With the recent delivery of several workshops highlighting new and fun approaches to practicing math facts and developing mental math skills, students at St James school are reaping the benefits. At the beginning of every math period, students are encouraged to use playing cards or dice to practice addition and multiplication skills independently and to test each other in fun math challenges. Primary and junior students are also learning the benefits of strategies such as decomposing or friendly numbers to add difficult numbers without the use of paper, pencils or calculators. Student engagement is obvious and real learning is happening!
Learning Through Play at St. James FDK!
At St. James Catholic Elementary School Full Day Kindergarten students are encouraged to explore and develop new knowledge/skills during self-directed learning centres. In building centres that are equipped by the FDK team (teachers Mme. Belanger and Miss Hoeg), students use Lego to strengthen math, visual arts and fine motor concepts/skills. The beauty of the program is that students are learning through play!
Exploring Art Exciting for St. James Students
Junior and senior students from St. James school enjoyed a field trip to the Sudbury Art Gallery on Monday, October 6. Students explored the use of lines and elements of design such as shading to create original works of art with water paints. Students learned four paint techniques using various brushes during their workshop and applied those skills in this authentic learning experience!
Speed Cup Stacking at St. James.
St. James students meet weekly at lunch to enjoy some speed cup stacking!
The students showcase their hand/eye coordination and try to beat their friend’s time or their own personal best like grade 8 student Jakob Fahey.
St. James 5/6 Softball Team Captures Gold!!
On Friday June 6th, 2014 the grade 5/6 St. James Catholic Elementary School softball team participated in the Greater Sudbury Police Service annual slo-pitch tournament. The tournament serves to honour the memory of Sgt. Rick McDonald, who loved baseball and working with youth in our community. Sgt. McDonald was killed in the line of duty on July 28, 1999. The annual GSPS 5/6 Slo-Pitch tournament allows young students from across the Sudbury region to interact with police officers and have a great day playing ball.
The St. James team won their first two games to capture a spot in the championship final. The team was down a few runs early on but battled back with teamwork and lots of cheering from their fans to capture the championship! Way to go Bears!
Celebrating Roots of Empathy at St. James
The Full Day Kindergarten (FDK) class at St. James Catholic Elementary School has enjoyed the “Roots of Empathy” program this past year, but has especially enjoyed the visits by Baby Kinsley. Kinsley was only 4 months old on her first visit and by her last visit she had turned 11 months! FDK students, staff and Baby Kinsley have loved watching and being part of her milestones throughout her first year. Last week, there was a classroom celebration to wish Baby Kinsley farewell for the year.
Author Chad Solomon visits St. John/ St. James School
Graphic novelist and creator of Rabbit and Bear Paws, Chad Solomon visited both St. John and St. James Catholic Elementary Schools. The Rabbit and Bear Paws series involves heroes that share humourous adentures based on tradition Aboriginal teachings. The students at both schools had an opportunity to learn some traditional Aboriginal teachings, as well as, the creativity and innovation that is involved with designing graphic novels.
SCDSB Students Soar at Canada Wide Science Fair
SCDSB regional science fair winners spent 8 days in Windsor competing at the Canada Wide Science Fair, accompanied by teachers Loretta Cuda and Melissa Talevi recently. They competed againstt 463 students from across Canada.
Marymount students Hailey Mackenzie and Dayna Rachkowski won the Resource Award for developing a better way to use natural resources that provide sustainable sources of food, products or prosperity for their project titled “Aquaponics”
Marymount students Alex Millar and Marika Moskalyk won an Excellence Award – Silver Medal for their project titled “Green Gold: Phytoremediation of the Long Lake Gold Mine”.
St. James student Marina Leblanc won an Excellence Award – Bronze Medal for her project titled “Cold Feet”.
Picture: l-r
Marika Moskalyk, Alex Millar, Marina Leblanc, (teacher)Loretta Cuda, (teacher) Melissa Talevi, Dayna Rachkowski, Hailey Mackenzie
St. James BBQ
The Knights of Columbus are pictured with Father Pat around the BBQ. The Parent Council organized the event – the Knights of Columbus cooked, the CWL took care of the desserts and Todd Connors, District Manager of Perkin’s Restaurant donated the food. Trustee, Estelle Scappatura attended the event as well as staff, students, and parents. A St. James Catholic Community event!
Career Fair at St. James
The grade 7 & 8 students at St. James Catholic School, recently used Career Cruising to help them choose a career to research. Some students displayed their work on a backboard while others created a slideshow on a Macbook. On May 6, they presented their work in the gym as a “career fair” for one another and guests.
Students had to describe the career, list the required skills and working conditions, display a sample career path with possible earnings, conduct an interview with someone in the field, look at the education required to become qualified for this career. Then they had to work backwards from the admission requirements to the college or university, to select their secondary school courses.
Next, we will look at the beginning salaries for their career choices and create budgets including taxes, rent, vehicle expenses, utilities, groceries, etc.