Faith in Action

Canadian High School Ethics Bowl
alt textWhat is an Ethics Bowl?

An Ethics Bowl is both a collaborative and competitive event, where teams of students analyze and discuss ethical dilemmas. They imagine, criticize, and compare bold strategies, and may even amend their original positions when faced with convincing arguments. Students have opportunities to pose and respond to probing questions, which results in a deepening awareness of the stakes and principles that animate the discussion.

Teams from all schools are eligible to participate, and each school team comprises five students from Grades 9 to 12. In advance of the Ethics Bowl, schools receive cases that focus on current ethical issues—social, political, economic, scientific, cultural, or beyond. Students research and develop the cases, and arrive at the Ethics Bowl prepared to present their ideas and to listen to other perspectives. All teams participate in a round-robin style competition. In each round, two teams discuss two cases, and winning teams proceed to the semi-final and final competitions.

Students are evaluated on the following skills:

  • communication
  • use of relevant information
  • critical thinking
  • original thinking
  • intellectual improvisation
  • collaboration                                                                                      Are you interested? See Mr. Wilson

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Each year, Immaculata students are required to perform a minimum of 30 hours of general community service. Community service is a priority for Immaculata and therefore we ask our students to complete more hours than in the public school system. Completing community service hours allows students to see how they can make a difference and broadens their range of experiences.  The service work can be in the school, church, our feeder schools, or in the general community. Service hours are monitored by homeroom teachers to ensure the goal is met.

SCHOOL WIDE SERVICE PROJECTS

As a school community, we partake in school-wide projects to serve the less fortunate. We regularly collect for and participate in the St. Vincent de Paul Society, with food and toiletry drives as well as a Christmas toy drive.  Our students work for social justice through the Social Justice Team and the Legacy Project for Inn from the Cold. The Linus Project is new for us this year - knitting, crocheting, and sewing blankets for gifts to the children in our community experiencing some kind of trauma.

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MISSION team updates

On Weds March 16, 2022 the Mission Team enjoyed a wonderful day of service at St. Charles Garnier! What were we doing? We constructed a path through the newly built outdoor stations of the cross there. Our missionaries were hard workers hauling bricks, laying bricks, shovelling rock, power washing, leveling….there to SERVE! After 8:30am morning mass together, we got to work and enjoyed “celebrity” drop ins throughout our day from Catholic VIPs like Bishop Gregory, Father Wayne, Father Cerlouie, and Father Gabriel. How blessed we will be to have an outdoor stations like this within walking distance from our school. A wonderful day all around putting FAITH into ACTION the Mustang way.

Look for the mission team out in the community again soon as we prepare for our MISSION WEEK April 25-29, 2022. We will be learning outside of the walls of classrooms that week while we partner again with Mamas for Mamas as well as some other organizations who serve youth homelessness. Serving local poverty. We’re doing it!

PRAY, sERVE, lOVE

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
CHALLENGE 2022

Immaculata's Social Justice team The Ripple Effect (2022) has received an update about the work they did for their Sustainable Development project. The team managed to raise over $5000 through their efforts at their Sustainable Development Challenge and other various fundraisers. These funds have been used to purchase a well for the women  of the Girls College, Minna, Nigeria.

Congratulations, Team. And thank you to their partner organization, Life Water Canada. 

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
CHALLENGE 2023

Each year this program allows students to work alongside community organizations and nonprofits to devise a plan to embark on a more sustainable future.

The second place winning team Life Garden 2023 from Immaculata High School, received $2,000 for their project, and their partner organization had secured a donor to match funds raised.

With the donor match and their own fundraising efforts, they are actually only $500 away from reaching our $5,000 goal, which means that they will still be able to start four new farms and also fund the expansion of the Ganta Hope Academy gardens.

Third Place team are also from Immaculata Regional High School. From the Ground Up team are working with Ozanam House (a recovery home for men) overseen by St. Vincent DePaul, to do a “green retrofit” of the heating options for the house, reducing their costs so they can direct more funds to programs to help their clients.   

 

 

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        Life Garden 2023 Team                                From the Ground Up Team

Why Catholic Education?

Do Catholic schools matter?  How can a Catholic school compete?

By most standards, the kids that enter the public school system eventually leave it quite satisfied. And when you add in the many non-religious or private academies available you have to admit that there are many different choices when it comes to education.

And don’t forget home-schooling. It may be time consuming but what other alternative gives a parent total control over their child’s educational development from within the safety of their own home?

Just beyond the doors of our churches and our homes, the world waits. The popular culture of today is more dismissive and hostile towards Catholic teaching than ever. And as much as we would like to wish otherwise we can’t escape the reality that exists: It’s tough out there for Catholics and if we’re going to preserve and strengthen our faith we’re going to need all the help we can get. We’ll need our families, we’ll need our churches and we will most definitely need our schools.

No other educational choice offered can duplicate the communal academic environment rooted in Catholic theology and belief that Catholic schools can. Every day, our students attend classes under a “cloak of Christ,” simultaneously living in the world but remaining protected from the harsh storms of its failings. The sort of spiritual “safe habour” this provides will only increase their chances at leading happy, moral and peaceful lives in love and service to God.

Does it cost more? Yes, public funding is minimal, but its absence allows our schools the freedom to ensure that Catholic morals infuse the school curriculum. It’s a small price to pay to have God in our classrooms.

Our diocesan schools adhere to, and often exceed, all provincially-mandated educational standards. Together, they offer an experience in academics, the arts and athletics that is second to none. Our teachers and administrators are caring and talented professionals who work hard to model Catholic principles and teaching in their own lives each and every day.

Our community is only as strong as those inside it, and the more of us that unite together in Catholic education, the better our schools will become. If you have children or grandchildren that do not currently attend one of our BC Catholic schools please consider doing so.

Do Catholic schools matter? Only if our Faith does, and when you really think about it, that kind of says it all.

“Do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices, God is pleased.”
Hebrews 13:16.

Parishes

We are blessed in Kelowna to have the support of many wonderful churches and parishes. Their tireless efforts on our behalf are sincerely appreciated.
They work hard to support Catholic education within our city each and every day.

Immaculate Conception Church

839 Sutherland, Kelowna V1Y 5X4
250-762-3910
gro.esecoidnoslen@anwolek.cci

St Edward's Catholic Church

11123 E Okanagan Centre, Winfield V4V 1H3
250-766-3146
gro.esecoidnoslen@yrtnuoCekaL

St Pius X Church

1077 Fuller Ave, Kelowna V1Y 6X6
250-762-2587
gro.esecoidnoslen@anwolekxps

The Dormition of the Mother of God
(Ukranian Catholic)

1091 Coronation, Kelowna V1Y 7A8
250-763-7447
dormitionkelowna@gmail.com

Our Lady Of Lourdes

2577 Hebert Rd, West Kelowna V4T 2J6
250-768-5144
gro.esecoidnoslen@anwoleKtseW


St Charles Garnier Parish

3645 Benvoulin, Kelowna V1W 4M7
250-860-6776
gro.esecoidnoslen@anwolekgcs

Corpus Christi Parish

750 N Rutland, Kelowna V1X 3B7
250-765-6869
gro.esecoidnoslen@anwoleKPCC