St. John CES Celebrates Indigenous Culture With Pow Wow

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As a way for roughly 300 St. John Catholic Elementary School students to enrich their cultural knowledge, a pow wow was held on their grounds to celebrate Indigenous culture on Friday afternoon.

Several of the school staff and students are Indigenous, the largest population in all Peterborough Catholic schools according to Jen Wright, St. John CES principal.

“That's one of our main priorities at St. John is to support and represent all of our students,” she said. “It's celebrating the culture and community of Indigenous families. It is so special that it's one step towards reconciliation that we can host today.”

“I thought it was important to bring a pow wow here so they can get in touch with their culture and help them more identify with who they are,” said Richelle Weekes of Hiawatha First Nation.

Members of Hiawatha First Nations, Haudenosaunee and Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation came to St. John for the pow wow to celebrate all Nations coming together. An intertribal song was sung to unite everyone together as students and teachers were invited to dance and sing along.

“I'm actually so happy and amazed that so many people have actually shown up to support this,” explained Weekes. “It's so good for our non-Indigenous to see how the Indigenous culture is so that we're aware of all the different cultures out there.”

While it’s not the first pow wow hosted at a Catholic school in Peterborough, Weekes she wants to make this a more regular event throughout the years.

“My goal is to hopefully get a pow wow maybe every year to a different school throughout the board just to keep bringing more awareness and to keep everything open and just help people be proud of who they are,” she said.

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Photos: St. John C.E.S Students Get a Taste of French Culture at Delectable Fine Foods

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France came to grade 4-8 students from St. John’s C.E.S as they received a French culture and history lesson from Delectable Fine Foods owner Christel Rumgay at her store on Monday and Tuesday.

Students learned the origins of cheese, its making process and how it impacts French culture, all while receiving food samples.

The trip to the local artisanal store is part of St. John’s French learning curriculum based on the French Enriched School Environment Funding grant (up to $500).

The grant allows schools to explore unique experiences for learning about the French beyond its language.

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Peterborough City and County Celebrates 30 Years of Nourishing Students Through Food for Kids Program

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St. John’s Catholic Elementary School staff and students and a number of local school boards celebrated 30 years of Student Nutrition Programs in Peterborough City and County.

photo by felicia massey.

Whether it’s rushed mornings, long bus rides or not having access to food at home, some students arrive at school hungry. It is through non-profit organizations and community partnerships that students at 51 local elementary and high schools are able to start the school day with a nutritious meal.

Thirty years ago in 1992-93, a local service club approached two local schools in downtown Peterborough with the hopes of starting a breakfast program under the guidance of Peterborough Public Health’s nutrition and community development expertise.

The name ‘Food for Kids’ was chosen for the program after the number of participating schools grew to 12 in 1997. While continuing to advocate for and support a healthy, vital student nutrition program, the Food for Kids steering committee grew to include community members from various organizations/sectors outside the local school boards. Now, 96 per cent of local, publicly funded schools offer nutrition programs.

“The morning meal at our school is so much more than nourishing food. It’s a valuable part of school life,” says St. John’s principal Jennifer Wright. “It’s a warm, inviting, social part of the school day, where positive relationships and a sense of belonging are nurtured.”

Volunteers through the Food for Kids programs provide meals which include fresh produce, protein foods and whole grains in a welcoming and safe environment for all students. Locally, these program models vary between a grab and go system (food is set out in a central location on a table/cart for students to grab on their way to class), sit and serve (food is prepared and served in a room where students can sit and eat together) and a bin in the classroom (food is packed ahead of time and delivered to each classroom).

According to a Peterborough and County Student Nutrition Program annual report from 2021-22, these programs include 603 staff and volunteers who contribute 890 volunteer hours a week to ensuring approximately 19,000 students get a proper meal before school. These volunteers prepare and serve the meals, as well as wash dishes and shop for groceries.

Those interested in volunteering or donating can contact a local school or visit the Food for Kids website.

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This Clap Out Tribute To Peterborough Custodian Mr. Hilts Is Awesome

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The "clap out" is a cool tradition at many schools for Grade 8 students moving on to high school.

What was extra cool about the clap out at St. John Catholic Elementary School in Peterborough on Monday (June 26th) was that retiring custodian Rick Hilts (aka "Mr. Hilts") was able to partake.

Mr. Hilts gets the clap out

Custodians are the unsung heroes of schools, so this "clap out" was a terrific gesture to Mr. Hilts and his profession.

Watch the video below posted to the school's Twitter channel...

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