PVNC hosts CPCO Conference 2016

PVNC hosts CPCO Conference 2016
St. Anthony's Stephen Egan honoured as Catholic Principal of the Year
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PVNC Chairperson Michelle Griepsma and Director of Education Barbara McMorrow celebrate with Catholic Principal of the Year Stephen Egan.
"... it takes a special leader to adapt to the job's many demands."
P
eterborough Victoria Northumberland
and Clarington Catholic District
School Board helped shine the spotlight
on Catholic Education and leadership as
it co-hosted the 2016 Catholic Principals’
Council of Ontario (CPCO) 2016
Conference in Toronto from April 21 to 23.
The annual event brings hundreds of
principals and vice-principals together
for a weekend of workshops, professional
development and celebration. This year’s
theme was Sparking The Divine Light.
Ontario Education Minister Liz Sandals
helped kick off the event Thursday, April
21, re-confirming her government’s
commitment to supporting Catholic
Education.
PVNC, which co-hosted the event
with Renfrew County Catholic District
School Board, was front-and-centre at the
conference as the PVNC Principal and
Vice Principal Association helped bring the
event together.
“Hosting the CPCO conference was an
opportunity for PVNC principals and vice
principals to demonstrate on a provincial
stage the vision of PVNC,” said Stephen
O'Sullivan, principal at St. Luke Catholic
Elementary School and president of
the PVNC Principal and Vice Principal
Association.
“Our
members’
enthusiasm
and
willingness to pitch in where needed
demonstrated to our provincial colleagues
and partners in Catholic Education that
the PVNC leadership team is faith-filled,
collegial, collaborative and committed to
students.
Many PVNC principals and vice principals
put a lot of work into the conference so that
our team and our provincial colleagues
could benefit from a program that was
thoroughly reflective of our local strategic
priorities.”
The CPCO recognized St. Anthony
Catholic Elementary School’s Stephen Egan
as Catholic Principal of the Year on
Friday, April 22.
“A principal's job is never static. It doesn't
begin or end with a school bell. It's dynamic
and evolving and it takes a special leader
to adapt to the job's many demands,” said
PVNC Director of Education Barbara
McMorrow, who brought greetings on
behalf of PVNC as did Board chairperson
Michelle Griepsma.
“It is my pleasure tonight to acknowledge
one such leader in particular, the 2016
Catholic Principal of the Year - Stephen
Egan.”
The PVNC Cross of Mercy, which is
currently touring schools as part of the
Jubilee Year of Mercy, was a prominent part
of conference events.
The conference also raised funds for the
PVNC Good Samaritan Fund, Casa Maria
Refugee Homes, Project Hope and the
Renfrew Child Poverty Action Network.
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VOICES THAT CHALLENGE
Student Liaison Committee hosts first-ever student leadership conference
T
he cheers of more than 100
student leaders rattled the rafters
at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic
Secondary School Friday, April 8, during
the first ever Voices That Challenge Student
Leadership Conference.
The event was planned by the seven
members of the PVNC Student Liaison
Committee and brought together student
council members from all six PVNC
secondary schools including St. Peter, Holy
Cross, St. Mary, St. Stephen, Holy Trinity
and St. Thomas Aquinas.
“It has been such a privilege to host the
first ever student council conference. You
guys deserve to be recognized for the
amazing work that you do,” Student Trustee
Gordon McLaughlin told the group as he
kicked off the conference.
The conference explored issues such as
the importance of student voice in shaping
Catholic Education and it offered dialogue
on ways to enhance student councils in the
schools.
“We are all called to be leaders in
some way,” Board Chairperson Michelle
Griepsma said.
“I’m hopeful and confident that in
listening to all our guest speakers today and
being with each other, that you will come
away with an insight or two to help you be
the best leader that you can be.”
Director of Education Barbara McMorrow
spoke about the increased role student
voice has played in shaping Board policy
and procedures.
“We can’t do our jobs effectively without
the voices that challenge us. Having this
opportunity for you today to get together
as leaders in our school communities
is absolutely integral,” McMorrow said.
“Leadership is not about positions. When
we are willing to move forward, to put
ourselves out there, to put our ideas out
there to help to change things…that’s
leadership.”
Inspirational speaker and Christian rocker
Chris Bray headlined the conference with
his mix of ministry and music. Bray is an
award-winning musician and a full-time
travelling worship artist and speaker.
April Tweets
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Lasting impressions
Grade 10 SPCSS
student Grace Graham
front-page news in
Bar-le-Duc, France
G
rade 10 St. Peter CSS student Grace
Graham ended up getting more
experience than she imagined
when she signed up for her school’s longrunning cultural exchange with Lycée St.
Louis in Bar-le-Duc, France.
Graham was only one of about 25 students
who took part in the exchange in 2016, but
her story and experience is a great example
of the long-reaching value such trips offer.
A self-taught baker who has been slowly
growing her Peterborough cake business,
Yum Yum Cakes, Graham had the
opportunity to train at a French patisserie
during her trip.
I recommend the exchange
to high school students who
really appreciate the beauty
and art that different cultures
have to offer
When a student signs up for the St. Peter
CSS France exchange, they are matched
with another student from Bar-Le-Duc
who best fits their personality quiz and
living arrangement requirements. Graham’s
French exchange partner, Claire, was
a perfect fit and was considerate of her
passion for baking, so she arranged the
opportunity to have Graham work in a local
pastry shop for two days where Graham
worked alongside the shop’s owner and his
employees and learned new recipes to bring
home.
“I knew that this would be something
really rare and valuable to my future as
a baker … and another opportunity to
experience the authenticity of French
culture,” Graham said.
“Although the language barrier was a
difficulty for communication, watching the
Grade 10 St. Peter CSS student Grace Graham landed on the front page of a
local newspaper in Bar-le-Duc, France during her exchange trip in March.
employees’ demonstrations was a fast and
easy way to learn the new recipes.”
The experience not only boosted her
skillset, but it landed her on the front page
of the local Bar-le-Duc newspaper.
“Since the reporter’s questions were all
in French, Claire translated between my
mostly English responses. It was so special
for me as an entrepreneur and French
exchange participant to be considered
an interesting enough topic for the
front headline that weekend in the local
newspaper,” Graham said.
Overall, Graham said the trip both
challenged and inspired her.
“The language was somewhat difficult for
me to speak and this felt overwhelming
in the beginning, but understanding it
came pretty easy eventually and I liked the
challenge of learning,” she said.
“I would be thrilled if I get the chance
to visit France again in the future. I
recommend the exchange to high school
students who really appreciate the beauty
and art that different cultures have to
offer and are longing for a memorable
adventure.”
APRIL PHOTOS
St. Peter's Grade 10 student Isabella Francz, left, and Trent University Ph.D research student Theresa Stotesbury, spatter artificial blood during a
school science lab on Thursday April 21, 2016 at St. Peter CSS. Teacher Dan Clarke invited Stotesbury to share her research in material sciences as
part of a lesson on forensics. Clifford Skarstedt/Peterborough Examiner/Postmedia Network
Students in the Holy Cross CSS Transportation Technology program
have a new vehicle to hone their skills on thanks to a generous donation
from Honda Canada. The school received a 2013 Acura ILX thanks to
the new car educational donation program from Honda Canada with
special help from Trent Valley Honda and Napa/SIDEY Automotive.
Thanks to the Sunshine Foundation of Canada, Holy Cross CSS student
Quinn Heffernan, 16, a Jeopardy “superfan,” got to live out his dream of
visiting a live taping of the show and meet his idol and fellow Canadian
Alex Trebek.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: St. Mary CES Grafton student Elizabeth
Stacey, 10, made news in her local newspaper as the youngest member
of her Youth for Christ team heading on a school building mission to
The Gambia in West Africa (photo: Karen Longwell/Northumberland
News); St. Catherine CES was abuzz with activity as it hosted its
10th annual SNAP Math Fair. The event, organized by teacher Judith
Rioux-Wilson, is one of the largest of its kind in the world (photo: Ryan
Nolan); PVNC hosted the ninth annual Ontario Mathematics Olympics
with more than 200 participants from Grade 3 to 8 competing in three
separate divisions; the Grade 6 class at St. Patrick CES completed the
Ganaraska Environmental Leaders of Tomorrow program and joined
efforts with their school's EcoClub to purchase over 40 birdhouse kits,
which students and staff constructed and decorated over the last few
weeks.