The Sudbury Student Services Consortium in cooperation with school bus operators invites all Kindergarten and first time bus riders to a School Bus Safety Awareness session to be held at College Boreal on 21 Lasalle Boulevard in Sudbury.
Sessions will be held on August 25 and 26, 2017. For further information and to register and secure a spot, visit http://businfo.ca/en/safety/ftr/
The Easter Bunny arrives early at St. David School
Full day kindergarten students at St. David School took the inquiry model one step further. The students and their teachers spent the morning on school trails exploring spring’s effect on our natural environment. The students participated in a hands on literacy and numeracy based activity.
Using their spatial awareness skills and their pre-reading abilities, each student located an “Easter Egg” that was created specifically for them. They explored and noted the seasonal changes happening in nature as they hunted for eggs containing special Easter treats.
Staff members took this opportunity to educate students about the dangers of fast moving water and the importance of stewardship.
St. David School reminds all families to register for the fall of 2017. (705) 674-4096, 549 Frood Rd., Sudbury, Ontario.
St. David School staff thanks 92.7 Rock and A & W
The staff at St. David Catholic School was excited and thankful to be recent recipients of “92.7 Rock Caffeine Kickstart”. Kindergarten teacher, Jennifer Gran submitted the school’s name and applied for the opportunity for her fellow staff members. Mrs. Gran shared how appreciative she and her co-workers are for the newly build school. “The school staff can always be counted on to go that extra mile. Our newly built school building now matches the vibrant energy that the staff, students and families have always carried”. All staff received warm apple turnovers and fresh coffee from A & W. Thank you Mrs. Gran, 92.7 Rock and A & W. Everyone enjoyed the nice treat!
Family reading morning at St. David School celebrates student success
All schools want family members to be active participants in their children’s education. It has been proven statistically that students with parents that take an active role in their education, achieve more and display generally more positive attitudes towards their education. Developing truly effective and equitable partnerships with families requires that school staff members work to create an educational environment that welcomes families into the school culture. Family members might also need training on how to become involved and how to reach out in supporting their children academically as well as socially and emotionally.
St. David Catholic Elementary School continues to partner with parents and family members to support student improvement in reading. Families participate in a nightly “read at home” program. This program greatly supports improved reading achievement as well as reading confidence.
St. David Catholic School hosted an annual “Family Guided Reading” morning. On this morning all families were invited into the school to participate in guided reading lessons with their children. Parents learned about how the school determines student reading levels and what reading level their child was reading at. Most importantly, the children read with their parents and conferenced about their individual reading goals.
Colin Lapalme, St. David School vice principal stated, “successful home / school relationships are built over time. The more opportunities families have to be in the school and witness for themselves the great learning that is happening each day, the more trust develops. We are appreciative of the families that come to these special mornings hosted by their children. We know the kids love having special guests in the school and we hope that the parents enjoy it as much as we do.”
Inquiry based learning in the rain at St. David School
The new St. David Catholic School is blessed to be built on a site nestled in nature. One of the school’s blessings is a natural stream that runs through the location. During the first springtime rainy day, Ms. Michel and Ms. Ross’ kindergarten class inquired about how boats float and which structure would float the fastest down the stream. Students, with support from teaching staff, built boats and floating devices for the challenge.
At St. David School, this simple kindergarten inquiry exploded into a full divisional spectators sport. Students from the other two kindergarten classes as well as the grade 1 class all gathered, some inside the school viewing through the oversized windows on the second floor and some bearing the weather to cheer on the boats outside in the rain. Secretarial and support staff also gathered for the challenge.
With the help of Mr. Lapalme, the school’s vice principal, the boat challenge was on. Students cheered and laughed as some boats got caught up on rocks and debris while other boats sailed on through towards Frood Road. Near the end, Mrs. Waugh even through some rubber duckies into the race. It was a great way to spend time outside, even on a rainy day.
The Full Day Kindergarten program at St. David Catholic School is based on the inquiry model which means that kindergarten students “drive their own learning”. Kindergarten students are encouraged to ask questions and then investigate to find answers. St. David School has also taken advantage of the school’s natural site to promote outdoor learning every chance it gets.
St. David School Kindergarten ECE, Angela Ross states, “When students are outdoors in nature surrounded by trees and rocks and even streams, they seem more invested and engaged in their learning. They are excited by nature and we count ourselves lucky each day that we are blessed with this beautiful school on such a natural site.”
St. David School families celebrate International Women's Day
International Women’s Day was celebrated on March 8 at St. David Catholic School with a special acknowledgement to women in the building who nurture and support students and their families. Grade 1 student, M’Komii-Nodin Morin and his family gifted his teacher and female staff members with flowers on this day. His family acknowledged the support and encouragement that staff members share with the children in the school.
International Women’s Day is an annual international day of recognition of women who paved the way for those to follow. This day of recognition started in the early 1900’s and continues today. The day is about unity, support and encouragement in a global context.
Ash Wednesday celebrated at St. David Catholic School
St. David Catholic School held an Ash Wednesday celebration to mark the beginning of the season of Lent. Lent is a time when Catholics prepare for Easter by fasting, repentance and moderation. In the Old Testament, people used ashes as a sign of repentance.
The students and staff of St. David Catholic School spoke about how to better walk with God in practical terms. This means being kind to each other and supporting each other in times of need. According to the school vice principal, Mr. Colin Lapalme, “As a school community, it is beautiful when we can come together and celebrate our faith”.
Local Elder Shares First Nation Culture at St. David School
Students and staff at St. David Catholic School leaned about how traditional First Nation hand drumming represents the heartbeat of mother earth. Elder, teacher, and musician, Verna Hardwick, spent the afternoon with various classes at St. David School teaching students about the importance of the drum in Indigenous cultures. Students learned new songs and had the opportunity to participate in a drumming circle. “It was a beautiful experience not only for my students, but also for myself. Mrs. Hardwick was a wonderful teacher. She encouraged the students to build their self confidence by singing and drumming proudly. She also shared traditional teachings, some Ojibwe words and phrases and most importantly stressed the importance of respect with the students and participants”, stated grade 3/4 teacher Ginny Long.
St. David School has fun with National Cupcake Day
National Cupcake Day is celebrated on February 27. This day is a great opportunity to gain awareness for the SPCA and the Humane Society and the good work they do to prevent cruelty to animals in our community. Mrs. Brenda Jack, a St. David School educational assistant, generously baked over 230 cupcakes for the staff and students at St. David Catholic School. “The cupcakes were delicious. It is nice to work with such dedicated and conscientious staff members.” stated Kacey Boulrice, Mrs. Jack’s co-worker.
According to the SPCA, they encourage everyone to… “Fight cruelty with cupcakes and “bake” a difference for animals!”
St. David School invites youth to talk about mental health
After hearing about the United Way and Sudbury Wolves partnership to support youth in our community, St. David School students had the opportunity to meet “Howler” from the Sudbury Wolves. St. David School would like to thank the Sudbury Wolves and United Way for partnering to support the youth in our community and allowing the school to be a small part of such a worthwhile, innovative initiative. “The students at St. David School love the Sudbury Wolves and when they attach themselves to supporting youth in our community it makes us all proud”, stated Maria Cimino, St. David School grade 1 teacher.
During the school visit, Sudbury Wolves tickets were given to kindergarten student Ava Demefroff and her family by Dario Zurich. Again thank you for your contribution to our community!