Marymount Academy in Sudbury wins top prize in video contest

Grade 7 Marymount Academy students placed first in a short video contest that was presented by the Ontario Catholic School Trustees' Association.

The contest was open to all English Catholic Schools as part of Catholic Education Week, under the theme 'We are many, we are one.'

"Oh we got called up to the office and we had found out we had won and we were so excited, we were not expecting it at all," said grade seven student Codie Ward.

Ward and classmate Lydia Gnaly were asked to be the hosts of the video, as they walked viewers through a two-minute presentation on what makes Marymount so special.

"Well Marymount is my school of course and it's just like – a great-learning experience for me and it's fun to experience a school with all-girls and not ... and it's just a very different school and I think it's very diverse and including," Ward told CTV News.

Inspiration was taken from everywhere, including the not-for-profit work that the school has done in the community over the years.

The video also focuses on the mentorship that's been happening inside the building, as the city's only all-girl school works to help those in the younger grades feel more comfortable in their surroundings.

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The award was also a pleasant surprise for Sudbury District Catholic School Board Chair Michael Bellmore, who was called out to accept it on behalf of the girls.

"The students at Marymount did a phenomenal job at putting this video together, in editing it and submitting it,” he said.

“It's kind of a people's choice award, so the fact that our peers from across the province selected it and recognized our students from Marymount as top in the category was just phenomenal."

Bellmore said to have beat out larger school boards, with more resources, shows how dedicated and committed these students are and how proud they should be of their accomplishments.

"Our school was excited and overjoyed to learn that we won the competition,” said Cassandra Tenbergen, the school's principal.

“Our school's mission and vision speak to the fact that at Marymount, we want to do develop graduates who will be curious, compassionate, and kind learners in our community and beyond,"

The full video can be view on our website.