Newsletter January 2016 - London District Catholic School Board

Guidance
Getting to Know Your Guidance Counselor
Students at St. Joseph’s have been divided between the two
Guidance counsellors according to the first initial of their last
name:
Mrs. Jennifer Boin
A-G
Mr. Al Quaglia
H-Z
College/University Update
For students wishing to attend college or university next year, the
process began early in September with liaison officers from
colleges and universities coming into our school on an ongoing
basis. Promoting their post-secondary institution and making
students aware of life on their campus gives the students the
background they need to investigate the prospective school on
their own. This procedure places increased responsibility on the
student to be informed. As always, it is the responsibility of
students to ensure that they have the prerequisite courses for
programs to which they apply. It is recommended that the
students involve their parents in this process. The following
presentations took place for potential graduating students to
attend:
The University Information Program was hosted by
St. Andre Bessette in London on Thursday, November 5, 2015 for
all potential university-bound students. The students had the
opportunity to meet with liaison officials from all Ontario
universities.
Our own university application assembly was held on Tuesday,
October 6, 2015, for all students who intend on applying for
university in September 2016. All aspects of the process were
discussed. The due date for university application submissions is
Wednesday, January 13, 2016.
A College Information Program was held at Fanshawe College
(London) on Wednesday, October 28, 2015, for college-bound
students. Liaison officials from all Ontario colleges were present
with displays and pamphlets.
Our own college application assembly was held on Thursday,
October 8, 2015, for all students who plan to attend college in
September 2016. All aspects of the process was discussed that
allows students direct access to their applications on-line. The
due date for college application submissions is Monday, February
1, 2016.
Are you Scholarship Material?
Most universities and colleges have scholarships and entrance
awards for which an application is NOT required. However, there
are a wide variety of scholarships for which applications are
necessary. For these scholarships, students must submit
additional information such as community service involvement,
extra-curricular activities, personal profiles, references, an essay,
and possibly proof of financial need. Generally, the greater the
value of the scholarship, the more work is involved in winning it.
In an effort to advise students about upcoming scholarships,
posters are put up on the guidance bulletin board, information
is provided via the morning announcements (a hard copy is
posted on the guidance office door), and photocopies of the
applications may be picked up in the guidance office. A
scholarship file drawer (available to students at any time)
provides information on scholarships that come up during the
year. We also have a list of websites with financial aid and
scholarship information as well as publications that are updated
annually.
Please visit our St. Joseph’s website and click on
“Guidance” to see the many scholarships that are available.
All Grade 11 and 12 course marks are recorded permanently on
the student transcript, including failing marks. Grade 12
students who drop a course after the due date for both semester
1 and semester 2 courses will have a “W” for withdrawal and a
mark recorded. The due date is recorded as of the 5th day after
the distribution of the mid-term report card to all students.
These marks will be forwarded to colleges and/or universities and
may be used to determine admission.
School policy states students must carry a full timetable until
they have successfully completed 24 credits.
Learning Services Department
In the Learning Services Department there are a few staff which
your son or daughter may be interact with:
Mr. Fox - Department Head of Learning Services (SPST)
Mrs. Lisowyk - Student Program Support Teacher or SPST
Mrs. Chouinard – School to Community Pathways Program Teacher
Mr. Santagapita - School to Community Pathways Program Teacher
We also have six educational assistants in the school who
primarily work with the School to Community Pathways students,
but often extend their services to any student in need.
Together with the Guidance Department and with the Student
Success Teacher we try to make sure that the students at St. Joe’s
are successful not only in their academics but in their high school
lives as a whole. We do this by providing assistance to students
with homework and assignments, providing accommodations for
those students who need them, timetabling them for success and
sometimes just being an ear to listen when things may not be
going so well.
The Learning Services Department also runs the Resource Room.
This space is a place where many students come to write tests, do
assignments or finish homework. The room is open to anyone and
is available from 8:15 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily. We encourage staff
to send students who need to get caught up or require help on
assignments to the resource room so that we can keep them on
the right track.
Learning Services is also responsible for the Enriched
Opportunities Program. This program is designed to give high
achieving grade 9 and 10 students an opportunity to be engaged
by new and innovative challenges throughout the curriculum.
If your son or daughter is an identified student who will be
transitioning to grade 9 in September, Grade 8 IPRC meetings will
take place in late February for all feeder schools. Expect calls from
your Elementary SPST’s to confirm times and dates with you.
At those meetings we will exchange a great deal of information to
make the students’ transition to high school as smooth as
possible. If you are coming from a public school please have the
LST from your school get in touch with us and we can arrange an
appropriate IPRC meeting time.
The Five Day Study Plan
Guidance Advice to Improving Your Academic Performance
Each day, review your notes and the work that you did in each
class. On the second day, review that day’s work and the work
from the day before. Add on a day’s review each day until you
have five days of work which you are reviewing. Then set aside
time for studying the initial day’s work. By spending minutes a
day reviewing the last five days of lessons, you will have less to
study for at test time and your grades will improve.
Grade Nine Students
The counsellors have met with the Grade Nine students to discuss
ways of making their first year in high school a successful one.
These new students are being introduced to the services available
to them and are encouraged to begin taking more responsibility
for their education and their future.
Entering Grade 9 marks a huge transition in the life of our young
people. Students in their first year of high school could
potentially have 8 different teachers. This fact alone can make it
difficult for students to keep organized and on top of program
expectations. Parents also find this transition difficult. For this
reason, we offer the following suggestions:

Ask about school every day.

Call the school with any concerns or questions. Your son/
daughter’s Guidance Counselor will always be there for
advice.

Students should be doing some type of homework every
night. Reviewing new materials, working on long-term
assignments and even reading every night all count as
homework.

Review your child’s progress in the Learning Skills section
of the report card. Research has shown that students who
develop good work habits, learn to work cooperatively with
other students, are well organized, develop good
independent study skills, and are able to take initiative are
more likely to be successful than those without these skills.
This section of the report card will give you insight into
your child’s development in this important area of learning.

Attend Parent-Teacher Interview nights whenever possible.
Even if the teacher has not requested an interview, you
may request one to get a better understanding of how
your child is doing in school.
Scholarships Available
1800 Wheelchair Canada
AES Engineering Scholarship
AIA & Global Automotive Aftermarket Scholarship
Abbott & Fenner Business Scholarship
Aboriginal Youth Creative Writing Award
Active Living Scholarship (sponsored by Ohio Ontario
International Games)
Allan D. Smith Memorial
Allan Simpson Educational Fund
B. Davis Scholarship
Barrie Foundation
Big Sun Scholarships
Breylan (BBG) Communications Award
Brian Maxwell Memorial Scholarship
Burger King Scholarship
CA Challenge
CNIB Scholarships
Canadian Hearing Society Award
Canadian Hospitality Foundation
Canadian Women in Municipal Government
Carol Connors Memorial Award
Childhood Cancer Foundation
Children’s Mental Health Ontario
Clark McDougall Scholarship
Col. Douglas H. Gunter History Award
Community Peace Award
Costello Music and Storytelling Fund
At St. Joseph’s
Dennis Redman Memorial Scholarship
Diabetes Hope Foundation
Elgin County/Kettle Creek Agricultural Conservation Scholarship
Elgin Weekly News Bursary Contest
Elgin-St. Thomas United Way
Elizabeth Reurink Children of the Light Memorial Award
Elisabeth Reurink Peace Ambassador Scholarship
Epilepsy Ontario Scholarship Award
Father Ernie Deslippe Memorial Scholarship
Father Ted Colleton Scholarship
Federation of Portuguese Canadian Business & Professionals
Fireside Catholic Publishing Essay Scholarship
Friends of St. Joseph’s Memorial Scholarship
General Dynamics Proficiency Award
Girl Guides Canada
Hazel Cryderman-Wees Foundation
Holy Angels’ Catholic Women’s League
Horatio Alger Ontario Scholarship Program
IODE – Stirling Chapter Award
International Plowing Match Legacy Agricultural Scholarship
Invite Right Scholarship
John Wise Scholarship
Justices of the Peace Bursary
Keep Canada Green
Kin Canada – Hal Rogers Endowment Fund
Leighton & Betty Brown Conservation Scholarship
Libro Community Builder Scholarship
Scholarships Available
Lincoln Alexander Award
Lions Club of St. Thomas Annual Bursary
London Home Economics Assoc.
Loran Award
McCarthy Merit Awards
Monsanto Fund Opportunity Scholarship
National Union of Public & General Employees
OACETT
OFSAA Alumni Scholarship
Ontario Hockey Federation
Ontario Hostelry Institute
Ontario Knights of Columbus
Ontario Road Builder’s Assoc.
Ontario Teachers’ Insurance Plan (OTIP)
Optimist Scholarship
Paul Haggis Arts & Culture Award
Pioneer Hybrid Seeds Scholarship
Professional Engineers Ontario
RBC Aboriginal Student Awards Program
RBC Students Leading Change
Retail as a Career (Canadian Retail Institute)
Roy Cooper Memorial
Royal Canadian Legion Bursary
Schulich Leader Scholarship
Scouts Canada Foundation
Southwold Township Award
St. Anne’s Parish, Council of Women
At St. Joseph’s
St. Mary’s Ladies’ Group Award
St. Thomas & Elgin Home Builders’ Association
St. Thomas-Elgin Tourism Scholarship Fund
Stacey Levitt Memorial Award
TD Scholarship for Community Leadership
Terry Fox Humanitarian Award
Top 20 Under Twenty
Toronto Maple Leafs Alumni Scholarship
Travis Small Bursary
UNIFOR
Vari Scholarship
Wally Scott Minor Hockey Bursary
Water Environment Assoc. (Kelman Scholarship)
West Lorne Knights of Columbus
Workers Health and Safety Centre
The Prom Committee is responsible for organizing and running
the Senior Prom here at St. Joseph’s Catholic High School. Our
committee meets biweekly from October until May. This event
typically occurs at the beginning of May each year. The
committee plans and coordinates a memorable, inclusive and
safe end-of-year celebration at the St. Anne’s Centre for the
graduating class.
One tradition begun by Sisters of Saint Joseph is the Promenade
of Graduates which recognizes each graduating student upon
entering the Centre. As well the graduates will have their first
dance with a parent or guardian. This is a beautiful tradition of
having the student’s family recognize the accomplishments of
the graduate.
We look forward to working with our future Graduates of 2020!
Mrs. Johnston, Mrs. Martins and Mrs. Michalski Teacher Advisors
A long running tradition at St. Joseph's is the grade nine
welcome week. It is five days that really help bring our
new students into the fold and make them that they belong.
This year, the week began with an inspirational speech
from Andy Thibodeau who used humour to good effect
when he talked about getting involved and not being
afraid to volunteer or raise your hand.
Tuesday is Lamb Day, the day when our grades 9s become wet and mucky on the football field as the student
council run lots of different activities, all involving some
sort of mess.
Wednesday is Ram Day and gives the grade 9s the choice
of playing games in the library, watching a movie on a big
screen in the cafeteria, or bouncing around on giant inflatables on the football field.
Thursday is when our newcomers feel as if they are at
home, as they have a great breakfast during period 1 and
get to wear their pyjamas all day.
This year, Friday was the tenth anniversary of Friday
Night Lights.
The St. Joe’s Weekly
With Rebecca Chouinard
Our School Year Begins, Welcome All!
Another school year has started, and that means
that the St. Joe’s Rams are back into routine.
Classes, sports, clubs and other school activities
have started up once again. The upcoming year
will be bursting with plenty of exciting
opportunities and events for all members of the St.
Joseph’s Community. My name is Rebecca
Chouinard. I am a grade 12 student from St. Joe’s
and I will be reporting weekly about all of the
amazing things going on in our school…...
Welcome to our Ramily
Everything is off to a fantastic
start at St. Joe’s.
Fall sports teams have formed
and the season has just begun.
The Golf team competed at
TVRAA on Tuesday. The girls’
team, consisting of Veronica
Robbins, Molly Jenkins, and
Meredith Woodhouse, won the
B-Championships. Well done
girls!
The senior girls’ basketball
team and the senior boys’
football team have been
participating in exhibition
games and tournaments to
prepare for their upcoming
seasons. The fall season
officially begins this week with
girls’ basketball and boys’
volleyball play against London Christian on
Wednesday. Cross Country has their first race on
Thursday at Fanshawe Park…...
Flying By
Friday Night Lights was another huge success. St.
Joe’s would like to extend thanks to the hundreds
of people in our community who came out to
support the Rams. The football season continued
this week with our Red Feather game on
Wednesday VS Catholic Central. It took place at TD
Stadium, and all proceeds were donated to United
Way.
This past Sunday was the annual Walk a Mile in
Her Shoes in Pinafore Park. Every year, this event
welcomes men of all ages to walk a mile in a pair
of women’s high heeled shoes to raise awareness
and stop violence against women and children.
Many St. Joe’s students volunteered at the event.
Rams are always willing to help out and make a
difference in our community.
Thankful to be a Ram
As Thanksgiving approaches,
students at St. Joe’s are extra
grateful for all the opportunities
being offered this school year.
Universities and colleges from
across Ontario have scheduled
presentations for Grade 12
students in the next few weeks.
Representatives from postsecondary schools will be meeting
personally with prospective
students to give them a taste of
life after high school and help
students plan their futures…...
Making Progress
We are half-way through the
month of October, which means
this week, students at St. Joe’s
will be receiving progress reports
for their classes this term. The Rams are
encouraged to work hard to reach their full
academic potential.
Students and parents have the opportunity to
attend interviews with their teachers. These
interviews will take place on October 22nd at
3:30pm – 6:30pm.
creates programs that break down barriers that
prevent girls from attending school.” said
Emma Ritchie. The Rams would like to thank
everyone who attended.
Students will be commended for their efforts in
the previous school year at our annual
Academic Awards Ceremony on October 21st at
9:30am. If you know a student who is receiving
an award, please ensure that they return their
letter to the school to reserve seats for all
supporters who wish to attend the ceremony.
We congratulate all of our hard-working Rams!
Grade 9 students celebrated Take Your Kid to
Work Day. Every year, Grade 9 students are
encouraged to join a parent, relative or friend
for one day at their workplace. This day gives
students a chance to learn new skills, develop
interest in a possible career field, and to gain
workplace experience…..
Diligence is Always in Season at St. Joe’s
St. Joseph’s annual Academic Awards
Ceremony took place yesterday morning.
Students were recognized for their hard work
and academic achievements in the previous
school year. Well done, Rams!
It is crunch time for the major Fall Sports
Teams. The football, basketball and volleyball
teams’ continue to compete with many schools
from the London District Catholic School Board.
The cross country team, comprising of 60+
students, competed in TVRAA on Wednesday.
Several athletes are moving on to WOSSAA.
Congratulations to our Ramily of Athletes!
Plug into St Joe’s!
The Rams are getting into the Halloween spirit
this week, as we uphold some of the school’s
most thrilling traditions. Student Council is
holding a door decorating and pumpkin carving
contest for all homerooms. Students and staff
are encouraged to dress up in costumes for
school on Friday, as at both lunches the epic
Halloween fashion show will be taking place…….
Many were “Plugged In” at St. Joes!
The Unplugged Concert on Tuesday evening
was another huge success. The student
performers blew the audience expectations out
of the water. Well done Unpluggers! The Social
Justice Club is offering all donations from the
Unplugged event to the charity “Because I am
a Girl”. “We choose to support “Because I am a
Girl” because of the impact the organization
has worldwide. By empowering girls and
working towards equality, “Because I am a Girl”
The Rams Remember
Wednesday, students and staff at St. Joseph’s
celebrated Remembrance Day.
Every year the school holds a Remembrance
Day ceremony to pay respect to soldiers and
veterans. Students involved in cadets were
featured in this ceremony, along with members
of the Writer’s Club and Grade 9 enrichment
students as they presented touching poems
they wrote for Remembrance Day.
Ben Buchanan played Amazing Grace on the
bagpipes and Nick Willman played The Last
Post on the trumpet. This service left the Rams
with feelings of patriotism and gratitude……
Rams Take the Pledge
Grade 12 students are busier than ever
planning for the future. Many are making big
plans for after graduation with most working on
post-secondary and scholarship applications.
Graduation photos are being taken this week so
that wherever they end up, the Rams may
forever cherish their final year of high
school…….
Unplugged - Every year, St. Joseph's puts on a unique concert
featuring talented students who sing and play acoustic instruments. Each performance is memorable as well as being well
played and sung. There is also a concert during the school day
for elementary students that always goes over well.
Music Department News
The music program at St. Joseph’s offers students many
opportunities throughout the year. For example, the annual
Unplugged Concert allows students to share their acoustic
guitar/ukulele/piano skills and vocal capabilities. Teacher
advisors are there to help you improve. If you are passionate
about acoustic music, then Unplugged is the one-night only
concert event you just have to be a part of.
Another special event is our yearly Art and Music Night! This
night showcases visual art students’ masterpieces and various
music performances. This night is always sold out and gets
everyone into the Christmas spirit as it is held the week before
Christmas holidays. It is a great chance to come together as a
community and celebrate the many talents of our Arts
Department.
Besides these two afterschool events students can also be
involved musically during school too. Our vocal students sing as
the choir at monthly school masses and various other
assemblies. For example, at our Remembrance Day service
music students perform “The Last Post” and various other
musical selections.
Music Program
At St. Joseph’s, we have three focused music programs:
instrumental, vocals, and guitar. Each program offers something
different, fun, and educational for all students.
Instrumental: This program at St. Joseph’s is so amazing!
Students can choose from a variety of instruments: clarinet,
trumpet, saxophone, tuba, flute, drums, etc. Instrumental music
is offered grades 9 through 12. The concert band runs after
school, which gives students an extra opportunity to explore their
musical talents. If you don’t know how to play an instrument, the
music program is an excellent opportunity to learn. Students
receive instruments, materials, and instruction. Music theory is
also covered in classes. Music students have the opportunity to
perform various genres of music, such as classical, jazz, blues
and film.
Vocals: Love to sing, make new friends, or perform? The vocal
class combines choral and solo work to help develop each
student’s voice as a singer, presenter, and performer. This class
includes basic ear and sight training, vocal health lessons, and
helps students become more comfortable with performing and
presenting in front of peers. Vocal students perform many
different genres of music such as folk, musical theatre and pop.
Guitar: The guitar program offers students the opportunity to
learn many different guitar techniques. Students learn standard
notation, scales, and perform various styles of music. Guitars and
materials are provided for free.
Ray Reid & Chantel Oatman
Are you a Trivia Buff?
Do you like trivia? Do you have a knack for knowing details
about various topics including science, pop culture, sports,
literature and politics? Perhaps you should consider joining the
St. Joseph’s Reach for the Top team.
Reach for the Top is a club at St. Joe’s, and several other schools
across Canada, that tests one’s skills when it comes to reaction
time and the speed with which they can recollect a bit of
information. Two teams are set up on opposite sides of a table
and each participating player is given a buzzer. The quiz master
will ask several questions throughout the match. After the
question is asked, the first person to buzz in will have the
chance to answer the question. If answered correctly, points will
be awarded to that player’s team. However, if answered
incorrectly or the player has taken too long to answer, then no
points will be awarded to their team and the other team will now
have the ability to answer the question. The questions are, for
the most part, random, subject-based trivial questions that
could be about virtually anything.
At St. Joe’s, we have a junior team, for grades 9 and 10, and a
senior team, for grade 11 and up. For many students Reach for
the Top has been a great way to meet new people and learn
about things that are rarely touched upon in school. To place all
of the students in the club in one category would not be possible
as we currently have individuals who have come from the
football team and the hockey team to places such as Student
Council and the Robotics Club.
Consider coming out to one of our practices. There are four
meets throughout the school year and a full day tournament.
It’s a great experience and the team is always looking for more
people to join. So, come on out and test yourself and see how
much you really know.
C O O P E R AT I V E E D U C AT I O N
Currently in Semester One we have 23 hard working St. Joe’s
students out “test driving” a career! At the time of writing, our
students only have two weeks left in their placements! How time
flies when you are learning new skills and having fun! One of our
upcoming highlights is our Career Fair which took place in the
school on Thursday, December 10, 2015.
As usual the students are in a wide array of placements. Several
students are in schools and day care centres, enjoying their time
interacting, caring for and educating babies, toddlers, and
primary school students. A number of our students are getting
retail experience working in stores such as Briwood Farm Market,
Shopper’s Drug Mart and Frescho to name a few. They are
learning how to interact with staff and customers, as well as,
marketing techniques. One of our students is working with the
sales team at Elgin Chrysler learning the fine art of selling new
and used vehicles! We have several students in specialized
placements such at Talbot Trail Physiotherapy Clinic and St.
Thomas-Elgin Second Stage Housing. These students are getting
a unique experience in developing the necessary skills to deal
with patients and families who are escaping abusive situations.
There are two students who are participating in the Ontario Youth
Apprenticeship program, and they are Dorothy and Cody. Dorothy
is working at Orchard Park Early Years Centre as a Child
Development Practitioner. Cody’s placement is at Ross &
Company Salon in West Lorne.
He is apprenticing in the position of Hairstylist. Both Dorothy and
Cody signed up officially on November 24 at Fanshawe College
here in St. Thomas. Good luck to both of them as they get a
“head start” in their new and exciting careers!
We have been informed by the good folks in guidance that we
have over 30 students signed up for Cooperative Education in
Semester two, so it looks like it will be a very busy time starting
February 4, 2016!
What is the Parent Portal?
It is a secure website that allows parents and/or guardians to view a
student’s attendance, marks and comments as well as historical grades.
It sounds great! How do I get it?
If you have not received a letter with the access id and code for your son/
daughter, please contact Nathan Leeds @ [email protected] to
request it. Be sure to include your son or daughter’s full name.
I have more than one child, can I only look at one?
Of course not. You simply require a different letter for each child as
access id and codes are unique to each child.
Computers and I don't play well together. What if I encounter a
problem?
You can email Nathan Leeds @ [email protected] and he will work
to resolve it as soon as possible.
How often is the information on the Portal updated?
The marks and attendance are updated as soon as they are entered into
the system.
I have a question about my child’s attendance or marks. How do I
ask the teacher about this?
On the Portal there will be a link to each teacher’s email address which
will allow you to contact the teacher.
Chess Pieces
The Chess Club has begun again here at St. Joseph’s with
students training and competing during the week. The chess
team practices each Tuesday and Thursday during both lunches
trying out new openings and discussing theory.
In the new year the Chess Club will meet one night each month
to discuss strategic positioning and openings on a more in depth
level with the coaches.
The team competed in its first tournament of the year on
October 30 in London. We are very positive that we can improve
on our results from last year and finish in
one of the top positions in each
tournament that is entered.
The students will continue striving to
find the next best checkmate and
are looking forward to a learned and
competitive year.
The next
move is
up to you
Hospitality and Tourism (Culinary Arts) – SHSM
As of September 2, 2015, St. Joseph’s is now offering a
Specialist High Skills Major course in Hospitality and Tourism
(Culinary Arts). The students enrolled in this particular high skills
major will be focused on improving their culinary skills through
butchery, baking, vegetable preparation, table service, health
and safety, food costing and advanced techniques. They will also
receive specialized training and certifications which will be paid
for by the SHSM program. These will include the Safe Food
Handling Certificate, CPR/First Aid Certificate, and Customer
Service Certificate. Many other exciting opportunities are also
available for any student in the hospitality and tourism course
including black box challenges, specialized field trips, and local
and provincial culinary competitions. Industry and collegiate
chefs will also visit the school and provide demonstrations and
lessons in advanced baking such as croissant making, and
advanced butchery on whole chickens and sides of lamb. A coop placement will also be provided for the student in a local
restaurant or eatery. Students who graduate from the SHSM
program will have a red seal on their diploma indicating to each
college successful completion of the program.
The Ukelele Club
The Ukelele Club is open to both beginner and experienced
musicians. Our focus is on playing and performing popular
songs. This year our goal is to play at the Poetry Slam, perform
at a school mass, and jam during a few "Uke-Lunches" (open
mike sessions during lunch). We're looking for singers and for
students who play a variety of instruments to accompany us as
well. We will begin in second semester, so be sure to listen to
announcements for time and place. Speak with Mrs. Ursic if you
have any questions.
The Ukelele Club
For when you feel like playing a little guitar.
Gr.9 Religion Update
Mrs. Johnston’s and Mrs. Martins’ classes had the opportunity at
Christmas time to visit St. Anne’s Elementary School to share in a
Christmas card making activity. The Grade 9 students spent some
time with their Kindergarten, Grade 2 and Grade 3 buddies
creating pieces of art with all kinds of glitter, paper and stickers.
It was a fun, positive and rewarding experience as the younger
students and older students were able to share ideas and work
together. After the card making activity, the Grade 9 students all
shared lunch with their buddies and then led the younger children
in cooperative group games.
To finish the day, Mrs. Martins’ Grade 9 class went to Caressant
Care to drop off all the cards the children made. The seniors at
Caressant Care enjoyed the cards they received and the visit.
One of our students, Emily Wing brought her violin and played
alongside Emile, a resident of Caressant Care. There was much
Christmas cheer enjoyed by all.
St. Joe’s Fashion Club
The Fashion Club has been meeting every Wednesday at lunch.
We began with lessons on how to operate the sewing machine as
well as learn to use all of its features. Our goal this year is to
create book bags to donate to the organization “Just Cause”
which will take them to Uganda for children who are in need of
bags to carry their books to school. The girls are very excited to
learn how to construct a book bag.
DRESS UP
Christmas Care Campaign
Each year St. Joseph’s Catholic High School runs a Christmas
Care Campaign, a holiday tradition at our school, so the charity is
near and dear to the heart of St. Joe’s. Every homeroom class is
asked to participate by bringing in specific non-perishable food
items to put together ample hamper boxes for families in need in
our community. Each year we focus on collecting food and
DAY 2015
monetary donations. A new initiative we added this year, was a
dress-up day where students and staff could wear their finest
holiday attire to school in exchange for a $2 donation. Proceeds
from this initiative were donated to Christmas Care.
Mrs. Manfredi and Mrs. Michalski Teacher Advisors
ART CLUB & ROBOTICS TEAM DO COMICON
Students from the Art Club and Team 4525, Renaissance
Robotics Team received an invitation from Comicon London to
take part in their event at the Progress Building in the Western
Fairgrounds. The event was attended by over 8000 people and
the students were overwhelmed by the positive response from
the public towards all three of their booths at the event. One
booth showcased their robot and student developed, designed
and published robotics trading card game. A second was in the
kids’ zone at the event where students worked with children and
sometimes their parents(!) to build and demonstrate Lego robots
with the goal of encouraging younger kids to see the application
of studying science, tech, engineering and math (STEM).
Finally, the third booth that St. Joe’s students set at Comicon
was for none other than Charles Martinet, the voice actor for
super Mario, Luigi and the other Nintendo characters we all know
and love. The Art Club students created and set up a life size
Mario World! Mr. Martinet was so impressed and was happy to
spend time doing all of the voices of
the characters for us while he signed
autographs for fans all weekend. He
even drove our Robot and did a voice
promo shout-out that he recorded for
our school! The Mario World set was
a huge hit and thousands of Comicon
goers posted pictures of our
students’ art all weekend in social
media. It was amazing for the art
students to see how much and how
many people appreciated their hard
work and admired their creativity!
WE ARE UNUSUAL: ART CLUB & ROBOTICS TEAM
The 2015 St. Thomas Optimist Club Parade took place on
Saturday, November 21 and St. Joe’s made a 42’ float entry! The
float involved the effort of over 45 students and despite a rainy,
cold night, there was a great turnout from the St. Thomas
community. Through hours of teamwork with the staff and
students working side by side, St. Joe’s pulled together a
fantastic float even winning an award – “Most Unusual Entry” -and that it was!
The float was a tech-art fusion created by an unlikely duo: the
Robotics Team and the Art Club from St. Joseph's Catholic High
School!
Team 4525, Renaissance Robotics tapped into their inner artist
and collaborated with the Art Club and music students to create
a truly unique float that appealed to kids of all ages! An 8-bit
Christmas delight...in LED lights!
The video-game themed float included a live DJ, colourful
changing LED lights and a live pianist playing – what else –
Christmas tunes in digital arrangements interspersed with the
Super Mario Theme music and video game sounds! It certainly
was most unusual and the students were very proud of winning
that award for their school!
2015 St. Joseph’s C.H.S. Junior Football
The Junior Football team once again had a great season in 2015.
They finished in third place in the London District Conference and
advanced to the semi-finals before losing a hard fought battle to
eventual winners CCH. This year’s team showed great
determination, skill, competitiveness and commitment throughout
the entire season. The Junior Football team took great strides
forward in their development and progression towards being able
to compete at the highest level against the elite football schools
in the conference. All of the players should be commended for
their hard work and dedication to themselves, their teammates
and the Football Program.
This year’s Award Winners were presented earlier at the yearend
Football Banquet. Taking home this year’s awards were the
following members:
Offensive MVP: Gio Pierinelli
Defensive MVP: Logan Stacey/Skyler Zelinka
Lineman of the Year: Evan Wharton
Coaches Award: Taylor Verbruggen
Rookie of the Year: Nate McCaulley
Overall Team MVP: Gio Pierinelli
2015/2016 Boys Hockey Team
This year’s Boys Hockey team is off to a very strong start to their
season in what is a promising year for the program. With the
core group of players currently in grades 11 and 12 the team
currently sits in fourth place in the nine team London District
League with a record of 3 wins and 2 losses and 2 ties. With a
core group of returning players including Brennan Agius, Aaron
Hiddink, Nick Love, Tyler Hourie, Denis Hebert, Carter Ostojic,
Ryan Verhoeven and Justyn McQuiggan they have shown great
leadership and commitment to our program. The coaching staff
stresses sound fundamental hockey skill development and
important team tactics in order to be able to compete in every
game.
As we head into the second half of the season the team is looking
forward to advancing up the standings and having a very
successful playoff run in hopes of obtaining a birth in the
WOSSAA tournament in March!
Lady Rams Hockey
We recently competed in the Crusader Classic Hockey Tourney in
London. In pool play we defeated Ridgetown, Tecumseh Vista
and M’ Chigeeng (Manitoulin). In the semi-finals we played a
very worthy opponent in Kincardine HS and defeated them 1-0
with great goaltending from Molly Jenkins and a winning goal
from Morgan Racz. In the final we took on defending OFSAA
champs Stratford St. Michael. We competed hard against this
talented team and lost 3-0, with the final goal being an empty
netter! In the tourney we gave up 2 goals in 5 games and
scored 11 goals ourselves. Overall it was a very good
performance by the Rams.
We continue to battle for first place in the London District
Catholic league that we play in. Competition is stiff and we will
fight hard to the end of the regular season schedule to ready
ourselves for the playoff run!
We are excited about our annual trek to Toronto to play in the
Cardinal Carter Classic February 8-9, 2016. This tourney gives
us a chance to play against some very good teams from the GTA
and ready ourselves for the playoffs. It is also lots of fun as we
stay overnight in a nice hotel and have several team bonding
dinners!
Members of the 2015-2016 Girls’ Hockey Team include rookies
Reagan Bennett, Grace Gillet, Bailey Slotejes, Rachelle Charron,
Clare Van Bommel, and Caryn Murphy. Veteran players consist of
Marley Deane, Jada Krebs, Haley Agius, Kayla Smith, Jocelyn
Delgado, Jaimie Brouwer and Emilee MacMIllan. Assistant
Captains for the team this year are Molly Jenkins, Carly Oliveira,
Cassidy Duncan and Morgan Racz. Grace Donaldson assumes the
role of team Captain for the 2nd straight year! Rachel Sheridan
assists us as team manager and Ms. Heather Gillet is our very
capable team trainer! When these young ladies put on the Ram
jersey they compete hard each and every game. As coaches, we
can honestly say that this is one of the best teams we have had
in several years, which is a testament to the skill, hard work and
determination of this group!
Co-Coaches Greg Westaway/David Fox
Wrestling
St. Joseph’s High School Wrestling Team has returned for its third
year of competition! Led by the Woodhouse siblings, the team
competed in four tournaments before Christmas, bringing home
medals from all of them. In Tillsonburg, the last meet before the
break, the team took a major step forward, with 16 athletes
securing 11 medals, 6 of them gold.
Wrestling is a very challenging sport that can teach high school
students a great deal. In a wrestling match, two athletes attempt
to take each other from a standing position down to the mat,
where they then try to turn and pin their opponents. The sport
requires physical fitness and mental fortitude to compete
successfully. It is a participation sport, with divisions for boys and
girls of any size and no limit to the number of participants. St.
Joseph’s is fortunate to have many experienced coaches and its
athletes have improved a great deal in the first month of the
season.
The team is looking forward to continue its success after
Christmas with tournaments in London and Sarnia, and has its
eye on the road to OFSAA, beginning with the conference
championships in February.
Jr Girls Basketball
The London District Catholic league was a very competitive one
in Junior Girls basketball this year for two reasons. First, most
teams were in the ‘AA’ classification meaning tough competition
from St. Thomas Aquinas, John Paul II, and Mother Teresa.
Second, only the top four teams made the playoffs. This year,
St. Joe’s finished fourth in the standings and third out of the AA
schools, qualifying them for the semifinals. Although the girls
lost to Mother Teresa, they had a great season overall, making
the finals of the Stratford St. Mike’s tournament.
There was a ton of grade 10 leadership from Addie Mailhot,
Lexus
Clarke, Hailey Agius, Megan Payne, Fiona Neill, and Alyssa Tait
all year. We look forward to the grade nines stepping up next
year to fill their roles. Best of luck to those grade tens that will
be playing senior ball next year.
As always, Mr. Volkmann and Mr. Westaway would like to thank
volunteer coach Mr. Gerry Fairbanks for his tireless work with our
team again this year. We are all so appreciative of everything
you do coach!
“One person can be a crucial ingredient on a team, but one
person cannot make a team.”
Jr. Girls B
Basketball
Sr. Girls B
Basketball
Jr. Boys V
Volleyball
Sr. Boys V
Volleyball
Jr. Boys B
Basketball
Cross Country
The success of the St. Joseph’s Cross Country team can
absolutely be measured in the participation numbers. We had
over 80 students from our school commit to four practices a
week and one meet a week. The season ran from the beginning
of September to the first week in November.
At the Tri-County meet we hauled some major hardware with 5
team medals and 25 top 20 individual finishes.
Midget Girls Team
7
8
10
11
- 2nd overall
Maddy Marcinkiewicz
Grace Gillet
Audrey Sheridan
Emma Butters
Midget Boys Team
16
17
19
20
- 2nd overall
Nicholas Russchen
Aaron Brouwer
Brett Chapman
Jayden Groulx
Junior Girls Team
2
3
13
14
15
16
- 1st overall
Jocelyn Delgado
Kyleigh Stubbs
Bailey Sloetjes
Mackenna Morin
Savanna Cronk
Nicole Laframboise
Junior Boys
result)
4
18
(four runners are needed to place a team
Jordan Palmer
Troy Grantham
Senior Girls Team
6
9
13
18
- 2nd overall
Rebecca Brown
Breanne Bonter
Amanda Farrell
Lizzie Kelly
Senior Boys Team
2
5
8
11
12
- 1st overall
Joey Hardy
Kyle Luyt
Cameron Douglas
Jordan Dekort
Joshua Dekort
Only two teams from all schools in WOSSAA qualify for OFSAA.
In the Senior Boys race we had a VERY outside chance of going
to OFSAA. If the pattern of league meets continued we would
have finished a distant third place.
As Kyle Luyt, Cameron Douglas and Jordan and Joshua Dekort
passed me, with 2km of their 7km race to finish, I told them to
dig in because Joey Hardy was ahead of them but "in
tough" with a cramp. These athletes responded with a look
of "I'll do it for Joey", who had lead the team all year. Joey
fought hard to hang onto 9th place, Kyle finished a career high
10th, Cameron 17th, and Josh Dekort 34th. A score of 70!
When the points were tallied London Central scored 65 points for
1st AND we had TIED with CCH for second place with 70 points
each. In XC when teams tie they break it by comparing where
each teams 4th and final scorer places relative to each other.
CCH's forth runner had finished one second in front of our forth
runner (Josh Dekort). It still stings but rumour is that all these
boys will be returning next year to give it another shot.
The Junior Girls will be forever in the history books as the first
ever female cross country team, from our school, to qualify for
OFSAA. The individuals who accomplished this prestigious feat
are the following…..
Jocelyn Delgado 3rd
Kyleigh Stubbs 7th
Savanna Cronk 28th
Bailey Sloetjes 29th
with MacKenna Morin and Nikki Laframboise not far behind.
And this is the second team from St. Joseph's to EVER do this.
The girls beat out LUCAS to do this as well as many other schools
that draw on over 1000 students.
And then...........
OFSAA was held in Collingwood, ON. Jocelyn Delgado placed as
the 16th fastest runner in the province over a hilly and
treacherously muddy 4km course in the Junior Girls race. And
the rest of the girls had …….well....... a muddy and difficult race.
They, however, lived to tell the tale of accomplishing what no
other female team before them could; Representing us at
OFSAA!! We are so proud of your example. Congratulations girls!!
It is exciƟng to see how the momentum of this team keeps building and how our
students are making the choice to become engaged physically and socially
through our team. You are the best RAMS!!
Junior Girls Volleyball
The junior girls’ volleyball team is a group of hardworking and
dedicated girls. They have had some challenging levels of
competition, however they have remained competitive even in
the toughest of situations. Our toughest games were against
CCH and STA, however they played very well against Holy Cross
and RMC. The girls have been working hard at their practices
and we look forward to our first tournament on Saturday, Jan. 9
in Chatham.
Team Members: Lexus Clarke, Chloe Brown, Alyssa Tait, Kyla
Page, Sarah Salandziak, Savanna Cronk, Emily Miller, Chloe
Meldrum, Faith Lamb, Stephanie Chenoweth, Haily Legacy,
Maddy Marcinkiewicz, Reagan Moore, Britney Nutt, Mya Talan.
Team Managers: Jalyn Smart and Kali Tavares
St. Joseph’s
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