ÉSC des Satellites: a positive first result
One year after its creation, École secondaire catholique des Satellites has come up with a satisfactory and encouraging report card. This unique program enables students to continue their French-language education in Northwestern Ontario while remaining in their home community.
Implemented by the Conseil scolaire de district catholique des Aurores boréales, this hybrid model aims to offer a complete French-language secondary education to students living outside Thunder Bay.
When it launched in September 2024, the school opened its first satellite in Dryden. At the start of the new school year, two new satellites will open their doors, this time in Nakina and Sioux Lookout, thanks to a partnership whose details will be made official over the summer.
Initial results are very promising, confirming the relevance of this atypical and innovative educational model in meeting the needs of young Francophones in the regions.
With this progress, ÉSC des Satellites is demonstrating that it is possible to offer an enriching school experience and quality French-language education through a flexible, collaborative model.
A complete education in a unique learning experience
Starting in September 2025, students from Dryden and Nakina will be welcomed in the board's schools, while students from Sioux Lookout will be welcomed in the premises of Sioux North High School, part of the Keewatin-Patricia District School board.
With the hybrid learning formula, combining online courses with face-to-face coaching provided by a member of the support staff, students have access to a rich education focused on technology, creativity, science and human relations. They have taken creative and design courses, courses from the Consortium d'apprentissage virtuel de langue française de l'Ontario (CAVLFO), wellness services, collaborative projects and community partnerships to meet course requirements such as Active living and health.
Dnitiatives specific to their campus and inter-school activities are also organized to meet students' aspirations and encourage community links.
A landmark inter-school project: building a birchbark canoe
One of the highlights of the school year was the students' participation in a unique project: the construction of a birchbark canoe in collaboration with students from ÉSC de La Vérendrye in Thunder Bay.
Guided by Christian Pilon le voyageur, the students learned ancestral canoe-building techniques. In Dryden, they prepared cedar pieces that were sent to Thunder Bay for final assembly.
" We worked hard, and I felt that what we were doing was important. "shared Cadence, a student in the program.
The students then traveled to Thunder Bay to witness the canoe launching ceremony, concluding an experience that was both educational and deeply human.
" We couldn't have come up with a finer project to bridge the gap between students from the two schools. This project is based on respect, sharing and real learning. "confirms Éric Gauthier, director of the ÉSC des Satellites school.
