On Monday, October 31st, students in Mrs. O’Daiskey’s Gr. 8 class at St. Anne Catholic School explored the art curriculum while carving pumpkins. Students within the Sudbury Catholic Board were excited to carve their pumpkin as a means of meeting curriculum expectations. They organized their art work to create a specific effect and also described their plan for their work of art. Upon completion, students identified their strengths and areas for improvement using peer and self evaluation. The final results? They were nothing short of “spooktacular”!
St. Charles College Supports Community With Most Successful Canned Food Drive Ever
The students at St. Charles College greatly surpassed their goal on October 28, 2011 of collecting 60 thousand cans for the Sudbury Food Bank. More than 121 thousand cans were collected for the food bank and many of the cans will be housed at the Sudbury Food Bank’s new can stock location on Webbwood Drive. The school presented Chief Elsner, President of The Sudbury Food Bank with all of the food as well as a cheque for $21 000. St. Charles College is proud to be the first organization to stock the new Food Bank on Webbwood Drive.
Jim Szilva of Freedom 55 and graduate of the high school continued the yearly tradition of remaining on a Greater Sudbury transit bus for a whole week until the students’ achieved the goal set by school administration to commemorate the 60 year anniversary of the school.
The bus also made stops to St. Andrew, St. Bernadette, Pius XII, St. Raphael, St. John, St. Paul and St. David schools. Students there traditionally join the cause and collect in their respective neighbourhoods.
Principal Patty Mardero said: “Seeing our students succeeding and doing well academically inspires me, but there is nothing more uplifting than watching the students at St. Charles College pull an entire community together by collecting one can at a time.”
In partnership with Rogers Radio Q92 and EZRock 105.3, the students worked tirelessly to collect as many food items as possible, and also worked at many of the local grocery store chains by bagging groceries in exchange for cans or monetary donations. Buses were also sent out every night of the week for students to reach out to every part of the large community and canvass the area.
The secondary school has been taking part in a community food drive since the mid eighties.
Marymount Academy Annual Canned Food Drive
This past month, Marymount Academy kicked off its Annual Canned Food Drive for the Sudbury Food Bank. Every year Marymount has great success with this fundraiser, usually raising approximately 10,000 cans. The organizers of this event, the MC3 (Marymount Catholic Charities Council) set a goal of 5,000 cans for the school to collect. This year, the Marymount girls went above and beyond what was expected. They spent countless hours going door-to-door can food collecting, and all of their hard work paid off. One grade 7 student, Brittany Critch, single handedly collected 697 cans on her own! By the final day of the canned food drive on October 21st, the Marymount Regals not only exceeded their goals of 5,000 cans, but beat the school record collecting over 13,300 cans! All of the collected food has been donated to the Sudbury Food Bank. This was a very successful fundraiser for a wonderful cause, and was a great way to kick off a year full of fundraising and charitable events.
By: Shannon Reed, MC3 President
Fabulous Fall Follies at St. Anne School
The French Immersion Early Learning Kindergarten class at St.Anne School was thrilled to pursue their inquiry about the wonders of Fall at J& J Ranch. They took a wonderful hayride in the woods to observe Fall’s fabulous colours. The red, yellow and orange leaves along with the summer like weather made the day a beautiful one! Afterwards the children made wonderful turkeys as replicas of the ones they had seen in nature.
The students would like to thank the owners of the ranch, Mr. & Mrs. O’Daiskey for allowing them to try a new method of transportation. The students are hopeful that they can visit their new animal friends sometime in the near future!
St. Anne Junior-Intermediate Students Practice “Test Driving” For The Future
Recently, Mr. Thomson’s Grade 6/7 class from St. Anne Catholic School in Hanmer participated in a culminating Science activity where they put together their knowledge of energy, motion, force and structures to build Spool Racers. The Sudbury Catholic School Racers were put through a thorough testing phase that included speed racing, distance endurance and design analysis. These budding Junior/Intermediate Scientists did a great job in designing some very unique racers while at the same time developing scientific skills of perseverance and creativity. Who knows? One day these young creators may be the next inventors for such events as the Molson Indy, the Indy 500, and the Grand Prix. We will wait to see. Well done Angels!
St. Anne School Makes Learning “Beary” Exciting!
The E.L.K.P. students within the English Early Learning Program at St. Anne School have been working very hard trying to recognize some signs of fall during their first month of school. Part of their discussions focussed on the characteristics of wild animals, such as bear hibernation. After spending time learning factual information, their classroom teacher decided to involve the student’s own bears in learning activities. Teddy bears that is! The teddy bears came to the Hanmer Catholic School and were used in numeracy measurement and sorting activities. The bears were sorted and organized by size and colour. After an afternoon filled with learning, both students and their bears had a chance to relax before the bears were returned to their homes. Any way they looked at it, the students agreed. Learning about them or with them, bears have a lot to offer!
St. Anne Early Learning Students “Dig” Fall
Students within the English Early Learning Program at St. Anne School in Hanmer recognize the many changes that fall brings for animals and plants. After brainstorming about their own activities, the children were able to understand that people are also making changes as Mother Nature prepares to rest. Their classroom teacher, Cheryl MacRury, invited the English Catholic students to her father’s home in order to allow the children to participate in a fall “garden harvest”. Dressed in boots and gloves and armed with their own shovels and smiles, the students moved through the garden pulling carrots and celery, picking pumpkins, and digging for potatoes. Before the harvest, some of the students were sure that carrots originated from stores. Since the visit, these young children not only recognize where vegetables come from, but they are also aware that harvesting in the fall will help to keep them fed now that days grow colder!
“Heart Heroes” Make A Difference At St. Anne Catholic Elementary School
Primary and Junior students at St. Anne School in Hanmer questioned teacher, Mrs. Desmarais. “What is a Heart Hero?” Mrs. Desmarais’ response was that a Heart Hero was anyone that wanted to help keep all kid’s hearts strong and healthy. She outlined to students how they could work together to make a difference not only to their own health, but to the future of healthy hearts everywhere. Those words were all that the Catholic Board students needed to hear. In association with the Heart and Stroke Foundation, the elementary students participated in the “Jump Rope for Heart” fundraiser.
The students prepared for the event by raising pledges. Next, they began a campaign of improving their skipping skills and stamina during gym classes and recesses. A skipping “phenomena” took over the school. The school administration and teachers helped with the excitement by offering incentives for students with the most pledges. Goals of $1000.00 to $5000.00 or more would result in students being able to throw pies at staff members in front of the entire student body. Mr. Guy Mathieu, the school principal, stated, “The amount of enthusiasm that has been generated with this fundraiser is incredible! I am always amazed at the school spirit demonstrated by the students, not only with their efforts in bringing in pledges, but also at their enthusiasm within the gym at the actual pie throwing contest.” All money amounts raised are put to good use by the Heart and Stroke Foundation. A pledge of as little as $5.00 can be used to purchase test tubes for lifesaving research, while funds of up to $150.00 can be used to buy a blood pressure monitor to keep patients healthy.
The fundraising activity was a huge success! More than $5000.00 was raised. A school assembly will be held in June where staff members will keep their promises to the St. Anne “Heart Heroes.” Even though the Jump Rope for Heart fundraiser is over, school skipping ropes are still in demand by students in all grade levels. The Sudbury Catholic Board students have learned, “They can make a difference in the lives of others!” Way to go Angels!
Beaded Bracelets for Shannen
The story of Shannen Koostachin who stood up for what she believed made a strong impression on Native Studies students of St. Charles College, who decided to give her a helping hand. Shannen, a member of Attawapiskat First Nation, believed that all children in Canada deserve the best start in education, regardless of where they live or where they come from. Tragically, Shannen died in a car accident in 2010 and Shannen’s Dream was created- a charity to support the children of Attawapiskat in their quest for a proper school. The Native Studies students beaded bracelets and baked cupcakes to sell at St. Charles College, to support Shannen’s Dream on April 27th, the National Day of Action. “Shannen showed great courage in speaking up for the children on Parliament Hill. It felt good to support her dream,”said Native Studies student, Leeann Peltier.
St. Anne Kindergarten Students In Disbelief As Gingerbread Man Runs Away Again!
“Run, run, as fast as you can. You can’t catch me, I’m the Gingerbread Man!” This was the phrase the English Early Learning Kindergarten students at St. Anne School in Hanmer had being practicing as they used the story of the “Gingerbread Man” to practice story retelling. A culminating activity was to actually bake their own gingerbread cookies. Imagine their surprise when they discovered that their baked cookies had run away just like the cookie in the story!
An all points bulletin was aired over the school’s p.a. system by the Kindergarten children. They then proceeded to design and post lost and found posters. With the entire student body and staff eagerly searching for the fun away cookies, the children received a phone call from Mr. Thomson, an Intermediate teacher within the school. The run away cookies had fled to Mr. Thomson’s classroom. When asked why he thought the cookies would run to him, Mr. Thomson was quoted as saying, “Everyone knows I like cookies and I also like to say ‘Hello’ to the littlest people within our school, so I guess my classroom was the perfect place to go.” The Kindergarten children were ecstatic and relieved at the same time. Mr. Thomson received a gingerbread cookie as a reward for helping the students and providing a very happy and yummy ending to this tasty fairy tale mystery!