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.