AM
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
OR
EXCELLENTIA
FIDE
S
PAX
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
I must first apologize to you. Due to technical difficulties, we were unable to have first
newsletter of the year delivered on time.
However, as we enter into our 18th year of operations as a vibrant school community in
Central Mississauga, our enrollment has continued to grow to (2269 students). We are again
the largest Catholic Secondary School in the Board and I would like to personally thank our
parents for sending and entrusting their (son/daughter) to our faith based Catholic learning
community. As we continue to strive for excellence in Catholic Education; we have already
started our school year with the following:
Principal
N. Mant
Vice Principals
L. O’Leary
G. Scanlon
D. Mariani
S. Goodland
• Welcoming our three new Pastors, Fr. Robert O’Brien and associate Fr. Hansoo Park and
Father Steven Murrin to our school community. Fr. Bob, Fr. Hansoo and Fr. Steven have
met with our staff and students at grade level and staff masses.
• Our school community has been blessed with the addition of a new Planning
Independence Program (PIP).
• We have the addition of a new Vice-Principal, Ms. Goodland from our sister school
St. Joseph Secondary School.
Chaplain
A. Minardi
• Number of new teachers and support staff have been added to our growing school
community: Olivera Glasford, Joanne LePrevost, Howard Leung, John Bruno, Bart
Nieweglowski, Yan Huang, Penelope Simoes, Noel Goudreault, Yolanda McDowell,
Marilyn Kennedy, Melissa Quinn, Katherine Aziz, Christine Pinto and Joe Migliaccio, CYW.
School Council Chair
G. Williamson
Superintendent
L. Kazimowicz
• Keith Hawkins a motivational speaker from Sacramento, California facilitated our
annual mentorship program for our new Grade 9’s.
Our School Council has had their annual elections and our new Council Members are:
Trustees
Anna Abbruscato
Thomas Thomas
Officers
Chairperson
Vice-Chairperson
Treasurer
Secretary
Grace Williamson
Brigitta Younan
Adriana Leviston
Anna Barbisan-Rosset
Members-at-large
Jennifer Edwards
Anna Keating
Bernadette Remedios
Joann Trenton
Regini Joseph
Gorete Mendonca
Rosemary Rosanova Shields
Zorina Williams
• Keith Ng had the highest grade point average (98.83%) in Dufferin-Peel. Keith has
accepted an entrance scholarship to the University of Toronto where he is enrolled in a
Mathematical Science Program.
• Finally, we will continue to communicate with our parent community through our
students, newsletters, auto-dialer, web page and our electronic sign. Each student has
also received an agenda book outlining the school year calendar of events, school and
board policies and procedures.
Striving for Excellence in Catholic Educator
2
Excellence, Faith, Love, Peace
Ex
oting
N. Mant
Principal
Prom
Thank you and God Bless!
ce
ll
e
On a personal note, I am very humbled and privileged to serve our school community in
ce
my fifth year as Principal. I would like to thank you in advance for all your support
n
over the years in making our school a centre of excellence for Catholic Education.
St. Francis Xavier Secondary School
50 Bristol Road West, Mississauga, Ontario L5R 3K3
Tel: (905) 507-6666 Fax: (905) 568-1026 www.stfxss.org
in
Ca
tholic Educat
io
n
TIGERTALES
EXCELLENTIA
OR
Editor
AM
FIDE
S
PAX
A. Lombardi
Art Directors
GRADE 9 ORIENTATION DAY
ANIMATION @ NFB
Rollen D’Souza
Contributors
Mathura Thiyagarajah
Catherine Lee
Production Manager
A. Lombardi
Production Coordination
CAFÉ NIGHT 2008
STUDENT COUNCIL 2008-2009
A. Lombardi
Circulation
3000
MUCH MUSIC
Table
PHYSICS AWARD
Contents copyright ©2008
Digital Arts Club Xavier
of
4
5
6
7
8
...Student Council
...Grade 9 Rep.
...Champ Contest
...Physics Award
...Week of Hope
...EQAO
...Harmony L.I.N.K.S.
...Student Success
9
10
11
12
...Green Team
...DPCDSB Acievements
...Safe Schools Committee
...Homecoming
...Pep Rally
...Grade 9 Orientation Day
...Xavier Student Poetry
...Carnival 4 Justice
...Amazon Rainforest
TigerTales is published
4 times a year by DACX ,
the Digital Arts Club Xavier.
Issues are published in
September/October,
December/January,
March/April, and June.
13
14
15
...St. FX Student Article
...St. FX Library
...ComTech
...Much Music
...National Film Board
of Canada
...Café Night 2008
Digital Arts Club Xavier
St. Francis Xavier SS
50 Bristol Road
Mississauga ON, L5R 3K3
Phone: 905.507.6666
Fax: 905.568.1026
www.stfxss.org
DACX
Digital Arts Club
Xavier
3
STUDENT COUNCIL
Student Council’s
Message
Prime Minister:
Amaryllis Jones
Deputy Prime Minister:
Esra Elsaigh
Secretary:
Jaybee Feliciano
Finance Ministers:
Matthew Botelho &
Krishna Murali
Public Ministers:
Kathy Go &
Tina Tran
Social Ministers:
Kaitlin Rocha &
Martyna Gadmoski
Hey Xavier,
Co & Extra Ministers:
Faith Mendes &
Christopher Soranno
Welcome back to another year that will be action-packed. Student
Council welcomes all new staff, teachers and students, especially
our grade nine population! This year, we strive to get students and
staff more involved with all of our projects to ensure that we
impact as many people as we can. Looking ahead, we will be
tackling bullying, environmental, racial and isolation issues. The
year has just begun, but a month has already gone by. Make a
difference in your school year by joining clubs, teams, participating in events and attending them too. Xavier has something for
everyone, from golf to a medical team, mentorship to wrestling
and so much more; so get involved!
Grade 9 Representatives:
Ashwin Lal, Kelly Le &
Rachel Barretto
Grade 10 Representatives:
Eunice Kwon &
Canute Gomes
Grade 11 Representative:
Michael Luis
Grade 12 Representative:
Dominik Nowak
Athletic Representative:
Andy Wang
We definitely do not want to waste anytime and that’s why we’re
already rolling with events and sales. SPC cards were on sale
for the month of September. Yes, you could buy an SPC card from
the mall and other stores, but by purchasing one from us you
are giving back to our school; as a percentage of sales comes back
home to Xavier. And don’t think it stops there; Homecoming 2008
is well on its way. From October 6th to October 10th, we showed
non-stop school spirit as Homecoming week was a blast! Our first
ever Senior Sunrise for grade 12 students was held on October 7th
where grade 12 students will be gathered on our football field to
reminisce on their past years and share memories while watching
the sun rise. Thursday October 9th, we were “California Dreamin”
at our Cali-themed dance. Escaping the chilly weather from 6-10
pm, we were be dancing, mingling and dining together under the
sun of Xavier cafeteria. To end off Homecoming week, we hosted
our annual Pep Rally on Friday October 10th for juniors and
seniors. Games, music, prizes and tons of fun started off the day
and at lunch, we were face painting to hype up school spirit for
our Homecoming football games in the afternoon.
Mentorship Representatives:
Swapnil Pradhan &
Prateeksha Ravi
Student Advisors:
Shreya Podder &
Lysan Sequeira
This is a week we guarantee no student would have wanted to
miss!
Amaryllis Jones
Prime Minister of Student Council
4
Members on Xavier’s
Student Council
Arts and Culture Representative: Devika Singh
Teacher Advisors: Mr. Brandstetter, Mrs. Perrotta Pooler, Ms.
Chow, Mrs. Simoes, Ms. Twerdochlib, Mr. Somers, Mrs. Belchior
Esra Elsaigh
Deputy Prime Minister of Student Council
This school-year at Xavier marks the first year the grade nine
student body was given the opportunity to elect their grade nine
representatives. Our Student Council was pleased to see thirty
eager students hoping to represent their fellow classmates for
the 2008-2009 school year. It was a hard process to narrow it
down to only NINE compelling students since everyone who
came out was ready to offer their unique character. Our
elections committee, which consisted of senior council
students, read through many packages with demonstrated
strength in character, determination and accomplishments. The
nine grade students who were chosen to run as candidates
endured a long and competitive two week- campaign overall
they did a great job! Student Council would like to thank everyone who came out and took advantage of this unique opportunity. We truly hope to see all of you again in May to run for
Student Council for the 2009-2010 school year. We would
especially like to thank Mr. Reid and his third period class for
their huge contribution to the elections. Finally, we would like
to welcome Ashwin Lal, Kelly Le and Rachel Barretto as the
newest addition to the St. Francis Xavier Student Council of
2008-2009, as this year grade nine representatives! Congratulations and we wish you a successful and productive year as
grade nine students and grade nine representatives on Student
Council.
Answer this…
Rachel Barretto
Question: What or who inspired you to join Student Council?
Answer: My sister Rebecca gave me the inspiration because
she was on council for all four years of high school and she said
it was a lot of fun. She said I would really enjoy it and it would
help me reach my goal of Valedictorian in grade 12.
CHAMP CONTEST
2008/2009
Mrs. Kaciak
GRADE 9 REP
Grade 9 Reps
On Dec 3, 2008 our students competed in the Math Champ
Contest, a contest that involves the best students from Peel and
Halton Regions. Our school participates in this contest every
year, and St. FX students are usually very successful. This year
the Department of Mathematics aimed at involving a greater
number of students, and we had 180 participants, grade 9 to 11,
in the event. Last year only 75 people participated.
In grade 9, the top three students were:
Danielle Machado (119)
Gurmeet Sidhu (117)
Rasa Aleknevicius (98)
In grade 10, the top scores belonged to:
Simon Younan (142)
Wonjohn Choi (139)
Joshua Lee (136)
Finally, in grade 11, we had,
Peter Sun (122)
Alyssa Lombardi (108)
Krishna Murali (105)
All scores out of 150.
Congratulations to all Champions and all participants!!
Thanks to all Math Teachers involved.
Physics Award
Ms. M. Szyjkowski
Kelly Le
Question: Why did you want to join Student Council?
Answer: I want to be able to put my enthusiasm to good use ?
Ashwin Lal
Question: What are you looking forward to the most about
Student Council?
Answer: I look forward to meeting new people and gaining
responsibility because meeting people is fun and responsibility
builds good character.
In July, Keith Ng participated in Physics International Olympiad, as a part of Canadian team, in Hanoi, Vietnam and won a
bronze medal. Congratulations Keith, a great way to represent
Canada and St.Francis Xavier!
Keith graduated last June and was going to study Math and
Physics at the University of Toronto. The picture was taken
during one of the training session at the University of Toronto,
last May.
5
WEEK OF HOPE
A Week of Hope
During the first week of December students at St. Francis Xavier
focused on equality between the genders in a celebration of the
National Days of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against
Women. The focus of this week was for students to work towards
a future with no violence
against women and
raise
awareness
amongst
our
students
about
healthy
relationships.
Recent
reports
around education in
Ontario identified
that sexual assault was the number one issue facing youth in
schools. In response to this Xavier’s Student Council and the
Leadership and Community Building course focused on two
awareness raising campaigns: the White Ribbon Campaign and a
No Means No campaign. White ribbons were distributed amongst
the young men of the
school for them to
wear to show that they
pledge
to
never
commit, condone or
remain silent about
violence
against
women. Buttons with
“No Means No” were
distributed amongst
the young women
along with literature focusing on supporting young women to find
their voice and speak up when they need to.
Events during the week included teachers in the school using
lesson plans from the White
Ribbon Campaign to raise
awareness around issues of
sexual assault, violence and
healthy relationships in the
classrooms. Guest speakers
from The Sexual Assault
and Rape Crisis Centre and
the White Ribbon Campaign spoke to classrooms, at an assembly
6
and completed both women’s only and men’s only discussions
w i t h
students.
Murals were
completed
by
the
young men
and women
and various
posters and
m e d i a
throughout the school focused on consciousness raising around
healthy relationships and how to create equality amongst men and
women.
The week concluded with a prayer service and candlelight vigil in
the foyer that focused on the Montreal
Massacre of 1989 where fourteen
women were shot at L’Ecole Polytechnique by a man who sought out to kill
the feminists he felt were disrupting the
balance
of
power
in
society. The
vigil focused
on honoring
all
women
who
have
been victims of sexual assault and those
lost around the world to violence.
Students gathered around the peace
tower in prayer and as each name of
each woman who was killed in Montreal was read the peace bell
rang and a candle was light.
Our student council hopes to make this an annual event at our
school and to support students as they work to end the stereotypes
that they too often fall into by continuing to promote the dialogue
of equality, peace and non-violence with each other and in their
families.
Robert Brandstetter
Student Council Advisor
Leadership and Community Building Teacher
The 2007-2008 EQAO results indicate that Dufferin-Peel
continues to experience success in the area of student achievement. As a Catholic community, we know in our hearts that data
such as EQAO results are not a complete measure of success, as
Jesus would have described it. We are inspired by the motto:
Each One Called by Name - called to respond to our baptismal
call to know God and to make our mark on the world according
to our God-given gifts and abilities.
Harmony L.I.N.K.S
Ms. G. Scanlon, V.P.
St. Francis Xavier Secondary students were invited to participate
this past September in annual Harmony Movement retreat.
Students traveled to the Ontario Educational Leadership Centre
in Longford Mills, Ontario. Harmony “LINKS” is an educational
leadership retreat, focusing on equity, diversity, personal growth
and youth empowerment.
“The Harmony L.I.N.K.S retreat was on of the greatest
experiences of my life. I met great people and learnt the values
of equity.”
David Carlone, Student of St. Francis Xavier SS
Nonetheless, EQAO results give us an indication of how we, as a
trusted Catholic education community, are serving the needs and
cultivating the gifts of the students you have entrusted to our care.
The recently released results indicate that there is a great deal to
celebrate in Dufferin-Peel. It is very gratifying to see continuous
improvement right across the Board. As the Director of
Education, I am proud to have played my part in this success.
This latest success has not happened without a lot of hard work.
In Dufferin-Peel, our students are blessed by the support of a
community of caring, committed members including teachers,
school administrators, support staff, education resource workers,
child and youth workers, senior administrators and trustees. I
want you to know that they are all focused on creating the
conditions that will contribute to the success of all students in
Dufferin-Peel.
Despite our considerable successes, we will never become
complacent. Just as our students are called to uncover their
God-given gifts and talents, our faculty and staff continue to
learn and to strive for higher levels of excellence in all they do. I
am very thankful for those gifts of diligent focus and dedication
that I see displayed on a daily basis.
The Dufferin-Peel Catholic community remains committed to
offering quality learning experiences that will prepare all of our
students, your children, to take their place as blessings to the
local and global community for generations to come.
EQAO RESULTS
EQAO Results for
Dufferin-Peel
Student Success News
Ms. R. Lariviere
The students who have worked hard this first month of this
school year and achieved the following...
4.5 credits through Credit Recovery
1.5 credits through Alt. Ed.
" There is no secret to success. It is the result of preparation,
hard work and learning from failure."
Colin Powell
Our students have once again been working hard to achieve
valuable credits!! It's amazing how "motivational" mid-term
marks can be!!
This Month (Nov.):
To-Date:
12 credits (Credit Recovery)
6 credits (Alt. Education)
29 credits (Credit Recovery)
8.5 credits (Alt. Education)
" Ability is what you are capable of doing, Motivation
determines what you do, Attitude is how well you do it."
Lou Holtz-Football, coach
Sincerely,
John B. Kostoff
Director of Education
Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board
Student Success Website Resource
As a support to the Ministry’s media campaign they have
launched a new website. Peruse at your leisure.
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/studentsuccess
7
GREEN TEAM
Green Team
It is our generation's turn to give a new meaning to "Green". We've
manage to make it one of our top sellers in the fashion industry,
creating awareness through our creative styles. Now, it's our turn to
do the little things that will make the biggest difference. Brain Lee
(Grade12) and Stephen Szeto (Grade 12) both St. Francis Xavier
students are making the difference within our local hospital. By
turning off lights, computers, collecting batteries, and creating
awareness with events such as picking up litter. They've truly
capture the heart of Mother Nature, and taken it to another level. In
ten simple questions, here is a little more of what they have done,
achieved and are striving to do:
1. What is the Green Team Youth and where can it be found?
Green Team Youth is an environmental organization for youth
volunteers at Credit Valley Hospital.
2. What does the Green Team do?
GTY is currently responsible for helping out with the hospital's
battery recycling program, setting up events such as litter pickups,
doing "Green Rounds" (which involves volunteers going around
the hospital in the evenings to shut off any forms of idling energy
such as computer monitor screens, empty bathroom lights, copy
machines, etc), and many more responsibilities to come.
3. What inspired you guys to create the Green Team at the hospitals?
During the time Stephen and I were volunteering, we always made
comments on the amount of energy sources that were being left
running throughout the night as well as the amount of litter that can
be found on the hospital grounds. It got to the point when we
decided that we had waited too long and it was time for us to take
initiative.
4. How did you get the Green Team up and running?
We first presented our ideas to the Green Team members of the
hospital (which are all staff members who chose to be a part of the
Green Team). We explained our ideas about getting the volunteer
department involved with Green Team projects and shortly after,
we got the green light to create the Green Team Youth position.
6. How many hospitals have you started the Green Team in?
As of this point, Green Team Youth is only at Credit Valley
Hospital, but there are future plans of introducing this position to
Trillium hospital. Hopefully this will become a growing
phenomenon of "greener" hospitals which will raise more
awareness for the environment and give hospitals in Ontario a
better and greener image.
7. Do you have any more plans on improving the Green Team or
making it better known?
We are currently working on a community-wide litter pick up
shortly after Halloween involving hospital volunteers and high
school students so that more people, especially the youth in
Mississauga, know about our group. This is one of our larger plans
as it involves a community movement.
8. How can people get involve with the Green Team?
In order to be an official Green Team Youth member, you must
have contributed at least 80 hours of service as a Credit Valley
volunteer. However, it is not required to participate in some of the
events that we host.
9. Why is it so important to continue to keep people aware of the
environment and how a simple action can make a huge difference?
Encouraging conservation and being considerate to our planet is
important, especially in a hospital environment, because the
well-being of our environment ultimately decides the well-being of
our health. The more earth-friendly habits we establish in the
community and the more helping hands we have can make a huge
difference in lessening our impact on our planet.
10. How has the Green Team created awareness of the importance of saving our environment?
One of our most prominent methods of creating awareness is by
connecting with staff members and patients that we see on our
"Green Rounds". When people see us in our bright green shirts at
night, they're curious about our actions. When they ask us about
what we are doing, we tell them about our group and also educate
them on the importance of saving our environment.
5. How has it made a difference at the hospitals?
The Green Team Youth has already saved many nights worth of
energy by simply flipping off a switch. We have created a lot of
awareness throughout the hospital about environmental concerns
and obtained lots of positive comments. After many "Green
Rounds" we have noticed an increase in participation amongst the
staff members. Through our actions we can make a difference.
Now, Credit Valley has people taking care of people, and people
taking care of the environment.
8
Stephen Szeto
Brian Li
Results from the spring 2008 administration of the Education
Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) Primary Division
(Grades 1 – 3) and Junior Division (Grades 4 – 6) assessments of
reading, writing and mathematics, and the Grade 9 assessment of
mathematics indicate that Dufferin-Peel students have equalled or
improved their achievement compared to last year.
This year’s growth has increased the already significant
achievement of our students over the several years of EQAO
testing. More specifically, assessment results in the areas of primary
(Grade 3) reading, writing and mathematics were relatively
consistent with last year, while junior (Grade 6) reading, writing and
mathematics results demonstrated increases of 3%, 4% and 4%,
respectively. Over the last eleven years of primary EQAO
assessments, Dufferin-Peel has enjoyed achievement increases of
between 21% and 30%. Growth in the junior EQAO assessments
over the last ten years has ranged from 16% to 23%. This year’s
results indicate that over 62% of Dufferin-Peel students are at the
provincial standard in Grades 3 and 6 reading, writing and
mathematics.
Dufferin-Peel also experienced achievement gains on the Grade 9
results: 74% of all Dufferin-Peel students are achieving the
provincial standard in Grade 9 academic mathematics, a gain of 5%.
Achievement among Grade 9 students taking applied mathematics
was consistent with last year. Historically, Dufferin-Peel has
experienced 24% and 22% growth in Grade 9 academic and applied
mathematics achievement, respectively, since the first such
assessments in 2000-2001.
“Dufferin-Peel’s EQAO experience over the past 11 years has been
one of continuous improvement,” said Ralph Borrelli, Associate
Director of Instructional Services. Added Borrelli, “A tradition of
excellence in Catholic education has been our promise to students,
parents and guardians. One of the measuring tools we use to monitor
our progress in this regard is the EQAO assessments. Our
assessment results over the past 11 years are indicative, not only of
the hard work of students, but of the tremendous supports inherent
within the Catholic learning environment. Congratulations to the
students, parents and guardians, teachers, support staff,
administration, trustees and pastors who, together, ensure that our
kids maximize their opportunity for success.”
mathematics; Grade 6 students in the areas of reading, writing and
mathematics and Grade 9 students in academic and applied
mathematics.
The results for students in all assessments for the last three
administrations are presented below:
Assessment
05-06
06-07
07-08
1-Year Comp
Primary Div (Gr 1-3) Reading
Primary Div (Gr 1-3) Writing
Primary Div (Gr 1-3) Math
Junior Div (Gr 4-6) Reading
Junior Div (Gr 4-6) Writing
Junior Div (Gr 4-6) Math
Gr 9 Academic Mathematics
Gr 9 Applied Mathematics
64%
70%
67%
67%
67%
60%
75%
38%
64%
70%
70%
67%
68%
58%
69%
31%
65%
71%
68%
70%
72%
62%
74%
32%
+1%
+1%
-2%
+3%
+4%
+4%
+5%
+1%
EQAO RESULTS
DPCDSB students continue
high levels of achievement
“Dufferin-Peel’s most recent results are to be celebrated. They are
the result of the hard work of our staff and students, and supported
by leadership at all levels including senior administration and the
board of trustees” commented Marianne Mazzorato, Superintendent
of Program. “However, despite our considerable successes, we will
never become complacent. Just as our students are called to uncover
their God-given gifts and talents, our faculty and staff continue to
learn and to strive for higher levels of excellence in all they do.”
Practices in place in Dufferin-Peel schools that continue to prove
successful include: targeted supports and spending on resources to
meet more closely the varying challenges faced by our schools;
ongoing professional learning focused on student needs; and
differentiated classroom instruction to foster the growth and
potential of individual students. The board will further analyze the
EQAO results to provide support to schools, parents and students to
ensure that more students continue to improve in all assessment
areas. Each school has its own plan, which will be reviewed in the
context of the test results, to improve students’ skills in all subject
areas. School plans include strategies to assist all students,
including intervention and reinforcement for students who did not
achieve the provincial standard.
Board and individual school results will be available on the board
website at www.dpcdsb.org in October 2008. Additional
information on the various assessments can be obtained through the
EQAO web site at www.eqao.com.
The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board is one of the
largest school boards in Ontario, with approximately 88,000
students in 145 schools located throughout Mississauga, Brampton,
Bolton, Caledon and Orangeville. It is the goal of the board to
provide quality education to students in a setting which fosters
The assessments conducted by the Education Quality and Catholic values and beliefs.
Accountability Office (EQAO) — an independent agency whose
mandate is to ensure greater accountability and help improve the For information contact:
quality of education — provide an indication of each student’s
Bruce Campbell, General Manager,
achievement in reading, writing and mathematics.
Communications & Community Relations
The spring 2008 assessment results report on three groups of (905) 890-0708, ext.24466 or (905) 609-1480
students: Grade 3 students in the areas of reading, writing and
9
STUDENT EVENTS
Homecoming
On Thursday October 9th from 6-10 pm, the Student Council
hosted our annual homecoming dance where over 400 students
gathered to mix and mingle, dance, eat and soak up the Cali sun in
our cafeteria. The students of Xavier were invited to come out and
experience this amazing atmosphere where they could party
California style. Ranging from grade 9 through 12, the students
came dressed to the theme and ready to have fun in the sun. We
would like to thank all of the teachers and administration for their
support, including all staff that volunteered their time to make this
event possible. We would especially like to thank all of the
students who came out for this Cali-style event and we hope to see
many new faces next year!
Student Council Preparing
for Homecoming
Pep Rally
To wrap up Homecoming week 2008, Student Council hosted our
annual pep rallies for juniors and seniors. We gathered grade 9s
and 10s during first period and grades 11s and 12s during second.
With the help of our emcees, we brought tons of school spirit to our
gymnasium through games, team introductions, club introductions
and CANDY! Have so much fun, we helped to hype up school
spirit and encouraged students to watch our homecoming football
games which were played throughout the duration of the day. To
get the students ready even more, we had a team of our talented
artists on council face paint during the lunches. Offering three
designs (a tiger paw, “X” and whiskers), students could represent
Xavier pride throughout the halls and around the school buy
purchasing any design for 50 cents.
10
The Safe Schools
Committee at
St. Francis Xavier
Mrs. Belchior-Demedeiros
The safe schools committee at St. F.X. S.S. is committed to
promoting a safe, inclusive and caring environment in our school
community.
On November 24, 2008, some members of the Mentorship and
Safe Schools committee attended an Anti-Bullying Conference
with Barbara Coloroso as its speaker.
Barbara Coloroso is an internationally recognized speaker and
author in the areas of parenting, teaching, school discipline, nonviolent conflict resolution and reconciliatory justice. She is an
educational consultant for school districts, the medical and
business community, the criminal justice system and other educational associations in the United States, Canada, Europe, South
America, Asia, New Zealand, Australia and Iceland. Barbara has
served as a classroom teacher, a laboratory school instructor, and a
university instructor. Some great books for parents and students
alike have been written by Barbara Coloroso and are listed below.
They are available on her website, kidsareworthit.com.
She is the author of three international bestsellers: kids are worth
it! Giving Your Child the Gift of Inner Discipline, Parenting
Through Crisis: Helping Kids in Times of Loss, Grief and Change
and The Bully, the Bullied, and the Bystander: From Preschool to
High School—How Parents and Teachers Can Help Break the
Cycle of Violence. Barbara's latest book Just Because It's Not
Wrong Doesn't Make It Right is now available.
We as teachers at St. Francis Xavier Secondary School are
committed to making our community a wonderful place to teach
and learn.
GR. 9 ORIENTATION DAY
Grade 9 Orientation Day
The Youth Ambassador (Mentorship)
Program at St. F.X. with special Guest
Keith Hawkins
Ms. Belchior-Demedeiros
Xavier Mentorship Team 2008
Xavier Students Rally Together
with Keith Hawkins
Mr. Keith Hawkins
St. Francis Xavier SS
August 2008
On August 25 and 26 St. F.X. was lucky enough to once again
have special guest speaker Keith Hawkins join the Xavier
community and train our new grade 11 and 12 Youth Ambassadors about leadership and making a difference in the life of our
school. These Youth Ambassadors then got a chance to show
what they learned on August 26, 2008. (The Grade 9 Orientation
Day) Almost 500 grade 9 students visited Xavier for the first time
and were greeted by 85 wonderful and excited Youth Ambassadors. The day started and ended off with an electricity that could
be felt around the school. Grade 9’s were introduced to the school
and to students who would help them grow as dedicated Xavier
Students in the coming years. The Youth Ambassadors will be
meeting with grade 9 students throughout the year to ease their
transition from elementary into secondary school and to help
with any other issues that may arise. We thank all of the committed staff and students that participated in these two days and that
are dedicated to the successful Youth Ambassador program for
the 2008-2009 school year.
Teacher Mentorship Team 2008
Grade 9 Students & their Mentors
11
XAVIER POETRY
12
Xavier Poetry
Carnival 4 Justice
SHE is...
Mr. Reece
By Napta Elsadig
There was this average guy that fell DEEP in love with she
But you would have never acknowledged this information
He was one of those guys that kept to him self with full isolation
However, one day he recognized a beautiful soul
She made him lose all of his control
They were constantly together
She took him away to another place
They often tended to EMBRACE
Between them lingered no SPACE
It remained a year long phase
His life had changed
Time began to appear rearranged
He’d never felt so insane
He couldn’t even remember how it felt to complain
An obsession called addiction came about
And now this girl he beloved caused him much more doubt
He wouldn’t tolerate to leave her side
Even through all the good, he began to lie
It was all very complicated
This female made him feel dilated
The girl was now all of his concentration
Translated into all of his silent conversation
Now, this is where things turned hectic
It was like he became septic
He was caught in all her friction
This girl felt complete CONTRADICTION
Never apart and full of apprehension
When he left her, he felt a burning state of tension
At first, she was his soul mate, but the after effects would not wait
He started to grasp what was true
He didn’t date this girl for the right reasons or for what she
couldn’t do
He wanted to break up
But she was so glamorous and it was way too tough
He’d be below everyone else
Or at least, it was how he felt
The world was watching him make his decision
Comparable to a doctor’s first attempt of making an incision
It was intense
He’d misplaced all his common sense.
His parents obviously disapproved
To him, his old friends were just “equally as rude”
Then something made the tables turn
Maybe this could aid us to all attempt to learn
“They kill, they trick, they lie” is what his conscience should have
remembered
One good friend let him know that girls were temporary fenders
She was such a bad example, such a delinquency
For such a lengthy frequency
Unfortunately he died at the end, which is difficult to comprehend
She killed him…
and she is Tobacco.
On November 28, students in two business classes - Mr. Reece's
Grade 11 Entrepreneurship and Mr. O'Connell's Grade 12
International Business - staged the Carnival 4 Justice. With great
music, games, food, prizes and raffles, the event raised money for
various charities while offering business students a chance to run a
real profit-making venture for a day. And of course, a good time
was had by all.
The Journey through the
Amazon Rainforest
Devika Singh and Carol Lobo
Mrs. Sorbara’s fourth period Environmental Resource and
Management class had the unique experience of meeting Loretta
Penny and Michael McLean. This couple had lived in the Amazon
Rainforest for two months, and studied Mountain Guerillas for two
years. In this period of time they lived life the way of the Amazon
Indigenous People. With the use of their one of a kind tales, each
student truly relived their experience with them, from brining
items previously confiscated by Customs Canada because of their
rarity, to showing their pictures of their exciting journey, the
presentations was an eye open for every student.
The Global Village Gift Shop, owned by the couple was set up in
the foyer throughout the day and raised nearly a thousand dollars
of which ten percent was given to our school. The majority of the
rest was given back to the indigenous people who make these one
of a kind artifacts.
Did you know?
1. 25% of medicines today come from the rainforests
2. If you are lost in the rainforest, hitting a drum tree with a
stick is a well known signal, which will result in the
Amazonian people to come to your aid.
If you want to learn more, sign up for the Environmental
and Resource Management class!
We hope to see Loretta and Michael in February for their renowned
presentation on Climate Change. Hopefully future classes will
have the opportunity for reliving the journey through the Amazon.
Rejeanne Malcolm (Xavier Student)
Some may call me paranoid but I have concerns about safety in
Mississauga. I second guess whether or not to attend the next big
party because we all know that big parties equal big trouble. I
constantly check my rear-view mirrors when driving at night,
looking out for those drunk drivers. People tend to laugh and say
that Toronto is the most dangerous city and is known for its
reputation. But when violence is close to home, it hurts the most.
During the past few months, a number of teen deaths have rippled
through Mississauga. While most students were back to school
shopping, a 15-year-old boy was shot and killed, behind St. Jude
Elementary School. The death of this young teenage boy was felt
throughout the community as well as many students here at
Xavier. A month later, 20-year-old, Darren D’Souza died in a
singlecar
crash.
The
sudden death
brought great
s o r r o w
throughout
the community as over a
hundred
p e o p l e
attended his
funeral.
Only thirteen days later, Brandon Paltooram, 19-years-old, was
stabbed outside a house party in the Credit View area. The
suspects are two 16-year-old boys, too young to kill. Now go
ahead and call me crazy but these victims were all too young to
die. If you haven’t felt the pain of these young deaths in our
community, then put yourself in the victim’s shoes, or just picture
their family’s face when given the bad news. Make no mistake;
these teen deaths may not have been as widely publicized as
others in the GTA. But to me, I feel a greater amount of pain
because they are closer to home.
Let’s bring Mississauga back to the once safe and proud city I
grew up in. The city that my friends enjoyed playing in, hanging
out at Famous Players late at night, or having a good time at a
party without worrying when a fight is going to break out.
Until Mississauga returns to the city I once loved, I will
continue to second guess about attending the next big party,
constantly check my rear-view mirrors, because for now I am
concerned about my safety.
St. FX Library
A Happening Place
“Libraries are medicine for the soul”
Inscription over the Library at Thebes
ST.FX LIBRARY
Chain of Teen Deaths
hit close to home
Hours of Operation: 7:45 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Besides providing a wealth of print and electronic material
our Library is also a magical place to be during Christmas.
Our ESL and PIP classes
decorate the Christmas Tree.
PIP class and teachers are
all ready to celebrate!
Even the reptiles wanted
to come to our Library to
celebrate Christmas.
“There are many people - happy people, it usually appears whose thoughts at Christmas always turn to books. The notion of
a Christmas tree with no books under it is repugnant and unnatural to them.”
Robertson Davies The Merry Heart (1997)
Remember to keep our planet green – recycle computer ink
cartridges and cell phones by bringing them into the Library.
13
COMTECH @ MUCHMUSIC
Communication Technology classes visit MuchMusic
Xavier ComTech explores the World of
Animation at the National Film Board of Canada
14
CAFÉ NIGHT 2008
CAFÉ NIGHT 2008
15
“Excellence
in
Catholic
Education”
Digital Arts Club
Xavier
Photo taken by: Catherine Lee
DACX