HAPPENINGSMARY WARD

PARENT NEWSLETTER | ISSUE 1 | FALL/WINTER EDITION

MRS. ANDREA MAGEEPRINCIPAL, MARY WARD CSS

Hello Parents, Guardians and Students – This is our first newsletter of the year. For those who are new to our community, welcome. We produce a newsletter with each provincial report card – November, April and again in June. Last June we decided to try an electronic format. The link was included in the June report card package and was emailed to you from the school message system, “School Connect”. In terms of feedback, we would appreciate your input as to your preference for newsletter format – hard copy or electronic. Please complete the following survey. Type this link into your computer’s URL and we would suggest Google Chrome. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VPVHXJ2 This has been an extremely busy fall here at Mary Ward. I believe that bodes well for all of us as we want strong, vibrant, busy and exciting educational institutions for our children. Academically, we continue to work towards greater implementation of self-direction and choice within our units of study. We are continuing to update, renew and revise our evaluation for all courses at Mary Ward. This is a very large project and I am exceptionally proud and impressed by the dedication and commitment of our Mary Ward staff. This is a staff where status quo is not the accepted practice. Mary Ward CSS is on a constant quest for improved student engagement, increasing the depth of learning, and in making connections to and relevancy for the wider world. Our students have been active in their academics as demonstrated in the number of students who recently completed their carryover courses. We have had very high numbers of students writing test in our Test Centre. Unit completion has been very good and most importantly, students are engaged and excited about their learning. Our system of self-directed learning accommodates experiential education very well. We have had a variety of course trips this year (local as well as national and international, day and overnight). Our students have attended a five play and multiple backstage presentations at Stratford, attended an eye-opening visual arts multi-day trip to New York City, attended Remembrance Day services on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. Students have attended TIFF to see relevant movies, participated in camping in Ontario, participated in our grade 9 Camp Robin Hood experience. They have gone to the ROM, St. Lawrence market, attended various Places of Worship, Spadina House, tree top trekking in Stouffville, and many other locations where students’ educational experiences are able to come to life. Students have been actively engaged in the many clubs, teams, and events at Mary Ward CSS. We hope that you will take a moment to review these activities in our newsletter, Happenings. It seems appropriate that the temperature is dropping just as we are preparing to enter into the Advent season. Very shortly our Chaplaincy Team will be hosting school wide assemblies to launch our 2016 Advent service projects. This is such a beautiful way for our students to build community and to express their lived faith. All Advent service projects have been vetted through our Chaplaincy Team and are focused on Catholic-based charities or activities. Be sure to speak with your children to find out what project their Teacher Advisor group has selected this year. This is the second year of the TCDSB’s pastoral plan, “Together With One Voice - Harmonizing our faith through Family, Parish and School. This is the year of the Parish. Mary Ward CSS is associated with Epiphany of Our Lord parish. We have many students, families and staff members who are members of the Epiphany community. One of the ways we are working to strengthen our relationship with Epiphany is to connect with their new Youth Minister, Allie Belen. We invited Allie to attend our Open House where she had many great conversations with parents and students. We will continue to nurture this great relationship. We recently spent our staff Faith Professional Development day at Epiphany of Our Lord where we were able to continue to build and strengthen our own community as well as continuing to deepen and celebrate our Catholic faith. We concluded our fantastic day with Mass celebrated by Father Antony Varghese. I do want to draw your attention to the excellent work that your Parent Council (Catholic School Parent Council – CSPC) is doing. We meet regularly every month and it is a great opportunity to come together as a group for the betterment of life at school for our students and your children. You are always welcome to attend. Our next meeting is on Wed. Jan. 18th, 2017 at 7 p.m. in our school library. Additionally, our Parent Council will have a welcome table at our upcoming Parent-Teacher interviews on Thursday December 1st, 2016. Please make a point to attend. We look forward to seeing you there! On behalf of our entire community, we wish you a blessed Advent season. Thank you for your faith in the work that we do with your children. We feel very privileged to work with them on a daily basis.

Blessings to you and your families,

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

GR. 9Allen, AbigailAntao, David Anthony, LaurenArmadillo, Ester Ayekun, NimmyBalde, KhalilBaldeo, IreneBas, Christy Bastiampillai, Delaan Benosa, ReccaBerbano, DianaBernado, RobertBolarinwa, Lolade (Lola)Buzon, KristinaChen, Yuan Wei YuChen, HenryChin, Matthew Cho-Ah-Ying, JessicaChow, ReneeChu, Serena Chua, ChrisCrawford , ConnorDaliva, SzarnaubeDe Manuel, GabrielleDeGuzman, DeniseDeng, RachelDerige, BrandonDevillon, DomenickDioneda, ClaudiaDomalaon, ChristelEmmanuel, AngeleneEnnis, JessicaFernandes, NaomiFrac, KriziaGa, CharisseGalapon, Neil Gatchalian, KristinaGeorge, JessalynGlover, Elyse

Gomez, Lara Gugarooban, KopiHe, Qianhui (Kimmy)Herrera, AngelicaHipolito, AnshaIskander, ChristopherJoachim, LarineJoseph, TomJoson, NaomiJoven, Jan JulienneKahandavitagamage, CherylKempis, AllyaLai, JackyLau, AnnieLee, MichaelLin, JavenLopez,, JoshuaLucban,, LouisseLuk,, VanessaMa, Raymond Mahadurage, SashiniManickam, JoshuaManuba, RoseMariano, RussellMarshall, AdenaMendoza, AleezaMonreal, KendrickMontegrejo, Alessandra Marie GoNg, MichelleNicholas, MilishaNunag, LuisOlaizola, SofiaOn, RyanPastore, GabrielPercy, Sabrina Phen, AliciaPidlubny, Matthew

Policarpio, Dominique Qureshi, NoorRelleve, KaylaReyes, MelaniRodrigues, AleciaRojas, JacobRoman, ElijahRomilla, AndreaSano, Lauren KimikoSantos, JullianaSauundranayagam, JoshuaShulman, VictoriaSibson, IsaacSin Wai Poo, Julian Singarayer, IrenaSmith, KaleahTan, CesarTanabe, Jeremy Tanuan, SuzanneTaylor, NicoleThiruvalagan, AthavanThomopson, Kassidy Trac, KriziaVelarde, CrystellVillaluz, DanVillarruz, JeriWong, CynthiaWong, Annika Wei-KwanYee, GraceGR. 10Abella, Allison Abog, JofAldana, April Aldovino, Fatima PatriciaAntony, CelinaArshekian, Ara

Bayoni, MatheaBernales, Dominique Braganza, Mikella Brake, Helen OliviaBrown, AngeloBucao, RyanCatapang, ElaisaCho, Lian Clemente, Hannah Co , JillianColangelo, DanielaConstantino, LeeyhanaCruz, Jade Cruz, BrianDaquipil, Vanessade Cotret, Madison Rene Dela Cruz, PatriciaDiaz, DanielaDitta, Maribella Dizon, HollyDulgeryan, DanielFernando, JeffnieGo, JoshuaGomez, Dominique Haikazian, SipanHeath, LauraHo, CindyHo, Stephanie

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR OWN HONOUR ROLL RECIPIENTS OF 2015-2016.

H O N O U R R O L L

Hoang, Christy Hu, JaneHu , Bryan (Jr-Chee)Huang, AngelaJoachim, AnjuliJohn, FionaKang, Geunho Kozdas, ReneKurian, ChristeenLam, ShelleyLau, NasiaLau, JordanLaurente, NathalieLi, Sara Lin, Shirley Jia FengLising, ClarisseMa, Shiqi (Olivia)MacIsaac-Sun, MedeleineManalo, AlfonsoMarcos, KateMariaprabhu, MichelleMcIntyre, CheyenneMeraglia, GabrielleMontes, DatrinaNg, MichelleNg, Sharon Ng, AndrewNguyen, BrendanNicdao, ChristianOliva, Angel

Osamudiamen, MelvinPalomo, Lian Pirabaharan, JenofiaPogorezelska, AnitaRaguraman, VarshaaRen, Steven Reyes, Anaiah Reyes, GabrielleReyes, Jeremy Rivera, Kathriel Sabado, TristanSamson, SandraSanchez, NicoleSantiago, DanielSantos, Katherine Shao, Steven Squires-Rouse, DeionSugue, AndrewSutton, DavidSy, Carlo Oliver AlbertoTam, YukiTan, JamieleeTanabe, Jerome Trinidad, AngelaTsang, JasonValencia, Matthew Vandenberg, RobynWang, BritneyWang, LilianWignarajah, StephanieWong, BlissWu, AimeeWu, MaryXie, Cathy Li MinYadao, SheenaYeo, DenicaZhang, CandiceGR. 11Adiao, Gil

Allum, Katherine Antao, JasonAntony, VeronicaAycub, JessicaBai, GloriaBanga, StephanieBagorio, John Brown, NoelBuenaflor, MarkBuerano, Mary AnneCabral, NicholasCai, AllenCarvalho, MelissaChau, Aiken Chavez, Maria LilyChin, MichaelaChiu, ChristinaChiu, KatrinaChow, Thomas Chu, MinaCrawford , NicoleCuenco, Mikaela Dacoco, Adrienne David, FrancisD’Silva, Julia Dy, AdrianEscobal, HeidiEskander, MarinaFernandes, NicoleFernandes, SamuelFong, Iris Fung, EmilieGardner, Dominique Gomez, Ezekiel Gu, Jeremy Ho, Herman Hrabi, CianHuang, AnnieHuang, Zhihui (Susy) Hung, OfeliaIskander, Joshua

Jeyarajah, MinojenKalonji, CelestinaKennedy, KatieKoncz, AndaLan, Zhaoyi (Cynthia) Lam, NathanLeung, ChristineLi, Victor Liu, AndrewLum, AmandaMa, Lucy Maliackal, SteveManguerra, FritzManukyan, SyuziMarchan, Jan Marron, NicoleMasangcay, DashelMicosa, Cody Miranda, MarlaNieta, MilcahNijmeh, AndreaNueve, DarienOng, TimothyParro, KimberleyPercy, SimonePersaud, BrittneyPham, TerraPhen, SarahPlaza, ElyssaReyes, CaitlinReyes, RyanReyes, MeganRivera, Kathriel Rodriguez, VanessaSamardjian, SusanSamocino, JasanSerrentino, JosephSherwood, KennedySheykhpour, Joseph PhilipSingh, Serena

H O N O U R R O L L

Sit, RyanSoliman, JessicaSoodhoo, KristinaSung, Alfred Tang, MichelleTing, Miguel Tseng, KarenVan Sluytman, DerekaVelasco, Arienne Vidad, RachelleVillarruz, Gian CarloVonica, Maria Vuong, KimberlyWong, StephenWong, Yan Tung SherriWong, Stephanie NatashaWong, StanleyXue, KyleYeo, DesireeZhang, Tracy Zheng, YvonneGR. 12Addo, Matthew Addo, Eunice Agustin, Angelique Alfarero , AshlynnAprile, Nicole KBautista, TimothyBonilla-Pita, ClaudiaBraganza, ZacharyBrake, Liam Buzon, Melody Caayao, AlbertChan, RachelChan, Daniel Cheung, TiffanyChin, Stephanie Chiu, CherieChu, Ada

Chu, KarenChu, StacyChung, Justin Coelho, DanickaCortez, LeanneDagher, CharbelDagher, CharbelDela Cruz, CelineDela Vega, Maria Beatriz Delos Santos, Darren Deng, Qiyun (Catherine)Dhermarasa, ShambaviDiCuangco, KayleenDomalaon, JanDomingo, Joseph PhilipEdanga, DianaElfa, LeanneFajardo, AngellaFajardo, AubreyFeng, Vania Ferrolino, SarahFiorino, AllegraGapas, MichelleGeorge, KieonaGeorge, SalinaGomba, BiancaGunasekara, AvinathHerrera, AnnemarieHitchman, Madison H. RoseHou, AaronHsu, MelissaHu, Jade Huisung, JoshuaIskander, Veronica Jones, JefferyKhatchadourian, Christine

Kuo, SamanthaLagman, DominicLau, Shu YiLau, KaylynLee, NicholasLee, SamanthaLi, ChristopherLi, SerenaLim, TristanLiu, Ansley Liu, Zi YangLo, ZiciliaLo Choy, JustinMabbayad, Jerome Madrigal, Josh Manapat, Karlo Martinez, Chase Micosa, Alexandra BeatrizOrtega, FernandaPadilla, April Pais, NinoshkaPang, Ga Lok Julian Pasquarella, NicolePeng, AnikaPetros, SaraPillas, NicolePulaj, XhanaRomeral, Reanna

Russell, TevinSafar, YousefSamardjian, RitaShidahara, Yo Singh, Chelsea Song, Hui XinTam, Leon Chun Tin Tan, RedahTang, Nathaniel Tantengco, AngelicaTatomir, Edy Thiruvalagan, BharathiTo, Mandy Truong, Matthew Tseng, Christy Wang, QinWong, JoselynWu, LasterYadao, KathleenYonas, HosannaYoung, KristianZhang, Alex

H O N O U R R O L L

On October 13th and 14th, Mary Ward’s SHSM Health and Wellness students had the opportunity to work towards gaining their First Aid and CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) training. Throughout the two days, the senior students learned how to administer First Aid and emergency care, a certification that is required to earn the SHSM diploma.

Lead by Tom, a retired paramedic, the training course educated students about the importance of CPR and First Aid. Students were given the chance to discuss, demonstrate and learn about the action needed in an emergency scenario. They learned how to respond to conscious and unconscious patients and administer CPR for both children and adults.

CPR gives a person a 5% chance of living, which is a greater chance of survival than no immediate medical attention at all. Thirty compressions followed by two breaths could save someone’s life. In addition, the symptoms and precautions for strokes and cardiovascular problems were addressed. We learned how to manage bleeds, treat shock, and fainting. Scenarios also took place where students did run-throughs on different emergency situations.

The students found this course to be very educational and a lot of fun. “Ted was a great instructor who was very helpful and engaging. I enjoyed learning CPR from him”-Jessie Montalbo, a partaker in this course. Mary Ward SHSM students are now equipped to save lives around them.

SHSM SPECIALIST HIGHSKILLS MAJOR

CPR & FIRST AID TRAINING

On Friday October 21, 2016, students that were part of the SHSM Health and Wellness program took an unforgettable trip to Bruce’s Mill Conservation Area, where they successfully completed the group dynamics certification.

During the morning, the students focused on team building exercises, which took place in a wet and cold environment. Despite this issue, everyone seemed to enjoy these exciting, yet challenging activities as a group. It started off with a few ice breaker games such as; two truths and a lie, lining up according to name alphabetical order, height, and age. Other warm-up activities such as, “lamb in the den” where students join hands in a circle, and one person in the middle, blindfolded, runs crazily as the rest barricade, “the lamb,” and prevent them from escaping. Later on the students were introduced to activities that required strong communication, good strategy, and co-operation such as, “the human knot,” where they had to figure out how to untangle a knot they made by holding two different, random hands. Throughout these activities, students learned to think outside the box and create strong team building actions.

After lunch, the students went straight to treetop trekking and aerial zip lining! They started off by doing an orientation and learning the basics of what to do when you’re 30 feet up in the trees. The group closely examined how to safely use the carabiners, zip line hook, and the importance of a harness. After that it was straight to the obstacle courses. With five aerial courses to complete, it was an action packed afternoon without weather being a worry, but pure physical and mental strength.

This experience is one that the students will never forget, and definitely something we would recommend for anyone to try. Not only did they get to work on their group dynamics and receive the certification, it exposed them to be successful in new environments, while learning how to be determined in finishing a task through perseverance.

tReetop trekking in stouffville

On November 4th, the SHSM health and wellness students went to St. Michael’s Hospital for the Think First Injury Prevention Strategy for Youth (TIPSY) program. The TIPSY program provides students with information to spread awareness about precautions they can take to prevent situations that can be dangerous, and to understand the consequences of their actions.

Lead by emergency and trauma nurses, the students witnessed an eye opening presentation about common, unsafe actions that are made every day. Hard hitting facts were brought to our attention about the high rates of death, just from irresponsible behaviour. It was shocking, yet educational for the students to see the various medical items such as catheters, back brace halos, and other necessary life saving devices. The presentation also taught students that taking certain types of drugs, or large amounts of them, could lead you to the front doorsteps of a hospital.

The students had the opportunity to have a tour of the hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU). It was almost surreal to see actual ordinary people receiving the extraordinary care needed to keep them alive. Students also met with an emergency room nurse who demonstrated various tubes and other instruments they often use in practice.

A man who survived a severe trauma gave the students a moving presentation about his first hand experiences after his traumatic injuries, and the long road to recovery that he had to endure and continues to live with. This visit was an excellent learning experience. Not only did we learn about a critical unit within the hospital, we also learned about responsibility – the responsibility for keeping us and everyone around us safe.

st. michael’st i p s yp r o g r a m

On October 13, 2016 the PSK4U - Kinesiology students went to visit the School of Anatomy at the University of Waterloo. I was excited about this trip, as the University of Waterloo is known as one of the top universities in the world and their anatomy lab is the most advanced in Canada.

Once on campus, we were greeted by current undergraduate students who took us on a brief tour. Everything looked amazing and everyone seemed happy to be there. After eating lunch, it was finally time to head over to the Anatomy Lab. I felt eager to jump into this experience because of all the work I had been doing in kinesiology class. After writing, labelling, colouring and studying all the different aspects of the human body, it felt rewarding to finally see with my own eyes what I had been studying. Upon entering the lab, I found myself both excited and nervous. I just could not believe that I was looking at a real human body, and to think that these were real people, who were once alive. However, when we started getting a hands-on experience and some brief lessons, it felt surreal. Seeing all these parts that make up my body and their functions was fascinating to me. Although I was a little uncomfortable to touch everything, like the brain, I still had a good time while also learning a lot.

Overall, this trip to the University of Waterloo was an amazing experience in all aspects. The campus was beautiful, and the anatomy lab was truly something else. Being a kinesiology student and studying diagrams of the human body, it was a real eye-opener to see these things with my own eyes. This was probably one of the best trips I have ever been on and I’m sure my classmates feel the same way.

BY: ARTIN ARSHEKIAN

KINESIOLOGY ANATOMY TRIP

On October 24 the Personal Fitness students went on a trip to the Ontario Science Centre. In the morning we attended a Human Anatomy & Physiology Workshop that was lead by a scientist. The scientist taught us about the many different parts of our bodies including the cardiovascular, respiratory and digestive systems. We learned about healthy versus unhealthy lungs, for example, how smoking kills the cells in our lungs. We even learned about the digestive system of a horse! Once the workshop ended we headed down to the cafeteria for lunch. After lunch our class watched the IMAX Film ‘The Human Body’. The film was very interesting and I learned about how the human body works. This was a great trip and I really enjoyed it!

The wonderful students in our Resource Department had a fun-filled Fitness class to celebrate Halloween! Everyone was very excited to attend class and show off their amazing costumes. We shared our spooky Halloween stories, danced to great music and engaged in fun fitness activities. Our students displayed great school spirit and look forward to the next celebration!

SCIENCE CENTRE

TRIP

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halloween fitness

The Grade 11 World Religions course enjoyed an excursion to 3 different places of worship in our community: Cham Shan Buddhist Temple, Beth Tikvah Synagoge, and St. Mark’s Coptic Church. The text books were brought to life as representatives from each community were there to greet us and discuss their faith experience with the students. The grade 11 students engaged in intelligent and genuine discourse with the representatives we met. It was an informative and insightful day that furthered their understanding of different cultures and faith practices from a Catholic perspective.

The grade 11s studying world religions made several trips to the ROM for a “Religious Icons of the World” tour. The ROM tour guides were incredibly knowledgeable and familiar with the artifacts, and enthusiastically engaged the students in discussion. The Mary Ward students, as always, were respectful and offered intelligent discourse with the guides. It was an informative and insightful day that furthered their understanding of different cultures and faith practices from a Catholic perspective.

The CHW 3M1 Ancient History students enjoyed a day at the ROM with Mr. Morra looking at artifacts from ancient civilizations like ancient Mesopotamia and the earliest writing systems, ancient Egypt and their mummification processes, and ancient Greece and Rome with their idealistic art. The students absorbed their surroundings like sponges and completed assignments based on their experience as well and initiating ideas for subsequent research.

Places of worship TRIP

R O M T R I P SGRADE 11 W O R L D RELIGIONS

GRADE 11 A N C I E N T H I S T O R Y

Once again this year, the grade 9 Geography Students made their annual trek to Niagara Falls. Students enjoyed learning more about the geologic history of the Niagara Region through the “famous” hike through the Niagara Glen Nature Reserve.

Grade 10 students explored the historic Spadina House in downtown Toronto. They learned a great deal about life in the 1920’s as participated in a team challenge during the tour.

Grade 10 students participated in the Canadian and World Studies annual Ottawa Remembrance Day Trip. The trip included guided tours of “Diefenbunker”, the Parliament Buildings, Historical Ottawa, and the War Museum. All students were moved by the powerful experience at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the War Museum. The highlight of the trip was definitely the Remembrance Day Ceremony at the National War Memorial. The awareness and appreciation that the students have of the great sacrifices made by the many Canadians through war and peacekeeping efforts was definitely broadened by this incredible experience!

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BY: KRISTEN MIGUEL

The grade 12 physical education students kicked off their final week of September going camping at Sandbanks Provincial Park from September 26th - 28th, 2016. With the weather looking gloomy on the first day, we still had high hopes and excitement looming in the air for this marked our final camping trip of our high school career. We were all huddled outside the back of the school with our camping gear ready to load the bus as soon as it arrived. After packing up the bus, we were ready for a long 2 hour bus ride to Sandbanks. With the rest stop, we were able to stretch out our legs and buy some lunch before the final half hour of the ride. Excitement filled the air as we entered Sandbanks, chose our campsites and set-up the tents. Our first night consisted of sitting around the fire because our activities were cancelled due to the rain. What wasn’t cancelled, however, was the night-hike. It was a dark and long hike and made all of us so tired that we fell fast asleep. We woke up the next morning, played music, cooked breakfast and got ready for our activity which was the sand dunes hike. We took the school bus to the sand dunes and started the almost 2 hour hike. The hike was definitely worth it because at the end there was a beach that we were able to play on and dip our feet in. We were able to stay there for almost 3 hours before heading back to the bus. Once back at the campsite we had dinner and chilled by the fire for the rest of the night. This was how we ended our final night at Sandbanks. We woke up the next day and made breakfast for the final time. The vibe was nice and made us feel sad that our camping experience was ending that day. Once we finished breakfast, everyone took down their tents and started loading the bus. It was a sad moment as we left Sandbanks for the last time of our high school lives. Those days were spent with great people and great memories were definitely made!

SANDBANKS TRIP

ATHLETIC COUNCIL

As another exciting school year begins I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to our 2016/2017 Athletic Program! It is an honor and privilege for me to work together with our wonderful student-athletes and coaches here at Mary Ward C.S.S. We continue to offer a wide variety of opportunities for student-athletes to become actively involved in sport. This includes our interschool athletics program which takes place during the fall, winter and spring seasons. I am happy to report that we had an outstanding fall season of athletic accomplishments for the following sports:

Congratulations to our student-athletes and coaches on a fantastic fall season. You continue to make us very proud! Go Wolverines!Sincerely,Anna SersantiAthletic Director

Varsity Girls BasketballVarsity Cross CountryVarsity Girls Field HockeyGrade 9 Boys Flag FootballGrade 9 Girls Flag FootballVarsity Ultimate Frisbee

Varsity GolfVarsity Boys Rugby 7sVarsity Girls Rugby 7sJunior Boys SoccerVarsity TennisSenior Boys Volleyball

MARY WARD TENNIS TEAMThe Mary Ward Tennis team enjoyed another fine day of competition at the National Tennis Centre located at Aviva Centre, York University. The weather cooperated on Tuesday, October 11th as Matthew Callueng, Maria Periabras, Kat Balde, Alexa Segreto, Kevin Rajasooriar, and Kasia Wodz, graced the same courts where the likes of Federer and Nadal have swung their rackets. Fun was had by all, and we look forward to next season.

VARSITY GIRLS’ FIELD HOCKEY

The Varsity Girls Field Hockey team had another exciting season! There were many new additions to the team, with lots of energy and great potential. Luckily, our experienced players were incredible teachers and leaders to our newcomers, offering tips and suggestions in a sport that continues to gain popularity. Although the team was unable to secure a win in the short 5 game season, the girls kept their spirits high and cheering loud during every game! They played with a lot of heart and determination and we are excited to see where this team will go in the future!

VARSITY CROSS COUNTRYThe Varsity Cross Country team attended 3 meets this fall, and had a lot of success at each. They raced at the Colts Classic in Markham, the Boardwalk Relays in the Beaches, and at the final TDCAA meet. The TDCAA championship meet took place on October 28 at Centennial Park in Etobicoke. Runners performed well all around, and three athletes continued on to the OFSSA championships in Port Hope on November 5th. Lian Cho, Trinity Esprit and Josiah Fikru raced against the fastest runners in Ontario and made Mary Ward proud. Congratulations to the entire X-Country team for a fantastic season of training and racing.

g r e e n q u e s tWASTE REDUCTION WEEKGreen Quest hosted its annual Waste Reduction Week from October 17th to the 21st! It was a full week filled with different activities each day.

On Monday our theme was Climate Change and the week- long activity that we unveiled was Klondike the Polar Bear and his shrinking iceberg. We challenged each TA group to answer the daily questions related to each theme on a piece of scrap paper in the shape of an iceberg provided and then bring it to the front foyer at lunch to help build up Klondike’s melting iceberg. His restored iceberg is now on permanent display in the Science Seminar Room. On Tuesday our theme was Litter. We encouraged staff and students to bring in a litter less lunch. On Wednesday the theme was Water and at lunch we gave out lemon and cucumber slices to those with reusable water bottles that wanted to add some flavour to their water.

And last but not least was Friday with the theme of Paper. We held our annual TTC metro pass draw where students brought in as many bus transfers as possible to try and win. Congratulations to Kayley Tucker! We also had a pizza lunch prize draw for all the TA groups that participated in the melting iceberg activity. Congratulations to Mr. Rossi’s TA group!

As another part of Waste Reduction Week, we also held a vermicomposting seminar hosted by special guest Cathy Nesbitt of Cathy’s Crawly Composters who has been to countless environmental summits delivering her presentation to adults as well. Ms. Nesbitt educated the group of students about red wriggler worms, which are the most efficient soil- making earthworms. She led them through how to properly feed our worms and manage the worm chalet to create plentiful soil for our vegetable garden! We look forward to Earth Week in April!

debate club

GENDER JUSTICE

Some of our debaters recently conducted a mock debate in preparation for their pro-con debate competition at Brebeuf on November 26.

The tournament resolution: Be It Resolved that there should no longer be permanent members on the United Nations Security Council.

In the first slide, Milleth Achivida for the Con team is delivering her rebuttal to the Pro team’s arguments.

In the second slide, Michelle Fung Wu for the Pro team is delivering her constructive argument.

We wish our debaters much success on November 26th!

On October 4th, the Gender Justice Committee hosted a vigil honouring the lives of over 4000 missing and murdered Indigenous women of Turtle Island. This vigil was held on the National Day of Action for Missing and Murdered Indigenous women – a day when vigils and marches are held throughout the country.

The violence experienced by Indigenous women and girls in Canada is a national tragedy and it’s rooted in racism, misogyny and the intergenerational trauma caused by Canada’s residential school system.

This violence can be reduced if proper attempts were made to support Indigenous women and girls in and outside of their communities. But Indigenous women are continuously put in harms way when the Canadian government decides to create massive energy and mining projects close to communities. One such project is the Cite C dam in Northern British Columbia’s Peace River where an influx of transient workers will pose a threat to the well-being of Indigenous communities, their lifestyles, and especially the women and girls.

This year, GJC will focus on this issue and others. We will campaign to create awareness and to have petitions signed to encourage the Canadian government re-think their development plans.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE, PLEASE VISIT AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL AT https://www.amnesty.ca/outofsight

VIGIL FOR MMIW

DECAOn Saturday November 5th, 2016, Mary Ward’s DECA chapter travelled to Woburn Collegiate Institute to compete in this year’s Regional DECA championships. During this full day event, our students gave it their all, competing against nearly two-thousand students from across the Toronto region. Needless to say, the countless hours of practice tests and role plays paid off. A special congratulations goes out to our DECA Top Ten Winners:

Winners of Top Ten for Individual Role Play in their Category: Jessalyn George; Lisa Ding and Mekha Brito.Winner of Top Ten for Written Exam in their Category: Michelle TangWinners of Top Ten for Team Event Role Play in their Category: Jason Antao and David AntaoWinners of Top Ten for Team Event Role Play in their Category: Our Exec Team led the way with multiple awards in their categories. Top ten role play and top ten exam: Brittney Persaud; Iris Fong and Robyn Ching

Thirty-seven students of our Mary Ward DECA chapter are now off to complete at the DECA Provincials in downtown Toronto in early February. Let the challenge begin and the hard work continue!

GSA WEEKFor the first time ever, Gay-Straight Alliance celebrated a full week of activities and campaigns. Starting with a GSA birthday celebration on the Monday, the week was full of balloons, baked goods and many thoughtful activities. GSA dealt with topics ranging from Intersectionality to the Orlando Massacre that took place in the spring of 2016, to the rights of trans men and women. Guest speaker, alumni and former GSA leader, Erin Edghill, also spoke to our students about resources available to LGBTQ+ students. Erin is currently studying social work at George Brown and also an interning at SOY – Supporting Our Youth. The GSA would like to thank staff, students and administrators for their continued support. Our next venture is to support our US brothers and sisters in the United States who may be dealt a very discriminatory blow as a result of the recent elections. GSA meets every Wednesday at lunch, and our doors our open to students and teachers. We create a safe and welcoming community for all.

FILM FESTIVAL FRENZYThe Toronto International Film Festival will be forever changed after the arrival of 20, grade 11 and 12 Mary Ward video students who screened Two Lovers and A Bear. Rather, the students will be forever changed as they were absorbed by the energy and enthusiasm of the event. Canadian Filmmaker Kim Nguyen was in attendance for a Q&A after the screening. We also caught a glimpse of main actor Dane DeHaan who played the character of Rowan in the film. Along with attending TIFF, students also just recently had the opportunity to attend the Reel Asian Film Festival screening of NOW YOU SEE ME, a screening of 8 shorts on the topic of acceptance and fitting in. “Struggling to fit in and forging our own path, we glow brighter from the inside out.”Canadian Filipino director, Gerald Fantone graced us with his presence, as he answered various questions from the audience and explained his journey from immigrant to York University film student. His film “Ponytail” was featured at the screening. We are grateful to live in a city like Toronto where festivals like these exist. TIFF and RAFF both provide students with a small glimpse into the world of cinema and filmmaking.

WARD TAKES MANHATTAN

Start spreading the news! From Oct. 24th - 28th the Mary Ward Art and Tech department along with 49 students travelled to New York to see the sights and enjoy an overwhelming amount of art. With sketchbooks and cameras in hand, students and teachers walked their way through America’s most diverse city enthusiastically. This trip was not for the faint of heart as there was much to see and do. Among some of the highlights was the new Met Breuer where the works of photographer Diane Arbus and painter Kerry James Marshall were exhibited. The group was also very impacted by the visit they had at the 9/11 Memorial Museum in lower Manhattan, which commemorates the 2001 attacks of the World Trade buildings that killed almost 3000 people. Other visits to museums included The Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The International Center of Photography and the Museum of Moving Images where students were welcomed to participate in the museum’s many interactive programs. We saw the city from great heights at the Top of the Rock, and we saw it surrounded by nature in Central Park. We even bumped into documentary filmmaker Michael Moore. Two Broadway shows and many slices of cheesecake later, we boarded onto our comfy coach bus to make our 10-hour journey back home through the Appalachians. We were sad to leave, but New York gave us the inspiration and vigor to create new works of art. In the words of Alicia Keys, the New York streets made us feel “brand new.”

GRADE 8 VISITS AND OPEN HOUSEDuring the month of October, we connected with 24 elementary schools to present to grade 8 classes about Mary Ward’s unique self-directed program. These visits involved an impressive array of student ambassadors who also volunteered as tour guides for our annual Open House/information Night on November 3rd. The Open House at Mary Ward has always been well attended, and this year was no exception as over 800 grade 8 students and their parents came out to see what we have to offer.

S T U D E N T SERVICESUNIVERSITY & COLLEGE FAIROn Thursday, Oct. 27th, we hosted our Annual College and University Fair. Representatives from close to 30 post-secondary institutions set up information tables in the gym so that students and parents could meet with several school reps without traveling all over the building. The event ran from 3:30-5:15, and was followed by the Parent Information Night for Graduating Students, from 6 – 7 p.m. Students and parents came away with lots of ideas, lots of viewbooks and lots of questions answered! It was also good to hear from several reps that our students asked educated questions, clearly taking seriously the process of finding the right program at the right school. Thanks to the team of student volunteers, who assisted with promotion, set-up and take-down, and who served as hosts. This is an annual event, so Grade 10 and 11 students and parents should keep this in mind next fall; the date and time will be listed both in the student agenda and parent calendar for 2017.

SEMINARS FOR U N IVE R S I TY AND COLLEGE APPLICATIONS

THE INDIVIDUAL PATHWAYS PLAN

ASK FOR HELP

ADVENT SERVICE PROJECTSAt this time of year, our focus turns toward college and university applications for our graduating students. Throughout November and early December, we offer seminars to walk students through the application process and to encourage research and decision-making. The deadline for university applications is January 11th, 2017; colleges can begin making offers Feb. 1st, 2017, so applicants are encouraged to complete the process as early as possible. Applications are not considered complete unless the fee has been paid by the deadline.

Advent Service Projects Initiative is one of the many cherished and long-standing traditions of Mary Ward C.S.S.. We celebrate our faith not only in prayers and liturgies but also through concrete actions that have direct impact on various local and global charitable organizations. St. Francis of Assisi writes that “it is in giving that we receive”. Indeed, we receive so much more in our giving. Mary Ward, our school’s namesake encourages us to “undertake any work of charity which seems proper to further the glory of God and the common good”. Therefore, remaining faithful to God’s call and in the spirit of Mary Ward, our community has decided to support seven worthy causes this year. Among them, Christmas Meal at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, grocery gift cards for St. Vincent de Paul, St. Aidan’s Conference, and First Nations Child, Family Caring Society of Canada and Carmelina’s House provide much-needed support to families locally in Toronto and Canada. In addition, we raise funds to support Sleeping Children Around the World, KAIROS (Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives), and Epiphany of our Lord Parish’s Children Mission in India that serve the needs globally.We are very proud of all the students and staff members who lovingly supported all of these worthy causes.

This year we are continuing to implement the Individual Pathways Plan (IPP) for all students, as mandated by the Ministry of Education. This education and career/life planning program helps students develop their personal goals for work and life, and make successful transitions from one stage to another. Based on the belief that all students can be successful, the completion of the IPP helps students to consider who they wish to become through reflection and exploration of their interests and strengths. Teacher Advisors, guidance staff, parents and students are all part of the monitoring process. Parents are encouraged to view their sons’ and daughters’ IPPs on the web-based application www.MyBluprint.ca so that they can have an informed discussion about current program choices and future options.

Whether it be for advice on a career pathway, a question about courses and levels, discussion of post-secondary options, help with time management and organization, or a personal matter, the guidance counsellors in Student Services encourage students to drop by our office and make an appointment. Let us know how we can help!

YOUNG WORKERS LEARN ABOUT SAFETY IN THE WORKPLACE

WORKING AT HEIGHTS

“New and young workers new to a job are three times more likely to be injured during the first month on the job than more experienced workers.” (Ministry of Labour, July 2016). On October 17th Co-op students took part in a Health & Safety workshop aimed at teaching them how to work safely while on the job. For many students, Co-op is their first work experience, and it is important that they know how to protect themselves and work safely. The Yong Workers Awareness Program teaches students three basic rights: the right to know, the right to participate and the right to refuse. The students accessed the Ministry of Labour website where they explored the Employment Standards Act and other resources offered to help ensure that Ontario workers, both new and experienced, are aware of their rights and responsibilities. Students also explored sample cases provided in the Court Bulletins along with the Top News Stories related to work issues in Ontario. The morning workshop included some team work activities along with some video viewing about safety in the work place. A review of the Occupational Health and Safety Act reinforced that Health & Safety is everyone’s responsibility and that preventing work-related illness and injury is the most important job at any workplace. Our Co-op students were then required to complete the online e-learning modules and were given a certificate upon completion. The students were required to write a final theory test to ensure that they were ready to start their co-op placement by being well informed about their rights and responsibilities in health and safety. Parents are invited to visit: http://www.livesafeworksmart.net/english/pdf_mainpg/Parent-Guide-Apr2016-EN.html for further information that can be shared with the young workers in their households. Live Safe -- Work Smart everyone!

As of March 2017, all construction workers in Ontario must complete the Working @Heights Certificate Program in order to work on a construction site. Co-op students are no exception. On October 12th five Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) Construction students travelled to the Carpenters Union Local 27 in Woodbridge, ON to take part in a reach-ahead opportunity funded by the TCDSB’s Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP). Agatha, Ben, Chris, Juliana and Sophia successfully completed a rigorous 9 hour training program in order to prepare for demanding and rewarding placements in construction and manufacturing. The program consisted of basic theory and practical instruction using the latest equipment and techniques. Aspects of the training included: learning to use travel restraint systems, fall restricting systems, fall arrest systems, safety nets and work belts or safety belts. Congratulations to our future tradespeople and good luck as you begin your placements! For more information about the TCDSB’s OYAP programs, please visit www.oyaptcdsb.com.

CO-OP

1. Joseph Martino 416-512-34012. Ann Andrachuk 416-512-34023. Sal Piccininni 416-512-34034. Patrizia Bottoni 416-512-34045. Maria Rizzo 416-512-34056. Frank D’Amico, Vice Chair 416-512-34067. Michael Del Grande 416-512-34078. Garry Tanuan 416-512-34089. Jo-Ann Davis 416-512-340010. Barbara Poplawski 416-512-341011. Angela Kennedy, Chair 416-512-341112. Nancy Crawford 416-512-3412 Karina Dubrovskaya, Student Trustee 416-512-3417 Rhea Carlisle, Student Trustee 416-512-3413

TORONTO CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD TRUSTEES

2016-2017WARDS

DESIGNED BY ADRIENNE DACOCO