Young students at St. James Catholic School were fascinated by a presentation about local frogs and toads that inhabit Junction Creek. In collaboration with the Junction Creek Stewardship Committee the students learned about the different types of frog and toad calls and how to identify different types of frogs and toads both by sound and by sight. The presentation ended with an interactive frog calling session when the students created a chorus of different frog calls using their voices and other objects such as balloons, combs, and elastic bands.
Giving St. James School a BIG Bear Hug
Students, teachers, parents, school staff, clergy and educational partners held hands together to literally form a “human circle” and gave St. James School a BIG Bear Hug on October 26, 2011. Forming a circle by holding hands recognized that everyone makes a difference and plays an important role in the education of the St James students.
Prior to going outside to form a circle, Bishop Noel Simard addressed the students and explained how hugs are a sign of welcoming and acceptance of everyone.
This simple hug created such a positive synergy and was a visible sign of the fondness for St. James School. Giving St. James a BIG Bear hug was a special and memorable moment and as one Grade 8 student summed it up “This is the coolest thing we ever did at school”.
Witchy Visitor at St. James
To the amazement of students at St. James Catholic School, “Cynthia” the Witch from the Walden Public Library landed in the kindergarten classroom. With her “bag of tricks”, Cynthia captivated the young listeners with her “spooky” stories. Cynthia’s interactive storytelling created magic, imagination, and a lot of enjoyment.
St. James School “On Fire”… Truck
Fire Prevention Education starts at a young age and the Kindergarten students at St. James Catholic School had a hands-on approach with a visit with trained personnel, thanks to the Greater Sudbury Fire Department. In bringing the fire truck to school, the students learned about fire safety and awareness. The hands-on approach was the perfect way to get important fire safety message across while still having fun in the process. Very excited to discover how the fire truck works is Senior Kindergarten student, Abigail Delongchamp.
St. James Students Complete a Marathon for Terry Fox
Canadian icon Terry Fox continues to inspire the students at St. James Catholic School. Every student at St. James participated in the annual “Toonies for Terry” Walk and over $500 in donations were forwarded to the Terry Fox Foundation. Mrs. Denomme’s Grade 8 students added a mathematical dimension to their walk. After watching a video about Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope, Grade 8 class came up with the idea of running a combined distance of 26 miles. In the video, Terry Fox’s brother explains how Terry ran 12 miles every morning and 14 miles every afternoon (a marathon each day). The grade 8 students calculated the number of laps in the school yard that would be equivalent to a mile (208 laps). The Grade 8 class invited the intermediate students to be part of their marathon. In order to track the length of the marathon each intermediate student was given a handful of linking cubes. Every time a student ran past the bucket, he/she dropped in a cube. Collectively the intermediate students matched a day of running in Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope.
St. James Parents Creating Hopes and Dreams
Parents at St. James Catholic School have the opportunity to write good luck wishes and messages to their child(ren) on the “Wall of Fame”. Located in the front foyer of the school the “Wall of Fame” reflects the Sudbury Catholic Board’s vision “Sudbury Catholic Schools…Creating hopes and dreams through excellence.” Parents can express in writing their personal hopes and dreams for their own children for this school year.
St. James hosts Evening with the Stars Open House
St. James Catholic School held an “Evening with the Stars” Open House to welcome new and familiar parents and students back to school. Each family participated in a scavenger hunt to locate photos of famous people hidden in each classroom. The scavenger hunt allowed parents to tour the entire school and introduce themselves to all staff as well as their child(ren)’s teacher. Families also had an opportunity to meet their school trustee Mrs. Estelle Scappatura, St. Pius X parish priest Father Terry Fournier, School Council Chair Mrs. Jane Saal, Atikameksheng Anishnawbek (Whitefish Lake First Nation) Education Officer Mrs. Kimberly Nootchtai and Community Partner Best Start Hub.
Wishing for September at St. James School
Whereas the school year is winding down, some students at St. James Catholic School can’t wait until September comes. All new JK students who have registered to start in September were invited to an open house at the school. The various stations of activity gave families an opportunity to connect with kindergarten teachers, school and board resource personnel, and staff from the Best Start Hub. Each student received a “Welcome to Kindergarten Bag” full of early learning resources to help children prepare for school in September. Anxious to begin school this September is Larkin Philipps receiving her Welcome to Kindergarten bag from vice principal Mrs. Corelli.
Pichi Ngamo at St. James Catholic School
Lana Trudeau, Aboriginal support worker with the Sudbury Catholic School Board has the led the Pichi Ngamo Program (Robin Sing) at St. James Catholic School. The Pichi Ngamo program is a seven session Aboriginal focus lunch program, which builds cultural esteem and pride. The students involved in the project had the opportunity to create cultural crafts such as Medicine bags, handshakers, and beaded key chains. Also included in the Pichi Ngamo program, is the tradition of the Talking Stick. In this tradition the Talking Stick is passed around the circle and whoever is holding the stick can speak of any moment in their personal history. The Talking Stick is a symbol of respect for the thoughts and stories of all participants and what is said in the circle remains there.
St. James Hosts Family Aboriginal Night
St. James Catholic School in Lively hosted a family evening for its Aboriginal students and families at the Atikameksheng Anishnawbek (Whitefish Lake First Nation) Community Center. Approximately 120 students, parents, grandparents, relatives and St. James staff gathered to celebrate and spotlight the work and achievement of St. James’ Aboriginal students.
The evening began with a smudging ceremony by grandparents Julie and Frank Ozawagosh, followed by an opening song led by parent drummer Candace Ozawagosh. St. James principal Cara Soehner, Councillor John Vallely, Sudbury Catholic School Board Aboriginal Lead, Shelly Moore-Frappier and Catholic school trustee Estelle Scappatura all spoke of the importance of relationships and teamwork for the education of children.
The evening concluded with Ojibway Family Bingo where the students called the Bingo numbers in Anishinaabemowin. The closing song was provided by the Atikameksheng Anishnawbek drummers. The photo captures the community spirit present at the Family Night.