This week, students at St. Charles began visits to feeder schools to get students amped up and motivated about this year’s food drive.
The goal is to raise 60, 000 cans for the Sudbury Food Bank, along with support from its feeder schools – St. David’s, Holy Trinity, Pius XII, St. John and St. Paul schools.
The food drive began almost thirty years ago with the student council at the time initiating the drive. Founder, Jim Szilva continues to help the school each year with the annual mission. The school is also supported by Kiss 105.3 and Q host Melanie Dahl on the airways.
In the past, donations from St.Charles College each fall have made for the largest single donation in Sudbury Food Bank history.
The drive wraps up on October 27th when final results will be tabulated and unveiled at the assembly.
Seven Year Partnership Continues in their Support of the Community
St. David Catholic School welcomed community partners into their school to support the planning of a local conference on Cultural Safety and how First Nation culture is shared and promoted. The Best Start Aboriginal Hub’s Agency Advisory Committee, which includes the Child and Family Centre, the Metis Nation of Ontario, Aboriginal People’s Alliance of Northern Ontario, N’Swakamok Native Friendship Centre and the Jubilee Aboriginal Daycare were all at the table to plan the November 20th interagency conference on Cultural Standards in Our Community. According to Jim Eshkawkogan, program manager, “We all have a responsibility to share the culture in the inclusive way it was intended.”
St. David Catholic School and the Aboriginal Best Start Hub have had a 7 year partnership supporting the needs of the community. It is through positive partnerships, with an emphasis on relationship building, that continues to be the foundation of student success and well-being both within the school and the community.
"Why Yes, it's HAT DAY at St. David School!"
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. This is a great time for schools and families to create awareness about pediatric cancers.
St. David Catholic Elementary School started its year off right with a fun-filled HAT DAY at the end of the first week of school. The students and staff wore crazy hats and ball caps during the school day to emotionally and financially support a former student battling synovial sarcoma cancer. Students donated funds for the privilege of wearing their hats during the school day. The school raised almost $400.00 to help provide support for the family. The school would like to publicly thank everyone who participated in this event!
Dylan Fay, a former St. David student, now a St. Charles College grade 8 student, was diagnosed this summer with synovial sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. His family spent most of the summer at Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto. This fall, Dylan will be going back and forth from Sick Kids to the Sudbury Cancer Center for treatment. During the month of September, St. David School will continue to support the Fay family through pray and fundraising efforts. “It is important that we support our school families in every way possible. We are asking for donations to support Dylan’s family during this time, but more importantly we are praying for his full recovery. We know every little bit counts and want to provide as much support as possible — in any form they need.” stated Lindsay Michel, kindergarten teacher at St. David School.
June 2015 OAPCE Newsletter
As part of our ongoing commitment to supporting our Sudbury Catholic parents, the SCDSB would like to provide a link to the latest newsletter from The Ontario Association of Parents in Catholic Education (OAPCE).
This month’s newsletter comes in three parts:
June 2015 Part 1
June 2015 Part 2
June 2015 Part 3
St. David School Parents "Show Off" their "Love of Reading"
Parents and Grandparents flooded the hallways of St. David Catholic School to share their love of reading with the students in the school. Family members were welcomed into St. David School for breakfast and to read a book with their children. Parents and grandparents learned about the developmental reading assessment program (DRA) the school uses to assess student reading levels and skills they can use at home to support their children improve in reading.
As a parent, reading to your child is one of the most important things you can do to ensure school success. Even after children learn to read by themselves, it’s important for families to read aloud together. By reading stories that are interesting, but alittle beyond a child’s reading level, parents can motivate their children to improve their skills.
“One of our school improvement goals is to motivate our students to read so they will practice reading and become fluent readers. This happens when they enjoy reading and continue to read for pleasure” states St. David Learning Strategies Teacher, Cathy Dore.
St. David Catholic School Offers the Community a Chance to Say a Last Goodbye to the Building
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!
Indigenous Celebration Held
The Diocesan Centre is planning an inclusive day of celebration based on indigenous culture, and would love a big turn out at this event. All students, staff, families and friends are welcome and encouraged to attend! It looks to be a great day planned!
INDIGENOUS CELEBRATION
Saturday, May 23, 2015
Fielding Park
5:30 am. Sunrise Ceremony ~
8:00 am. Pancake Breakfast ~
9:00 am. Teaching Carousel – Stations will be set up to be rotated through – 6 stations with 20 minute presentations at each~
a) Children drumming station~
b) Craft – decade of the rosary with four/six colour beads + leather OR~leather bookmark
c) 7 Grandfather teachings
d) Legends – Elders telling the stories~
e) Medicines and Wheel
f) Sacred Elements (fire keeper, tobacco, stones, feather, pipe, drums, smudge, animals) ~
11:00 am. Healing Circle – prayers, scripture (trilingual), blessing~
1:30 pm. Feast – “pot luck”
3:00 pm Travelling Song/Blessing~
For more information and access to resources, please consult:
http://arise-ssm.weebly.com
St. David School Hosts Wellness Day… Taking Care of YOU!
On April 24, St. David Catholic School hosted a “Wellness Day” focusing on supporting students to lead healthy, well-balanced lives. The morning kicked off with motivational student-created videos, acknowledgement of community partners and introductions to the day’s wellness workshops. The grade 4-8 student participants were divided into groups and attended two out of six sessions of their choosing. All students participants were given the opportunity to choose which sessions they wanted to attend.
The day consisted of various healthy habit-forming activities and coping strategy workshops which included yoga, outdoor education team building, “What’s your Spark”, tae kwon do, dance, and healthy cooking options. The school hosted presenters from a number of community agencies within the city including the Sudbury District Health Unit, Better Beginnings-Better Futures, Killarney Outdoor Education Centre and several wonderful student teachers from Laurentian University.
Katie-Ann McLean, grade 8 student at St. David School, described the day as “an opportunity to learn how to relax your mind, body and spirit” .
St. David Catholic School accessed a community grant from Breakfast Club of Canada to host this special day. “For over twenty years, Breakfast Club of Canada has been nourishing children’s potential by making sure as many of them as possible have access to a healthy morning meal before school, in an environment that allows their self esteem to grow and flourish”. Thank you Breakfast Club of Canada, and Better Beginnings-Better Futures for all that you do for St. David Catholic Elementary School, and so many other schools.