Sudbury Catholic District School Board elementary students were invited to cheer on their local Laurentian University Voyageurs hockey team during one of their season games. Students from St. Francis, Holy Cross, St. David, Holy Trinity, and St. Benedict packed the arena as they cheered on the Voyageurs as they won a victory over Nipissing 3-2 in a shootout.
Thanksgiving Feast at St. Francis
St. Francis Catholic Elementary School Life Skills and Communication classes celebrated Thanksgiving with a feast at the school. The students were given the opportunity to participate in preparing the delicious meal — turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and corn. The students decorated the room with beautiful artwork posters of what they are thankful for during this blessed occasion. Life Skills student, Shane Dempsey, stated that ‘I am thankful for my teacher and her sister to help make the delicious turkey’.
Summer Camp with a Spin
This year, the Sudbury Catholic District School Board is running a three week summer camp for students in grades 1-5 until July 24th. As well as offering programming for literacy and numeracy, there is also an Aboriginal Art and Literacy camp, which is designed to include literacy games and activities with culturally relevant curriculum including the Seven Grandfather teachers, Métis history, culture and the Pow Wow experience. All three programs are infused with technology and are geared to meet the students’ individual needs. What gives this summer camp its unique spin is that the board was able to hire some of its own students as youth counsellors. These counsellors are given the opportunity to learn as well, while getting on the job experience working with the younger students. Some of these students are currently enroled in the SCDSB Peace program. The PEACE program, which stands for Personalized, Experiential, Alternative, Catholic Education, is an alternative program for secondary students who are disengaged, on a long term suspension or expulsion, or are behind in credit accumulation. The students learn techniques to overcome obstacles all while earning credits towards their secondary school diploma and are supported with their social and emotional needs, and learn how to give back to the community through community partnerships. “We are so fortunate that the Ministry of Education was able to fund this program allowing for our students to gain on the job experience,” Christina Raso, Special Education consultant for the SCDSB stated. “These elementary students enroled in our programming are having so much fun with all of their hands-on learning, and our students who have been hired as counsellors are really gaining great work experience that they will be able to take with them to their next job opportunity.”
The camp currently has 95 students enroled with 6 teachers, 6 student tutors, 8 youth counsellors. The students also get 45 minutes of physical activity a day with 6 taekwondo instructors teaching the students.
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:
Paths of Joy at St. Francis
Life Skills Primary/Junior students at St. Francis Catholic Elementary School were very excited to work on their ‘Path of Joy’ Project. When the students were asked ‘What are some of God’s creations that you will find when you go for a walk on the path?’, the students shouted out answers such as ants, ladybugs, flowers, and birds. ‘The students had a fantastic time creating the artwork for their display; listening and singing to music and a few even took a break between crafts and started dancing. It is a joy to see the children engaged and having fun while learning – that’s what it’s all about’ says Tina Timpano, Vice-Principal. The students, staff and parents love the beautiful artwork display that ‘brightens up the stairwell with joy’ during Catholic Education Week.
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
Celebrating Earth Day at St. Francis
April 22, 2015 is Earth Day and the students in teacher Christina Bedoya’s Gr.1/2 class at St. Francis Catholic Elementary School have been learning about how we all have an impact on our environment. Students learned and shared ways to help our environment through everyday tasks such as turning off the lights or taking a quick shower instead of a long one. They also learned the power of reducing, re-using and recycling because we truly have “the whole world in our hands”. If we all work together to respect God’s creations and planet Earth, we really can make a difference.
Raise the Flag – St. Francis School Recognizes Autism Awareness Day on Thursday, April 2, 2015
April is Autism Awareness month and April 2nd was dedicated World Autism Day.
Autism Ontario’s Raise the Flag campaign, through the simple act of raising a flag, unites families, schools, communities, government and professionals in recognizing World Autism Awareness Day, and brings to light to struggles and triumphs of people on the autism spectrum.
Staff and students at St. Francis Catholic Elementary School took part in this event to support World Autism day.
OAPCE Monthly 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). To read this month’s newsletter, click here: Parent Partner Newsletter – Easter 2015
Finding Momo at St. Francis Catholic Elementary School
The students at St. Francis Catholic Elementary School were very excited to have Momo, the main character of the New York Times best-selling book, ‘Finding Momo’ visit the school. Momo is a black and white border collie who’s owner, Andrew Knapp, has driven across Canada photograhing Momo to create a canine version of the beloved picture book ‘Where’s Waldo’. Students were able to ask the author/owner, Andrew Knapp, questions of how the idea of the book came to be and many questions about Momo. The FDK students were very thrilled to take a picture with Momo. Can you find him?