Rejoice It’s different here! The Director’s Newsletter Volume 7 • Issue 8 April 2011 A Grand Affair In relationship with their “adopted” grandparents, students get as much as they give. The man had always longed to play the guitar. In his imagination, he could hear the chords and feel the frets under his fingers. Now a senior living in a retirement residence, he feared that he had waited too long and the opportunity was lost. As the months passed, he befriended a schoolboy who shared his passion for music and eagerly listened to his dreams. Though the boy had little money, he wanted to fulfill a dream of his own. He worked odd jobs after school and saved for months. As the school term drew to a close, that boy was finally able to do what God had placed on his heart: he bought his friend a second-hand guitar. In this issue: In this issue: Looking Ahead at St. stt Michael C.S.S. 21 Century Learning (all schools) Secondary Students “Light the Way” Applause Breakfast Awards Huron-Perth Basketball All About You-th! Tournament Gr. 7 Trades & Technology Days Parent Voices on Catholic Education W ith tears in her eyes, St. Aloysius teacher Mrs. Hastings shares this true story -- one of the many remarkable moments of grace she has experienced through her 8th Grade students and their popular “Adopt a Grand” program. Like a matchmaking service, the program pairs each 8th Grade student from St. Aloysius with a resident from nearby Spruce Lodge, based on personality and common interests. Often, students start asking about the program on the first day of school. Students visit their “adopted grandparent” a few times each month, engaging in conversation, crafts and activities that allow them to build friendships that last the school year and often much longer. “We’ve had 250 students through the Adopt a Grand Program,” says St. Aloysius principal Mr. Dave Cassone, who was a teacher at the school when the program began 10 years ago. “While Adopt a Grand began as a way for St. Aloysius to reach out in service to the community, we soon realized that students were receiving as much as they were giving.” The excitement is renewed with each passing year: on visiting day, students cover the cost of their own transportation and often find the Grands eagerly awaiting their arrival in the Spruce Lodge common area. For residents who are shut-in or alone, this opportunity to connect fills a void in their day-to-day lives. “Not all Spruce Lodge residents have family in the area,” Mr. Cassone explains. “The desire to come together in friendship, especially with a young person, is fantastic. As a Catholic school, we are constantly Continued on page 2 Faith and Learning... Celebrating the Journey CContinued from page 1 From The Director Dear Members of the Huron-Perth community: In this edition, I am pleased to highlight our Board theme, Catholic Education – Celebrating the Spirit…and focus our attention on Catholic education. Huron-Perth is very blessed to have a staff committed to our Gospel values, guided by our Catholic culture and living our Christian faith every day. There are countless examples of “Celebrating the Spirit” in our schools, our communities and our parishes. Pope Benedict’s encyclical, Deus Caritas Est, is a guiding light for us …it states “Charity and justice converge in the hearts and souls of the lay faithful who, moved by love, work for justice.” The letter goes on to say, “As a community, the Church must practice love...not only as a community service, for the sake of those served, but also for those serving, as a necessary expression of their Christian faith and of the nature of the Church.” We are called to love and help our neighbours, to “celebrate the spirit” and to embrace the gift of Catholic education as a true expression of our Christian faith. In this newsletter, many voices speak up about our schools and the Catholic curriculum…a curriculum that instills in students the values of tolerance, respect, and inclusivity, love of neighbour and community service. God Bless, Martha Dutrizac Director of Education exploring ways to reach out and make a difference and remarkably, the success of this program has sustained us through a decade.” Though friendships develop in their own unique ways, St. Aloysius uses a standardized approach to get the ball rolling. “The support staff at Spruce Lodge are of great assistance in pairing up the students and residents,” says Mrs. Hastings. “The kids create an autobiography that outlines their interests, and then meet with the program coordinator to be matched one-on-one with a resident. The relationship most often starts with storytelling, then becomes a partnership. The development is really neat to see.” Before long, students are assisting with tasks such as hairstyling and manicures; both sides commonly exchange gifts. Mrs. Hastings estimates that close to half of the students continue the relationship once the school year ends and some even return from university to visit. This year, St. Aloysius students celebrated Earth Day by cleaning the Spruce Lodge grounds. Residents participated if they were able, and afterwards, everyone enjoyed some social time together. For students, the Grands provide a window into the living history of our region: first-hand accounts of farm life and wartime have prompted classroom discussion about what life was like for previous generations. Mr. Cassone sees the program as a way for students to celebrate the experiences of those around them while nurturing their own sense of empathy and understanding. “They learn so much from these relationships; there has been such a connection,” he explains. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for us to celebrate each person for who they are.” Bernard Murray Receives OCSTA Trustee Award of Merit T Trustee Bernard Murray received the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association (OCSTA) C Award of Merit for outstanding leadership A and service to Catholic education. Bernard a was honoured during the group’s recent w Annual General Meeting and Conference in A Toronto this past weekend. Bernard has a T deep and lasting commitment to his parish and d community. Throughout the years he has dedicated a significant amount of his time, resources and efforts to enriching the Board’s Catholic schools and parish communities. In addition to his service at the local level, Bernard has served Catholic education at the provincial level during his tenure on the OCSTA Board of Directors. Bernard first joined the OCSTA Board in 2000 and later served as President from 2006 to 2008. Bernard was also awarded the 25-year trustee pin. 2 Looking Ahead at St. Michael C.S.S. “I know the plans I have for you”, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” ~ Jeremiah 29:11 S t. Michael CSS is Stratford is preparing students to embrace a bright tomorrow. Ask principal Tim Doherty what’s new around the school these days, and he’s quick to share the latest opportunities in both academics and student life. studies, police services to welding,” says Tim Martens, OYAP Leader with the HPCDSB. “We get a lot of interest from students who want to try these programs on for size. It helps to smooth the transition by offering a taste of College life without spending a lot of money.” Mr. Martens adds that students who are disengaged at school can often thrive in their Dual Credit program: “learning in a different environment and focused on a program of their choosing, we’ve seen some great success,” he explains. Dual Credits “New this year is our Dual Credit program for Grade 12 students,” Mr. Doherty explains. “These courses are especially popular with those returning for a fifth year, who may not require a full course load. Dual credits allow students to top up their schedule with relevant and careeroriented post-secondary courses.” The Ministry-approved dual credit option lets students choose from a handful of College or Apprenticeship courses that count towards both their Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) and a post-secondary certificate, diploma, degree or apprenticeship certification. One day each week, participants leave St. Mike’s by bus at 7:00 a.m. and head for either Lambton College in Sarnia or Conestoga College in Stratford. There, they attend real college classes -- and everything from transportation to books is funded by the Ministry. “There are options available that we just can’t offer in high school, from personal support to culinary The Great Water Debate Along with the growing academic opportunities at St. Mike’s, principal Doherty is equally proud of a campaign launched by the Social Justice Club this year. Inspired by Annie Leonard’s short film The Story of Bottled Water, club members are educating their peers about the environmental impact of the bottled water industry, and the social justice issues surrounding clean water access. “We’re interested in how large companies are positioning clean water -- not as a basic human right, but as something that needs Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board 3 to be paid for,” says Madeline, a Grade 10 student at St. Mike’s who is concerned by manufactured demand for a packaged version of a commodity that’s readily available for free. “Today we unplugged the vending machines at our school to encourage people to drink tap water. We’ve had student taste tests that compared bottled water to tap and people found them to be the same. We’ve created a petition against bottled water in our school and have also generated discussion on our Facebook page.” Ellen in Grade 11 is frustrated by the complacency of those who don’t recognize that bottled water has a massive environmental impact. “A lot of students are lazy and we need to find a way to scare them more,” she says. “We talk about the issue in classrooms. I tell kids where the bottles go and the harm that they cause. Some of my friends are starting to bring reusable water bottles.” “Students are starting to change their habits, but awareness takes time,” concedes Mr. Doherty. “Thanks to the efforts of our Social Justice Club, we’re moving in the right direction.” The Story of Bottled Water with Annie Leonard can be found on youTube.com. “Faith-Filled” Basketball Tournament Secondary Students “Light the Way” Approximately 400 Catholic secondary students from across Ontario attended the first ever Ontario Catholic Youth Leadership Conference that was held in Niagara Falls, March 31 - April 2, 2011. Entitled “Lighting the Way,” the conference brought together students, moderators and various partners in Catholic education to discuss Catholic youth leadership and the future of Catholic education in this province. Huron-Perth was pleased to send twelve student leaders from St. Michael CSS and St. Anne’s CSS to the conference. On Saturday, April 2nd, the Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board partnered with the London Diocese Vocations Office to run the First Annual Frassati Classic! This basketball tournament was open to all HPCDSB Huron County intermediate boys & girls basketball teams. The tournament was named after Blessed Pier Girgio Frassati. The day turned out to be a huge success with six boys’ and six girls’ school teams participating from Our Lady of Mount Carmel, St. Boniface, Precious Blood, St. Mary’s, St. Columban, and St. James. The athletes, as well as many of their families, friends, and community members gathered for a day of basketball, faith, and prayer! Seminarians and sisters were present not only to ref games but also lead everyone in prayer and reflection before each game took place. Many St. Anne’s students as well as elementary school students volunteered their time to run a snack booth and help out with other areas of the tournament. Proceeds of $900 were donated to the St. Anne’s Me to We Group - School In Ecuador Project. The day proved to be a wonderful connection between our Catholic elementary and Catholic high school students! This will be an annual event and is expected to grow bigger and bigger each year! Congratulations to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel School Girl’s Team & St. Mary’s School, Goderich, Boy’s Team who took home the championship trophies! et so many other student “It was really great to me r perspectives on leaders who shared simila phen Lambert catholic education.” - Ste “The conference was a hu mbling experience that gave us the opportunity to learn and share the accomplishments of Catho lic Education.” - Oliver Dobson l rn more about the schoo “It was a great time to lea I think it was nice for board and how it works. that the school board everyone there to realize inions and only wants to really cares about our op ”eriences in positive ways. further our learning exp Cassidy Bedard “It was a great opportunit y for Catholic student leaders to meet with oth er students from different schools and discuss new ideas to improve student success and involvement .” - Maja Lapaine rk ies for students to netwo “Having these opportunit us to these conferences leads and discuss our future at elop tholic education and dev further appreciate our Ca skills.” - Rachel Askett our Catholic leadership 4 Grieve Visits St. Ambrose School Talk to the Pros ! The Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board is proud of our full-day learning kindergarten programs for four and five year old students. On April 7, Jim Grieve, Assistant Deputy Minister of the Early Learning Division for the Ontario Ministry of Education visited St. Ambrose School in Stratford. Grieve leads the provincial implementation of full day learning in all Ontario schools. Full-day kindergarten provides four- and five-year-olds with a seamless and integrated faith-filled day that includes an engaging, play-based educational program during the regular school day. Jim Grieve enjoyed his time engaging in activities and discussion with students and staff! It is easy to take technology for granted, as well as the work that trades people do. The houses we live in, the cars we drive, the computers we rely on all exist because of people that work in trades and technology. On April 4, 5, 6, the grade 7 students of the Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board participated in the “Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) Trades and Technology Days “ at the Mitchell Community Centre. Over 360 students had the opportunity to participate in 11 different hands on technical skills workshops. The students completed “real world skills”- soldering copper fittings, designing cars on a computer program, drilling and tapping aluminum, testing starter motors, sewing, and much more. Along with the projects the students took home, they also developed a respect for the four pathway destinations by identifying their own skills, interests and abilities in order to make informed choices for their future. A big thank you goes out to Mr. Overholt, Mr Steinmann, Mr. Mitchell, and their senior technology students from St. Anne’s and St. Michael Catholic Secondary Schools who lead and demonstrated at each work station. Future Scientists Visit Dublin Trustees from the Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board were privileged to have science fair competitors display their projects preceding the April 26th Board Meeting. Below - trustees Bernard Murray and Amy Cronin received a lesson on “dizziness”. Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board 5 Voices on Catholic Education “The building of Catholic education communities has always been a creative endeavour which calls forr tthe h bes best st that each one of us has to offer...together we must emphasize and in some cases discover the new responses and the nd tth he new soutions to the specific challenges which this moment offers us.” (This Moment of Promise, Ontario conference of Bishops) In this section, you will hear parent voices celebrate Catholic education in Huron Perth .. a true testament to the committted staff whose example has the greatest impact on all of students. Parent Testimonials We feel that Catholic education is very important for our children. They are exposed to faith throughout the day and it is important to have them grow morally with faith and others and doing meaningful life. wm o al or ally w ally ith fa it fait ith it h an a d respect for othe he ers a nd d iin n do d oin ing so in s lliving i ing a meaningfu iv Heart, Wingham ~ An An Marie and Paul Fear Anne ar - Sacred Heart ar We chose Catholic education community. feel it is tholic educat atio at io on for our children because at the heart of Catholic education is com mmu munity. We fe important forr Catholicc v values responsibility the home, community. alues to be the shared re resp esp pon o si sibi billi bi li y ooff th lity he h ome, school and church com mmunity. mm ~ Ni Nick Elia Forte St. Joseph’s, N Nic ick and Eli ia Fo Fort rtte - S St t. Jo J seph’s Stratford We enrolled our ch children Joseph’s Catholic School because we wanted be educated Christ hildren n att St. Jo ose seph h’s ’s C attholi a atho holiic Sc ho S ch hoooll b ecau ause ew ew antted d tthem heem to b h e ed educ d cated in a Ch hri r st centered environment.. A An environment and understanding while God’s commandments and n enviro onm nmeent full lll ooff llove, ove vee, ccaring ari ring a nd d un nderstan ndi ding ng w hile le sstill till lll ffollowing olllow wing ng G od’s command od dm mee the teachingss off the Churc Church. was also very important that would able learn about God rcch. IIt wa as al a lso ov erry im mpo portant th hat at our urr cchildren hiild h ldrre ren w oul uld l bee ab ble to to lea arn n and talk ab a b through out th the that God be they do, be he whole day, so th ha att G ood d could ld b ld e a part of ev eeverything very ything hing hi g tthe he h ey d o, b e iitt llearning, earniing, sports, eating oorr playing. Mary Kay Mike Lobsinger, Joseph’s, ~M ary yK a and M ay ik ike k L obsinger, St. Josep ph’ h’s Stratford I am thankful that Catholic virtues are not only prominent part curriculum but ul th hatt C atholic virt tues ar re n ot on nly yap romi mine mi nentt p ne art off tthe he e cu urrriicu u ulum lu um bu b ut also my children en a en are supported in practicing Steve and Marina St. Patrick’s, practic icin ic ing them in in ing n their th heiir everyday everyd yd y yday day y lives. ~S teve a nd M arrin a na Pinder - S t. P t. a rick Kinkora at When it was time to sign up didnt about him anywhere else. gn nu p my y sson on ffor on orr sschool, ch choo hooool, l, I d idnt tthink hink hi nk ttwice wice wice wi ce a abo boout b ut ssending ending diin d ng gh i a im ny nywhere ny eel lse s . I love tthe connection the school parish, family school honesty, he Catholic sc chool hoo has with the community, paris ho sh, a and nd ffam amil am ily as one. The sc il chooll sstandards tand ta n ards of h respect, faith and teachings iiss reflec ected the the students and my son cte t d fr from om tth he tteachers on he n to th he st stud uden ud ents en ts a nd tto o ha have v m y sso on benefit from that atmosphere, I would not expect anything him. my daughter expeect any n thin ng el else se ffor or h or i . I ca im ccan’t n’t n’ ’t wa wait it ffor it orr m yd a aug ught ug hter ht er tto o sstart! tarrt! t! Gayle James, Seaforth ~ Gay yle Timm - St. Jame We are very satisfi atisfied and proud d to have our childr children drren b bee a pa p part rt ooff th the st stud student uden ud ent bo en body dy a dy att OLMC. The values that we strive for at home are paralleled OLMC continually demonstrates compassion, community virtues that aralleled at school. schooll. OLM MC co cont ntin nt inu in ually lly de ll d monstrates com mpa passio ion, io n, ccom ommunity and a host of other v om we all wish forr our children. Wee are blessed with the opp opportunity have environment. pp portu orrtu tuni uni nity t tto h ty ave our children grow and learn in this env ~ Patty Relouw - Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Dashwood My daughters have had the privilege of attending OLMC school over the past number of years, and we could not ask for a better school, teaching and community experience for them! We love how the teachers nurture and grow the “whole child” and inspire them to achieve their best in a spiritual and faith-based way. The moral fabric is interwoven throughout the whole school, which has proven to be the basis and building blocks of our daughters’ growth in confidence and self-esteem. We feel very blessed to have such a caring and personalized atmosphere for our children to learn in. Thank you for enriching our lives with the efforts of everyone at OLMC. ~ Scott and Diane Stewart - Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Dashwood We are looking for the most positive education we can give our children and the most positive experience in all aspects of their lives - especially their Catholic faith. I want them to learn in an environment that nurtures strong values, a kind heart, and an exceptional education. This school provides that. ~ Laurie Diemand - Jeanne Sauvé, Stratford We chose a Catholic education for our children because we wanted more for them than just academics. Both my husband and I attended Catholic schools and we believe it is important to have faith and God in our school. It reinforces the morals and values that we try to teach our children through the church and at home. At school my children learn how to work well with others in an environment of respect and equality, applying the lessons learned. A Catholic education provides a solid foundation for our children’s future. ~ Cathy Vesnaver - St. Mary’s, Listowel 6 Upcoming Events 2011 201 11 BOARD BOARD OF TRUSTEES Ron Marcy Marcy Ma Marc cy - Ch Chairperso Chairperson s n Stratford Stratf St tfor tf ord d May 1-6 Catholic Education Week (CEW) May 3 CEW System Mass & Mother Teresa Awards, St. Patrick’s Church, Dublin 5:00 p.m. (All invited) May 3 Huron Arts Festival - St. Anne’s CSS May 4 Perth Arts Festival - St. Michael CSS Perth Pe P ertth South, So S out u h, h St. t Mar M Marys, ary ar ys, West ys, ys stt Per P Perth er rth th May 11 World Catholic Education Day Martha Dutrizac Director of Education May 12 H-P Catholic Student Trustees’ Leadership Awards, St. Anne’s CSS - 4:30 p.m. (Mass) May 18 Stuff That Bus! (all schools) May 24 Board Meeting - 8:00 p.m. May 30 June 6 EQAO - Gr. 3 & 6 Assessment June 2 Gr. 9 Assessment of Mathematics Jim Ji im McDade - Vice-Chai Vice-Chairperson irp rperrson Ashfi A As hfield-Colborne-Wawanosh, eld-Colborn ne-Wa Wawa Wa w no wa nosh s , No N North r h Huro rt H Hu Huron, uron, Howick, H Ho wick,, Central Centra al Huron, H ro Hu on, n, Morris-Turnberry, Mo or rri r ss Tu T rn nb be err r y, Goderich God G od derich h Amyy Cronin Am C onnin Cr Huron H ur ro on East, E st, Ea stt Pe P Perth rtth East East, t, North hP Pe Perth ert rth rth Mike Miller South S So Sout out u h Huro Huron, on, n, B Bluewater lue lu ewat atter e Bernardd Mu M Murray urr rray rray a Thank you to all of our volunteers throughout Huron-Perth who have helped build up our Catholic system in countless and tireless ways. Congratulations! Third Annual Director’s Symposium ...to Doug Discepolo, teacher at St. Anne’s CSS on the birth of his daughter Olivia. The Third Annual Director’s Symposium was held at Oakwood Inn in Grand Bend on April 14th & 15th, with the theme “Celebrating the Sprit.” Principals and VicePrincipals attended the Symposium, along with senior administrators, curriculum support staff, managers and trustees. Guest Speakers were Scott Saunders, David Pihach and Chris D’Souza. Mass was celebrated on the Friday afternoon by Father Michael Bechard, Chaplain of King’s University College. ...to Hayley Flanagan, teacher at Jeanne Sauvé on the birth of her daughter Reese. DIRECTOR’S NEWSLETTER This newsletter is prepared by Elaine DeCorte at the Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board. To keep the system informed of the latest news within your school and community, forward details about any activities and achievements by both staff and students to Elaine for inclusion in upcoming issues of the Director’s Newsletter. The Director’s Newsletter is distributed monthly to parents, staff and the wider community, and is posted on the Board’s website at: www.huronperthcatholic.ca Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board 7
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