We are very pleased to present the Director of Education’s Annual Report for the 2021-2022 school year.
We thank our Board of Trustees, Senior Administration, staff, students, families, volunteers, community partners, and our parishes for their continued support and commitment to Sudbury Catholic. Together we are providing a caring, progressive, high quality Catholic school system that is nurturing our students – mind, body, and spirit.
The Marymount Elementary Cross Country team shone bright at yesterdays Cross Country meet at Adanac. Our Regals took two spots on the podium with Lucia Salmaso taking first place and Ava Massimiliano taking 2nd place. Congratulations to all the Regals who took part!
A number of years back after Marymount won their 2nd consecutive title it was written that they still had a long way to go to match the impressive win streak of another local high school which stood at 6 in a row. That journey was completed on Friday night as the Marymount Regals edged out the Confederation Chargers 7-1 to earn their unprecedented 7th consecutive flag football championship.
After Confederation kicked a 1-point rouge to begin the fourth quarter, the Regals offense took charge and held the ball for the next eleven minutes of the quarter, completing the impressive drive with an Allie Weiler handoff to full back Carlie Parker from the 3-yard line straight into the end zone. Allie Weiler kicked a successful PAT and left only 54 seconds on the clock.
After a couple of threatening plays the Regals’ defense, coached by Jason Weiler, and had five shutouts in eight games, shut the door and secured the incredible win. Marymount had an impressive 27 game win streak dating back to 2014 that Confederation halted with a 1-0 win over the Regals two weeks ago in their regular season matchup. Head coach Dan Bartolucci explained
“We were disappointed after the loss to Confed. a couple of weeks ago, but we weren’t crushed. Confed. is a fantastic team, a team that forces us to be better. We learned a lot from that game, made some adjustments, and really worked hard in practice this past week. The Marymount and Confederation flag football rivalry is arguably the best rivalry in high school sports. There us a huge level of mutual respect on both teams. I could not be happier for each of our coaches, players, parents, staff, and alumni that have been supporting us with great numbers at each of the games this season. The crowd noise and energy at James Jerome on Friday night will be remembered by many for a long time.”
On Tuesday, October 3rd the Regals’ Flag Football team defeated Lockerby 10-1 to make it 25 consecutive wins dating back to their first game of the 2014 season. Marymount has won the past 6 consecutive Division I City Championships and with the way the standings are shaping up it looks like there could be another marquee matchup in a final between Marymount and Confederation, and a chance at a 7th straight title. Only time will tell. Coaches Dan Bartolucci, Jason Weiler, Tori Jewell, and Julia Boschetto couldn’t be happier with the start to this season. “We have a lot of new players in starting roles on this year’s team and quite a few players who are learning the game for the first time so we have relied heavily on some of the more experienced players to help out with teaching the game and they have stepped up big time.” Bartolucci stated that the mentorship and sisterhood that occurs on the football field is very different than most other sports. He credits this as being the best part of the game. “Watching veteran standout players like Cassidy Burton on offense or Tyana Soucy on defense lead by example is fantastic for fans of football, and we love to watch them in action but we have the luxury of watching these girls practice and teach other members of the team how it’s done. It’s incredible to watch!” Last year Marymount was awarded “Team of the Decade” at the House of Kin Sudbury Sports Hall of Fame dinner. Since their run began in 2011, the flag football team hosts a record of 42-5 with only two losses occurring since 2013. The Regals are back in action Monday, Oct. 16th vs. Lively!
Allison Byrnes – High School Female Athlete of the Year
This was the second year in a row that Allison was nominated for the High School Female Athlete of the Year. She’s a two-time Marymount Senior Athlete of the Year and was selected among three of her peers from area schools around Sudbury as the top female high school athlete in the city. Allison was the offensive MVP of the flag football team and the MVP for the soccer team. She also attended OFSAA for track and field and was a key player for the Senior Volleyball team and the Badminton team. Allison is heading to Carleton University next year to study Forensic Psychology and is considering trying out for the Varsity Girls’ Soccer team.
Flag Football Team – High School Team of the Decade (Inaugural Award)
The Flag Football team was nominated for the first time as “High School Team of the Year” after their impressive undefeated season once again this year. What the team didn’t realize is that there was something else in store for the them. The awards committee decided that this was the year to start a new award called the “High School Team of the Decade,” and with their current string of six consecutive city championships, there was no better recipient than our very own Regals Flag Football Team. The Chairman and creator of the Sudbury Sports Hall of Fame made the presentation and extended his congratulations on this incredible run. Team Members Kayla Yitts, Tyanna Soucy, Jade Davies, Cassidy Burton, Allison Byrnes, and coaches Julia Boschetto, Tori Jewell, and Dan Bartolucci were on hand to receive the award.
Head Coach Dan Bartolucci couldn’t be more pleased with the mental and emotional strength of all the players during an overtime period that lasted nearly 40 minutes. After trading offensive possessions a number times and nearly scoring on a couple of occasions, running back, and Grade 12 veteran Allison Byrnes ran in for the touchdown and sealed the 22nd consecutive win and sixth consecutive city championship for Marymount.
“What these girls have achieved is pretty much unbelievable. That’s back to back undefeated seasons for Marymount flag football. In eight games this season we had only 8 points scored against us and six games where our defense did not allow a single point. Jason Weiler has done an amazing job teaching these girls how to play defense, and in return, the girls have rewarded us by leaving everything out on the field. As stressful as it was on the sidelines, I’m glad this was a defensive battle. Our team rallies around the defensive and to see what they were able to do against a very strong Confederation team was incredibly fun to watch.”
Marymount’s victory came under a layer of dense fog. The bench could not see the stands and then fans could not see the bench. For many in attendance, it was the roar of the players on the field that confirmed Byrnes got into the end zone. Go Regals Go!!!
On Wednesday, March 9, 2016, Olympic Athlete Angella Goran, visited MMA to introduce FitSpirit. FitSpirit is a specialized program solely for women and girls. It is a cardio-based program, alternating between running, calisthenics and fitness. SCDSB teacher Chantal Dagostino hosted the launch, and invited female students from St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School, Bishop Alexander Carter Catholic Secondary School, St Anne Catholic Elementary School, St. Paul Catholic Elementary School and St. John Catholic Elementary School who will be participating in Fitspirit to the event launch. Fitspirit is a non-profit organization whose mission is to help teenage girls discover the advantages and the enjoyment that come from taking part in physical activity. This knowledge will allow them to develop a healthy lifestyle based on realizing their own potential.
Since 2007, FitSpirit has travelled to the four corners of Ontario and Quebec to create awareness among teenage girls about the various ways they can take part in physical activity. Through the school based FitClub program, FitSpirit provides the opportunity for teenage girls to learn the basics of healthy nutrition and exposes them to activities that inspire physical activity with their friends. In Ontario and Quebec last year, over 10,000 girls participated in Fitspirit.
Last year the Sudbury Catholic District School Board had ten Catholic Elementary and Secondary schools involved with even more participating this year. In the final culminating run that was held at Laurentian University at the end of last year, there were over 286 girls who participated. This year looks very promising with a potential of over 500 girls gathering at Laurentian University on June 5th, 2016 to partake in their final task, completing either a 5 k or 10 k with over 20 schools from the Sudbury Region participating. As well, this 5k and 10 k will be open to all women and girls in Sudbury!
For more information on FitSpirit, please contact Chantal Dagostino at: Chantal.dagostino@fitspirit.ca
For the past several years, Marymount Academy has held its annual Goals for Girls Ball Hockey Tournament. This tournament is organized by the school’s Girls’ Athletic Association (GAA) and involves student and teacher floor hockey teams playing ball hockey round robin style with themed teams, creative uniforms and spirit awards. The Goals for Girls campaign is held to encourage young women to be physically active and to help them recognize and become involved in the many activities and opportunities available in their school and community. As well, this tournament is also a fundraiser in which monies raised are used to sponsor young women who cannot financially afford to play sports, and to purchase fitness equipment. This year, in addition to the school fundraising, a portion of the funds raised will go towards the Adaptive Canuck ALS Foundation. Marymount worked with retired teacher Michel Leroux, who was diagnosed with ALS a month after he retired from teaching, as well as a gentleman by the name of Jeff Perreault (who was also diagnosed with ALS about a year ago and is only in his mid-30’s). Together, they are trying to raise enough funds to help provide advanced stem cell treatments for all PALS (People Living with ALS), and the students and staff at MMA felt that this would be a great organization to also support with its Goals for Girls fundraiser. Alongside the one day ball hockey tournament, students also had the opportunity to soak their teachers with a bucket/dunk tank in the school. All teams that signed up to play paid an entrance fee, and that fee allowed each team member to attempt to hit a target that dumped ice-cold water on the teachers. As well, any student could pay five dollars for the opportunity to soak their teachers. Needless to say, the teachers who signed up were cold and wet for a big portion of the day as the final monies raised were over $3200.00 with a portion going to the Adaptive Canucks Foundation, as well as to support students in need. Mia Tullio, Co-President of the G.A.A. was happy that today was about the school and the community. “As Regals we are taught the importance of giving back to those who need support, both close to us, as well as in our community,” Tullio explained. “The culture of Marymount is very unique in that we really try to better ourselves, by helping others. Through this Goals for Girls event, we are able to engage in physical activity in a positive and spirited environment, but more importantly we are able to provide assistance to our fellow students who may need it, and are also supporting an organization that supports families, friends and neighbours right in our own community!”
It was a perfect season for the Marymount Flag Football team. The regular season champions validated their record with a convincing 32-9 win over the Confederation Chargers in the Division “A” city championship. This is Marymount’s 5th straight city title, an impressive dynasty to say the least! The game was quite a bit closer than the score would show leading up to the middle of the third quarter; however, experience and some incredible game play by both the offense and defence proved very difficult for Confederation and the Regals took control of the remainder of the game. Coaches Dan Bartolucci, Jason Weiler, Julia Boschetto, and Tori Jewell couldn’t be more proud of their team. Marymount’s last taste of defeat was the opening game of the 2014 season and since then, they have gone on to win 13 games in a row.
Way to go Regals, you truly are 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2… 1!!!
Olympic gold medal curler Brad Jacobs visited Marymount Academy on Monday May 4 to speak to the students about following their passions and not giving up on their dreams. Jacobs recalled his gold medal experience and explained that he has always been passionate about curling. By following his passion, he was able to inspire a nation and make his dreams comes true. The students were riveted by his experiences and were inspired by the champion and his tales of the Olympics.
