PRINCIPAL`S MESSAGE - St. Maximilian Kolbe CHS

VOLUME 12
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
JUNE 2011
Upcoming Events
At Pentecost the Apostles were inspired by the risen
Jesus to carry the Good News to all people. Today, as members
of the same church, we are called to be inspired by the same
fire and passion as the Apostles and share our good news with
each other. We have proudly concluded our second year as a
Catholic Learning Community, and this letter will serve as a
messenger to share the many outstanding events which have
taken place in our school this year gone by. It is an exciting
time for us as next September we become a full high school
and we look forward to celebrating our first ever graduating
class in June 2012.
July 6 & 7
July 8
July 15
August 22
August 26
Sept. 5
Sept. 6
Sept. 21
Sept. 19-21
Oct. 6
Our students continue to perform exceptionally well
on both provincial tests and within their academic courses of
study. Our Grade Ten students achieved a 90% success rate
on this years Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT). This score is above the Board and Provincial pass rate. I
would like to extend a special thanks to our Literacy preparation team for their efforts in helping to engage our students
in various test activities. Our Grade Nine Education Quality
Accountability Office (EQAO) mathematics test scores will
be available in early September 2011. Overall, our success rate
in Grade Nine was 95%, Grade Ten 94%, and in Grade Eleven
92%. These percentages reflect the efforts put forth by our students and the leadership in the classroom by our committed
staff.
Report Card Pick Up - 8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Mail Report Cards Not Picked Up
Office Closes for the Summer
School Office Re-opens, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Getting Ready for High School - Incoming Gr. 9’s
Labour Day
First Day of School
Catholic School Council
Camp White Pine for Grade 9’s
Awards Night
Finally, we pass on well wishes to Ms. A. Dominicis and Ms. S. Zanuzzi who will be moving to Jean Vanier
Catholic High School. We also say good bye to our long term
occasional teachers Ms. L. De Vito, Mr. R. Dorcas, Ms. T.
Gorman, Ms. K. Iaboni, Mr. F. Ienna, Mr. M. Macri, Ms.
L. Marcantonio, Ms. J. Naccarato, Ms. A. Nesci and Mr. J.
West whose assignments have come to an end. We welcome
back Ms. M. Kalkowska and Ms. E. Yu who are returning
from maternity leave. We have many new teachers and Department Heads to welcome to our school – the complete list can
be found inside the newsletter. Our teachers are the center of
our students successes as they use the latest technology and
pedagogy to prepare our students for the twenty-first century
job market. I would also like to recognize our support staff
– secretaries, custodians, educational assistants, educational
intervenors, behavioural specialists and psychologist who
work closely with making our school a great place to be. It has
also been a privilege to work closely with our Catholic School
Council under the leadership of our chair Michael Comeau
and the members of his executive Olga Partanen, Richard
Mewhinney, and Elizabeth Tesa.
On July 1st to July 3rd, Ms. R. Antunes, Mr. M.Moyo,
and I participated in an educational conference on Differentiated Instruction, Twenty-first Century Learning, and
Assessment for Learning in Boston Massachusetts. It was a
pleasure to spend three days with my colleagues sharing professional dialogue at the conference. I am blessed to be working with two extremely gifted administrators who care about
students and their successes. While at the conference we also
took the opportunity to drive to Chicopee and visit Father
L. Krolikowski and obtain a video message for our graduates.
Father L. Krolikowski is turning 92 years young in September and was very astute in the wise message he recorded for
our students. He offered his blessings to our whole school
community.
In closing I offer blessings and well wishes as we break
for a well deserved summer break. Have a safe and relaxing
summer and we look forward to seeing everyone in September.
Over the summer, construction will proceed on our
new state of the art artificial turf field and eight lane rubberized track. Many thanks are extended to the Town of Aurora
and our school Board for negotiating a successful partnership
that will be both beneficial to our students and the citizens of
Aurora.
Mr. D. Scuglia
Principal
1
VPS’ MESSAGE
on return from an absence. The attendance secretary records
and files the letter and issues an admit-to-class.
It is hard to believe that our second year has come to
an end. It has been a blessing to meet and work with so many
wonderful people in our school community. Please find important information below on uniform and attendance policies for the upcoming school year. Have a restful, safe summer
and I look forward to seeing all of you in September!!
Early Leaves:
•
If a student must leave school (e.g. medical appointment) the student is to come to the attendance office before
school begins to obtain an early leave. The student must present a note from his/her parent(s) explaining the necessity for
the early leave to the attendance secretary. If returning to
school on the same day, the student must return to the main
office to sign back in.
Uniform:
• The uniform provider for the upcoming school year is at
St. Maximilian Kolbe High School on August 25 and 26,
2011. Uniforms can also be purchased on line or throughout
the school year, on Tuesdays, at the Tuck shop located at St.
Maximilian Kolbe High School.
• Please note: all students are expected to wear the uniform pants with the St. Maximilian Kolbe LOGO and the
school uniform tops with the St. Maximilian Kolbe LOGO.
•
During the school day, students who are too ill to
remain in class should inform their teacher and report to the
main office. The office staff will assist the student in contacting his/her parents.
•
Under no circumstances may the student leave the
school without following these procedures. Parents, it is
imperative that you do not allow your son/daughter to go
home without notifying the main office. The student is to
remain at school until the main office has spoken to the parent/guardian and received permission to sign the student
out of the school. Students will be considered skipping/
truant otherwise.
School Uniform Pieces:
No additions will be accepted.
Compulsory Items:
• Official school golf shirt, long or short sleeve.
• Official Kilters Fashions mid-grey pants
• All black full shoes
Lates:
•
Students are expected to be on time for school and for
all classes. Tardiness is disruptive to teaching and learning.
Occasional late arrivals due to unusual circumstances will happen to everyone. If a student arrives to school late, students
are expected to report to the Attendance Office for an admit
slip. Students are required to provide a note to the attendance
secretary upon arrival to school. Students who arrive late, do
not sign in and attend classes selectively will be considered to
be skipping/truant. Parents will be notified after the 4th late.
Students will be assigned an afterschool detention on the 5th
late. Students will be suspended on the 6th late.
Optional Items:
• Official School Rugby Shirt
• Official School Dazzle Track Jacket
• Official Fleece Zip
• Plain white T-shirt worn under golf shirt, rugby shirt
and school fleece zip.
Please note:
• Golf shirt must be worn under the official school dazzle
jacket.
• UGG type boots as well as open toe and open back shoes
are not permitted.
• T-shirts must be ALL white (no writing or drawings
permitted) no coloured T-shirts permitted.
Change of Address:
•
Changes in home address, telephone number and
other pertinent information must be reported immediately, in
writing, to the main office. Any change of address will require
a copy of a proof of residence document.
Uniform Infractions:
Uniform infractions will result in one or more of the following consequences:
• Detention
• Being sent home to change or obtain the proper items
• Suspension
Mrs. R. Antunes
Vice Principal
Civies Days:
• Proper student behaviour and modesty of dress consistent with the philosophy and values of our school is expected
on these days.
Attendance:
Absence from School:
• Regular attendance at school is critical for each student’s
learning and achievement of course expectations.
• Parents/Guardians are asked to phone the school to inform of a student’s absence. A message may be left on the answering machine. Students are to submit a letter from parents/
guardians, confirming the absence to the attendance secretary
2
GUIDANCE
OSSLT
All students registered in grade 10 during the 20102011 school year participated in the Ontario Secondary
School Literacy Test on March 31, 2011. This test is a graduation requirement for all students in Ontario. We at St. Maximilian Kolbe are proud to announce that 90% of the students
who wrote the test were successful. Thanks to all our parents
and teachers for supporting the grade 10 students during this
stressful time. Congratulations to all the grade ten students.
Career Studies –
Thanks again to all of our guest speakers for grade
10 Career Studies classes. These included : Laurita Gorman
(CMHA), Sylvia ( York University ) , Charlene ( Seneca
College ) Canada Summer Youth Employment Program.,
and Andrew from United Steelworkers regarding health and
safety at work.
Program for International Student Assessment(PISA)
Summer School –
We had 25 grade 10 students from St. Maximilian
Kolbe Catholic High School participated in the PISA assessment on May 19, 2011. This assessment measures the abilities
of 15 year olds from over 60 countries in mathematics, science
and reading. The assessment involves participation in the Paper-Based Assessment and Computer-Based Assessment. We
are still waiting for these results.
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, 2011-12 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 22. Counsellors will be in the office
starting on Thursday August 25.
Mr. M. Moyo
Vice Principal
MATHEMATICS
Course Changes for 2011-12:
This is a reminder to all parents and students that
there will be NO ELECTIVE CHANGES for grade 9 & 10
students as of August 2011. 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.
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.
Congratulations to all math students on their successes in mathematics this year. In particular, I would like to congratulate all the members of our math team that competed in
the Waterloo Mathematics Competitions in February, 2011.
The top scorers in our school, placing first in their competition,
were:
Grade 9 – Pascal Contest: Grade 10 – Cayley Contest:
Grade 11 – Fermat Contest:
KIERA ABERNETHY
KATRINA GRIFFO
WILLIAM FERGUSON
Important Dates
I would like to take this opportunity to wish Ms. M.
Granell best wishes on behalf of the department and our students as she spends the first semester of next year teaching in
Italy for YCDSB. We look forward to her return to St. Maximilian Kolbe. in February, 2012.
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 be rewarded with a successful result.
Welcome to our new department members to the
team. Each new teacher brings a variety of experiences and talent from teaching mathematics in different parts of our board.
We look forward to them joining us as we continue to grow.
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, Mathematics
• October 14-16 – Ontario University Fair at Metro Toronto Convention Centre
• October 25 – Direct Energy Centre
• November 2 - Post Secondary Evening for grade 12 students/parents co-hosted with Cardinal Carter.
Mr. J. Stevens
Department Head of Student Services
3
PHYS-ED & ATHLETICS
This past semester has been a very hectic yet exciting
time in the Health/Physical Education Department! Our students continuously perform beyond our expectations as they
successfully chase, achieve and surpass many of the Healthy
Active Living goals they set at the beginning of the semester.
We always preach that Healthy Active Living is a life-long
journey so please continue to keep up the good work into the
summer months and beyond! We are already busy planning
many of the fun activities and excursions that our classes will
be participating in for the next school year, and we also look
forward to our newly unveiled Grade 12 courses. We hope that
everybody has a safe, healthy and happy summer holiday as we
look forward to seeing you again in September. Keep fit and
have fun!
Senior Girls Soccer
The Senior Girl’s soccer team had a fantastic season
showing a lot of determination and playing as a strong, collaborative force all season long! The girls made it to the playoffs,
had a great run and ended up losing a very close semifinal game,
1-0, to St. Robert’s! Congratulations to all players and good
luck next season! Once again, these girls have made SMK very
proud!
Artificial Turf Field Update
We are happy to report that construction crews will
begin to build our long awaited artificial turf field and 8 lane
rubber track in late June, with an approximate completion
time of mid-late October. Some of our athletic teams are waiting with great anticipation to have some of their first “home
games” on St. Maximilian Kolbe soil, since our school was
built. More information will be available as construction progresses.
Spring Sports Recap
Ultimate
Girls Slo-Pitch
While the weather may not have been on our side in
May, the varsity girl’s slo-pitch team still made the best out of
one very wet season! We started off with a bang with the highest turn out ever for our try-outs and the season hit more highs
with our first ever wins. The girls are a team that continues to
grow and improve each year and we would like to congratulate
everyone for all their hard work this season. See you all next
year!
The Mustang Varsity Ultimate team had an outstanding season. The team finished in second place in the
Denison Disc-o-Flyer tournament in May, and they managed
to finish the regular season with a 6-2 record, putting them
in the championship bracket for the York Region finals. At
the final tournament the team played three challenging games,
and finished in seventh place overall. A special thanks to team
captains Aaron Mete and Jordan Robinson, and to manager
Paula Davila for their leadership and support.
Spirit Squad
Athletic Awards and Accomplishments
Congratulations to St. Max’s first ever Spirit Squad!
Whether cheering on SMK’s football, soccer, or volleyball
teams, the team showed true school spirit! Recently, the team
participated in the inaugural Damon Allen High School Quarterback Challenge at York University. They were heavily involved throughout the day’s events, starting with providing a
tunnel for 80 high school quarterbacks from all across Ontario
to be welcomed onto the field, and cheering on SMK’s quarterback who made it to the top 8 semifinalists. With many media
outlets present, our team pictures can be seen on the Toronto
Argonauts Twitter link and on the z103.5 website. Thank
you to Mr. Miranda’s company, Mirconex Inc., for sponsoring us and providing us with the beautiful warm-up suits. The
team won 2nd place in the Cheerleading/Dance Team portion of the day. Thank you for a fantastic year Spirit Squad!
On June 16, 2011, SMK held their 2nd annual athletic banquet. That was an incredible night that celebrated the
wonderful accomplishments of all of our athletes and sport
teams. Below is a recap of our award winners and our individual/team accomplishments. Great Job Mustangs!
4
Team Awards:
MIP – Most Improved Player
MVP – Most Valuable Player
FALL EVENTS
MIP
MVP
BASKETBALL - JR GIRLS
Kayla Dimatulac
Lianna Collins
BASKETBALL - SR GIRLS
Lauren Ballantyne
Kara Waites
CROSS COUNTRY
Matthew Dicks
Kathryn Owsiany
FOOTBALL - JR
Jesse Campoli
Calvin McHugh-Martynuik
GOLF - GIRLS
Lianna Collins
Alanna Damp
GOLF-BOYS
Zach Kercz
Evan Cicciarella
SOCCER - JR BOYS
Victor Rotondi
Alex Cardoso
SOCCER - SR BOYS
Jose Martinez
Christian Achkar
TENNIS - JR
Greg Milligan
Maria Beltran
TENNIS - SR
Robert D’Elia
Carina Cimpean
VOLLEYBALL - JR BOYS
Joshua Lawlor
Luc Martineau
VOLLEYBALL - SR BOYS
Jordan Caruso
Kyle Spicer
WINTER EVENTS
MIP
MVP
BADMINTON - CO-ED JR
John-Salvatore Falcone
Lauren Ballantyne
BADMINTON - CO-ED SR
Connor Casciato
Samantha Minchella
BASKETBALL - JR BOYS
Austin Naoum
Jamie Holst
HOCKEY - JR BOYS
Matthew Mazzotta
Hayden Trask
HOCKEY - SR BOYS
Eamon Reilly
Connor Casciato
HOCKEY - VARSITY GIRLS
Vicky Trudell
Kristen Drew
SWIM TEAM
Conor Norman
Stephanie Bourrie
SKIING/SNOWBOARDING
Gabrielle Faoro
Alex Marsland
ROCK CLIMBING
Ryan Duffy
Vicky Trudell
VOLLEYBALL - JR GIRLS
Valeria Rodrigues
Elizabeth Whyte
VOLLEYBALL - SR GIRLS
Brittany Wong
Samantha Franko
INDOOR TRACK & FIELD
Jerusha Retnakanthan
Tim Pare
SPRING EVENTS
MIP
MVP
BASEBALL
Thomas D’Andrade
Ward Benn
MOUNTAIN BIKING
Blake Wallace
Drew Davison
RUGBY - JR BOYS
Vincent Ruscica
Calvin McHugh-Martynuik
RUGBY - SR BOYS
Tony Guerriero
Ty Brochu
RUGBY - JR GIRLS
Carlee Giffen
Annelise Marsig
SOCCER - JR GIRLS
Cayley Kavanagh
Lauren Ballantyne
SOCCER - SR GIRLS
Christina Zorzit
Rachel Knetsch
SLO-PITCH
Julia Leonetti
Emily Trudell
TRACK AND FIELD - GIRLS
Nicholle Kovach
Shaina Harrison
TRACK AND FIELD - BOYS
Dominic Ong
Blake Mariette
SPIRIT SQUAD
Courtney Collard (Spirit Award)
ULTIMATE
John-Salvatore Falcone
5
Aaron Mete
PHYS-ED & ATHLETICS (continued)
Team Accomplishments:
Major Award Winners:
Female Athlete of the Year
Shaina Harrison
Male Athlete of the Year
Connor Casciato
Female Junior Athlete of the Year
Lauren Ballantyne
Male Junior Athlete of the Year
Daniel Jones
Male MAX C.A.R.E. Award
Jordan Caruso
Female MAX C.A.R.E. Award
Carley Steiner
Junior Boys Football – Tier 2 YRAA Champions
Junior Girls Soccer – Tier 2 YRAA Champions
Junior Boys Rugby – Tier 2 YRAA Champions
Midget Girls Track and Field – Tier 1 YRAA Champions
Junior Girls Track and Field – Tier 1 YRAA Champions
C.A.R.E. – Christian Athletes Recognition of Excellence
6
PHYS-ED & ATHLETICS ENGLISH
As we come to the end of another incredible year, it
important that we take time to celebrate the accomplishments
of our students. In our English classes, students have been engaged in creative and analytical ways with a variety of texts.
Individual Accomplishments:
Swimming: Stephanie Bourrie –
YRAA Champion in 100m Freestyle (1:08.97), OFSAA - 5th
overall (1:06.98)
Rock Climbing: Vicky Trudell YRAA Intermediate Girls Silver Medallist
Rock Climbing: Ryan Duffy YRAA Novice Boys Silver Medallist
Rock Climbing: Alexandra Kubica YRAA Novice Girls Bronze Medallist
Cross Country: Kathryn Owsiany 3rd place YRAA, OFSAA Qualifier
Medieval Scotland was brought to life as students
participated in a banquet held in Macbeth’s court. Congratulations to all of the students who dedicated hours to the preparation of food, costumes, musical performances, and dramatic
presentations. It was a wonderful celebration of Shakespearean culture and language.
INDOOR Track & Field
Alannah Centorame - Jr. Girls High Jump
Shaina Harrison - Sr. Girls Champion 60 m, New YRAA Record Holder
Tim Pare - Midget 1500 m Champion
Michelle Minchella - Midget 800m Champion
Ward Benn - Sr. Boys Polevault
Shaina Harrison, Carrington Bull, Laura Suominen, Julia
Vickers - Sr. Girls 4x200 Relay Champions
OUTDOOR Track & Field
In our brand new grade 11 Media course, students
were engaged in creating multimedia presentations using a variety of technologies. Students deconstructed traditional media texts including print articles and television shows, as well
as new e-media formats including podcasts and web-based
media. A special thank you goes out to Holly Dickinson, Genevieve Malcolm and Carley Steiner for sharing their Smart
presentations with our staff.
Blake Mariette - Track & Field Overall Jr. Boys Champion,
400 m Champion, 200 m Champion, OFSAA 4th in 200m
Ward Benn - Track & Field Sr. Polevault Champion, OFSAA
QUALIFIER
Shaina Harrison - Sr. Girls 100m Champion,Sr. Girls 200m
Champion-New YRAA Record Holder, New Centrals Record
Holder, OFSAA 4th in 100m
Tim Pare - YRAA Midget 800m Champion, Centrals Midget
boys 400m Champion
Nicolle Kovach - OFSAA Qualifier in Javelin
Every year the Ontario English Catholic Teachers
Association holds the Young Authors Awards at the regional
and provincial level. Congratulations to Chris Alessio, Margaret Ho, and Tyler Matthews for writing the pieces that were
submitted on behalf of SMK. Tyler Matthews’ narrative poem
“Climbing Walls” won the top award in the Intermediate
Poetry category at the regional level. Well done!
Mr. S. Carraretto
Department Head, Physical Education & Health
Thank you to all of our teachers for sharing their passion with our community. A special note of thanks to Ms. L.
De Vito and Ms. J. Naccarato for their contributions to our
department this semester.
On behalf of the English Department, best wishes for
a safe and fun-filled summer.
“Be glad of life because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to
play and to look up at the stars.”
- Henry van Dyke
Ms. J. Gerwlivch
Department Head of English
7
ART
“Love of beauty is Taste. Creation of beauty is Art.”
The Music department was heard “loud and clear” at
this year’s 2nd annual Spring Concert – with Mr. Bobesich and
his group of talented musicians playing each number with great
flow and ease! The instrumental and vocal numbers were lively
and attention grabbing. Way to go SMK Music – including you,
Jazz Band, your extracurricular commitment was evident at the
show!
-Emerson
SMKs Arts department has had a very busy and successful second semester. As always, dancers danced, musicians
played and sang, dramatists acted, and artists made. With many
wonderful accomplishments and accolade’s to boast, the St.
Maximilian Kolbe ARTS scene is in full bloom!
For next year, we are excited to offer many Arts opportunities, through various course offerings. As well, we are happy
to announce the implementation of several new courses, including many senior level Arts courses in Music, Drama and Visual
Art, as well as grade eleven Keyboarding, a new grade 10 Visual
Art course – for those who are terrified!, and Grade Eleven Design. At SMK, every artist can find his or her niche!!!
While we excitedly anticipate our 2011-2012 Arts year,
we would be remiss if we didn’t congratulate and acknowledge
the many current accomplishments of our hard-working department!
Firstly, a special congratulation goes out to Ms. K. King
who was formally recognized as this year’s Teacher of the Year.
Way to go Ms. King!! The Drama department has been busy preparing for performances – on and off stage! Recently the Grade
11 students performed Oedipus Rex to a full house of family and
friends – Well done!! As well, there were many inspiring moments for Dramatists this semester – including a field trip to see
The Lion King! As well, SMK Drama was featured at this year’s
Spring concert!!!!!
Finally, the Visual Artists continue to make beautiful
art – you’re sure to see it around the school and in the courtyard
here at St. Max. From photography to painting, the visual artists
have been really busy completing projects and entering contests.
Way to go Joscelyn Sevier and Victor Rusu for your award winning, MADD contest work! Cash prizes were awarded to both
from State Farm insurance: A proud moment for SMK artists.
As well, a special “shout-out” to VAAM (Visual Art at Max) – a
group of extremely committed after school artists – who created
a wonderfully painted picnic table for the Town of Aurora. The
Mayor congratulated these artists at a special assembly in June.
Again, well done visual artists…Awesome job!
The Dance department has also had a very successful
semester, performing many wonderful numbers in the Spring
concert as well. From ballet to hip hop, the dancers “tore-up” the
stage! Ms. Hardychuk continues to inspire her class of shakers
and movers, especially as they prepare for their final performance
– a practical exam. As well, the Spirit Squad participated in a
special workshop at the Damon Allen Quarterback Challenge
– an awesome experience for all who participated. Way to go
SMK dancers, looking forward to seeing your new choreography
next year!
It’s been a wonderful year for ALL artists here at SMK
- let the summer re-energize you and come back ready to create
beauty! I say farewell for a little while, as I prepare to have a
baby. Thanks to all the Arts teachers and students for their continued love and support. It’s a privilege to be part of this school’s
art scene! We welcome Ms. T. van Loenen, who will be joining
the team!!!
Ms. M. Froio
Acting Department Head of Arts
8
CANADIAN & WORLD LIBRARY
STUDIES
The school library has certainly been a very busy and
active hub this semester. As part of their final CPT, Library
staff introduced Grade 9 geography students to a graphic organizer software program, Smart Ideas. Using research gathered
through a variety of sources - print, eBook, online databases
and through the web - students developed a Smart Ideas presentation that incorporated this information and was shared
using the Smartboard. The results were most impressive! Student use of the SmartBoard and Smart Notebook software
has helped them hone their presentation skills.
Another successful year has come and gone and in
what has become a regular feature of our year’s summary, we
need to say goodbye to Ms. A. Nesci and Mr. J. West once
again. These two talented teachers gave tirelessly to our students once again this year and we wish them well in future endeavors.
Next year our department will be expanding and welcoming back a familiar face. Ms. M. Kalkowska will be back
in her Geography classroom and we welcome Ms. M. Fasano
to teach History and Geography, while Ms. J. Villeneuve will
be launching the new Fashion Marketing Program and teaching in the Family Studies area. The department offerings are
expanding into Grade 12 next year with; Modern Western
Civilizations, Politics, Law, and Economics.
Members of our SMK Book Club, a very enthusiastic
group of avid readers, have planned a number of exciting initiatives for next year. We invite all new and returning students to
come and join us next year and share our passion for reading.
Many new resources, both in electronic, print and media format have been added to our collection to support student
learning. Updates can be found by visiting the library website.
Happy summer reading.
From Grade 9 Geography
The grade 9 Geography classes have all had a successful and fun filled year! Every geography class attended a
spectacular trip to Niagara Falls in which they were able to
locate items and landmarks while making reference to the 2
major themes; human and physical geographical features. Students enjoyed a ride on The Maid of the Mist, during which
some got completely SOAKED! As well, students toured Clifton Hill, where they tested out the haunted houses and enjoyed
lunch, Falls-side. In addition to a spectacular field trip, students
displayed their artistic abilities and talents through the creation
of Aboriginal soapstone carvings and used their imagination
to create an Aboriginal myth starring their carved creature.
Ms. H. Smeathers
Department Head of Library
We have had a successful year and we wish our grade
9’s luck in the future. Have a wonderful summer and see you
next year!
BUSING
From Civics and Canadian History
Grade 10 courses are undergoing full curriculum reviews with an eye to making them more in line with OSSLT
preparation for our tenth graders. Students will be doing more
writing than ever in the up coming semesters.
Any student who uses school buses to and from
school is reminded to check for their busing information,
during the last week of August and first week of September.
If they use YRT, the website is www.yrt.ca and for students
who are eligible for SCHOOL BUS SERVICE, they should
check www.schoolbuscity.com for their route and time information.
The Canadian History courses treated the school to a
display of the eras from the 20th century in our foyer. Students
in costumes danced, spoke, and displayed the iconic elements
of the eras to the wide smiles of the rest of the school. Congratulations to Ms. M. Miranda and Mr. L. De Felice for their
hard work organizing this engaging event.
Enjoy your summer
The Civics students participated in the School Vote
Program to elect both Municipal Representatives and Federal MP’s in our recent elections. A note to next year’s Civics
students that we will be voting again in the fall in the upcoming
provincial elections.
Mr. M. Kelly
Department Head, Canadian & World Studies &
Social Science and Humanities
9
SCIENCE
STUDENT SERVICES
Sometimes we wonder about the way our school has
grown in the past two years. We sometimes hear some intrguing things our students are doing. One bright story is their great
performances in all aspects of our programs. The Science Department is particularly happy to be part of this success story
and to celebrate with all our hard working students. The success we have experienced was made easier due to the shared
and equitable distribution of resources to all our students. We
first started as a small network, and continue to grow bigger
each year.
Our Special Education department has been incredibly busy this spring! Our Best Buddies club enjoyed a visit
from Reptilia in April, where students hung out with some
pretty slimy characters! In May our club invited Sacred Heart
CHS and Cardinal Carter CHS for a Spring Dance. Our
SMK students were perfect hosts -- we nibbled on pizza and
other goodies when we weren’t dancing or competing in games.
Our school clubs officially bonded! On June 9th our Best
Buddies club wrapped up the year with a cooking class at the
Super Centre. We had so much fun being chefs together!
The Science department continues to grow with resources and innovative technology. We are happy to inform parents that we now have access to facebook for scientific investigations, animations and web based student activities. Through
support from the library department, our students are able to
source information. This has greatly improved the quality of
collaborative teaching between students and members of the
science department.
The types of resources you will find in our Science department include Smartboards, LCD projectors, TV, DVD
players and electronic based textbooks, etc. Each resource is
geared for different student experiences and enhanced learning
activities. Our textbooks have electronic copies with Web sites
tied directly to national curriculum standards.
With all of these resources at our disposal, we hope
that parents will continue to work with teachers to make our
students experience an enjoyable one.
The Special Olympics were held at St. Joan of Arc
CHS this year. They rolled out the red carpet (or the Astroturf) for the big day. Kudos go out to the our amazing students,
Martin, Katherine, Dylan, Danielle, Kristofer, Annie, Ashley and Reanna for their tireless efforts! Thanks go out to Ms.
S. Deighan and all of our EAs and EIs (Ms. S. Turrin, Ms. J.
Rempel, Ms. P. Dignard and Ms. D. Bonneville) for helping
make the day a huge success.
The Science Department wishes all students a great summer!
Dr. E. Guobadia
Department Head of Science
Ms. V. Hallman-Roth
Acting Department Head of Student Services
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RELIGION
MODERNS
This semester students enrolled in the grade 9 French
program had the opportunity to participate in an improvisational
workshop at the Second City Education Company in Toronto.
The students thoroughly enjoyed the trip, and the facilitators
were impressed with the students' enthusiasm and participation.
The SMK Religion Department takes this opportunity
to wish all our students and their families a restful, safe and
enjoyable summer. The 2010-2011 school year has been a very
busy one which has included numerous events in the religious
education classes. In addition to the participation in retreat programs organized through the school’s Chaplaincy team, SMK
religious education students hosted a series of guest speakers
and special events to compliment the curriculum. Grade eleven
students in the World Religions classes, were treated to a presentation by Aboriginal artists Mr. T. Jamieson and Mr. A.
Fishgap, this presentation not only involved the display and
explanation of various forms of First Nations art, but also a discussion of Aboriginal Spiritual traditions and practices which
served as great addition to the students’ study of this topic as
part of the HRT3M and HRF3O program.
Our Moderns program continues to grow, and next
year we will be running grade 11 French and Italian courses.
We are looking forward to these new programs.
Thank you to our Moderns teachers for their dedication and hard work this year. We bid a fond farewell to Ms. A.
Dominicis, and we wish her the best of luck at her new school.
Ms. J. Gerwlivch
Department Head of Moderns
Catechist Ms. C Way Skinner provided our grade ten
students an expanded look at how various societies and cultures have presented the image of Christ throughout history.
This presentation was made through a series of powerful images which provoked much thought and reflection from our students. The grade ten program “Christ and Culture” explores the
interaction between Christ and culture and Ms. Way Skinner’s
presentation was a great compliment to the course.
WELCOME NEW
STAFF MEMBERS
We would like to take this opportunity to welcome
our new staff who will be joining us in September 2011. They
are as follows:
Many grade nine students participated in a workshop
conducted by Ms. S. Tarlattini from Covenant House, Canada’s largest youth shelter. The presentation was organized
through the school’s Salt and Light group. Ms. Tarlattini’s
presentation focused on many aspects of youth homelessness and youth in crisis, the workshop was extremely powerful and very well received by students and teachers. During
mental health week, grade nine students attended a presentation from KINARK Child and Family Services of York Region.
KINARK provides help to children and families dealing with
mental health concerns and provided our grade nine students
with a hands on workshop highlighting the challenges and perspectives of young people who are on the Autism spectrum.
Ms. M. Brens - English
Ms. A. Buccioni - Department Head of Moderns
Ms. G. Cece - Science
Mr. A. Crupi - Science
Ms. K. Derkowski - Educational Assistant
Ms. M. Fasano - Canadian & World Studies and Business
Mr. J. Hortillosa - Religion
Ms. L. Howlings - English
Ms. R. Jordan - Religion
Ms. K. Keyzer - Special Education and Science
Ms. M. Kleine - Technology and Mathematics
Ms. B. Mannella - General Secretary
Mr. J. Moriana - Religion
Ms. N. Quintieri - Special Education
Ms. D. Sturino - Educational Assistant
Ms. G. Torelli - Mathematics
Ms. K. Treacy - Religion
Ms. T. van Loenen - Department Head of Arts
Mr. C. Viaes - Religion and Science
Ms. J. Villeneuve - Social Studies and Business
Ms. S. Westgate - Department Head of Business
Mr. M. Woodrow - Moderns and Science
Ms. Gismondi’s grade nine religion class concluded
their study of the Beatitudes, by composing children’s books
using them as a central theme. The class made a special trip to
St. Jerome’s Elementary School, where the grade nine created stories were read to three grade two classes, an experience
enjoyed by both our the students and the those at St. Jerome’s.
Mr. R. McGarrigle
Department Head of Religion
11
TECHNOLOGY
ST. MAXIMILIAN FUN
DAY
Our Technology Department would like to introduce
the addition of Ms. M. Kleine to our staff. She has a background in science and engineering and will be teaching Technological Design, Hospitality and Tourism, and Exploring
Technology. We are also preparing for our first grade twelve
classes and expecting to have our first graduates with the recognition of “Specialist High Skills Major” in Manufacturing
Engineering Technology.
Manufacturing Engineering Technology
The students in manufacturing had the opportunity to
become competitors in the “St. Patrick Grand Rally Slot Car
Open (St Patrick is the patron saint of engineering) held at St
Robert CHS on June 1, 2011. Anthony DiCarlo, Teghan Ellis, Joseph MacDonald and Brett Nagy represented St. Maximilian Kolbe at the meet. Each student had to design and build
their own vehicle for the challenge. This activity required each
student to utilize 3D CAD design, 3D CNC machining, plastic
thermal moulding, graphic design, CAD programming as well
as the skills required to turn their abstract ideas into concrete
products. When constructed each vehicle was tested for speed,
endurance and handling then evaluated and fine tuned to increase the prototype performance.
Mr. P. Karl
Department Head of Technology
St. Maximilian Kolbe School Trustees:
Theresa McNicol
[email protected]
Elizabeth Crowe
[email protected]
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