Education

Peterborough, Ont., teacher Anne Corkery launched the Gritty Classroom program in the summer of 2020 to use the outdoors and nature to teach students to appreciate the natural world surrounding them.

The great outdoors: where class gets gritty

Educator and environmental advocate Anne Corkery believes there’s no greater learning environment for children than in the great outdoors.

By Wendy-Ann Clarke, The Catholic Register

Avery Comartin has made the tough choice of moving to the United States, while fulfilling her school obligations in Windsor, Ont., to pursue her dream of an NCAA soccer scholarship.

Border issue makes for a tough choice

With the United States extending its non-essential travel restrictions at land border crossings until at least Sept. 21, Windsor, Ont.’s Avery Comartin finds herself in a difficult bind.

By Quinton Amundson, The Catholic Register

Kiara Mavalwala, left, is one of the 100 high school students across Canada who won a Schulich Leader Scholarship. The graduate of St. Augustine Catholic High School in Markham, Ont., will attend the Lassonde School of Engineering at York University. Also joining the Schulich Foundation scholars from the York Catholic District School Board is Aimee Petrea Chirlpuci, right, of Father Bressani Catholic High School in Woodbridge, who will major in science at Western University.

Prestigious Schulich Scholarship awarded to two Catholic grads

Kiara Mavalwala is heading to York University this fall to study engineering in hopes of one day being able to ensure all people living in Canada have access to clean drinking water.

By Wendy-Ann Clarke, The Catholic Register

Normal will not be on tap when students return to class this September. Distancing, masks and other safety measures will remain in place as we continue to deal with the pandemic.

Nothing about this year will be normal

Anyone who believes this coming school year will be normal is kidding themselves or is a politician preparing for an election.

By JOHN KOSTOFF, Catholic Register Special

Lauretta Frederking, right, Brescia’s principal and new president, chats with a student.

Social justice at the core of new Brescia president

The new president of Brescia University College is a political scientist who wants to liberate social justice from politics and an educator who wants to free teaching from the classroom. Lauretta Conklin Frederking has been named the 13th principal and the new president of Canada’s only Catholic women’s college. The London, Ont., college was founded by the Ursuline Sisters in 1919. Its 1,500 students also attend Western University.

By Michael Swan, The Catholic Register

Family, colleagues shape Daly’s trustee service

A well-known face in the corridors of Ontario Catholic education, Patrick Daly credits the support of family and colleagues for his effectiveness and longevity as a leader.

By Wendy-Ann Clarke, The Catholic Register

Pride flag to fly at schools

The Pride flag will be flying over Ontario Catholic schools in a number of jurisdictions, including Toronto, in the month of June.

By Catholic Register Staff

Barb Dobrowolski, the newly elected president of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA).

New OECTA president ready for challenges

As the newly elected president of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA), Barb Dobrowolski vows to advocate for educators to ensure they have the support they need.

By Wendy-Ann Clarke, The Catholic Register

The piano has been one of various activities Marco Boci has used to keep his spirits up during the pandemic.

Staying active a pandemic coping mechanism

When seventh grader Marco Boci is in need of a break from his computer screen after a long day of virtual learning, he turns to the piano as way to escape.

By Wendy-Ann Clarke, The Catholic Register

Ashley Montour from the Six Nations community in southwestern Ontario is part of a new mentorship program geared toward Indigenous youth.

First Nations mentorship includes Catholic outreach

The Ontario First Nations Technical Services Corporation (OFNTSC) is laying the groundwork to provide more Indigenous youth with the training to succeed in roles that require the skill of technical self-reliance.

By Quinton Amundson, The Catholic Register

A transformation mask created by Astra Sreeja Selvaraj from Toronto’s St. Joseph’s College School.

Unmasking the pandemic creativity: Mask4Aid a path to creative expression

In coping with challenges brought forth by the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers and students are turning to art as a means of expression, hope and renewal.