We are very pleased to present the Director of Education’s Annual Report for the 2021-2022 school year.
We thank our Board of Trustees, Senior Administration, staff, students, families, volunteers, community partners, and our parishes for their continued support and commitment to Sudbury Catholic. Together we are providing a caring, progressive, high quality Catholic school system that is nurturing our students – mind, body, and spirit.
It’s cross country season, and two St. James students are making their mark!
Elsa Blum and Caleb Mead are Grade 6 students at St. James School. They are both members of the St. James Cross Country Team and have both been running since their early years (Elsa has been running since Grade 2 and Caleb since Grade 3).
The cross country team has had a busy Fall already! Elsa and Caleb both placed first at the Laurentian University Cross Country Challenge as well as the CSPGNO Cross Country Meet in the Grade 5/6 divisions.
“I love to win and to compete,” said Caleb. Elsa agreed.
“I just love to run and to get faster after each race.” she explained.
The team is coached by teacher Kyley McHugh and consists of 45 students ranging from Grade 3 -8. When not competing for the cross country team, both Elsa and Caleb like to play hockey. Elsa is also part of the St. James robotics club and plays volleyball and soccer, while Caleb enjoys to play lacrosse.
The two will head with their cross country team to Adanac next Wednesday to compete in a Catholic school meet. They no doubt will look toward improving their times and above all enjoying the race! Good luck Elsa and Caleb!
June 1st was a special day for Lauren Jolette, a student from St. James Catholic School in Lively. She was chosen to throw the ceremonial first pitch at the Blue Jays game to launch the Deafblind Awareness Month. She was surrounded by family and many friends, as well as her intervenor, Doris Connors, from the Sudbury Catholic School Board.
“There’s so many people here and I’m so nervous!” exclaimed Lauren as she stepped foot onto the field and looked out at the bleachers.
Lauren tossed a perfect pitch to Josh Thole, the team’s catcher, with dad and Ace, Blue Jays’ mascot, by her side.
Congratulations, Lauren!
On Wednesday October 21st representatives from The Ontario Soccer Association and The Ontario Blind Sports Association visited both St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School and St. James Catholic Elementary School to deliver a clinic on 5-sided football. 5-sided football is actually 5-sided soccer. It is the game of soccer adapted for the blind and partially sighted. Sudbury Catholic Specialist Teacher of the blind & partially sighted Adriano Simonato made the arrangements for this interactive presentation as he want to provide an opportunity for the visually impaired students as well as the sighted students to learn this sport. “It is another opportunity to narrow that gap between the sighted and visually impaired, increase empathy, and again, focus attention on what a visually impaired person can do,” explained Simonato. “It also simply reinforces the fact that virtually all sports can be inclusive and an opportunity for the visually impaired and the sighted to play the same sport at the same time…together!” The event took place at two venues where there are visually impaired students – St. Benedict high school (morning session) and St. James elementary school (afternoon session).
St. James principal Cara Soehner was thrilled that this opportunity was provided to her students. “At Sudbury Catholic Schools, we have a real focus on equity and inclusivity for students and staff,” Soehner explained. “Having our students, as well as some of our secondary students learn about 5-sided soccer is a great example of this focus. Learning about adaptation of this sport enables our students to recognize the importance of equity in our communities.”
Congratulations to the St. James Catholic Elementary School Junior Basketball A Team that captured the Gold Medal in last weekend’s SCDSB Tournament. St. James players won both the male and female Most Valuable Player Awards of the tournament. Congratulations to Allie Weiler and Sam MacGillivary.
This is the second gold title captured this season by the team! Thank you to Coach, Mr. Denomme, Niki Denomme and school representative Ms. Denomme.
The St. James Junior Basketball B Team coached by Sarah Denomme also participated in the tournament and did very well.
Thank you to Mr. Lariviere for convening and organizing the board-wide St. James Invitational Tournament.
Way to go St. James Bears!
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!
St. James Captures the Gold Medal in Junior Basketball at the St. James Boreal Invitational Basketball Tournament recently. The Gr. 5/6 team coached by Mr. Denomme won the final championship game in a nailbiter score of 37-34 againstt St. Andrew Catholic Elementary School. Way to go St. James Bears!
Students at St. James Catholic Elementary School have been introduced to a new sport. The sport is called Beep Baseball. Adriano Simonato, the teacher of the blind and partially sighted for the Sudbury Catholic District School Board introduced the sport to the students a year ago and it is now part of the school’s intramural sports program.
Beep baseball is the game of baseball adapted for the blind and partially sighted. The ball contains a beeping device that is loud enough to help in sightless location. The six players on the field are helped by a sighted pitcher, who announces “pitch” or “ball” as they toss to a sighted catcher. A batting tee can be used in place of the pitcher/catcher combination for beginning players. The six players must wear eye shades so that everyone is playing sightless. The batters are allowed four strikes; the game has six innings, the standard three outs per game, and two bases, not three. Baseball’s traditional bases are replaced with padded cylinders that stand four feet tall and give off a distinct buzz once activated. The batter does not know which base will be activated, but must run to which ever one sounds, tackling the base before the defence has a chance to field the ball. If the runner makes it in time, a run is scored. The defence does not need to throw the ball; they just need to field it. There are two (or more) sighted spotters on the field and they call out which direction the ball has headed. Loud cheering is discouraged while the play is in progress because it will interfere with play.
This sport provides the opportunity to establish further inclusion of the blind/partially sighted students. The sport is another step in the effort to break down barriers, educate, and focus attention on what the visually impaired can do as opposed to what they cannot do.
“The Capital One Rocks & Rings program is designed to introduce the Olympic sport of curling to elementary school children. By bringing the curling rink to the school gym we reach children that would otherwise not have access to the roaring game.
The best part? We bring everything to the kids – no field trip or school buses required! Curling is a highly social sport that can be enjoyed for a lifetime. It is a fantastic physical activity that can be enjoyed by all ages and abilities. It also promotes sportsmanship and camaraderie and is an inexpensive and less dangerous alternative to many other sports.” www.rocksandrings.com
This was a very engaging and inclusive activity which St. James Catholic Elementary students thoroughly enjoyed. St. James would like to thank Capital One Rocks and Rings for introducing this sport to the students.
Pumped up by the cheers of his friends and teachers, St. James Bear Scott Chandler gives it his all at the finish line of the 4th Annual Laurentian University Cross-Country Challenge. Held on a beautiful sunny day in September, St. James was thrilled to send more than 95 students from Grades 3 – 8 to this exciting event. The enthusiasm of students to participate in the Junior 1.8 km race and the Senior 3.1 km race inspired St. James Staff to continue their promotion of life-long fitness and healthy living.
