Last week I attended and was made of aware of some very special recognitions bestowed on members of our LDCSB community.
Thursday evening the 2nd Annual Atlohsa Peace Awards took place at RBC Place London. The evening celebrated 8 honourees who made outstanding contributions, inspiring social change in the spirit of Truth and Reconciliation. The event joined Indigenous and Non-Indigenous peoples from across Ontario. Receiving the “Honesty” award was our LDCSB Indigenous Cultural Teacher, Adam Sturgeon. We congratulate Adam and thank him for the teachings he shares with our students. Adam in his speech shared that given the painful reality of residential schools he would not have envisioned himself one day working in Catholic schools. Adam please know how fortunate and grateful we are to have you working with our students and staff.
CTV has initiated the #iPledge Challenge. iPledge aims to make the world a better place by celebrating people who are making a difference through acts of kindness. We could not have been more proud when iPledge last week recognized Marylynn Palarchio, Student Success Teacher at Catholic Central High School. Congratulations Marylynn for your humble and dedicated service to our students. Your students and co-workers say it so very well. Thank you and congratulations.
Also recognized last week was Tim Clayton, Spirit of Sport Award Winner – Secondary School Coach of the Year. Tim was honoured at the London Sports Hall of Fame Dinner for his extensive coaching and for his advocacy of student athletes, locally, regionally and provincially. Congratulations Tim, an honour well deserved!!!
Today we commemorate Remembrance Day. I share the following excerpt from a post by the Archdiocese of Cardiff.
“Our memory forms us, it has an impact on who we are as individuals and as a society. The Early Church Fathers spoke of the memory as being ‘a power of the soul’; the great philosopher, Aristotle referred to it as being the ‘scribe of the soul’, such is its effect. Memory informs, rightly or wrongly, and impacts our decision making and therefore our future. It also keeps the events of the past effective in our lives.
Today we especially ‘remember’ those who have given their lives through war in service of our country. They have left home and family often to foreign lands in the search of justice, freedom and peace; the effects of which we feel in our society today. The world could have been a very different place for us without their sacrifice, which cannot and should not be forgotten.”