Orange Shirt Day is an opportunity for First Nations, local governments, schools and communities to come together in the spirit of reconciliation and hope for generations of children to come. Orange Shirt Day recognizes the harm the residential school system did to children’s sense of self-esteem and well-being, and is an affirmation of our commitment to ensure that everyone around us matters.
The Sudbury Catholic District School Board participated in Orange Shirt Day on September 30, 2019. Staff and students throughout the system participated by wearing these shirts or their favourite orange shirt as a reminder of the importance of this day.
Students at Sudbury Catholic Schools completed another year of summer learning this month! 60 students from Kindergarten to Grade 3 completed the three-week Summer Learning Program at St. David School from July 8 – July 26, 2019.
Students participated in a literacy and numeracy program, which supported students in improving their skills at their own pace. The program also featured various activities centered around Indigenous culture. The program was led by both classroom teachers and camp counsellors, providing a full educational team to participating students. Through the online tool and app Lexia, teachers and counsellors were able to provide a visual experience for both the literacy and numeracy components, and students are able to continue to access their account from home throughout the summer.
As in past years, each morning began with a physical activity which helped to energize students and build confidence so that they were ready to learn. This year, the group participated in Zumba sessions provided by Zumba Vibe.
The Board is thrilled with student participation in this year’s Summer Learning Program.
“The work and effort that goes into making the summer learning program a success each year is truly inspiring,” said Joanne Bénard, Director of Education at the Sudbury Catholic District School Board. “With the right tools, support and amazing staff, participating students were able to improve their skills and enjoy the experience along the way!”
The Summer Learning Program is a Ministry funded program which aims to promote literacy and numeracy learning for students during the summer months in fun and engaging ways.
Students and staff at St. Anne School gathered in a community circle to learn about treaties and our Indigenous culture today. Jordan Mowat, Indigenous Support Worker shared his bundle, the history of Turtle Island and his incredible gift of song. “What a wonderful learning opportunity for all our students. They were able to experience first-hand the power of the drum and song,” said Alice Desormeaux, FDK teacher. This learning opportunity was part of the school’s Treaties Recognition week activities.
The Sudbury Catholic District School Board recently held Metis Heritage Days at Holy Cross Catholic Elementary School. Nine elementary schools participated in the cultural presentations. The facilitator, Scott Carpenter, a Community Development Officer with the Metis Nation of Ontario, led the hands-on presentations.
Highlights for many student and staff participants included Carpenter’s beautiful display of Metis artifacts. The Metis people are one of the three recognized aboriginal peoples in Canada. They trace their descent to mixed First Nations and European heritage. Almost 400,000 people self-identify as Metis in Canada. Joel Agowissa, the Aboriginal Youth Worker for the Sudbury Catholic District School Board said, “The students were engaged, interested and had a many questions for Mr. Carpenter. It was an honour to have Mr. Carpenter who is a member of the Metis nation speak to our young students and help us build inclusive learning environments for our students.”
