We are very pleased to present the Director of Education’s Annual Report for the 2021-2022 school year.
We thank our Board of Trustees, Senior Administration, staff, students, families, volunteers, community partners, and our parishes for their continued support and commitment to Sudbury Catholic. Together we are providing a caring, progressive, high quality Catholic school system that is nurturing our students – mind, body, and spirit.
Staff and students at the Sudbury Catholic District School Board raised $1,923.10 to support the Junction Creek Stewardship Committee. Leaves of Change: Binaakwe Giizis is a fundraiser which took place on October 14, 2022, to promote environmental stewardship.
The goal of the fundraiser is to engage in civic and environmental responsibility by bringing attention to climate change and better understand how we can protect the earth for future generations. Throughout the day and the month of October, students and staff are encouraged to make more sustainable efforts. This includes cleaning green spaces by picking up trash and litter, recycling, using a reusable water bottle and reducing day to day waste, where possible.
In addition, October is known as Binaakwe Giizis – Moon of Falling Leaves. The fundraiser also served as an educational opportunity to understand, acknowledge, and respect Indigenous perspectives on caring for Mother Earth (Shkagamik Kwe).
“As a school board, it is our responsibility to create opportunities that teach the importance of protecting the earth for future generations.Environmental degradation affects the health and well-being of all peoples of North America and the world in many ways. By participating in this fundraiser, and the many planned activities, we help our community engage in volunteerism and create hope through environmental restoration,” said Joanne Bénard, Director of Education for the Sudbury Catholic District School Board.
On Friday, October 14th, 2022, the Sudbury Catholic District School Board is inviting students and staff from all sites to increase their civic responsibility by participating in a fall fundraiser that gives back to the local green space!
SCDSB Leaves of Change will recognize climate change during the changing season, as well as provide a teaching opportunity for Indigenous Education and caring for Shkagamik Kwe (mother earth). On this day, students/staff are encouraged to wear fall colours (red, yellow, orange, green, purple, and/or brown) and donate a toonie, where possible, to support the continued efforts of the Junction Creek Stewardship Community in Sudbury. The Junction Creek Stewardship Committee is an integral part of the Greater Sudbury community, working to improve the health of the unique urban waterway that connects us all and to promote the livability and value of our natural environment.
The goal of the fundraiser is to help our community engage in civic and environmental responsibility by bringing attention to climate change and how we can protect the earth for future generations. Throughout the day and the month of October, students and staff are encouraged to make more sustainable efforts. This includes cleaning green spaces by picking up trash and litter, recycling, using a water bottle, etc.
October is also where we honour Binaakwe Giizis – Moon of Falling Leaves. As this event is taking place during Binaakwe Giizis – it also serves as an educational opportunity to understand, acknowledge and respect Indigenous perspectives on caring for Mother Earth (Shkagamik Kwe).
As a school board, it is our responsibility to create opportunities to teach the importance of protecting the earth for future generations. Environmental degradation affects the health and well-being of all peoples of North America and the world in many ways. For instance, industrial contamination and disruption of wildlife habitats combine to reduce the supply and purity of clean drinking water, traditional foods, and medicines. In addition, environmental degradation erodes the quality of life dependent on the purity of the land, water, flora and fauna. Further, this disruption greatly affects Indigenous peoples culture, languages, spiritual health, and well-being along with the life of all living things. By participating in this fundraiser, we help our community engage in volunteerism and create hope through environmental restoration.
As Stewards of the Earth, Ms Shewchuk’s class at St. Paul School spent the day at the “Sudbury Children’s Water Festival”. Students rotated through a variety of stations set up based around the conversation and protection of water. A class favourite was the fire engine and getting to spray the fire hose. One group was even featured in an episode of Earth Minute to be aired in the near future!
Students in Mme Wright’s Grade 3 FI class are some of several students helping the Coniston Community Garden this season. They are looking forward to taking good care of the plants and watching them grow into yummy vegetables. Once the plants are strong enough, they will be brought outdoors to be planted in the Coniston Community Garden.
On April 22, 2009, the students and staff of St. Paul the Apostle School celebrated Earth Day in a big way. Following a native good morning prayer service, the students were treated to guest speakers from Science North who spoke about the regreening of Sudbury and a Professor Crumplin from Laurentian University who discussed the environmental costs of driving a car. A Recycling Fashion show, litterless lunch, neighbourhood garbage pick up and tree planting session finished off the day.
On June 19, the students gathered again to create this earth daisy to represent the fact that if we work together we can make this world a much greener place.
Students, parents, grandparents and staff at St. Paul The Apostle Catholic School celebrated the last of this year’s Earth Day activities recently by planting more than 400 Red Pine seedlings in the school grounds to help re-green the area. The seedlings were donated courtesy of Vermilion Forest Products Management along with two tandem truckloads of black loam from John Van Druenen, (Garson Pipe Contractors Ltd.) to bed the seedlings.
Mr. Toppers Pizza, (owner’s Kelly and Carolyn Toppazzini) kindly provided pizzas to feed all of the volunteers after the planting was complete. Pam Rivet from Dr. Signs provided ice cream treats to all planters and Stella Legault from the Colonial Inn brought juice boxes to quench their thirst after planting.
St. Paul The Apostle Catholic School would like to thank Vermilion Forest Products Management, John Van Druenen of Garson Pipe Contractors Ltd., Mr. Toppers Pizza, Pam Rivet and Stella Legault for their kind donations. Special thanks to the Ministry of Natural Resources staff: Don Mark, District Information Specialist; Amber Hamilton, Ontario Ranger Supervisor and Jesse Levert, Senior Forest Technician for coordinating the event and all students, parents, grandparents and staff for their hard work. Last, but not least, thank-you to Wal-Mart for jump-starting the entire project, and who continue to support the re-greening effort of St. Paul The Apostle Catholic School.
