Here we are in the last week of school for the 2017-2018 school year and I am working on our final blog for the year.  We have accomplished so much this year including the launch of our new strategic mission, vision, values and pathways. This blog is reserved as a celebration of some of these accomplishments.  Featured are stories that demonstrate our achievements in many areas including highlighting the accomplishments of some of our grads.  Our accomplishments are measured by the success of our students and we have much to be proud of.  I would also like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your many contributions.  We are a team (parents, educators, support staff, students, administrators, trustees) in which each member plays an important role in creating the conditions for student success. The stories this month have been organized to demonstrate how we are supporting the achievement of our strategic pathways.  Wishing you all a well-deserved break this summer.  I hope that you are able to take some time to relax, refresh and rejuvenate.  I look forward to our continued work in September.  Thank you for all that you do!

Strategic Pathway #1: We are called to strengthen our faith-based, inclusive and equitable community.

Chairperson’s Award Recipients Chosen for 2018

Our three recipients for this year’s Chairperson’s Award fully embody the Board’s vision as leaders in learning and faith. They strive to support their school community in any way they can and have helped to shape the unique culture present within their schools. Deacon Steven Callaghan is the chaplain at St. Charles College and also serves as Deacon at his home parish of St. Kevin’s. Steven leads two Antioch retreat weekends annually. These provide leadership opportunities, often resulting in changed lives for many of our students. Steven reaches out to marginalized students and gives them a voice and promotes and nurtures the faith life which is fundamental to our Board. Julie Hammond is the administrative assistant at St. David’s school. Julie is the first person that greets all who enter St. David. She is warm, inviting, genuinely caring and concerned for the well-being of all. She embraces Catholic values and models them on a daily basis in all of her actions and interactions. Paola Stefanuto of Holy Cross Catholic Elementary is a lunch room supervisor and parent extraordinaire. She wears many hats at Holy Cross, including: parent, volunteer, lunch supervisor, book fair chairperson, snack coordinator, chair of the fun fair committee, parent council member, and helps run the Christmas concert silent auction. She is a passionate fundraiser for the school, always looking for opportunities to provide the school with funds for new equipment, books, or learning materials.

Congratulations to all three recipients and thank you for being leaders in learning and faith!

Retirees and 25 Year Employees Honoured at annual dinner

Our annual Retirement Dinner was held on May 31, 2018. Together, we honoured those employees who have given 25 years of service and those who are retiring this year. It was an opportunity to recognize those individuals who have made and will continue to make a difference in helping to make Sudbury Catholic Schools, the wonderful organization that it is. We wish those who are retiring continued success in this next phase of their lives!

Strategic Pathway #2:  We are called to promote innovation.

Secondary Students Dominate at Skills Ontario Competition

Sudbury Catholic Schools were well represented in this year’s Skills Ontario Competition. Listed below are the students who participated in this year’s events:

St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School: Cameron Howe and Carter Poirier (Carpentry team of 2) mentored by teacher John Doyon and Aivan Apan (Culinary Arts) mentored by Mike Sipos.

St. Charles College: Anthony Sherrington (Automotive Service Technician) mentored by William Duncan.

We are very pleased to highlight that St. Benedict’s Cameron Howe and Carter Poirier brought back a Gold medal in the Carpentry team of 2 competition under the supervision of teacher John Doyon.  Congratulations and thank you to all involved in making this opportunity available to our students! Special thanks is extended to Michel Grandmont for being a great champion of our students and programs. 

The future looks bright – what our Grads will be up to next year!

Our secondary schools are filled with bright, young students eager to take on the world. As we approach the end of the school year we wanted to share what some of the students from the 2018 Graduating class will be up to next year!

St. Benedict student will make her mark in Ottawa

Laura Rinaldi currently works in Paul Lefebvre’s, office MP for Sudbury since accepting a summer student contract last year.  She assists people with passport applications and other matters related to the federal government.

Come this fall, she will be moving to Ottawa to study Public Affairs and Policy Management (PAPM) at Carleton University. The four-year program will include a paid co-op in her second year which will allow her to work on Parliament Hill— one of her post-secondary career aspirations. 

Laura is very fortunate to have received two scholarships: one from the PAPM program for having a high school average of over 95 percent.  The other scholarship is the Richard Lewar Scholarship, a prestigious scholarship in the amount of $21, 500 for students who are highly involved and have top academic marks.

“I have a collage of pictures from high school memories like semi, athletic banquet with room for grad and prom pictures this year.  I plan to hang it near my bed to showcase the people who helped me along the way,” Laura Rinaldi.  She will be missed and the students and staff at St. Benedict wish her the best of luck!

Marymount students to shine bright in the Fall

Marymount Academy has an exceptional group of grads once again this year, these are just two examples! Student President Dayna Rachkowski, received a President’s Scholarship at Guelph University for $42,000! She will be taking the Environmental Governance program in the Fall. 
 
The Girls’ Athletic Association President, Carlie Parker, received a President’s Scholarship from Guelph University for $20,000, where she will study Human Kinetics! ““I’ve always been the type of person who thrives in the midst of challenge and change. I’m excited to begin a new chapter of my life in a new city and school. This experience will give me the opportunity to grow and fuel the passion I have for my future.” – Carlie Parker.

Good luck to both grads, we know you’ll go on to do amazing things!

Bishop Grad receives hockey scholarship in Minnesota

Parker Savard, a Grade 12 grad at Bishop Alexander Carter has received a sports scholarship for hockey and will be attending Dakota County College in Minnesota.  He will be enrolling in the Sports Management program.  Parker started his hockey career with the Nickel City Sons and moved up to play for the Sudbury Wolves Major Midget AAA team for the past two years.  Most recently he played for the Sudbury Wolves where he was selected 86th in the U-18 draft.

His talent in athletics also extends into baseball and he has played for the Sudbury Voyager U18 team for 2 years as well as the Ontario Yankees Baseball in Ajax Ontario.  While attending Bishop, Parker participated in the Bishop Elite Sports Training (BEST) program as well as the Specialist High Skills Major in Fitness.  Parker has proven that he has the ability to balance the workload of playing Elite AAA hockey while maintaining academic excellence. Way to go Parker!

St. Charles College student has big dreams!

Max Cull is a graduate at St. Charles College. During his time, he fully embraced the school community, participating in sports teams, clubs and theatre productions. As part of the curling team, he was able to see three City Championships be won. He was also able to compete in the Canadian Championships in 2017 and 2018 as part of the Northern Ontario team. He acted in school plays in leading roles in all four years of his high school career. Max loved learning, and especially loved participating in his biology classes. He will be moving on to Laurentian University, studying biomedical biology. He hopes to one day attend medical school and be a doctor! Max has this to say about being involved in your school: “Get involved! That’s the best way to get the best experience. Get involved with different clubs and sports teams, meet new people and be a part of the school community!” Good luck in the future, Max!

Strategic Pathway #3: We are called to advance leadership and learning for all.

Marymount Academy walk, bikes and runs to raise funds!

Marymount Academy loves being involved in the community! They held their first ever Walk, Bike or Run event on Saturday May 5 at Kivi Park alongside Maison McCulloch Hospice. The event was a lot of fun and a huge success, bringing in $11, 432 in funds. It was then matched through the generosity of Lily Fielding, bringing the total to $23,000! Funds raised will be split between Marymount and the Hospice. Amazing work Regals!

Sudbury Catholic Schools take a stand against cancer!

Both St. Charles College and St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School held events this past month that helped provide funds and support for cancer.

St. Charles College completed their first ever Cards Crush Cancer event in support of the Northern Cancer Foundation! The school raised funds by selling custom made t-shirts and bracelets. Students participated in a day of fun and games, while giving back to the worthy cause and learning about the importance of giving. The event brought in over $12,000 to go toward the cause!

Laura Rinaldi, a grade 12 St. Benedict student organized her very first Relay for Life in support of the Canadian Cancer Society on June 1. Students, teachers and our grade 6’s from Holy Cross came out to show their support and commitment to beat cancer! The group was able to raise $4408 to go toward cancer research and treatment!

Elementary Schools jump for a cause!

Many of our elementary schools participated in their annual Jump Rope for Heart events! Students gathered together for a day of fun with their classmates, all while raising money for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Our students love being outside and having fun with their classmates.

Some standout fundraisers include Holy Trinity and St. Paul school who both had excellent turnouts and participation! Great work from all participating schools, you have proven that Sudbury Catholic Schools are full of heart!

Get to know us!

Graduation is a special time for our staff, our students and our families. This month, it is my privilege to introduce to you our very first graduates from our International Student program!

Xuan (Loc) Tran arrived at St. Charles College in 2017. He completed two semesters throughout the 2017-2018 school year and has really enjoyed the overall experience! He loved being able to work on his English proficiency skills and participating in advanced math classes such as advanced functions and calculus. The staff and students at St. Charles College have provided a welcoming environment for Loc to learn in! In his spare time, Loc liked to explore the outdoors with his host family. Loc graduated this month, and is entering post-secondary education in the Fall, where he will study at Fanshawe in the Electrical Engineering Technician program.

Khoa Pham began his journey with Sudbury Catholic Schools in February 2016 at St. Benedict School. He completed three semesters with us so far. He really enjoyed learning about science, especially physics because of its hands-on learning environment. Khoa thoroughly enjoyed his experience at St. Benedict, where he created lifetime friendships with his classmates.

He loved the supportive atmosphere that the teachers and staff at St. Benedict provided and enjoyed being able to explore Sudbury. Some of his favourite memories include completing an Outdoor Education canoe trip in the French River area, and camping with his host family (the Bennetts) on Long Lake. Khoa will be returning in the Fall at St, Benedict to complete a semester before attending Seneca College for the Computer Support Technician program.