Sudbury Catholic Schools Stand With Ukraine!

Posted on March 15, 2022 by admin

The Sudbury Catholic District School Board was invited, along with other partners in education across the province, to take a stand on Thursday, March 10, 2022, as “#StandWithUkraine Blue and Yellow Day”. On this day, students and staff were encouraged to wear blue and yellow clothing and, where possible, donate a toonie to the “Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.”

We were grateful we could join together as a Board and take a united stance with our colleagues and students across the province by sharing our thoughts and prayers to all those affected by this ongoing tragedy. We began our day by coming together in a system-wide prayer for peace. Together, we prayed for those impacted by this invasion and for a quick resolution to the conflicts, destruction, and deaths being experienced by the people of Ukraine. We prayed for peace, and we prayed for God’s love to shine through and touch the hearts of everyone on this earth. We invite you to continue to pray with us by using our system-wide prayer.

Prayer for Ukraine

In addition to participating in the province-wide blue and yellow day, Sudbury Catholic students, staff, and families have actively created ways to support and stand with Ukraine. Schools have hopped right in to provide support by developing fundraisers, participating in various awareness activities, inciting prayer, etc. We are proud to take this time to highlight a sample of some of the different types of actions completed by members of our community.

Secondary Highlights

St. Benedict

Students in the learning support program at St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School, created Ukrainian themed keychains. After completing their keychains, these gifts were hand-delivered to members of their community.

In addition to creating Ukrainian themed keychains, St. Benedict chose to #StandWithUkraine by hosting a blue and yellow dress-down day on March 9, 2022. On this day, they managed to raise $2600 to support Ukrainian Humanitarian Efforts. We want to provide a special shout-out to the student council who originally came up with the idea of this day and members of faculty, including Joanne Burke, James MacNeil and Megan McMillan, who helped organize this effort. Fantastic job, Bears!

Marymount Academy

MMA faculty wear blue and yellow in support of Ukraine!

MMA regals wore blue and yellow in solidarity with other Catholic schools across the province, and thanks to the donations, the school raised $500 as a school community. Classes also created blue and yellow cranes to show their support.

Bishop Alexander Carter

In addition to having a dress-down day for students and staff at Bishop Alexander Carter, their school community raised donations by offering pizza concessions to help further their actions and raise even more proceeds to stand with Ukraine. All proceeds from these fundraising efforts will be donated to #HELPUKRAINENOW.

St. Charles College

Cardinals swapped their red uniform to participate in Thursday’s blue and yellow day. In addition to showing support through their clothing, students in Ms. Dzuirban’s class created a beautiful poster supporting the people of Ukraine!

Elementary Highlights

St. Paul

St. Charles

St. Francis

Students and staff at St. Francis School had a Canada Day-themed spirit day. They thought it was imperative to highlight that they stand with Ukraine as Canadians and as St. Francis Flames. Together as a school community, they jointly raised $408.00 for the families of Ukraine.

St. John

In addition to wearing blue and yellow in solidarity with other Catholic schools across the province, St. John School ran a “Popcorn for Peace” campaign from March 7 – March 10. With a goal in mind to raise $1000.00, their school community quickly jumped up, or should we say “popped up,” to meet the challenge. Offering popcorn sacks for a minimum donation of $2.00 per bag, their school community amazingly raised $1250.00 in just four days. The only thing that makes this news better is seeing so many smiling faces. Knowing this money is being donated to St. Mary’s Catholic Ukraine Church to help Ukrainian people makes us smile as well. Go, Jaguars, go!!

Students in St. John’s English FDK class created blue and yellow flags in honour of the people in Ukraine. They learned that different flags represent different places in the world and that right now, the Ukrainian flag is a symbol of people who need our prayers.

Holy Trinity

Students at Holy Trinity showed their support for friends in Ukraine during Winter Fun Day on March 10. Ms. Skelly’s class made a fantastic sign in the colours of the Ukrainian flag. A donation jar was also created in blue and yellow, resulting in a $331 donation generously brought forward by various students, staff and parents at Holy Trinty. Good job Redbirds!

Holy Cross

Holy Cross has been very busy. Grade 6 students Abigail and Sara approached the school with what they could do to help and support Ukraine, and together they put their heads together and decided that they would be able to help by constructing and selling blue and yellow hand-made bracelets and pins for their school community. This not only provided a way to raise money for donations to the cause, but it was also a visible way for Holy Cross School to stand in support of the people of Ukraine.

“I really wanted to help the people of Ukraine, and making pins and bracelets is one of the ways I knew I could help”. – Abigail Debruyn, Grade 6 student at Holy Cross

After countless hours of hard work, Abby and Sara’s beautiful bracelets and pins were up for grabs, and their fellow students were quick to swipe them. Both staff and students eagerly lined up in the front-hall entrance to make their donations. The girls also passed around the school at lunchtime to ensure everyone had an opportunity to donate and recieve a pin or bracelet. Thanks to the efforts of these extraordinary young leaders, Abby and Sarah were able to raise $2252.05 that will be donated to St. Mary’s parish, who will, in turn, donate the money to humanitarian efforts.

“I want to help in any way I can because it is the right thing to do”. – Sara Wolski, Grade 6 student at Holy Cross

In addition to Sara and Abby, students at the school continued to support the Ukraine campaign by baking and decorating cookies. The cookies were sold door to door and allowed the school to raise an additional $450 to support Ukraine. Holy Cross would like to thank everyone who took the time to generously donate.

We all have a responsibility for peace!

At Sudbury Catholic District School Board, we follow and promote the Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations. The Ontario Catholic School Graduate is a responsible citizen who gives witness to Catholic social teaching by promoting peace, justice and the sacredness of human life. This involves acting morally and legally as a person formed in Catholic traditions, witnessing Catholic social teaching by promoting equality, democracy, and solidarity for a just, peaceful and compassionate society, and respecting and affirming the diversity and interdependence of the world’s peoples and cultures.

There have been countless examples of how different communities exhibit this expectation and stand with the people of Ukraine during this time of need. It is our sincere hope that by highlighting some examples of how our schools have supported Ukraine, we can continue to work together as responsible citizens on this earth and inspire others to stand in solidarity to end the violence and suffering of the people of Ukraine.

Upon its completion, St. Charles College students proudly showed off their Stand With Ukraine poster.

Sudbury Catholic School Students Raise $3350 for Habitat For Humanity!

Posted on March 8, 2022 by admin

Last month, over 300 Sudbury Catholic School students in Grades 4-6 used their critical thinking and innovation to submit entries in the forms of essays, stories, and poems on the topic of what HOME means to them as part of the Meaning of Home Contest sponsored by Chapman’s Ice Cream.

For every entry a student submitted, Chapman’s pledged to make a $10 donation on behalf of that student to Sudbury’s local Habitat for Humanity organization to help build safe and affordable homes for families in the Greater Sudbury community.

With this contest, our students helped to build safe homes, but they also gained greater awareness surrounding the national issue of Canada’s housing crisis that so many families struggle with all over Canada. By working together to make a local difference, our students were able to see how they can contribute to building a just society for others and grow as leaders in learning and faith.

As a result of the hard work and efforts completed by staff, educators, and elementary students, Sudbury Catholic Schools collectively raised $3350 to be donated to the Local Habitat for Humanity Chapter by Chapman’s Ice Cream.

“It was exciting to provide our learners with a meaningful activity that supported them into becoming more advanced writers. These writing tasks not only challenged our students to make a difference in the world around them by thinking creatively about the topic —the meaning of home— it showed that by working together, a simple action can produce extraordinary results.” – Peter Prochilo, SCDSB Superintendent of School Effectiveness

In addition to helping families in Greater Sudbury, the contest was an opportunity that helped students live out and apply the Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations – important principles that support Catholic students in becoming more responsible citizens and collaborative contributors in the community. The success of the contest clearly demonstrated how Sudbury Catholic School students understand these expectations and how to apply them in their life and in their education.

The Sudbury Catholic District School Board would like to thank all of our teachers and students for participating in this initiative. Collectively, our actions at Sudbury Catholic Schools resulted in a $3350 donation, but as a country we raised over $130,000 in corporate donations! Please refer to the Meaning of Home Thank You Letter!

We invite you to check out some of the wonderful entries submitted by our students!

Sudbury Catholic School Entries

Grade 4 Christians Remote Learning School

Grade 6 Max V St. Paul Catholic Elementary School

When someone asks what HOME means to me one word comes to mind. LOVE. Home is where my mother and brother live with me. What makes our home special is that my mother has worked so hard to design a new home that meets our needs. From the day we hammered the SOLD sign in the ground till the day we moved in we visited it each and everyday to see its progress. When I am older, I want to be an architect, so I helped my mom design the house and worked with the blueprints. I even got to design my very own secret room downstairs. It was a ton of fun!

My home is not a place. Home has feelings. Feeling like relaxation, comfort, happiness and love. Home is where my family comes to visit, eat and spend time together. A home is where I can build memories and since our home is new the possibilities are endless. I am excited.

My home smells of fresh baking, homemade pasta sauce, a special candle or a fresh load of laundry. When I enter the doors of my home I take a deep breath and smile.

My home is a place where we can all wind down sit on the couch in front of our fireplace and talk about how our day was. My home is where I can be myself. If I want to listen to my Genesis vinyl full blast I can.

I am so lucky to have a caring home filled with LOVE.

Grade 4 Fiona Remote Learning School

Sudbury Catholic Schools Gather Together For A Virtual Ash Wednesday Service

Posted on March 4, 2022 by admin

Our Lenten journey began on Wednesday, March 2nd, 2022, with Ash Wednesday! Sudbury Catholic District School Board honoured the start of this season with a morning prayer service. Our church tradition shares that on Ash Wednesday, we are invited to be marked with the sign of the cross on our foreheads. This symbolizes our understanding that we make mistakes and that we will take this time of Lent to grow in holiness, so we are prepared to celebrate Easter with great joy. Bishop Thomas Dowd also joined us and reinforced this message, reminding us that Lent is a time to make our hearts a worthy place for the Holy Spirit to live.

The day was also one where we joined in prayer for the situation in Ukraine. Pope Francis sent out an invitation for the world to join together for a Day of Prayer and Fasting for Peace. He asked that we especially pray for those suffering, be aware that we are all brothers and sisters, and implore God for an end to the war.

For those members of our community who were unable to attend our service yesterday, you can still participate by watching a virtual recording of our Ash Wednesday service. We’ll also continue joining together for prayer on Monday mornings. We invite you to view the following poster to see a schedule of our future virtual prayer services taking place throughout Lent.

Lent Poster

Schedule of SCDSB Prayer Services For Lent

Picture Gallery

Join the Spring Daily Discover Series for Grades 4-6 Students

Posted on March 3, 2022 by admin

Still time to Register for the next Series!

This spring, SCDSB Grades 4-6 students are invited to spend time exploring their surroundings, out of their seats and discovering the amazing world of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) during the Spring Daily Discovery series.

Join Let’s Talk Science Experts for a week of daily hands-on activities using easy-to-find materials.

Each day, teachers and/or participants will receive an email with a video demonstration and description of a fun, hands-on STEM activity that can be done at school or at home. Material lists will also be shared with you by email one week in advance of your week.

Check out students in Ms. Cipressi’s Remote Learning Class who made “lava lamps” while learning about the concept of density and making something beautiful at the same time.

Watch Dahlia’s video as she does the experiments from home!

In this video she states that she likes science and that this experiment was fun! Dahlia just can’t wait to learn about tomorrow’s experiment!

Dahlia’s Lava Lamp Experiment

Please note that each week will have the same daily activities. Register for the time slot that works best for your schedule, or enjoy the content multiple times over the spring!

Activities will include exploring Density, Wind, Chemical reactions, Binary code and Non-Newtonian fluids!

There is still time to register for the next session! Please see the dates.

This activity series is available during the following weeks:

February 28 to March 4
March 7 to March 11
March 14 to March 18
March 21 to March 25
March 28 to April 1
April 4 to April 8
April 11 to April 15
April 18 to April 22
April 25 to April 29
May 2 to May 6

Daily Themes and Material

Activity 1: Density

Materials (per youth participant): Water, food colouring, vegetable oil, a clear cup or container, and Alka-Seltzer (or baking soda and vinegar)

Activity 2: Wind

Materials (per youth participant): Square piece of construction paper, pencil with an eraser on top, thumbtack, scissors, tape

Activity 3: Chemical Reactions

Materials (per youth participant):

• Experiment 1 (Mystery Substances): A clear container, sugar, baking soda, flour, water, vinegar

• Experiment 2 (Elephant Toothpaste): ½ cup hydrogen peroxide, ¼ cup dish soap, 1 tablespoon (or 1 packet) of yeast, an empty bottle, a mixing cup, and warm water

Activity 4: Binary Code

Materials (per youth participant): Binary key worksheet, 3 colours of beads, string, pen or pencil, and scissors (Alternative supplies: 3 coloured pencils, binary key worksheet, and paper)

Activity 5: Non-Newtonian Fluid

Materials (per youth participant): Container or bowl, corn starch, cup of water, mixing spoon, measuring cup, food colouringFor more information or support contact christina.raso@sudburycatholicschools.ca

Sudbury Catholic Schools Celebrate Pink Shirt Day!

Posted on February 24, 2022 by admin

February 23rd, 2022 was Pink Shirt Day, and we were pleased and excited to see our entire community eagerly participating!

Throughout the day, students, faculty, and staff at Sudbury Catholic Schools dressed in fabulous pink shirts, effectively showing their support and solidarity against the issue of bullying and the impact it has on our everyday lives. Below we provide a small a sample of some of the amazing pink shirts worn throughout the day!

Photo Gallery

Pius XII

St. Francis

St. Joseph

Holy Cross

St. John

Holy Trinity

St. David

What is Pink Shirt Day?

Bullying is a major issue and affects everyone from schools to the workplace, to even home life. But no one has enough power to stop it by themselves. On Pink Shirt Day, Sudbury Catholic Schools from Kindergarten all the way to Grade 12 work together to put a stop to bullying by coming together and wearing pink shirts.

Every year, on the last Wednesday of February, schools around the world observe Pink Shirt Day – an anti-bullying campaign that began in 2007 when a boy in Nova Scotia was bullied for wearing his favourite pink shirt to school. When he returned home from being teased, in a show of solidarity, two older students purposely wore pink shirts the following day. This act not only demonstrated the power and choice each of us has to help others, but it was also a conscious decision that allowed them to make a stand against bullying and in the process ignited an important campaign that continues to grow support every year.

How to think pink?

Pink is a colour that symbolizes everything bullying stands against. It’s bright, cheery, and warm. However, on this day it has become more than a colour – it has become a stronger and brighter message. A message that say’s that we refuse to let this issue continue! And while simply wearing a pink shirt might seem insignificant, such an action has the power to spark up conversations and bring awareness for people to take control of their lives and recognize what’s happening around them. Whether you have a pink shirt or not is asides from the point. The message of the day is the most important to remember. By working to be friendly, responsible, compassionate individuals, we ensure we all continue to think pink and grow into strong leaders in learning and faith.

The Meaning of Home Contest Countdown

Posted on February 14, 2022 by admin

Contest Ends Countdown

Only a short amount of time is left for Grades 4-6 students to submit their poems, essays, and stories about the meaning of home. We strongly urge applicable applicants to please take the time to get involved in this meaningful opportunity for writing!

WIN FREE ICE CREAM!

All participants at SCDSB will receive FREE ICE CREAM if we reach our goal to submit 1000 entries by Friday, Feb 18th!

With every entry $10 is donated from Chapman’s Ice Cream to the Habitat for Humanity Restore in Sudbury to help build safe and affordable homes for families in Sudbury. If we get 1000 entries, we can donate $10,000!

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP!

TRANSPORTATION CANCELLED – SUDBURY, ESPANOLA & MASSEY DISTRICTS

Posted on February 7, 2022 by admin

SCHOOL PURPOSE TRANSPORTATION IS CANCELLED, SCHOOLS REMAIN OPEN In SUDBURY, MASSEY AND ESPANOLA DISTRICTS

BUSSES ARE RUNNING ON MANITOULIN ISLAND

Due to the poor road conditions and in the interest of safety, all school related transportation services for English Catholic, English public, French Catholic and French public schools, operating in the districts of SUDBURY, ESPANOLA AND MASSEY (this includes all areas such as St-Charles, Noëlville, Monetville, Markstay, Hagar, Warren, Wahnapitae, Coniston, Killarney, Whitefish, Whitefish River First Nations, Onaping, Chelmsford, Capreol, Valley East, Garson, Chelmsford and Azilda) are cancelled today. All schools will remain open, however, NO transportation will be provided.

Parents who transport their children to school are reminded that they must pick their children up at the end of the school day.

All staff are expected to report to work.

Write & Make A Difference! The Meaning of Home Contest

Posted on February 3, 2022 by admin

Sudbury Catholic School Students in grades 4,5 & 6 can make a difference by getting involved in the Meaning of Home Contest sponsored by Chapman’s Ice Cream!

About Contest

Deadline to Enter: February 18th, 2022

Contest Website

Contest Entry Details

Teacher Resource

The Meaning of Home Contest is a unique and meaningful way to get children involved in creative writing and giving back to their community. By participating in this contest, Sudbury Catholic students will use their creative abilities and submit either an essay, story or poem on the topic of what HOME means to them.

Each contest entry will result in a $10 donation from Chapman’s to Habitat for Humanity to help build safe and affordable homes for families in the Sudbury community. In addition, this contest will also challenge students to think creatively about an important topic (i.e. the meaning of home) that directly impacts their lives and ultimately improves their writing skills!

Contest entries will be accepted from now until February 18th, 2022, so students and educators are encouraged to get started!

Teachers have access to a Teacher Resource designed to help incorporate the contest straight into lesson plans. These can serve as standalone lessons or be used to augment existing lesson plans in areas such as language, creative writing, and community service!

Help us track!

Sudbury Catholic Schools would like to track the total number of entries submitted by Sudbury Catholic students to see how a single action makes a collective difference, so please let us know if your class is participating by clicking the button below. Once the contest has ended, we’ll share the total donated amount so that students and families can celebrate with SCDSB!

CLICK HERE TO CONFIRM PARTICIPATION

Our Goal

Our hope is that the contest will be an activity that students will help them reflect on how they can live our Catholic Graduate Expectations. Together, their simple actions will provide funds to support our local community, as they contribute to building a just society. With over 1300 students enrolled at Sudbury Catholic Schools in grade 4, 5, and 6 our collective contributions could result in as much as $13,000 being donated to our local Habitat for Humanity organization.

In addition, the winner for each grade will be awarded a $30,000 grant for their local Habitat organization, with three runners-up per grade directing $10,000 to their local Habitat chapter. The contest has raised $1.7 million to date and, in 2021, it helped 46 local Habitats build more homes. Let’s work together to make a local difference!

If you would like more information about this initiative or have any questions, please reach out to christina.raso@sudburycatholicschools.ca or joan.yawneymatz@sudburycatholicschools.ca

Sudbury Catholic Schools Celebrate Family Literacy Day 2022

Posted on February 1, 2022 by admin

On January 27th, 2022, Sudbury Catholic Schools celebrated Family Literacy Day.

Family Literacy Day takes place annually to raise awareness about the importance of reading and participating in literacy-related activities as a family.

Since 1999, thousands of schools, libraries, literacy organizations and other community groups have taken part in Family Literacy Day and for a good reason. Taking time every day to read or do a learning activity with children is crucial to developing and improving a child’s literacy skills. Utilizing these essential skills helps a child reach their full potential, at school, at home, and in life.

Learning in the Great Outdoors

This year for Family Literacy Day, the theme focused on the blessings of spending time in nature and was titled – Learning in the Great Outdoors. This subject supplied a way for families to exercise their bodies and minds by participating in various outdoor literacy activities.

For instance, during the week, Grade 5 students from Pius XII celebrated Family Literacy Day by embarking on the natural beauty of Northern Ontario and completing a Nature Scavenger Hunt with their families. Together they discovered some amazing and unique parts of nature.

At St. Joseph, students took their time learning all about outdoor winter sports such as skating, skiing, hockey, and more. Following their learning, they then had the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors with snowshoes. What a fun day!

In addition to spending time outside and learning about nature, other classes celebrated the day by participating in a range of activities. Some examples include:

Holy Cross students in Ms. Jewell and Ms. Abbott’s class settled down for storytime, nestling in and enjoying a good book.
Grades 1 and 2 students at Pius XII had the opportunity to read by the firelight during a cozy reading session with flashlights and a virtual fireplace.
St. Anne students and educators took time to dress up as each of their favourite book characters. Later students also spent time in the library reading some new books they received thanks to the community’s donations.

At the start of the day, Grades K-3 classes were invited to a virtual story-time with Howard Blinkov, the author of the Howard B. Wigglebottom series. Ten classes and over 100 students joined virtually to read “Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns About Mud and Rainbows.” Later in the day, families and classes were invited to join ABC Life Literacy’s national celebration. Author and illustrator Barbara Reid demonstrated how to use clay to create a picture.

Overall, it truly was a fantastic day for our students, educators and families. Please scroll through our picture gallery to see a visual sample of the many activities enjoyed by our Sudbury Catholic family.

Picture Gallery

Join Us! SCDSB Hosts Virtual Career Fair for Teacher Candidates

Posted on January 31, 2022 by admin

Sudbury Catholic District School Board is pleased to announce we’re hosting an online virtual career fair on Feb. 17th, 2022 to help interested teacher candidates learn more about Sudbury Catholic Schools and gain insight into areas such as:

The Application Process
Resumes
Interview Preparation
How to Apply on Simplfication.com
AND MORE!

Join Sudbury Catholic Schools at our February Virtual Career Fair for Teacher Candidates!

Event Details

Date: Feb. 17th, 2022

Time: 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm

Location: Zoom

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

More Info

Virtual Career Fair – Info Sheet