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On November 11, we gathered together in prayer and to pause in a silent
moment of remembrance for the men and women who have served, and continue to
serve our country during times of war, conflict and peace. We honour the more than
1,500,000 Canadians have served our country and the more than 100,000 who have died.
They gave their lives and their futures so that we may enjoy the peace we have today in
Canada.
St. Francis Xavier students and staff took the time over their
lunch periods to write more than 600 postcards to our Canadian soldiers
in missions throughout the world. Students expressed deeply moving
sentiments of appreciation and love and awareness of the cost to our
soldiers of being away from their families and the threat of losing one’s
life. We received a reply from one of the operations and it meant a lot to
us to know we have made a difference. Students had the opportunity to
direct their postcard to a specific country and operation where
Canadian soldiers are stationed:
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OP ACCIUS, ARCHER and ARGUS - Kabul, Afghanistan
OP ATHENA - Kandahar, Afghanistan
OP BRONZE - Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina
OP CALUMET - Sinai, Egypte
OP CROCODILE - Democratic Republic of the Congo
OP GLADIUS - Golan Heights
OP HAMLET - Port-au-Prince, Haïti
OP JADE - Middle East
OP KOBOLD - Pristina, Kosovo
OP PROTEUS - Jerusalem
OP SATURN - SAFARI - Sudan
December 2, 2009
St. Francis Xavier Secondary School;
I would like to convey my thanks to your staff and students on
behalf of all Canadian Forces members here in Jerusalem for sending us
your postcards. We are a total of 17 officers and non-commissioned
members who work in Israel-Palestine. The words expressed by your
students are heart-warming and reassuring that we have the support of
the Canadian people. The postcards are good reminders of why we do
what we do.
Best regards,
Major Richard Quinn, CD
Task Force Jerusalem, Operation PROTEUS
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St.Rose
Modern School
Dear Mr. Callender,
Greetings!
Last year we sent $500 to a school we
adopted in Grenada (St. Rose Modern
School). The money was raised by the Unity
Live talent show that was organized by
Lyanda Jackson.
Craig Callender was in touch with the
principal (Ms. Gemma DeAllie) at St. Rose
and she sent us greetings and forwarded us
some pictures (see attachments) to document how the money ($500) was spent.
As a footnote--In 2005 Mr. Mant had the
opportunity to visit Grenada as part of a
delegation from the school board and the
government of Canada to witness the
damage done by Hurricane Ivan to 16
secondary schools in Granada. One of the
schools I visited was St. Rose and saw
firsthand the damage done by the hurricane.
It is probably one of the most destructive
forces on earth.
We as a school community have made a
difference to this small Island nation in the
Caribbean that is 65% Catholic and many of
the schools in Grenada were established and
run by clergy. Let us continue to support this
worthy cause by giving the students, parents
and faculty some hope for their school
community.
Thank You,
Gemma DeAllie
Greetings of peace!
Thanks for your recent emails and for your
continued efforts to help us minister effectively
to the parents, guardians and students of St.
Rose.
We thank you again for your generous donation
which has helped us to refurbish the Counselling Room. I have attached the photos. I apologize for not sending them sooner. We have two
counsellors. The building has two rooms, one for
each counsellor. The donation was used to
refurbish the room on the ground floor.
We have identified some needs for the counselcounsel
ling rooms. We do not expect to receive everyevery
thing all at once so we have listed them in order
of prioity.
1) 1 Office Desk and 1chair for a counsellor
2). 1 couch
3). 10 chairs for group counselling
4). 2 small metal cabinets for storage
5). 2 small CD players
6). 1 TV with DVD player
7). Posters with positive quotes, sayings
Thank you for your continued support and
generosity! Have a Blessed Christmas! May the
New Year bring you much joy and peace! God's
Blessings!
Sincerely,
Gemma DeAllie
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Colour & Balance
What is Colour and Balance? It’s a
new addition to Tiger Tales, dedicated to inspiring today’s youth to
take better care of themselves
physically and emotionally. It is a
collection of helpful tips and advice
from a few staff members who
would like to share their stories of
healthy eating, simply because
we’ve been there! Most of what
For years I ate poorly. Didn't
think much about it in my youth.
Never was overly concerned in
my twenties. Then, over time, I
realized I simply needed to take
control of my life. My energy
levels were low. While playing
soccer, I couldn't keep up. I was
yawning all day long and I really
didn't like what I saw in the
mirror. So, one day I decided I
was going to do something
about the things I could control
in my life. I started eating
properly. I followed those things
we read about in our doctors'
offices, or those commercials on
television about the miracle of
broccoli. I began listening to the
preachings of the healthy and fit
people around me (like Mr.
Tucci). I thought, why not?
Suddenly, my body began
changing. My energy levels
increased! I craved exercise! I
began loving the idea of eating
an apple instead of dreading it.
Why? Because over time, I found
out that natural, whole foods are
what our bodies crave. But, I
suppose after years of "poisoning" myself my cravings were for
all the wrong things like sugar
and salty foods like vinegar
chips. I understand now that if I
have cravings for chocolate, I go
for the kind that is "okay" for me.
Dark chocolate (not milk chocolate). Or, if I want salt, well I make
the decision to go for a few plain
nacho chips (not one hundred of
them). I learned to listen to my
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you’ll be reading will discuss
healthy food tips, awesome
recipes, smart eating, exercise
promotion and things that will
help you to become a better
you! So, why not check in with
us and start your life over by
adding a little more colour
and balance.
It looks good on you!
body instead of going for what
my eyes wanted. A day doesn't
go by where I don't crave
broccoli, brussel sprouts, carrots,
blueberries, apples. I also found
out what a diet means and I
know now that that will never
work for anyone; well, it's not a
permanent solution, anyway. A
gradual shift from junk while
introducing healthy foods into
your life is the way to go. Your
tastebuds will naturally want to
go the healthy route and find
distaste in the sugar-filled
pastries you once loved so
much. I believe that a balanced
lifestyle will completely change
your life for the better. So, what
am I saying? Why not, while
you're young, make some
changes today. Skip the fatty
fries and greasy pizza. Read
labels for ingredients. Reach for
wholesome, colourful, unprocessed foods and you will soon
see and feel how much your
body will change. Your skin will
become clean and your energy
levels will be through the roof!
Just look at Mr. Tucci! Live a
longer, healthier life starting
NOW - now when you're young. :
)
Z. Nassr
The Week of Hope is
about ending male violence
and female silence. The Week of
Hope is about stopping abuse.
The Week of Hope is about
self-empowerment. The Week
of Hope is about respecting
people’s boundaries. The Week
of Hope is about self-discovery
and understanding. The Week
of Hope is about becoming a
better person. The Week of
Hope is about healthy relationships.
This December 6th
marked the 20th anniversary of
the Montreal Massacre where a
man murdered 14 women and
injured thirteen others, including four men and killed himself
in gunfire because he was
trying to “fight feminism.” This
event shocked the world and
helped set in motion The White
Ribbon Campaign, a men’s
movement to end violence
against women. It also helped
to begin the 16 days of Action
and Awareness on Violence
Against Women, 16 days to help
spread awareness among both
sexes on the facts of the
violence that is in our homes,
amongst our friends and affects
so many of the lives of the
people in this school.
During these 16 days men and
women, boys and girls give
each other support, to reach
out and end the silence that
surrounds this issue. By participating in the week of hope at
school students can help to
start healing their community.
We can work together to stop
the violence and change our
lives but it is up to us as
individuals to decide to do
something about it. Don’t be a
bystander in the hallway, don’t
make the sexist joke or remark,
don’t be the one that uses force
against another person to get
your way, or express your
feelings. To the St. Francis Xavier
men I ask you to consider wearing a white ribbon to make a
pledge to never commit,
condone or remain silent about
violence against women. For
the women of the school it is
important to not be silent on
this issue and to work together
to support each other when in
need.
You are the future of the communities you will work and live
in. Learning how to be an ally
and support people to be free
of violence and to speak up to
end violence is the best thing
you can do as a community
member. This week is a personal
challenge to define your own
values and support one of the
most urgent of community
causes that affects everyone.
Robert Brandstetter
Week of Hope Activities
December 7th: Vigil to commemorate the 2oth anniversary
of the Montreal Massacre
December 7th: Sexual Assault
Awareness Training provided by
the Sexual Assault and Rape
Crisis Centre/Girl’s Only Talk
December 7th: Girls Night In
December 10th: White Ribbon
Campaign Assembly (featuring
Spoken Word piece with Alexis,
Kieran & crew and the Breakdance club)
December 10th: Men’s Only Talk
December 10th and 11th:
Sexual
Assault
Awareness
Training/Girls’ Only Talk
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By: Ishba Raja & Yasmin Natt
Photography: Yasmin Natt
Winter
Wonderland
The café was transformed into a winter
wonderland filled with amazing decorations, helping
to create the winter wonderland atmosphere and
making it feel like the real thing. On November (insert
date here), we had our annual café night filled with
amazing performances, from singing and dancing to
small skits. And lets not forget the amazing job our
MC’s did, keeping the crowd going with their humorous skits throughout the night. Some of the performances that were seen were a musical from grease,
free styling while playing the guitar. A little twist from
south Asia, as three girls hit the stage, and tore it
down! Having a blast, as we rocked out to some rock.
Listening to lovely singing that was done by many
students, and of course the amazing Micheal Jackson
imitation, long live the king of Pop. The night was
filled with amazing performances that will be remembered by all. Not only were there performances to be
seen, but there was food to be eaten. With each ticket,
came a free drink, and an appetizer. The appetizers
were absolutely delicious ranging from many desserts
such as cake, tarts, cookies, brownies, and more.
Dinner was a choice of either grilled cheese sandwich,
turkey sandwich, or ham sandwich. Finally, we would
like to thank Deca, for hosting such an awesome
night, the servers for there wonderful work, for
without them there really would be no Café Night.
Thanks to the hospitality crew, for making the
delicious food! And of course, last but not least all the
teachers that supervised. Thank you all for putting
Café Night together, and creating a fun filled night for
all that attended!
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Cardboard Race
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Real Me
Campaign
3 For 5
The Real Me Campaign and People Think
Assembly
Almost Famous Productions Knows How
to Put on a SHOW!
The Real Me Campaign is an annual event at St.
Francis Xavier Secondary where the Student
Council, Leadership and Peer Support Class and
the EXE Alliance come together to promote
positive social values to students around the
issues of stereotypes, gossip, sexism, speaking
out and spirituality. Through a poster campaign
in the school and through the People Think
Assembly students try to create an environment where students do not judge others or
care what they think about them. Students try
to promote the values of caring for yourself and
being your own supporter.
This January from the 12th to the
15th, room 106 was once again turned into
a professional theatre space as the grade
12 drama class presented their 3 for 5
theatre nights.
The class of 11 students spent two months
preparing for these nights, rehearsing long
hours on weeknights and even coming to
school on weekends. The students were
responsible for every aspect of the show,
and they proved themselves worthy with
four amazing nights of theatre.
The “People Think Assembly” was presented to
the entire grade 10 grade level and focused on
delivering these positive messages in a multi
media presentation. Through the combination
of spoken word, drama, song, dance and
speeches this assembly engages junior
students on topics relevant to their lives. The
feature dramatic performance, Lifehouse, is a
moving examination of the struggles young
people face in maintaining a spiritual identity .
This assembly is geared towards ideas of
defeating stereotypes, being supportive of
peers instead of judging them, encouraging
kids to develop personal self-esteem by making
positive choices for themselves and encourages
students to be themselves, to be real and not
give in to peer pressure. This full period assembly will have an encore performance on December 16 for all grade nine classes.
The class presented a total of 5
plays over the span of 4 nights: 3 one act
and 2 full length plays. Room 106 was
bursting at the seams on Friday night to a
sold out crowd, and the audience reviews
were outstanding.
Mrs. Perrotta Pooler would like to
congratulate the grade 12 drama class on
a highly successful show and an incredible
semester.
Mrs. Perrotta Pooler
Robert Brandstetter
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