July 2013 - St. Maximilian Kolbe CHS

VOLUME 20
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
Upcoming Events
The end of the year always brings with it a wonderful sense of
relief. The rigors of study and routine are replaced by the sweetness of relaxation and adventure. Of course, the end of the year is
always bittersweet in that in order to embrace that adventure we
must also embrace change. Jesus tells us not to store up things of
this world for they are always impermanent (Matthew 6:19). All
things must pass away but what always remains is love – because
God is love.
As the 2012/2013 school year comes to a close, we must also
say a very sad goodbye to our Vice Principal, Rocchina Antunes.
Although Ms. Antunes will go on to grace her new school with
her infectious laughter, one thing will always remain, and that is
the way she loved others. Her love for the SMK community will
remain in the hearts of all those that she touched long after she is
gone.
On Thursday June 26th, 2013 we celebrated the graduating
class of 2013 – our pioneer class who started when the school fist
opened in September 2009. They have been a class whose energy,
creativity, and commitment to our school have left an incredible
legacy in many corners of our school. It was a beautiful ceremony
held at the Terrace Banquet Hall where our graduates were honoured for their achievements. The honours of this group of 288
graduates included 110 students achieving honour roll, 114 being
recognized as Ontario Scholars and several others recognized for
various community awards. There were 133 graduates accepted
into universities, 88 were accepted into college programmes, and
several graduates will be entering apprenticeships or workplace
opportunities. I would like to extend our sincerest gratitude to
the staff of our school for their commitment and dedication in
supporting all our students in our school.
On May 14th, our grade ten students wrote their rescheduled
Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT). The test was
rescheduled as a result of the ice storm on April 11th which forced
the cancellation of the test province-wide. We expect to receive
those results sometime in late August. Our grade nine students
wrote their EQAO mathematics test at the end of June and we
look forward with anticipation those results in August as well.
Our students continue to experience success in the classroom
with all their courses. This semester our success rate was 98.2%
with credits attained. Our staff works at creating engaging and
meaningful lessons to support our students with their learning.
The staff is engaging our students with 21st Century learning
tools and curriculum.
I am pleased to welcome our new Vice Principal, Ms. Mary
Lee Konnry to our school and she will have responsibility for our
grade ten students and part of our grade twelve students. We welcome new staff – teachers Ms. Anton to Math, Ms. Burns and Ms.
Demitcheva to Science, Mr. Deocampo and Ms. Giordano to Religion, Ms. Ferrari to English, Ms. Hubbard to Arts, Ms. Mer-
July 2013
July 4 - 9
Report Card Pick - 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
July 10
Mail Report Cards Not Picked Up
July 12
Office Closes for the Summer
August 19
School Office Re-opens, 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
August 23
Getting Ready for High School - Incoming Gr. 9’s
Sept. 2
Labour Day
Sept. 3
First Day of School
Sept. 16 - 18
Camp White Pine for Grade 9’s
Sept. 18
Catholic School Council
Sept. 26
Parent Welcome Night
Oct. 10
Awards Night
Oct. 14
Thanksgiving
lino to Math, Ms. Newberry to Arts, Ms. Pizzardi to Moderns,
Mr. Vennare to Business, Mr. Woodrow to Religion and Ms.
Hofmann , Ms. Rempel and Ms. Wolk to our special education
department as educational assistants and Ms. N. Williams as an
educational intervenor. Returning from their maternity leaves are
Ms. Campbell to math and Ms. Gismondi to religion/chaplaincy.
Ms. L. Barbieri will be our new student support worker.
We also bid farewell to a number of contract teachers who
have served our school so well. I would like to thank Ms. Busca,
Ms. Cina, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Ms. Lettieri, Mr. Macri, Ms. Merenda, Ms. Nesci, Mr. Nicholls, Ms. Occhiuto, Ms. Paschakis,
Ms. Vittiglio, and Ms. Watt who have all served as teachers in
our school. We bid farewell to Ms. Kearns who has been our student support worker for the last four years and Ms. Maira our
guidance secretary and Ms. Hancock as one of our Educational
Assistants. Also leaving are Ms. Froio in arts and Ms. Cece in
Special education who will off on maternity leaves. Finally, Mr.
Bobesich will be taking a one semester leave of absence and will
return in February.
I would like to thank all the support staff, secretaries, custodians, EA’s and EI’s for their support of our students. I pray that we
all have a restful, enjoyable and safe summer break and we look
forward to seeing everyone on September 3rd for the first day of
school.
Finally, I want to recognize the Catholic School Council and
their executive – Chair Olga Partanen, Vice Chairs Donna
Psaila and Richard Mewhinney, Secretary Jo-Anne Coliviras
and Treasurer Elizabeth Tesa for their leadership and support of
our students and our school.
I leave you with blessings and well wishes for a relaxing summer holiday and look forward to seeing you all in September.
1
VPS’ MESSAGES
Graduation News and Farewell from Ms. Antunes
St. Maximilian Kolbe High School celebrated its
Graduation on June 26th, 2013. The graduation day events began at Our Lady of Grace Parish, in the morning, with a special graduation mass for our graduates. Father Joe Gorman reminded the graduates that, as pioneers, they have left a legacy
at St. Maximilian Kolbe High School and have contributed to
St. Max’s positive school reputation. The graduates were further reminded that the partnership between school, home and
church is a powerful partnership that has guided them along
their 4 years of high school. Many thanks to Ms. Tornambe
and Mr. McGarrigle for organizing the Liturgy.
After the mass, students viewed two special graduation videos under the leadership of Ms. Bulger and Mr. Almeida. The videos were a tribute to the grade 12 students highlighting special messages and reflections by the pioneer staff
and students of St. Maximilian Kolbe C.H.S. Thank you to all
the students who took the time to put together the videos.
Many thanks go out to the Catholic School Council
for organizing and subsidizing a delicious graduation lunch for
the graduates. The souvlaki, rice, potatoes, Greek salad, coffee
and cake were delicious! Thank you to the CSC executive and
to the parents who volunteered to set up, clean up and serve
the lunch to the graduates and staff.
The Graduation Commencement Ceremony took
place in the evening at the Terrace Banquet Hall. Mr. Scuglia
and Ms. Antunes were very honoured to deliver the keynote
address. Thank you to the graduation committee for all their
hard work behind the scenes and for making the graduation a
memorable evening for parents, community partners and the
staff and students of St. Maximilian Kolbe High School. A special thank you to Ms. Por for chairing the graduation committee and for the many sub-committees. Thank you to Mr. Kelly
for his excellent oratory skills as the Master of Ceremonies for
the evening. Lastly, we were honored to share in the celebration with Senior Administration, our school Trustees and our
many community partners who provided substantial monetary
awards to our graduates. Thank you!
To all the grade 12 students, thank you for making us proud
and for being such honorable role models to the rest of the student body. We have many memories to cherish. Thank you for
four awesome years!!
I say farewell to a marvelous school community. As I embark
on my new journey as Principal of St. Jean de Brebeuf, I am
a better person as a result of being with you over the past four
years. Many thanks to the staff, students and parents for your
loving kindness and for making a positive difference in my life.
“Some folks arrive into our lives and depart footprints
on our hearts and we are no way ever the same.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Antunes
Vice Principal
All students registered in grade 10 during the 2012-2013
school year participated in the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test on May 14, 2013. This test is a graduation requirement
for all students in Ontario. We should be receiving results in
the fall. Thanks to all our parents and teachers for supporting
the grade 10 students during this stressful time. Congratulations to all the grade ten students!
The Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT)
for the 2013-2014 school year is scheduled for Spring of 2014.
Once again all students in grade 10 will participate in this test.
Please visit www.eqao.com for resources.
Mr. D. Allan
Vice Principal
All grade 10 - 12 students received their tentative
timetables in June. The incoming grade 9 students will receive
their timetables in August during the orientation day. Grade
10 - 12 students will receive their final timetable with room
numbers and teacher names on the first day of school, September 3, 2013. We wish all of you a safe and happy summer.
This is a reminder that DGN Kilters will be open at St.
Maximilian Kolbe on Thursday, August 22nd from 9:00 a.m. to
8:00 p.m. and Friday, August 23rd from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The in-school store will be open on September 3rd and 4th
from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Mr. M. Moyo
Vice Principal
Mr. Scuglia poses with
valedictorians Katie Abels
and Daniel Gary at the
Graduation ceremony
2
ARTS
CHAPLAINCY
Father Joe Gorman was the celebrant at our final school
Mass on June 6 as we celebrated in the gymnasium as an entire
school community. It is here where our students heard the sad
news that our pioneer Vice Principal, Mrs. Antunes would be
leaving us. Students were able to share their fond memories
of Mrs. Antunes in a small tribute that highlighted her loving
spirit and inclusion of all students.
Artists from all disciplines have been busy creating this semester!
On May 16th, Mr. Bobesich and his music students presented our annual Spring Concert. Featuring big band numbers (including a version of “We Got the Funk”!), our St. Max
Jazz band, guitar soloists and wonderful singers, an amazing
time was had by all. And on May 22nd, our Jazz Band performed brilliantly in the Wonderland Music Festival.
On June 11th, Grade 11 Drama students presented “Hiccups”, a night of One-Act plays. The audience was packed to
see performances of “Check, Please”, “The Subtext of Texting”,
“Chocolate” and “2B or not 2B”. Drama students also attended
performances of the musicals “Cats” and “The Wizard of Oz”.
They also saw Jason Priestly performing in the David Mamet
play, “Race”, at Canstage. Ms. van Loenen is looking forward
to seeing all of our actors and aspiring actors next year!
And in the Visual Arts Department, Mr. Viaes and Ms.
Froio are very proud of the amazing art work lining the hallways and offices of our school – including 3D Photo compositions. In collaboration with Mr. Almeida in the Technology
Department, our latest innovation is Vinyl Stencil Cutouts!
(look for them around the school, in quotations and illustrations). We also hope you’ll check out St. Maximilian’s entry
in the Aurora 2013 Art for the Park competition, where students from our Visual Arts Club (with help from Mr. Viaes,
Ms. Froio and Ms. Ierullo), put their own creative stamp on
a picnic table. Check out our entry at: http://www.town.aurora.on.ca/app/wa/mediaEntry?mediaEntryId=61493.
Chaplaincy is always proud of the numerous student leaders that faithfully contribute their time and energy as KLAW
leaders. In May we trained 40 new junior leaders at Mount Alverno Retreat Centre and we look forward to the great ideas
and enthusiasm that they will bring to the group in September.
The leaders, old and new planned an initiative together at the
end of May where they made sandwiches for the homeless and
distributed them downtown. The sandwich walk is a yearly
event planned by our KLAW leaders, and it always proves to
be a very humbling experience. Chaplaincy is very thankful for
all the support from our staff and students this year. Thank you
KLAW leaders for all your work this year!
A special thank you is in order to Mr. McGarrigle, who
served as an instrumental member of our Chaplaincy team this
year as he filled in for Ms.Gismondi who will be joining us
again in September from maternity leave. Thank you Mr. McGarrigle.
Lastly, we sadly say goodbye to the 2012/2013 school year.
We pray for our graduates and that they continue to live lives
inspired by Christ as they venture off into the amazing experiences that await them. We pray that they take all that they
have learned in their many years in the Separate School System
and that they continue to nourish and deepen their Catholic
faith. God Bless you Graduates!
Ms. N. Tornambe & Mr. R. McGarrigle
Chaplains
Finally, we say goodbye to Ms. Froio, who entered her maternity leave this June. We wish her all the best in her adventures in motherhood!
Thanks for supporting the Arts here at St. Max – we wish
all a blessed, restful and inspiring summer. Looking forward
to September!
Ms. T. van Loenen
Department Head of Arts
3
CO-OP
Our co-op students put what they’ve learned into action.
They have been in placements that have given them the chance
to apply what they have learned in the classroom to real work
experience. They have sampled a career path, gained experience of workplace culture, developed interpersonal and team
skills but best of all they have identified contacts and references for future job searches.
Through their dedication and commitment to their placements they have reached milestones and learned life lessons
along the way. Many of our co-op students have proven themselves and were hired as part-time and full-time employees at
their placements.
Congratulations to all our co-op students for a job well
done!
Ms. F. Martini
Department Head of Co-op
Students at their co-op placements.......
4
ENGLISH
It is hard to believe that we are already at the end of our
third school year. 2011-2012 has been a wonderful year in the
English Department as we welcomed a number of new department members, and we had the opportunity to implement five
new grade 12 courses.
April was a busy month as students participated in National Poetry Month activities as well as a number of experiential learning opportunities. Students in Mrs. Por’s grade 12
English classes attended William Shakespeare’s 449th birthday celebration on April 23rd. Dressed as Shakespeare’s family
members, friends, and rivals, students presented the Bard with
anecdotes and personalized gifts.
On April 30th students enrolled in Ms. Gerwlivch’s Writer’s Craft class participated in a digital storytelling workshop
at Harbourfront Centre. They wrote original scripts and used
digital cameras to capture their stories. Following the workshop students explored Harbourfront and collected ideas for
their Poetry Portfolio assignments.
What Do You Do?
By Kara Waites
What do you do when you don’t know what to do?
When you don’t know what to say
When words aren’t enough
But actions are too much.
When you know something that should be locked up in a closet
But that closet
Is your mind.
What do you do?
When it’s killing you inside
Like a house burning to the ground
Like a lion clawing to get out
Like a wave ready to take you under.
But… you keep smiling
And try not to make a sound
You keep listening to the cries and pleas for better lives
But your listening, it can’t save lives.
I’m not some Dr. Phil or Oprah Winfrey
I don’t have an “all knowing power”
I wish I could solve your problems and save the day.
But I’m not some super hero, I have no powers,
I have ears to listen and a heart to feel
But I know that’s not enough for you to heal.
At the end of May Ms. Howlings’ grade 10 Academic English class took over the English hallway and performed different scenes from Macbeth in an immersive format. The students were assigned scenes which they brought to life with
costumes, props, and sound effects. Invited guests wore masks
and walked amongst the actors as the scenes were being performed. It was a unique theatrical experience! Bravo to Ms.
Howlings and her students for an outstanding performance.
This year several SMK writers submitted their work to the
OECTA Young Authors/Jeunes Ecrivains awards. A special
congratulations goes to Kara Waites who won the OECTA
Young Authors/Jeunes Ecrivains award for her poem titled,
“What Do You Do?”. Kara’s poem has been published in the
Young Authors/Jeunes Ecrivains anthology that is distributed to all Catholic schools in the province.
As the semester draws to a close I would like to thank the
members of the English Department for sharing their passion
with our students. A special thank you to Ms. M. Cina for her
dedication to our department and her classes this semester.
On behalf of the English Department, best wishes for a safe
and fun-filled summer.
Ms. J. Gerwlivch
Department Head of English
It’s gonna be okay,
That’s all I can say.
But it’s something I don’t know for sure.
It’s something I hope
Something I pray
That one day you’ll be the one to tell me you’re okay.
But until that day comes,
I’ll be here.
Waiting for you like the last stop on the bus
Like a kid waiting for Santa on Christmas Eve
Like a tulip waiting for the sun to shine
Like waiting for the last ten seconds until the microwave
beeps.
I’ll be there, I mean here.
I mean wherever you need me.
I’ll see whatever you want me to see.
I’ll be whatever you need me to be.
I’ll be your guide dog
Your locked up diary
Your voice when you’re lost for words.
Because I don’t know what to do,
I’m just hoping I can help you through.
“When I look back, I am so impressed again with the life-giving power of
literature. If I were a young person today, trying to gain a sense of myself in
the world, I would do that again by reading, just as I did when I was young.”
- Maya Angelou
5
LIBRARY
GUIDANCE
Career Studies –
Thanks again to all of our guest speakers for grade 10
Career Studies classes. These included : CMHA, York University, Seneca College and Allan for Workplace Safety.
Summer School –
Reminder to all parents & students that any student
who has failed a compulsory course should attend summer
school. Students can still register at http://coned.ycdsb.ca.
You will need your OEN (found on your report card). Summer
school marks will be forwarded to SMK Guidance by the summer school office in August. It’s always a good idea to follow
up with us in August to ensure we have your son’s/daughter’s
summer school marks. Upon completion of summer school
courses, 2013-14 schedules will be adjusted. On occasion, this
will require a Guidance appointment in late August, we will let
you know. The Guidance Office will be open with secretarial
staff on Monday, August 19th. Counsellors will be in the office starting on Monday, August 26.
Course Changes for 2013-14:
This is a reminder to all parents and students that
there will be NO ELECTIVE CHANGES for grade 9 & 10
students as of August 2013. Only stream changes will be considered ( ie. Academic to Applied, Applied to Academic etc).
Stream changes will be made subject to availability in the first
2 weeks of classes only.
For grade 11 and 12 students, elective changes will only
be considered for changes that affect a student’s program pathway (ie. Apprenticeship, College or University requirements).
Stream changes will also be permitted, subject to availability
& scheduling constraints, in the first 2 weeks of classes for
grade 11 & 12 students.
I would like to start by saying how happy I am to be the
New Teacher Librarian here at St. Maximilian Kolbe CHS.
The Administration, Teaching Staff and Students have made
my transition here almost seamless. I am so lucky to be part of
this teaching community.
There is much going on here in the Library Resource Centre, and even more to come in the fall. The iPad Lab has been
up and running for 10 months now and with the help of Brian
Arruda our Technology Consultant we have been able to inservice almost of all of the Grade 10’s with iMovie. I hope to
have even more classes and staff trained to use the iPads come
September. We have been able to purchase some more Apple
Adaptors and iPad accessories that will be available to both
students and staff to loan out with a student card.
We have been constantly updating both our Fiction and
Non-Fiction resources with books, databases, and ebooks.
Make sure to check out the Library webpage http://smkh.
ycdsb.ca/library for a slightly different format to showcase
our Databases and ebooks. Passwords are available from Library Staff.
Finally I would like to wish all of those students graduating
a long and happy life, you will be missed.
Everyone enjoy the summer and do not forget to get lost in
a book!
Ms. J. Hartfield
Department Head of Library
Important Dates
September 27 - 29 – Ontario University Fair at Metro Toronto Convention Centre
October 21-22 – Direct Energy Centre – College Fair
October 24 - Post Secondary Evening for grade 11 & 12 students/parents co-hosted with Cardinal Carter @ St. Maximilian Kolbe C.H.S.
Guidance Counsellor Alpha
Listing 2013 – 2014
A to C
Mr. Stevens
D to H
Ms. Wieser
I to L
Ms. Jordan
M to Q
Ms. Quinn
R to Z
Ms. King
Farewells
We would like to wish our guidance secretary, Ms. A.
Maira, success as she moves on to become Senior Secretary at
Our Lady of Good Council Elementary School in Sharon.
Students Enjoy some music at
the Special
Olympics at St. Max
Mr. J. Stevens
Department Head of Guidance
6
MATHEMATICS
Congratulations to all math students on their successes
in mathematics this year. In particular, the math department would like to congratulate our first full cohort pioneer
graduating class on all their successes and accomplishments in
mathematics. It has been our privilege to work with you over
the past four years and we wish you all the best as you move
forward to continue to pursue your dreams and goals.
I would like to congratulate all the members of our math
team that competed in the Waterloo Mathematics Competitions in this semester.
The top scorers in our school, placing first in their competition, were:
Grade 9 – Pascal Contest: JEREMY CRESTA
Grade 10 – Cayley Contest:
JUSTIN KASKOW
Grade 11 – Fermat Contest: ALEXANDER STEWART
Grade 12 – Euclid Contest:
CAMERON BUTTAZZONI
Thank you to all the members of the department that assisted in preparing all the students for this competition. This year
we had 62 students who wrote in one of the four competitions.
Students in grade 9 who wrote the EQAO Assessment
of Mathematics will receive their mark in the fall. Our students worked hard to prepare with their teachers and we are
confident that this hard work will result in a successful result.
On behalf of all of the math teachers at St. Maximilian
Kolbe, we wish all the best to our students and their families
for a restful and safe summer. We look forward to working
with you again in the fall.
Ms. M.E. Griffiths
Department Head of Mathematics
MODERNS
As the school year is
winding down we the Moderns Department are looking back fondly on an exciting year where students
had the opportunity to explore the beauty, the presence, the art, and at times,
somewhat complex nature
of the French language and
culture. In April, a group of
our grade 9 students had the
opportunity to explore the
Hockey Hall of Fame and
acquired a more in-depth
knowledge of this popular
sport by way of a French
scavenger hunt. At the end
of this activity, the students
had the opportunity to take
a photo with the impressive
Stanley Cup.
Most recently, our grade 12 French class capped off the
year with a wonderful “pique-nique de class”.
The class had been planning this event as a way to acknowledge and celebrate the end of the year and their achievement in being the first graduating French class at SMK. Each
student contributed to the picnic with food, drink, and most
importantly with discussion of their fondest high school
memories. Congratulations and we wish you all good luck in
your future endeavours. We would also like to give a special
thank you to RK publishing and Glendon College for their
contribution to our graduating Grade 12 French awards.
The Moderns department consistently tries to encourage
students to participate in experiential learning opportunities
as a means of further developing their language skills in a capacity other than the traditional classroom. This year we are
very excited to recognize that we have numerous grade 11 and
12 students who are participating in the Explore program as
well as the Summer Credit course in Paris. These students
will be living in a French community for a period of four-five
weeks, being completely immersed in the language and the
culture. Bon courage and we look forward to hearing about
your experiences!
Lastly, we would like to extend a warm welcome to Mrs.
Pizzardi who will be joining us in the Moderns Department
in September. We are all energized for what promises to be
another exciting school year with many new and stimulating
ways of bringing French alive both within the classroom as
well as the school community.
Nous vous souhaitons de bonnes vacances et nous vous
reverrons en Septembre bien reposés.
Ms. A. Posner
Department Head of French and International Languages
7
PHYS-ED & ATHLETICS
As we begin to wind down our 4th year at St. Maximilian Kolbe, we look back at the year as a time of transformation. Gone are the piles of dirt and endless amounts of Canadian Geese as we unveiled our new state of the art Turf Field
facility with an eight lane rubberized track. Our students
benefited tremendously from this advancement as were able to
provide a full breadth of fun, engaging curricular activities, on
joint friendly surfaces. Do not forget to continue your journey
towards a Healthy, Active Living lifestyle by exercising daily,
getting the nutrients, vitamins and minerals through proper
nutrition, and proper decision making in social settings. Have
a great summer!
Varsity Girls Slo-Pitch
Our Girl's Slo-Pitch team started off the season with a nail
biter by beating Sacred Heart by a score of 5-4. The rest of the
season was just as close as our team trailed by no more than
5 runs in almost every other game. It's a huge improvement
from last year and we believe that will set the stage for an even
better season next year! A fond farewell to our Grade 12s as
well - in particular our breakout player - 3rd baseman Alannah
Damp! Congratulations on a great season ladies!
Bantam Boys Rugby
The Bantam Boys Rugby Team had a very successful season
as they contributed immensely to the efforts of the Junior Boys
Rugby team through their support on and off the field. They
also participated in three tournaments this season, becoming
the 2013 St. Joan of Arc Bantam Invitational Rugby Champs.
The boys worked hard all season and it is evident that there
is much promise going forward with these young men. They
have continued to build upon the great Rugby culture that St.
Max exemplifies. Great Season Gentlemen!
Varsity Co-Ed Ultimate
The 2013 season was a spectacular one for the SMK Ultimate Team. The Mustangs finished the regular season in first
place in York Region (ahead of 25 teams), with an 8-0 record.
These victories were the result of the hard work, dedication,
and sportsmanship of all players. Congratulations to the Mustang Players of the Game for 2013: Lucas, Bailey, Katerina, and
Aaron.
The Mustangs played in a number of tournaments this
season. The team won the Husky Huck indoor tournament in
April and finished second in the Disco Flyer outdoor invitational in May. At the YRAA Championships on June 5th, the
team played well against some outstanding teams and finished
in third place.
Ms. Ball, Ms. Gerwlivch, and Maximus would like to congratulate the whole team for an amazing season. They would
also like to say thank-you to the graduating players who have
built the Ultimate legacy at SMK. Congratulations go to Jenn,
Drew, JS, Sammy, Gavin, Bailey, Kienan, and to the Original Eight: Meg, Bianca, Duffy, Josh, Tyler, Alex, Aaron, and
Kara, for their outstanding effort over the years.
Junior Girls Soccer
The Junior Girls Soccer Team had an excellent 2013 season.
The team finished first in their division after an undefeated regular season. The team triumphed through the playoffs, making
it to the YRAA Tier 1 Championship game and winning a silver
medal after a very hard fought game. A special thanks to Angelica Galluzzo, Victoria Galluzzo and Julia Steiner for your
leadership and commitment on and off the field. Congratulations to all the girls for a tremendous season. We look forward
to next year!
Varsity Girls Rugby
The St. Max Varsity Girls Rugby team finished their most
successful season so far. Throughout a challenging season, the
girls’ spirit and determination never wavered, which resulted
in them making the playoffs for the first time in the program’s
history. The season finished on a high note with the team winning their playoff game 27-5 and placing 9th overall. At the
athletic banquet, Lyndsay Wallace won the award for most
improved player while Sofie Kiatipis won the most valuable
player award, as well as the Junior Female Athlete of the year
award. The coaches are very proud of them and are looking forward to continued success next year.
Senior Girls Soccer
The senior girl’s soccer team had a very successful season
this year, representing St. Max for the second year in a row
at OFSAA! Over the course of the season, each player showed
huge improvements on the field, but more importantly, the
girls grew as a team, eventually earning the opportunity to
represent York Region at the ‘AAA’ OFSAA championships
in Windsor. With one win, two ties, and only one loss during the OFSAA tournament, the girls put forth an amazing effort, and should be very proud of their accomplishments this
year. Big congratulations to Rachel Cristofoli who earned the
Most Improved Player award for her undying effort and consistent dedication to improving herself as a soccer player, and to
Valerie Kolarich who earned the Most Valuable Player award
following an incredible season of dedication, hard work, and
leadership, as a solid defender for the team. Great work girls!
Junior and Senior Track & Field
St. Max had its most successful season to date, this year!
While enjoying our first season on our new track, our 50 athletes continued to improve throughout the season. The team
began its success placing 2nd in York Region with 4 individual
champions:
Julian Antonini - 100m, Ross Benn - polevault and javelin,
Matina Zagas - 80m hurdles and Sasha Dajia - shotput.
At this point, 16 athletes qualified for the Central Ontario
Championships where we had two champions:
Ross Benn - polevault and Sasha Dajia - shotput.
Following this meet, we qualified 10 athletes to OFSAA
where the top 24 in the province competed in Oshawa. Amidst
fluctuating weather and tough competition, our athletes continued to surpass coaches’ expectations. We are proud to congratulate Ross Benn on his BRONZE MEDAL in polevault,
Sasha Dajia for his 6th in shotput and 9th in discus, Adam
Newell for his 8th in highjump, Tim Pare for his 12th in the
800m, Matina Zagas for her 16th in hurdles, our 4 X 400m relay team (Tim Pare, Josh Bell, Michael Solomon, Ovie Emakpor and Matthew Dicks) for their 21st finish and Michael
Solomon for his 22nd in the 800m. We also want to wish our
8
PHYS-ED & ATHLETICS (con’t)
graduating students all the best in their future athletic careers - Nicole Fiorini and Clarissa DiGioacchino.
Great season everyone!
Mr. S. Carraretto
Department Head of Physical & Health Education
FALL EVENTS
MVP
MIP
BASKETBALL - JR GIRLS
BASKETBALL - SR GIRLS
CROSS COUNTRY
FOOTBALL - JR
GOLF - GIRLS
GOLF-BOYS
SOCCER - JR BOYS
SOCCER - SR BOYS
TENNIS TEAM
VOLLEYBALL - JR BOYS
VOLLEYBALL - SR BOYS
Brittney McKay
Lyndsay McKerracher
Nicole Fiorini
Michael Buttazzoni
Sonia Nagindas
Jimmy Abels
Ryan Kenny
Erik Balkovec
Maria Beltran
Nick Trewern
Ryan St. Germain
Brianna Gibbons
Melinda Marghetis
Michael Solomon
Brett Diamond
Jordan Holmes
Tanner Thiessen
Michael Rusu
Benjamin Kiberu
Michelle Minchella
Erick Bortolotti
Kienan Osborne
Cole Thiessen
Braden Casselden
Claudia Black
Jordan Chalmers
Michael Finik
Jake McGann
Christian Arcuri
Eliot Harkin
Alyssa Thibeault
Elizabeth Whyte
Daniel Duran
Gabrielle Faoro
BASKETBALL - JR BOYS
BASKETBALL - SR BOYS
VOLLEYBALL - JR GIRLS
VOLLEYBALL - SR GIRLS
SKIING/SNOWBOARDING CURLING
INDOOR TRACK & FIELD
BADMINTON - CO-ED JR
BADMINTON - CO-ED SR
SPRING EVENTS
Michael Rusu
Joey Undys
Alexandra Curran
Kendall Mannella
None
Jeffrey Wanless
Julian Antonini
Skye von Schwerin
Lauren Ballantyne
Sean Kelly
John-Salvatore Falcone
Jessica Portilla
Katerina Thomas
None
Aaron Mete
Shakira Spence
Alicia Junmany
Shakur Johnson
BASEBALL
RUGBY - JR BOYS
RUGBY - SR BOYS
RUGBY - VARSITY GIRLS
SOCCER - JR GIRLS
SOCCER - SR GIRLS
SLO-PITCH
TRACK AND FIELD - GIRLS
TRACK AND FIELD - BOYS
ULTIMATE
Eliot Harkin
Michael Rusu
Joseph Barrotta
Sofia Kiatipis
Victoria Galluzzo
Valerie Kolarich
Julia Leonetti
Matina Zagas
Sasha Dajia
Aaron Mete
Alexander MacKinnon
Frank Macri
Gianluca Perfetti
Lindsay Wallace
MID-SEASON EVENTS
HOCKEY - JR BOYS
HOCKEY - SR BOYS
HOCKEY - VARSITY GIRLS
SWIM TEAM - Female
SWIM TEAM - Male
WRESTLING
WINTER EVENTS
9
Rachel Cristofoli
Shannon McCormick
Maxine Edos
Ross Benn
Sammy Fanone
PHYS-ED & ATHLETICS (con’t)
Other Awards
Female Athlete of the Year
Lianna Collins
Male Athlete of the Year
Sasha Dajia
Female Junior Athlete of the Year
Sofia Kiatipis
Male Junior Athlete of the Year
Michael Rusu
Male MAX C.A.R.E. Award
Matthew Dicks
Female MAX C.A.R.E. Award
Katerina Thomas
YRAA Champions - Junior Swim Team
YRAA Champions - Curling - Tier 1 Co-ed
OFSAA - Participants
OFSAA Participant - Girls Hockey - AAA/AAAA Girls Hockey
OFSAA Participant - Girls Volleyball - AAA OFSAA Participant
OFSAA Participant - Girls Soccer - AAA OFSAA Participant
Individual Accomplishments
Tennis
YRAA CHAMPIONS - Girls Junior Doubles - Maria Beltran & Michelle Minchella
Golf
Sonia Nagindas - Qualified for OFSAA Girls Golf
Swimming
Michael Finik - Junior Boys 100m freestyle
Female Athlete of the Year
Jordan Chalmers - Junior Girls 50m butterfly
Lianna Collins
Jordan Chalmers - Junior Girls 50m backstroke
Emma Martini - Girls Open - 100m Individual Medley
200m Junior Boys Medley Relay - Michael Finik, Sebastian Warchol, Brian Ho, Daniel Duran
200m Junior Girls Medley Relay - Victoria Iaboni, Teya Tidd, Molly Johnson, Jordan Chalmers
Indoor Track & Field YRAA Champions
Julian Antonini- 60m
Ross Benn-polevault and shotput
4 X 200 midget boys relay - Julian Antonini, Andrew Daniell, Riley Walsh & Brian Suominen
*St. Max placed 2nd out of 15 teams!
Outdoor Track & Field
YRAA Champions
Julian Antonini- 100m
Ross Benn- polevault & javelin
Matina Zagas- 80m hurdles
Sasha Dajia- shotput
*2nd place team out of 38!
*16 qualifiers for Central Ontarios
Ross Benn- polevault champion
Sasha Dajia- shotput champion
*10 qualifiers to OFSAA -TOP 24 IN PROVINCE!
Ross Benn- Bronze Medal in polevault, 20th in javelin
Sasha Dajia- 6th in shotput & 9th in discus
Adam Newell- 8th in highjump
Tim Pare- 12th in 800m
Matina Zagas- 16th in hurdles
4 X 400 boys relay (Tim, Michael, Josh, Ovie and Matt) - 21st
Michael Solomon- 22nd in 800m
Male Athlete of the Year
Sasha Dajia
10
SCIENCE
Science has been a busy department this semester and as
we close out our year I would like to take the time to highlight
some of the events we have participated in.
Checkingoutthewhite
lionsatthezoo.
To start off, we have taken our students on several engaging field trips. The grade 9s went to the zoo to explore ecosystems and sustainability. The Ontario Science Centre got a
lot of business from St Max this semester as the grade 11 and
12 Chemistry classes did environmental water testing and the
grade 12 Biology classes genetically engineered bacteria to glow
by inserting genes from jellyfish.
“WaytoGlow”
grade12s!
Gettingwetinthe
nameofscience.
Our students also participated in several contests. Chemistry students tried their hand in the Avogadro and Chem 13
tests. While we’re still awaiting the Avogadro results, our
top students in the Chem 13 are Daniel Jones, Nikita Pekin,
Margaret Ho and Gregory Milligan. The Biology students
had the opportunity to write the University of Toronto National Biology Competition. Congratulations go out to our top
5 students: Nikita Pekin, Chandler Podhorodeski, Michael
Tanel, Andy Zhou and placing in the 87th percentile, our top
student, Antonius El Khoury. Congratulations to all contest
participants!
On May 31st, in honour of Chris Hadfield and his amazing
job commanding the International Space Station (watching his
Space Oddity cover on YouTube is a must), students in science
built balloon rockets for this semester’s Science Olympics.
Thinking outside the box, grade 11 students Erik Balkovec,
Michael Tanel and Andrew Foresi (from Mr Hayward, Ms
Imgrund and Mrs Bianco’s classes, respectively) created a
sling shot out of their balloon and propelled their rocket so
high it hit the ceiling.
Finally, there is also a Costa Rica trip that will be taking
off this coming March Break. We wish luck to Ms Gatto and
Mr Crupi as they go zip-lining, white water rafting, visiting
hot springs and go hiking at an active volcano with 32 of our
science students!
Grade10doing
adissection
ScienceTeachersattheScience
Olympicssportingtheirsnazzy
newscienceshirts!Wantone?
Askyourscienceteacher!
$10foratͲshirt
$15forlongsleeve
Up,upandaway!
As another year closes out we just want to wish everyone a
safe and happy summer - we will see you all here in the fall St
Max!
Dr. E. Guobadia
Department Head of Science
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TECHNOLOGY
Students in the TGJ4O1 Communications Technology
course embarked on a very ambitious project. They were assigned to photograph athletes in their SMK sport attire in a
studio. This would in turn be digital composed in a collage.
The idea was to create a 6 foot high by 17 foot wide digital
printed mural that would be mounted on the athletic (south)
wing of the school. (See image below for a super imposed rendering of the mural)
The mural is still work in progress and should be printed
next semester with the assistance of the School Council for
funding for the printing and installation. It is a pretty big piece
and you can imagine how much paper and ink will be used.
On the background of the mural is a collection of sporting
events through out the pass year at SMK. I like to thank Idanna
Sortino for volunteering her time to sort through the images.
Student Artwork
at St. Maximilian Kolbe
I would like to thank the following students for their hard
work in photographing and photoshoping
Anna,Agostino
Jimena,Aguilar
Marissa,Bastarache
Ezechiel,Ekra
Marisa,Fisher
Matthew,Goodison
Trevor,Gough
Laura,Katergos
Gavin,Matheson
Darren,McAdam
Michael,Molina
Benjamin,Potter
Tomas,Slapsys
Ashton,Spencer
Mr. P. Karl
Department Head of Technology
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MUCH MUSIC TRIP
STUDENT COUNCIL
Student Council plays an avid role in the St. Max school
community as it encourages school spirit and student participation. In the 2012-2013 year, Student Council has planned
various events including Semi, The 12 Days of Christmas, Student Appreciation Week and many more. Each event was successful and allowed students to create memories at school. Our
goal as Student Council is to put emphasis on the importance
in having students participate in the school community, and
create an inclusive environment. For the following school year,
Student Council hopes to keep that vision in mind with new
events, and old favourites!
Anna Cotarla and Silvia Stanica
2013-2014 Student Council Co-Presidents
Students Enjoy the outdoors at
St. Maximilian Kolbe
13
INTERNATIONAL NIGHT
On May 30th, 2013, the cafeteria of Saint Maximilian
Kolbe was transformed by culture and full of life as countries
and food from all over the world were displayed and shared
during the school’s second annual International Night. As a
celebration of diversity, the evening entailed traditional food,
drink, dress and music from each of the countries represented.
Through the tireless efforts and cooperation of Ms. Ferrari’s
Challenge and Change class, Ms. Villeneuve’s Fashion class
and Ms. Menard’s Culinary Arts class, the night was a huge
success. In addition to this event being an opportunity for students to express and represent the heritage and cuisine of a variety of people, International Night was also an occasion that
allowed students to take advantage of education away from
the habitual pen and paper style of learning that students have
become accustomed to. International Night, however, would
not have been possible if it was not for the generous contributions from the Catholic Parent Council and the local community food vendors who kindly donated to funding the event.
Altogether, International Night at Saint Maximilian Kolbe was
yet another successful school function that was well received
by students, teachers, their families and members of the community. The night allowed the talent and hard work of all students involved to be exhibited and appreciated through an educational and interactive style of learning true to the standards
set out by Saint Maximilian Kolbe and the events sponsors.
Written by Dina Peel
14
TRADE SHOW
SMK’s Market Fair & Summer Rush Trade Show In support of SickKids Hospital This semester, students in Ms. Occhiuto’s grade ten business and marketing classes participated in a market fair and trade show in order to raise money for the Hospital for Sick Children. SickKids is recognized as one of the world’s foremost paediatric health‐care institutions and is Canada’s leading centre dedicated to advancing children’s health through the integration of patient care, research and education. The three day events were a great success thanks to the tireless efforts of students who utilized their business skills to negotiate deals on consignment, network in order to find donations and sell their products and services to staff and students. Thanks to the generosity and commitment of the following donors, our students gained real life business experience and raised awareness and funds for a great cause. •
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Adidas Golf Department Air Canada Centre (The Parks Family) Aurora Real Canadian Superstore Bestbuy Boston Pizza Cineplex Odeon Delicious Greek Forever Young Hair Studio & Day Spa (141 King Road, Unit 13, Oakridges) HMS Host Longos McDonalds •
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Metro Pita Land Popeye’s Chicken Biscuits The Ridd Shultz Advisory Group from Bank of Montreal Sanctuary International Day Spa Spuds Skateshop Mrs. Sim’s Sobey’s Swiss Chalet Walmart Myla, two, treated for a brain tumour,
15
her life was saved twice by SickKids
HAIR & ESTHETICS
COMPETITION
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