeSaw App. At the end of the year, parents are able to download their child’s portfolio and have a record of pictures from their Kindergarten year!
“There is something special about being part of a student’s first experience with school. The students grow so much over the course of two years and it is wonderful to be a witness to that and to support them in the beginning of their educational journey,” said Karen.
Students spend time outdoors each day to work on their literacy and numeracy skills
Remote Learning Teaching Team Creates An Environment of Inquiry Based Learning Online
Kelly Beaton (teacher) and Lindsay Lavallee (Early Childhood Educator) are teaching French Immersion Kindergarten remotely through the Remote Learning School. They believe that effective remote teaching resembles what teaching looks like in the classroom. It is centered around what students are curious about and what gets them excited. In their experience, an engaged student is going to make more of an effort to learn in order to satisfy their curiosity.
“It is such a privilege to be part of our students’ lives at the very beginning of their education, when they are full of wonder and open to discovering the amazing world around us,” said Kelly.
The class recently conducted a dinosaur inquiry where they built their programming around questions generated by the students. Through this, they were able to find ways to practice French oral language, reading, writing, math, physical activity, art and role play, all while conducting their scientific inquiry. As a culminating activity, students created their own dinosaur fossils by making salt dough, sculpting it into the shape of the bones, teeth and footprints they had learned about, then baking and painting their fossils. Later, they had a blast acting as junior paleontologists to excavate their creations, applying their new knowledge along the way (i.e. sorting teeth belonging to herbivores and carnivores).
“This school year has really challenged us to think outside the box, from lesson plans to engaging social connections via our remote classroom. I’m so proud of all our students and how well they’ve adapted to a non-traditional learning environment!” said Lindsay.
Virtual Kindergarten students enjoyed a St. Patrick’s Day celebration!
St. Paul School Embraces Team Atmosphere in Kindergarten Classes
The Kindergarten classes at St. Paul School embrace the team atmosphere and try to interact with each other as much as they can. They enjoy being able to bounce ideas off of each other and support each other throughout the school year.
This year, classes have been completing many virtual Science North field trips to provoke thinking and inquiries and apply that to their own learning environments. The teaching teams have also focused a great deal on zones of regulation to help identify feelings and have included Kelso’s Choice to support problem solving in their classrooms. They have also had students lead morning meetings so that all have an opportunity to shine!
Developing trusting, positive relationships with students and parents and guardians is so important. The teams continually find ways to be communicate with parents/guardians such as through communication books, displaying student work on social media channels and completing regular feedback forms and surveys.
Much like all of our teachers and educators, the teaching teams at St. Paul School enjoy and embrace all of the milestones and challenges that kindergarten brings!
“As educators, we embrace teaching the students to read and write. We love seeing them use strategies learned in class as they demonstrate growth in their learning and watching them use these skills as the year progresses.Their energy, enthusiasm and love of learning is contagious and inspires everyone around them!”
The teaching teams at St. Paul School
Remote Teaching Teams focused on self-regulation!
Kindergarten Teacher Holly Reilly and Early Childhood Educator Cindy-Lynn MacLennan have been heavily focused on self-regulation in their remote kindergarten class. Students have been focused on identifying emotions and coming up with strategies to help maintain focus and create a mindful focused brain. Students have loved learning about their brain and what it does for them through the MindsUp program. The program places a focus on the parts of the brain and its functions. Students have been able to share their knowledge and navigate their emotions to specific strategies which can be used to help bring them back to the colour green (Zones of Regulation).
“I am proud to be a kindergarten educator! I love that in kindergarten we always have so much to share or something we are wondering about,” said Cindy.
“I take pride in having experience as both an Early Childhood Educator and a teacher. I love being able to celebrate small victories and milestones with students in kindergarten. Through an online environment, we have embraced a new way of learning and slowly our students have helped create this same sense of community in a digital world. I love hearing students from different schools ask one another about their experiences even through a computer screen. Their resilience continues to shock and amaze me!” said Holly.
All of our schools are staffed by caring and talented staff who are committed to creating the best possible learning environments for our students. To learn more about all of our innovative, welcoming and caring elementary schools view their websites HERE!
Advent is an exciting time of expectant waiting, a time for preparing our hearts and minds for the celebration of the coming of Christ at Christmas. Throughout our schools and CEC, our students and staff have been engaged in Advent activities, prayerfully reflecting in relationship with God, one another, and the world around us.
As Catholic school communities, we are called to share this faith journey with our students. To wait with them and reflect as they light the candles of the Advent wreaths or hang ornaments on Jesse Trees. To work together with them as we engage in service projects, generously sharing the gifts we have been given, with those in need. And always remembering our responsibility to share the light of Christ with the world.
Advent is always a special time. We join together in our school communities sharing hope, faith, love and peace, the weekly themes of Advent. With the challenges of the pandemic we have had to be creative, remaining physically distant, yet united in faith. Across our board, in all our school communities, there are examples of the true meaning of Advent, Christmas and of giving back. You have found truly creative ways to honour our faith traditions, as well as providing support to amazing organizations in our region that care for others, during this time of great need.
On December 1st, the Board of Trustees unanimously re-elected Michael Bellmore as Chair and Ray Desjardins as Vice-Chair. Both bring strong leadership and an unwavering commitment to Catholic Education. We thank them and all of the trustees for their leadership, support and vision throughout 2020.
During our Inaugural Board meeting held on December 1, Ray Desjardins and Michael Bellmore were elected Vice-Chair and Board Chair respectively.
Three Students Selected as Winners in This Year’s Christmas Card Contest
As in past years, we invited all students, Kindergarten to Grade 12, to submit artwork for our annual Christmas cards. Students were very enthusiastic as we received 145 submissions! With so many wonderful art pieces to choose from, the selection process was challenging. We chose three designs this year from three schools. Congratulations to our winners, and thank you to all those who submitted!
Here are our winners:
Leah Lawrence, Grade 2 student at St. James School
Nico Selby, Grade 4 student at Pius XII School
Noah Rioux, Grade 9 student at St. Charles College
Remote Learning Students Create Advent Wreaths
Remote learning students in Ms. Noreen Pellatt’s class have been celebrating Advent by creating Advent wreaths. Each Monday, the class virtually lights a candle. They also follow along an interactive Advent calendar which is available to students through Google slides. Students have been enjoying being able to learn about Advent!
Remote learning students have been learning about Advent.
St. David Students Bring Some Holiday Cheer to Those in Need
Students in grade 5 at St. David School have worked to spread some Christmas cheer and funny jokes to long-term care and senior homes. The students wanted to make sure that seniors who are not able to see their families and friends this Christmas due to Covid-19 restrictions will be pleasantly surprised with a Christmas card and a handmade ornament. The students hope that their kind words and artwork will make someone’s Christmas a little brighter.
Stephanie, Grade 5 student at St. David School.Volunteers Nathan and Annette from Extended Care York accept the cards from St. David students Folabori, Jax and Jahnia.
St. Anne Angels Give Back to the Community
This year, St. Anne students are giving back throughout the Advent season! The school is working together to collect winter clothing for adults for the warming centre at the YMCA, as well as canned food items and monetary donations for the Sudbury Food Bank. The school is amazed at the level of dedication staff and students are showing to the campaigns and to giving back!
Students have been collecting for two separate campaigns throughout the month!
Marymount Students Continue to Support the Blue Door Kitchen with Advent Campaign
This year, the MC3 (Marymount Catholic Charities Council) has committed to supporting the Blue Door Soup Kitchen through a number of campaigns. Marymount has a long tradition of supporting the Blue Door soup kitchen, having sent volunteers there every other week for almost 10 years. As a result of the pandemic, their connection to the Blue Door Soup Kitchen has changed but not stopped. With increasing financial and social problems, the number of clients at the Soup Kitchen has increased dramatically in recent months. Marymount has committed to continue to support those in need right here in our community. They have run one fundraiser already (“Have a snack, Give a snack”), where students bought treats and made a donation to the Soup Kitchen. They are now running a Wellness Items campaign to collect goodies for Christmas and necessary wellness items (warm accessories, toiletries, etc.) to ensure that everyone has some light and merriness during this difficult time.
“In times like these, one of the most important parts of our lives is community. So, I am extremely proud to see the efforts put in by not only students but members of the community who have come together to help the Blue Door Soup Kitchen and our fellow community members in need,” said MC3 member Mekaela Raymond.
Advent is in Full Swing at St. Charles College
The grade 7/8 music students at St. Charles College have been learning to play the ukulele this fall and they are now incorporating Christmas carols in their repertoire.
Under the direction of Mrs. Urso, the students have been learning the festive staple “Jingle Bells” and now they are going with the Hawaiian classic “Mele Kalikimaka”.
The music is projected onto the Smartboard rather than the use of individual sheet music pages to keep things neat, clean and organized.
At the secondary level, Ms. Coyle’s music class has also been practicing carols on their percussion, wind and brass instruments.
Music students at St. Charles College.
Catholic Education Centre Raises $1300 for the Edgar Burton Food Drive!
The Catholic Education Centre at the Sudbury Catholic District School Board has raised a total of $1300 in canned goods and monetary donations to support the Edgar Burton Food Drive. The donations will be given to the Sudbury Food Bank to help replenish their stock and support those who will utilize their services this Christmas.
The group originally had a goal of $600 but this was quickly surpassed during the two-week campaign!
Our receptionist Maria presents the cheque to members of the Canadian Armed Forces.
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The Life skills students at St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School truly embody what it means to be of service to others. The class has been focused on learning about the meaning of Advent and why it is important to give back to others at Christmas. The group has been putting together bags for the neonatal unit at the hospital to help support families. They have also been creating special wreaths to give to their own families. Through a business grant, the class is able to create and sell products such as candles. Students learn about how to create and run a business and maintain all aspects including the budget, product and sales.
“Our focus right now is on kindness, giving back and being a service to others. With the pandemic still at the top of mind, everyone needs a little extra cheer and I think it is important for the students to see that,” said Pam Colasimone classroom teacher.
Students work together to produce items for their business and to give back to others.
The Ministry of Education website states that: “Parent engagement matters. Study after study has shown us that student achievement improves when parents play an active role in their children’s education, and that good schools become even better schools when parents are involved. It is recognized that parent engagement is a key factor in the enhancement of student achievement and well-being.” At Sudbury Catholic we completely agree and support the involvement of our parents/guardians at both the school and system levels. We value their input and feedback on how we can improve processes and provide better support for their children (our students). I am confident in saying that we have amazing and supportive parents who contribute directly to the success of our system.
While this blog highlights some of these practices, it is but a very small snapshot of the difference they make through their involvement on our Catholic School Councils, Parent Involvement Committee, volunteering, supporting the learning at home and responding to the many demands placed on them every day. We thank them for choosing Sudbury Catholic as their system of choice and for all of their efforts. We could not do it without them! I also want to extend my thanks to our teachers, administrators and staff for valuing the role of parents and for always looking to new ways to communicate with them and to involve them in the teaching and learning process.
St. Charles College Teachers Use Virtual Tools to Increase Engagement with Parents and Guardians
Many teachers at St. Charles College are using Google classroom to engage students, as well as parents in the learning process. Many staff have added parent emails to their portal so that guardians receive a weekly report complete with assignments and up-to-the-minute feedback and marks.
It is no secret that everyone has had to make shifts in how they work in a pandemic and while there are many hurdles – parent engagement has become somewhat stronger in the virtual environment.
Parents/guardians were recently invited to participate in phone-in parent teacher interviews. Appointments were booked virtually using signupgenius.com and teachers called all the signed up parents on November 18th. The interviews are just another example of how teachers are connecting with parents and students in a virtual environment due to the pandemic.
Mrs. Oppedisano logs onto her Google classroom to post an assignment for students. Mrs. Mansourian, a grade 7 teacher at St. Charles College speaks with a parent during parent teacher interview night on November 18th.
Holy Trinity Teacher Finds Creative Ways To Engage Students and Parents Online
Jenny Chevrier’s Grade 4/5 French Immersion class have been posting and sharing their work and evaluations online through Class Dojo and Google Classroom rather than bring paper copies home and to school each day.
The students have been enjoying taking selfies with their work and sharing assessments with their parents/guardians. The parents/guardians “sign” the assessment by providing positive feedback and encouragement for their child. The students eagerly await their parent’s comments throughout the school day which can be viewed directly on their post! Parents have enjoyed being able to post encouraging words on their child’s work and are appreciative of the virtual tools provided. Even a few grandparents have shared words of encouragement for their grandchildren!
A student displays her work online to her parents.
Catholic Parent Council Assists in branding Mission, Vision and Values at Marymount Academy
Parent engagement remains an important asset to the Marymount Academy community this school year. The school believes that when students feel that their parents/guardians are included in conversations relating to academics, school life or emotional/social well-being, it fosters a stronger sense of belonging at the school.
Marymount strives to continually include parents in discussions about school improvement planning, activities occurring within the school, social media posts and possible changes to the uniform policy. This year, during Catholic School Council meetings, parents were asked to provide feedback on what we can do to improve the life of a student at Marymount Academy. In consultation with parents, students and staff, the school proudly unveils their new Mission, Vision and Values.
Marymount Academy’s mission, vision and values.
Co-Chairs at St. Charles Elementary School Encourage Others to Get Involved!
Amanda Hayward and Julie Brazier are the current Co-Chairs for the Catholic School Council at St. Charles in Chelmsford. Both parents feel that it is important to be a part of their child’s Catholic School Council in order to stay connected to the school and act as an advocate for children and for their fellow parents.
Amanda originally got involved with the Catholic School Council because she wanted to better understand the school, administration and processes and understand how to better support her three children. Julie has seen first hand how valuable volunteering at schools can be and the positive impact it can have on families and on the school community as a whole.
“Parent involvement has improved the overall environment at St. Charles,” Julie explains. “There is a real sense of collaboration where you are able to bring ideas to your school that other parents may have shared or from things learned outside of school.”
The Catholic School Council has helped organize events such as pancake breakfasts, welcome to Kindergarten nights and movie nights. The Council has also used funds to help purchase new sport uniforms, sound systems and even completed a bathroom stall makeover a couple of years ago. In addition, Amanda and Julie both sit on the Parent Involvement Committee and attend conventions organized by OAPCE (The Ontario Association of Parents in Catholic Education) where they are able to learn from other parents and administration and bring back even more ideas to their school. Amanda encourages other parents to get involved with their Catholic School Council and make a difference!
“What I have learned is how much the school and teachers value your input as a parent. When you’re part of a Catholic School Council, you learn so much about your child’s school and you learn how to better support them and their goals. Your school is what you make of it and I enjoy being part of this team of difference makers,” she said.
Amanda Hayward and Julie Brazier serve as the Co-Chairs for the St. Charles School Catholic School Council.
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Shannon Morin and Paola Stefanuto serve as Chair and Vice Chair of the Parent Involvement Committee (PIC).
PICs are an important advisory body to the school board.They support student achievement and well-being by getting parents more involved in their children’s learning by:
providing information and advice to the district school board on parent engagement and ways to communicate with parents
developing ways the board could use to help more parents support their children’s learning at home and at school
sharing information with and supporting the work of school councils. School councils focus on an individual school;
Shannon and Paola believe that by getting involved they are also motivating students to do better at school, encourage them to help out with in school activities like charity fundraisers or running in school programs like the healthy snack programs. Sudbury Catholic has a very active PIC and this year they are once again planning to provide online parent involvement sessions. Based on a parent survey sent in November, these sessions respond to the areas identified as important by our parents and will include Cyber safety, mental health and how to help your child in future career choices.
“All children need to learn how to read, do math and be successful in school, some children may have an easier time than others. The more we get involved the easier it is for those kids who struggle to find confidence in themselves,” Paola explains.
“I am involved with PIC because I want my children to see that you can make a difference by volunteering within our school communities. It’s great to be part of a collaborative team of leaders who also share that common goal!” Shannon says.
Paola Stefanuto serves as the Vice Chair of the Parent Involvement Committee. Shannon Morin has three daughters and is the current Chair of the Parent Involvement Committee.
As we come to the end of October, we extend our thanks to our students, staff, and families for their continued support and commitment to keeping each other safe during these unprecedented times.
We continue to be thankful to our school communities. Our staff for showing creativity, resilience and innovation and our students for their hard work and dedication. This month, we are excited to share with you the amazing work taking place in our secondary classrooms. There are many examples of effective, innovative and engaging practices taking place throughout each of our schools and this blog highlights a few of those.
The following video provides a brief demonstration of what a secondary classroom set up might look like in our schools. Here we have Bishop Alexander Carter Teacher, Mr. Steve Facchini teaching a Math class. An excellent example of effective practice.
https://vimeo.com/472330080/7fda460001
Bishop Alexander Carter Teacher Incorporates Meditation and Kahoot to Engage Students
Lori Roy is a teacher at Bishop Alexander Carter. She has tried various practices to help engage her students learning in-class and remotely. She meditates with her students everyday and shares the meditation video with the remote students. Many students have expressed that the meditation has been very beneficial to their well-being. Students have also enjoyed the use of Kahoot where students in class and remotely can eagerly participate.
Lori also tries to take her students outside for a few minutes each class so that they are able to get some fresh air. Periodic breaks during class are very important to re-energize and help students maintain their focus.
To help engage parents and guardians, Lori has added them to the Google Classroom where she is able to send updates and other important information.
“I was having trouble forming bonds in the first week but having a little informal chat time, a meditation or a fun engaging game has helped us become a closer community,” she said.
Students studying in-class and remotely have benefited from meditation videos and engaging in virtual activities.
St. Benedict Teachers and Students Collaborate to Create an Inclusive Learning Environment
To properly adhere to the physical distancing requirements, teachers have had to rethink their pedagogy at a time when physical collaboration among students is not possible. In order to do this, many creative educators have worked to leverage digital collaboration tools to facilitate synchronous learning.
“Building community and getting remote students to participate when they are anxious or shy has certainly been a challenge,” says Amanda Barry, a secondary teacher currently teaching senior social science and English at St. Benedict. “My students and I are experimenting with a lot of tools and strategies. They don’t always work perfectly, but when they do, we get a glimpse of what hybrid learning has the potential to be,” she said.
Amanda has worked to get remote learners to collaborate with in-class learners through the use of shared Google platform features like Google Docs, Google Slides, and Google Jamboard for both group work assignments and collaborative writing during lessons. Students have even worked together in their hybrid groups to present slides by taking turns sharing their screens through Google Meet and speaking to the class both from home and from within the classroom. According to Amanda, students have even shared their screens and phoned into the class on speakerphone to display and explain their slideshows when experiencing mic issues. “It sometimes amazes me to see how resourceful and flexible we’ve all become throughout this process and we’re definitely having some fun with it too!” she said.
At the start of each lesson, distance learning students are expected to join a class Google Meet posted by their teacher each day in their Google Classroom. Amanda says that she shares her screen to display her lesson while students ask questions and participate in class discussions using the chat. She also recommends having a willing in-class student join the meet to act as the chat moderator to read and alert her to incoming questions and discussion contributions she might miss while she is teaching.
“It’s far from perfect, but we’re all trying our best to make it work.”
Amanda has also invited virtual guests to speak to her classes. Last month, Dominic Beaudry, SCDSB’s FMNI Language Facilitator, joined the class Google Meet to provide some Indigenous perspective on human development and stages of life growth. In-class and remote learners joined the Meet to ask Mr. Beaudry questions while he presented from his classroom at St. James School in Lively.
Amanda has been known to quote (and have her English class write in response to) Winston Churchill’s words as he worked to form the United Nations after WWII: “Never let a good crisis go to waste.”
Just Another Science Experiment for Science Lead at St. Charles College
Cara Whalen has been balancing remote learning simultaneously with in-class learning for more than a month and a half now with her grade 12 college and university Chemistry classes at St. Charles College.
The move hasn’t been an easy transition but she is making the best of it using her laptop to screenshare her SMART board and an iPad camera to share video, both over Google Meet.
While Cara agrees the transition took hard work and was time consuming, the learning has led to a number of positive outcomes such as a paperless classroom, and improved work submission. “I like that the online environment keeps track of all their assignments which has led to greater student organization,” she said.
Students in class and online receive the same instruction during lessons, and for the most part complete the same activities and assignments regardless of their learning modality. Cara says: “Chemistry is very much about doing, and while remote learners cannot access all of the lab equipment available at school, I try as much as I can to show them reaction demonstrations as they happen, or provide virtual simulations of labs to fill the gap.” To demonstrate their understanding of molecular bonding and shapes, students at home and in class both built 3D models out of foam balls to help them visualize the shapes the molecules take.
As far as the remote students specifically, Whalen says “The synchronous model allows remote learners to be a part of real-time teaching. They can ask and answer questions along with the rest of the class, watch reaction demonstrations as they happen, and feel a part of the in-person class experience as much as possible.”
Teachers are ensuring that videos and demonstrations are shared both in-class and to remote learners so that everyone is able to participate.
Marymount Academy Students Get Creative with Virtual Classes
Mrs. Jolanta Tourville is getting creative with her parenting class at Marymount. She has created the baby shower assignment to engage both in-class and remote students. Students had to create a baby shower invitation, a decoration, and a COVID friendly game for the upcoming event.
Jolanta believes it is incredibly important to create a sense of community even if some learners are not physically in the same classroom. During her lessons, she tries to develop a trusting relationship with each student. She takes the time to establish that trust regardless of whether they are studying in-class or remotely. Students need to know that their teachers really care about them as individuals and have their best academic and social interests at heart.
“I solicit feedback from students regularly to find out how they are experiencing their online learning. The remote students were so excited to participate in all the baby shower activities and were engaged throughout the whole process,” she said.
Trying to optimize social interaction and checking for understanding throughout the process is also very important. Jolanta ensures she allows opportunities for students to interact with one another, share ideas and work to solve a problem. Jolanta enjoys working alongside her fellow teachers to see what they are doing to assist their own learners.
“It is so nice to work alongside my colleagues where we bounce ideas off of each other. We talk about what is working with the remote platform and what is not working, especially when it comes to assessment” said Mrs. Tourville. “Now, more then ever, it is important to share ideas as well as our success stories and even failures.”
Remote and in-class students were able to contribute to the baby shower assignment.
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Top Row Left to Right: Ashton Bertrand BAC, Sierra Boyuk BAC, Mckayla Cayen BAC, Grace Craig MMA, Piper Lehtimaki Croisier MMA,
Middle Row Left to Right: Sabrina Crossthwaite SCC, Savannah Crossthwaite SCC, Vanessa Ferrucci MMA, Loren Geick BENS, Kylie MacGregor BAC
Bottom Row Left to Right: Rosaria Nero BENS, Jennifer Qiu MMA, Brianna Ritchie SCC, Shayla Villeneuve BENS, Emma Whitton SCC
Our Student Senate for the 2020-2021 school year consists of 15 students from our four secondary schools.
Overall, members of the Student Senate believe that their school communities are adapting to the new mode of learning. Through the hybrid -synchronous learning model, students feel they are benefiting from the flexibility and accessibility that the technology offers and enjoy viewing the curriculum at the touch of their fingers. Many students also feel that they are able to be more independent and build important skills needed to be successful in post-secondary studies and beyond. Members of the Student Senate are not only busy with their studies but they are also working together to build community within their schools.
The Student Council at St. Benedict has moved to a digital approach, allowing them to meet online through MS Teams. Rosaria Nero, Student Trustee and Student Council President for St. Benedict has enjoyed the more collaborative nature of these meetings and looks forward to watching her fellow students come together. The group is looking forward to planning future spirit days and sharing acts of kindness to help honour support staff and their hard working bus drivers. Students are also enjoying working with their guidance teachers who are ensuring crucial information such as university information and application dates are sent to students through the Remind App and Google Classroom.
“This is a new learning experience for everyone and the support from our school and the school board has been truly overwhelming. Together, we are working to be part of a change that will revolutionize the way students learn.” Said Rosaria Nero, Student Trustee.
Below shows an example of what Google Classroom looks like for a Grade 12 student at St. Benedict School.
Bishop Alexander Carter students have been thoroughly impressed with their teachers’ approach to classroom learning. They feel that their teachers have done a great job at supporting both remote learning and in-class learners and ensuring that everyone gets the extra help they need.
An in-class grade 11 student Mikayla Riddle stated, “I like going to school every day because there is face to face interaction with other people and I feel more engaged in the conversation.”
Students participating in the BEST program have enjoyed the opportunities their school made possible including completing classes outside, introducing power yoga and inviting guest speakers. Students hope to work together to organize school initiatives during the year that abide by proper health and safety protocols.
Students at St. Charles College would normally be hosting their biggest fundraiser of the Fall, their Canned Food Drive in support of the Sudbury Food Bank. Students and staff were passionate about finding an alternative way to support the cause and started a mask campaign where students and staff can purchase their own Cards themed mask for $20. While the school adjusts to new routines, students and staff are hopeful that they will continue to find new ways to bring the school community together such as virtual pep rallies.
Students at Marymount Academy have not let the changes to their school and classrooms deter them from giving back to their community. Unable to support the Blue Door Kitchen in traditional ways, students are working together to plan safe fundraisers that all students can participate in such as their virtual movie night fundraiser and their Buy A Snack Give a Snack fundraiser. Vanessa Ferrucci, a student at Marymount Academy, says students are also excited about the launch of the school’s brand new app. This platform allows students and parents to get daily updates on things happening within the school along with reminders to pay for dress-down days and various other events. Vanessa says that it’s important to also include remote learning students in their plans.
“The app is a great example of how anyone can feel connected to the school, whether they are learning in-class or remotely. We are trying to come up with more ways we can involve the remote students as our fundraising campaigns continue throughout the year,” she said.
Below are some snap shots inside the new Marymount App!
While this year has not been without its challenges, Student Senate members all agreed that they look forward to the remainder of the school year and to the new opportunities ahead.
