The Hook
STUDENT SUCCESS Sophia Okunsky
Students, parents, and teachers gathered to recognize those
who best exemplified Catholic values at the 30th Annual Father
Patrick Fogarty Awards dinner at the Toronto Airport Marriott
Hotel on October 26th. The individual that receives the Catholic
Student of the Year Award during their graduation ceremony is
invited to the annual banquet.
Congratulations to Philip Pocock's recipient and class of 2013
graduate, Julia Taormina! Throughout her high school years
she was involved in school and community activities while
conducting the values of the Catholic school. She, along with
Mrs. Fisher, Mr. Smalridge, and Mr. Shmidt, attended the dinner
and ceremony where they listened to guest speakers and
witnessed Noel Martin, the Director of Education for the Ontario
Catholic School Trustee's Association, receive a medal of
honour. The dinner is named after Father Patrick Fogarty, a
teacher, administrator,
and
priest
who
championed
Catholic
education
throughout
Canada.The award was
created as a tribute to
the hard work and
positivity that occurs in
the
provincial
community.
Viktor Maksimowicz
Philip Pocock’s Academic Awards night took place the
th
night of October 17 , 2013, and a large majority of the
school was present to accept their awards from our
principal, Mr. Schmidt, and our two Vice-Principals, Mr.
Malta and Ms. Terra. Pococks’ best and brightest
graciously accepted their awards and enjoyed
refreshments afterwards, courtesy of Mr. Scerni’s
Hospitality Class. The Top Honour Awards for Highest
Academic Achievement for grade nine students went to
Victoria Bodnitski, grade ten students went to Tetyana
Murdza, and grade eleven students went to Julia Kim. The
winner of the Academic Achievement Award for grade ten
students, Tetyana Murdza, was also the winner of the Joe
Hugel award. This award
is given to the grade ten
student with the highest
overall final average. Also
present at the Academic
Awards night were Ms.
Brozo’s Vocal Class, who
performed a rendition of
“O
Canada”,
Mr.
Smalridge, who led the
opening prayer, and Anna
Balagtas, Katrina Flahat,
Tarik Henry, and Justin
Do,
who
contributed
musical performances to
the night. It was an
outstanding event, and it
couldn’t
have
been
possible without the help
of the teacher, student,
and parent volunteers.
T H E
H O O K
Sophia Okunsky
Starting a new school is never easy, especially transitioning from
elementary to secondary. Luckily, our passionate and enthusiastic
Link Crew leaders are here to guide the grade nines. They have
organized various events to bring the students out of their comfort
zone, meet their peers, and succeed in their first year at Philip Pocock.
The grade nine orientation was filled with cheerful music, ice-breaker
games, group activities, and discussions to break the students out of
their shells and get to know who they will be spending the next four
years with. It was a fantastic welcome to the Pocock community.
During their mega-retreat at St. Volodymyr Cultural Centre, they
listened to guest speaker’s talk about the importance of love and
friendship and the Christian band, Fair Child, perform the group of
excited students before they indulged in team building activities and a
debrief.
The saying is true: food brings people together by creating
conversations and bonds. The Link leaders and staff hosted a
breakfast while playing Link Feud, Pocock's parody of Family Feud
to help the grade nines adjust. The cafeteria was full of smiles and
cheers as the students showed off their wits and bonded over the
delicious bacon.
Karolina Jalowska
We did it again, Pocock held yet another great Pep
Rally thanks to Ms. Corsetti and Ms. Alvero. On
st
October 31 , our school spirit was evident through the
amount of members of the fall, winter, and all-year long
sports. What a great turn out! The cross-country,
tennis, cheerleading, swimming, volleyball, basketball,
hockey, and football teams worked hard this season
and did a great job representing the Pocock athletic
department. And of course, our pep rally’s success
would have not have been the same without the
hilarious, entertaining games played by our athletes
and coaches. From Hot Potato with pom-poms to
racing down a mat with a paper bag in your mouth all
of the games truly show what it is like to be a sporty
Pocock pirate. And the crowd’s support was incredible.
We wait to see what next year has in store.
The students jumped from their seats during Pocock's Scary Movie
Night where they watched The Others. During the Girls Night In, Link
leaders and grade nines got their nails done, played games, and had a
deep discussion about bullying and relationships. On the other hand,
the boys had a chance to play various sports, discuss important topics,
and indulge in some pizza and pop during the Boys Night In. These
were amazing opportunities for them to bond with their new peers and
we look forward to seeing more events from this crew throughout
the year. Welcome, Class of 2017!
SPORTS AND CLUBS
December 2013
Philip Pocock CSS—The Hook: Pirates News
Volume 1, Issue 1
Keeping Pace with the Pirates by Victoria Delfin
This year, the Pocock Pirates had an outstanding turnout for the cross-country team, having many new runners
this season; over 36 students competed in the qualifying runs. Mr. McMahon, Ms. Puim, Ms. Lorpreiato, and Mr. Mezgec, the
couches of this year’s team, pushed them to fight through the cold
weather and achieve personal bests, which they all definitely did. Two
students in particular ran their hearts out and showed significant improvements. Vanessa Erequi in grade 11 and Michal Kaca in grade 12
both made it to ROPSSAA, held at the Heartlake International on
October 24th 2013. Michal ran a 7km race, finishing in 10 th place, and
Vanessa ran a 5km race, finishing in 7th place! Vanessa went on to
compete in the OFSAA race on November 2nd, 2013; despite the cold
weather she ran a solid race, finishing in 23 minutes. All Pirates should
be very proud of their achievements this season. Be sure to congratulate them on their efforts.
Hey, Tech this Out! by Shaun Wickham
Attention tekkies, the age of technology is upon us, and the Tech
Club is in need of people to help aid their mission in advancing Pocock with
software development, video production, and applications. The Tech Club
is brand new to Pocock and they’re hoping to make an impression. Run by
Mr. Southwell, the young programmers of the newly developed club hope
to further improve their software developing skills, and create useful iPhone applications for the school and for Mr. Schmidt. There are some members who already have knowledge of programming, but welcome all beginners. They will be covering the basics of programming for any newcomers that want to join. Not only will they be developing software for the
school, but they will also be part of video production, making movies for
any assemblies or events happing within the school. It’s safe to say that the
Tech Club is going to be doing a lot to help our school. They meet every
Monday in Room 2014, so come on down! Go Pirates Go!
Change for Change by Judy Szczytynski
Last year, during our successful penny drive, students of Philip Pocock collected over 65 thousand pennies, which provided a lifetime supply of
water for 26 people in an impoverished country. This November, Romero
Justice teamed up with Free the Children and RBC to build a total of 200
schools in the most developing communities around the world. All month
long, Romero Justice team members worked diligently with the English department teachers to set up change jars throughout the school. The ultimate
goal is to give children worldwide an opportunity to learn and grow through
education. Since many people are denied this basic right, it was our job to not
only collect change, but CREATE CHANGE.
Friday Night Lights by Candice Scopa
On Friday, September 27th, at 7pm, Philip Pocock’s junior football
team put on their helmets determined to make out Pocock family proud.
Their opponents, David Suzuki’s Grizzlies, were ready to put up a good fight.
Many students, friends, and family came out to support and cheer on our
Pirates. Throughout the game, Pocock’s cheer squad made their voice heard
encouraging the boys to keep fighting to the last second. With a minute left,
the boys were down 3 points but they didn’t lose hope. They retrieved an
onside kick and drove down the field to get the winning touchdown. The
fans were on the edge of their seats during this suspenseful and exciting
comeback. We are very proud of our players and coaches for their successful
win!
The Dream Team by Angelique Le Pera
This year’s 2013-2014 Senior Girls Basketball team says farewell to six graduating senior players: Michelle Bautista,
Anne Campbell, Roscel Guevarra, Ela Maleszewski, Melissa Martins, and
Khelzea Paraggua. The team, led by Anne Campbell; the Captain, MVP
and four times returning senior player, and coached by Ms. Alvero and
Mr. Mascarin (who returned mid season), finished the season with an
overall score of 23-4. The team competed in, and won, the Bracebridge
Muskoka tournament, St. Matthew’s tournament, and our very own
Philip Pocock Invitational tournament! Last year, the girls went all the
way to the semi-finals. However, the team didn’t quite make it this year,
losing by just five points to Father Michael Goetz in the quarter-finals.
Coach Alvero had this to say: “it was a tough battle played with a lot of
heart.” None displayed more heart than the team captain, Anne Campbell, who went down in the 4th quarter with a sprained ankle. Despite
the loss, Pocock is proud of the valiant effort their girls put toward this
season, finishing in the top 6 out of 28 teams in ROPSSAA. The team can
only get better from here! Good luck next season girls!
P-I-R-A-T-E-S! by Neda Korkorian
The Pocock cheerleaders are it again. Last year, the co-ed team surprised everyone by winning second place in the Cheer Evolution Spring Classic
competition, and first place in the Ontario Cheerleading Federation Nationals
(OCF). For their excellent job, the Pirate cheerleaders were named Athletes of
the Week. The team and its coaches; Ms. Gotal, Ms. Corsetti, Luke Walker, and
Britney Foster, worked countless hours to create an outstanding routine. With
many jumps, flips, and injuries, the cheerleaders undoubtedly left a mark on
Pocock athletics. This year, the all-girls team is eager to participate in more
competitions and win more trophies to place in Pocock’s trophy stand. The
ladies will be hosting fundraisers in order to raise money to enter competitions.
Say “so long” to the old black tees and say “hello” to sparkles! The new uniforms will give the team a newer, trendier look. The team is seeking to master
more difficult stunts, crazier tumbling, and much higher jumps. In preparing
for their upcoming season, the team is conditioning hard every week in order
for their flyers to be thrown even higher. Following the hours of practice they
have at school, the girls maintain their training at All-Star Cheerleading gyms
to continue improving stunts and choreography. The amount of dedication that this team has put in has been incredible,
and this year will, without a doubt, knock ‘em dead.
Christmas Baskets by Deon Sikat
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Time for giving and time for cheer! For our act of giving,
Pocock will be collecting Christmas baskets for families that need our help. Last year, many generous students went a long way to fill their assigned family’s shelves. Giving money and perishable
food like peanut butter or jam can make all of the difference. So, this month keep the gift of giving
in mind, Pirates.
Girl’s Night In! by Sophia Okunsky
Link Leaders, staff, and volunteers organized a Girls Night In for the
grade nines to bond while baking cookies and getting their nails
done. Thanks to the hospitality class, the ladies indulged in some appetizing pasta and salad. During the
evening, the girls went to seven stations where they participated in activities including dance, fitness, drama, baking, girl talk, hair and aesthetics, and yoga. At the end of the night, the ladies had a blast
dancing to the girls night anthem, "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun."
End Bullying One Kick at a Time by Candice Scopa
Bullying lurks in our hallways, our classrooms, and even in the comfort of our own homes. During
Pocock’s Anti-Bullying week, Student Wellness decided to take action to eliminate bullying. On
November 21st, Pocock’s juniors had the privilege of witnessing Freestyle Soccer’s engaging
presentation. The representatives shared their battles with bullying and provided the audience
with tips on how to turn our school into a bully-free zone. The audience participated in activities
that aimed to develop a positive attitude and promote a healthy lifestyle. Student Wellness also
provided the juniors with a Bullying Prevention Guide. Thanks to Ms. Pogson, Student Wellness,
and Freestyle Soccer, Pocock’s youth is now ready to fight against bullying and make a difference.
#POCOCK by Shaun Wickham
Do you want to be more social and keep up with the latest news? If so, then you should sign up for
a Twitter account today! With all of the events and excitement going on, both in and out of school,
Twitter is the best way to keep up with the commotion. At Pocock, we strive to be an engaged and
connected community and the Twitter sphere is just another outlet for that community to grow.
Keep up with your friends, your favorite clubs and teams, and our
Principal, Mr. Schmidt, by following these twitter accounts.
@pocockathletics
@pocockchaplain
@RomeroJustice
@ppdramadance
@PaulSch50428406