Students in Cheryl MacRury’s Early Learning class and Kathy Belanger’s Grade 7 class at St. Anne Catholic Elementary School have been inspired. For the past year, these two classes have worked together to support the Wild at Heart Animal Refuge. What started out at as a proposal from the two teachers, resulted in a successful grant application from the Canadian Federation of Teachers to support the students learning about, and helping animals in the wild.
The students decided to call themselves the ABC’S – All Because of Caring Students, and decided that this project was about making a difference in the world, despite being a small group of young students. The project involved contacting and visiting community businesses to begin a fundraiser for the animal refuge. Knowing that ever cent makes a difference, they began a penny drive to help out the animals. Throughout the year, the classes had contact with Wild at Heart Animal Refuge veterinarian Dr. Jouppi and learned about what the centre does to support, protect and care for wild animals.
On June 20th, 2012, the students got on a bus, and visited each of the community business that helped them collect for one last collection, and the last stop on the road trip was at the Wild at Heart Animal Refuge where they got to see the facility and meet with Dr. Jouppi. Dr. Jouppi explained to the students that the centre should be ready within a year to be an educational facility – set up to educate groups about the animals – with an average of about 700 animals visiting the site each year, usually with 150 at the centre at any given time. Dr. Jouppi thanked the students for their donations and support and encouraged them to continue in their efforts to support the care of wild animals. “Living in Northern Ontario, it is our duty to treat animals with respect and to learn to live in harmony along side the animals as they were here first.” Jouppi said. The veterinarian also encouraged the students to tell others about the centre as they are in constant need for volunteers, not only to support the animals, but to help with the construction of the renovations to expand the centre, as well as with fundraising and education.
Both teachers have thoroughly enjoyed working on this year-long project with their students as it has positively affected the classes in numerous ways. “Not only did our students learn about protecting our environment and all the creatures that God has given us,” MacRury stated. “They have learned numeracy from counting the money, they have learned to be stewards of the earth, they have learned communication skills, technology skills in creating multi-media projects, and they have learned empathy in being more aware of what is happening in the world around them.” Kathy Belanger echoed MacRury’s comments and added that they two different classes working together has been a great experience for all the students as well. “Have students in different grades partner up and work together has given them both a different perspective and allowed for a really enriching mentoring opportunity. The younger students really look up to the older students and have been encouraged to be role-models. All of our students rose to the occasion and the whole experience was outstanding. I think this project will impact them for the rest of their lives as it was more than just a fundraiser, it allowed them to have more of a global perspective as it reinforced the importance of thinking of others before themselves.”
At the end of the penny drive, the students had raised over $200 for the centre as well as donated a newly built crate for the animals, a basket of fruit and other food items for the animals.
St. Anne Angels “Read Their Way To The Top”
For the past two years, junior students at St. Anne School in Hanmer have been participating in an event called “The Battle of the Books”. The competition is open to students from the different Sudbury Boards. The event helps encourage a love of reading by its participants. This year, the St. Anne Angels, under the direction of Sudbury Catholic Board teacher Denise Desmarais, took second place at “The Battle of the Books” competition that was held Wednesday, May 30, 2012 at the Radisson Hotel in Sudbury. The competition, which is an annual event organized by the Sudbury Public Library, requires students in grades four, five and six to read up to 30 books and then respond to questions about them. Throughout the school year, students read, meet, and discuss the selections that have been outlined to all students entered within the competition. This year, 15 schools from the Sudbury District entered the battle. The student team from St. Anne placed second in the event and were able to take home silver medals. Coach Denise Desmarais praised her team for their great effort and recognized that the final results between first and second place were very close. The staff and students at St. Anne are very proud of their “Battle of the Books” team and all of their hard work. Your enjoyment of reading has really opened up a world full of exciting stories and has sparked your interests for years to come. Way to go Angels!
Angel’s Help Feed Families
Recently, the grade 7 and 8 students at St Anne Catholic School in Hanmer had the opportunity to listen to guest speaker Tammy Durand, founder of ABC’s and Rice. Students were informed that education across the globe is not the same, especially in third world countries such as Cambodia. Throughout the presentation, Sudbury Catholic District School Board students learned that the needs of those in third world countries are much different than the needs of those in Canada. Education is not a right in Cambodia, but rather a privilege that not all children are lucky enough to obtain.
ABC’s and Rice is breaking the mould in Cambodia, through the selfless acts of Tammy Durand, and making education available to children in a special way. If families allow their children to attend school rather than work, the children will be given rice and other necessities to bring home to their families. ABC’s and Rice is hoping to break the cycle of poverty through education of Cambodia’s youth.
Approximately 130 students had the opportunity to hear Durand speak about the program that captured their attention throughout the one hour presentation. Tammy Durand explained to students that they can do anything that they set their minds too. What started as an adventure tour for her turned into a whole new chapter of charity work that has fulfilled her more than anything she has ever experienced.
In true Angel spirit, the St Anne students donated $175.00 to ABC’s and Rice. This money will go towards feeding approximately 9 families with rice for one month. “This was a great experience for our students at St.Anne school. Tammy and I went to elementary school together. She is a true inspiration. I wanted these students to understand that she was no different than them. She sat in similar classrooms that they are sitting in, although she decided to make a difference in the lives of others, ” said Jody O’Daiskey, grade 8 teacher at St Anne school.
Carli Meeks and Alyssa Menard are two of the students that had the opportunity to listen to Durand’s powerful presentation. “I though it was interesting that a girl from our area basically saved those children’s lives from the working conditions, lack of education and food deprivation,” said Carli Meeks, grade 8 student at St. Anne Catholic School. “If you put your mind to it, you can do anything,” said Alyssa Menard, another grade 8 student at St. Anne Catholic School. This was the message that echoed loud and clear throughout her discussions with St. Anne Students.
Tammy Durand is a former student of the Sudbury Catholic District school board. She now lives in Cambodia where she teaches, feeds, and organizes the programs for ABC’s and Rice.
“Egg-citing” Time for Young Students at St. Anne Catholic School
Over the past few weeks, the French immersion full day kindergarten students at St Anne Catholic school in Hanmer investigated a new inquiry about eggs. This inquiry allowed student’s in teacher Alice Desormeaux’s class to formulate different ideas about eggs. They realized that some eggs can be eaten and some eggs have chicks. They explored the possibilities that eggs can be all different sizes and cooked different ways. They cracked eggs, decorated eggs, and discussed the different egg textures.
On one day, they even experienced two visitors that joined their class for the afternoon. A parent brought in two, one day old chicks for the students to observe and hold. “The overwhelming response to their presence in our classroom was, ‘Can we keep them'”, said Alice Desormeaux, Kindergarten teacher. They were fascinated with the idea that these chicks had only hatched from their eggs the day before. They also learned that chicks need water, food, and heat to survive.
“The chicks were so cute,” said 4 year old Cameron O’Daiskey. “It’s so neat that they have a blue dot on their head to tell that they’re boys.”. Both chicks that visited had a blue marked dyed on the top of their head to indicate that they were male. The students were excited to see these chicks and have furthered their inquiry into the life cycle of a chicken.
St. Anne Winter Carnival Spells Last Hurrah For Winter
St. Anne School staff and students celebrate the end of winter with their annual winter carnival. This year however, the entire school body wondered if there would even be a carnival. Sudbury Catholic Board teacher and annual carnival planner, Nannette Shonwise stated, “We will be moving up the festivities by a week to make sure there will be enough snow.” However, a sudden mild spell had even those best laid plans up in the air right down to the last minute. Would the carnival be able to take place outdoors or not? Fortunately, Mother Nature was on their side. The students from J.K. to Grade 6 were able to participate in all types of winter events like hockey, curling, the luge and of course, a hot chocolate station. No team comes out as the grand winner for the day. The purpose of the carnival is to allow the children to just have fun without the added pressure of competing to come in first. The events help promote such virtues as responsibility and patience, as well as promoting teamwork between the youngest to the oldest students. The day was a huge success thanks to the efforts of teachers, parent volunteers and of course, the team spirit of the student body. Winter may be on its way out, but you can be sure the memories of this year’s winter carnival will be around for quite some time! Way to go Angels!
St. Anne Students Snowshoe Their Way Into The March Break
In like a lion, out like a lamb is the old saying to predict the unsettled weather that March can bring. With huge amounts of snow at the beginning of March, the students within teacher Lois Lambert’s Grade 1-2 classroom at St. Anne School wondered if there would be any snow left once they returned from their March Break. Deciding to take no chances, these students within the Sudbury Catholic System strapped on their snowshoes for their gym class. The children were able to walk the perimeter of the school yard which was quite a distance for these six and seven year olds. Some students fell and some students were wet, but in the end, a good time was had by all. Their classroom teacher, Mrs. Lois Lambert, stated, “I want the children to have a safe March Break and maybe inspire them to find other enjoyable activities to participate in while the weather is nice.” Spring may be just around the corner, but these children proved that winter fun can be very exciting!
The “Dragon’s Den” Hits St. Anne Catholic School
On Friday, February 24, 2012, students in grade 8 at St. Anne Catholic School in Hanmer, participated in their annual science fair. This year, the science fair took on a whole new look, and became an inventor’s fair. During the morning, all grade 8 students displayed their inventions in order for the entire school community to view and celebrate their achievements. The inventions were evaluated by members of the community, and ten
inventions were selected to present their inventions to the panel of Dragon’s in the afternoon. The dragons consisted of, Mr. Mathieu, principal of St. Anne School, Ms. Ubriaco, curriculum coordinator at SCDSB, Ms. Langlois, physics teacher at Bishop Alexander Carter Catholic Secondary School (BAC), and Jessica Vaillancourt, grade 12 student at BAC. “It was a very refreshing and innovative way to approach science fair. It was very obvious that the students were totally engaged in their work and were very proud to share it with others. It was a great experience for both the students and
myself as a judge. Definitely a venue worth exploring further for all of our students,” said Connie Ubriaco. Students worked diligently over the past 6 weeks, planning, constructing, interviewing, testing, and marketing their new inventions. Their innovations demonstrated the development and evaluation of innovative devices, models, techniques or approaches in technology, engineering or computers (hardware and software). With the help of their teachers, Jody O’Daiskey and Julie Caissie, students integrated several technologies, inventions or designs and constructed innovative technological systems that could have human and/or commercial benefits.
St. Anne Angels created highly original products that demonstrated resourcefulness, and creativity in design. Some of the top products were the “EZ Carry”, created by Caleb Beland, which aids in the carrying of numerous bags, as well as the “Skaterz Friend”, created by Chris Rowsell, which helps teach children how to skate. “I personally had a great time with the Dragon’s Den. I especially think that the creativity of everyone made
this Science Fair the best of all,” said Caleb Beland, inventor of the EZ Carry. “The science fair at St. Anne’s was one of the best I have seen,” said Jody O’Daiksey, grade 8 teacher at St. Anne Catholic Elementary School. “Students demonstrated engagement from the minute the Dragon’s Den concept was introduced. Their ideas and final products were better than we could have ever expected.” “It was exciting to see student’s applying all of the research skills we have been developing together all year,” said Julie Caissie. “These Dragon’s Den projects were an amazing opportunity for students to really showcase their abilities.” The Sudbury Catholic District School Board held a board wide science fair on Thursday, March 1st, and four projects from St. Anne Catholic School in Hanmer were among the projects featured.
Angels Donate to a Good Cause
On March 8, Danielle Long, a student from St. Anne School in Hanmer, finally reached her goal. She cut off her 14 inch braid to donate to the “Angel Hair for Kids”. Danielle is a grade 6 student at St. Anne School. She has been working towards this hair donation goal for approximately a year and a half. This will be Danielle’s third time donating her hair to this amazing cause. She was inspired to do this when a family friend passed away from cancer. “It felt good to do this today,” said Danielle. “It’s fun to do. It is nice to give someone my hair for them to feel good about themselves.”
Makayla Bertrand, a grade one student from St. Anne School is also ready to take on this challenge. Makayla has been growing her hair for about 2 years to make sure she has enough hair to donate. She is planning on donating approximately 10 inches of hair in May, Cancer Awareness month. Makayla was inspired by her mom, Melissa Bertrand who donated her hair to this cause 8 years ago.
All of their hair will be sent to A Child’s Voice Foundation, “Angel Hair for Kids”. Angel Hair for Kids is a program that provides wigs and hair loss solutions to financially disadvantaged children in Canada who have lost their hair due to a medical condition or treatment. Using hair that is generously donated to the program, the foundation can create wigs and hair systems and provide them at no cost to the child’s family. It takes 10-12 donated ponytails to make one hair prosthesis and $800 to $1000 is budgeted by the foundation to cover manufacturing and related costs.
Learning Becomes “Magnified” For St. Anne Students
A recent visit to Science North proved to be a real “eye-opener” for students within the English E.L.K. program at St. Anne School in Hanmer. During the fall, the young children within the Sudbury Catholic System began a learning inquiry into the life cycle of plants with a garden harvest. With the arrival of spring right around the corner, the students are continuing to expand their knowledge of plant life through new growth. Before the children actually plant their own seeds, they participated in a session at Science North that discussed how plants grow, their needs and care, common plants around us, and how plants take root in the wild. Their classroom teacher, Cheryl MacRury, knew that her students had a good foundation before planting, but stated, “The children had a lot of fun. The best part of the session was watching them as they learned a lot about how plants reseed and grow in the wilderness. They didn’t know the important roles that people, animals, and insects play in a plant’s life, but they do now.” An inquiry task that involved magnifying glasses and a bag filled with seeds, berries, burrs, and felt allowed the children to put on their thinking caps and have a hands on experience with how pollination occurs. What will the final result be following their Science North visit? Hopefully a new generation of plant growers. It is never too soon to start cultivating a green thumb!
St. Anne Students “Go Green” For St. Patrick’s Day
The students at St. Anne School enjoy celebrating special days and holidays just like all other children do. This even includes holidays that take place while they are not at school. St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17th while students across Ontario are away on their March Break. Just before they left for their holiday, some students in the French Immersion E.L.K.P. classroom within the Sudbury Catholic Board showed their true spirit by dressing up to demonstrate their “love for the Irish”. Anthony Bertrand, Gavin Potvin, and Jacob Carosi had a lot to tell about the costumes they were wearing. “My mom helped me get dressed for St. Patrick’s Day,” said Jacob. “My mom even helped me put on tattoos for leprechauns,” stated Gavin. “I wanted to wear a beard for St. Patrick’s Day, but it is pretty itchy,” was Anthony’s comment. The wearing of the green by some of St. Anne’s youngest students had the entire school body seeing “wee little leprechauns” throughout the day. Way to go Angels!