St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School participated in National Teen Safety Driver week activities. Grade 11 and Grade 12 students spent the morning learning about the dangers of distracted driving and driving under the influence. They also participated in simulations and games geared toward creating awareness. The event was organized by various community partners including GSPS, Public Health and Safety and Ministry of Transportation.
Category: St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School
Sudbury Catholic Students Cast their Vote!
14 schools within the Sudbury Catholic District School Board have registered with the Student Vote Canada program running parallel with the Federal Election. Based on the percentage of schools registered, the Board is in the top 10% of all School Boards within Canada. Student Vote Canada is a program open to all elementary and secondary schools nationwide. Schools may offer Student Vote to a single class or to the entirety of the student body. Students engage in activities surrounding government and the electoral process and are provided necessary tools to stage a mock election in their school during the Federal Election process.
Joanne Bénard, Director of Education for the Sudbury Catholic District School Board is pleased with the enthusiasm that the schools have shown toward promoting student voice.
“Student voice is a top priority within our Board,” she explained. “Student Vote Canada is an excellent opportunity for our students to not only understand the electoral process, but to also practice research and analytical skills and participate in a formal election scenario. We are proud to partner with Student Vote Canada and offer these tools for our students.”
“St Charles College has been involved in Student Vote for many years. We have participated at the federal level as well as the provincial and municipal levels,” explained Rick Emond, teacher at S. Charles College. “The program has had a positive impact on students both academically and in their personal lives. I often receive many messages from former students telling me that because of the program they have voted.”
Sudbury Catholic Students Get “Stoked” About Careers in STEM
100 high school students in grades 9-12 from SCDSB participated alongside 100 students from the Rainbow District School Board in a first-of-its-kind STEM event hosted by NOYSE (Northern Ontario Youth in Science and Engineering) at Laurentian University. Seeking to connect youth in grades 9-12 with possibilities in STEM that stoke passion, “Hear NOYSE Stoke Fest 2019” provided students with an opportunity to develop a greater awareness of unconventional careers in STEM.
Dean Osman Abou-Rabia of the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Architecture and Mayor Brian Bigger greeted the students and encouraged them to further explore unique careers borne from science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The day began in the Fraser Auditorium with a keynote by world-renowned Canadian free skier and product developer Eric Hjorleifson (better known as “HOJI”) who talked about how his passion for skiing led him to a career related to the applied sciences. Led by Laurentian University student ambassadors, student teams moved into hands-on experiential breakout sessions (called “stokes”) led by STEM professionals working in the Greater Sudbury community. Stoke sessions were delivered by various community partners such as Vale, NORCAT, Living with Lakes, Heath Science North, Greater City of Sudbury, as well as Laurentian University and Cambrian College faculty.
“NOYSE is meant to help youth take a peek through the STEM lens. We hope this enriches future career and life experiences and that it helps position our students for wherever technology and the future of work take us,” said Amanda Barry, Secondary Curriculum Consultant at the Sudbury Catholic District School Board and founding Board Member of NOYSE.
Students from Sudbury Catholic District School Board can anticipate many more opportunities to participate in events aimed at both career exploration and experiential learning in the coming school year through the unique programing and community partnerships that have been developed at each of Sudbury Catholic’s secondary schools.
Honouring Reconciliation: Sudbury Catholic Schools Participate in Orange Shirt Day
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.
Sudbury Catholic Schools Welcome 28 International Students for 2019-2020 School Year!
28 students will enter the international student program for the 2019-2020 school year at the Sudbury Catholic District School Board.Countries of origin include Cameroon, China, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Spain and Vietnam. Of these countries, Cameroon, Germany and Mexico are new to the program.
Of the current international students, St. Benedict Secondary School has 10 students registered, Marymount Academy has 10 and St. Charles College will host 8 International students throughout the year. The students and their host families were welcomed to Sudbury and Sudbury Catholic Schools during a barbecue which took place on September 26 at Marymount Academy.
“We are thrilled to welcome both new and returning students to the International Education program for the 2019-2020 school year,” said Joanne Bénard, Director of Education at the Sudbury Catholic District School Board. “This year, we are welcoming 28 students, originating from seven different countries. We look forward to the program growing year after year and truly enjoy seeing the students improve their English proficiency, make lifelong friends and experience our City! The success of our program is only possible through the caring and supportive approach offered by our amazing teachers and staff. We are very thankful for all that they have done to make our program a success.”
“The Board of Trustees is always excited to see the new students enter the International Education program,” said Michael Bellmore, Chair of the Board of Trustees at the Sudbury Catholic District School Board. “This year not only are we welcoming 28 students, but we are welcoming students from three new countries! We look forward to seeing the International program continue to grow each year and see the benefits to both the international students and our students, staff and schools allowing everyone to experience diverse cultures and realize how connected our world truly is.”
The success of the program is also a result of the many generous and supportive host families we have available. The board is always looking to recruit to fill the ever-growing community of host families at Canada Homestay Network. Interested families can contact them directly at hostinfo@canadahomestaynetwork.ca or 1-877441-4443 ext. 2176.
St. Benedict STEM Club celebrates another year of accomplishments with a slice of cake
The focus was on continued accomplishments for the St. Benedict STEM Club. An end of the year gathering was held for the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Club at St. Benedict.
This year the members designed a hover craft and organized a STEM Olympics day for the elementary feeder school students to take part in complete with a series of rotations to get their creative juices flowing.
Last year, the club was recognized for engineering a living wall that was built and displayed at Science North for several months. It is now housed in the school’s learning commons with live plants.
Ms. Cuda, the lead for the club spent the weekend giving back to the students by designing a cake. The students had a luncheon and talked about their achievements and plans for the future.
St. Benedict students show solidarity for those in the world dealing with forced migration
This past week, students in grade 10 classes walked to Mallard’s Landing to show support in ending forced migration of people. The students enjoyed a beautiful nature walk, something forced migrants don’t get a chance to enjoy when they are fleeing wars, persecution, natural disasters or extreme poverty.
The proceeds from this dress down day will go to support Development and Peace, a Catholic organization that works to promote this cause. The effort was part of the “Share the Journey” campaign that Pope Francis launched in 2017 to show solidarity for forced migrants.
More than five hundred dollars was collected for the charitable organization.The students also completed postcards that will be forwarded to Parliament Hill. So far more than 10 thousand of these postcards have been sent to Ottawa addressed to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Way to go Bears!We stand in solidarity with 68.5 million children, women and men who have been forced to flee their homes.
Students Participate in First Ever SCDSB Model UN Conference
Secondary students from all four
secondary schools were able to participate in the first ever SCDSB Model UN
Conference hosted at St. Charles College. The event was an opportunity for
local and international students to come together and unpack an issue from an
international perspective.
Approximately 75 students participated
in this first-ever event! Students worked to find possible solutions within the
United Nations framework to resolve the global human trafficking crisis. The
event leveraged diversity and encouraged participants to develop global
citizenship skills!
Students were awarded in the following
categories:
Best Delegates: Liam Couisneau (St. Charles College) and Rosaria Nero (St. Benedict)
Honourable mentions: Madison Penrose (Bishop Alexander Carter) and Amy Godin (Marymount Academy)
Best international delegates: Ryan Dinh (St. Charles College) and Zihao Wang (St. Benedict)
Congratulations
to all participating students!
St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School Receives Award from EQAO
The
Sudbury Catholic District School Board is pleased to announce that St. Benedict
Catholic Secondary School is being recognized for its achievements by EQAO. They
have been selected as a recipient of the 2018 Dr. Bette M. Stephenson
Recognition of Achievement Award.
Each
year, EQAO recognizes schools that support student achievement in Ontario and
use EQAO data to develop action plans to increase student achievement over
time. For the 2018 year, EQAO is celebrating schools that support student
success in mathematics. As a recipient of this award, St. Benedict has fostered
strong attitudes toward math over the last three school years.
By
creating a culture of inquiry and collaboration, St. Benedict built a positive
attitude toward mathematics, working with staff and students to expand math
vocabulary, understand concepts from various points of view and evaluate
student work in a team setting. All of these strategies have paved the way for
growth for both staff and students.
“I
have had the pleasure of working with both the elementary and secondary math
teams for a number of years focussing on strong math instruction,” said Laura
Kuzenko, Principal at St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School. “It is clear that
our grade 7 and 8 math model works and that it creates not only collaboration
with the staff but also students who are comfortable in their respective math
classes and working at their full potential.”
“We are so proud of St. Benedict and
this accomplishment,” said Joanne Bénard, Director of Education at the Sudbury
Catholic District School Board. “Staff and students have committed to improving
both their academic successes and the culture of mathematics at their school.
We are pleased that EQAO is choosing to recognize their on-going work. We extend our appreciation to our dedicated
staff for their support, effective instruction and passion for teaching”
Secondary Students to Compete at Skills Ontario
Five Sudbury Catholic Secondary Students will be competing at the Skills Ontario From May 6 -8, 2019 in Toronto.
Drake Wickman from Bishop Alexander Carter will be competing in the CNC Wood sign making competition. Easton Laframboise and Griffin Howe from St. Benedict C.S.S will be competing in the carpentry category. St. Charles College will also be represented with student Violet Landrie competing in graphic design-presentation and Sarah Harper competing in the graphic design – studio production category.
We also want to thank their dedicated teachers and coaches for their ongoing support throughout the process.
Good luck to all, we can’t wait to see what you accomplish!