The Student Senate was able to collect 127 winter clothing items for their annual winter clothing drive! The campaign ran from October 7 – 21 and all four secondary schools and the Catholic Education Centre participated.
“It was a very successful campaign. Every school was able to contribute something, and we crushed our goal of 86 items by 41, with a final total of 127. It is always great to see what our school board community can accomplish. I would like to say thanks to our Student Senate members and Tracey Adams for helping promote this campaign. Also, a big thanks to those who were able to contribute,” said Jack Gouchie, Student Trustee.
“This coat drive is such an important campaign and is an amazing way for us to give back to our community. I am so proud that the Student Senate was able to donate 127 winter clothing items this year,” said Catena Hayden, Student Trustee.
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.
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!
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. Paul Students take time to snap a shot during #StandWithUkraine Blue and Yellow Day!
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.
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.
The Sudbury Catholic District School Board is pleased to announce the appointment of Jack Gouchie as a Student Trustee for the 2021-2023 terms. Jack is currently a Grade 10 student at St. Charles College. He will join fellow Student Trustee Kylie MacGregor in September 2021 and represent student voice at the Board table.
Prior to St.Charles College, Jack attended St. Andrew Catholic School and Holy Trinity Catholic School. Throughout the years, he has participated in a variety of extra-curricular activities. He has been a part of various sports teams including basketball, baseball, hockey, volleyball, curling and badminton. He also serves on student council, he was an active member of the elementary band and has participated in multiple St. Charles College canned food drives.
Outside of school, Jack also participates in hockey, baseball and lacrosse and is currently a Grade 6 Piano and Grade 7 Theory student with the Royal Conservatory of Music. He is an active member of St. Andrew’s parish and assists as an altar server. He hopes to pursue a career in sports administration in the future.
“I am thankful to have been given the opportunity as Student Trustee. It is through my experiences with the Board that I have met a variety of students from different schools. This has sparked my interest in advocating for students and becoming more involved in student governance. I hope to be a strong and influential voice for the Sudbury Catholic student body,” said Jack Gouchie, appointed Student Trustee.
“On behalf of the Board of Trustees, it is our pleasure to welcome Jack to the role of Student Trustee. He is an active member of the St.Charles College community and has a true passion for student involvement,” said Michael Bellmore, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees at the Sudbury Catholic District School Board. “We look forward to having him sit at the Board table in September along with fellow Student Trustee Kylie MacGregor.”
The Sudbury Catholic District School Board is proud to announce the recipients of this year’s Chairperson’s Award. All three individuals have demonstrated a strong commitment to Catholic education and to providing a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment focused on ensuring the success of all students.
Nancy Bellemare-Perron is a teacher at Holy Trinity School who has made a true impact on her students. Through her teaching, she has provided students with opportunities to learn and engage in several community initiatives and understand the importance of supporting others in our community. Nancy provides a safe and caring environment for all who enter the classroom and goes out of her way to make students and parents/guardians feel included, engaged and motivated. She embraces innovation in her teaching, and tailors lessons and activities to match learning needs, providing support wherever it is needed for both students and parents/guardians alike.
Megan Murphy is the Principal of St. Albert Learning Centre and the current Remote Learning School. She provides a welcoming environment to all who enter the school and motivates her staff to continue to help students overcome obstacles to reach success – whatever that means for them. She continually promotes other teachers in their endeavors to obtain grants for experiential learning opportunities and supports and encourages teacher innovation that will enhance student learning. Through her recent role of Principal of the Remote Learning School, Megan has also helped facilitate a virtual learning environment that is engaging and focused on student success.
Jennifer Petahtegoose is an Indigenous Language Teacher at St. Charles College. Jennifer embodies the Board’s vision of being leaders in learning and faith completely and is seen as a leader in her school. Jennifer challenges her students to get involved in peaceful initiatives such as water walks and other social justice activities. Through her role, she facilitated the school’s first Indigenous studies student club and instituted the Red Bird drumming program. She provides rich programing through guest speakers with Elders such as Vince Pawis and Chief John Beaucage and is a founding member of the SCDSB Indigenous Education Advisory Committee. She has participated and assisted with the school’s Antioch Retreats and is a regular Extraordinary Minister of Holy Eucharist. Faithful and kind, Jennifer is well respected by the entire St. Charles College community and is selfless in her vocation.
“We are very proud to announce this year’s winners of the Chairperson’s Award. As in past years, we are privileged to be able to honour and recognize three individuals who truly embody our mission and vision as a Board and are seen as difference makers, innovators and trailblazers,” said Michael Bellmore, Chair of the Board of Trustees. “Each year, our committee has the tough, but important job of choosing honourees from the numerous applications received. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, we are grateful to all who nominated individuals this year, and we thank our recipients for their continued service and commitment to Catholic education.”
This year’s award winners will be recognized alongside last year’s winners in a special virtual recognition event to be held later this Spring.
Our Lenten journey begins with Ash Wednesday! We gathered as a system virtually and explored the theme of Nurturing Hope. Throughout the webinar, students participated by completing various readings and prayers and a reflection on Lent was provided by Father Larry Rymes.
We look forward to coming together through virtual services during each week of Lent.
The virtual Ash Wednesday service was held as an online webinar to the entire system and included participation from various students and Father Larry Rymes.
The canned food drive is synonymous with St. Charles College. Each year the staff, students, alumni and feeder schools collect cans and raise money in support of the Sudbury Food Bank.
The mission is to fill the shelves in preparation for the cold and dark winter months. The drive started in the mid 1980s but this year it all looked rather different.
Principal Aaron Barry says “students could not go door to door with Covid precautions. Our student council team under the leadership of Mrs. Demore, Mrs. Humphrey and Mrs. Montgomery opted to sell Cardinal face masks in support of the charity.”
The face masks were sold to students online to avoid cash transactions and were created in collaboration with local business Covergalls Workwear raising $4500 for the Sudbury Food Bank.
Normally the drive brings upwards of 100 000 food items to the food bank each year making it the largest single contributor to the food bank.
The school recognizes that the donation is much smaller this year given the circumstances and is urging people to remember the food banks this holiday season and beyond.
As the weather gets cooler we turn our attention to the Advent season. We are looking for submissions for our annual Christmas card artwork contest. All students Kindergarten to Grade 12 are eligible to participate! Artwork should encompass our Catholic faith and help us to share in the joy of Christmas.
Artwork can be landscape or portrait and can be created in any medium (such as a drawing, painting etc). Submissions can be addressed and sent to the Board office at:
All submissions (whether in hard copy or e-mailed) should have the following information included in addition to the artwork:
Student first and last name
Grade
School
Artwork must be submitted by November 20, 2020 at 4 p.m. to be considered for the contest. The Board will choose one elementary design and one secondary design to be featured on our annual Christmas cards which are mailed to our Board Trustees, school administration and community partners. The winning entries will also receive a package of Christmas cards featuring their artwork!
On Wednesday, February 26th, Student Senate members from all four Sudbury Catholic secondary schools helped wait tables at Tony V’s restaurant to raise funds in support of Australian bushfire relief. In addition to cash donations, a percentage of proceeds from meal purchases will be donated to the St. Vincent de Paul Bushfire Appeal to provide food, clothing, and essentials, and recovery support to individuals and families in need. The students raised a total of $1220 ($500 from the restaurant and $720 in cash donations). Thank you to Tony V’s for supporting this fundraiser event!
Huge congratulations goes out to St. Charles College for winning first place in the secondary category and St. David Catholic Elementary School for winning second place in the elementary category in this year’s OCSTA Short Video Contest!
We are so proud of our staff and students for their hard work in making these beautiful videos!
