Spotlight on the London District Catholic School Board November 5th

April 28th, 2006

A Celebration of Catholic Education!

Catholic Education Week will Highlight the Many Good Things in our Schools

"He created the seas, the sky and all the lands, Then the stars and the moon and the sun ruled day and night!"

... taken from 'God Saw That it Was Good.'

Catholic Education Week is a unique opportunity to celebrate the great work of Catholic schools in the dynamic and creative integration of Catholic teachings and gospel values across the curriculum. The 2006 theme - And God saw that it was good! – reminds us that we affirm both the sacredness of creation and the sacred mystery that is God’s ongoing creation. It is particularly relevant in reflecting Catholic education’s commitment to help students cultivate an appreciation for God’s gift of creation and develop a deep sense of moral purpose in fulfilling humanity’s responsibility as stewards of creation.

Five sub-themes, one for each of the five days of Catholic Education Week 2006, help students to understand the rich meaning of this year’s theme:

Day 1: Creation charged with the grandeur of God
Day 2: At home in the web of Creation
Day 3: Celebrating the goodness of Creation
Day 4: Living God’s dream for Creation
Day 5: At peace with all of Creation God’s dream for Creation, coming to life in the grandeur of creation, fills us with awe and reverence for this ancient planet and this even more ancient universe in which we dwell.\\

The sacramental universe itself reveals the divine presence in the person of God, the Creator of heaven and earth, in whose image and likeness we are formed and in whom we live and breathe and have our being. Furthermore, this year’s theme reminds us of the intrinsic value and interdependence of life in all its forms. The universe and all that exists within it is bursting with significance and purpose for those who have eyes to see it as God sees it and as God would have
us see it.

What has this to do with Catholic education? Everything! The mission of Catholic education is a mission entrusted with inspiring belief in and love for God and for all of God’s creation. Fundamental to the Catholic understanding of the education of the whole person is a sense of wonder and reverence in the presence of a universe that we did not create and which we are not free to destroy. From this disposition toward creation, we encounter the Creator whose love for us is constant and profound beyond any imagining. This is the foundation of our human dignity as it is the foundation for inquiry, creativity and compassion.

Highlights of the week include:
The Spirit Awards are to be given out on Monday night at a special evening celebrating Catholic Education Week. Students from each school in the London District Catholic School Board - elementary and secondary - will be honoured at Mother Teresa Catholic Secondary School in the fourth annual "Spirit Awards.” The awards are given to students who are judged to exemplify the Ontario Catholic Graduate Expectations.
Monday will also see the awarding of the LDCSB's highest honour, the Stewards in Catholic Education Award. Its is given to a Graduate of our system who “Lives the Ontario Catholic Graduate Expectations.” This is the third year for the award. Previous winners include John Callaghan, a graduate of Catholic Central High School and long-time Principal Robert Thibert,
For 14 years students and staff of the LDCSB have been raising awareness surrounding the reality of male violence against women and girls. This year, hundreds of students from our secondary schools will join in the annual Walk Against Male Violence, to raise funds to support the important support work of local agencies, including the Women's Sexual Assault Centre, and the Native Peoples Centre. The funds raised in past years have pushed the total to well over one million dollars. The walk will take place on Wednesday, leaving from Harris Park in downtown London at 10 a.m.
More than eight thousand students will be taking part in an annual rite of spring and of Catholic Education Week - the Dancefest at Carling Heights Community Centre. The students will perform dance routines they worked on themselves over the past month, with the help of their teachers. The Dancefest will be going on each day during Catholic Education Week.
Students and staff from LDCSB schools have joined their voices in song for a new and totally original song that is the theme for Catholic Education Week and which has been distributed to Catholic school boards right across the province. The song, written by Regina Mundi Catholic College Principal Ted Gorski, is named "God Saw That it Was Good," after the theme for this year's Catholic Education Week. The recording is made up of several tracks and was put together in the school's J. P. Demers Recording Studio. (This is is the song playing on this page)
Each elementary and secondary school within the LDCSB is holding special events to mark the week. To see what your schools is doing, click HERE.
The Ontario Catholic School Trustees' Association, develops the theme for Catholic Education Week each year. It also provides resources for schools to help to celebrate what Catholic education means to our students, to our community and to the province. To visit the OCSTA website, click HERE.

The Spirit is Alive...

In Our Schools!

Cantate Deo from Regina Mundi Catholic College won the 2006 Sandi Mennill Trophy for the African/Spiritual choral competition in this year's Kiwanis Music Festival. Cantate Deo is directed by Greg Ludziejewski and Bruce Hewitt. The name of this new extra-curricular choir means "Sing to God" in Latin. Cantate Deo also sang for the opening liturgy of the OCSTA conference held last weekend in London.

On Tuesday, students from the French Immersion Program at Mother Teresa Catholic Secondary School, from Catholic Central High School and from the greater London area participated at the French for the Future Forum held at the Lamplighter Inn. Students learned about the opportunities bilingualism can provide and benefited from University Hospital cardiac surgeon Dr. Guiraudon’s encouragement to "think outside the box". Originally from Paris, France, Dr. Guiraudon commented that " La bonne Science c'est la bonne morale et la bonne éthique" and " L'innovation c'est de faire la même chose mais d'une façon différente". London's Mayor, Anne-Marie DeCicco also made an appearance. She spoke about her regrets in not continuing to study French, as it would have served her greatly as a journalist and a politician. ~Other highlights of the conference included a delightful breakfast and lunch and beautiful French singing from St. Mary's Choir and the music group "Enchanté."

French Immersion Mass

Schools across London gathered for the third annual French Immersion Mass held at St. Peter’s Basilica, Friday, April 21st, 2006. The main celebrant, Father Murray Watson, was joined by Father Michael Smith and Father Wactaw Chudy, and provided an excellent liturgy which echoed the mass’s theme, “God is love.” French Immersion teachers, parents, relatives and students ranging from ages six to eighteen, came together in prayer and in music to celebrate their faith and French education. Participation and enthusiasm from all ages were overwhelming, as the younger students were able to look up to their older counterparts as humble role models. After the celebration of the Eucharist, everyone assembled outside for the traditional picnic in an attempt to build community and strengthen bonds amongst one another. The mass was another great success, and the Spirit was without doubt, both fully alive and omnipresent. (Pictures Above)

Related Story - French Immersion Program to be Implemented in Woodstock

A French Immersion Program will be implemented at St. Mary’s High School in Woodstock beginning in the 2006-2007 school year. Trustees approved the proposal at this week's Board meeting. The program, for Grades 9 to 12, will be established and implemented at St. Mary’s beginning with a Grade 9 program in the fall of 2006. A Grade 10 program will be added in the fall of 2007, a Grade 11 program in the fall of 2008 and a Grade 12 program in the fall of 2009. The cost of books and resources will be covered by a federal grant.

The students at St. Mary Choir School study a unit on probability and put together games of chance where they must calculate the probabilities and graph them. As a fundraiser we have a math game day where the rest of the classes come to play the games. (Above)

This week was "Heart Healthy Week at Sacred Heart School". This special week tied in 3 different school activities, into one common theme - being a "Healthy School". The week began by having a special "Jump Rope for Heart" Skipping demonstration by a visiting Demo Team, kicking off the school's Heart and Stroke "Jump Rope" campaign. As well, all students were encouraged to be more "screen conscious" by "Turning Off the Screens" as part of the Middlesex-London Health Unit's program. To add that healthy edge to the school's focus, each day was celebrated with a healthy snack for every child - apples, oranges, grapes, carrots and bananas were served to all - sponsored by the Ontario Student Nourishment Program and the Children's Nutrition Network.

Thanks to the dedication of the Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School Council Playground Committee, the expanded play area now has over 40 new trees.(Above)

Meghan Specht, Anna Ryan and Diana Fitzgerald from Miss Heard's grade 3 class at St. Thomas More raised $522.66 for the St. Joseph-St. Pius X St. Vincent de Paul Society by selling "1-decade" rosaries during the Lenten season. On Saturday April 22nd, the girls attended a meeting and presented president Pauline Cameron with the cheque. The girls were given certificates from the Society and a St. Vincent de Paul holy card.

After reading the "Paper Bag Princess", the Grade 1/2 class St. Bernadette Catholic School created and displayed their Paper Bag Princess character creations.

Catholic Central art students are featured prominently in an art exhibition currently underway at 203 Dundas Street (the Arts Project). The Charlie Chaplin close-up (Above) is by Laura Acosta, AV14M (grade 12). The license plate is (Right) by Danielle Lane and Melissa Chavez, AV120.

All three classes currently running this semester - AV14M, AV120 and AV110 - are represented, with assistance of teachers Christopher Bannister and Jacky Reynolds.

There were 62 pieces in the show, which opened on Tuesday.

Lorraine Crawford, Librarian at Catholic Central High School, and her White Pine Reading Award Club members enjoyed a pizza luncheon yesterday, as they gathered to discuss the nominated titles and vote for their favourite book. The club had 27 readers with 23 eligible to vote. Which one did they choose? Angeline by Karleen Bradford was the winner. The results were submitted electronically to Toronto and the provincial winner will be announced at the White Pine Awards Ceremony in Toronto on May 11th. We hope we picked the award winner for this year!

Today was Hawaiian Day at St. Rita Catholic Elementary School in Woodstock, where the students dressed for the part and the weather cooperated too.

The Spirit is Alive...

At the Catholic Education Centre!

The London District Catholic School Council General Meeting & Strategic Planning Session for All Local Catholic School Council was held on Wednesday night this week. (Right) "The evening was both informative and productive," said Lionda Steel, District Council Chair. There were parent representatives from Parkhill, Woodstock, Ingersoll, St. Thomas, Strathroy, and London. Mary Anne Foster, Executive Director of the Monsignor Feeney Foundation spoke about the importance of Catholic partnerships. District School Council is establishing a 'Fundraising Sub-Committee', made up of members from the local councils and the district. The Fundraising Committee will review current fundraising practices and report back to District Council on suggested changes to lessen the burden on parents, partnership opportunities with the Monsignor Feeney Foundation, and the sharing of successful fundraisers system-wide to assist schools that are experiencing difficulties raising money. 22 of 31 schools reported that local fundraising efforts did not meet their needs, on the Parent Involvement Surveys.
Other items addressed were: a Review of the past year; Strategic Priorities for next year; the use of Parent Involvement funds, the related survey results and recommendations; and approval of the District Council Bylaws. This information will be compiled into a report and distributed in May to the local schools, the Board of Trustees, and Senior Administration

Candidates of Called to Lead, a Staff Development Leadership Preparation Program for Potential Vice Principals/Principals, met this week for the last regularly scheduled workshop for 2005-2006. Year One Candidates had an opportunity to explore "The Art of Focused Conversation" with Jeff Gillies (Elementary Principal) and Ted Gorksi (Secondary Principal) and Year Two Candidates explored "Leadership and Special Education" with Barb Broome (Elementary Principal). Special thanks to Jeff, Ted, and Barb for sharing their time, talents, and expertise with the group.

Candidates of Called to Serve, a Staff Development Program for new principals and vice principals, had an opportunity to meet this week around "Closing the School Year." Special thanks to Jim Costigan and Dan Howard, secondary administrators, and Peter Cocurullo, Leslie Smith, Bret Babington, and Gary O'Donnell, elementary administrators who shared their time, talents, and tips with the group.

The London District Catholic School Board’s annual Tech Challenge was held on April 1st and for the first time, this event was held in conjunction with the London District Science and Technology Fair at Galleria. Twenty teams took part in the challenge with four teams - St. Joseph, Thamesford; Jean Vanier; Holy Rosary and St. Thomas More - achieving gold level status. The winners were honoured at the Board Meeting. Above, the St. Joseph Team showed off their creation.

The Board of Trustees has recognized Sabrina Karim, a student at Catholic Central High School and one of four winners of the Junior Achievement of Canada’s Inspiration Award 2005/06. The award recognizes inspirational essays and outstanding public speaking skills by students in JA programs. Only four were awarded across Canada. Sabrina has been a participant of JA London's Company Program - A Student Venture for the past two years.

Thanks to the staff from St. Mark's School who brought coffee from Tim's today and our staff who helped donate a total of $297.95 to the Autism Society.

The Board thanked and recognized members of the Committee that assisted in hosting this past weekend’s Annual General Meeting of the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association. The event was a great success.

News and Notes...

Our Doors are Open - for Staff and Parent Community has been rescheduled to May 31st, 6 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. at the Catholic Community Centre. For the details, click HERE.

St Jude Catholic Parent Teacher Council and Jean Vanier School Council are hosting an Internet Safety Presentation and Introduction to the Cyber Cops Program FOR ADULTS ONLY.
Wednesday, May 3rd, 2006 at 7:00 p.m. In the St. Jude School Library 690 Viscount Road, London. For more details, click HERE.

Coming May 9th: Re-Defining Literacy: What ALL Parents Need to know

Presenting David Booth, Author of Even Hockey Players Read and many teacher reference books and texts
Professor emeritus at Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
Winner of several awards for teaching, his contributions to drama and literacy and for his books for young people
World renowned Teacher ~ has addressed educators throughout Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Austria and the Near East

Tuesday, May 9th, 7:00 pm, St. Thomas Aquinas Secondary School. Tickets are free, but space is limited. Contact your Principal for Tickets.

The YMCA Children's Safety Village of London area will be celebrating a 5th birthday on Sunday June 4th, 2006 from 12 noon to 4pm.in the Fanshawe Conservation area 1424 Clarke Road north of Huron Street. Watch web site : www.safetyvillage.ca for updates.

Health and Safety

Have you picked your team of 3 yet for our bulletin board contest? All the information and the materials you need are now in your schools. First prize is a plane ride over your school and second prize is a pizza party for the entire staff. Get involved. Health and safety is everyone's responsibility!

Gala Night Under the Stars
St. Charles Catholic School would like to extend an invitation to St. Charles parents, friends and community for an evening of elegant epicure, and lively competition. Friday, May 5th, 2006. Dinner seating at 7pm. Silent Auction at 8pm. $25 each.
For more details, click HERE.

Thanks to teachers and students who forwarded poster submissions for the inaugural MediaFest Poster Contest. Samples of student work are now on display in the CIRT lab at the Catholic Education Centre.

Congratulations to Jennifer Berkelmans, for her winning design! Jennifer is a Grade 11 student in Mark Lisson's period one class at John Paul II. Her captivating graphic design will be reproduced for distribution to all schools in the coming weeks.

MediaFest is a celebration of cross-curricular achievement by students using various multimedia technologies, highlighted by the MediaFest Showcase which takes place on May 9, 2006 at the Catholic Education Centre.
For details on the event, visit www.ldcsb.on.ca/schools/cfe/mediafest

Please take a minute to help us to better serve you!
Please click HERE to access an electronic survey on 'Spotlight on the London District Catholic School Board'
Your opinions are appreciated!

A Special service is available to LDCSB employees: Please visit our on-line store for LDCSB items and Board ware.
Click HERE for details!