December 7 to 13: Charles Dickens Week marks the spirit of giving

Photo:

Mayor John Rodriguez proclaims December 7 to 13, 2009 as Charles Dickens Week in the City of Greater Sudbury. To mark the occasion, Rainbow District School Board Director of Education Jean Hanson and Sudbury Secondary School music students Thomas Flake, left, Teal Corelli, and Mitchell McIntyre assembled at City Hall dressed in period costume in the spirit of Dickens’ literary characters. The week will culminate with a dramatic reading of A Christmas Carol on Sunday, December 13, 2009 at 7 pm in the Sheridan Auditorium at Sudbury Secondary School, 85 Mackenzie Street. All proceeds will support the Joan Mantle Music Trust.

To promote the spirit of giving, Greater Sudbury Mayor John Rodriguez has proclaimed December 7 to 13, 2009 as Charles Dickens Week in the City of Greater Sudbury.

To mark the occasion, Rainbow District School Board Director of Education Jean Hanson and Sudbury Secondary School music students Thomas Flake, Teal Corelli, and Mitchell McIntyre assembled at City Hall on Wednesday, December 2, 2009, dressed in period costume in the spirit of Dickens’ literary characters.

Charles Dickens brought to the world, through his writings, an awareness of the less fortunate in society. In his book A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens captures the true spirit of Christmas in the act of giving, an ideal that should be practiced daily.

“By attending community dramatic readings of A Christmas Carol, we are reminded to give to others,” states the proclamation. “By becoming aware of Charles Dickens’ contribution to social justice, the City of Greater Sudbury will become a more caring community.”

The week will culminate with a dramatic reading of A Christmas Carol on Sunday, December 13, 2009. The presentation will take place in the Sheridan Auditorium at Sudbury Secondary School, 85 Mackenzie Street, at 7 pm. All proceeds will support the Joan Mantle Music Trust.

Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for students and $20 for a family. Tickets are available at Sudbury Secondary School, Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School, Lockerby Composite School, Lasalle Secondary School, Black Cat on Durham Street and Jett Landry Music on Lasalle Blvd.

The presentation will feature excerpts from A Christmas Carol read by CBC Morning North Host Markus Schwabe; Northern Ontario Business Publisher Patricia Mills; Greater Sudbury Police Chief Frank Elsner; Laurentian University President Dominic Giroux; and Rainbow District School Board Director of Education Jean Hanson.

In addition to the dramatic reading, the evening will showcase talented music students from several Rainbow Schools. Performers include the Sudbury Secondary School brass ensemble, the Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School woodwind ensemble, the Lasalle Secondary School bluegrass duo, and the Lockerby Composite School jazz combo.

“We are delighted that these community leaders and students are offering their talents in support of this dramatic reading,” said Ralph McIntosh, Arts Education Co-ordinator for Rainbow District School Board and Chair of the Joan Mantle Music Trust. “We invite everyone in the community to share an evening with us as we reflect on the true meaning of the season – all in support of music education in Rainbow Schools.”

The Joan Mantle Music Trust was established last fall to help refresh, modernize and revitalize secondary school music programs in the Rainbow District School Board. It is the goal of the Trust, with the generosity of the community, to replace, where necessary, musical instruments that have given such great pleasure beyond their serviceable life.

The Joan Mantle Music Trust allocates funds to secondary school music programs in Rainbow District School Board, one school at a time.  This ensures that there is a tangible improvement in the condition of equipment in an entire department, allowing students to achieve more in their musical studies together.

Joan Mantle dedicated many years to music education in Rainbow Schools. She passed away on June 9, 2009, after a courageous battle with cancer.

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Media Contact:

Nicole Charette, Senior Advisor,
Corporate Communications and Strategic Planning,
Rainbow District School Board, 674-3171, ext. 7217.