St. Benedict Book Club got the school year off to a good start by taking a field trip to Chapters Book Store for their first meeting. Each student hunted for a book that interested him or her to read for the next book club meeting. Rather than having every student read the same book, students were encouraged to talk about different titles, as it stimulates interest in the others to read the new novels discussed. Nicholas Ryma is keen about history and said, “I bought a book about WWII scientists”, while Matthew Poloni said, “I’m so happy to have something to read for the weekend”.
Category: Community
Write for Rights at St. Benedict
This past month, on International Human Rights Day, St. Benedict hosted the Amnesty International Write for Rights letter writing campaign. Students from the school wrote letters in support of cases where individual’s Human Rights have been violated. The Peace Posse organized the event because they felt that it was important for students to think about the well being of others, not just in the school but around the world. Over three hundred students took part in the event and three hundred and fifty letters were written in support of four cases. It was a great day for Social Justice.
Casting their Ballots at St. Benedict
As part of Government Week, Students at St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School took part in a parallel election and held a student vote on Friday October 22, 2010. On hand was M.P.P. Rick Bartolucci who congratulated the students for getting involved and explained to them the significance of their participation. “Local government includes school board trustees, and that has a direct impact on you and your education,” Bartolucci said. “By learning about your local government, you are learning that voting is something you should take very seriously, and this will be the foundation piece for your future activity as responsible citizens in your community.”
Also addressing the students was St. Benedict Principal Karl Dreger who reinforced Bartolucci’s message regarding the importance of their participation in the vote.
Marli Kicz, St. Benedict student and Sudbury Catholic Student Trustee also spoke to the students about the significance of students getting involved and the power of the student voice. “By getting involved,” Kicz said, “students can have a positive impact – it is very empowering.”
The program run by Student Vote, in partnership with the Ontario government, encourages youth under the voting age to participate in the democratic process through parallel elections, and develop voting habits they can apply as adults.
Over 640 students at St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School participated in Friday’s parallel election and Student Vote will share their results after the official polls close on October 25.
St. Benedict Guest Speaker Drives Home the Message of the Dangers of Drinking and Distracted Driving
Students at St. Benedict welcomed guest speaker Norbert Georget to their school on May 12th, 2010. Mr. Georget is a former Saskatoon area paramedic, who now travels throughout Canada and the United States to bring home the reality of the consequences of drinking and driving, distracted driving and using drugs before getting behind the wheel. Drawing on his personal experiences while he was a paramedic, Mr. Georget shared story after story of senseless tragedies to a silent audience. The students and staff were speechless when Mr. Georget’s message hit home as he displayed a body bag and begged the students to make choices that would ensure they not end up in one. At the end of the presentation, the students and staff responded with thunderous applause to thank Mr. Georget for sharing his experiences. Thanks to the sponsorship of the local Community Credit Unions, St. Benedict was pleased to host the afternoon presentation to the students, and later in the evening the school opened its doors to parents and other community members to listen to Mr. Georget’s important message.
St. Benedict Band Goes on Tour
The St. Benedict Band’s went on tour recently and some of their excursions included performances at Southridge Mall, St. Christopher School, St. James School and Corpus Christi. Joanne Comisso, teacher at St. Benedict and Band Director felt that the students were ready to showcase their talents so was thrilled at the many opportunities they have had to perform. “The students have been working very hard so it is great that they have had several invitations in and around the community.” said Comisso.
Elder Visits St. Benedict Students to Share Culture
On Thursday, January 11, 2010, students at St. Benedicts participated in a traditional smudging ceremony led by Elder Vince Pawis. Afterward, Mr. Pawis shared several traditional teachings such as the medicine wheel and clan names. The students learned how important it is to be respectful of others and of their connection to Mother Earth.