2025 NPSC Summer Challenge Program Update
May 26, 2025
Dear Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic District School Board (NPSC) students, parents, guardians, and the broader NPSC community,
We are writing you today to provide an update regarding one of our NPSC Summer School offerings, the Summer Challenge program. As a result of recent changes in one of our planned school renewal projects involving the St. Joseph-Scollard Hall Bishop Carter Auditorium, we are regretfully unable to offer the NPSC Summer Challenge program in July 2025. This change applies to this summer only.
We understand that Summer Challenge is deeply important to our students and school community, consistently providing opportunities for youth to thrive personally and academically by developing their theatrical skills. As this is a temporary pause to our program, we look forward to resuming our Summer Challenge program in 2026. We truly appreciate your understanding and support as we navigate this temporary schedule change, and remain dedicated to continuing to offer high-quality programs that support the growth of our students.
We would like to remind our students and families that NPSC offers a variety of summer programming and encourages interested students to review our options. We understand that the Arts are an important area of interest for our students. With that in mind, we are presently exploring the possibility of offering an Arts-focused summer school program for students currently in grades 6-8, which could include a reach ahead credit for those entering grade 9. The feasibility of offering such an alternate program will depend on student interest and staff availability, which we are in the process of evaluating. We will inform our school community of additional developments as soon as possible.
If you have any questions or concerns, or if you would like to discuss alternative summer school offerings and opportunities, please contact Derek Belanger, Assistant Superintendent of Education, at [email protected] or by calling 705-472-1201 ext. 31217.
Thank you for your continued support and patience during this period of transition.
What is Summer Challenge?
Summer Challenge is an enrichment art course offered through the Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic District School Board summer school program that has been running since 2003. This program provides youth entering grade 6 through grade 12 the opportunity to develop acting, singing, dancing, and production skills while earning credits towards their Ontario Secondary School Diploma. Students participating in the on-stage component of the course can earn up to 2 credits. The 2-credit on-stage course requires fulfilling 180 course hours and students are required to complete assignments relevant to the production.
How to Sign Up
Students must attend Information Night during which they will learn an audition dance and vocal piece. That night, they will have the opportunity to sign up for their audition time for a lead role, support role, dancer or member of the vocal ensemble. Some students will be called again for a call-back. Once roles have been determined, students will be contacted. We try to take as many students as we can, however this depends on the number of students who audition and roles required in the production. Numbers are limited. Please refer to the main page for this year's Information Night and audition dates.