Today was such a meaningful and engaging day at St. Albert Learning Centre. Our students had the opportunity to learn the art of beading with the guidance of our incredible school board Indigenous Support Workers, Lina and Kookie. From the moment the beads came out, the room was filled with focus, creativity, and a genuine sense of connection. Students were fully engaged—learning new skills, embracing culture, and creating pieces with care and intention. It was powerful to see their pride in their work and the way they connected through this experience. We are so grateful for this opportunity and are hopeful to welcome Lina and Kookie back to spend more time with our students. Experiences like this leave a lasting impact and continue to build understanding, respect, and community. 🧡
A heartfelt thank you to Dan Levecque, SHSM/OYAP/College Link/Co-op Secondary Consultant, for organizing such an incredible opportunity for our students! Today, our students attended the Women in the Trades Open House, presented by the Sudbury Regional Labour-Management Health and Safety Committee in partnership with organizations like IHSA, Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program and Cambrian College. This incredible event gave our students the opportunity to: 🔧 Learn more about careers in the skilled trades 🛠️ Try hands-on trade activities 👷♀️ Meet inspiring women working in the trades 🤝 Connect with mentors and like-minded students Experiences like this are so important in helping students explore pathways, build confidence, and see themselves in future careers they may not have considered before. We are grateful for strong community partnerships that continue to create meaningful, real-world learning opportunities for our students.
We were excited to welcome Ozzy from Ozzy’s Garage into our school this morning! He came in to meet one of our students, Landon—and the best part? Landon already knew exactly who he was. That immediate connection speaks volumes about the impact Ozzy is having with youth across our community. Ozzy’s Garage, founded by Rick “Ozzy” Osborne is a community-focused rehabilitation program that restores motorcycles while mentoring at-risk youth. Through hands-on training, students build trade skills, confidence, and a renewed sense of purpose. Ozzy also brought along some pretty cool t-shirts (which were a big hit!), but more importantly, he brought his time, his story, and his commitment to helping young people find positive pathways forward. We are proud to be working alongside Ozzy’s Garage by creating opportunities for our students to get involved in his initiative and even earn a co-op credit while gaining real-world, hands-on experience.
💛 Thank you, Ozzy, for partnering with us and investing in our students. It truly takes a village.
For the second year in a row, under the leadership of our incredible secondary teacher Sandra Burch, four outstanding student leaders—Michael, Mac, Thalia, and Teagan—stepped up to make a meaningful impact. Our student leaders visited St. David School, where they planned and delivered a thoughtful lesson to Ms. Visentin’s class. Together, they guided students to reflect on one powerful question: What does home mean to you? From there, students expressed their ideas through poetry as part of the national Meaning of Home Contest. 🇨🇦 The impact of this initiative is incredible: ➡️ 19,065 entries submitted across Canada ➡️ $190,650 raised (and counting!) for local Habitat for Humanity builds ➡️ Every entry = a $10 donation to our local Habitat to help families in need And the prizes are just as inspiring: 🏆 Grand Prize: $30,000 grant toward building a Habitat home + iPad + pizza party 🥈 Runner-Up: $10,000 grant + tablet + pizza party ✨ Winners are still to be announced! Back at St. Albert, we celebrated our students by hosting a local contest. With so many powerful submissions, selecting winners was no easy task but we proudly recognized our Top 5 poems. Last week, Sandra and Christina had the honour of presenting each winner with: 🏆 A certificate 🖼️ A beautifully framed copy of their poem, which made a meaningful Easter gift to share with their families And to celebrate every participant… 🧢 Our secondary students designed and created custom caps for all 24 students because every voice and every story mattered. This experience is about more than a contest. It’s about leadership, compassion, and helping students realize that their words can truly make a difference. We are so proud of our students for leading with heart and showing us all the true meaning of home. 🙏 Thank you to Sandra, our amazing student leaders, St. David School for always welcoming us, and every student who shared their voice through poetry.
As we prepare to enter Holy Week, the most sacred time in the Catholic Church, our students at St. Albert Learning Centre took part in a meaningful hands-on tradition—creating palm crosses. With guidance from Deacon Roland and dedicated parish volunteer Carmen, students carefully learned how to weave palms into crosses. This was an experience that required patience, focus, and care. As you can see in these photos, what began as simple strips of palm quickly became something much more. Students were fully engaged, working side by side, learning a new skill, and quietly reflecting as they created each cross. These palm crosses will be returned to Christ the King Parish to be blessed on Palm Sunday, and then shared with the parish community. This experience is a beautiful example of: ✝️ Faith in action 🤝 School and parish partnership 🌱 Students contributing to something bigger than themselves With gratitude, we thank Deacon Roland, Carmen Gervais, and our partners at Christ the King Parish for walking alongside us in faith and community—this is what Catholic education is all about. Moments like these remind us that learning isn’t just academic, it’s spiritual, hands-on, and rooted in community.
Over the past few months, our secondary students at St. Albert Learning Centre worked incredibly hard preparing 50 handcrafted PEACE Pens for a special opportunity. After countless hours of designing, turning, polishing, and finishing each pen, our students are now enjoying a well-earned March Break while their work is being showcased this weekend. Under the leadership of our amazing Shop Boss, Lynn, students spent many hours in the workshop carefully crafting each pen with pride. Their dedication truly reflects the power of hands-on learning and student entrepreneurship. This opportunity came from the wonderful idea of Secondary Teachers’ Union President Jaime Sauve, who encouraged us to bring our PEACE Pens & Beyond student-led business to the provincial OECTA Annual General Meeting in Toronto at the Westin Harbour Castle, which welcomes over 600 teacher delegates from across Ontario. On Thursday, Jaime and her daughter Ellora picked up the finished pens to bring them to Toronto, helping ensure our students’ work would be proudly represented at the conference. A special shout-out to Ellora, a Grade 5 student and aspiring future Marymount student, who also helped run the booth and gained early experience in entrepreneurship while seeing first-hand how creativity and hard work can turn into something meaningful. A heartfelt thank you to Lynn and our secondary students for the many hours of preparation that went into this event, and thank you to Jamie & OECTA for providing a platform to showcase the talents of our students across the province. When educators come together to support students, powerful learning happens and our students rise to the occasion every time.
Today at St. Albert Learning Centre, our schools was filled with creativity, curiosity, and the beautiful spirit of cultural sharing during a special Henna Art lesson. The idea began with Brier, one of our Cambrian College placement students, who envisioned an activity that would bring students together through art and cultural learning. With the expert guidance and mentorship of Parul, one of our talented Get SET instructors, the lesson quickly blossomed into something truly special. Together, Parul and Brier co-planned the experience, thoughtfully preparing a learning opportunity that was both engaging and meaningful. Parul created a beautiful slideshow that introduced students to the history of henna, the significance of this traditional art form, and the many styles and designs used across cultures. It was the perfect way to begin, grounding the hands-on activity in knowledge and appreciation. Students listened with interest and excitement as they learned about the traditions and meanings behind the designs. To make the experience even richer, Parul invited a very special guest; her sister-in-law, Anuradha, whom she described as the family’s henna expert. With warmth and passion, Anuradha shared her knowledge and demonstrated the delicate techniques behind this intricate art form. Students eagerly experimented with stencils or challenged themselves to try free-hand designs, carefully tracing patterns and creating their own beautiful works of art. What made the moment even more special was seeing our entire education team joining in, learning and creating side by side. This experience was a wonderful reminder of what makes St. Albert Learning Centre such a unique and welcoming place. We believe deeply in inclusive education, where learning goes beyond textbooks and where cultures, experiences, and talents are celebrated and shared within our community. We heard our students loud and clear! They want to learn even more about the different styles and designs of henna art. So stay tuned… this may just be the beginning of more creative cultural learning ahead! A heartfelt thank you to Parul and Brier for bringing this beautiful idea to life and for creating such a memorable learning experience for our students. And a special thank you to Anuradha for generously sharing her knowledge, passion, and culture with us. Today was more than an art lesson. It was a celebration of creativity, connection, and community, which is truly the heart of learning at St. Albert.
Today we proudly celebrate an extraordinary group of individuals who have answered a true calling to care, to serve, and to lead with compassion. Our Winter 2026 Personal Support Worker graduates have worked tirelessly to reach this milestone. They balanced quizzes, demanding placements, deadlines, long days, and emotional nights and through it all, they grew not only in skill, but in heart. As our valedictorian so beautifully shared: “Moments that reminded us that this career is not just about skill, it’s about humanity.” That truth was evident in every placement, every interaction, and every act of quiet kindness. These graduates learned that sometimes the smallest acts, holding a hand, listening, preserving dignity can mean everything. In her graduation address, Principal Christina Raso encouraged the class by reminding them: “You are stepping into a profession where your compassion is just as powerful as your competence.” And they have proven they are ready. To our dedicated instructors, Dawn-Marie and Lynn, thank you for shaping not only knowledgeable healthcare professionals, but strong, ethical, and compassionate caregivers. Your mentorship leaves a lasting legacy. To the families and friends who supported these graduates, you walked this journey alongside them. Your encouragement mattered more than you know. And to our graduates; you did more than pass. You persevered. You transformed. You became the light in someone’s darkest moment. Congratulations, Winter 2026 PSWs. The world is better because you are ready.
This week, a few of our secondary students had the opportunity to volunteer at the Blue Door Soup Kitchen, giving their time, kindness, and compassion to support members of our community. At St. Albert Learning Centre, we believe education is about more than earning credits—it’s about shaping caring, responsible, and compassionate individuals. Through experiences like this, our students learn the true importance of giving back, showing empathy, and serving others with dignity and respect. This experience beautifully reflects our Catholic Graduate Expectation of being a Responsible Citizen and a Caring Family Member, living out our call to serve and to love our neighbour. We are so proud of our students for leading with their hearts and making a meaningful difference in our community. 💛 Small acts of service. Big lessons for life.
Family Literacy Day – Event #2 was a beautiful celebration of culture, learning, and community at the Atikameksheng Anishnawbek Library. A big thank you goes out to the entire Atikameksheng Education Team for so warmly welcoming St. Albert Learning Centre and including us in this meaningful family literacy event. The evening began with an Opening Prayer and Smudging, followed by a powerful Drumming Song. Families then enjoyed a children’s story read with a puppet, poetry readings, and time to mingle while exploring information stations for Elementary, Secondary, Post-Secondary, Daycare, and Adult Education, all while sharing food and conversation. The event closed in a special way with a Closing Prayer and Drumming Song. We were proud to have Joanne Ederer, our GET SET Instructor, onsite supporting adults who are interested in pursuing their OSSD and learning about pathways through Adult Education and PLAR. We were also honoured to have special guests join us, including our Director of Education, Morris Hucal, Superintendent of Education, Paul Nali, and Ginette Toivonen, Indigenous Education Consultant. Their presence truly highlighted the importance of literacy, partnership, and community connection. What a beautiful way to celebrate reading, culture, and lifelong learning together. 💛
