Is your child starting Kindergarten September 2021? Join the Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic District School Board for our Early French Immersion information sessions, to discover the amazing opportunities a bilingual Catholic education can provide.

SJSH is excited to announce virtual information sessions for all future students and families will be available soon. Sessions will include a greeting from our Principal, student life at SJSH, athletics and the Arts programs. Detailed information on academic programming such as course offerings, our Advanced Placement Program, French Immersion and STEM will also be available. Families will also have an opportunity to submit questions to be answered by staff. Please continue to check sjsh.npsc.ca for updates.

We are so pleased to share two special performances from the Grade 7 and 8 students at St. Hubert! They have been practicing their ukulele skills this semester and their hard work has definitely paid off! Thank you to teacher Allison Denomme for preparing this beautiful video and orchestrating the (virtual) performance!

We are so pleased to share a video of our friends at St. Gregory performing Carol of the Bells! Their virtual music instruction is being put to good use as they share their wonderful Christmas cheer with us.

Our friends at St. Francis took part in a unique festive challenge this year called the Advent-Read-A-Thon. With a new take on the traditional Advent calendar, the 25 day activity challenged primary and junior grades to read something every day, with fun twists. For example, students were challenged to read a mystery book, read poetry or even read in the car! As they complete each week of the reading challenge, they are rewarded with a candy cane. We hear someone in the North Pole has caught wind of this special activity - maybe he will include St. Francis in his pre-Christmas visits!

At its organizational meeting on Tuesday December 15, the Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic District School Board appointed by acclamation, Leo de Jourdan as Chair and re-elected Barbara McCool as Vice-Chair.

Students at the Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic District School Board (NPSC) have been taking part in a unique festive activity called NPSC’s 12 Blocks of Christmas. The competition is open to all students from Kindergarten to Grade 8, with the challenge of completing one coding activity per school day. Students enter the competition by engaging in the board’s curated coding activities throughout the 12 school days of the challenge offering. Activities centre around core curriculum topics and are divided by grade level.

Students in the Grade 12 Religion course have been actively spreading Christmas cheer this year, completing a variety of goodwill activities and projects to spread joy this season. The class ‘adopted’ two children through the Children’s Aid Society’s Joy Project which seeks to provide Christmas gifts for all children and youth in the Nipissing and Parry Sound district. Students used their own money to purchase gifts for the children, including a dollhouse, toys, pajamas and art supplies. Staff and students also worked together to hand write 150 Christmas cards for nursing home patients, accompanied by beautiful artwork and Christmas paintings. We are so proud of the work of our students and staff, who continue to demonstrate compassion, generosity and benevolence during the Christmas season and throughout the year!

Our friends at St. Gregory have been connecting with their school priest virtually this year, through a series of classroom discussions and school masses. Since the beginning of September, Father Eric has been engaging each class in weekly discussions; answering questions, sharing parables, interactive reflections and discussing important aspects of students’ faith development. The school has also taken part in virtual masses throughout the year, coming together monthly to celebrate Mass as a school community. During Advent, Father Eric shared special weekly prayer services to light the candles of our school Advent wreath. Father Eric’s reflections and discussions engage students in learning how hope, peace, joy and love help us prepare during Advent to welcome Christ into our hearts and homes this Christmas. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Father Eric for his creative and important contributions to our school community and the spiritual development of our students!

A Christmas Message from the Board Chair and Director of Education: ​ In our Catholic schools, the season of Advent is a wonderful time of preparation. As we think about Christmas traditions and preparing “new” traditions this year, we invite our community to join us in sharing a moment of gratitude.

Intermediate students enrolled in the Tech and Design program at NPSC have been engaging with the course curriculum using a variety of unique and innovative learning approaches this year. While the majority of students are not able to attend the traditional tech and design classroom in person, teacher Robert Pavone, has created several projects for students to create in their classrooms at their home schools, accompanied by his virtual lessons and supporting material. To complete the procedural learning assignments each of the over 200 students enrolled in the program this semester receives a package that includes project materials, written instructions and access to videos, photos and a Google Slidedeck of instructions to create the 3D models. Design projects include a geodesic dome, a truss bridge, a cell tower and the culminating project of creating floor plans for a virtual home. We are looking forward to sharing more of these projects as they come to life in schools across our district!

Intermediate students across NPSC had the opportunity to build their culinary knowledge and essential skills through a synchronous learning event, hosted virtually by the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program and Canadore College. Students learning virtually, as well as students attending school in-person received an ‘activity-box’ with ingredients to make gingerbread houses and energy bites. All participants were then invited to participate in a culinary lesson, receiving live, virtual instruction from a Canadore College Chef and having the opportunity to ask questions about their learning. The hands-on activity provided students with an introductory experience into the skilled trades and college, as well as a discussion about healthy eating and nutrition. Special thank you to the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program and Canadore College for providing this exception experience for our students!

Intermediate students across NPSC have been engaging with music curriculum in a new way this year, working virtually to learn music theory and compose their own music. Using Google Classroom, the music teacher, Allison Denomme, has created a plethora of activities and resources to introduce students to the curriculum. Next, the over 300 students across the district enrolled in the program have signed up to a digital service called BandLab, which allows students to record, edit and mix their own music. Students have the opportunity to connect via Google Meet to share their music and connect with their peers and teacher, who teaches students from across the district from her home school at St. Hubert. Students who are not completing the BandLab unit are learning Ukulele through a series of virtual tutorials and activities.

Students at St. Alexander School have been bringing their learning to life by connecting virtually with experts in the subjects they are learning about in their classroom. The Grade 6 class has been tuning in to live broadcasts, orchestrated by Joe Grabowski of Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants, to hear discussions from astronauts, artists, physicians, marine biologists and many more.

Special thank you to the Kiwanis Club of North Eastern Ontario and Staples North Bay, who generously donated just over $1,000 in gift cards to benefit students at NPSC.

The North Bay Fire Department joined several NPSC classes to talk about fire safety and prevention, sharing the important story "No Dragons for Tea."

October is Cyber Security Awareness Month. This year, the Educational Computing Network of Ontario is providing a series of resources to help families and educators stay safe online. Click 'read more' for details.

November 2-6 is Treaties Recognition Week in Ontario. Schools across NPSC are celebrating in some very special ways, including using We Are All Treaty People curriculum resources, sharing prayers, drumming ceremonies, and welcoming virtual guest speakers into their classrooms. For more information about Treaties Recognition Week visit www.ontario.ca/page/treaties.

Schools across NPSC celebrated Orange Shirt Day with a variety of activities and resources. This year, SJSH Indigenous Student Trustee Grace Couchie, worked with SJSH students and staff to create a special Orange Shirt Day video, touching on the importance of the day, it’s history and the perspectives from the school community.

Schools across the Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic District School Board participated in Treaties Recognition Week through a variety of educational and interactive learning activities. Schools participated in a variety of activities including learning about treaties and developing their own classroom treaties and wampum belts, inviting virtual guest speakers and elders to speak to classes, learning to make medicine wheels through a virtual classroom tutorials and sharing resources such as We are all Treaty People, Back to Batoche and Taking Care of Mother Earth and more.

Each year NPSC schools and our community support our students in remembering the men and women who have sacrificed for our country and honour those who continue to serve today. Our students and staff have planned a variety of educational activities, virtual prayer services and remembrance ceremonies to mark the day and month of remembrance. These activities have been planned to inspire our students and Catholic communities through our faith, to reflect on the freedoms and peace we have and to remember the Canadians who served and sacrificed for all we have today.

NPSC is proud to join schools across the province in celebrating the tenth anniversary of Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week. At NPSC, we continue to focus on creating safe and positive learning environments, based on mutual understanding and respect, so that all students feel a sense of belonging and are able to participate fully in the school community and classroom learning.

Our Lady of Fatima organized their first annual Christmas Wreath Decorating Contest this December. The winning class got to choose an organization to send the school's fundraising money, collected on Christmas Hat Day. As a result, OLF will be providing The Santa Fund with $100 to use for their families this year. Thank you for sharing your Christmas cheer with our community OLF!

As you know, the Government of Ontario confirmed yesterday that elementary and secondary students in the region of Northern Ontario will proceed with returning to in-person learning, as scheduled, on January 11, 2021. This includes students in the Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic District School Board.