The Sudbury Catholic District School Board is committed to providing a safe and welcoming environment where students and staff can thrive while maintaining positive mental health and wellbeing. Through initiatives such as Bell Let’s Talk, Bullying Awareness Day and regular activities like universal classroom sessions, that are created for building capacity and using a common language, staff, students, and families can develop the tools they need to achieve success personally, emotionally, and academically. Please save the date for upcoming parent/educator sessions held by Zoom from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. – March 23 with Dan Pehar on Cybersafety; May 3rd with Sam Demma – Small Actions can Make a Big Impact; and May 18 – Mental Health and Wellbeing. Details will be posted at sudburycatholicschools.ca

Connecting Virtually

The Mental Health Commission of Canada has indicated that winter can often be a difficult time for different people with the ongoing challenges of cold weather and the holiday season. With COVID-19 affecting how we live and learn, this time of year may be even more difficult. Keeping these challenges in mind it is essential to support our community and provide opportunities to connect and address mental health and well-being. Throughout the months of January and February, we have offered engaging webinars and virtual presentations, along with many events and practices that took place in our schools. 

Coping with Stress Wellness Webinar 

On Wednesday, Jan 19, SCDSB hosted a wellness webinar. At this presentation, two guest presenters, Alina Rukkila MSW, RSW and Jessie Jones CYW, discussed dealing with the different types of stress and provided healthy coping strategies that individuals could use to help them cope successfully. Though stress has a connotation of being negative, this presentation helped demonstrate that this is not always the case. We explored positive types of stress that can help with focus, motivation, and goal setting; and harmful types of stress that cause a whirlwind of negative emotions, leaving us feeling overwhelmed and emotionally and physically vulnerable. Ultimately, the presentation effectively demonstrated the importance of identifying the causes of daily stress and offered coping strategies that our community can incorporate to improve how we manage it in life.

Bell Let’s Talk Day 

The Mental Health Team provided school resources and opportunities to encourage educators to participate in initiatives that tackle and address the importance of Mental Health. On January 26th, 2022, our schools participated in Bell Let’s Talk Day – an awareness day centred on helping to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health. 

Bell Let’s Talk Day aims to help create a safe place for students and staff to join the conversation on talking about mental health and how it impacts us. At Sudbury Catholic Schools, we emphasize the importance of talking about mental health and well-being as a year-round topic. We use Bell Let’s Talk Day as a platform to help demonstrate the services students can access and what we continue to provide within our schools to bring greater awareness towards Mental Health no matter the time of year. 

In preparation for the day, the Board’s entire Mental Health and Wellness team came together to create a video and toolkit with various activities and helpful resources for schools to use throughout the week. The video and toolkit provided an excellent learning opportunity for staff and students that helped further educate them on how to speak and address situations with respect to other people’s thoughts, feelings, and needs.

St. Benedict Makes Wellness Toolboxes for Bell Let’s Talk Day 

In preparation for and celebration of Bell Let’s Talk Day, Mr. Trudeau and Ms. Caldwell’s Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe language) classes created “Wellness Toolboxes.” These boxes were filled with “tools” such as messages and images that were made to help raise students’ spirits when they were not feeling well. 

In addition to this, each Friday leading up to Bell Let’s Talk Day, their classes participated in discussions and activities around health using a Medicine Wheel model. The Medicine Wheel represents the four areas of our health: Mental, Spiritual, Emotional, and Physical. The Medicine Wheel teaches students about walking the earth peacefully and helps to pursue healthy minds. The class began by focusing on the “Medicine Wheel Within”. It reflected on the good habits that help them maintain balance and wellness, and later, students wrote what they appreciated about one another. Other classes at St. Benedict participated in mindful activities such as colouring, drawing, as well as creating kindness walls with uplifting posters that provided suggestions on things people can do that is good for their health and well-being.

Holy Cross Students Stay Positive for Bell Let’s Talk Day! 

For Bell Let’s Talk Day, Holy Cross embraced and explored new ideas for staying positive and hopeful. Based on the book “How to Get Unstuck from the Negative Muck” by Lake Sullivan, Holy Cross School engaged students in a school-wide effort that supported students from FDK and grades 1-6 to explore what keeps them positive when they are stuck in a negative rut—in other words, stuck in bad thoughts. In addition to creating excellent mind maps, students also had the opportunity to make posters, videos and morning announcements on the topic. 

Sudbury Catholic Schools Practice Mindfulness!

Mindfulness helps students take time to pause, improves their concentration and emotional intelligence and helps them to have a greater ability to relate to others and oneself with kindness, acceptance and compassion. Our schools strive to create different activities that practice mindfulness. Here we provide a sample of those activities:

Holy Trinity

Madame Chanda’s Grade 1/2 FI class learned and put into practice a few healthy strategies to help improve their mental health. The class participated in therapeutic drawing, listened to relaxing music, while discussing mindfulness and why it is important to have time for oneself. 

St. John

Grade 2 Students at St. John discussed stress while making their own homemade stress balls. By working together, they were able to help relieve tension and give them a tool to reduce stress.  

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St. David

St. David encouraged students to practice mindfulness by introducing a variety of self-aware activities. In Kindergarten students took time to pause their growing bodies and brains by meditating. Older students in Ms. Bowles’s class participated in beading projects that helped students clear their minds and focus on using motor skills and creativity to complete a fun task. Beading activities were also completed in kindergarten as well.

“Beading supports the development of fine motor skills, visual perception, visual motor, and cognitive skills and provides students with a sense of accomplishment and pride of workmanship. As students have really enjoyed the opportunity of becoming more mindful through these different activities, our school is looking forward to offering more experiences like this in the future.” – Dawn Marie Wemigwans, St. David Principal

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Student Senate Introduces Fulfilling February Campaign

Throughout the month of February, the Sudbury Catholic District School Board Student Senate members have been busy sending school ideas for their latest campaign and feel-good initiative… “Fulfilling February.”

The Fulfilling February Campaign is a weekly social media campaign that helps to inspire individual action in areas such as healthy eating, exercise, reading, self-care and personal wellness.

The initiative was created with the intention to provide inspiration to our secondary school students by giving them different ideas they can do for themselves throughout the month of February to ‘feel good’. The initiative is shared through social media along including the Student Senate’s Instagram and Twitter accounts and took place Monday to Friday every week.

Fulfilling February Posts

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Helping Learners Reach Their Potential by Encouraging Positivity in the Classroom

Sudbury Catholic District School Board takes the role of physical, emotional, social, intellectual and spiritual health and development seriously. To succeed in the classroom, an education must encourage and support students in understanding that they are their own person with their own gifts that make them unique. To do this, our schools create learning experiences that expose students to the world’s beauty, helping them understand the endless opportunities that await them.

Holy Trinity Kindergarten Students Learn About Growth Mindset

This month, Mrs. Yasko, Mr. Vicedomini & Ms. Casey’s Kindergarten class at Holy Trinity School introduced the “Growth Mindset” concept. This model was put in place to help their young learners better understand their own capabilities and encourage them to put forward their best effort when dealing with new classroom challenges.

To do this, the school’s educators have transformed their classroom environment, using phrases , reading uplifting and encouraging stories such as ‘Giraffe’s Can’t Dance’, and portraying themes such as self-esteem, teamwork, and encouragement.

Sometimes we focus on factors that limit us rather than what makes us special and unique. Even when we struggle, we should remember that we are all God’s children. Through these opportunities we help all learners reach their full potential.  

“Listening to the students say ‘I can’t do it yet’ as opposed to ‘I can’t do it’ is very encouraging. A sense of confidence has started to take hold in our class. This is reinforced by the understanding that mistakes will be made, yet we can work together to create a more positive outcome. In the future, the class will focus on setting goals. We’re excitedly looking forward to seeing how these growing leaders tackle their next project.” – Domenic Vicedomini, Early Childhood Educator

Sudbury Catholic Schools Embrace Getting Outside! 

Outdoor education initiatives are essential in helping promote well-being. They have demonstrated a meaningful impact on student mental health, by lowering stress and supporting better focus. While some people embrace wintry weather naturally, others need some help to warm up to the idea. Through January and February, educators were able to further support students by creating opportunities for classes to get outside and appreciate the incredible winter landscape that northeastern Ontario offers. Schools welcomed various winter activities including:

• Snowshoeing
• Fire Building
• Snowman-Making
• Making Cedar Tea
• Forest Therapy Walks
• And More!

Picture Gallery

Marymount Academy – Adventure 2 the Yukon 2 

Built on the resounding success of last year’s challenge, and in the face of an ongoing pandemic, on Jan 14, 2022, MMA officially launched Adventure 2 the Yukon 2: The Off-Road Ultra Expedition. 

In the winter of 2021, at the height of the pandemic, Marymount’s senior leadership class created Adventure 2 The Yukon (A2Y), a school-wide challenge to promote outdoor activities and an active lifestyle. The challenge achieved resounding success, with many members of their school community joining the “travel”.

Together staff, students, parents, community and parish partners, covered the distance by participating in various outdoor activities like skiing, skating, walking, hiking, and tobogganing and then tallying up the total to virtually travel the distance.

Without any idea of how fast or far their school community could go, MMA took the most direct route from Sudbury to Whitehorse, Yukon (4890 km) and was able to accomplish their goal in three months’ time. To up the challenge this year, MMA is heading back to the Yukon, but will be travelling a bit different this year.

“As the name implies, we’re upping the challenge by taking an eastern route, through the rest of the provinces, up through the Northwest Passage, and visiting each of the territories of Canada with a brief stop in Greenland to reach Dawson City, Yukon. Last year 2/3rds of our school participated, but this year, we’re urging EVERYONE in our school to join this challenge to cover the 10935 km!” – Kim Coluzzi, MMA Vice-Principal

School members have expressed their excitement regarding the return of this school-wide challenge but have indicated it provides more than just fun.

Creating A Network of Support For Secondary Schools

Valuing academics and understanding that well-being is key to every student’s success is a priority. It’s essential to provide students with the necessary tools and resources to help support their mental health and well-being throughout the year to be the best version of themselves both in and out of the classroom. At SCDSB, we support student well-being at our Secondary Schools by creating a support community that uses different strategies, services, and activities to help empower students and staff.

St. Charles College

Our educators work tirelessly to teach students how to be responsible members of society regarding their health and well-being and how they can contribute positively to the collective health and wellness of those around them. SCC takes a holistic approach to student learning by enriching their environment through inclusive, mental, emotional, and social programs and supports. 

Recognizing the importance and the diversity of the needs of all students, the school brings forwards a specialized team that works together to ensure that the needs of all Cards are considered and met. Together the Mental Health, Indigenous and Attendance Support Workers, are here to support Cards in being the best they can be!

Mental Health Staff 

At SCC, there is a team of specialized mental health staff including Mrs. Breau, Ms. McWhinnie, and Mrs. Renaud available to discuss with educators specific student supports and to plan for social-emotional programming to be run in classrooms. 

Indigenous Support Worker 

Alongside mental health supports, the school’s Indigenous Support Worker Mrs. Dokis Gagnon provides a meaningful presence in creating a safe environment for students and staff. Her presence helps create opportunities for all indigenous and non-indigenous students to participate in group or individualized sessions that help the school grow to become more inclusive and respectful and encourage students to achieve their greatest potential. 

Attendance Support Worker 

Lastly, the school’s attendance support workers, work collaboratively to help bring all supports together and work with all staff to assist with attendance challenges they may be facing. They ensure to help students, staff, and families create supportive transition plans for safe and smooth integrations back to the classroom. 

St. Benedict – #BearsStayStrong Campaign

During remote learning, St. Benedict shared two positive quotes a day on social media to motivate students to stay strong. This initiative is a part of their #BearsStayStrong campaign, where students participate in daily spirit days and set the tone for a relaxed environment. 

Sabrina Grossi, the Mental Health Clinician at St. Benedict Secondary School, believes that it is essential to engage in initiatives like #bearsstaystrong to provide students, educators, and administrators opportunities to connect, support, and identify with one another. It builds a strong school community that allows everyone to come together, which is important in creating a healthy, supportive and prosperous school environment.

“Schools must create opportunities for students to nurture their mental health and wellness because we know they are vital in maintaining one’s overall well-being. Initiatives such as #bearsstaystrong are effective school inclusive approaches to help us foster a welcoming and supportive school environment where everyone can feel valued, heard, safe & accepted. Teaching students about mental health, giving them the skills, and providing mental health support will carry them throughout their lives, so they are equipped for whatever life brings. Additionally, it builds resilience, self-awareness and decreases the stigma around mental health.”

 “Every Day, we strive to create a culture that allows students to feel comfortable in talking about their feelings. They can email the admin team directly to share their mental health concerns and referrals can be made to a mental health clinician. The students support team which consists of the guidance resource, student success and chaplain are always available to support the mental health needs of our students.” – Merrill Sanowar, St. Benedict Vice-Principal

Mental Health and Well-Being Resources

The Board’s Learning Support Hub for educators and parents offers various resources to support students, parents, and staff in both their education and their mental health and well-being. We encourage students, families, staff, and community members to access these mental health resources and take a few minutes to discover our Hubs. 

In addition to the Learning Hubs, the Board has a dedicated Mental Health and Well-being page under Safe and Accepting Schools. Page resources consist of contact phone numbers, third-party websites, and smartphone apps that support and align with the SCDSB Mental Health Strategy and priorities. These resources are continually updated to support mental health and wellbeing for youth, families, and staff in our community. 

A Message of Gratitude

A special thank you is extended to the members of our IT department whose swift actions and preparation made the transition to remote learning possible and to our mental health and human resources teams for leading us and supporting us through this difficult time. In addition, we sincerely thank our incredible community partners, including our amazing priests, deacons, and other faith partners, who support us and help us to grow in our catholic faith. By working with one another, we have been able to contribute to the collective health and wellness of everyone around us. Thank you for all that you do. Smile it Forward Everyone!

In December, we celebrate the virtue of patience as we wait for the arrival of Jesus. We light our advent candles with anticipation, recalling the journey that Mary and Joseph experienced as they reached Bethlehem to fulfill God’s plan. December is also a time of giving back to those in our community that are in need. It is a time to be grateful for what we do have, and to strengthen the community around us. At Sudbury Catholic, we value the strong partnerships that we have with our community partners and applaud our schools for cultivating those important relationships. These connections are extremely valuable to SCDSB as they provide social and academic benefits to our students and are mutually beneficial to our schools and the community as a whole. 

We thank all of you for nurturing these relationships and express our gratitude to our many partners, who devote their knowledge and time to building lasting connections with our students and staff. Through your efforts and commitments, our learning environments are enriched, as we empower our students to excel in a changing world and learn the importance of making a difference.  You are helping us to live out our vision of Leaders in Learning and Faith. Thank you! 

Why are Community Connections Important in Schools? 

We believe the quality of education depends on the strong connections that exist between Sudbury Catholic Schools and the community. These valuable partnerships provide the opportunities and experiences children need to learn in and outside of the classroom.  We are called to advance leadership and learning, and these community connections are a critical component to this success.

Partnerships between schools and community groups present many benefits. The most striking is how these collaborative efforts enhance the learning opportunities for our students by providing resources, experiences, and environments they would not otherwise have. 

Marymount Academy – Regals Helping Women 

The Marymount Academy Catholic Charity Council started as a small group of students. However, in a few short months, it has grown to a team of 50! One of the fantastic initiatives we see this Council currently participating in is their “Regals Helping Women” campaign. 

Throughout the fall, the council has helped organize a collection campaign that partnered with The Sudbury Women’s Centre to encourage the school and neighbouring community members to donate essential hygiene products to the Centre to support women in need. 

The Sudbury Women’s Centre is a non-profit charitable organization dedicated to providing information, referral, and support services to women who have been impacted by violence and/or difficult life circumstances. Their organization believes in fostering a safe place to support women on their journey in getting from where they are to where they want to be

The Women’s Centre continues to face a critical demand for necessary items to help struggling women in Sudbury. The Centre has allowed Marymount Academy to bring greater awareness surrounding women’s issues by providing tools, resources, and support. 

Emma Godin is a grade 12 student and the Council president leading the campaign with the Women’s Centre. According to Emma, women’s issues are a primary focus in their all-girls school community, and it is their job as students to understand how they can help. 

Donation Gallery

Emma believes that students have a social responsibility to acknowledge the issues going on in the community, and to be involved, as it can also help students discover their identity and develop practical skills.

As Emma mentions, the benefits of school-community partnerships also provides professional development opportunities for students by giving them opportunities to learn from experienced professionals and real-life experts. These partnerships allow students to gain access to mentors and other resources to support their learning. 

St. Francis Catholic Elementary School – Junction Creek Stewardship Committee

This autumn, St. Francis Catholic Elementary School partnered with the Junction Creek Stewardship Committee to explore the community impact on Junction Creek and its adjoining trail system. Students walked along the creek and the trails to observe and collect data about its environment.  They are planning to continue their investigations throughout the changing seasons. 

St. Francis students have inquired about the living organisms in and around the creek and explored further by collecting water samples and participated in a garbage study to understand its impact on the creek. With the support of the Stewardship committee, students will continue to observe and experiment with the changes that occur in the creek over the various seasons.

As education continuously evolves, we understand that the knowledge-based opportunities offered through community experts allow us to better support our students and to also make a difference for others in our community.

Tree of Hope – St. Charles College

Recently St. Charles College participated in the first official, Tree of Hope, Tree Lighting for Sudbury, Ontario. This event was held in partnership with the Greater Sudbury Police services to bring awareness and recognition towards the tragic issue of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and Two-Spirit in Canada (MMIWG2S). 

Christopher Kohut’s technology class worked together with the Greater Sudbury Police and their school’s Indigenous Support Worker, Lina Dokis Gagnon to create a traditional Indigenous eight-point star to sit atop the tree in downtown Sudbury. The work conducted on the star was an opportunity for the students to learn more deeply about this problem and to address a complex issue surrounding the current situation which many Indigenous peoples face in Canada. 

Event Gallery

SCDSB – OSAID & Action Sudbury 

This past month, a collection of different students in various schools were part of the Ontario Students Against Impaired Driving (OSAID) program. Students from Marymount Academy, St. Charles College, Bishop Carter Alexander, and St. Benedict’s were hard at work with Action Sudbury to raise awareness and address the importance of safe driving.  Action Sudbury is a non-profit community organization comprised of individuals and agencies with a common goal to eliminate the tragedies caused by impaired driving.  

In addition to this, allowing students to work with other age groups and individuals that aren’t directly a part of the school community helps them grow into leaders who can work collaboratively with others to help achieve a mission and address issues facing the community. 

Photo Gallery

Parish Connections

Due to the challenges of the current pandemic, it has not been easy for us to join together. We miss our parish families visiting our schools. We miss our parish partners visiting our classrooms. Yet, faith is present!

As we move into the season of Advent, we are grateful for our parish partners, as we continue to work together remotely to share weekly virtual celebrations that mark our commitment to faith. These virtual services are co-celebrations that allow our school communities, homes, and parishioners to come together each week over Zoom and unite our efforts with a common goal of helping to spread God’s love to all.

The strong relationships we have with our parish partners continually provide opportunities for our children to grow both their faith and their life. The collaborative opportunities organized by the parish and schools build upon and extend the learning that helps celebrate our Catholic faith with students and their families wherever they may be located.

Celebrating the Holiday Season by Giving Back

We are blessed at SCDSB in so many ways. One such blessing are the ways our students, staff, administration, and schools come together to help others at this time of year. Christmas is a season of love and a season of giving. Together we can celebrate Christmas’s true meaning by participating in various charitable actions that focus on spreading cheer to those in need in our community.

St. Charles College

On December 3rd, 2021 St. Charles College concluded their annual SCC Canned Food Drive with amazing success. Their hard work and effort shone in the results, with a final total of 106,623 cans collected and $17,250 raised to help the Sudbury Food Bank. Special thanks to organizers Mrs. J. Demore, Mrs. Humphrey and Mrs. Montgomery and our students for their leadership in continuing to support this longstanding and very important tradition at SCC.

St. Benedict

St. Benedict concluded their staff Diaper Campaign on Friday, Dec 10th, with a total of 44 boxes! Special thanks to teacher John Doyon and school Chaplain Rob Pappin for their organization and leadership! The collected diapers will be donated to Pure Country’s diaper drive and passed on to the Pregnancy Care Centre, Infant Food Bank to go to families in need in our city. 

Holy Trinity & Bishop Alexander Carter

Students, staff, admin, and community members at Holy Trinity and Bishop Alexander Carter Schools filled a crib as part of their participation in the Infant Food Bank “All I Need for Christmas Campaign.” The Infant Food Bank is a not-for-profit charitable organization funded solely by individual donations and food cards from the Sudbury Food Bank. With this campaign, both the Gators and Redbirds filled cribs with baby essentials to assist the Infant Food Bank in providing for families throughout the holidays and all winter long.

Marymount Academy

December 2021 marked the 31st year Marymount Academy has held an annual Christmas dinner for the clients of SACY, aka Sudbury Action Centre for Youth. This tradition holds one of the longest on-going community relationships that Marymount has. Matthew Wiecha, a former teacher who started the initiative in 1989, believed that it taught the true meaning of Christmas to senior students and provided a much-needed service to those who might otherwise not get a Christmas dinner.

https://youtu.be/zlmZ5t0gNLk

SCDSB Student Senate

In November, the SCDSB Student Senate kicked off their Can Tab Drive.

Once a month, tabs are collected from each high school and the Board Office and dropped off at Deluxe Hamburgers. We invite the community to continue donating their tabs to help SCDSB Student Senate and Deluxe Hamburgers in this ongoing campaign. 

All proceeds from the collected tabs will be donated to Health Sciences North to support the continued services they provide to patients and people in need in our northern community.   

As we continue to celebrate how our schools have connected with the community, we thank all of Sudbury Catholic District School Board’s community partners and educators who have worked with us in supporting our students and our community. The relationships we have with our partners in the community provide a valuable opportunity to share meaningful experiences, learn from each other, and help us collectively achieve our goals and to make a difference. This blog only touched upon a fraction of the ways in which our schools contribute to the community and the amazing partnerships that continue to be nurtured.

On behalf of the Sudbury Catholic community, we wish everyone a joy filled Christmas surrounded by family and friends and many blessings in 2022. May the true spirit of Christmas fill your hearts and your homes. Merry Christmas!

2021 Christmas Artwork Contest Winners

Artwork by A. Fisher

Grade 6 Student at St. Paul

Artwork by M. Coutu

Grade 11 Student at Bishop Alexander Carter

Artwork by C. Wrigglesworth

Grade 7 Student at Marymount Academy

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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 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 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!

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“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. 

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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 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. 

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“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. 

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“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.

GO SCDSB GO! 

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, Gerry Robillard (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.

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.

Photo Gallery

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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!

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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 4^th, 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 28^th, 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!

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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!

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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!

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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!

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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.

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!

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

If you’re interested in learning more about this topic, please visit https://mentalhealthweek.ca

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.

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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.

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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.

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!

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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.

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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. 

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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.

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.

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!”

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.

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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!

Still have questions about our Kindergarten programs? Don’t hesitate to contact us at info@sudburycatholicschools.ca

https://vimeo.com/529519615/45fcad5500

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.

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!

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. 

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!

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.

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!

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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.