The staff, students and families of St. David Catholic School are preparing for a September move to a new building at 549 Frood Road. As construction continues on the new school, the staff prepare for the big move by packing books and school tools, resources and student technology.
St. David has been a constant in Sudbury’s Donovan area for over 70 years. The school has had many renovations over the years, but in 2010 received funding for a new building. The school’s new K – 6 building features a creative design blended into the natural environment and landscape that will surround the school. It will have generous daylight, warm wood features and a safe, green school yard for students to play with their peers.
The school recently hosted an open house. St. David School opened its doors to the community and former students to reminisce about years gone by and take home memorabilia that reminds them of their time at the school. Many former students stopped in for great conversation with former classmates, cake and coffee. St. David parent, Theresa Lalone, stated that all 6 of her children attended St. David School. Four of them, Stephanie, Amanda, Justin and Rebecca, are previous graduates and her two youngest, Noah and Nic, still attend the school.
The school staff would like express its appreciation to the community and to the many families who have made St. David their home over the past 70 years. It is with a heavy heart and great respect that the school prepares for their new, exciting home!
St. David School "Planting for the Future"
Together with St. David students and staff, Local Ojibwe artist and educator, Will Morin conducted a planting ceremony at the school to support the students transition to the new school site. Fifty two planters were filled with sweetgrass seeds. The newly planted seedlings will be cared for over the summer by Mr. Morin and his family and in the fall will be transplanted at the new St. David School site.
As part of the Coalition for a Liveable Sudbury, Mr. Morin was selected as a Project Impact recipient. This project included involving students in the regreening of a native species plant, sweetgrass. Sweetgrass is also a First Nation traditional medicine.
As part of the ceremony, the outgoing students in grade 6, 7 and 8 were honoured by the school community. Mr. Morin stated, “We all plant seeds to prepare for the future. It is only together that we can nurture their growth and ensure their success”.
St. David School Proudly Supports Student Well Being Through Tae Kwon Do Lessons
St. David Catholic Elementary School continues to offer grades 3 – 5 students Tae Kwon Do lessons every Monday for an hour at lunch. The program focus remains the 5 tenets that Tae Kwon Do practitioners live their lives by:
Courtesy
Integrity
Perseverance
Self Control
Indomitable Spirit
The Sudbury Catholic District School Board’s CCAC Health Nurse, Roland Dutrisac, uses Tae Kwon Do as an effective strategy to encourage students to live healthy lives through physical activity as well as learn such important skills as: focus, concentration, discipline, self control and perseverance. The Tae Kwon Do program also stresses the importance of confidence and how to deal with conflict in a proactive manner.
Next year, the school will move from its original location on Jean Street to a brand new home at 459 Frood Road. The program has seen such success that it will continue to be offered at the new location. The school hopes all returning students and new registrants will continue to take advantage of this inter disciplinary opportunity. The school would also like to take this time to thank Mr. Roland Dutrisac for his wonderful contribution to the St. David School community!
St. David Catholic School and the Grade 12 Marymount Leadership Class Encourages The Love of Reading in Kindergarten Students
The Full Day Kindergarten class at St. David Catholic Elementary School recently partnered with the grade 12 Leadership Class at Marymount Academy to begin a new reading initiative to support reading achievement for FDK students. The classes first met at the local MacKenzie Street library and now visit each others classrooms twice a month to read together. “I super duper love to read with my buddy, its fun and we get to have name tags that are the same” said Lexus Dumas, FDK student. The initiative will continue until June when the classes will get together for a reading party to celebrate their partnership and reading success.
St. David School Welcomes SWST Initiative
The St. David Catholic Elementary School Student Work Study Teacher initiative is a Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat research program that is based in a collaborative relationship between the classroom teacher and the student work study teacher. The SWS teacher focuses on the student classroom experience and the student’s ability to learn. This model of student support is responsive to student needs and supports classroom best practices.
St. David School’s SWST initiative focuses on understanding student learning in the classroom and building knowledge of the classroom experience. Megan Murphy, St. David School student work study teacher and vice principal states, “The SWST role allows me to co-learn with the teacher and students. By sitting with students and listening to them as they learn, it makes the students’ learning more visible. I am able to share this information with the teacher on a regular basis, and together we discuss effective strategies for student success. Together we all work to better support the students learning based directly on the students’ voice”.
“This year one of school improvement goals in mathematics is accountable talk. The SWST program helps us to develop our students as independent thinkers. It helps us to better inform our lessons and adapt to meet our students’ needs. The students also see the adults in the school working together, having fun learning and supporting each other. It makes for a great learning environment at St. David’s”, says grade 2/3 classroom teacher, Shelley Turner.
Elementary Food Drive Wraps Up, Just as the St. Charles College Drive Begins
Students who attend St. Paul, St. John, St. David, St. Raphael, St. Andrew, Pius and St. Bernadette Catholic elementary schools have wrapped up their food drive collection efforts. Now the focus is on the students at St. Charles College.
Students from the seven schools spent last week going door-to-door to collect cans and other non-perishable food items to help the Sudbury Food Bank stock its shelves over the cold winter months.
Now the St. Charles College students begin their drive starting with their kick-off next Monday. Every year the high school teams up with Q92 and KISS 105.3 to Stuff a Bus full of food. The radio stations also broadcast live from the school parking lot during the week. The food is then transported to the Sudbury Food Bank warehouse.
Student can collect a combination of canned foods and cash. Last year, they surpassed their goal by collecting more than 112 thousand cans.
The food drive began more than 25 years ago and its founder, former student Jim Szilva still takes part in the drive with his former high school.
Totals will be tabulated, with a wrap-up set for October 23rd.
They’re coming to a door near you!
Students who attend St. Paul, St. John, St. David, St. Raphael, St. Andrew, Pius and St. Bernadette Catholic elementary schools are out in full force this week. Their mission is to collect cans for its food drive in collaboration with St. Charles College.
Students from the seven schools are going door-to-door to collect cans and other non-perishable food items to help the Sudbury Food Bank stock its shelves over the cold winter months.
Every year, the feeder schools team up with St. Charles College, Q92 and KISS 105.3 to Stuff a Bus full of food. The radio stations also broadcast live from the school parking lot during the week. The food is then transported to the Sudbury Food Bank warehouse.
Student can collect a combination of canned foods and cash. Last year, they surpassed their goal by collecting more than 112 thousand cans.
The food drive began more than 25 years ago and its founder, former student Jim Szilva still takes part in the drive with his former high school.
Totals will be tabulated, with a wrap-up set for October 23rd.
St. David Catholic School Gladly Welcomes Full Day Kindergarten
This September, St. David Catholic Elementary School implemented full-day junior and senior kindergarten. It is the fifth and final year of full-day kindergarten in schools across the province. “We are very excited to have the FDK program at St. David. It is a wonderful addition to our school community,” said Jennifer Gran, FDK teacher.
This new kindergarten program employs not only classroom teachers, but also early childhood educators. The teachers and the ECE’s work as a teaching team to support child development, behaviour and improved academic achievement. “Our goal is to give each child the best start possible in school. We work together with the community to build our student’s confidence and provide a solid foundation for their learning.” states Angela Ross, St. David School ECE.
The FDK program encourages children to learn through play and small group instruction. Learning through play and in small groups assists children in developing positive self regulation skills, age appropriate problem solving strategies and a general love of learning.
St. David Catholic School invites all FDK students and their families to meet their new teachers and early childhood educators at the school’s open house on September 30 at 4 pm.
St. David Celebrates Their Hubby Award with a Video
St. David School is the proud recipient of the 2014 Edgar Burton Youth “Hubby” Award in
Education. This award is awarded to deserving individuals or organizations as a public
acknowledgment of their compassion, dedication, integrity and hard work for the people of
Greater Sudbury. The “Hubby” is a uniquely Sudbury Award. Award receivers are decided on criteria’s of giving, commitment, and belief in the people and City of Greater Sudbury.
The award is in memory of Hub Bray who was 60 when he died of cancer, leaving behind family and a city to mourn him. Hub Bray was a popular community leader and local lawyer who tended to avoid the limelight, but worked hard behind the scenes to improve
life in the city. He was president of the Sudbury Food Bank, which has organized the Annual Hubby Awards in his memory. The school created this video to celebrate their award and each other! Enjoy!
Smudging Ceremony For New School Site
On Tuesday, June 10, the entire St. David Catholic Elementary School joined their community partners at the location for the new school’s site. Just off of Frood Road, between the Spectrum and CTV buildings, approximately 250 students and staff joined Sudbury Catholic board staff as well as other community organizations to smudge the new site with elder Vince Pawis. Dawn Wemigwans, principal of the school welcomed all the students, staff and guests, and after a prayer by student Czesh Malik, the group listened to student singers/drummers while Pawis smudged the site to bring good feelings to the space. Wemigwans explained to the group that, “today we are smudging the space for our new school. We are doing this to clear any negative energy and bring only good thoughts and prayers into the building of our new school.”
Michael Bellmore, Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees also addressed the crowd during the ceremony. “It is very exciting for us to be part of such a unique building opportunity that embraces the natural space around it, and incorporates nature as a focus in its design,” Bellmore stated. “We are so pleased that the architects’ design for the school is so forward thinking – having both nature and culture taking centre stage, and allowing for a distinct and remarkable space for our students.”
The new school is scheduled to be open in September, 2015, and will be a Full Day Kindergarten to Grade 6 elementary school.